All posts tagged: reason

4K TVs are still awful monitors — for a reason nobody puts on the box

4K TVs are still awful monitors — for a reason nobody puts on the box

Published by skeptic

Computers are pretty great, but you need a display to be able to actually see what they’re up to. Most people buy a computer monitor for this task, but if you really want to go big, a 4K TV can be tempting. But that big screen comes with a compromise that might make you think twice about using a TV as your monitor. Buying a big-screen TV does seem like the obvious approach, though. But when you come home with your new TV and plug it into your PC, you’ll likely be left disappointed. Don’t worry, your new TV isn’t faulty. You’re just running into a key technological difference between TVs and monitors. Related What I Wish I Knew Before Buying a New 4K TV I thought 4K would be simple. It’s not. But it’s totally worth the learning curve. An introduction to chroma subsampling The hidden difference Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf Plugging a 4K TV into a computer is likely to yield fuzzy or distorted text, and that’s a problem. Unlike TVs, computer monitors …

The real reason Julie Andrews, 90, lives a quiet life in the Hamptons

The real reason Julie Andrews, 90, lives a quiet life in the Hamptons

Published by Daniella Wilson

On Wednesday, Julie Andrews confirmed that she will not be reprising her role alongside Anne Hathaway in the upcoming third instalment of the Princess Diaries. This news may have disappointed fans but the 90-year-old now lives a quiet life away from the cameras. The famous actress lives in Sag Harbour, the Hamptons, and her decision to move there decades ago has a very sentimental backstory. Julie selected the location to be closer to her daughter, Emma Hamilton, 63. The pair have an extremely close relationship and have even co-authored many children’s books together. © Getty ImagesJulie Andrews is now 90 What’s Sag Harbour like? It’s seen as a more low-key destination compared to other parts of the flashy Hamptons, providing Julie with much-needed peace and quiet after her life in the limelight. However, it still comes with the Hamptons price tag and Relator.com reports that the median listing price is $3,772,500. Julie has been a long-time resident of the area but she has lived in various different properties there over the years. © Alamy Stock …

People Are Learning The Real Reason Why Marshmallows Were Invented

People Are Learning The Real Reason Why Marshmallows Were Invented

Published by Sam Flores

Dr Pepsi’s name isn’t just catchy: originally called Brad’s Drink, the newer name reportedly “derived from dyspepsia (ie. indigestion), which the beverage was supposed to assuage”. A 1907 ad describes the drink as “an absolutely pure combination of pepsin – for the ingestion – acid phosphate and the juices of fresh fruits”. And yes, digestive biscuits were originally meant to aid digestion too (seems our modern gut health obsession is nothing new). But marshmallows, which were apparently eaten by the Ancient Egyptians many moons ago, “originated as a versatile medicinal syrup and ointment,” Britannica explained. We don’t know for sure that Ancient Egyptians definitely used them for health reasons, though they appeared to have been reserved for nobility. It does seem, however, that Ancient Greeks were using marshmallows for everything from wound-healing to sore throats by the 9th Century BCE. There is some evidence to suggest the original versions may actually have helped with everything from coughs to skin irritation, too. Marshmallows used to contain, well, marsh mallow “Marsh mallow” is a herbaceous plant from …

The emotional reason your teen pushes you away in public (and how to stop triggering them)

The emotional reason your teen pushes you away in public (and how to stop triggering them)

Published by Daniella Wilson

As a parent, one day out of nowhere, you’ll hear, “Dad, don’t say that in front of people!”, or that age-old classic, “Mum, don’t kiss me in public!” Teenagers cringing at their parents is practically a rite of passage, particularly at a stage when every move is scrutinised, every detail compared, and the desire to belong eclipses everything else.  In such a delicate social landscape, a parent can quickly shift from a comforting sanctuary to a fleeting source of deep embarrassment. Far from indicating rejection, these reactions speak of the process of separation and autonomy that defines adolescence. As psychologist Luis Guillén from Psicopartner explains, detecting and understanding these moments allows families to navigate this transition – and there’s a way to handle it without home life turning into a battlefield.  Is it common for a teenager to feel embarrassed by their parents at times? What might be the causes? “It might be a common experience, but that doesn’t stop it from stinging a bit when it happens. Adolescence is a deeply social time, and …

Sony 1000X the Collexion review: The 1 reason to get Sony’s 0 luxury headphones

Sony 1000X the Collexion review: The 1 reason to get Sony’s $650 luxury headphones

