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[ad_1] A blurred background means a ton of likes. (Allef Vinicius via Unsplash/) Portrait mode photos are everywhere these days. Some shots look great, others… don’t. So if you want your pics to really stand out, there are certain techniques you need to know. Since it was introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus in September 2016, some kind of portrait mode has been available on most flagship phones, including the iPhone XS, Samsung S10, and Google Pixel 3. Either the phone has two cameras and uses the slight differences between the images to determine how far everything is from the camera (like the S10 and iPhone XS) or it uses a single camera, some technical trickery, and a lot of machine learning to figure out what's the subject and what's not (like the Pixel 3). No matter the method, the purpose is the same: to replicate the blurry background look of a portrait taken with a wide-aperture lens on a professional camera, like the photo below. An actual portrait from a 30-year old fil

[ad_1] Your pantry either looks like this or like the place where expired food goes to die. Which one is it? (monicore via Pixabay/) There are basically two kinds of people in the world: those who fervently abide by expiration dates, and those who don’t. The pantries of the former usually look more like a grocery store—neat and tidy. Those of the latter, however, are filled with stuff that could be exhibited in a museum, hoarded from time immemorial. Deciding who’s right and who’s wrong depends on what type of person you are, but we’re here to tell you there is a scientific answer to the burning question: Is this ok to eat? Spoilage vs. safety All food can be classified in three large groups: perishables, semi-perishables and non-perishables. The first category has a limited shelf life and must be stored in a temperature-controlled environment. Foods such as meat, milk, vegetables, and some cheeses fall into this category. Semi-perishables, once opened, can have a shelf life of six mon

[ad_1] Geography is one of the first factors students consider when deciding where to go to college. Do they want the charm of a quaint college town? The bustle of a big city? Something in-between? For students with their minds set on studying in a big city, the next factor to consider is cost. The elevated cost of living can make going to college in a city a challenge for many students, but when CNBC Make It compared hundreds of colleges and universities across the country to create our first list of the U.S. colleges that pay off the most, we found that many of the top-ranking schools located in major cities were able to keep costs low for students and graduate high-earning alumni. To develop our list of the top colleges that pay off, we identified the true net cost of each college for the typical American student — including tuition, fees, books, supplies and other expenses — after subtracting scholarships and grants. Using data from Tuition Tracker, we looked at the net cost for st

[ad_1] The Sony Dolby Vision-enabled players provide more than just the ability to play 4K Blu-ray discs (which, yes, you do need a dedicated player for—they will not play on standard Blu-ray machines). They also provide a hub for an upgraded all-around entertainment system. The player improves contrast and color even when connected to a non-HDR TV, can internally stream Netflix, Hulu, and other platforms through a wireless connection, and comes equipped with Dolby Atmos immersive digital surround sound. It’s pretty much everything you’d want, unless you’re a gamer. [ad_2] Written By PopSci Commerce Team

[ad_1] Greta Thunberg aboard the Malizia II. Her journey from Portsmouth, England, The teen set sail from England on August 14 and arrived in New York City on August 28. (Greta Thunberg Media Handout/EPA/) I have travelled from Plymouth, England, to the UN headquarters in New York many times, often to discuss how to protect the oceans from climate change. The deeply uncomfortable irony was that the carbon emitted on my fossil fuel-powered journey directly contributed to the problem I was there to solve. Greta Thunberg's decision to travel the exact same journey to the UN Climate Action Summit on state-of-the-art sailing boat Malizia II shows that there are principled alternatives. But is there a way for the rest of us to cross the Atlantic without taking to the skies? Thunberg's 14-day voyage was significantly faster than the typical sail time of three to four weeks, but that's still not for anyone in a rush. Speed comes at the cost of comfort, too. Pictures from inside Mal

[ad_1] While they look otherworldly, sheet masks are pretty simple: paper or fabric drenched in serums and essences that give your skin a boost in just 10-15 minutes. They're portable, effective, and facilitate incredible selfies. They come in the form of a thin mask with holes for eyes, nose, and lips. Place one over your face before bed, put on some relaxing music, and create a quick, rejuvenating spa-like experience right at home. You can use them as often as once a day, though two to three times a week is great too. [ad_2] Written By PopSci Commerce Team

