#there's like 1 person everyone says to watch for tutorials and build guides

[cryptiddeer]

Just found out that that pink Sakura cross in the foundry counts as a divine key. It is not shown anywhere in the concierge. In the multiple times I looked up divine keys to learn what they are and how they work, none of them mentioned this, instead focusing on the ones obtainable in co-op. I found this out because I saw it passively in a video comparing Eden and Griseo 2.

[jasmeetkaur]

How to Gain Confidence:

How to Gain Confidence: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Best Version of Yourself Confidence is the foundation of success, happiness, and personal growth. Whether you're giving a presentation, going on a job interview, meeting new people, or simply trying to express yourself, confidence plays a crucial role. But let’s be honest—confidence doesn’t come naturally to everyone. The good news is that it can be learned, practiced, and developed over time.In this blog post, we will explore practical and effective steps to help you gain confidence and become the best version of yourself.

1. Understand What Confidence Really MeansConfidence is not about being loud, arrogant, or thinking you're better than others. It's about believing in yourself, knowing your worth, and trusting your abilities. Confident people are not perfect—they are just comfortable with who they are, flaws and all.

2. Identify Your Strengths and WeaknessesThe first step toward gaining confidence is self-awareness. Take time to understand what you're good at and what areas need improvement.Make a list of your skills, achievements, and qualities.Celebrate your strengths, no matter how small.Acknowledge your weaknesses, but don't let them define you. Instead, see them as opportunities for growth.When you know yourself better, you become more comfortable in your own skin.

3. Set Small, Achievable GoalsConfidence builds over time. Start by setting small, realistic goals that push you out of your comfort zone. For example:Speak up once in a meeting or class.Introduce yourself to a new person.Share your opinion without fear of judgment.Each time you accomplish a small goal, your confidence gets stronger. Celebrate these wins—they matter!

4. Practice Positive Self-TalkThe way you talk to yourself matters. Negative thoughts like “I’m not good enough” or “I always mess things up” can destroy your confidence. Instead, practice positive affirmations like:“I am capable of handling challenges.”“I believe in my ability to succeed.”“I am improving every day.”Try saying these to yourself daily in the mirror. Over time, you’ll notice a shift in your mindset.

5. Work on Your Body Language Believe it or not, your body language can impact how confident you feel and how others perceive you. Try these simple tips:Stand tall with your shoulders back.Make eye contact when speaking.Smile genuinely.Avoid slouching or crossing your arms these can signal nervousness.Even if you don't feel confident at first, acting confident can help your brain catch up. It's called the “fake it till you make it” approach—and it really works!

6. Surround Yourself with Positive PeopleThe people you spend time with can influence your confidence greatly. Avoid toxic people who constantly criticize or belittle you. Instead, surround yourself with those who:Encourage and uplift youBelieve in your abilitiesCelebrate your growthPositive energy is contagious. When you're around people who make you feel good, your confidence will naturally increase.

7. Keep Learning and ImprovingOne of the best ways to boost confidence is through continuous learning. The more you know and the more skills you develop, the more confident you’ll feel. Read books, take courses, watch tutorials, or learn from mentors.Every time you learn something new, you're proving to yourself that you’re capable of growing and improving.

8. Face Your FearsFear is a major confidence killer. But here's a secret: most fears are in our heads. The best way to deal with fear is to face it head-on.Afraid of public speaking? Start practicing in front of a mirror or a small group.Scared of rejection? Remember, rejection is a part of life and not a reflection of your worth.Each time you face a fear, it loses power—and your confidence grows stronger.

9. Take Care of YourselfYour mental and physical health directly impact your confidence. Here’s how to take better care of yourself:Exercise regularly—it boosts mood and self-esteem.Eat healthy—fueling your body gives you energy and mental clarity.Get enough sleep—rest is essential for focus and well-being.Practice mindfulness or meditation to reduce anxiety and stay grounded.When you feel good physically and mentally, confidence becomes a natural result.

10. Be Patient and Kind to Yourself Finally, remember that gaining confidence is a journey, not a race. Don’t compare yourself to others or expect overnight changes. Be patient, celebrate progress, and don’t be too hard on yourself when things don’t go perfectly.Confidence isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up, trying your best, and believing in yourself even when things get tough.

[chaos-burst]

Hey! :) I’ve wanted to play d&d for a while now, and after getting into critical role i finally decided to convince my friends to play with me. None of us have played before, so im both exited and a bit nervous since i’ll be the dm. We don’t know anyone who plays, and i’m not very comfortable with palying with strangers, so we’ll be diving right in together! Do you or your followers have any tips or good resources to recommend for new players and/or dms? Any tips would be greatly appreciated! :D

Hey there!

I’m very flattered that you would ask me for DMing tips, but I just have to preface this saying that I am a first time DM myself and I am currently on session 13 of my campaign. But I can see if I can list some things that I found useful building my first campaign :) And I totally feel you not being comfortable with strangers, I play with a group of friends and we were all first time players when we started!

Let’s start with resources! (I will put the links in a reblog bc tumblr is a dick about posts with external links in them. Sry for the hassle!)

Probably a bit redundant, but nevertheless very helpful: The core rulebooks for D&D. Which is to say The Dungeon Master Guide, The Monster Manual and The Players Handbook. Bc those are expensive as fuck, check out this lovely thing (1).

Then, depending on whether you play online or live: Roll20.net (2) You can invite your players to your campaign and make maps for encounters with minis on them, you can insert music that plays in the background and it also rolls dice for you if you have to roll a big amount of dice and don’t want to do math ;)

There is an encounter builder on kobold-fightclub (3) that can help you balance encounters according to your party’s level! I have found it quite helpful and it’s also an easy way to filter monsters for a specific terrain when you know that you’ll be running through a swamp/desert/cave etc.!

I also found this this cheat sheet very helpful, esp regarding the different conditions that I can never seem to remember.

Then, ofc, one of CR’s sponsors: dndbeyond (4). Me and my friends bought a subscription bc damn is it useful to be able to click on anything on your character sheet and see what the hell it means. It also helps you track your spellslots/HP etc. during combat. 

Something I also did was watch Matt’s videos (5) on how he DMs. Altho it bears to say: Don’t compare yourself to Matt Mercer. It will only stress you out. 

You like maps? So do I! Check these out (6/7). 

You want to keep track of your npcs and important lore and places and everything? You could try worldanvil (8)! It’s like building a wiki for your own world!

And then about tips. It is probably easier to give tips when you have specific questions than it is to give general tips, but I’ll do my best! I’m sure many experienced DMs want to chime in and add to it :)

Communication is (as with most things in life) key to everything. Get together with your players for a Session 0 and just talk about what kind of game you want to run and what kind of game they want to play. There are people who like combat more than roleplay or vice versa. There are people who want to play an evil campaign or they want a lot of political intrigue or they are soft marshmallows like I am and don’t want permanent character deaths and so on and so on. Just get together and talk about what you guys want to create. Also talk about the characters with each individual player.Ask them about triggers they have, so you can avoid topics. Ask them how they feel about an NPC flirting with their character. It goes the other way around as well! Tell them about your boundaries and your expectations. One of my friends wanted to make a character with a neutral evil alignment. I told that it’s fine, as long as there’s the prospect for the character to evolve towards a neutral or good alignment, bc I have no interest in dm-ing an “evil” campaign. 

Something that might make running a campaign easier for you is if your players’ characters already know each other before the game starts. If you’re like me you will sweat bullets thinking about how to get them to work towards a common goal. If they’re already friends/rivals/lovers/colleagues/members of the same adventuring guild you will not have that problem. And they can give you some notes on how they envision the relationships to be/how they met.

You can start your adventure with one of the official adventures that are out there if you want to! You don’t have to do a whole ton of worldbuilding like I did bc I’m a crazy person and have my whole setting homebrewed. If not, you can always make life as easy as possible for yourself and start small! Build a small town with a few key NPCs, put a small assortment of possible quests there and then only roughly sketch out what you want the “outside world” to look like. I as a player love some context when I build characters, so if you want to give your players a small introduction into the campaign setting, I think that would be helpful and also helps creating characters who fit into your setting! If you want to run a campaign that has tons of dragons and poisoned oceans that cannot be crossed by mortals it would be sad if a player came to you and gave you the character sheet for a sailor.

If you do a whole campaign, I found it helpful to have a rough idea about different factions and two or three major events that shape your world. Ideas for later quests will eventually tie into big world events when the players get higher level!

Draw yourself a map. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or anything, but at some point there will be a question about “where is the next big city, we need to buy healing potions” and you will feel much safer if you just have a piece of paper (analogue or virtual) with like... a rough outline, some landmarks and some cities on it. At least that’s how it was for me!

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Don’t beat yourself up if your first quests are “standard” stuff like “Take care of this giant rat infestation in the cellar of the tavern.” or “My purple dragoncat has been abducted, please get him back for me.”. I started my campaign with small quests before getting to a small arc and then I want to work towards bigger arcs eventually. But for new players and a new DM I found it very helpful to keep things low stakes to not stress anyone out too much. If you fuck up the giant rat infestation, the world will not end, you know? That is nice. Also works well as a tutorial for everyone! Combat is intimidating! So many rules! Take your time to figure out how stuff works with some nice, small quests and some not-too-complex-combat encounters!

You don’t have to follow every rule. There are so many rules for everything and that can be helpful but it can also be stressful. You don’t have to do everything by the book and if you notice that some rules annoy you and your players, you can always change them as you go along! (Cats have nightvision. Sometimes the rulebooks are dumb.)

Don’t get hung up on too many details. I love worldbuilding, but I get obsessive easily. Sometimes I think my world isn’t ready enough bc I tend to think like a writer who has to have everything figured out. That is not the case with d&d! Sure, It’s good if you know stuff. But d&d is not only about planning, it’s also about improvising. And the world will grow while you play in it! Before you know it you’ll go like “I want to have an encounter with this cool ice monster. I need an icy landscape.” and then you will make one. And maybe it wasn’t there before, but who cares. Your players will be excited and you can make up the lore as you move along! 

Did I mention communication? 

If you have specific questions about certain aspects of DMing or how to start, feel free to message me anytime :) I hope this helps a little bit! I’ll reblog in a second with the links!

[xxx-cat-xxx]

Peter Parker and Bruce Banner’s Guide on How To Make Iron Man Sleep

For @sallyidss. Happy Birthday, Sally! This is about 1% hurt and 99% comfort, or in other words, pure fluff and chicken soup. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Thanks to @whumphoarder for beta reading and to @maikkuax for the video game reference.

____________________

Peter wakes up to a dazzling amount of texts on Saturday morning. 

One is from Tony, sent at 3am, telling him that Bruce is sick and might not be able to help Peter with his biology project today as they had planned, but he is still welcome to drop by the tower.

Then there’s another one from Tony three hours later asking him whether he could pick up some soup while on the way; one from Bruce at 8am, telling him that Tony is sick too, but ‘he won’t admit it so just try to somehow get him to rest once you come over’; and then one more from Tony telling him to ignore whatever Bruce just told him.

Peter grins to himself while reading the texts - he can almost hear his favourite superhero couple bantering and fussing over each other. Then he gets up for breakfast with May and a shower before heading down to the corner grocery store. He gets soup (chicken for Tony and vegetable for Bruce), as well as some of the Fairtrade chocolate bars that Bruce buys for ideological reasons and Tony eats en masse because he’s got a secret sweet tooth. Peter stuffs the groceries into his school bag along with his laptop and makes his way to the tower. 

*

Tony definitely looks under the weather when he opens the door; pale and with a very clown-like red nose that is dripping constantly. 

“Hey kid, thanks for the delivery,” he jokes with a raspy voice. He takes the bag and mimics shutting the door in Peter’s face before smirking and opening it fully to let his unamused mentee in. 

“Very funny, Mr. Stark.” Peter removes his shoes and jacket and then stops, frowning. Through the hallway, he can see that the bed in the master bedroom has been demolished into what looks like a heap of firewood. “Uhm, what happened to your bed?”

“Well…” Tony interrupts himself to cough harshly into his elbow. “So, uh, we had a bit of an exciting night. Not in the fun way, unfortunately…” he trails off. “Anyway, Bruce went back to sleep after breakfast, but I thought we could head to the lab and start working on the chameleon fabric you suggested for your suit.” 

Peter is sure that working in the lab is the opposite of what Tony should be doing just now - his mentor looks even more tired than usual and the slightly glassy quality to his eyes suggests that he is running a fever - but Peter also knows that saying this out loud will only be counterproductive. 

“What if we watch a movie instead?” he suggests.

“I’m not watching a movie at eleven in the morning,” Tony protests. “We have the whole day in front of us - time to build, invent, change the world..." He flaps his hand. "All that jazz."

“Okay, okay…” Peter thinks for a second before an idea hits him. “But before we start with the suit, I do need your help with something else.”

“Now what?”

“So, Ned and I have this gaming commentary channel on YouTube where we livestream playing “The Witcher 3”? And it’s going pretty well, but Ned says he needs help developing his stage persona, you know, talking in a way that is interesting and keeps your audience engaged? So, he thought that you might give us some advice because you’ve got a ton of experience with speaking in public and all that?”

(It’s not entirely a lie - Ned and Peter have joked about getting Tony involved in order to increase their viewership, but he is pretty sure that Ned would be mortified upon hearing that Peter actually suggested it to the billionaire.)

“Wait, you and Ned are making videos of you killing virtual trolls while talking about it? And people actually watch that?”

“That’s...another way of putting it.”

“Sounds like a gigantic waste of time.” Tony scrunches up his nose. “Either I play the game myself, or I spend my downtime watching something interesting.” 

“Hey! Our last one has more than 3000 hits!” Peter defends.

“People have too much free time. Including you.” Tony points his finger at Peter before quickly covering his mouth to contain a sneeze. “But I suppose I can take a look if you really want me to…”

Peter grins. Stage one: complete.

They settle on the couch in the living room. Tony can’t suppress a small sigh when he leans against the cushions. He massages the bridge of his nose in a way that makes it clear to Peter he must be nursing a headache. 

“Hit me, kid,” he orders.

“Okay, but before we start, you need to know a few things...” Peter launches into a long-winded explanation of the game’s storyline with more than a few unnecessary details of the characters’ backgrounds. He pretends to concentrate on the screen where he walks Tony through different tutorials, but out of the corner of his eye he sees his mentor slowly sinking deeper and deeper into couch.

“...and then they bring Uma to the witcher school of Kaer Morhen,” Peter goes on as Tony tiredly attempts to follow along, his blinks growing longer and longer each time, “where Yennefer removes his curse and transforms him into Avallac'h...” 

When Peter can’t think of anything else to babble about, he starts playing their most recent video. Tony sits up a little straighter and rubs a hand over his face to concentrate. But at about the two minute mark, he stops the screen with a wave of his hand.

“So, not to be rude, but that was kind of painful, Tony declares. “You guys literally started with a 45 second explanation of why you prefer the old controller design to the new one. No wonder you’re putting people to sleep.”

Peter frowns a bit. “I mean, we weren’t that bad…” he defends. “And the new ones do kind of suck.”

“Sure, kid,” Tony huffs. He shifts position on the sofa with a sigh. “Alright, listen. It’s obvious that you two are knowledgeable about this game, but if you want to engage your audience, you’ve gotta try to establish your credentials in a way that’s still interesting and relatable. For instance, I once started a TED Talk by describing how I hacked NASA during an MIT frat party so that I could send a rocket to draw a dick over San Francisco. ”

Peter snorts at that admission. 

“See? Exactly,” Tony points out. “That’s the kind of reaction you want your audience to have - that’s called a hook, kid.” 

The longer they watch, the more Tony seems to be melting into the couch. His comments become less and less frequent, and at some point he leans his head back against the pillow, barely looking at the screen anymore. By the third video, Peter can see his mentor’s eyelids fluttering shut. 

He waits for a few minutes and then pauses the screen, just to see Tony’s eyes fly open again. “I’m listening!” he assures. 

“Yeah, I know.” Peter hides a smirk. “Just, uhm, relax a bit.”

“I see what you’re trying to do here, kid. I’m not stupid,” Tony protests nasally, stifling another sneeze, but he doesn’t make any move to get up from the couch. 

Peter starts the video again, knowing that the battle has been won. Five minutes later, Tony is asleep. 

Peter watches a few more videos on his own (now that he pays attention, he realises that most of Tony’s suggestions, despite being sarcastic, are actually in line with what the popular streamers do) before FRIDAY informs him that Bruce has woken up. 

He finds the scientist in the kitchen, making tea. 

“Hey Dr. Banner,” Peter greets. “How are you?”

“Hey Peter.” Bruce gives him a warm and slightly sleepy smile. His voice is a bit hoarse. “I’m fine. Is Tony asleep?”

“Yep,” Peter declares proudly. “Used my hypnotically soothing voice. And obscure video game lore."

Bruce heaves out a sigh. “Finally, thank god. I had, uhm… kind of an incident last night and I don’t think he slept at all after that.” 

Peter thinks back to the broken bed frame and chooses not to comment.

“Do you want some tea?” Bruce asks.

“No, thanks. I’m okay.”

Bruce takes out a box of cookies instead and hands a few to Peter. “So, what was this thing you wanted me to look at with you?”

“Oh, it’s just a bio project,” Peter says with a shrug. “But we can do it some other time, when you’re feeling better.”

“I’m okay...” Peter gives him a suspicious look and Bruce’s smile deepens. “No need for that - I’m not Tony, I would tell you if I wasn’t up for it. But I am actually feeling much better after sleeping and I wouldn’t mind some distraction.”

“Okay, well then...”

Peter likes Bruce a lot. It took him a while to get close to him because Bruce is not a person who easily lets people in, but now whenever Peter visits the tower, he looks forward to seeing the scientist almost as much as he does to seeing Tony. 

