You may think the Illuminati secretly rules the world, but it's actually cats. Cats have been treated like gods since the start of human civilization, whether it was the ancient Egyptians or those of us in the modern world who would do anything for our furry friends.
And to conquer the world, cats need cutting-edge military technology. That's why Suck UK creates awesome cardboard gadgets you can buy for your cats.
"These fun and playful toy houses for your cats are designed to add a sense of adventure to their daily lives about the house. Why spend an afternoon relaxing in a boring, plain old box, when there's the opportunity to become a life saving fireman, thrilling tank driver or LA socialite?!"
"Sit back and have a giggle at your cat 'doing human things' and help keep them away from clawing your favorite sofa!"
"These cardboard playhouses come in various humorous designs; the Tank, the Catillac, the Fire Engine, Plane, and for those kitties with a bit more style, the Cabin and Tepee."
"There's no need to glue or tape and they easily fold away if you need a bit more space around the house."
As you can probably imagine, people are loving the vehicles, though their cats are still turning them down for plain cardboard boxes. One customer writes:
"A few weeks down the line, they both play with it but not as much as the huge cardboard box I got for free from a supermarket... But I like it, so maybe that's what counts! It does look impressive, with color printing on the inside and outside."
Behind the Scenes Making Recycled Records with Mark Ronson
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You’re walking down the sidewalk, earbuds in, listening to your favorite hip-hop beats. As your head bobs to the sounds, the sun warms your back. It’s a perfect day.
When the chorus hits, the empty Sprite bottle in your hand becomes a drumstick, passing traffic becomes a sea of concertgoers, and the concrete beneath your feet is suddenly a stage. Spinning on your heels, you close out the song with your face to the sky and hands in the air.
Spotting a bright blue bin, you chuck in your imaginary drumstick. The sound that echoes back is satisfyingly cool, a deep, reverberating clunk so loud you can hear it over the music.
That is the sound of recycling.
Imagine how harmonious it would sound to mix the tones of millions of bottles going through the recycling process—the melody of all of us doing our part?
The Coca-Cola Company recognizes its responsibility to help address the world’s plastic packaging crisis. Several of the company’s most popular brands were historically made in green plastic bottles—however, when green plastic is recycled, it is usually turned into single-use items that do not get recycled again. To take one more step toward greater sustainability, Sprite, Fresca and Seagram’s are now being packaged in clear plastic bottles, increasing the likelihood of them being recycled over and over again—a process known as “closed loop recycling.”
Surprisingly enough, closed loop recycling and music have a lot in common. Music producers typically use a technique called sound sampling: the process of taking an old sound, chopping it up, and flipping it into a completely new beat. Just like the process of recycling, old can be new in sound sampling. An old sound is used in a new track, which is morphed again into a newer track, and so on. Beats being made today will be recycled by another creative in the future. Que Uptown Funk!
To celebrate the shift from green to clear, The Coca-Cola Company partnered with iconic, genre-defining/defying producers Mark Ronson and Madlib to create the world’s first album composed of the sounds of the plastic recycling process itself. The Recycled Records EP uses real ambient sounds sampled from various points in the closed-loop recycling chain at four different recycling facilities scattered across the United States. From the percussion of a forklift beeping, to the tonal beat of a conveyor belt, to the hi-hat of air blown into a plastic bottle, the EP brings to life the magic of multiple reuses.
“It sounds very crazy to say it, but anything can become a sample…any sound can be manipulated. The sound of opening a barrel of plastic has its own funk and flow to it,” said Ronson.
Not only did The Coca-Cola Company find a way to literally turn the sounds of recycling into music, thanks to the Recycled Records Beat Machine, you can be part of that process, too. Using the site, music enthusiasts are able to remix the very same recycled sound library used by Ronson and Madlib into innovative compositions of their own through an interactive, one-of-a-kind digitized version of an 808 beat machine. Generally, the biggest obstacle for many aspiring artists is accessing the proper musical technology, which is yet another reason why Recycled Records is so dang cool—this beat machine is free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
Innovation and creativity are the way of the future; tap into yours today by creating a Recycled Record of your very own. Maybe someday, other people will be dancing down the street listening to YOUR beats!
Innovation is awesome, right? I mean, it gave us the internet!
However, there is always a price to pay for modernization, and in this case, it’s in the form of digital eye strain, a group of vision problems that can pop up after as little as two hours of looking at a screen. Some of the symptoms are tired and/or dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain1. Ouch!
Eye strain from staring at devices is a widespread issue. Most people work, play, and maintain relationships through screens, which averages out to 6 hours and 35 minutes per day (and that’s in addition to work or school)! That translates to 46 hours and 5 minutes per week, or 2,402 hours and 55 minutes per year.2
With numbers like these, attention to eye health is more important now than ever; our dependence on technology certainly isn’t going anywhere. And just like innovation brought us technology, innovation also holds the key to combating the effects it has on our bodies. Here are some key suggestions from eye care professionals to help reduce common symptoms of digital eye strain. Spoiler alert: none of them involve wearing glasses!