Published by skeptic

Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of ContentsThe Sony 1000X the Collexion at a glanceSony 1000X the Collexion performanceThe Sony 1000X the Collexion design and build qualityWho should get the Sony the Collexion headphones?How We Tested When I started reviewing Sony’s most expensive consumer headphones yet, I naturally expected them to offer an elevated experience. I didn’t expect to hear the best spatial audio I’ve ever encountered. I say this, too, as someone who has been left completely unimpressed by spatial audio features time and time again. Be forewarned, though: the Sony 1000X the Collexion headphones clock in at a whopping $649.99 — putting them nearly $200 higher than the WH-1000XM6. The reason for the fanfare? The Collexions are the 10th anniversary celebration of the 1000X line (hence the…creative name). The brand certainly delivers on some of its best features in the Collexion headphones, but really, the experience for the high price point is only likely to appeal to a select few who prioritize sound and looks above all else. The Sony 1000X the …

Mary Berry reveals sad reason behind garden decision: ‘I’ll be in heaven then’

Mary Berry reveals sad reason behind garden decision: ‘I’ll be in heaven then’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Dame Mary Berry has explained how she is being pragmatic about the future when it comes to designing her garden. The former Great British Bake Off host, who turned 91 in March, is a keen gardener, and earlier this year published My Gardening Life, an account of her lifelong love of horticulture. Speaking on the Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange podcast, the cooking show star revealed that she has to take her advanced years into account when planning how best to use and enjoy the grounds of her riverside home in Henley-upon-Thames. Berry told the hosts that she and her husband Paul, 93, chose to buy yew trees that were already “fairly big” rather than waiting for them to grow, as they might not be around to see them. “Obviously you should buy evergreens like a yew, I suppose, about two foot …

Greg James ‘can’t stop crying’ as he reveals heartbreaking reason for missing BBC Radio One breakfast show

Greg James ‘can’t stop crying’ as he reveals heartbreaking reason for missing BBC Radio One breakfast show

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Radio presenter Greg James has revealed the death of his dog in a heartbreaking social media post. James, who hosts the Radio One breakfast show, shared a message on Instagram on Monday evening saying that his dog Barn was put to sleep on Monday. After adding that he was “floored” by the news, James ended the post by saying he would not be on presenting duties on Tuesday morning. James said: “I’m sorry to bring such horrible news but we had to put our lovely Barn to sleep earlier today. “I can’t really get my head around it. But he was peaceful, we were with him at home in the garden in the sunshine and I can’t stop crying. “I know how loved this unbelievably daft farty brilliant dog was and I adored sharing him with everyone but can I just …

The reason you keep reaching for captions is a TV setting nobody turns on

The reason you keep reaching for captions is a TV setting nobody turns on

Published by skeptic

Because I watch a lot of TV at night once everyone else has gone to bed, cranking up the volume isn’t an option. But sometimes, even if I watch in the evening, I have to turn up the volume to hear softer dialogue, then turn it back down when there’s loud background music or booms and bangs in an action show. This frustrating is something most people have encountered at one point or another. My solution for this is to usually keep the TV lower than I’d like, especially late at night, and turn on the captions. In fact, I have become so accustomed to captions that I feel weird watching shows without them! But they get in the way of the scene. Some network channels even annoyingly position them over a character’s face, with no option to relocate the text. So, it’s not an ideal solution. But your TV may have a setting that can help that you aren’t even using. And it isn’t just TVs that have a dialogue clarity feature. You can …

The Strange Reason Scientists Still Need Pre-1945 Steel

The Strange Reason Scientists Still Need Pre-1945 Steel

Published by Jenni Sidey

The world’s most sensitive radiation detectors sometimes rely on low background steel produced before the first atomic bomb test in July 1945, according to a new report from SpaceDaily. Steel manufactured before the nuclear age lacks the tiny traces of radioactive fallout that atmospheric weapons testing later introduced into the environment, making it valuable for experiments searching for extraordinarily rare particles and faint radiation signals. The report says that this gave rise to the popular story that scientists depend on steel salvaged from pre war shipwrecks resting on the ocean floor. While there is some truth to that, the claim has been greatly exaggerated. Some laboratories have indeed used steel from old warships for shielding, but it is not true that nearly every sensitive detector depends on sunken ships or that science faces a crisis as this supply disappears. The reason low background steel matters is that, in cutting edge physics experiments, even the detector’s own walls can generate enough background radiation to interfere with measurements. Facilities searching for dark matter, rare nuclear decays, or …