Tony is brilliant, energetic, and funny, and he constantly encourages Peter to think deeper, work harder, do better - to improve himself. Which is a fun challenge, but it can also be quite exhausting at times. Working with Bruce is the exact opposite. He makes Peter feel calm, slows him down when he overthinks, and makes it clear that mistakes are something that happen to everyone and nothing Peter should be too concerned about. While spending time with Tony is the equivalent of a rollercoaster ride, being with Bruce feels more like a calm day at the beach, and Peter has realised that he needs both from time to time. 

They move to Bruce’s study (since Bruce doesn’t allow food in his lab and they don’t actually need to do any experiments for Peter’s project) with Peter’s laptop, biscuits, and several bars of Fairtrade chocolate. 

*

Tony wakes up with the blurry images of a nightmare still on the rims of his consciousness. He feels cold, achy, and slightly out of breath. It takes him a few disoriented moments to realise that his face is mostly buried into a couch pillow, blocking his mouth and nose. He frees himself and sits up stiffly, wiping at his slightly damp cheeks. His nose is dripping annoyingly and he isn’t sure whether that’s only because of the cold. 

“FRIDAY?” he prompts nasally. 

“It is 1:17pm on Saturday afternoon. Dr. Banner and Mr. Parker are working in the study room. Everyone is safe and well, boss.” 

“Okay. Thanks, FRI.” Tony takes another few moments to ground himself before getting up from the sofa, rather unsteadily. His body seems to have tripled in weight and his head feels like an overfilled balloon that’s ready to burst. He kind of wants to fall back onto the couch and go to sleep again, but at the same time he definitely doesn’t want to revisit the dreams he just had. 

Instead, he ventures into the study where he finds his partner, who is sporting an adorable bedhead, together with his mentee enthusiastically modelling a DNA strand on a laptop screen.

“Coffee?” Tony asks hoarsely.

“Good afternoon to you too, Tony,” Bruce smirks and nods towards a pot sitting on the table. Tony pours himself a mug and downs it in one go, marvelling at how much better it makes his throat feel immediately. 

Feeling slightly more human and ready to deal with the actual world, he leans over Bruce’s shoulder and nuzzles his head against his partner’s ear. “How you feeling, green bean?”

“I’m much better. Sleeping helped a lot, actually.” Tony gives him a critical once-over and seems to accept that. “Peter is doing an impressive job with his project, by the way,” Bruce adds.

Peter blushes at the compliment. “It’s not me - Dr. Banner is helping me a lot!” 

“I’m really just sitting here and watching you work,” Bruce dismisses before addressing Tony again. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m”—Tony’s voice breaks in the middle of the sentence and he has to clear his throat before continuing—“I’m good.”

“Mm-hmm.” Bruce raises an eyebrow. “FRIDAY, what’s his temperature at?”

“100.2 degrees, Dr. Banner.”

“Thanks.” He turns to Tony, who is coughing again. There seems to be a brick stuck inside his chest and it feels like he can’t take a full breath at all. Bruce gives him a concerned look. “This sounds painful.”

“‘S okay,” Tony dismisses.

“Maybe you should try using the inhaler -”

“Stop mother-henning, Bruce,” he grumbles with a glance at Peter, who is very clearly trying to act as if he isn’t listening to every word, but the pain in Tony’s chest is suddenly replaced by a surge of warmth upon realising Bruce’s worry about him. The scientist seems to understand and just squeezes Tony’s hand before turning back to the screen.

Tony pours himself another cup of coffee and grabs a slice of toast as well as two of the chocolate bars before settling into the chair across from the two of them, munching away and watching them work. Seeing them together leaves him with an annoyingly sappy feeling. Bruce, usually rather shy, is much more self-confident around the kid and visibly happy about Peter’s genuine interest in everything scientific. He is also a much more patient teacher than Tony ever manages to be, which seems to be putting Peter at ease. 

After finishing his food, Tony debates moving to his own lab to get some actual work done, but he is so, so tired, and everything kind of hurts. Standing up seems like a lot of effort. So instead, he crosses his arms on the table and rests his head on top of them, closing his eyes for just a moment.

He listens to Peter and Bruce when their conversation shifts from Peter’s project, to May’s new vegan disaster recipe, to the idea of using Peter’s webs in order to create a hammock that can hold the Hulk. Tony smiles into his sleeves, imagining Hulk chilling at the beach between two palm trees, swinging to and fro, to and fro, to and...

“Hey.” Bruce rests his palms lightly on Tony’s shoulder.

He jerks upright. “Wasn’t asleep.”

“What, I would never think that,” Bruce says with a smirk. 

Tony rubs his tired eyes and then his aching forehead. “Where’s Peter?”

“He went to heat up the soup for all of us.”

“Hmm.” Tony grabs Bruce’s hands and presses them against his overly warm cheeks, enjoying the cooling feeling they provide.

“Did you have a nightmare earlier?” Bruce asks, his hand now moving up to cup Tony’s forehead. “You seemed kind of out of it.”

“Yeah,” Tony admits, leaning into the touch. “I don’t remember what it was about, though.”

Bruce hums and presses a light kiss to the top of Tony’s head. “Fever dreams are awful. But at least you didn’t break any furniture upon waking up.”

Tony, sensing the guilt below the light tone, only huffs. “I’d been wanting to get a new bed anyway for a while now. Did you know there are self-making ones now? And levitating mattresses? Or we could go for one of those free-swinging beds, to match Hulk’s upcoming hammock.” 

Bruce smiles and shakes his head. “A normal one would do, Tony. Or we could try something different. Did you know that sleeping on the ground is actually quite good for your back?”

Tony snorts. “Yeah, no. I’m a billionaire, Brucie, we’re not sleeping on the ground because our bed is broken. Levitating one it is.”

Peter comes back with the steaming soup, which does wonders for Tony’s raw throat. At Bruce’s advice, he takes some Advil that muffles his headache a little and remembers the times a few years ago when he would be sick with only JARVIS as his company, feeling a little chilled and very lucky. 

*

In the end, Tony does agree to watching TV, but mostly because Bruce admits to still not feeling up for anything more demanding (which Peter suspects is not entirely true, but he definitely won’t call him out). They let Peter pick, who of course goes for the newest Orville episode, and settle on the huge living room couch with a steaming mug of tea (Bruce), a packet of chocolate (Tony) and another helping of soup (Peter). 

Peter notices after a while that Bruce is gently massaging Tony’s head, playing with his hair. Tony seems to be sort of melting into the touch, his head leaning against Bruce’s shoulder, eyes almost closed. He looks old, but not frighteningly so - more in a serene way that makes Peter want to capture the moment on film. 

In the years he’s known him, Peter has rarely seen Tony anything but buzzing with energy, jumping to and fro between ideas and lab tables. The only person who is able to slow him down and occasionally get him to take a break without having to outright trick him into it seems to be Bruce. And as sorry as Peter is to see both of them sick, it’s also heartwarming to observe how they are taking care of each other. 

Peter knows that most people his age find the idea of spending a lazy movie Saturday with their family kind of boring, but something in him loves the idea of settling down like this. Maybe it’s the fact that it reminds him of how it used to be with Ben and May, or that the time he spends as Spider-Man is already adventurous enough, or the sheer thrill of seeing Iron Man and the Hulk’s alter ego in their pyjamas on the couch, nuzzled up against each other. 

But whatever it is, there’s nowhere else Peter would rather be.

____________________

If you liked this, make sure to check out @twentyghosts‘ beautiful fic Cold, Comfort with a similar setting that inspired me to write this one.

All my fics

Taglist: @toomuchtoread33  @yepokokfine

@badthingshappenbingo This is my fill for the ‘Common Cold’ square.

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

Asking followers for opinions

I am really thinking about what to do about money cause things are getting hard for me and my family. This is not only for the time we’re all still under quarantine, but for after that, too. It sucks being good enough at nth and having no degree....#$@#%@#@##!@%^&%*^@#@#

So I thought of mentioning some things I can do (not perfectly but good) and see what fans and other people following me are into and what I can use from my knowledge to my financial benefit at once. Since addressing to areas outside my communities and interests hasn’t worked for me, so far, I thought of trying here. This will cover various fields and the prices won’t go above 3$ if I eventually do it, so this is just a survey for me to see what people want and like. Again, this survey doesn’t apply only to our days in quarantine, because I know people don’t have money now to cover anything past their basic needs, but I still have to try from now, in case I can somehow make sth out of it. Let’s start:

In case of Patreon:

1) I speak Greek and English fluently, so if you are a writer writing around Greek mythology and want some Greek phrase in it or a whole paragraph, I can translate it for you, or if you have translated through Google, check if it’s correct for you.

2) I am a photomanipulator, I have been editing images since I was 9 years old (2003) and got to more professional editing techniques in 2015. I can do graphics for your websites, social media and writeblrs but not for print. (I don’t seem to understand how on earth to pass what i have on my screen on prints exactly as is, with the same colors, shadows etc).

3) Besides the pngs, psds, and other graphics I can do for what I mentioned above, I can also do psds for fanpages or simple personal blogs based on specific themes and aesthetics, like horror, sci-fi, fantasy, gothic etc. (i will speak about fansite graphics with pictures of actual artists included later, when I will talk about ko-fi)

4) I can code in html, css and a bit of javascript, but I can’t build a website from scratch, so I can help you install your tumblr theme or fix any problems that might come up only in case the original coder of your theme is not active on tumblr anymore to help you. In short, I can help with basic coding and correct any mistakes that may occur in codes.

5) I can help with basic photoshop editing. A few months ago I came across an event that showed me that some people, even though there are tutorials on youtube about such things, they don’t like them or they don’t bother watch them for whatever reason, so if you need someone to ask questions or help you guide yourselves through the program, without having to watch a video but by a question-answer situation, I can do that too.

In case of ko-fi (this is less likely to happen cause again I don’t want to be working for free, right now, but it’s a good way for others to see what I am able to do and maybe get a dollar or 2 out of effort before someone starts asking for commissions)(this wil be more like “If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee”, in order to see more edits, cause I can’t directly be paid from a fanart piece, I don’t feel good about it. Saying sth like “Pay me 1$ for a fanart or gif of an mv“ feels unfair to me. Ko-fi gives you sth more like paying for the artist’s effort or as gratitude):

1) In case you want some graphics for your fansites or rp blogs with an artist attached to it, or an anime character, you can tell me and I can make it (icons, psds, pngs etc) but with RP graphics I will only do anime graphics cause some artists are not ok with being used in RP and I don’t want to get in trouble.

2) If you want gifs of any artist I can do that too as long as you have a link to the video you want and it’s on websites like youtube, vk, dailymotion and vimeo (i am not visiting porn websites to make gifs of nice scenes for your smut but if there is sth on vk, since it’s safer, and I don’t judge people, I can make a gif from a video there too for my writer fellows steamy scenes :3)

That’s all I can think of right now, if you are interested in any of those or have more ideas, like, comment or send me a pm to know and, if I really see an interest from you guys I will open both a patreon and a ko-fi to get started.

If you wish to see what I am capable of in terms of photomanipulation, you can visit my deviantart.

If you want to see my gifs you can go visit my gif tag here.

Graphics, well, if you visit my blogs here on tumblr you can get an idea, like the few graphics I have on my about page on this blog, my writing wip page on my writing blog, or the navigation page of my fanblog of the visual kei band the Valentine.

As for coding, again you can check my tumblr blogs and see how the themes look, after playing with their code a bit and how they differ to their original, the latter of which you can find by clicking the credit marks of their creator on the main page of each blog. Of course, to some themes I only added the pictures of my choice, but for some people that might be hard too, hence why I think I could help in case their themes’ original creator is no longer active on tumblr. If the theme you have, though, had in its rules not to be editted, only add pictures of your choice, I will respect the coder’s wishes and not change a thing, whether or not they are active anymore.

Thank you for your patience. Stay strong and healthy everyone!

[neetchallenge-blog]

Useful Tips For Successfully Cracking NEET 2019

It is that point of the year once more, once the tutorial world is captivated with the ‘NEET 2018’ development. everyone is busy gushing over their textbooks and guides, pertaining to notes, finding out into the night, and sitting at their table, consumption on pencils and making an attempt to hit the books all the formulae. You wouldn’t notice anyone chatting with their friends  or watch television. Isn’t it nice to check everybody busy? At this significant time, it's necessary to possess some tips to crack NEET 2019.

With simply some months left for the examination, your preparation may well be fully swing, right? whereas there square measure students WHO have started their preparation, there are people who don’t skills to set up their NEET 2019. If you haven’t yet started, please offer yourself a well-mannered punch and begin making ready today! the foremost necessary step of all is that the commencement, guys. you'll set up the journey to the destination well as long as you recognize the start line.

If we tend to go together with the specialists and NEET toppers, dedicated follow and revision square measure the foremost factors that may result in success. If you're someone targeting the coming medical tests, undergo the following pointers to crack NEET 2019!

1. Recognize the program of the examination well

NEET program is as immense as associate ocean, and you wish to understand the precise location to fish the simplest output. hamper on additional info and specialize in necessary topics. Since we all know NEET communicating covers NCERT program likewise, you'll compare the program along with your Board communicating program. it's useful for you if there square measure common chapters as you may not ought to prepare them on an individual basis. this can offer you ample time to target the components of the program that aren't coated.

Important Focus Areas for NEET 2019 are:

Physics – Mechanics, Optics, physics and atomic physics Chemistry – Mole idea, General chemical science, tabular array, Chemical Bonding, Coordination Chemistry Biology- Ecology and setting, Genetics, Cell Biology; Morphology, copy and Physiology of Plants and Animals; Basics of Biotechnology

2. Smart study material

Yes, that’s the foremost necessary element! whereas choosing the proper study material for NEET is small confusing, with help} of lecturers and on-line skilled assistance, you'll opt for the proper one. you'll consult NEET toppers and see that book they referred. Of course, they won’t be accessible for all of you. So, you'll browse NEET topper interviews and take a look at to induce a concept regarding their preparation vogue. you must prepare study notes for NEET, solve previous years’ question papers and take mock tests to boost your speed and accuracy.

3. Come up with a good study plan

Time is invaluable. we tend to all recognize this, nevertheless several aspirants fail to form the right use of your time and take a plunge. Goal setting are often used as a method to assist aspirants bring positive changes into their lives. so as to implement the setting of a goal, check that to raise oneself some questions: what's my goal? Is my goal realistic? what proportion effort must be place in to satisfy my goal? till and unless you create an entire and thorough schedule of the means you would like to check, you may not be ready to complete the program. set up for the week prior to and puzzle out chapters that you simply ought to prepare from the start.

4. Work on weaker areas

It is potential that you simply square measure terribly sturdy in one subject and weak within the alternative.  Don't get discouraged by a similar. attempt to work effortlessly a lot of on the weaker areas to strengthen them. If needed, take facilitate from a devotee or senior or take additional categories for the topic. it'll facilitate in overcoming the concern of your weakness effectively.

5. Follow mock take a look at papers

One of the best challenges of the NEET examination is that the time limitation. Students have to be compelled to end a hundred and eighty queries in a hundred and eighty minutes (3 hours). It means that they'll provides a most of one minute per question. Time management may be a obligatory ability that's needed for this communicating. whereas active reception, check that that you simply keep the time limitation in mind. see complete answer of NEET previous year question paper; specialize in the commonly asked queries, topics and pattern.

6. Regular study breaks

We square measure humans and not machines. So, we tend to need timely rest as, after all, even machines want some rest to induce back to operating with efficiency. Hence, it's essential to understand that one can’t maintain associate optimum level of concentration while not taking associate optimum break to recover. however watch out that you simply don’t bring the breaks on a better priority than studies. Breaks are often within the sort of a ten-minute walk, a visit to the athletic facility, having a talk with a devotee or just taking a little nap.

7. Use new technologies

There square measure many folks WHO study by light within the textbooks and creating notes with a pen on a scrap of paper. These strategies still notice their place and importance, however there square measure incalculable choices for personalizing study than ever before. Be it through on-line tools, social media, blogs, videos or mobile apps, learning has become straightforward, attention-grabbing and user-centered nowadays. If you would like to undertake a replacement learning technology, then Toppr may be a good spot to be told.

8. Don't fall for approximation

Many candidates have the tendency of taking the approximation route for determination queries they don’t recognize. However, it'd prove risky during this case as there's negative marking for a wrong answer. it's suggested to go away an issue utterly if you are doing not recognize the proper answer. this {can be} one in every of the foremost necessary tips to crack NEET 2018 that anyone can give!

9. Health is everything

It’s crucial to judge yourself each physically and mentally. rather than whining “I ne'er get enough sleep” or “I’m intake an excessive amount of food,” take hold and set up for transfer within the balance. this can assist you to be happier and a lot of productive. Avoid junk and oily foods and switch to healthy diet plans. Do meditation and yoga exercises for higher concentration. of these tips to crack NEET 2018 would be useless while not this one factor!

10. Quality is imperative

Your perspective decides the effectiveness of the training method. If you possess a negative approach and keep spoken communication that you simply can’t bang, then this won’t plan to the thought of learning. A grumbling approach can solely build things troublesome. the instant you begin thinking absolutely, your brain can show bigger activity. A right frame of mind conjointly causes you to feel less anxious and a lot of receptive new ideas.

I would like to tell another secret, which still most of your peers are not aware of. There is a new App that has come to the market, with a noble objective to help NEET Aspirants like you, for not only making you thorough in NEET syllabus, but also for making you competent among your peers. The App has mock NEET exams that are timed. These are called NEET Challenges. Here, you will not be just taking the mock NEET exams . You will be rather taking it as a challenge to gauge yourself among your Peers, saying, who is going to top NEET exam, you are me? Although the above mentioned information would help you crack NEET exam successfully. This NEET challenge App can make a strong NEET candidate, who can face the NEET challenge 2019 with complete confidence.

VICTO NEET Challenge App

Register with Victo NEET Challenge App and challenge your peers by taking Victo NEET Challenges. Get started with Victo NEET App by downloading Victo App from the play store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.victo.neet&hl=en_IN

I wish you All the Best for NEET 2019!!!