Follow the 20-20-20 rule.
You can find some relief by taking a 20-20-20 break: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s easy to remember because we all want 20/20 vision, and it’s a good excuse to look out the window.
Adjust your workspace screen to be slightly below eye level and about an arm’s length away.
This simple tweak to your work area can really improve your posture, as well as the amount of strain on your eyes. A win-win!
Adjust the brightness of your device.
Brightness levels also play into how hard our eyes have to work. Our screen brightness should match our surroundings, especially during the evening hours.
Say hello to Biofinity Energys® contact lenses!
These contact lenses are specifically made to address eye dryness and tiredness caused by digital devices. Digital Zone Optics® lens design and Aquaform® Technology are two innovations that when combined help with the tiredness and dryness that can be caused by digital eye fatigue.
Additionally, Biofinity Energys® monthly replacement contact lenses are designed to help our eyes better adapt for a more comfortable wearing experience3. This part is tricky because contacts can be hard to adjust to, and trust me—no one wants what feels like gritty sandpaper in there. Comfort is key!
If you’re sick of wearing glasses all the time and feel ready to do something new, visit biofinityenergys.com to learn more and to get your free trial certificate.
Asurion-sponsored survey by Market Research Firm Solidea Solutions conducted August 18-20, 2019 of 1,998 U.S. smartphone users, compared to an Asurion-sponsored survey conducted by market research company OnePoll between Sept. 11 – 19, 2017 of 2000 U.S. adults with a smartphone.
The human eye reveals so much about who we are. One look can convey love, annoyance, exhaustion, or wisdom.
Our eyes tell the world if we are getting enough sleep, if we’ve been crying, or whether we are truly happy (or just faking it). When looking at the face, the eyes dominate emotional communication—after all, they’ve long been known as the “window to the soul.”
While humans can look each other in the eye and learn quite a bit with just a glance, our eyes also let us know when they’re tired of scrolling through Instagram or texting GIFS to our best friend…even if our brains are not (because let’s be honest, a well-placed GIF never gets old).
When our eyes are strained from looking at a digital device, they usually begin feeling dry, tired, and/or irritated.1 This is known as “digital eye strain2,” something that can start to happen after only a few hours of looking at screens. Unfortunately, we can’t always stop what we’re doing—especially if we’re in the middle of teaching a class or giving a big presentation at work.
It’s a conundrum: our lives literally revolve around digital screens because we use technology for almost everything: work, school, play, communication, travel, banking, and news. But also, screens are taking a major toll on our eyes.
So what happens when our eyes have had enough, but there are still a lot of hours left in the day? There are several options recommended by eye care professionals, ranging from wearing blue light glasses to taking regular breaks and keeping your screen at the same level of brightness as your surroundings.
Another solution is Biofinity Energys® contact lenses. These contact lenses are designed for all-day wear, helping people's eyes better adapt so they can seamlessly and continuously shift focus between digital devices and offline activities. They are engineered with special Aquaform® Technology to lock in moisture, helping your eyes feel less dry. They’re also designed to help with eye tiredness (but you still need to take breaks!).
These monthly replacement contact lenses correct farsightedness or nearsightedness while simultaneously helping to reduce symptoms associated with digital eye strain, which is great for people like me who feel like they have to choose between blue light glasses or vision-correcting contacts just to get through a day at work!
Our eyes are obviously a very important part of our bodies, and we have to take care of them. If you’re interested in learning more about how these contact lenses can help your eyes feel less tired due to digital eye strain, head over to biofinityenergys.com to get your free trial certificate.
If you spend many, many hours a day staring into the glowing light of a phone or computer screen, you’re not alone. Our world is increasingly dependent on technology, and our bodies are struggling to adjust.
Spending so much time on screens can cause tired eyes, headaches, or blurred vision. Sometimes you might feel like closing your eyes or mashing the palms of your hands into your eye sockets, or lying on the floor underneath your desk and waiting for Friday to arrive. These symptoms are otherwise known as Digital Eye Strain – and research shows1 that many Americans—including kids!—are suffering from this but don’t know how to alleviate it!
Think about how many hours per week you spend on digital devices. Chances are, it’s more than you’d like to admit! Don’t worry, you’re in good company. Research shows that people over the age of 182 are spending the majority of the day engaged with some form of media, and most are unaware that their headaches may actually be due to all that screen time, not the content on the screen itself.3
The increase in screen time is especially hard on our eyes because we’re blinking less, which can lead to eye dryness, and our eyes can start to show signs of strain after just 2 hours of looking at screens.4 This is where Biofinity Energys® contact lenses come in: lenses that help address symptoms of digital eye strain like eye dryness and tiredness.
Whether you are a student, a working professional or simply a person who enjoys streaming shows, Biofinity Energys® could help your eyes feel less tired at the end of the day.5 While Biofinity Energys® is not a cure for the pile-up of emails or the headaches caused by the world events covered on the screen, it may help with eye tiredness and dryness associated with digital eye strain.
