teodora, Author at The Silver Ink

“Alien: Covenant” Returns to the Horror Roots

May 7, 2017 By teodora Leave a Comment

“Alien: Covenant” Returns to the Horror Roots

Many people were completely disappointed when “Prometheus” came out in 2012. It did not answer any question we had about the origins of it all. Moreover, people left the theaters more confused than ever. Director Ridley Scott saw that and he decided to helm a new installment of the franchise called “Alien: Covenant”. This time, he answers some very important questions while also managing to go back to the roots of the series. “Covenant” also raises new questions, but it does not fail to answer them. People will not leave the theater with the same bitter taste as they had after they saw “Prometheus”.

Back to the roots

Stylistically and thematically, the movie stand somewhere between the previous movie and the 1970 horror original. It is amazing for a director to succeed something like that nowadays. The new movie it is surely not as good or as creepy as the original, but Ridley Scott manages to take the franchise from the bottom of a pit and make it relevant again. He uses familiar motives but alters them with his own perspective and directorial touch. Also, he provides the answers we needed to get during “Prometheus”, not a few years after, in another movie.

It all begins when a group of pioneers (scientists, engineers, pilots) wake up from hyper-sleep. They have the mission to transport colonists to a new planet which will become their new home. However, during the journey, they are attracted towards something that seems like an even better home. From this point, the movie keeps the fans on the edge of their seat. Ridley Scott handles mystery and suspense like no other, and this helps the movie greatly. He even manages to replicate the chest burster sequence from the classic movie.

New and classic at the same time

The director keeps himself from using the original alien, the “xenomorph”, too much. The creature is teased in the trailers, and it also appears in the movie but at the right time. Until then, the crew has to fight another new creature, a pale monster dubbed the “neomorph”. Apart from this, the movie’s action sequences are nothing new but the director makes them feel fresh. The cast is also very strong and there are no weak links among them. Overall, “Alien: Covenant” is a good movie which goes back to the roots, unlike the disappointment that was “Prometheus”.

Image source: comingsoon

New Emails Surface in Hillary Clinton Server Case

October 28, 2016 By teodora Leave a Comment

hillary clinton server case - new emails surface

FBI reopens investigation in Hillary Clinton server case after new “pertinent” material surfaces.

In an unexpected twist to the U.S. presidential campaign the FBI uncovered potentially significant material in the Hillary Clinton server case.

New emails sent through Hillary Clinton’s private server surfaced after the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized devices belonging to Huma Abedin and her husband, Anthony Weiner, in an unrelated case. The shocking revelation was announced through a letter sent to Congress members.

“In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.”

The initial investigation into Hillary Clinton’s unauthorized use of a private email server concluded in July with a recommendation of no criminal charges against the Democratic presidential candidate. However, in light of recent events, the FBI has decided to take investigative steps to determine if the newly discovered emails contain any classified information.

“Although the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant and I cannot predict how long it will take to complete this additional work, I believe it is important to update your Committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony” declared James Comey, FBI’s director, who previously criticized Hillary Clinton as being careless.

With less than 11 days before the US presidential election, the FBI’s decision to reopen the investigation shows how serios the discovery is. Several lawmakers questioned the timing of the letter, seeing as there is currently no evidence that Mrs Clinton or the State Department withheld information.

“Why would FBI reopen Hillary investigation unless there is evidence of more than extreme carelessness in handling classified information?” tweeted John Cornyn, second-ranking Republican in the Senate

A senior law enforcement official declared that Comey’s letter was sent out of extra caution. Although FBI’s director provided no details about the nature of the mails, the politically explosive development raises serious questions about the Democratic presidential candidate. The shocking revelation seems to have caught the Clinton campaign by surprise. Tim Kaine, Clinton’s VP running mate, said he has to “read a little more” about the situation before giving an official statement.

GOP nominee Donald J. Trump, realizing that the new development in the Hillary Clinton server case may represent a turning point in the race, was quick to add fuel to the fire. Despite the fact that he has repeatedly called the FBI corrupt and inept, during a campaign event in New Hampshire, he went on to praise the law enforcement agency.

“I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the DOJ are now willing to right the horrible mistake that they made. This is a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understand.” Donald J. Trump declared.