[influencertoolkits]

HOW TO GET STARTED ON YOUTUBE https://ift.tt/2P0iQuz

It's not easy to get started on YouTube. You can need more than nebulous pieces of advice and inspiring stories to get started with something. You'll need a strategy. That's why I'm making this series for you, showing you how to get started on YouTube with no subscribers or views.

We've built this step-by-step guide to help YOU launch your channel and/or expand the one you already have based on our experience working with hundreds of clients, our deep knowledge of the YouTube social media industry, and our personal branding and business experience.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT BEGINNING ON YOUTUBE:

1.) The three most critical factors to consider before launching a channel.

2.) A step-by-step guide to locating and identifying your niche.

3.) What a SUPERPOWER is and how it will help you succeed on YouTube.

STEP 1: DETERMINING YOUR Intent

Your WHY is the reason you've decided to start a YouTube channel. The importance of your channel to your audience will be determined by your WHY. What is the reason for your videos and content?

STEP 2: FIND OUT WHAT YOUR NICHE IS.

This is the point at which people get trapped. When you go to YouTube, you'll find thousands of beauty and fashion-related channels. Today's rivalry is FIERCE. I don't say this to discourage you; rather, it's to encourage you to focus on the niche you want to pursue.

DO YOU Really Need A NICHE?

Let's say someone looked up "how to take care of dry skin" in the search bar. They ended up watching two videos on the subject, one from Ellen and the other from Michelle. They start by watching Ellen's video. It was a nice video with useful information.

That person decided to take a look at Ellen's other videos and her YouTube channel as a whole. Hmm, she speaks about her dog, there are a few makeup tutorials, and one about how she lost weight, hmm. She seems to be nice, but I'm not sure I need all of that; it doesn't seem to be serving my needs right now. I'll move on; that one video provided everything I needed.

They then proceed to watch Michelle's video. It was a fine, quality video with relevant details, just like Erin's. They see Michelle's video and say to themselves, "Hmmm, this girl knows a lot about skin." Allow me to take a look around. I like the look of her channel; yeah, she talks a lot about skin care, which is super helpful; there's a lot of useful information there! I'll subscribe. You don't just need views, you need to build an audience and conversions.

If you make videos on a variety of subjects, you run the risk of not having enough people interested in all of them. People can watch your video to learn about specific topics; do you want them to watch it because they like your whole channel or only that one video?

PUT EFFORT INTO CONTENT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE

Concentrate your efforts. Every content creator should be solving a problem at its root. People come to you for a reason. What problem are you trying to solve for them? Make a name for yourself as a thought leader and the go-to resource in your field. Create content that your target audience enjoys, and it will be easier for the RIGHT people to fall in love with your channel.

It's easier to get those people in if you concentrate on that one particular subject. It becomes simpler to produce reliable and usable content as well. You're not considering the whole beauty and lifestyle industry; instead, you're considering particular topics to film about.

Finally, if you speak about fewer topics, you will reach a lot more people. You should experiment with different types of videos after you've built up an audience and established a reputation, and your audience would most likely WANT to see other facets of who you are. However, being more precise about your content from the start is the best way to create an audience.

HOWEVER, WHAT ABOUT...?

What about those YouTubers with a million subscribers but no specific niche? They discuss anything! Consider that many of those YouTubers have been doing this for a long time and have built up a loyal following who wants to see what they have to offer. OR, the YouTuber might have a one-of-a-kind SUPERPOWER (explained later) that sets them apart.

HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE?

There are two distinct types of niches. There is either a SUBJECT niche or a DEMO niche.

A subject niche is a niche for someone who is interested in a particular topic. Someone might, for example, create a channel dedicated to clear skin. The channel is for anyone who is interested in clear skin, whether they are men or women, of any race or skin form. A subject niche could be about working as a makeup artist, for example. You produce content that has to do with working as a makeup artist. All of the videos will be on that one subject and for people who are interested in that topic.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A DEMOGRAPHIC NICHE?

For a demographic niche, you have a particular user in mind, an avatar, who would be interested in learning more about various subjects and how they relate to them. What exactly is an avatar? You make a figure that represents a particular individual. So, maybe your “avatar” is a woman in college with curly hair who is on a budget.

You can personalise your avatar even further by giving him or her a name, a birthplace, and a backstory. The more descriptive you can be, the better. You make things with that person in mind every time you make something. Will this video/post be useful and important to my avatar? This keeps you on track with your niche and allows you to build content that your avatar can enjoy.

WHERE DO YOU GO TO FIND YOUR NICHE?

There are three distinct parts to the puzzle. To begin, think about what you're passionate about. What do you like to watch, read, or listen to? Second, what abilities do you possess? What do you excel at in your life? What kind of skills do you possess? Third, what are people's needs and wants?

Combine the three elements: your passion, your abilities, and what people need. Consider your life so far. Consider your hobbies, schooling, and job experience to see what you've gravitated toward. When you think about those things, you'll most likely discover your abilities and passion. Consider your gut feeling.

What topics do you want to make videos about? What do you excel at or have work/personal experience with in your life? Maybe you have a marketing degree or a psychology degree. Alternatively, maybe you spent years working in a department store and have a unique perspective on how the retail industry operates.

You'd be shocked how everyday events can be viewed as a specific talent and knowledge that can be used to build YouTube content. For example, not everyone has worked in a retail store, has a psychology degree, or has run a business before.

Finally, decide whether you want to target a demographic or a subject niche. You can narrow down a subject niche even further and build an avatar for that topic. I would probably advise you to take that route. If your talent is that of an esthetician, and you're starting a channel about clear skin, you should niche down and start a channel about clear skin for teenagers. It doesn't mean that every video has to be tailored to certain individuals, but it will aid you in reaching out to a larger audience within that niche.

Be careful not to create a lifestyle channel that is too big for your demographic niche; you need to focus in on your avatar and get precise. A demographic niche is also beneficial, but it can be too wide at times. The more focused your goal is, the better.

Keep in mind that you do not know what your niche is right away. It's fine to begin without understanding. Read it and think about it, but the most important thing is that you get started on YouTube. After a few months, you may find yourself gravitating towards something.

You may also have a better idea of which aspect of the method appeals to you. THAT'S OKAY. Take your time, but set a target for yourself to figure out your niche in the first six months.

STEP 3: WHAT KIND OF SUPERPOWER DO YOU HAVE?

The last piece of the puzzle is your SUPERPOWER. As previously said, superpower should not be confused with talent. Your ability is something you've acquired or gained from practise. Your SUPERPOWER is a natural talent that you were born with.

This superpower may have been honed and refined through your work experience and/or schooling, but it was a naturally occurring and inherent curiosity and predisposition you already possessed. YOU WILL HAVE  AT LEAST ONE 

Consider the following question: What am I really skilled at? What is it about the process of creating content that I really enjoy (assuming you've already started a channel)? Even, what am I not fond of? Do you like giving lessons in front of the camera? What about the brainstorming process for new video ideas?

Why don't you try editing? Perhaps you enjoy the musical aspect of videos? What about the technological side of things? Consider which aspect of the process excites you the most.

Consider the part of the process that is the easiest for you, that takes the least amount of time but still produces excellent results.

You should also consider which aspects of the process you dislike. After you've asked yourself those questions, you'll most likely discover your SUPERPOWER. Alternatively, if you haven't started a platform yet, look at aspects of your own life and see what you think you would want.

SO, NOW THAT YOU KNOW YOUR SUPERPOWER, WHAT DO YOU DO About IT? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

You can build your content with your superpower in mind once you've determined it. You can also concentrate on the forum that allows you to demonstrate your superpower the most easily. Create videos that showcase your editing skills if you are a fantastic editor who enjoys that part of the process.

Perhaps your specialty is makeup reviews from the viewpoint of a Sephora employee, and you're a fantastic editor who dislikes speaking in front of the camera. You may create reviews that highlight the products and provide a voiceover, all while creating a visually appealing review that highlights the products and packaging.

Or maybe you're a single mom who is very creative and has a graphic design background who wants to highlight her life as a single mom with her baby in a beautiful artistic way but doesn't have the time to create videos or learn how to edit.

You determine that Instagram is the best platform for you and concentrate on it with a website/blog instead of a YouTube channel when deciding your superpower. Finding your superpower will help you figure out which platform to concentrate on and which aspects of that platform to really accept.

ADDING IT ALL TOGETHER - LET'S MAKE A CHANNEL!

So, now you have your three components.

Why

Niche

Superpower

Make a list of those three and build content around them. Every piece of content you create should represent your why, be tailored to your target audience, and highlight your SUPERPOWER. Build a content strategy based on your niche and superpower once you've determined your why.

It's also a good idea to say it out loud in your videos. Your audience should understand why you're doing what you're doing and what your niche is. The superpower does not need to be announced or vocalised; the viewer will notice it when watching your videos or scrolling through your feed.

STEP 1: Figure out why you're doing it.

Why do you want to start a YouTube channel, an Instagram account, a blog, or something similar?

STEP 2: Identify Your Niche

Can you focus on a specific subject or a specific demographic? Develop a detailed avatar for both a population and a subject niche.

STEP 3: Find out what your superpower is.

What is one aspect of the creative process that you truly adore and excel at?

Each piece of content you create should incorporate all three elements. All else will fall into place once you've mastered this. It's easy to overlook this step and simply move on with your channel. Those who take the time to consider why they want to start a channel and develop a strategy focused on a why, niche, and SUPERPOWER will see results!

YOUTUBE OPTIMIZATION PLUG-IN I RECOMMEND

TubeBuddy

[lindafrancois]

How to Start Working Out (Consistently)

So you’re having trouble working out consistently?

I get it. 

Life is busy and hectic. You probably wear multiple hats in your life.

Hopefully, one of them is a pirate hat:

If you are having trouble exercising regularly, know that you aren’t alone. 

Not being able to work out consistently is one of the top issues facing our clients in Nerd Fitness Coaching. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks that help them, which we’ll share with you right now too. 

Want a customized workout plan you’ll ACTUALLY do? Learn more:

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

Step 1: Why you miss workouts (and why it’s okay).

Step 2: Building a (specific and realistic) workout plan. 

Step 3: Why “all of nothing” hurts workout consistency.

Step 4: The key to getting in regular exercise (make it fun).

Step 5: How to build workout accountability.

Step 6: Exercise and workout motivation (and the problems with it).

Step 7: How to find time to work out.

How to start working out consistently (next steps).

Let’s jump right in!

Step 1: Why You Miss Workouts

As I mention in the video above, it’s okay to stumble – everyone misses a workout now and again.

Life happens:

Your job might need you to stay late. 

Maybe your spouse can’t pick up the kids today.

Or perhaps you just lost track of time while playing video games.

These things happen, so don’t freak out whenever you miss a workout.

“Wait, wait, wait Jim! I thought this article was about consistency – then you start off saying it’s OK to miss a workout?”

What I’m saying is to not beat yourself up over it. I’ll see people be so tough on themselves for one missed workout, that it spirals downward and then they’re doing NO workouts.

It’s unnecessary, and it’s not sustainable.

Here’s something I remind my clients: If being tough on yourself helped with workout consistency, it would’ve helped by now.

So first of all, forgive yourself.

Then, I share with them a saying we have here at Nerd Fitness:

“Never Two in a Row.”

That means aim to not miss two workouts, back to back.

It’s a mantra you’ll hear throughout the Rebellion (our community!). 

Here’s the justification: as I mentioned, missing one workout is nbd. 

However, two workouts in a row could be the start of a trend. If you’re not careful, after a few missed workouts, you could just stop exercising altogether. 

That’s the real danger.

So we aim to not allow the trend to start in the first place.

Takeaway: If you miss a workout, it’s fine. Just try not to miss the next one.

Step 2: Building a Workout Plan

Here’s a great quote from Benjamin Franklin:

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

When it comes to working out consistently, we need to define what “consistently” actually means.

For that, it’s time to build a workout routine.

As Coach Staci mentions in the video above, we want to focus on three key questions when programming our training:

What type of workout are you doing?

When do you plan on doing your training?

Where will this workout take place?

All three questions are important, but we’re going to focus on “when” right now.

Determining “when” you’ll train is easily the most important step for working out consistently.

That’s why I want you to place your workouts in your calendar!

Schedule your workout like it’s the most important meeting of the day!

(A reminder that you ARE important!)

That’s what I have my clients do in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. It goes a long way to helping them stick to their workout schedule. 

So if you plan on training first thing at 8am, have a calendar reminder go off at 7:50am. 

It’ll make a difference. I promise. 

What days should be workout days?

For that, I have a couple of resources to share with you:

How to Build Your Own Workout Routine. Our MASSIVE guide will teach you exactly how to create a training schedule, including what exercises to do and when to take rest days. If you want to get your hands dirty by building your own workout, this is the way to do it.

Nerd Fitness Journey. Our fun habit-building app will tell you exactly when to workout, with video tutorials for every exercise covered. No need to create a plan, just open up the app and check your missions for the day. Plus, you’ll build your very own superhero as you go, which is totally sweet. You can try it out for free right below:

Step 3: Why “All of Nothing” Hurts Workout Consistency

Another one of the best things you can do to improve your workout consistency: have a backup plan.

Let’s say a pipe bursts at your gym, and it’s closed for the next few days.

Does that mean you should stop working out until they resolve their plumbing emergency?

It could be a while…

No!

It just means you’ll have to work out at home, in a nearby playground, or maybe you just focus on long walks for the next few days.

That’s why it’s always good to have a backup for any regular emergency, like:

If I can’t train at my gym, I’ll do bodyweight training at home.

If it’s raining heavily and I can’t run outside, I’ll jump on the stationary bike in the garage.

If I’m sore from a hard workout, today I’ll just do some light yoga. 

Remember, just because your initial plan falls through, doesn’t mean you have to completely throw in the towel.

Or as I jokingly tell my clients, just because one tire goes flat, doesn’t mean you should slash the other three.

Just do the best you can to get back on the road.

Step 4: The Key to Getting in Regular Exercise

If I have one single piece of advice on how to get in more daily movement, it would be this: do something you enjoy.

Every workout doesn’t have to be a slog.

You can schedule things you enjoy, like:

Hiking

Parkour

Video games that get you moving.

If you enjoy the activity, you’ll be WAY more likely to exercise consistently.

For more tips here, here are 40 Ways to Exercise (Without Realizing It). 

Here’s another trick to start enjoying your workouts – do them while listening to some of your favorite music, or a podcast you enjoy.

Heck, you can even flip the TV on in the corner and watch your favorite show while you train.

We call this “Temptation Bundling” and I’ve seen it help a lot of my clients:

If you only listen to your favorite podcast when you run, eventually, you might start looking forward to running.

The same thing could happen with music. If you start to associate your favorite tunes with building up a sweat, one day you might actually enjoy building up a sweat.

Let’s say you only watch The Great British Bake Off while on your elliptical. If that’s the case, you’re going to start protecting your time exercising (“Don’t bother me now”).

Don’t overlook the power of coupling activities you enjoy with your workouts. 

Step 5: How to Build Workout Accountability

Another strategy we can deploy when improving workout consistency: accountability and support.

There’s nothing quite like being accountable to another human being when it comes to exercising regularly.

There are a few ways we can create workout accountability:

#1) Tell Friends and Family.

Share your goals with your loved ones, then let them know the times you’ll be working out.

This will help for a couple of reasons:

We’re more likely to follow through with action if we commit ourselves in front of others.

If we don’t show up for a workout, they may politely call us out on it.

#2) Join an Online Community.

In the 21st century, it’s very easy to find a group of people who are on a similar mission.

If you want to exercise regularly, I’d wager you aren’t the only person on the internet working towards that goal.

So join a digital community! That way you can get in on some group accountability.

We regularly hold group challenges through our app, Nerd Fitness Journey. I’ve been told by countless Rebels that they’re more likely to get their training in if they know everyone else in the community is doing it too.

Heck, I did burpees in the snow because everyone in the Rebellion was doing a burpee challenge.

If you want to try out some of these experiences, you can sign-up for a free trial to our snazzy new app right here:

If you want some next-level accountability, I have to mention the ultimate power-up: hire a coach.

It could be a personal trainer in a gym, or you can go digital with an online coach.

Either way, having someone you check in with weekly (who will also program your workouts) is one of the best ways to exercise consistently.

If you know a coach will ask you about your workouts, you’re going to be more likely to do them.

If you’re interested in learning if you’d be a good fit for one of our online coaches, you can click on the big yellow button below:

We can be your accountability partner. Lean more here.

Step 6: The Problems With Exercise and Workout Motivation

In the video above, Rebel Leader Steve outlines the problems with motivation. 

I think all of my clients should watch the video. 

That’s because I’ll often hear them say “I need more motivation to workout” or “I’m just not motivated to exercise.”

This is the wrong frame of mind.

Action creates motivation, not the other way around.

For example, let’s imagine a new client. They don’t particularly like working out and they aren’t very motivated to do it.

But they do it anyway.

Then, after a few weeks of successful workouts, they’ll start to recognize the trend they’ve begun.

Our coaching app tracks all the training we assign, so I’ll often see my clients rejoice when they’ve “hit 20 workouts!” 

It feels good to recognize they’re making progress, which often makes them more motivated to exercise.

So they keep working out. 

The problem: getting started in the first place can be tough.

That’s why you should start with ANYTHING that breaks the inertia.

Coach Matt breaks it all down for you right here:

As a beginner, your first step is the most important. And often the hardest.

In our Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your Fitness Journey, we recommend your first workouts be something simple to get started: a walk.

It could be a half-mile around the block. Or it could be to the mailbox and back. 

The exact amount doesn’t matter, but being intentional is. That’s how we work to build consistency.

So do a short walk today. Then another one the day after tomorrow. Then a third two days from then.

Boom, three workouts in one week, all by just walking. 

Step 7: How to Find Time to Workout

I’ll be real with you: no one is sitting around, twiddling their thumbs with time to kill.