[ad_1] A pilot ejects from a Harrier jet in Afghanistan in 2009. (Courtesy Martin-Baker/) When things go terribly wrong in a military aircraft, the pilot's last resort is the equipment they're sitting on: the seat. And it cannot fail, ever. The 200-lb ejection seat, with its 3,500 or so parts, is a remarkable piece of technology that not only gets pilots out of a crashing plane but also ensures they survive the experience more or less unscathed. If the pilot ejects above 16,400 feet where oxygen is scarce, sensors on the chair will let it free-fall to get its occupant down to breathable air as fast as possible, and only then will the parachute open. British company Martin-Baker, and its French subsidiary Safran Martin-Baker France, control 56 percent of the world's ejection seat market. Their seats equip the aircraft of 93 air forces worldwide, including the US’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the French-made Rafale, and the Eurofighter. Other major ejection seat manufacturers

[ad_1] Humans started farming and keeping livestock hundreds of years earlier than thought before. (Andrea Kay/) Today, humans are changing the planet at an unprecedented rate. Despite the threat of climate change, we're increasing our fossil fuel emissions. We've also imperiled up to one million species and altered over 70 percent of the land's ice-free surface. While the magnitude of global change today is unmatched in history, that doesn't mean that ancient societies didn't leave any impacts on the environment. In fact, humans have vastly altered the land they've inhabited for the last 3,000 years, a study published Thursday in Science suggests. We don’t have an overabundance of archaeological data about how ancient humans lived and used their land. But the models we do have tend to underestimate the amount of land ancient civilizations used for foraging, agriculture, and grazing, the study reports. Those simulations used estimates of human populations in tho

[ad_1] SpaceX’s new engine, the Raptor, pushes a prototype vehicle above Boca Chica, Texas. (SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP./) It was one giant leap for a silo-shaped prototype, one small hop for SpaceX's Martian ambitions. The 60-foot-tall "Starhopper," a partial mockup of the vehicle Elon Musk hopes will one day land on other worlds, soared nearly 500 feet into the Texas sky on Tuesday afternoon. This second and final test flight represents the most significant trial yet of the company's Raptor engine. While the trial frustrated residents in Boca Chica, many of whom evacuated their homes for safety concerns, it encouraged aerospace enthusiasts with its demonstration of a new type of rocket that runs on methane—an essential feature for a space program targeting the moon and beyond. “People have talked about using methane engines for decades, and they’re finally here,” says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics an

[ad_1] What you won’t find in Burt’s Bees Ultimate Hand Cream: phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, or sodium lauryl sulfate, products that can irritate sensitive skin. What you will find: 98.9 percent natural ingredients, including baobab oil (with Vitamins A, D, E and F, and rich omega fatty acids), watermelon seed oil (with Linoleic acid that protects and hydrates skin), pumpkin oil (nourishing vitamins, zinc, and antioxidants), and green tea extract (rich in antioxidants). The cream hydrates and gently exfoliates at the same time. The hand cream is rich but non-greasy, and is dermatologist approved and hypoallergenic. [ad_2] Written By PopSci Commerce Team

[ad_1] In Hong Kong, umbrellas are commonly used for sun protection (and a symbol of protest). (AP Photo/Kin Cheung/) Many of us apply sunscreen when we go to the beach. But walking outside under the fierce summer sun—even if it’s to run a quick errand—can be taxing: We sweat, we get exhausted, we burn and we expose ourselves to dangerous UV rays. In Asian countries, many people have a convenient tool at their disposal: They’ll often use umbrellas to shield them from the sun’s powerful rays. In the U.S., even though most people own an umbrella to keep dry when it’s raining, almost no one uses it for sun protection. Yet at one time, American women did use umbrellas for sun protection. As a historian of technology, I'm interested in why some technologies are readily accepted by some groups but not others. Unlike an expensive technology that may be very challenging to learn how to use, such as a car with a manual transmission, the umbrella is cheap, readily accessible, and easy to man