Comey, who is also a Republican, endured severe criticism in July after he decided not to charge Clinton. The language used by the FBI in the letter made it clear that agents will be going through the newly discovered emails to determine any intent to violate the law. Only time will tell how the Hillary Clinton server case will unfold.

Allergies Can Be Avoided by Changing Baby’s Diet

September 27, 2016 By teodora Leave a Comment

This study showed that babies should consume both peanuts and eggs from the first months of living to have a healthy diet without suffering from any allergies

Peanuts and eggs should be included in a baby’s diet earlier in order to avoid allergies. A new study suggests that giving eggs and nuts to kids can help them develop better and stay away from allergies.

The research found that if a baby eats eggs between 4 and 6 months he has 46% less chances of developing an allergy to products that have eggs. The peanuts consumed by the baby after his first 4 months can lower the chance of him having an allergy up to 71%.

This study showed that babies should consume both peanuts and eggs from the first months of life in order to have a healthy diet without suffering from any form of allergy.

In the last few years, parents were taught to feed their infants non-allergen food, avoiding peanuts or eggs until the baby reached 2 or 3 years. This only made things worse because the baby was not accustomed to this food and his body could not digest them, causing an allergy. This is why now doctors and researchers encourage parents to give their babies this kind of food products, for them to get used to allergens.

Fish and gluten were other allergens that researchers tested, but the results were not as clear as the ones on peanuts and eggs.

One problem that the study had to deal with was the different kinds of diets that mothers have for their infants. For instance, most diets include only breastfeeding up until 6 months, but not every woman can provide that for her child. This is why the researchers had different results.

Another factor that has to be taken into consideration is the fact that not every parent consults a doctor before introducing an allergen into his baby’s diet. This study was made by comparing the baby’s charts. This means that if the parent did not tell his doctor about giving his child an ailment the doctor could not provide as much in-tell as the researchers needed.

“I do think that the findings suggest a need to consider changes to clinical practice,” said one of the researchers

Despite these factors, the study showed that some babies could be helped if they consume allergens at an early age. This is not recommended for kids that have a high risk of developing allergies.

Do you think that it is a good idea to give allergens to a 4-month-old baby?

Image source: Wikipedia

Anesthesia Took The Life Of A Toddler

July 16, 2016 By teodora Leave a Comment

A routinely performed anesthesia took the life of a toddler.

A routinely performed anesthesia took the life of a toddler. Daisy Lynn Torres, a 14-month-old girl, died after a routine dental procedure which took place in March. She had complications from the anesthesia administered for the treatment of cavities.

The little girl was from Austin, Texas and her death was classified as undetermined. Usually, non-natural death should be classified as undetermined, accident, homicide or suicide.

Daisy Lynn was taken to a Children’s Dentistry in North Austin, for a regular dental procedure. However, halfway through the operation, the dentist told her mother that there has been a complication. An ambulance rushed her daughter to the hospital.

Within a couple of hours, Daisy Lynn was pronounced dead. Her family was confused and shocked. Betty Squier, the girl’s mother, pointed out that the dental office had told her that the sedation of young patients was a safe and common procedure.

Austin Children’s Dentistry announced that it is “saddened by the tragedy.” The statement also says that the death was caused by anesthesia, and not by the dental procedure itself. Sometimes, complications with sedation occur, but losing a child is “particularly tragic.”

Another dentist, Robert Organ, from Dallas-Fort Worth, believes that child patients need special care. So he takes them to a Children’s Medical Center for performing general anesthesia instead of deep sedation at his office.

There’s not much that can be done to prevent allergic reactions to anesthesia, especially in infants. However, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that kids see a dentist before their first birthday, to make sure their teeth are on track and to prevent early childhood tooth decay.

If a child has a few cavities, these can be addressed without sedation. But sometimes, small children struggle with the dentist’s arm which can cause harm to them. Sedation is used to keep the child still. This is why the American Academy recommends early toothbrushing and flossing, to prevent any cavities from appearing.

Severe allergic reactions to anesthetics are highly unlikely, but once they happen, there’s not much that can be done about them. It remains to be seen if the girl’s mother will sue the anesthetist.

What’s your opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below.

Image Source – Pixabay

Parallel Universes May Be More Real than We Thought

November 4, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

American cosmologists believe that they may have discovered proof of parallel universes. In a new research, released in the astronomy publications, experts say that cosmic bruising, when one universe is extremely close to another universe, could describe an abnormality they discovered in the detailed map of our universe’s microwave background.