If you’re going to make time to work out, you’ll need to figure out what activity in your life you can change or eliminate:

Maybe your two-hour nightly TV ritual can come down to an hour.

Maybe you start biking home from work instead of driving.

Maybe you catch up with your spouse over an evening walk instead of a drink.

This is why scheduling your workouts in your calendar can be so critical – it helps you see what needs to be moved around to get your training done.

Also, it’s okay to experiment here.

If you create a schedule, and you don’t hit it all, it’s okay. 

Perhaps you just created an unrealistic schedule.

If so, then modify the workout:

Try a 30-minute workout instead of an hour.

Try two workouts a week instead of three.

Go around the block once instead of twice.

Again, we’re not worried about the amount of time here. Instead, we’re concerned about you hitting your workout schedule consistently. It’s okay to scale down to do that.

Once you’re rocking and rolling, we can always scale it up if it seems right.

If you want some tips on how to gauge your adherence to sticking with your workout schedule, then check out How to Track Your Fitness Progress.  

Start Working Out Consistently

There you have it, my friend. 

When it comes to working out consistently, remember to:

Step 1: It’s okay to stumble (Forgive yourself). Everyone I know misses a workout here or there. It’s nothing to feel shame over. 

Step 2: Have a plan! Without scheduling your week’s workouts, how do you even know if you’re being consistent or not?

Step 3: Have a backup plan! (Lose the “all or nothing” mindset). If your first plan falls through, nbd. Just move onto the next one. “Some” workout is always better than “no” workout. Do the best you can.

Step 4: Make it fun. Your workout doesn’t need to be something you dread. If you like hiking, go hiking. If you like swimming, go swimming. Any movement is beneficial and should be encouraged. No one said you have to hate it.

Step 5: Find an accountability partner. Going alone is almost always harder. If you can find a friend or coach to team with, it will make working out consistently easier.

Step 6: Embrace “action” not “motivation.” If you have to wait around for motivation to start working out, you might be waiting for quite a while. You’ll become motivated after you act.

Step 7: Don’t find time, make time. Your schedule won’t magically free itself. Look at your calendar and start prioritizing.

That’s it.

The most important thing you can do now today: START!

Not tomorrow. Not next Monday.

Today!

If you don’t know what to do, look at the next free spot on your calendar. Then schedule a walk.

Then schedule it a couple of days later.

Then the following week.

BOOM! You just started a plan for working out consistently.

As always, if you need any help here, we gotcha. 

Here are three ways that Nerd Fitness can help you exercise regularly. 

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

As I said, this is the ultimate way to build workout accountability. Not only will a NF Coach build your workout, but they’ll check in with you too to make sure you’re able to do it.

If you can’t? 

No problem, they’ll work with you to create a new plan.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want an exact roadmap for working out consistently, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app tells you exactly what days to exercise, what days to rest, and helps you track it all so you know if it’s working for you.

Interested?

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, our Strength Training 101 eBook, and much more!

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.

Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.

Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Alright, I want to hear from you now:

What’s your biggest issue with working out consistently?

What tips helped the most?

Are we missing any helpful suggestions for a beginner?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

###

Photo Source: Rugby Player, Bruce Emmerling © 123RF.com, Firefighter, Dog Sitter, Bicycle, Toxic, choneschones © 123RF.com, Morning run with the Fitbit

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

How to Start Working Out (Consistently) published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[colesbarbeque]

Best Espresso Machines Under 200 In 2021

Coffee makers are populating kitchens with increasing numbers. And we understand it! From the traditional relatively basic coffee machine , models, systems and technologies have followed one another to today lead to the very best, ultra-versatile devices capable of preparing all kinds of coffee, of being programmed, of offering options for personalizing coffee…

In short, ultra-complete devices! Today we are looking at the best espresso makers , the comparison of which you can find below . It should be noted that although the models are stamped as espresso, they are often capable of much more in terms of functionality.

The 8 10 Best Espresso Machines Under 200 Reviews

Several technical criteria, which you can find in the buying guide in detail, allowed us to find a basis of comparison for the various espresso coffee machines. We were then able to establish ranges and find the best quality-price ratios, this in order to find models corresponding to everyone’s needs and budgets. Finally, we have used customer reviews in order to obtain a complete and objective opinion on the best espresso makers.

1 / Krups YY4081FD

While some consumers find the price relatively high, most agree that they get what they pay for. The performance is clearly unmatched by the lower ranges, which makes this device, in the eyes of users, perfectly deserving of its title of “professional quality”.

Pros

Preparation of many professional quality drinks: cappuccinos, long coffees, espresso, milk frother, coffee beans …

Good capacity of the tank (1.7L) and the bean container (260g)

Very worked design, both in terms of robustness and aesthetics

Simple and intuitive use thanks to the control panel, also allowing you to memorize profiles

Cons

Does not allow the use of ground coffee, only coffee beans

A little noisy

2 / Philips EP3550 / 00 3100 Series

This machine does so much that some users get confused! Some say that it is preferable to watch one or two configuration tutorials, as for the grinder, before launching yourself into the settings. For the rest, on the other hand, consumers highlight the great variety of functionalities, both from the point of personalization and for the rest.

Pros

Numerous functions: integrated milk frother and up to 5 different drinks including decaf coffee

Several customization options for the strength of the grinder, 5 levels for the intensity of the aroma, adjustment of the coffee length …

Easy maintenance and limited descaling thanks to the Aquaclean filter

Possibility to set your favorite drinks

Cons

The chipper takes a little time to be fully mastered

3 / Philips EP2221 / 40

Customers are impressed with the performance of the machine, while recognizing the high standards of Philips manufacturing.

Pros

High-end quality with many customization options and the possibility of serving up to 2 coffees at the same time

High reliability: Built-in high-quality ceramic grinder makes up to 20,000 cups from beans

Easy maintenance thanks to removable parts

A milk frother is integrated to diversify your preparations

Cons

Relatively noisy grinder

4 / Delonghi ECAM22.110.B

Many consumers give the highest rating to this device, which enjoys excellent popularity especially as its price has fallen by more than 100 $ since it went on sale.

Both design and practical, this machine is, in the eyes of consumers, the very example that beauty and practicality can combine to form a most successful device. A bit of a shame, some customers note, that the rinse cycle is a little sluggish.

Pros

Allows you to serve 2 cups simultaneously

Numerous customization options for the strength of the coffee, its length or the heating temperature

A grinder is integrated for the coffee beans

Tank with a good capacity of 1.8L

Cons

Despite the compact dimensions, the weight of 9kg can be felt

The rinsing cycle is triggered at start and stop

5 / Krups XP344010 Calvi

It is no surprise that consumers validate this model, giving it, for many of them, the maximum score. And no wonder: it is once again the quality-price ratio that marks the spirits, especially since you enjoy high power and an optimal temperature from the first cup. Not a competition freak, but a great home choice for users.

Pros

Good power of 1460W for 15 bars of pressure

Preheating takes no more than 40 seconds thanks to the compact Thermoblock and allows you to obtain a first cup at optimum temperature

Foam effect thanks to the steam nozzle

Practical facilities: 1 or 2 cups at the same time, storage provided for the filters, possibility of switching to manual mode for more control …

Cons

The filter holder fills a little too quickly, which implies regular maintenance and rinsing

Plastic construction

6 / Klarstein BellaVita Espresso

In the reviews, consumers obviously insist on the value for money of the device, which is certainly the biggest asset. Admittedly, it only allows you to prepare two drinks (espresso or double espresso) and the tank is a bit small, but for the price, it combines manufacturing quality with ease of use, which is a real plus for customers. We validate!

Pros

Available in classic or espresso version, as well as in silver or black

High power of 1575W for 20 bars of pressure, which is an excellent ratio

Get the coffee of your dreams at the push of a button with “OneTouch Control”

Stainless steel construction for maximum strength and extended life

The water is maintained at an optimum temperature thanks to the Perfect Temperature System

Cons

Low capacity of 0.9L

The first cup deserves a slightly higher temperature

7 / Nespresso Pixie

Consumers appear to be very satisfied with the model’s performance, obviously valuing its functionalities (perhaps a little limited, but at this price…) but above all the quality of the coffee extracted. Remember, of course, to choose quality coffee! In this regard, some consumers find the use of pods harmful, which is not the most ecological.

Pros

Possibility of choosing either manual ignition or automatic ignition

Durable aluminum construction

19 bars of pressure for a rich espresso

Quick heat-up, not exceeding 25 seconds

Cons

The water tank is relatively small, with a capacity of only 0.7L

Relatively noisy

8 / Delonghi BCO264.1

A small design flaw for the lid of the water tank requires caution when using it, so as not to have sudden movements. But this drawback remains, once we are aware, a minor point compared to the strengths of the device.

We will think, to begin with, of course of its price, but also of its many practical facilities, like the timer, the possibility of choosing the number of cups that can be served or even monitoring the state of the machine and progress via an LCD screen.

Pros

Coffee customization options: aroma (variator), choice of grind for a rich aroma and strong in taste

Possibility to serve one or two cups simultaneously

Control via physical keys with summary on an LCD screen

A digital timer is integrated

Cons

The cover of the water tank suffers from a lack of strength

9 / Delonghi EC685.M Dedica Style

For this model to be perfect, we would have liked to have had less maintenance effort to provide, both for the coffee grounds and for the filter holder. However, the machine stands out above all thanks to its excellent quality-price ratio as well as its great versatility, even allowing it to accept paper pods!

Pros

Available in 4 different styles

Quick start: in just 35 seconds the machine is ready to brew coffee

Good power of 1300W

Compactness and build quality

Cons

It is necessary to clean the filter holder regularly to preserve the functioning of the device.

You often have to go and collect the coffee grounds with a spoon

ESPRESSO MACHINE BUYING GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BUY IT!

Presentation and advantages of the espresso coffee machine

You surely can imagine that in addition to the best espresso coffee machines that you discovered in the comparison, many other models manage to stand out on the market!

Their secret? Solid technical characteristics, a range of functions, positive consumer opinions and an attractive price. But these models must be spotted, so we give you more information on the selection and purchase process.

As its name suggests, the espresso machine allows you to make… espresso. But that’s far from its only functionality! Indeed, depending on the model, it is possible to prepare other kinds of coffee, for example coffee beans when a grinder is included.

They are also personalization machines, often allowing you to choose the aroma of the coffee or to be programmed. In short, you will taste much more than an espresso with these technological gems!

What are the criteria for buying an espresso maker?

To know how to choose an espresso machine in the same way as we did, it is necessary to rely on a certain number of criteria which, in fine, correspond above all to the technical characteristics of the devices.

When faced with each criterion, systematically ask yourself the question of your needs: not everyone needs the very best, so consider the use you plan to have!

Power And Pressure

Power is certainly the hallmark of the device. Expressed in Watts, it must be high enough to allow the machine to perform all of its functions.

We will of course think of the basics (preparing the coffee), but also of the additional options of customization or choice of temperature, which will mean a correspondingly high power.

Regarding the pressure, it combines with the power to ensure both the rendering of your coffees and the speed of execution of the device. An indisputable duo!

The Personalization Of Coffee And Aroma

True technological contribution of current machines: it is now possible to personalize your coffee to obtain a grind to your taste, to enjoy a light, medium or full-bodied aroma, or to create a foam using a milk frother .

So many customization options that allow you to enjoy a unique coffee with the aroma of your choice!

Drinks That Can Be Prepared

In addition to the famous espresso that we love so much, the machines are proving more and more versatile, and are therefore now able to prepare other drinks! Thus, some will accept ground coffee.

Others will go much further, allowing both ground coffee and coffee beans, benefiting from an integrated grinder. If this is the case, remember to find out about the decibels emitted during the operation of the crusher, because the silent crusher is not yet born!

Practical Facilities: Handling, Control And Size

The control and handling of the device must be both simple and ergonomic. Most devices will pass through a system of bright LED lights indicating the status of the machine or the coffee preparation process while your actions will be carried out with physical buttons.

Others, more advanced, will integrate an LED screen, even LCD with ultra responsive touch keys on the most advanced models.

In terms of size, we will think about both weight and dimensions. Of course, the model is not intended to be moved regularly, but just think about cleaning! In terms of dimensions, these must correspond to the location where you plan to place the device, such as a worktop for example.

Note that compact formats often represent an excellent compromise between practicality and power.

Finally, since we are talking about size, also remember to find out about the properties of the machine with regard to its resistance, the quality of its coating and the material chosen … In this regard, there is no doubt that stainless steel beats plastic!

The Capacity Of The Water Tank

Regarding the water tank, the capacity depends mainly on two factors: the number of people who will use the machine regularly and the water consumption.

For the first factor, consider its use (home or office?) As well as regular diners or employees. This will give you a first idea of ​​the necessary capacity, namely that it is fashionable, even for a single individual, to reach at least the liter.

When it comes to water consumption, it is good to know that some espresso machines consume more water than others (especially when functionality increases), so that a large tub, at least less 1.5L, is welcome.

Additional Features

In addition to all the features already reviewed, the machines have other assets to highlight! Typically, the most sophisticated models can be programmed, for example so that the coffee is ready at a certain time (so that the heating is calculated) or even that the rinsing or descaling program starts every X times.

What price and what budget for an espresso machine?

You were able to discover it quite easily in our comparison: according to the ranges of machines, the price can vary from single to double, to triple, to quadruple … It can reasonably be considered that high prices mean higher ranges.

However, be careful of what may risk becoming a shortcut. An expensive product does not necessarily mean a quality product, and even if it is quality, it does not necessarily mean that its features are worth the price displayed. This is called value for money, in other words, you have to get what you pay for!

For this, you can, like us, take an interest in consumer reviews, but also call on the most recognized brands, such as Delonghi, Philips, Krups, Klarstein or even Nespresso, all manufacturers renowned for their know-how. undeniable.

You can now consider your needs. To do this, simply write down the features that you consider essential and those that you consider optional. Then find products that cover all the crucial features and a few models that also cover one or two options that you attach importance to. You will then see as many prices appear, which will form the famous “ranges”.

From there, all you have to do is sort it out, thinking about finding a compromise between your needs and your desires, on the one hand, and your budget, on the other. As an indication, coffee machines under 100 $ are really the entry level: if you want more features, stability and robustness as well as customization options, you should count on at least 150 $.

How to descale an espresso machine? In 5 steps

For machines with an automatic program, fill the removable tank with vinegar or descaling agent, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, then top up with water.

Install a sufficiently dense container under the spout to collect the descaler or vinegar

Start the descaling program. This will be more or less long depending on the devices, but will not normally require your intervention before the end of the cycle.

Once the cycle is complete, collect and empty the container, then rinse the tank before replacing it.

If your machine has a rinsing program, all you have to do is fill the tank with water to the maximum then install a container again, before launching the program and let the machine do its job.

source https://colesbarbeque.com/best-espresso-machines-under-200/

[kyleperkinsauthor]

Alright, so I haven’t posted in a few months due to a new baby and a new job, but I am back with some cool shit to post over the next few days. Today, I am going to teach you some of the cool stuff you can do with a NAS or, Network Attached Storage. I upgraded mine over the last few days, and decided to share the process, because once you have a NAS, you’ll question why you never had one before. It basically becomes your own personal cloud server that you have total control over.

So first, here is my parts list.

Rexgear Micro ATX Cube – $49.99

Patriot Viper 3 Series, Black Mamba, DDR3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit – $62.99

MSI AMD FM2+ A68H DDR3 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX Motherboard – $46.99

ARCTIC Alpine 64 Plus – 90 Watts Low Noise CPU Cooler for AMD AM4 Sockets – $13.77

AMD AMD A6-7400K Dual-Core 3.5 GHz – $49.79

Hitachi 1TB (1 tb) SATA II 7200 RPM 32MB (Quantity: 3) – $34.58 x 3.

APEVIA ATX-VS450W Venus 450W ATX Power Supply – $21.99

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So, I got all of this for under $350, but all you really need is a cpu, power supply, motherboard, ram, case, and a hard drive. You can do this in any combination, and chances are, you have some shitty old PC laying in a closet somewhere that you could easily use.

You will also need two flash drives. They both should be empty. You need to put the nas4free installation media on one, and the OS will go on another.

So, now that you have your PC built, let’s get started.

First, go here.

Make sure to click on the link with the latest date. Since we’re using USB, we will be selecting this.

It will begin downloading. This could take fifteen minutes or so. Once that is completed, head over and download rufus.

Once that is finished, you have everything you need to install nas4free.

Turn on your freshly built PC. It will lead you straight to the BIOS, and you’ll need to switch the boot order to make booting from USB first priority. There are a million tutorials on how to do this, but it’s pretty straight forward. Find boot order, move everything related to USB to the top. It might be smart to make it reboot upon power loss as well. Save and exit.

Now, you need to plug a USB into the computer you are used to using. Open rufus, then select this usb. After, go down to where it says ISO, and change to DD. Find the nas4free image that you downloaded earlier.

Make yours look like mine, other than the very top option. It will be whatever your USB is called.Next to DD, where that CD looking icon is, that’s what you’ll click to browse and find the nas4free you downloaded earlier.

After you hit start, it will begin installing nas4free onto the USB. Once it completes, you’ll take the USB, along with the other blank one, and put those into the new PC. Then, reboot that PC.

Once you reboot, it will begin loading the new OS. Once it’s finished, you will come to a screen that looks like this.

Select option 9. Then you can begin installing the OS onto the other USB that will stay permanently in the PC. The next screen, pick the preferred option. Then it will guide you through. Once it comes to selecting the device to install on, pick the blank USB.

Once finished, you’ll be back to the first screen. You’ll need to configure a network IP. Go to your normal computer, and run command. (either windows key+ r, then type cmd.exe then hit okay, or type command in cortana or search in start menu). Once it’s open, type in ipconfig and hit enter. It will bring up important information about your network, but you’re looking for information on the gateway.

Now, you’ll know your gateway. So, back to the new PC, go select option 2. Then, it will bring you to these prompts.

For this option, select no. I know it is highlighted on yes, but select no.