A study conducted by CooperVision revealed that a whopping 77% of patients fit with Biofinity Energys® say the lenses help their eyes feel less strained at the end of the day, even after a long day of using digital devices.6,7 Additionally, 8 out of 10 digital device users agreed that Biofinity Energys® contact lenses made their eyes feel less tired.8 These unique lenses feature Aquaform® Technology to lock in moisture and can help your eyes feel less dry. They also have a proprietary Digital Zone Optics® lens design to help with eye tiredness. These contacts are also made to work for day-to-day non-digital activities, making it easier to shift from online to offline events.
It’s time to level up your contact lenses! Talk to your eye care professional today to see if Biofinity Energys® contact lenses are right for you, or visit BiofinityEnergys.com to learn more and to download a free trial certificate.
Prospective, multi-center cross-over dispensing study, with bilateral wear of both Biofinity® sphere and Biofinity Energys® lenses. Sites: CCLR, University of Waterloo; CORL, Indiana University; CRC, UC Berkeley.
After one month of wear
Among patients who use digital devices at least 4 hours per day at least 5 days per week and self-report symptoms of eye fatigue at least once per week.
As one of the world’s largest sports brands, Nike is in a unique position to play a significant role in creating a more sustainable world. Nike has taken on this monumental responsibility by relentlessly pursuing its waste-reducing Move to Zero policy. The company's ultimate goal is zero carbon and zero waste, all in an effort to help protect the future of sport.
“Athletes around the world are telling us that climate change is impacting them and their ability to perform at their best,” Seana Hannah, VP Sustainable Innovation, NIKE, Inc., said in a statement shared with Upworthy. “As part of our commitment to serve the athletes by offering more sustainable options and meeting our bold, science-based impact targets, we’re introducing a material innovation that can be adapted to different lifestyle and performance purposes.”
Over five years of research went into the development of Nike Forward and the company believes the positive environmental effects will be well worth the wait.
The all-new Nike Forward platform is the brand’s latest advancement in over 30 years of sustainability-minded innovations, and the most significant Nike apparel innovation since Dri-Fit.The proprietary technology is based on engineering innovations that deliver big results.
In short, Nike hacked existing needle punching machinery to connect multiple thin layers by entangling them together to make a new, uncompromising performance-ready textile.
The total of Forward’s innovations reduces carbon output by an average of 75% compared to traditional Nike fleece. This is achieved using 70% recycled content by weight, solution-dyed fibers rather than traditional dye methods and the lower material basis weight of Forward. In plain language, the process is much simpler than traditional knit or woven processes, drastically reducing the number of resources needed to create the material.
But Forward isn’t just about reducing environmental impact during the manufacturing process. For the launch pieces, the brand also considered the end of its garments’ lives by removing metal zippers and aglets so they’re easier to recycle.
“Sustainability sits at the foundation of Nike’s business, and we believe circularity is the future of sustainability, “John Donahoe, CEO, NIKE, Inc. said in a statement.
The sustainability of the Forward platform has the potential to significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint for years to come. In keeping with Nike’s goals, Forward looks to “make the world better for athletes” while also being a superior product that “makes athletes better.”
Forward’s multiple thin-layer construction makes for warm and lightweight garments, and the flexibility of the platform will allow Nike to create a custom experience for athletes where materials can be adjusted to meet their unique needs.
via Nike
The first Forward garment that athletes across the world will be able to experience is an iconic grey hoodie, as Nike calls it, “the uniform of sport and style around the globe.” The Forward hoodie is manufactured using zero water in the dyeing and finishing processes. The company believes it’s a rare product where sustainability doesn’t come with sacrifices in comfort, style, or performance.
The hoodie is just the start of the Forward movement for Nike. "Today, it's a hoodie. Tomorrow, it could be anything,” Aaron Heiser, VP of global apparel product merchandising, said in a video produced by Nike.
The hoodie will help introduce the world to Nike’s latest revolution that it hopes will make an impact that will be felt for years to come.
For Nike, it’s just the latest advancement in the brand’s culture of innovation that underscores its commitment to taking action in creating a better world.
“We believe this platform has the potential to reset the way we think about material and apparel,” Aaron Heiser, Nike’s VP of global apparel product merchandising, said in a statement. “This is the biggest Nike apparel innovation since Dri-Fit 30 years ago and has huge potential to transform the industry in the way that Air and Flyknit did for Nike footwear.”
Nike Forward will launch in North America on September 29, 2022. Shop the collection at nike.com/nikeforward.
Facebook user Savannah Root from Missouri stared at the photo above for hours before she finally figured out what it was.
Everyone that sees it either gets it right away or sits there stumped. The picture is so mystifying that after one week, it's been shared over 33,000 times.
For the solution, scroll down past the comments to reveal the hidden picture.
via Nike
