Here are this week’s Life Pro Tips.
01. You can use @gmail.com and @googlemail.com interchangeably
This is perfect for signing up to a website twice without setting up two accounts. Both email addresses resolve to the same account.
02. Surviving an Active Shooter Event
If you are to ever find yourself in the middle of an active shooter event, your survival may depend on whether or not you have a plan. The plan doesn’t have to be complicated. There are three things you could do that make a difference: Run. Hide. Fight.
RUN. When an active shooter is in your vicinity:
- If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate.
- Evacuate whether others agree to or not.
- Leave your belongings behind.
- Help others escape if possible.
- Prevent others from entering the area.
- Call 911 when you are safe.
HIDE. If an evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide.
- Lock and/or blockade the door.
- Silence your cell phone.
- Hide behind large objects.
- Remain very quiet.
Your hiding place should:
- Be out of the shooter’s view.
- Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
- Not trap or restrict your options for movement.
FIGHT. As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger:
- Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
- Act with physical aggression.
- Improvise weapons.
- Commit to your actions.
Also view this video on the FBI Website with a full transcript.
03. Make sure you have the right networking equipment to get the best speed for your internet plan
It is important to have the right equipment to get the best possible speed out of your ISP, especially if you have Comcast since a lot of people get higher speeds than advertised. Here’s what you need:
- The right cable modem (If you have cable internet – Comcast, Time Warner etc.). DOCSIS is the specification for cable modems. For faster plans, i.e., > 40 Mbps you want a DOCSIS 3.0 compliant modem. If your modem is DOCSIS 2.0 compliant but not 3.0, your speeds are going to be capped. More info.
- Get the cable modem with a higher number of download channels. If you have a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with 4 download channels and a 100+Mbps plan, you’re not going to see those speeds. Upgrade to a modem that has say 16 download channels. I was getting 60 Mbps on a 100 Mbps plan. When I upgraded my modem that jumped to 160 Mbps.
- Wireless router. That $25 router probably doesn’t support 802.11 ac even if your shiny new laptop does.
- Check your laptop/phone/consumption device to ensure that their wireless adapter supports the fastest protocol that your router allows for.
- Most 5GHz bands support faster speeds than the 2.4GHz ones. Though the range is lesser. If you’re not that far away from your wireless router, your 5GHz signal is going to yield better download speeds.
- If you have more than 100Mbps service, make sure your router has a 1Gbps WAN connection. Until recently, a lot of routers only had a 100Mbps WAN port. Watch out for power line adapters too. A lot of them advertise a link speed of 500Mbps but only have a 100Mbps port (not sure how this is even legal).
If I had to pick one, I’d say the first one is probably what most people are unaware of and that’s the one thing that can help them the most. Check whether your Cable modem is DOCSIS 3.0 compliant (or other modem info) here.
04. How to avoid GPS-stalking on Tinder, Lovoo.
As these services provide your location to other users practically in real time (Lovoo is especially precise/troubling here), it is no problem for anyone to figure out where you are and track down your location fairly precise. This can be easily done by stalkers using a fake gps location on their phone and altering it until they are virtually next to the person they are tracking. Thus they can work out your patterns of movement and follow your every step without you physically noticing it.
Tinder is not as precise as other services, only providing a radius in which the other person is located, but here are a few tricks you should consider anyway:
Use their own trick against them – set a fake GPS location for your Phone in the area where you want to use the service anyway with minimal drawbacks and full security. You can use this app to set a Fake GPS location.
Consider turning off your GPS in the area around you home, so people won’t be able to figure out where you live.
Most people won’t need it, but if it just helps one person my job here is done.
05. Instead of saying to yourself, “I don’t have time for XYZ”…
Say “XYZ isn’t a priority right now.” It’s amazing how much impact that simple reframing can have.
For example, if you are making excuses for not exercising and you say “I just don’t have time to exercise these days”, if you think of it as “exercise isn’t a priority to me these day” it sounds different and might actually help you rearrange your priorities. It can also help clarify the things that are not in fact a priority at the moment. It works great for me all the time and helps me realize how much I value things like eating healthy and exercise.
06. This small tip might make it easier for you to floss regularly
Flossing isn’t just to remove plaque or whatever by scraping it away. It also disrupts bacteria colonies that “settle” in your mouth, undisturbed, kind of like an anthill. By flossing you’re destroying all their colonies and stomping on all the anthills. You’re not just “removing gunk.”
Also, if you floss regularly you will discover that your gums won’t bleed anymore while flossing. It is a really good signal showing that your mouth’s health is better when you floss.
07. How to test if a pineapple is ripe
Pull out the center leaf. The leaf must come out easy, and when you pull the leaf out, check the base of the leaf where it was inside the pineapple. If it’s white, you’re good to go. If it’s brown and mushy, there’s a very good chance that it’s passed its prime. Also, keep it upside down for 30 minutes before cutting to let the sugars move back through the fruit.
08. How to enjoy your deck, without getting bitten my mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are generally pretty weak flyers. They get blown away in a 3 mph breeze. Point a fan at you while you’re on your deck. Even better if you have several fans oscillating. That way your whole deck will be a swirling mass of air that mosquitoes can’t negotiate. Aim an oscillating fan down low to protect the ankles.
09. Avoid any company that makes you pay them to sell their products or recruit new members.
It’s a pyramid scheme. Companies like this try to make you believe that you’re a “business owner.” That’s not true. You’re just their customer. It’d be best to avoid any company that does this. This includes Amway, Arbonne, Vemma, Shakeology, “It Works!”, Mary Kay, Doterra, etc.
The worst thing about pyramid schemes is once you realize you’ve been duped, you also realize everyone knows.
10. Night Mode on Apple Devices
Apple’s mobile devices have a very useful and not very well-known night mode. It is difficult to activate the first time, but easy to activate with a triple click of the home button.
To activate the night mode, go into the Settings app on your device and follow the menu: General>Accessibility>Zoom. Turn the switch labeled “Show Controller” on, and then tap the first toggle, “Zoom” the screen will zoom in and a small circle with arrows should appear. Tap on the switch controller, and when the menu opens select “Choose Filter” and select “Low Light.” The screen will now have a black tint and be darker. Now use the slider at the bottom of the switch controller menu and slide it to the left. The screen background will zoom out until the entire screen returns to normal. Tap outside of the menu and turn off the switch controller by tapping the “Show Controller” switch to off. If the whole screen is not dimmed turn on “Full Screen Zoom” and it will resolve it. Tap the upper left to go back to Accessibility, and scroll to the bottom of the page, and tap “Accessibility Shortcut”, Select “Zoom”, and now you are able to toggle the night mode by triple clicking the home button!
Triple click the home button at any time with your device on and the night mode filter will switch on, or off. This is useful to quickly dim your device without opening the control center, or to make the rather bright Apple apps dimmer and easier on your eyes in the night!
