As much as we rely on cell phones in our daily lives, they are not without flaws. Many are susceptible to malware, their batteries wear down and being dropped in the wrong way has led to the demise of many a screen.
Much of what can go wrong depends on the model, but there is one thing pretty much all of them have in common: screens and sunglasses don’t mix. You know what we’re talking about.
We’ve all been there, needing to read something on our phone outside, only to struggle because our sunglasses make the screen impossible to see. We could take the glasses off, but the sun is kind of hot and bright so that’s not a great option, either.
Lest you think being unable to read your phone with sunglasses on is just a part of life we will have to accept, understand not only why it happens, but that it does not have to be that way.
At issue is polarization, which we have heard plenty of with glasses lenses. Essentially, the photon particles that make up light travel like a zig-zagging wave on their way to our eye. Unpolarized light particles, however, travel in many directions at once.
The particles react differently when bouncing off various surfaces, which is why some leave us with glare while others, like with our phones, darkness.
What polarizing filters do is absorb light waves that vibrate on a specific axis, so in the case of polarizing sunglasses, the horizontally-vibrating waves are absorbed. Only the vertical waves get past the lenses and to your eye.
The idea is to reduce glare, which sunglasses most certainly do. But in the process, it significantly reduces the amount of light we see from certain screens, like those of cell phones.
The problem is that since our devices have polarizing filters, too. Using them with sunglasses is a bad mix. As we know, making the screens as bright as they can be does not do much to fix the problem.
Since this is all about what path the light particles take to get to our eyes. When staring directly at our phones, the horizontally-vibrating light they produce is blocked by glasses that only allow vertically-vibrating light. Hence, the darkness.
The fix for this is actually quite simple. If you are struggling to see your phone, just turn the screen 90 degrees. Either direction will work.
What this will do is align the screen’s polarizing filter with your sunglasses’, allowing the light to get through the lenses and to your eyes.
Crazy, right? Science has a way of being like that.
As cell phones began to become popular, there was the occasional report or rumor that their use could lead to cancer. Cellular waves, after all, so close to our heads was not seen as a good thing. As we have learned, the concept may have some teeth.
With summer around the corner, you’re likely planning weekend trips and family vacations. Whether you’re going to another state or another country, don’t miss these four most important things for your smartphone to have on hand when traveling.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The end of the year is the time when we count our blessings: family, friends, and nearly unlimited movies and television for $10.99 per month. Netflix is a powerful tool for surviving the chaos of December. But I’ll bet there are some pretty neat Netflix features that you don’t know about.
It’s getting to be that perfect time of year to get out and explore. After being cooped up inside the house for the winter, getting outdoors to soak up everything Mother Nature has to offer can be very soothing for the soul. There are so many spectacular places to visit in the U.S. it can be difficult deciding where to go. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
RVs are awesome. They provide a mini (sometimes not so mini) house on wheels for us to enjoy while we travel. They give us a place to sleep, eat, shower and stretch our legs. What’s better than that?
The only thing that makes a house on wheels better is when it feels like a home. Since you can’t take all of your favorite items with you, we’ve made a list of gadgets that we think will improve the overall hominess of your RV. From practical to cozy, here are five gadgets that will make you feel right at home.
Open/download audioOne couple sells everything they have; including the kitchen sink, to travel the highways and byways of the United States. You’ll learn from their mistakes and find out if you have the right stuff to make it without a home base. Listen to my free podcast to hear their story.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Imagine your dream vacation. Maybe you see yourself on a beach with warm ocean waves crashing and palm trees rustling in a mild breeze while you stretch out in the sun. Maybe it’s a stroll down the Champs-Élysées in Paris as your scarf flutters and you approach the landmark Arc de Triomphe. Don’t let these vacations remain solely in the realm of your dreams.
Open/download audioThe worlds largest travel site may be in trouble for deleting reviews
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How often do you turn to your device for answers about health concerns, creating travel plans, where to eat, and directions to get there? If your answer is “All the time” you’re not alone. But could our dependence on tech be inhibiting us from thinking critically and making decisions? While the jury is out about whether or not our tech is really dumbing us down, there might be some evidence that we are relying on tech to perform things that used to define us as uniquely human.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you buy a new smartphone, tablet, computer, TV or even a car stereo, it’s very likely the salesperson will try to sell you an extended warranty. You never know when something terrible might happen to your gadget, after all.