For this, you’ll put whatever your gateway is. Usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, but you’ll change the last one to something over 20. So, 192.168.0.21 or 192.168.1.56 etc.

24.

Now, you’ll put your gateway that we found in command earlier.

For DNS, let’s use google’s. Just type 8.8.8.8

Finally for this, select no.

Now you will have a GUI login, or a way to log in from your normal computer. You can now unplug monitor and keyboard from new pc. You won’t need them anymore.

So, in your browser, go to the ip address you set up for your NAS. Whether it was the 192.168.0.21 or 192.168.1.56, or whatever you chose. This will bring you to..

Username will be admin and pw will be nas4free

You can change these later.

Now you have a fully functioning NAS. But, you want to be able to store things on it easily on your computer right? Well, first we need it to recognize your hard drives. So, go to the disks tab.

Then, it will drop down, go to management.

Hit import and you’ll see your disk, or disks. After this, click the HDD format tab.

Select UFS, then click all of your disks(aside from USB where OS is installed. Then hit next and go through prompts.

Then, return to HDD management. Click the little wrench next to each disk and make it look like this.

With everything we do, we will save, save and restart, or apply. It will give you one of these options. You must select them.

Now, we need a mount point on the disks. You get there from the disks tab>mount point.

When you get there, hit the + button.

You’ll want to select each disk, then make each of them look like this.

Naturally changing media to what you’ll be storing on the particular disk, and change the description to reflect it.

Once that’s done, you’re disks are complete and ready to store. Problem is, windows can’t see them. Let’s fix that.

Once you’re in there, make it look like this.

Then go to the shares tab.

Once you’ve hit the plus button, change your to look like this.

Of course, change the emelia to whatever you want the folder to appear as in windows. On the path, click the three little dots, then go to the mnt and shares that you created earlier. You can create as many as you’d like. One for each disk, or use all three disks as one. If you only have one disk, just go to mnt and hit okay.

Now, you are sharing with windows. So, open up your explorer and at the top, type in whatever ip address you use to login to nas from web browser. So, \\192.168.1.25 or so on.

Now, right click each folder, and click map network drive.

Now, you can use your entire new NAS as a network folder on your computer. You can save documents, photos, movies, games, etc all in the folder and it will store it externally, outside of your computer. Now, everyone in your network(everyone using your modem or router), can use these folders. It will work as a community hub for anything you want to save or share.

But, that’s only on your network, and you’re limited as a guest. If you want to use this as a cloud server, where you can use this even outside of your network(say you travel to the other side of the planet and want to save something in the NAS sitting on your desk)), well, we need to create users and enable ftp.

So, go to access tab, then users & groups.

Like always, you’ll click the plus button.

Then make yours look like mine.

Pay special attention to the additional groups section. Make sure that ftp, dlna, and wheel are all highlighted. Then save. Repeat for every user in your house.

Now, go back to network shares in windows. You can right click them and disconnect. Go back to your \\ipaddressyousetup and remap the network drives, but this time, sign in with user credentials.

And now put in your user credentials, and have everyone use theirs on their computers.

Now you’re secure. But to access from outside of the network, we need to enable ftp.

So, go to services tab>ftp

Make yours look like mine, then save and restart.

Now, download winscp.

Once you’re done, you’ll open it to a screen like this.

But you’ll have no idea what to put here. Well, you’ll want to put port 21 and your nas user name and pw that you set up earlier, but as for ip address? We need to get your public one. So, click here. Now, hit login after you save. (So that you won’t need to do this every time. Now, if it won’t let you log in, it just means that your modem/router is being a pain in the ass and the port needs opened. (port 21).

There are so many variations of routers and modems that we couldn’t possibly go through every one, but your model number should be written on the modem or router itself. Put that into google with a “open port” or “port forwarding” for a tutorial on how to do this. Once that port is open, you’ll be good to login.

Now, you can send files to your humble little NAS from across the world.

BUT, you also want your media to play on your TV from the NAS. I got you, fam.

Go to services>DLNA/UPnP MiniDLNA>MiniDLNA then make your screen look like mine, selecting your mount point obviously.

Now, your smart TVs can pick it up and you can stream directly to it.

To make things easier, you can also download Plex.

Sign up, and then you will get a server. Make sure to do this on the strongest computer in your house. When it prompts you to pick your media directory, make sure to select the mnt point on the NAS that we made earlier.

Then, once it’s downloaded, go to your settings and enable remote access and DLNA. This will make sure that your smart TV can receive it, and you can also watch anywhere in the world on any device.

More info here:

Well, I hope you enjoyed this long and thorough tutorial. lol.

Enjoy your new NAS, you can thank me later.

Final product for me?

How to build a NAS Alright, so I haven't posted in a few months due to a new baby and a new job, but I am back with some cool shit to post over the next few days.

[jonathanalumbaugh]

Weekly Digest

Dec 23, 2017, 4th issue.

A roundup of stuff I consumed this week. Published weekly. All reading is excerpted from the main article unless otherwise noted.

Read

When women are discussed on the main economics discussion forum, the conversation moves from the professional to the personal...

Even with generous subsidies, low-income people are still unlikely to buy health insurance...

Managers are biased negatively against minority workers, and this, in turn, makes the minority workers perform worse...

Living standards may be growing faster than GDP growth...

The World Bank’s $1-a-day poverty line inadequately deals with local context, and a better measure can be derived through more complicated math...

Decriminalizing sex work makes it safer and more common...

Poor kids who grow up in rich neighborhoods do a lot better than poor kids who grow up in poor ones...

Better trained doctors mean fewer opioid related deaths...

After a bad outcome, female surgeon’s referrals went down much more than male surgeons...

The average worker does not value an Uber-like ability to set their own schedule...

Foreign finance has led to more inequality...

Preschool programs targeted at the poor don’t work nearly as well as universal pre-school programs...

Shocks to the economy in certain sectors can have larger effects on the entire economy than previously thought...

— 13 economists on the research that shaped our world in 2017

Comments section: Pilote345 - NO WONDER: Recently, the pilots' pay was less than it was in the 1980's. They might be trying to improve, but for example, I just now found Allegiant Air found pays MD-80 1st Officers $34,440.00, not much more than the $15/hour crowd wants for starting burger flippers.

— Airlines battle growing pilot shortage that could reach crisis levels in a few years

— APOLLO 10 0N BOARD V0ICE TRANSCRIPTION

Under Schmidt’s leadership, Google notched its fair share of not-quite-not-evil missteps. After getting everyone hooked on Gmail and Search, the company started to erode some of its original privacy promises.

— Be Kind of Evil

“People want to cast it as a choice between policy or technology as a solution but those should exist hand-in-hand. We would have never gotten renewable energy prices where they are today without really ambitious public policy. It shows the importance of bold goals,” Brown says.

— California Poised To Hit 50% Renewable Target A Full Decade Ahead Of Schedule

“Keep your phone away from your body,” the state health department writes. “Although the science is still evolving, some laboratory experiments and human health studies have suggested the possibility” that typical long-term cell phone use could be linked to “brain cancer and tumors of the acoustic nerve,” “lower sperm counts,” and “effects on learning and memory.”

— California says the only safe way to talk on your cell phone is to text

Developer infatuation with Chrome is not good — because competition between browsers is good.

— Chrome is Not the Standard

The initial physical deployment of 5G networks alone could pack a major economic punch. A 2017 Accenture report forecasts the cellular communications industry will invest $275 billion in new networks, which will create up to 3 million jobs and add some $500 billion to the United States’ gross domestic product. Longer term, researchers expect the new 5G networks to help stimulate productivity growth to rates not seen since the 1950s.

— The Coming 5G Revolution

In early tests, the company claims the feature helped to reduce ghosting behavior on its service by 25 percent.

— Dating app Hinge rolls out a new feature to reduce ‘ghosting’

Liberated from the diamond and pointing calmly eastward, perhaps a designer’s pure intent is revealed—direction for an otherwise aimless walk in the woods.

— Decoding the Mysterious Markers on the Appalachian Trail

Trade the ginkgo biloba for a bag of spinach during your next stop at the store: Leafy greens may be your best resource for boosting memory... The study involved 960 people, all between 58 and 99 and without dementia. Everyone enrolled in the study was part of the Memory and Aging Project, which has been ongoing since 1979 at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University.

— EATING SALAD EVERY DAY KEEPS BRAINS 11 YEARS YOUNGER AND PREVENTS DEMENTIA, STUDY SHOWS

— Edward Snowden on Twitter

Commander Persera swam out into intergalactic space last week, she says in a forum post, piloting a ship called the Jack of Flames. The reason for the trip is simply to go further from Sol than anyone else (a previous record was set by one Commander Deluvian, who travelled 65,652 lightyears from Sol along a similar route). But also, she says, to bring a canister of mugs from the infamous Hutton Orbital space station into the void and leave them there. Just because.

— Elite Dangerous pilots are scrambling to rescue an explorer stranded in the void between galaxies

[Eminem says] that he's not making his music for other artists who aren't fans to begin with.

— Eminem Responds to Vince Staples’ Criticism of Him

Reports so far claim the spec will offer support for low, mid, and high-band spectrum from below 1 GHz (like 600 and 700 MHz) all the way up to around 50 GHz while including the 3.5 GHz band. It’s been said that the first 5G networks for consumers will begin rolling out in 2019 and this will continue throughout 2020.

— First 5G Specification has been Declared Complete by the 3GPP

As Brian and his wife wandered off toward the No. 2 train afterward, it crossed my mind that he was the kind of guy who might have ended up a groomsman at my wedding if we had met in college. That was four years ago. We’ve seen each other four times since. We are “friends,” but not quite friends. We keep trying to get over the hump, but life gets in the way.

— Friends of a Certain Age

Comment section: Blaming Amazon for this is wrong. The people make a choice to work for them. This is an indictment on our society that forces these people to have to work. Amazon isn’t a charity that should have to take care of people. But it’s all of us who are to blame.

— A Glimpse Inside CamperForce, Amazon's Disposable Retiree Laborers

Effective filmmakers, no matter their genre or taste, put their fingers in the air, feel for a current, and then make art that either complements or pushes against it. They distill the world they live in, which is why there’s no such thing as an apolitical film.

— How Big Screen Sci-Fi and Horror Captured 2016’s Political Paranoia

The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts California will eventually make more than $1 billion annually from taxing recreational marijuana.

— HOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA LEFT CHEMISTS IN THE DARK

What makes for an effective office environment? Random encounters with your coworkers. And food. Lots and lots of food.

— How to Build a Collaborative Office Space Like Pixar and Google

Fidelity suggests having your yearly income saved at 30, three times your income at 40, seven times your income at 55, and 10 times your income at 67.

— How Much Should You Have Saved at Every Age?

HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings.

— Human-computer interaction, from University of Birmingham

The company says it is now focused on “on developing and investing in globally scalable blockchain technology solutions,” but, as reported by Bloomberg, it has exactly zero partnerships in the works with crypto firms

— Iced Tea Maker's Stock Price Triples After Adding 'Blockchain' to Name”

9 “Should you invite someone who assaulted you to your wedding.” No.

— It Came From The Search Terms: “I Can See The Sun In Late December”

The best way to cook a steak is medium rare. Plenty of people will disagree with this statement, for different reasons.

— Medium Rare: The Best Way to Cook a Steak

It sounds like it was made by an algorithm. It checks off so many boxes it could land in anyone’s “Because you watched” recommendations.

— Netflix’s first big movie “Bright” feels like a blockbuster built by an algorithm

State law that is rarely invoked requires tied elections to be settled by “lot.”

— Oyster shucking? A duel? No, Virginia will pull a name from a film canister to settle tied election

— Parents give teacher wine with son's face on label

— Reggie Watts: Fuck Shit Stack

— Reggie Watts: Humor in music

Self-efficacy is defined as a personal judgement of "how well one can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations".

— Self-efficacy (Wikipedia)

The problem Haven aims to address is known as an “evil maid” attack. Basically, many of the precautions you might take to protect your cybersecurity can go out the window if someone gains physical access to your device.

— Snowden's New App Turns Your Spare Android Phone into a Pocket-Sized Security System

After doing a lot of online research and making a terrible mess, I thought I could make a tutorial for humble people like me. If I can do it, you can do it too.

— The Ultimate Guide to DIY Screw Post Book Binding

The robot obediently appeared in the distance, floating next to Miller. Miller then walked into the same space as the robot and promptly disappeared. Well, mostly disappeared, I could still see his legs jutting out from the bottom of the robot. My first reaction was, “Of course that’s what happens.” But then I realized I was seeing a fictional thing created by Magic Leap technology completely obscure a real-world human being. My eyes were seeing two things existing in the same place and had decided that the creation, not the engineer, was the real thing and simply ignored Miller, at least that’s how Abovitz later explained it to me.

— We Need to Talk About Magic Leap's Freaking Goggles

What’s this mistake so many make? It’s using your current job title as your headline.

— What Your LinkedIn Headline Reveals About Your Self-Confidence At Work

With the Dec. 14 repeal, Comcast and others will be able to charge content companies exorbitant fees without, technically, blocking. This fundamentally changes how the internet works, argues Ryan Singel, a fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School.

— What will happen now that net neutrality is gone? We asked the experts

The story [Cat Person] stuck with me because I, too, have felt like the story’s main character, Margot. I have belittled myself to make a man in a vulnerable situation feel more comfortable. I have allowed myself to spend time with boys who I did not like that much but who I felt I owed my time to because they really liked me. And I have also taken part in the practice of ghosting- ignoring somebody who is texting me, instead of outright rejecting them. With time, I have gotten much better at being straightforward when someone is interested in me and the feeling is not reciprocated, but I still do the dance many women do: We exert energy into finding the most polite, passive way to get ourselves out of uncomfortable situations with men.

— Why Women Are Ghosting You

[skrasel11]

10 Most Important Things You Must Know Before Starting Work Online.

I know you must be crazy to know the secrets of work from home, isn't it? Trust me it’s very easy.  Most of us are watching YouTube tutorials and wasting thousands of hours, I am sure. Actually what happens you get lost information but not verified the information. At the end of the day, you find no dimension and get frustrated. This is actually the most case scenario 200 12 builds an online career. But I am going to guide you through proper channels. I will act as your mentor also gradually take you to advance level from scratch. You just need to have patience and practice I am sure you can be one of them those were a success today.  Before getting into the main tutorial I want to tell you the things you must have:  Number 1: you should be more than or at least18 years old. Before you start working online you must be at least 18 years old.  This is the requirements for every Marketplace you go and register. There is no escape because your value will be checked using your national identity card or Government Issue photo identity card. If you are not 18 in that case you can use your parent’s identity or someone else from your friends or family. If you use others’ identity make sure that you can use their banking credentials too because this will be we needed while you are going to open your virtual wallet. But I will advise you if you are not eating you should concentrate on your studies and improve your skills rather than you think of working online.  Number 2: you must have a government-issued valid photo ID Card. Everyone who all are thinking to start working online they must have a government-issued photo ID card. Without these credentials you will not be able to open your virtual wallet also cannot restart in any Marketplace. in some cases give me need to provide you should bill copy where your address will be mentioned. these all documents needed to prove and validate yourself. And you must be 18 years old to get this document. in this case, you can use the credentials of your friend awesome else you know better. Number 3: you should have a bank account One of the most important information you must have that is your local Bank Account. you need to have a Bank Account Name, Bank Account Number, Routing Number Account Type, Billing Address, etc . Make sure that your bank account details must be similar to your government-issued photo ID card which we are going to use to open an account in Marketplace and a virtual wallet. if this information mismatch you may not able to receive   funds  which you have earned so far. Number 4: you must have a computer or laptop with our distance internet connection. This is the compulsory tool everyone you should have. Because a good PC with a high-speed internet connection will provide you better efficiency.  you are a good configured PC that can perform multitasking smoothly. did your work you may need to install software will run together to execute the work faster.  Number 5:  you must buy a VPS with USA Residential IP. Now one of the most important tool I recommend everyone to you that is BPS with us residential IP . what is that?  this is a virtual private server located in USA with a home internet connection. this is needed to generate and US personal identification. because high pay jobs are for first world countries third world country mostly you may be offered with low paid task. you can also use your local identity but this is going to you waste your time corresponding to your earning.I will surely make a video tutorial to show how VPS works and how you can get up VPS. Many of you might think that VPS and VPN are the same but actually, this is not. VPN  stands for virtual private network mostly with shared IP from a particular data center.Whereas VPS stands for a virtual private server with a   dedicated real  IP maybe from our data center OR ISP. Here we need  IP from ISP no data center. Only eyes to provide home internet connection not data center. Number 6: you must open multiple virtual wallet accounts to receive funds from Marketplace . You need to have multiple virtual wallets I can name some of them. Like Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, WebMoney Perfect Money, Bitcoin, Payoneer, etc.This you are late will be integrated with your local bank account so that you can increase your earning. in most cases your earning will be primary deposit to your wallet after that you can transfer the funds from your wallet to your local bank. Number 7: you must have a headphone and webcam. You should have a headphone and a webcam because sometimes you may need to communicate with your buyers via Skype or others. Good headphones and webcam provide you with communication with others. Please increase your problem of getting the job and making a relationship with the buyers and your team. Number 8: you must be good at in English Most importantly if you are not a native speaker I mean English speaker you should be I must say you have to have dominant skin on English. Without this, your whole efforts will go to vain.  Number 9:  you must have a decent typing speed  It is not needed that you will have to have a professional typing skill but your typing skill should be smarter because in lots of tasks into type just listening to the audio or video file. Number 10: your patient and careful do your work Finery, if you think that from day one you are going to be successful then you are in the wrong place. You should be patient, care and love your job. You need to improve your walking skills gradually improve are skilled workers in the global market. Mind this is not a local market and international market where all the field and expert professional working. You may use some tricks but never be dishonest with your work. To get the job you may hide your current identity but you must not let your quality down in any way. Until you are sure that you are a hundred percent qualified for the target only then you accept the task or not.  Read the full article

[3dhd2k17-blog]

YouTube as a Video and Live Streaming Platform

Merely talking about videos on the web can make a person think of YouTube right away. After all, it is the biggest video sharing platform, wherein people can easily watch, share, and even post their own videos anytime.

