Spotify's top 5 most soothing tracks

When you’re not unwinding with me and my shows, turn to music to chill. Spotify just released its list of most relaxing songs based on 76,000 tracks. Find out if your favorites made the list and learn how to use music to re-tune your mood.

Ed Sheeran has the chillest fans …

… when it comes to relaxing tunes, the redheaded crooner snagged two of the top five spots:

  1. Perfect” – Ed Sheeran.
  2. Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran.
  3. All of Me” – John Legend.
  4. Say You Won’t Let Go” — James Arthur.
  5. Tum Se Hi” – Pritam.

Let’s get nerdy

So what’s the science behind relaxing music? Research shows that music with a low pitch and a slow tempo (around 50 to 60 beats per minute) takes us right to the zen zone. Why? Because our brainwaves actually sync to the slowed-down rhythm of the tunes. Wild, right?

Music keeps depression, anxiety and even physical pain at bay. It also takes the edge off in high-stress situations like surgery. One study revealed patients who listened to relaxing tunes during their procedure had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Groove to your advantage

In addition to using music to chill out and unwind, you can hack your mood, productivity and sleep.

  • Trigger feel-good hormones: We get a rush of dopamine from our favorite jams. To get the most significant mood boost, switch up your playlist. Adding new tunes gives your brain a buzz.
  • Listen before you snooze: Research shows 45 minutes of music before bed gets you a better night’s sleep. 
  • Boost productivity: Studies revealed that music with 50 to 80 bpm can enhance creativity and learning. Check out this playlist!

Want to add more tunes to your library? Head to one of these free media sites.

8 handy products to make gross household chores easier

As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to godliness. But not all of us want to pour countless hours into the never-ending battle against dirt, dust and grime. Tap or click here for the best way to clean all the dirt and grime off your tech.

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😁 Set the mood for a better moment

  • I don’t like dark hallways and stairwells. Dangerous! These night-lights look nice and cost less than $10 for eight.
  • Smart bulbs don’t have to be expensive. WiZ smart lights are only $6.49 a pop right now (41% off!).
  • Upgrade your evening porch time with app-controlled outdoor LED lights. Click the box for $35 off.
  • A smart table lamp that’ll look good in any room (15% off). 
  • Prefer paper books to electronic versions? I do, too. All good! Grab a book light for under $10.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Looking for something to watch? FlixPatrol has a daily top 10 chart of what’s trending. If you’re in the mood for something specific, use JustWatch to find exactly where a movie or TV show is streaming. It’s so much easier than opening and searching Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video … You get the idea.

The unspoken rules of email

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Can you tell if your buddy’s in a bad mood based off their email greeting? Here’s why you can, in one minute. 

💓 The key to my heart: Apple quietly filed a patent that could let your heartbeat unlock your iPhone. The patent suggests they could use this tech to figure out your mood and offer custom recommendations, too. OK, they had me with the first half …

Trivia

Which unusual internet-connected device was launched to help farmers monitor the well-being of their livestock? Is it a … A.) Cow fitness tracker, B.) Chicken mood ring, C.) Pig sleep monitor or D.) Goat GPS tracker?

Find the answer here!

Time by when the average person knows whether or not they're in for a bad day

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Smart' coolers at Walgreens are watching you

Targeted advertising is becoming more prevalent and noticeable within our society. We see it all the time online and on social media, but what about in the ice cream aisle? Well, that’s exactly what is happening at some Walgreens stores in Chicago and New York. Are we ready for this kind of advertising?

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For the self-care mom

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Today, I’ve hand-selected some gifts for the mom who loves relaxation, meditation and treating herself — or the mom who never makes time for it!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

8:36 a.m.

Time by when the average person knows whether or not they’re in for a bad day. The top morning mishaps? Waking up sick, sleeping poorly, having a headache, losing your keys or forgetting your phone at home. Maybe we need mood rings.

🎵 Work hack? Studies show surgeons work faster and more accurately when listening to classical music. For those of us not in the operating room, the best tunes are those that put you in a better mood. The three most popular tracks on work-related Spotify lists: “Drops of Jupiter” (Train), “Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac) and “Don’t Stop Believin’” (Journey). Did I just hear you humming a tune?

🤖 OpenAI’s GPT‑4o is here: The new model responds to spoken words in real time (kinda like a human) and can “sense” changes in your tone and mood. Show it a photo and it’ll describe what’s happening in that image. GPT‑4o is available in the free tier of ChatGPT, but if you pay $20 per month, you get five times the message limit. Today, Google will announce its new AI products. The web as we know it will never be the same.

When you don’t know what to watch: Hit up moviewiser.com. Type in the mood you’re going for, and it’ll spit out a list of movies that fit the bill. I searched for “summer love story,” and winners included “The Notebook” and “About Time.”

🥽 VR therapy: New research indicates VR can mimic the mood-boosting effects of outdoor activities, exercise and socializing for people with major depressive disorders. This could be a huge win, especially for those who struggle to leave the house.

I’m hungry: Google’s new Food Mood AI tool generates recipe ideas. Tell it what you want (an appetizer, soup, main course or dessert), how many people are eating and two cuisine styles to combine. The Greek-Argentinian soup recipe it made for me looked pretty dang good.

Stop 'channel surfing' on your streaming services

Open/download audioLooking for a good movie or a show to binge watch this holiday weekend? These sites will help you find exactly what you’re in the mood for. Say goodbye to wasting time paging through menus, and spend more time enjoying your favorite content.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 clever ways hackers are stealing keyless cars

Wirelessly unlocking your car is convenient, but it comes at a price. The increasing number of keyless cars on the road has led to a new kind of crime — key fob hacks!  With the aid of new cheap electronic accessories and techniques, a key fob’s signal is now relatively easy for criminals to intercept or block. Imagine a thief opening your car and driving away with it without setting off any alarms!

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Best app to monitor your sleep

If there is one thing we can all agree on it is that a good night’s sleep is never a bad thing. That feeling of waking up well-rested is glorious, even if it’s something we don’t get to experience nearly often enough.

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