[ad_1] Is Apple hiding hints about the new phone in this event invite graphic? Maybe. (Apple/) Hacking an iPhone is hard and, generally, pretty expensive. In fact, history suggests that agencies have paid between $1 million and $2 million dollars for the privilege. This week, however, security researchers from Google's Project Zero discovered a collection of hacked websites designed to install monitoring software on every iPhone that visits them. It's called a "watering hole" attack and it affects iPhones running iOS 10 all the way up to the current version of iOS 12. This is a very serious hack and we don’t know what the websites are—or if there are more of them out there—so, it’s as important as ever to keep your device updated to employ the necessary security patches. This is your best defense: go to Settings, then General, then Software Update to check what version of iOS you're running. With this kind of exploit, hackers could even get access to assets like t

[ad_1] Bell's APT 70 rotates between vertical flight and horizontal cruising. (Bell/) A typical quadcopter drone is a small gadget that uses four propellers to take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. And at first glance, a cargo-carrying drone from Bell called the APT 70 looks a little bit like one of those flying machines—until you learn that it stands 6 feet tall, spans 9 feet wide, and can carry a 70-pound payload a distance of 35 miles. It’s not the kind of drone designed to drop packages in your yard. Instead, Bell sees it as a machine that could carry military gear, medical supplies, industrial components, and tools, or help a delivery company like Japan’s Yamato with logistics. This machine first flew late last year, but earlier this month conducted a flight that demonstrated its autonomous capabilities—executing maneuvers on its own like automatically converting to horizontal flight, then back to vertical flight, at the right times. Besides its size, the APT 70 (wh

[ad_1] You don't need to live in a world wherein every corner of every room is home to a tangle of wires connected to who knows what. Put some thought into the way you distribute power throughout your home or workspace, and start with picking the right surge protectors. Some of the power strips currently on the market are sleekly designed with USB chargers, smart capabilities, and other features to match your specific needs. If you want something more understated, there are some sturdy minimalist options out there as well. Protect your electronics from voltage spikes and keep your cords tidy without abandoning your aesthetics. Here are some of our favorite surge protectors on the market to help you with your search. [ad_2] Written By Tony Vaz

[ad_1] Brushing your teeth properly can be a truly divine experience. (Goby via Unsplash/) Each year, you'll spend a total of about 24 hours brushing your teeth. No, you can't just marathon it on Dec. 31 and then forget about it for a whole year. You've got to make sure you're doing it right, day in, and day out—unless you want to have fewer teeth than your great-great-grandparents. The best sources of advice for top toothbrushing technique are the best-practice guidelines from both the American Dental Association and the British Dental Association. They're largely identical, but if you put them together, you'll get the closest thing you'll ever have to a brushing bible. We also interviewed Dr. Richard Niederman, chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion at New York University's College of Dentistry, to get some adult supervision. Brush for the right length of time There's no motivation like imagining your kitchen timer is a time b

[ad_1] By the end of last year, eScooter companies Bird and Lime had a combined 36 million rides. The scooters can be a convenient option, but they aren't without risk. (Pixabay/) Since 2017, rentable electric scooters have rapidly been sprouting up across the country. You can now spot jabronis in at least 65 different cities scooting down streets and in-and-out of bike lanes, often sans helmets. And to the surprise of no one, research shows that a significant number of those injuries involve intoxicated drivers. A study published Thursday in Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open digs into the consequences of drinking and scooting. Researchers from the University of California San Diego analyzed data from three major trauma centers in the U.S. between September 2017 and October 2018, and tallied 103 patients who came in after eScooter mishaps. The majority (62 percent) were between the ages of 20 and 40, two-thirds of which were white men. Extremity fractures were most common, maki

[ad_1] Beauty aficionados are obsessed with Rosebud Salve, which comes in a vintage-looking blue and white metal tin, is tinted a pretty pink, and smells like roses. But you don’t have to be a beauty fanatic to love this cult-favorite lip balm. Rosebud Salve was invented in 1892 by a druggist as a family salve that works for chapped lips, skin, blemishes, diaper rash, or detergent burn. It uses surgical-grade petrolatum to seal in moisture, soften lips, and can also be adapted for beauty hacks: tap some over lipstick for a dewy glow, or use it to smooth down flyaway hairs. [ad_2] Written By PopSci Commerce Team