This has provided an efficient way for people to become popular, which can even reach worldwide levels. With just simple camera devices and an efficient YouTube studio setup, anyone can surely take advantage of the site.

YouTube has become a huge stage for people to get popular or even earn cash. In a way, it allows them to showcase their talents and skills, whether it is about video games, make-up, fashion, music, and films among many others. Anyone can even create videos through a YouTube home studio.

YouTube also has its humble beginnings back in the early 2000’s. Read on to learn more about YouTube, creating a home video studio, and some ideas on how the video-sharing platform can help you.

The History of YouTube: Where It All Began

Back in February 2005 in San Bruno, California, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim formed an American video-sharing platform called YouTube. It was bought by Google in November 2006 and has rocketed up to become one of the world’s top websites.

YouTube was even cited as the world’s second most prominent website by Alexa in August of 2018. It stated 400 hours of content each minute is uploaded, and viewers watch a total of 1 billion hours worth of YouTube videos per day. Moreover, YouTube is also available in 71 countries, with 61 spoken languages officially recognized.

These statistics show how YouTube has become a colossal website everybody can access. Even simple home recorded videos can do wonders not only for the creator but for other users as well. Needless to say, many people are now using YouTube as a path to move forward in their careers.

Why YouTube Will Continue Being a Top Platform

YouTube has successfully transformed itself into a massive video and streaming powerhouse. Built around the opportunity for everyone to share and watch videos for free, there are even more good things that make YouTube continuously grow.

It could replace television, especially when considering people could simply watch their favorite shows on YouTube through PCs and handheld devices.

Various genres of videos are available; thus people can learn different skills through the site.

Many people choose to create videos on YouTube, and not on other websites.

Channels from YouTube influencers continuously generate big profits by doing brand promotion.

The platform provides efficient ways to make money through advertising.

Many people have become famous through YouTube.

All of those have led to:

More and more people using YouTube

The number of audience continuing to grow exponentially

More Online Video Content

It is an obvious fact that people are gravitating more and more towards online video content, thus affecting YouTube positively. In fact, statistics show that 73% of all internet traffic in 2016 accounts for video related activities, which is estimated to rise up to 82% in 2021.

This makes it important to know the power of YouTube in today’s society. Especially if you’re involved with online marketing, you should seriously consider having a quality YouTube studio setup. This also means favoring video content over text.

To give you further ideas about the power of YouTube, here’s the statistics

Total Number of YouTube Users

1.325 billion

Hours of Video Uploads per Minute

300

Number of Videos Viewed Daily

4.95 billion

Average Number of Mobile Users per  Day

1 billion

 It is also easy to create and upload videos on YouTube. You just have to produce your own videos, do some edits, and upload them right away. To be a serious content creator, you should have a professional Youtube studio.

Sharing Videos

The convenience of sharing YouTube videos is also something to take note of. It is easy for people to share videos with other social media networks, which can subsequently help in gaining more views. Moreover, if your friends on your other social media accounts share your videos, other people outside your circle can view them as well.

YouTube could also be a good source of profit for creators.

You just need to gather enough views and followers, and you can have good chances of earning through ads. It is a great way to showcase your own services or products to your target audience.

In fact, almost all marketers nowadays choose video platforms to promote their brands. This is because of the fact that 4 out of every 5 millennials searches for videos before buying something. This could help them with making decisions, especially with choosing between prominent brands.

YouTube Allows Anyone to Easily Have a Platform

As a video-sharing platform, YouTube allows amateurs and professionals to gather together, where anyone can make and build up an audience. From the video creators to the subscribers, everyone can share their knowledge and expertise. With the proper lighting for YouTube videos and some cameras set up, anyone can make professional quality content.

YouTube has many helpful sections and information for new channels that discuss how to make your videos the best for its algorithm, how to grow your channel, and other information, such as YouTube studio setup and configuration. Depending on your needs, you can make a personal channel or a channel for your business, where you can market your product or service and engage with new customers.

Make Videos for Free

Luckily, YouTube is free and easy to use. You can even start making your own videos with little to no budget. In fact, some of the most popular video creators only started with basic video-creation tools depending on their budget. Still, they ended up creating good-quality and entertaining content.

For starters, you should purchase a good camera, mic with a good pick-up, headphones, and a YouTube video lighting kit to ensure your first videos stand out from the rest. As simple as that, you could start your own vlogger career and engage with over 1 billion users who log into YouTube each month.

Since YouTube is now second to Google as a search engine, it is a great channel to use for posting optimized videos.

Here are the perks it provides in terms of SEO:

YouTube videos typically take the top spot on the     search engine results pages (SERPs).

It is easy to embed YouTube videos into a webpage.

You can create a playlist of related videos for more     audience engagement.

You can easily share YouTube videos on other social     media networks.

People can subscribe to your channel for updates.

Using YouTube to Make Extra Income

Aside from getting SEO benefits, you can also earn extra income by using YouTube through its ads platform. Just apply for its Partner Program. But first, you should check if your channel is eligible. Also, you can check out tips from the most popular YouTube video creators to gather information on building your audience and finding solutions to make money with this platform.

Aside from applying for its Partner Program, there are also other ways to make money with YouTube whatever venture you might have. Small enterprise, online business, freelancing, online consultancy, etc.—you can certainly benefit from making your own channel.

A huge number of businesses use YouTube marketing today because it is so effective. Not only because it allows you to engage with a large audience, but it also makes your online marketing efforts cost effective.

YouTube Drives Traffic to Business Websites

If you want to make professional recordings for your business, you should invest in a home studio, instead of relying on your smartphone camera and other basic equipment.

You can make numerous different types of informational videos for your website like:

making an introduction of your business

sharing some background information on your business

giving demos

answering FAQs

offering educational and instructional information

Of course, you should include links in your videos to direct traffic to your business’s website. You can include them in the videos themselves or embed them in the descriptions. This way, YouTube itself will send the traffic to your site.

You should also embed the videos onto your site or share them on your business social media accounts to get more exposure and engagement. For instance, if you want to make money with online courses, create a tutorial and make a YouTube video about it, with a link to the actual online course where people sign up. Other methods of bringing awareness to your site are affiliate marketing and using Google AdSense.

The Types of YouTube Channels

You can find a video on YouTube for every topic you can imagine. Whether you want to know how to get the best lighting for filming YouTube videos or find out who is the highest paid Hollywood celebrity, you’ll find plenty of results on YouTube. You will also find a staggering amount of How To tutorial videos. It’s no wonder that YouTube quickly became the number one source for video entertainment and education.

Some universities have also used it as a medium to present information about their school history, activities, departments, courses, and so on. Many educational institutions have also transitioned their broadcasting methods from doing it in radio stations to vlogging from a Youtube studio setup.

Another popular type of video on YouTube are recordings of events or big lectures. For instance, many people search for “TED talks”, recordings of speakers who discuss a variety of “ideas worth sharing” in front of a live audience at the TED conference. The most popular types of YouTube channels include:

animation

bedroom amateurs

comedy

entertainment

entrepreneurs

makeup channels

professionals

schools and universities

singers / musicians

video gaming channels

vlogs

How To Guides and Tutorials

Everybody learns by using a mixture of the three learning styles:

Visual – by seeing

Auditory – by hearing

Kinesthetic – by doing

In a classroom setting, good teachers try to use a combination of these methods. However, most people will eventually find one learning style easier than the others.

Videos are a perfect medium for those who prefer to learn through visual and auditory experiences. Thus, it is no wonder that there is an abundance of How-To YouTube videos.

But what about for those who are kinesthetically inclined? While it can require more planning and preparation, kinesthetic learners tend to learn successfully from well-structured videos that encourage viewers to work alongside the presentation.

Tutorials are good material for a YouTube channel since these guides are timeless topics unless that particular activity goes out of date or changes. Plus, you can make a well-planned and well-structured How-To guides by yourself with good quality equipment.

Product Reviews

Social media is undoubtedly one of the top places consumers go to when they want to get more information on products. Plenty of research has reported that consumers are more likely to buy a product if they see good reviews online.

YouTube is one of the top online resources for product reviews, thus this category is one of the most popular types of channels. Some web users will search for a variety of reviews for a certain product. Others prefer to go to the YouTube channels of individuals or entities who have gained a reputation for providing trustworthy reviews for particular types of products.

One of the reasons why YouTube is a perfect medium for reviewing a product is because you can record a video of yourself as you use that item and provide physical and actual evidence of the results.

For instance, you can find makeup artists or enthusiasts showing how effective a particular brand of concealer is. With the best lighting equipment for YouTube videos, viewers can have a better picture of the actual results. You can also find plenty of test drive videos for cars, demonstrations of using certain household items, and dunking challenges for mobile phones which claim to be waterproof.

Vlogs

Blogs started off as web-based logs which served as an Internet-based diary of sorts. Bloggers were able to log an account of what they did every day onto the web. Today, blogs have diversified, but you can still find plenty of individuals who use them as an online diary.

To some extent, vlogs are the same as the original forms of blogs in that they are an online account of everyday happenings in your life. It’s just that the former is done as video blogs, hence the coined term “vlogs”.

You can find plenty of vloggers on YouTube. Their videos cover a variety of topics—what they had for breakfast, their thoughts on a social issue, and every other topic you can think off. Many consider vlogs to be the web-based equivalent of reality TV.

These types of videos have become popular since they can be more engaging and they provide a more authentic look into an individual’s mind and personality. Many vloggers have amassed an impressive following online. They can be compared to reality TV stars.

If you are willing to open up your life to viewers, regularly post videos from your Youtube home studio, and learn the best lighting for vlogging, you can gain a following of your own.

Educational Videos

Educational and How To videos are similar in that they both aim to educate. The difference is that the former is usually produced and owned by large official organizations, such as National Geographic, Discovery Networks, and TED-Ed. They also have a large following and are considered large video channels. Many small and large businesses share educational videos on their sites.

There is another type of channel for YouTube educational videos which has school students and young children as their target audience. These videos aim to provide interesting and thought-provoking topics for young minds. They often receive repeat visits and attract new viewers each year since they are considered as evergreen topics.

What is the role of YouTube in your enrollment marketing strategy?

Research shows that that the internet savvy high school kids of today aren’t content with just checking your university website and going on a campus tour. They also rely on social media when deciding where to study. In fact, a study done by online educational resources Zinch and Inigral shows that 42% of teens search on YouTube when researching for colleges. From those who were surveyed, 38% said that social media influenced their enrollment decision.

It comes as no surprise that more universities are investing in video production lighting equipment and full studios to post quality and engaging videos on YouTube to advertise to potential enrollees. However, that won’t be enough to attract prospective students.

Some larger universities also have multiple YouTube pages for each of their administrative, department, and/or faculty areas, admissions, alumni, international students, law, sports, and so on.

Indeed, many schools today are aiming to become one of the most popular universities on YouTube. There is even a list of the Top 200 Universities on YouTube provided by uniRank. The intention of the rankings is to give an approximate ranking on the popularity index of each university based on the total number of subscribers to their YouTube channel. It should be noted that it does not aim to rank these institutions of higher education according to the quality of education, the level of academic services provided, or the available school programs.

Youtube Is Very Competitive

While there is an ever growing user base on the YouTube video-sharing platform, it can be very hard for channels to compete for that attention. The pioneers and oldest channels in the video sharing arena are more established and have bigger followings than other smaller channels.

In the last 2 years, YouTube publishing has actually dominated over other platforms, including Vimeo, Facebook, Dailymotion, Twitch, and LiveLeak. According to a 2016 survey conducted among Search Engine Journal’s tweeters, “YouTube video publishing seriously outpaces its competition.

YouTube is the dominant video publishing platform

An in-depth look into the findings of the survey shows that a very huge percentage of YouTube users are composed of people aged 18 to 34. According to the survey, these individuals would stop anything that they are doing just to watch new videos by their favorite creators. The remaining huge portion of YouTube consists mostly of advertisers. This group reported seeing significant results by posting promotional videos on YouTube.

Even retailers such as Walmart have been leveraging YouTube channels. Previous reports show that the retail chain has been owning a huge percentage of total channel views for top retail brands since 2014. Not only that, but it has already generated billions of page views during special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday, and Christmas. This only shows that outstanding online engagement through YouTube will help brands outperform their competition whichever industry they are in.

Until today, YouTube is still bringing thousands of new channels every single day. Even very saturated niches like video gaming, are now being controlled by YouTube. As you will notice, you can now easily find and watch video previews and reviews of games on this platform.

To Stand Out, You Need a Good Studio

To stand out, you need professional quality content. Therefore, you should have the right equipment for it. It is not just about having a random camera, taking your shots, doing some edits, and uploading it to the site, but you need professional grade equipment to produce quality videos through your own YouTube studio setup. Quality cameras and appropriate lightings are just a couple of things that you should invest in to come up with the best videos that would stand out on YouTube.

Many channels on YouTube use basic and amateur equipment in making their videos. Needless to say, these kinds of videos receive fewer views and gain less trust from users, thus gathering less audience. Of course, you wouldn’t want your videos to fall into this category.

That is why you should invest in the best lighting equipment for YouTube videos, reliable cameras, and some other good-quality equipment for your studio. This will let you capture and create high-quality and professional-looking shots. These kinds of videos are easier to edit as well, thus giving you good control over enhancements and effects. As a result, you can make sure your videos will stand out from others.

There Is a Studio for Every Price Range

Fortunately, there are setups that can suit any budget, which can function well to reach your intended audience. You can setup in your modified bedroom or go for a professional studio setup for larger projects.

Of course, a full studio setup could be very useful for large companies, and a home studio is a practical choice for individual use. But of course, the kind of studio you need probably depends on the kind of channel you’re planning to make.

If you just want to make a blog channel for your hobby on YouTube, for example, a simple studio setup will do great. On the other hand, a complex setup might be necessary if you need to meet company standards and high professional quality. You just have to do a proper setup to optimize the videos you can produce on any setup and budget.

This is where things become technical. You need the right skills and knowledge in setting up a YouTube studio to optimize its function. Remember that it’s not just about cameras, but also about the YouTube lighting kit, audio devices, and software applications among others that you are going to use.

The Gear for Your Own YouTube Studio

You should have enough gear and equipment for your YouTube studio to make it function efficiently. This is also one of the biggest keys to produce quality videos you can upload. Read on for you to learn the most important basic gear that you will need to set up your YouTube home studio.

Video Cameras

Of course, you need a reliable camera to make videos. It should help you capture the best shots and let you do efficient editing for outstanding results. However, you need to consider a few things in choosing a camera and not just randomly select any popular brand available.

There Are Many Things to Consider

To simply put it, the best camera for your YouTube home studio depends on your purpose of using it. From there, you can draw some other factors that could guide you to the right choice. Check out this list for some points to consider:

Consider the kind of video you will create. For     instance, think if you’d need a camera for filming cinematic scenes,     documenting video interviews, shooting fast-moving objects, or recording     travel blogs among others.

Consider the lighting requirements of the environment     where you plan to use your camera. Some cameras won’t work well in dark or     extremely bright environments. This also entails having the best lighting     equipment for video shooting.

Think of the features you need, which could include the     lens and control or adjustment buttons.

The video output you want to produce is also a factor.     Think about its quality and resolution, especially if you need to meet     certain standards.

Your skills in recording videos play a big role. Some     cameras are great for beginners, while others require enough proficiency     to function properly.

If you’re a beginner in producing YouTube videos, it is important to come up with high-quality catchy videos to gain more views and subscribers for your channel. Remember that YouTube is a competitive site, and you need to stand out among the rest.

Some other big YouTubers even hire professional videographers, editors, and producers to help them come up with the best videos. After all, if they’re already big names on the site, they’re probably earning a lot from their channels. This could show how important is it to produce quality videos.

However, regardless of you being a beginner or seasoned YouTuber, the camera is undoubtedly the most important piece of equipment you need. DSLR and mirrorless cameras are just two of the best choices you can have, especially when you’re ready to take your YouTube channel to the next level. Just make sure to consider the factors mentioned above, so you can have the perfect camera for your needs.

We Have a Wide Selection of Video Cameras

If you want to buy dependable cameras to capture the best shots, you can browse through our list and see which fits you. Of course, feel free to connect with us if you need help in deciding which to buy.

Black Magic URSA 4K Digital Film

The Black Magic URSA 4K is a quality camera that is perfect for people who are serious in producing quality films. It comes with new and advanced features, plus its sleek screen provides efficient control.

This camera is designed to fit any professional filming tasks, from individual solo works to large-scale production projects. Thanks to its advanced features, the URSA 4K can easily revolutionize the way you capture and produce your videos.

It is equipped with internal dual RAW and ProResolution recorders, 12G-SDI, Super 35 global shutter (4K image sensor), and a 10-inch on-set monitor screen. Moreover, the global shutter is user upgradable, thus you can customize the camera depending on your needs.

Aside from capturing videos on high-quality resolutions, the URSA 4K’s on-set monitor can help you calculate the video output efficiently. Use it with professional video lighting equipment, and you can certainly have stunning results.

Comparable to high-end video cameras of broadcasting networks, the Black Magic URSA 4K is definitely one of the best professional cameras you can get.

Black Magic Cinema Camera

If you’re an independent YouTube video producer and want a small compact camera, the Cinema Camera of BlackMagic is for you. Not only is it compact, but it’s also packed with very useful features.

This Black Magic camera is an innovative piece of technology that is perfect for independent budget producers. It promises to fulfill the important features that DSLR cameras lack, despite the latter’s role in the rise of affordable cameras. It is made to provide advanced features, like color depth and wide dynamic range, which are previously available only on expensive cameras.

The Cinema Camera captures videos and images on 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW (uncompressed), thus making it far more advantageous than cameras that only captures through 8-bit compressed shots. This can let you catch better color details of different objects.