This phenomenon is represented by the light remaining after the blunder of the recently formed universe, the historical shrapnel after the Big Bang. Scientists designed a microwave background map by using information from telescopes located in many Western countries. When they compared the map with a representation of the night sky, they discovered a mysterious blob of light.

This cosmic background has jets of old light waves showing the signature of the universe after only a few million years after the birth of the universe. The light is generated by recombination, a process where protons and electrons first combined to make hydrogen. Because this primordial gas gives off a restricted range of light waves, scientists know what spectrums these old blobs pertain to.

In the new documents on the finding, astronomers claim that a multiverse concept could describe the trend. Our universe could basically be just an area within a permanently bolstering super verse.

The multiverse ideas suggest the constantly growing universe produced pouches of energy that extended a lot quicker and created their own universe. For some researchers, the theory of cosmic inflation, which is the fast expansion of the ancient universe, requires the possibility of a major multiverse.

While many well known experts recognize the chance of several and similar universe coexisting at the same time, many other competent astrophysicists and astronomers consider the discussion a pointless one, more sci-fi or a fantasy viewpoint than actual science. They claim that the nature of scientific technology makes it very hard to confirm or disprove multiverse concepts.

Others people search for the middle ground for these unusual ideas. A number of experts say the little recognized results of forefront dust may modify the light waves in numerous ways that we still do not understand with the technology and current level of science.

Image source: Techtimes

BlackBerry Priv Pre-Orders to Be Taken via Retailers

November 2, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

As clients might already have found out by now, especially the eager customers residing in the United States, it is possible for them to pre-order the highly anticipated BlackBerry Priv from the company’s online stores. People who choose a substitute way to purchase this latest BlackBerry smart phone can reserve one via the New York’s digicam and electronic devices seller: B&H Photo.

The retailer has already started taking preorders for the new smart gadget that is BlackBerry’s first device to operate on the Android operating system, instead of the company’s own OS. The product has a cost of $700, which means that it is exactly the price that BlackBerry Priv is asking in its online store.

Another significant distinction, apart from its cost, is the delivery time frame. If BlackBerry says that it will begin to send the Priv right after November 9, B&H Photo guarantees to start providing the smart phone on November 20. Remarkably, people who are living in New York are able to individually choose their purchases at the B&H official store.

To talk a little about the cell phone’s specs: it comes with a 5.4” show and a 1,440 by 2,560 resolution under the double rounded sides similar to the displays of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Edge. Particularly, it has a pixel density of over 440 ppi, which is more than enough for a top flagship device on the market.

This stunning smart phone, loaded with the Snapdragon 808 processor, features an amazing Adreno 418 and stores an octa-core clocked at 1.8 GHz. surely, one of the top selling points of the BlackBerry Priv is its sliding keyboard but, of course, it also has the virtual keyboard on-screen.

The 3,400 mAh battery allows its owners to enjoy the amazing functions for many hours during the normal day usage. It is packed with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space and for people who want extra data storage, the device features an expandable 2TB space via the MicroSD port.

The BlackBerry Priv furthermore has a 5MP front-facing camera; designed for selfies and video chatting lovers. At the rear, it rocks the 18 MP powerful main camera that can provide extra crispy photos in any environment.

Previously, experts have released online reviews that popped up all over the websites, indicating a number of the mobile phone’s significant functions, such as the BlackBerry Hub, the Productivity Edge and a few more options aimed to improve the overall user experience.

Image source: Recombu

Boost Your Audio Experience with Sonos Play 5

November 1, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

The Sonos Play 5 is a portable and WiFi compatible speaker that will surely make an impression on many users willing to enjoy the best audio experience. The company tried to update its speaker series and provide a clean design to the increasing portable speaker industry. With a significantly enhanced style and much improved top quality, the Play: 5 represents Sonos’ answer to its powerful competitors that dominate the market at the moment.

This is an extremely well designed device, since it does not have physical control buttons, which have been replaced by capacitive strips. With it, customers can quickly adjust the speaker’s volume and listen to their preferred songs anytime they want it. To skip one or more tracks, you have to simply move the strip to the left or right or the other way around, as tech sources have revealed.

The gadget’s rear speaker is easier to use as it contains just a 3.5mm port, an Ethernet slot, the energy plug and the synchronization key. Its predecessors had an earphone port and a second Ethernet slot. Thanks to its efficient Wi-Fi connection, the lack of this second Ethernet slot does not affect the audio experience.

