In the last decade, burglary rates in the United States have fluctuated little with over 2 million burglaries each year. In 2009, nearly three quarters of all burglaries were from residential properties, with over sixty percent being forcible entry. But we all know burglars don't like confrontation—they prefer breaking into apartments and houses when its owners are away. And that's why it's a must for apartment dwellers and homeowners to be on the defensive, even when they're not home.
Playing Super Mario Brothers for the NES is the first thing I can ever remember doing, at age 3 sitting on the carpet at my grandparents' house. It was a special game for an entire generation, including British youths Andrej and Adam Zamoyski. It inspired them to eventually become video game testers and designers themselves; Andrej at Lionhead Studios and Adam at Headstrong Games, and then Zynga Mobile UK (until recently called Wonderland Software, developers of Godfinger for the iPhone).
He may have just started his teenage years, but Laurence Rock's future is looking pretty good after inventing an ingenious doorbell device called Smart Bell. He's already sold 20,000 units to telecoms giant Commtel Innovate, and is securing a second deal with an unidentified company that will land him £250,000. That's over $400,000!
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills.
Oat bran has the ability to lower cholesterol plus it contains fiber, iron, calcium, and trace minerals, vitamins A, E, & K and several of the B vitamins. Here's the nutritional lowdown. But really, how many bowls of oat bran can you eat every day? Luckily it can be added to lots of the foods you already eat without changing flavor or even texture. Here's how:
Looking to go "Green" When I'm looking to do new remodeling projects around the house, I find myself asking, is this Eco-Friendly? Is this main stream America brain-washing me into a "Greener Tomorrow?" I doubt it! Embracing Eco-minded products is not just good for preserving the natural environment, but it's about creating a healthy living environment in your home as well.
I've always wanted a gigantic saltwater aquarium, but maintaining a big, beautiful fish tank is not only time consuming—it's expensive. Also, it's a potential hazard if you have children, pets or any other uncontrollable elements around the house.
Getting started on the loom? START HERE for your first cast on and stitch technique. First Loom Stitch: E wrap or Single Stitch
How far would you go to be resourceful? Early Britons used each others' skulls as drinking cups and bowls. Recently, researcher Silvia Bello found human skulls with the top cut off laying in Gough's Cave, England. Skillful cut marks make it look like fellow humans scraped off the dead skin to clean the bone, and chips around the rim of the skull cup make it look like the edges were evened out for a better drinking experience. Researchers have found other skull cups in France and Germany, but ...
PETA wouldn't consider James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau's ingenious flypaper clock very eco-friendly, but I might beg to differ. The clock doesn't require any electricity or batteries. Instead it captures flies and converts the bodies of the dead insects into energy. Eight dead flies makes for roughly twelve days of power. Not bad.
The costume I mentioned in my last post is taking longer than I thought it would be, but it's almost done! I'm hoping to finish it either this evening or tomorrow. All the little mods I've added have taken up more time than I thought... but isn't that always the way it goes? It seems like every time I plan out a project, it always takes me at least an hour or so more than I originally planned, usually more.
The New York Times reports on the perks of opting for digital TV antennas vs. paying for cable TV. With the exception of the occasional spotty signal, young viewers are finding antennas are the preferable choice, considering savings add up to half the usual cost for cable TV and internet access.
We were invited to my Wife's Cousins house for Thanksgiving Dinner and I wanted a unique but fabulous dessert. I had Doug find us a recipe and this is what he came up with. It is a Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a caramel whiskey sauce. By that, I mean a Bread Pudding made with Pumpkin Bread, that has a cramel Bourbon sauce drizzled over it when its done. This required that we find a good recipe for Pumpkin Bread. I also put Doug on this bit of research and he came up with a whopper of a recipe. ...
Hello wizards! Welcome to The Wizard's Spiral! This new blog is about Wizard101. Feel free to post about anything in the Forums, ranging from equipment to Helephants, from castles to Mooshu. If you have any questions or technical problems, go to the forums and open a new thread. Me or any other wizard will be there right away to help you. For those of you who are wondering what Wizard101 is, you have come to the right place. Wizard101 is an MMORPG game that is all about wizards and magic. Whe...
I've created this chart which shows you all the contents of each Mystery Egg that you can find in the FarmVille game.
PopSci's Gray Matter explains how to "hack light", a simple project that calls for glow sticks, diagonal cutters and Drano. Here's the science behind it:
Ok, so these aren't exactly "donuts" in the traditional sense. They are beer-battered, deep-fried donut peaches. And my God, they look so insanely delicious! Get the story behind this genius idea at Lunch at Sixpoint. Recipe below.
This week Farmville is revisiting some old themes for 24 hours each. Tuesday
China's latest futuristic project is a massive "3D Express Coach", a clever project proposed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co. as a solution to traffic in the extremely overpopulated country.
Tips China is called Zhong Guo to chinese people which means "Middle Country" or literally "Middle Kingdom" but nobody calls countries kingdoms anymore, not even the chinese.