Moreover, this camera has ProResolution and DNxHD and sports 13-stops of dynamic range. Thus, you can easily do further heavy edits on your videos, like color grading and chromakey, where DSLR cameras aren’t able to do well.

JVC GY-HM200SP Sports Production Streaming Camcorder

JVC's GY-HM200SP streaming camcorder is an innovative sports production camera that allows you to produce professional-quality coverage of sporting events.

With advanced (yet user-friendly) features, such as the graphics score overlay, full auto mode, advanced streaming engine, remote control support, user-assignable functions, etc., this camera is very easy to use, even for an untrained operator.

It’s a complete sports production system in one package!

So, what do you get from using the JVC GY-HM200SP sports production streaming camcorder?

High-quality Imagery

The precision 12x F1.2-3.5 optical zoom lens of this camera gives it the power to produce great images. Its 4K CMOS sensor with 12.4M pixels also allows for excellent performance in various lighting conditions. Details are crisp and accurate in every image that you capture.

Quality Overlay

The JVC GY-HM200SP uses a score overlay to record and stream a variety of sporting events, such as basketball, football, hockey, and volleyball in real time. The overlay can be simultaneously used for both streamed and recorded videos.

Advanced Communication and Streaming Technologies

This camera uses JVC’s latest IP communications engine, which gives users the ability to control and monitor it remotely with a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You can record and stream any sporting event using a decoder at a cable head-end or directly to the internet using a streaming platform, such as YouTube or Ustream.

Versatility

With dual card slots and features such as simultaneous recording and relay recording, the GY-HM200SP is a highly versatile camcorder. You can shoot continuously over multiple cards that switch functions automatically.

With the many great features it has, the JVC GY-HM200SP sports production streaming camcorder is one of the best streaming cameras on the market today. Plus, it is more affordable than other cameras in its class. Buying it definitely gives you bang for your buck!

Ushio 1003938 Pro-Panel V2 1x2 Kit with a 90-Degree Honeycomb Louver and a Gel Frame

The Pro-Panel V2 1x2 soft light is one of the best pieces of equipment to get the best results from your photography and cinematography projects.

With amazing features, such as variable color temperatures, and the typical perks LED lighting offers, this light does not only produce high-quality images and videos but is also very energy efficient.

What Improvements Does It Have

This new soft light from Ushio is given some improvements that are not found in its predecessor. Aside from the wide 2700K Tungsten to 6500K Daylight variable range, flicker-free DC driving system, dimming control, and other innovative features, it is 12% brighter and 5% more efficient.

It is also 8 lbs lighter, has onboard controls and presets, has larger handles for better grip, and has improved yoke for more rigidity.

Where Can It Be Used

The Pro-Panel V2 1x2 is best used for professional photography, cinematography, and even video broadcasting. Given the many great features it has, this soft light is definitely a wise investment to make for your photography and videography projects.

Finding a Camera That Is Best for You

You now have to find the best camera that will suit your needs. Good thing is, we have a wide selection of cameras for you to choose from. If you need help choosing the perfect model, let us know your needs so we can help you find the perfect choice.

Take note of other gear and equipment that you need to complement your camera. This is important whether you are taking outdoor shots or using it in your YouTube home studio. The goal is for you to have quality videos for your YouTube channel and create them in the most efficient and convenient ways. The gear that you might need are:

Lenses for your video projects

Tripods     with different types and sizes, like handheld and mounted tripods

Suitable     stabilizers

SD card with sufficient memory storage and high     transfer speed (such as Angelbird cards)

Microphones

Aside from accessories and tools related to your camera, you should also consider other tools that could let you manipulate certain factors in video production. That could help you yield stunning videos of your subjects, which are easy to edit as well. If you want to have the best lighting in your studio, for example, you should have the best lighting equipment for YouTube videos in it.

Microphones

After having the best camera for your YouTube video production studio, you should have a high-quality microphone together with it. Needless to say, it’s for you to record clear audio of the video clips you want to capture.

Handheld Mics

When you think of microphones, the handheld type is the one that would first pop in your mind. It is the classic type of microphone that you have to plug into the audio input and hold with your hands while in use. You can also mount it on a mic stand when necessary.

One good thing about handheld microphones is the convenience they can give. They are easy to operate, as you can start by simply plugging them in. Moreover, they are also perfect for interviews because they are easy to pass on to another person.

Boom Mics

Boom microphones are a type of mic attached to a boom, which makes sure that the mics won’t appear in the videos being shot. The boom has an adjustable arm that could hold the mics close to the source of the sound but is positioned properly to keep them away from the view of the camera.

These mics are perfect for films and interviews. Thus, if you consider having guests in your YouTube videos or simply do not want your camera to capture the microphone, you should definitely have a boom mic in your YouTube studio setup.

Shotgun Mics

Shotgun microphones are fitted with an interference tube that resembles a shotgun, which is intended to minimize interference to the mics. The tube aims to only capture audio from the source it’s pointing to while eliminating noise from around 30 degrees to its sides.

These mics are also attached to a camera or a boom, which allows you to point them to an audio source, without making them visible to the camera.

As a result, you will have more convenience when editing your videos. This is because of the already high-quality audio shotgun mics provide. They are also perfect for interviewing or for other scenarios where you want to capture audio from specific sources.

Shotgun mics are very sensitive to any sound, which includes wind and movements on their tip. Thus, you should be careful in your movements when using them. Moreover, you can consider using a microphone foam windscreen to help filter noise.

Lavalier Mics

If you need to free your hands while using a microphone, a lavalier mic is a choice to consider. You just have to simply attach it on your shirt and go on with your video recording without worries.

Lavalier microphones are tiny mics that come with a fastener or a clip to allow hands-free usage on certain instances. The clip could be pinned on a certain part of a clothing, like a collar or a tie, and is connected to an audio transmitter or straight to a mixer. These mics are also called neck mics, collar mics, personal mics, body mics, clip mics, lapel mics, or simply, lavs.

Usually coming with an option of detachable filters, these mics can form a hollow resonator for a smooth frequency enhancement of the audio. One should note that a boost with the highest point of 6 decibels at 6 to 8 kilohertz could do great, especially when the mics are attached to the chest area. Clipping the mic above the forehead could also have a safe boost of few decibels at up to 10 to 15khz. This can help you get better sounding audio, enhancing your videos’ overall quality.

Lavs are best for capturing videos, without the obvious sign of microphones in use. This makes them common in television shows, newscasting, theater performances, and public speeches among others.

The Ultimate Lighting Systems

There are a few details that you should consider for proper lighting setup for YouTube videos. Especially if you are new to video production, lighting for your YouTube home studio can be tricky. Remember that how your eyes perceive light is largely different from how the camera lens captures it. Nonetheless, with proper planning and set-up, you will surely get the perfect light for all your videos. You can even opt for automated lighting systems to get a better set-up.

The Importance of Lighting in Video Production

As previously mentioned, a camera does not respond to lights the same way your eyes do. While your eyes can see finite details and minute lighting contrasts, a camera cannot. That is why you need to set up video production lighting equipment in your home studio.

With the best YouTube lighting kit, you will be able to create quality videos that are high definition. This allows you to create a mood that you are looking for in shooting your videos. For example, you can just adjust it to achieve a more dramatic feel for your videos.

Regardless of what type of content you like to create, you should make sure you have the proper lighting for it. If you want to produce advanced videos, then you also need an advanced lighting set-up. So, what are the basics in lighting your YouTube studio setup?

The most important aspects that you should look into when starting a YouTube video project are your location, conditions that your place mostly experiences, natural light, and shadows. Typically, these things will greatly affect your shots. And, these can be managed with proper lighting.

When setting up your studio, you should start with the key light, fill light, and the backlight. With these lights set up, you will have a basis on which to work with.

Build the ultimate lighting system

LED Spot Lights

We offer many different lighting sources that cover every need. For any proper studio or film set, we suggest standard LED overhead lights with proper stands to hold and direct the light source. Check out the Wasp 100-C full lighting kit with stands and case that we offer.

This set of lighting equipment for YouTube videos is good for making independent films, video blogs (vlogs), and even fashion photos. It brings high levels of quality and control that will allow you to create professional-looking shots.

Aside from good lighting quality, easy control is also what the Wasp 100-C is all about. With its Perfect S.H.O.T. feature, you are able to adjust the hue, saturation, color temperature, and output for any shot. The feature also allows you to infinitely combine dimming and color adjustments to create the perfect shots for every scenario. You can manipulate it on the head itself or control it remotely via your smartphone or your DMX system.

A simple, yet innovative, product, the Wasp 100-C allows you to set up lighting for extraordinary videos. With it, you can play with colors and customize lights with the use of accessories for different scenarios.

Panel Lights

Panel lights are among the most important pieces of YouTube filming lighting equipment. They are basically compact light systems that fit well in small home studios.

USHIO gives us their first two models of professional solid-state light-emitting diode (LED) lights, which are designed for video broadcasts, cinematography, and photography. With innovative features, this product brings all the advantages of LED lighting, such as energy savings, cool operation, high output, flicker-free operation, and long life.

Like other LED panel lights, the USHIO solid-state lights are also slim in size, have far-reaching beam angles, and produce a great amount of light. Of course, they are energy efficient, as they use surface-mounted diodes instead of filaments.

Fluorescent Soft Box Lights

These work great for frontal lighting since it emulates natural light coming from a window. It has two types of interior surfaces—a neutral white or a reflective silver—which makes it the perfect tool for altering the quality of light. You can light up the scene in your YouTube studio setup or soften shadows with just the right amount of power.

The Westcott 6894 2400w 2-Light Spiderlight TD6 Perfect Portrait Kit contains everything you need to record stunning interviews. It includes a 36x48 Shallow Softbox to provide powerful wrap-around light, while the 12x36 Stripbank is ideal for portraiture. In addition the included 40-degree Egg Crate Grid is made up of cells that control off axis light in four directions, which allows you to create superior separation & depth - for example, when you want to control only the light focusing on the hair in order to separate it from the background. 

Characteristics of Softbox Lights:

White or silver interior lining

Come in different sizes and shapes

Create natural light using a diffusion panel

Coverage is wide and flat

Require setup

Best lighting for filming YouTube videos for product     reviews, vlogging, or cooking shows

Ring Lights

A ring light is considered as a multipurpose lighting device which is easy to use in studio lighting for YouTube videos. It is typically made from a single fluorescent bulb in a circular shape or a series of connected small LED lights shaped like a ring. It was originally made for dental and medical purposes, but thanks to its many uses in creating the ideal lighting for videos and photo shoots, it has become a popular tool among videographers and photographers.

Ring lights like the Rosco LitePad Loop Professional Ring Light allow you to have uniform lighting which comes directly from your camera’s point of view. There are many reasons why many people like to use ring lights as part of their YouTube studio setup.

They can create a more professional and dramatic effect     – A technique which some people use when doing home recording studio     YouTube sessions is to use ring lights as the only source of light. This     can create the effect of a halo shadow which outlines the video subject.     The result can look like you were shooting with professional video     lighting equipment.

They can emphasize details – By using your camera     between the hole of the ring, you obtain a source of light which focuses     directly on the object of your video. This allows you to capture and     emphasize more details which would otherwise not be clearly visible or     highlighted in the video without a YouTube lighting kit.

They are perfect for emulating natural light – Most     ring lights can typically generate a 54000k daylight color rating. In     cases when you need to shoot in your YouTube home studio on a downcast day     or during other times when there isn’t sufficient natural light, ring     lights are the solution to get the perfect lighting. This is one reason     why they are considered as one of the best lighting equipment for video     tutorials on how to apply makeup.

They can generate playful color effects. Wonder what     type of YouTube video lighting equipment is needed to create different     color washes? One trick is to simply use colored bulbs instead of white     ones for your ring lights. You can also just apply color gels to various     parts of the fluorescent bulb. You can have a lot of fun experimenting     with different colors to create varying effects.

They are cost-effective – There are many ring lights     which are very affordable. Since there are so many ways to use these     lighting devices to create different effects, you don’t have to spend a     fortune to have the best lighting equipment for YouTube videos.

Computers and Software

After having all the raw video files you need, you cannot just simply upload them directly to YouTube. Of course, you need to do some edits to come up with fantastic outputs. This makes it important for a YouTube studio setup to have quality editing tools and software, which could let you edit and manipulate your raw videos efficiently. Aside from the editing equipment, monitoring devices can also help a lot.

For starters, TVs and monitors can help you make sure that you’re capturing the right videos as you imagine them. This can also help you know what would your videos look like for your audience, thus ensuring you make the right shots and do the best edits.

A dependable computer for editing is the next vital equipment you should have. After you have all your quality videos, a computer can help you do some tweaks and effects to enhance your raw videos before uploading them. Of course, it can also help you add some finishing touches like your brand logo.

When talking about a reliable computer for such a purpose, you should also have quality software for editing. Remember that the edits you can do depend a lot on the software you have on your computer.

Extras to Keep in Mind!

Aside from the tools mentioned above, there are some other extra pieces of equipment that you can consider having to produce YouTube videos more efficiently. As long as your budget would allow, you should definitely have the following for your video production projects.

iPads or teleprompters act as a cue card while you’re     speaking in front of the camera. They are helpful if you need to make a     long speech.

Colored screens for your lighting can have better     control and balance of the colors in your raw videos.

Colored backdrops are helpful for you to come up with a     nice background in your videos. You can leave a backdrop as it is or     easily add background objects with effects and editing.

If you’re planning to do some digital effects, green     screens can help you have convenient and efficient processes as well.

Automated timers for your light systems can give you     better control over your lighting. They are also great to calculate your     moves and speeches in a video, depending on the time being set.

If you need more efficiency in smoothing or rolling     your camera, mounts can help you best.

You need to have the best of these extra tools, so you can optimize their advantages for your YouTube Home studio. Connect with experts like us to have a good guide in making a choice.

Youtube Is Not Going Away

YouTube will withstand and outlast competitors in the video-sharing market for years to come. Thus you can have the assurance that its not going away. All statistics and growth metrics show it continuing on its current path and being an even bigger force in the future.

Furthermore, every year as a society we are using videos more as the main source of media over blog posting and other types. Old ways to advertise are dying and video content will continue to replace it.

Let Us Design the Best YT Studio System for You!

It can be a daunting task to create the best studio for your needs. There is a lot of specialized equipment and necessities that you may not think about when you envision your setup. Then you still need to connect all the equipment and use it appropriately.

We at 3DHD Gear are experts in this area regarding audio, visual and lighting. Contact us today and we can help you figure out what is that best equipment for your purposes. We can help you design the ultimate YouTube creator studio to make great content for your channel!

[maniactypewriter]

Backlog week 6: return of the revenge of the backlog

Summer has returned and so has the backlog. So let's do this baby!

Niche: a Genetics Survival Game play time: 20 min

This game bored me. I'm sure that it gets more interesting as the game goes on, but it does not make a strong first impression. You start as one lonesome cat thing shortly after everyone you know and love is killed. So you set off to repopulate the species. This game aims to simulate real life gene science. That is cool and all, but it doesn't matter if your game play isn't interesting. And for the short time I played, it wasn't gripping me.  The game has potential to be an interesting study on genetics and survival of the fittest, but players won't engage with your unique simulation if it isn't interesting or fun. 

Nightmare Reaper play time: 2 hours

Aw yeah here we go! This is one of those games that seek to keep the legacy of the old school first person shooters alive. You play as some crazy lady in a mental hospital, who goes into a dream world every night to battle the undead. The game is Rad! The combat is smooth and flows well, there is an interesting variety of weapons, and while I haven't gotten that far in my own play through, varied environments. This game is in early access, so it isn’t finished yet. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth picking up now. The game has enough content in it to be worth the asking price, and they’ll add in the rest of the content once they are finished making the game. So you won't have the game slowly piecemealed to you over the course of years. This game is a must play if you like retro shooters like Doom and Blood. Before I end, I want to mention the upgrade tree. As you progress through the levels, you pick up mountains of gold and treasure, which you spend in your gameboy menu to purchase useful upgrades. And you don't just click a button and get the upgrade, you have to play a short platforming level to get it! I just find that little extra feature so charming. 

No Man’s Sky.  Play time: 10 hours

What can i say about this game that hasn't already been said at length by other critiques more qualified than me? No Man’s Sky is a perfect example of a studio’s redemption arc. Clawing their way from a broken buggy mess all the way up to a decent space survival and exploration game. You play as a spaceman. And your goal, more or less, is to get to the center of the universe. There are other goals that you need to accomplish between you and the final destination, but that's the joy of the game. I got this game after watching Internet Historian’s documentary on the game. However, I got 10 hours in and then got stuck. The next main story mission was in a system I wouldn't be able to travel to in a long time. So I stopped and have not picked up the game since. The game is constantly being updated and patched. So maybe after a big update and a few patches i'll pick it up again. Who knows. Space is huge, and there are billions of possibilities. So I am looking forward to what Hello Games will make next. 

NonGunz Playtime: 50 minutes. 

This… is a weird game. It is entirely wordless, the visuals are starkly monochromatic, except a few shades of red, and the game gives you no tutorial on how its major mechanics work. Even its achievements don't have many words. I will admit, I did look up a guide on steam just to figure out what the hell is going on. The game is slightly deeper than it initially appears. Every bullet you fire increases your score by 1. You could just mash your left bumper to build up a big score, but that is boring, will take a while, and chew through your controllers. The better way to get points is to enter the dungeon. Where you must fight against gross goopy body parts, pick up power up cards, and rescue your fellow skeletons. As you kill the chronenbergs littering this strange hospital/butcher, your score increases. Presumably, once you beat a boss, you have the option to leave the dungeon. You can do this to empower the big gun and skull shrine in the main town and construct loyal warrior minions to collect crap for you, so you can make future runs more successful. The thing is, this takes *Real time* to do. Fortunately you can back out of the game and pass time on the treadmill in your bedroom… which is still in the game. This is a weird one folks i dont know what to tell ya. 