The device also has a series of mid-woofers and tweeters, while for a better sound clarity, two of these systems point in an external direction. It also has a weight of 14 lbs, which is quite heavy for a little speaker. But, the device can be handled rather easily even by children and women, without worrying about these problems.

One exciting function of the Sonos Play:5 is the alignment indicator. If a user has several Play:5 in the same room, this option will allow the entire audio system to instantly tune-in all audio between them and it relies on the direction of these speakers, either from side to side or from top to bottom.

Trueplay, one of Sonos’ apps, can instantly adjust the audio system to the appropriate acoustics of the space. It then adapts the equalizer configurations to generate the best audio experience possible. The more innovative style is represented by the organization’s logo due to its symmetrical icon, so it really is not important if it is placed facing up or down.

The new speaker is sold in just two colors: white and black and will have a price of around $500. It will be sold on November 20, according to the company.

In conclusion, the Trueplay might not be the only reason to have a Play:5, but you really do not need others. It is an incredibly well crafted system, with delicate touch control buttons above for managing the volume, play, stop and going back and forth through different songs.

It has front-firing speakers that will start instantly when you place them in a vertical position. It blends completely with Sonos’ outstanding application, which offers users access to almost every music platform support available on the market, as well as a networked song collection, songs on an iPhone or on Sonos’ own online channels.

Image source: Engadget

Verizon Brings the Droid Turbo 2 to its US Clients

October 28, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

Motorola and Verizon released this week the Droid Turbo 2, a top Android-operating smart phone with a secured display. The Turbo 2’s 5.4”, quad-HD display can resist to a variety of shocks and hits with different forces. A specialist who had access to this phone and was allowed to test it said that the device has been hit against hard objects from timber to natural flagstone and remained with just a few scratches.

According to the manufacturer, it took a couple of years and a team of technicians to fix this significant smart phone problem. The Droid Turbo’s AMOLED display has five layers of material with double redundant contact levels and a pair of “lenses” covering it from cracks. Nevertheless, it does not appear overexposed or dim at first look.

The smart phone is rather large, partly thanks to these layers that protect its display, the aluminum alloy structure and the massive battery under the back case. The second generation of Droid Turbo has a pretty thick 3750mAh battery that is more than enough for one day of intense usage. The smart phone rocks a QuickCharge fast-charging feature, the 2.1GHz Snapdragon 810 chip set and the high-end 21MP and 5MP cameras. The producer offers a 32GB and 64GB model, the memory being extended via a MicroSD card port. The Droid Turbo also benefits from the Moto Maker facility, where users can have various styles for their phones, such as a pebbled design.

Its shatterproof option will be unique for Verizon clients in the United States until the end of this year, but the producer will use this technological advancement and other features to reach a broader segment of users. This is a device exclusively developed and built by Motorola, but it enhances what the first-gen of Droid to the market. This is a series of smart phones known for their strength and their sales continue growing every year, proving the users’ interest for the devices.

The Droid Turbo 2 arrives with a style refresh choice, which allows customers to exchange their 64GB version for a new design any time they want, during the two years of the warranty. That allows them change the back covers or to get rid of the scraped and grazed design.

In addition, these two companies also released the new Droid Maxx 2, the representatives declaring that this is the Verizon-specific edition of the international Moto X Play. Both the Droid Maxx 2 and the X Play have 5.5”, 1080p displays and Snapdragon 615 processor chips. The Maxx 2 has only 16GB of memory storage that can be extended via MicroSD cards, besides a massive 3630mAh battery and the 21MP and 5MP back and frontal sensors.

Both mobile phones will receive upgrades for the newest version of the Android operating system, the Marshmallow 6.0, according to the producer. They come on October 29 and the Turbo 2 will have a price of $625 or $700, for those who choose the model refresh option, while the Maxx 2 will have a price tag of only $375, being aimed at the mid-range market segment.

