Life Hacks – Spoken Edition show

Life Hacks – Spoken Edition

Summary: Daily weblog on software and personal productivity recommends downloads, web sites and shortcuts that help you work smarter and save time. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Podcasts:

 Check Your Real-Life "Sims Bars" to Prevent a Meltdown | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 180

Maxis’s game The Sims teaches an important lesson about human behavior: Most of the time, we’re just trying to meet a set of basic needs. In the world of the Sims, those needs are hunger, comfort, hygiene, bladder, energy, fun, social, and room, each represented by a slowly depleting bar. And they’re so true to life that you should check your own before you leave home or start a long trip.

 Don’t Get Duped by Phone Scammers Posing as Equifax | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 128

As if the Equifax data breach disclosing personal information for 143 million people wasn’t enough, now scammers are taking advantage of the confusion and anxiety affecting customers. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be part of Equifax, don’t believe it.

 How to Play MASH | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 101

The fortune-telling game MASH, kept alive over decades by grade-schoolers, requires nothing more than pencil, paper, and a friend. Here’s how to play this little bonding game. Get out those Trapper Keepers and sharpen your No. 2 pencils—it’s Back-to-School Week! Going far beyond the classroom, we’re bringing you genius tricks and ideas on how to start routines, brush up on old skills or learn something new this fall.

 Turn Your Outgoing Voicemail Into a Status Update During Emergencies | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 92

If you’ve been affected by eitherHurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey, you don’t want to worry about far away loved ones trying to get in touch with you, on top of everything else. Here’s a way you can keep everyone abreast of your whereabouts and safety status in one simple step: put it on your outgoing voicemail message.

 How to Skim a Textbook When You Don’t Have Time to Read | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 126

I’ve been both a student and an instructor, and I totally get it. Textbooks are dry and hard to read. But if you don’t have time to read the whole chapter like you’re supposed to, there is actually a better solution than just glazing your eyes over the first paragraph a few times. Get out those Trapper Keepers and sharpen your No.

 Scammers Are Targeting People With Lost Pets | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 110

Losing a pet feels terrible. You’re sad, scared, and desperate—you’d do anything to get your furry friend back. And that makes you the perfect target for a scam artist. According to the Better Business Bureau, scammers have been trying to take advantage of owners of lost pets recently. It works like this: You post about in your lost pet in public—either online, on a poster, or both—and list your contact information in case anyone finds them.

 Fix a Bad Education (or Augment a Good One) With These Videos | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 176

Some people got a great high school education. But some of us were sent to an evangelical Christian school, where we learned that evolution is a lie, Columbus was a cool dude, and Catholics are faking it. For us, and anyone else who suspects their education could use a revisionist refresh, there’s the free YouTube channel Crash Course. Get out those Trapper Keepers and sharpen your No.

 Why Relaxing Vacations Should Be at Least Eight Days Long | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 120

Sometimes a quick vacation is better than nothing, but if you can swing it, try for at least eight days. Research suggests you need at least that much time to truly unwind and feel refreshed. The research, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, suggests that your feelings of happiness and personal well-being rapidly increase as soon as you take that break from the rat race. Then, your relaxation and positive vibes peak on day eight of your getaway, maximizing your feelings of contentment.

 Amex Will Let Delta Branded Cardholders Borrow Travel Rewards Miles | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 96

Let’s say you want to plan an epic trip to Spain and you have loads of credit card points but you’re juuuuuuust shy of a free flight. American Express recently launched a solution: what they call “Fly Now, Earn Later.” The program is only available for Amex cards that are co-branded with Delta SkyMiles. In a nutshell, it’s an advance on your rewards miles.

 Equifax Is Waiving Their Credit-Freeze Fees for 30 Days | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 147

Another day, another attempt by Equifax to stem the tide of consumer rage in the wake of the gigantic breach that left vulnerable the personal data of up to 143 million people. Now the company has said they will waive the fees they charge to freeze your credit until Nov. 21. A credit freeze locks down your credit report until you give the credit agency permission to “thaw” your credit, or release the data.

 How InsecureProperly Lights Black Actors | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 139

For decades, photo and video equipment was designed and tested with only white subjects in mind. Lighting darker skin tones takes a different approach than lighting pale ones. Ava Berkofsky, director of photography on HBO’s Insecure, tells Mic how her team beautifully lights the show’s black actors, and Mic reporter Xavier Harding demonstrates some of the techniques below. Good lighting benefits from teamwork involving multiple departments.

 How to Detect Bullshit | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 107

In this episode we’re talking about bullshit: what it is, how to detect it, and how to call it out. First, staff writer Nick Douglas joins us for a rousing game of “Two Truths and a Lie.” Then we talk to Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, professors at the University of Washington who teach a course called Calling Bullshit.

 Yes, You Actually Need to Read Your Textbooks, Not Just Skim Them for Answers | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 185

I get it—textbooks are weighty tomes that feel like they’re more useful as a defensive weapon than an engaging read. But it’s still important to actually read them instead of treating them as a “find the potential-test-answer” word search. Get out those Trapper Keepers and sharpen your No.

 This Study Is Trying to Ruin Your Precious Binge Watching | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 144

Binge watching is America’s new favorite pastime. I mean, what could be better than plopping on the couch to watch a TV show from start to finish in the course of a day? But one study is trying to ruin the magic for everyone. You probably already knew that binge watching all day long isn’t the best for your health since, you know, moving around is good for you or whatever.

 Google is Fixing Pixel Phones in Houston for Free | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 125

Google is teaming up with an electronics repair company to come to the aid of Pixel owners affected by Hurricane Harvey’s destruction, offering free repairs to the Google-branded smartphone. Google has partnered with uBreakiFix to offer free repairs in seven locations in the Houston area. The free repair program will be in effect until September 30.

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