Nuclear Throne: playtime 2hours.

Nuclear throne is one of the old school roguelikes that first popped up when the genre was new and fresh. It has gone on to inspire many other games, such as Enter the Gungeon. I actually prefer Gungeon over Nuclear Throne. Don't get me wrong, NT is still a good game. It's just that it has been surpassed by other games that have the same style as it. You play as a ragtag group of mutants in the post apocalypse, on a quest to sit upon the legendary nuclear throne, and become king of the apocalypse. To do this, you must kill thousands of enemies that stand in your way using an array of weapons. Ranging from standard revolvers, to crossbows, to laser pistols, to screwdrivers. Along the way, your mutant levels up and gains new traits which can make the game a smidge more easy. (not to any noticeable degree though) i dont think ive ever gotten past the third stage of the game. By the time I get there I've lost too much health and spent too much ammo. So I end up dying to some weird looking creature or another. The game is unforgiving. Health is hard to come by and enemies are numerous and fierce. You have to be careful to play this game… i am not careful. 

[rafi1228]

Learn Android Development, Java & Android Studio from Scratch in 5 Weeks. Build a Diary App & more

What you’ll learn

Learn Android development, Java programming and Android studio from scratch

Learn Java programming from a professional trainer from your own desk

Create fun, engaging and real world Android apps (using Java) you can show to your friends and family

Learn how to work with APIs, web services and advanced databases

Visual training method, offering users increased retention and accelerated learning

Have all the tools you need to successfully design, code and sell your Android apps

Breaks even the most complex applications down into simplistic steps

Build Whatsapp clone, Diary app, Temperature convertor app, Mood scanner app & much more

Upload your android apps to the Google play and reach millions of android users

Earn money by Monetising your android apps – By displaying ads

Build 21 different Android and Java apps from scratch

Requirements

This course is highly recommended for you if you’ve never written a line of code

No programming experience is required

A PC or MAC with internet connection

Passion for learning android app development with Java

Description

PLEASE READ BEFORE ENROLLING:

1.) THERE IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS COURSE:

“THE COMPREHENSIVE 2019 ANDROID DEVELOPMENT MASTERCLASS”

CLICK ON MY PROFILE TO FIND IT. (PLEASE WATCH THE FIRST PROMO VIDEO ON THIS PAGE FOR MORE INFO)

**********************************************************************************************************

****Over 60,000 Happy and Satisfied Students and counting ****

Android App Development will open many doors for you, especially if you are looking to becoming a full-fledged app developer.

If you’re Looking to boost your income as an Android Developer? Maybe you have a lot of app ideas but don’t know where to start? Or you are seeking a career in Android Development and Java Programming that will finally give you freedom and flexibility you have been looking for?

Build a strong foundation in Android Development, Android Studio and object-oriented Java Programming with this tutorial and complete course.

Build Android apps from scratch using Android Studio and Java Programming Language

Upload your apps to Google Play and reach Millions of Android users

Content and Overview

This course will take you from knowing nothing about Android development to a complete Android developer in 5 weeks. You will learn the following:

Android Studio and build User Interface (Set up and walkthrough)

Fundamentals of Java Programming used to build Android apps

Inputs, Buttons and Reactive (Tap) Interfaces

Android Building blocks

Variables, Arrays, Loops, ArrayLists, ListView

Navigate between screens

Passing information between screens

Learn how professional android apps developers think and work

Learn how to design android apps

Build several amazing apps – Hands on

Publish your apps on Google Play

Build Sound Box app

And Learn much more by Building 21 Real World Apps …

WHY ANDROID?

Android is known to be one of the most versatile and most used operating systems. We are in the age where every other person uses a handheld device or a cell phone which makes use of Android. If one goes deep into the world of android, we would see that there is a scope and a lot of potential in the world of android for individuals who are tech geeks (like us)! As vast this world this, learning about it as simple and as easy as a piece of cake. You can make your own app easily and show your true potential to the world of google and android.

Here are some numbers to get you in the mood!

DID YOU KNOW? Android is the primary operating system for over 90 tablets, for 6 E-Readers and 300 smartphones. There are over 1,460,800 apps in Google Play store &they’re growing at an astounding pace! Every day about 1.5 million Android devices are activated all around the world. About 60% of the apps available at the Google play store are absolutely free!

Why learn android development? Learning android development is both fun and can reap you many profits in the long run. It is said that by the year 2018, there will be about 4 billion android users, hence doubling the current market. It is safe to say that android development has a potential and can reap you various benefits in the long run. If one knows android development, not only will you be having a stable and sound career but can unleash you hidden talents as a developer.

if you take this course (which you should!!) know that you are on your way to building a solid and stable foundation for Android Development, Android Studio and object-oriented Java Programming. You don’t need to spend years learning, with us you can learn in 5 weeks!!!! YES! That is right, in five weeks you’ll be able to make and develop your own app and you never know, you could have it running at the app store and be an instant hit!

The course is structured in such way to improve your knowledge retention – by having a lot of hands-on projects. In each section of the course, you will be given the opportunity to practice and build something meaningful which will aid your understanding of Android Development even further.  There are quizzes and challenges as well.

BEGINNERS ARE WELCOME!

If you are not an experienced developer, don’t worry.  This course was designed with beginners in mind – you don’t have to have any prior experience at all! 

All you need is an open mind and willing to work

What do I learn from this course?

You will be able to learn android app development and Java programming in just 5 weeks.

You can create engaging and real-world Android apps (which you can later show off to your family and friends).

You will be learning the course by building 21 apps that include big buzz word apps such as the popular Whatsapp clone, calculator, YouTube video player, a mood setter application.

This course is offered via visual training that engages students and has a better chance of retention. You will have a personal trainer at your desk at all times that will guide you.

We aren’t finished! You can learn how to work with APIs, web services and advanced databases Upload your android apps to the Google play and reach millions of android users and EARN MONEY by monetizing your applications and allowing advertisements to run on them!

Why Take This Course? We are passionate about android, we breathe, live Android! We have been in the industry for more than a decade and along with our knowledge, we can teach you with hands on experience. We have a decade of experience in our bags of solid programming experience along with five years of application development experience. Our experience can be measured by us having over fifty applications and games (developed by us) on not only the Android Google Play but also on the Apple App Store. You’ll be taught by people who have more than 5 years of training and teaching experience, are Registered Android Developers on Google Play and manage a large community that consists of more than 10,000 Developers.

We are dedicated teachers and want to spread the joy of programming and building apps. Our joy of programming shows throughout the entire course, and it’s our hope that you find programming joyful and valuable.

Don’t just take our word for it, see what my past students had to say about the course:

“I liked the course and the professor, I’m taking another course with him because he’s very good in my opinion, starts from beginner to advanced, very organized classes. A lot of examples in the course, and he was updating the course often too. Money well spent.” – Kevin

“Great course. very easy in understanding and friendly learning. Good Job Sir. Thanks for this.” – Muhammad

“Well, in my opinion this is a great course since i knew nothing about java and by now im able to write my own apps pretty easily.” – Michael

 “Great course! I learned lots from the numerous examples. I now have the confidence to build my own apps and to explore different areas of Android programming.

  Great Course!!!! Thanks Paulo!!!!!” – Ian

“I am very satisfied with this course. I have only attended the Android part because I had a basic knowledge on Java. I really like how Paulo teaches. He goes step by step and you can understand everything. My first language is not english, but he speaks very clearly, I can understand every word. Also, he is a happy guy, and you can hear that through the courses that he really loves what he is doing.” –  Antal

“Very well thought-out course. Flows smoothly with great delivery. I have been developing Android Apps for several years and I still found this course to be informative, relevant, and helpful. I would recommend everyone take this course if you are new to Android or returning for a refresher course.” – Douglas

So what are you waiting for? Click the buy now button and join the world’s most highly rated Android Developer Course.

Enroll now.

Who this course is for:

Recommended for people with no programming or app developer experience

Suitable for beginner programmers

Best course for Web / iOS developers or any programmers who want to learn android development

Software developers who need to architect, create and deploy commercial applications on Google’s Android platform

Entreprenueres who want to learn app development and save money on development & outsourcing

Created by Paulo Dichone, Fahd Sheraz Last updated 4/2019 English English [Auto-generated]

Size: 5.58 GB

   Download Now

https://ift.tt/1NB9ABO.

The post The Complete Android & Java Developer Course – Build 21 Apps appeared first on Free Course Lab.

[udemytutorialfreedownload]

iOS 13 & Swift 5 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp

iOS 13 & Swift 5 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp

From Beginner to iOS App Developer with Just One Course! Fully Updated with a Comprehensive Module Dedicated to SwiftUI!

What you'll learn

iOS 13 & Swift 5 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp

Be able to build any app you want

Start your own app-based business

Create a portfolio of apps to apply for junior developer jobs at a technology company

Become a digital nomad by working as a freelance iOS developer

Learn to work with Apple's latest UI Framework - SwiftUI

Master creating Augmented Reality apps using Apple’s new ARKit

Create apps that use Machine Learning using Apple’s new CoreML

Master app design so you'll know how to wireframe, mockup and prototype your app idea

Master app marketing so you can publish your apps and generate downloads

Requirements

No programming experience needed - I'll teach you everything you need to know

A Mac computer running macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or a PC running macOS.

No paid software required - all apps will be created in Xcode 11 (which is free to download)

I'll walk you through, step-by-step how to get Xcode installed and set up

Description

Welcome to the Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp. With over 39,000 5 star ratings and a 4.8 average, my iOS course is the HIGHEST RATED iOS Course in the history of Udemy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

At 55+ hours, this iOS 13 course is the most comprehensive iOS development course online!

This Swift 5.1 course is based on our in-person app development Bootcamp in London, where we've perfected the curriculum over 4 years of in-person teaching.

Our complete app development Bootcamp teaches you how to code using Swift 5.1 and build beautiful iOS 13 apps for iPhone and iPad. Even if you have ZERO programming experience.

I'll take you step-by-step through engaging and fun video tutorials and teach you everything you need to know to succeed as an iOS app developer.

The course includes 55+ hours of HD video tutorials and builds your programming knowledge while making real-world apps. e.g. Pokemon Go, Whatsapp, QuizUp and Yahoo Weather.

The curriculum has been completely revamped for iOS 13 and Xcode 11. Including comprehensive modules on Apple's latest technology - SwiftUI iOS, iPad, and macOS app interface design, ARKit for making Augmented Reality apps as well as CoreML & CreateML for making intelligent apps with Machine Learning. You'll be building 3D augmented reality apps that look like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter's magical newspapers!

By the end of this course, you will be fluently programming in Swift 5.1 and be ready to make your own apps or start a freelancing job as an iOS 13 developer.

You'll also have a portfolio of over 25 apps that you can show off to any potential employer.

Sign up today, and look forwards to:

Over 55 hours of HD 1080p video content, everything you'll ever need to succeed as an iOS developer.

Building over 25 fully-fledged apps including ones that use machine learning and augmented reality

All the knowledge you need to start building any app you want

A giant bundle of design assets

Our best selling 12 Rules to Learn to Code eBook

$8000+ app development Bootcamp course materials and curriculum

From Beginner to iOS 13 App Developer with Just One Course

We know that you're here because you value your time. If you wanted to watch someone program for hours and hours without explaining what they're doing, you'd be on YouTube.

By getting this course, you can rest assured that the course is carefully thought out and edited. There are beautiful animations that explain all the difficult concepts and the videos are fully up to date with the latest versions of Swift and Xcode.

So by the end of the course, you'll completely understand:

Concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): The type system, variables, functions and methods, inheritance, structures, classes, and protocols.

Control Structures: Using If/­Else clauses, Switch statements and logic to control the flow of execution.

Data Structures: How to work with collections, such as arrays and dictionaries.

Software Design: How to organize and format code for readability and how to implement the Model ­View­ Controller (MVC) design pattern, Apple's favorite delegation pattern and the publisher pattern.

Networking: How to make asynchronous API calls, store and retrieve data from the cloud, and use the JSON format for server communication.

Persistent Local Data Storage: How to use Core Data, Realm, Codable, and User Defaults to store your app data locally.

How to Implement In-App Purchases with Apple StoreKit

Machine Learning: How to make artificially intelligent apps and build your own machine learning models using iOS 13's new CoreML2 and CreateML frameworks.

Augmented Reality: How to create 3D objects in augmented reality and create incredible 3D animations and real-life interactions using Apple's latest ARKit2 framework.

SwiftUI: How to use Apple's brand new UI framework to create user interfaces programmatically that look good across all Apple products.

Don’t waste your time

Don't waste another minute of your precious life on poor quality videos on YouTube. Or instructors who you can't understand. Or teachers who have no real-world in-person teaching experience. Your time is precious. Take this course and find out why everybody is raving about it and why over 39,000 students rated it 5 stars!

Don't waste your money

Inside this course, you're getting exactly the same course materials and curriculum as our 12-week in-person programming Bootcamp. Instead of spending $8000 dollars and taking time off work, save loads of money by getting this course and do it at your own pace!

Don't just take my word for it, see what my past students had to say about the course:

"You will not find a better teacher than Angela. She does a wonderful job of encouraging you to learn swiftly the right way. I want to encourage everyone thinking about taking this class to get it, as it is the BEST Swift programming class I've seen on anywhere and I've tried more than a few of them. If you are looking for an excellent swift programming course, stop there here because you have found it. You will learn Swift from the very beginning of programming all the way through making your own apps that you can upload to the App store." - Ian Hopjins

ALSO READ: React Native - The Practical Guide 2020

"SO GOOD!!! The retention rate is incredible because Angela does a great job of explaining and teaching every aspect of what we are doing. Most of the other instructors on Udemy put code on the screen and pretend nothing happened. This course is amazing! 5/5" - Muhammad Ibrahim

"Angela is a spectacular teacher!" - Marco Zanirato

"This course was terrific. Only after taking a few more courses from others that I realized how good this course was. This course taught me more than I was expecting, it provided great instructions and a lot of hands-on tasks to drill-in the concept." - Marc

"Best use of your money! I was a complete beginner but Angela made me a pro in weeks." - Burak Tunçbilek

"IT IS #1!!!!!!!!! Absolutely Amazing. The best iOS course I have ever taken. Angela explains everything the way it needs to be explained, so everything is easily understood. The concept of this course is built to make you learn, not just watch and repeat. Angela is highly educated and it is very much noticeable during the entire course. Again, it is fantastic. Thank you. Please create more courses!!!!!" - Eduard Khachian

Are you trying to choose between all the different iOS courses on Udemy? Take a look at what students on my course had to say about this:

I have revamped my expectations for what a 5-star course should be for Udemy. Angela, you're awesome! I already rated the course as 5 stars early on (at about 20% completion), but after completing roughly 70% of the course, I can say this is my favorite Udemy course as of today. Brilliant course Angela! - Alberto L

"I took a lot of courses on Udemy and elsewhere and none of them were as clear and perfectly paced as this one! Angela's approach is really awesome, deep and clear." - Žan Fras

"I have taken several iOS courses, so far this course had the best explanation on swift and Xcode documentation. The lecturer is kinda humorous sometimes which makes this course even more enjoyable." - Bryan Pukanda

"I have taken lots of courses on udemy and elsewhere for self-learning and I can tell you with all the honesty this is one course which I did not want it to end. It is like one of those movies that you wish keeps going. Whatever concepts are covered were covered very beautifully and made learning quite simple. I got so many answers to Why? in this course like how closures work and why they work that way... why delegates work that way. Thank you so much for this course." - Arun Lakhera

"I compare this to another top iOS class on Udemy, but I think that this one beats it. The reason? Angela doesn't show you a plethora of material and then say that we will discuss this later, or say "just do this. You will see why later." She goes into the reason for doing something before doing it." - Clyde Addison

Do you have some experience developing iOS apps and wonder if this course is for you? Take a look at what students on my course had to say about this:

"This is the best-organized course for starting Swift that I've seen. The course is excellent for teaching Swift programming including vital information using Xcode, Github, Cocoapods, Stack Overflow, Alamofire, Firebase, REST APIs and all the services commonly used by app developers. They show all the ways of using Xcode and other services that took me months to learn willy nilly. I wish I had this course a year ago but even with a year of Swift experience I still found a lot of great information and helpful tips. I love all the extras the course provides especially the assets(graphics, sound files, etc) for practice projects as I'm always taking too much time to find some assets to play with. This course understands how to teach programmers by giving them the toolsets and abilities they need to build apps. The course teaches the foundation of the language as well as skills to build your knowledge and improve your troubleshooting skills. Angela is a wonderful speaker and should do the voiceovers on everyone's instructional videos, seriously. :)" - Marcy Vernon

"Def. an amazing and awesome class for learning iOS programming. I've been coding for years and taken many programming related classes on Udemy and this is def. one of the best. The instructor walks you through all the in's and out's of developing apps for the iOS platform. Top Shelf A++ class." - Mirko Cukich

REMEMBER… I'm so confident that you'll love this course that we're offering a FULL money-back guarantee for 30 days! So it's a complete no-brainer, sign up today with ZERO risks and EVERYTHING to gain.

So what are you waiting for? Click the buy now button and join the world's most highly rated iOS 13 app development course.

Who this course is for:

If you are an absolute beginner to coding, then take this course.

If you are a seasoned programmer, then take this course to get up to speed quickly with Swift 5.1 and native app development. Start with the Xcode walkthrough lesson and we'll get you familiar with iOS development in no time!

If you are switching from Objective-C to Swift then this is a fast-track way of doing it. You can get started straight away with the Intermediate Swift Language module.

If you are a pro iOS developer and want to quickly get up to date with Apple's latest technology, then start with the modules on SwiftUI, ARKit, and CoreML.

iOS 13 & Swift 5 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp

Created by Angela Yu

Last updated 12/2019

English

English [Auto-generated]

Size: 20.65 GB

DOWNLOAD COURSE

Content From: https://ift.tt/2pSSb69