New Levels! Levels 70-90 released. You will get your 20 farm cash if you skip straight to 90 because you had enough xp, or the appropriate amount for however many levels you've completed.
The Farmer's Market is finally here! I'm getting busy setting mine up and filling it with crops and I've seen some great pictures popping up on my feed of my neighbor's farmer's marketplaces.
There are no spoilers in this writing, read without worry. Finished Episode 3 of Alan Wake yesterday, impressed by different reasons. I originally bought the game for the possibility of great story, dialogue, and voice acting. That part of the game has been disappointing. What has stood out from playing episodes 1 to 3 is the level design and game play.
Do Sale Signs Bother You? My main man ran over a large rock with our lawn mower taking a chunk out of the blade. I heard it hit and the mower stopped dead in its rotation. The mower now has this grinding sound and I don't know better... but I have a feeling that a few teeth out of the gears has been snapped off inside the engine.
LEGO technic builder Sariel presents a mighty impressive weekend project: a motorized LEGO hand that emulates actual human movement. This feat of plastic engineering runs on a combination of electric motors and pneumatic valves.
The seated hammer curl using resistance bands is used to target primarily the biceps, however because the wrist remains perpendicular to the ground rather than parallel, the forearm also gets a workout.
External shoulder rotation exercises are done to work the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles. They include the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. Each muscle works to rotate the arm externally (laterally) and internally (medially). The following are instructions for the cable external rotation shoulder exercise:
The largest muscle in the back is scientifically known as the latissimus dorsi. You might see it referred to as the "lats" or "wings." The lats are used any time you pull something. For example, when you open a fridge or a car door, you are primarily using your lat muscles. The lat pulldown is a great way to target the back muscles. The following are instructions for performing this exercise:
The superman exercise can be used to work the lower back (erector spinae muscle). This exercise also works the hamstrings, butt, and shoulders. Some experts maintain that the superman exercise overloads the spine in a potentially unsafe manner. Thus, contralateral supermans are usually preferred. The contralateral superman exercise involves raising only one arm and the opposing leg (e.g. left arm, right leg). With this technique, there is a reduced load on the lumbar spine. The following are ...
The contralateral superman exercise is ideal for working the lower back (erector spinae muscle). This exercise also works the hamstrings, butt, and shoulders. Some experts maintain that traditional supermans overload the spine in a potentially unsafe manner. Thus, contralateral supermans are usually the recommended alternative. With this technique, there is a reduced load on the lumbar spine. The following are instructions for contralateral supermans:
The Smith machine shrug is a great way to target the trapezius muscle. Despite popular belief, the trapezius is not part of the shoulders. It is a back muscle that allows the shoulders to move in different directions (e.g. elevating and lowering the shoulders).
The double crunch exercise involves two movements: a traditional abdominal crunch and a reverse crunch or knee-in. The reverse crunch portion of this exercise is supposed to target the lower portion of the abdomen. However, it is important to note that whenever the knees move toward the chest from a supine position (on your back), the hip flexors are the prime movers.
The V-up is one of the more challenging ab exercises. While it may appear simple, there are several factors that make this exercise difficult to execute properly. Some of these factors include timing of the movement, counterbalancing, hip positioning, flexibility, and abdominal strength.
Flutter kicks are often used to work the lower abs. Generally, flutter kicks are performed at the end of an abdominal workout when the abs are fatigued. In reality, this exercise does very little for abdominal development. The main muscles worked are the hip flexors. So if you are trying to get the most out of your abs workout, there are better options.
The scissor kick is often used to target the lower abs. However, this exercise does a poor job of working the abs. The hip flexors do most of the work. This exercise can be used in a continuum of ab exercises, but it should not be used as a primary ab exercise.
This exercise is good for abdominal strength and endurance. It is safe and easy to do. The crunch is one of the most incorrectly performed exercises. This exercise works best when done slowly.
The supine abdominal bridge is a great core exercise. It is relatively easy to perform and requires no fancy equipment. While the abs are the primary focus, the supine abdominal bridge also works the thigh and hip muscles (e.g. gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps). They each allow the "bridging" of the hips to take place. Here is how this exercise is done:
The prone (face down) bridge or plank is a great exercise if you are trying to develop the core. This exercise is unique in that it is done from a static position. There are no repetitive movements. The prone bridge strengthens the lower back, as well as several muscles in the upper body. If you are new to exercise, consider starting with a modified version of the prone bridge, then progress to a full bridge. A workout mat is recommended.
The modified prone (face down) bridge or "plank" is a great exercise if you are trying to develop the core muscles. This exercise is unique in that it is done from a static position. There are no repetitive movements. The modified prone bridge strengthens the lower back, as well as several muscles in the upper body. A workout mat is recommended.
The prone hip extension exercise is used to target the gluteus muscles. It is relatively easy to perform. This exercise is sometimes called the reverse hyperextension.