Image source: Dailytech

Windows 10 Mobile – a Leap in the Right Direction for Microsoft

October 26, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

Many users have a lot of positive outlook on the Windows 10 Mobile and this is for a good reason: the excellent marketing campaign led by the company made people excited about the changes coming from Microsoft. However, like the majority of customers have already noticed, when it comes to phone improvements, it is more about the way you attract users from other platforms to your own, rather than those who are on it. It is all about getting the OS’ popularity so huge, that many new clients would want to buy a phone also for its high-quality software. Microsoft’s last year achievements with its Surface Pro 3 also continued this season after the presentation of the Pro 4 besides the Surface notebook. What it has to do now is improving the mobile part of its software activity, which will probably begin in the next weeks.

Windows Mobile was quite known among clients, but it was quickly surpassed by the more performing Android and iOS operating systems once they entered into the mobile market. This made Microsoft to update its system into the Mobile 7, but this version never had a significant success like Microsoft had expected. After some time, Microsoft made the jump from Windows Phone 7 to the 8^th generation, which resolved some of the problems that clients had with the previous edition. Still, Microsoft missed the occasion to repair one of the platform’s most important issues: its notorious app gap.

Today, this problem with applications running on Windows still prevails. Windows 10 Mobile is said to reduce the app gap thanks to Microsoft’s merging of all Windows 10 systems. This will improve the same combination concept that Microsoft imagined for the 8 version, which had merged the platform in a fragmented fashion. The programs across Microsoft Windows 8 and Phone 8 probably have looked identical, but they were not, since these were different programs available for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 for desktop. With the newly launched Microsoft Windows 10, the giant software’s strategy is for all applications in the online stores to be capable to work on all Windows 10 systems, and the applications would have to resize instantly to fit into the display where it is used on.

It is a huge improvement and one that many users want to be a successful idea. However, the long time when Windows Phone has been considered an inappropriate operating system will be difficult obstacle to overcome by the company, especially with the progress made by the other mobile ecosystems. Not only this, but during all these years when Microsoft was having problems to contend for a top place, smart phone customers were active and getting themselves into the most advanced options offered by technology and became more demanding. For individuals intensely using another platform, it can be difficult to persuade them to change their habits when those systems are still suited for their needs, especially if they have to get back to an ecosystem that had so many problems in the past.

Windows 10 Mobile appears to make an important move in the best direction. This giant step is good enough to produce a truly beneficial effect in the mobile segment, since many users would really like to own a third real and practical system available on the industry. They have always enjoyed Microsoft’s style with its Windows smart phones; but the main problem has been the app gap. Hopefully is not late for this ecosystem to catch up with the others if the gap is set now around. Given the previous successes of the company against its competitors, now it is the best time to prove what it is truly capable of.

Image source: Windowsable

August – More than a Simple Home Security System

October 17, 2015 By teodora Leave a Comment

Protecting your main home entrance might not seem so interesting, but once you have tested an August home security system, it will convince you immediately. The producer behind these innovative devices, the relatively new August company, is increasing its portfolio of SmartLock systems with a few recent products. In addition, it brings a collaboration program that is paving the way to a new application of their gadgets.

The guarantee of a full proof secured house has not really been achieved until now, with plenty of organizations fighting home dangers in many ways. August invested $45 million to improve its systems, but new comers like Butterfleye are getting closer and household names Dropcam or Nest want to protect your house as well.

August’s latest intelligent security system is called the “HomeKit Edition” and is paired with Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri. Basically, it uses voice control to lock, open or verify the position of the house’s doors. Its style got an update too, with an enhancement to the grip in hand and a perceivable signal of whether these doors are properly locked. It will have a retail price for $230, while the previous version is still sold for $200.

August’s new SmartLock system requires less than 10 minutes to be set up. It is a good security device to look at from inside your house, and it makes various sounds and lights up when it is opening and closing. The only situation when you might have some problems is when you get your key stuck in the door lock, but this happens extremely rare thanks to its sliding internal parts.

The app that manages all these operations, available for both Android and iOS operating systems, just could not be simpler to be used by anyone. Its notifications will probably take a bit to learn and you can invite different people and provide them different codes of access to the house, your personal workplace or wherever you install this smart security system. Of course, they too need the application to obtain access inside your home, so the house is more protected than only having key cards or keys around you.

Besides its SmartLock system, the company is offering an intelligent keypad to allow you to get into your home quicker or offer access to others. The awesome part about this feature, other than the part that it is not difficult to use like many keypads, is that homeowners can generate one-time codes for other people, family and friends. This device can be added to the whole system for just $80.

Image source: August.com

Back to the roots

New and classic at the same time

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