Tag Archives: GameChanger

Don’t Travel Without ESIM: A Game-Changer for Your Lifestyle

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During my recent week-long journey to Paris, I racked up nearly $100 in data charges on my iPhone, including taxes and fees. This was similar to an earlier 8-day visit to Spain, which turned out to be even pricier. Jokingly, I’m referring to an upcoming three-week adventure across seven countries, featuring a week-long cruise, that is likely to exceed $300 in data costs.


After some learning, I found a straightforward solution that can simplify travel. This involves switching to a local carrier, which used to mean visiting airport kiosks and mobile stores to install nail-sized plastic SIM cards. However, with the introduction of eSIM technology, you can manage everything right from your phone. My eSIM in Paris offered 5GB of data for checking emails, using Google Maps, and browsing social media (while ensuring not to upload photos until on WiFi). In Spain, I paid $10 for 5GB.

Here’s how it works and how to utilize it during your next trip abroad:

How eSIMs Work




Photo: Candyretriever/Getty Images

I previously faced high roaming fees when using mobile data outside my home country. You can disable roaming before you travel, but then you’re limited to texting and browsing on WiFi.

eSIMs are temporary electronic add-ons to your mobile device that allow you to buy affordable short-term local cell coverage while traveling. While you can purchase individual eSIMs from local carriers like Vodafone in the UK or Telcel in Mexico, using apps that handle everything for you is more convenient.




Airalo app. Composite: Provided by Airalo

Three popular platforms offering eSIM for international travel are Airalo (which I’ve utilized and found helpful), Saily, and Holafly. All three cater to popular destinations, though there can be variations for lesser-known places. For instance, during my recent trip to Bhutan, only Airalo was recommended. Saily tends to be slightly cheaper, making it worthwhile to compare all three options. Holafly exclusively provides unlimited data, which can be more expensive if you don’t require it.


iPhones manufactured after around 2021 are typically compatible with eSIM, but if you’re unsure, Airalo provides a straightforward, checkable compatibility list. Additionally, ensure your phone is unlocked, meaning you don’t owe anything to your carrier. Most carriers will unlock your device online or over the phone once it’s fully paid off.

Setting Up and Choosing Your Plan




Photo: Debalina Ghosh/Getty Images

Installing an eSIM can vary a bit by provider, but they generally simplify the process. Simply download the app and follow the instructions. While not overly complex, a few steps are involved, so it’s best to complete the setup before you travel. All listed providers offer support via their website or app in case you encounter any issues.

Most eSIMs provide data only and don’t include voice services, so you’ll need to use apps like WhatsApp for calls. If you require a local number, Airalo has a package named Discovery+ for voice calls, available in over 130 destinations.


How much data should you get? For checking emails, sending a few texts daily, and light web browsing and social media, a plan offering 3GB to 5GB should suffice for a week’s trip. The 5GB I purchased for six days in Spain was adequate, as I utilized WiFi for downloading photos and streaming. However, for video streaming, browsing Instagram, or making video calls, you might need closer to 10GB. If you’re gaming online or partaking in video conferences for work, plus uploading large photos, you will require more data.

Once you have everything set up, you can embark on your next adventure without worry—well, at least not regarding your phone!



Source: www.theguardian.com

One Game-Changer: I Ditched CD Streaming and Rediscovered My Love for Music

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wRecently, many people compared their Spotify listening stats for artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Fontaines DC during December’s wrap-up. It may sound odd in today’s digital era, but I decided to stop streaming music entirely. Instead, I returned to buying CDs, which reignited my passion for music.

Now, I find myself immersed in music around the clock. I can’t focus on work without it, nor can I wash the dishes without some tunes in the background. I usually purchase albums in CD or vinyl format and play them repeatedly until I grow tired of them—an admittedly annoying habit. Back when I was a student, one brave housemate would blast music throughout the apartment, flooding my room with city hymns while he drained CDs and even leaped out the window.

The arrival of Napster, file sharing, and eventually Spotify felt like a stroke of luck to me. I quickly ditched my expensive CD collection for a digital platform that could play any song available. I began exploring new albums from familiar artists as well as those in the vast universe of music. However, laziness soon set in. As Spotify got to know my taste, its recommendations became increasingly obscure. Before I realized what was happening, Spotify was suggesting songs from the latest Gorillaz album or outlandish jazz-folk tracks I didn’t ask for, yet I was always too bored to skip them. Listening felt akin to conversing with a music snob who thought they knew better than I did.




Recaptures his youth… Perry is rich at home. Photo: Martin Godwin/Guardian

Recently, with the rising costs of Spotify subscriptions, I decided to cancel and go back to purchasing CDs. Now, I read reviews in NME and The Guardian, using Shazam to identify songs I enjoy, such as those from the T2 Trainspotting soundtrack and tracks by Wolf Alice. Rather than random Spotify suggestions, I’m rediscovering my music taste freely. Sure, this route might keep Jeff Bezos smiling, but nothing compares to the joy of holding tangible music in my hands. Appreciating the album art and examining the inner sleeves make every penny spent worthwhile.

Plus, I no longer share a space with noisy college roommates, allowing me to listen to my favorite albums on repeat. My current favorites include Drives to the Golden Hammer due to divorce, among others. As I prepare for their live performances, I’m also delighting in a nostalgic return to Oasis. I couldn’t be happier, even if my shelves are nearing their weight limit with the growing CD collection.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Schrödinger’s Cat Warmed Up: A Potential Game-Changer in Quantum Physics

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Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in quantum physics, creating a “Schrodinger Cat” state at warmer temperatures than previously thought possible.

This state relies on the concept of superposition, where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a key principle of quantum mechanics.

The famous thought experiment by physicist Erwin Schrodinger involving a cat in a box with a radioactive material highlights the paradoxical nature of this concept.

Physicists have managed to create real Schrodinger cat particles, where quantum objects can exist in two states simultaneously without needing to be cooled to ground state temperature.

A recent study published in the journal Advances in Science has reported the creation of quantum states at ground state temperature.

In Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment, cats are alive and dead at the same time. Similar to how quantum objects occupy multiple states at once – Innsbruck University/Halaldricksch

Researchers at Innsbruck University have successfully produced the Schrodinger Cat state at a temperature of 1.8 Kelvin, a relatively warm temperature for quantum experiments.

This discovery challenges the traditional belief that quantum effects are disrupted by higher temperatures and opens up new possibilities for quantum technology.

Quantum computers, which could revolutionize technology by operating in multiple states, currently require expensive cooling methods. However, this study suggests that quantum phenomena can still be observed and utilized in warmer environments.

“Our work demonstrates that quantum interactions can persist even at higher temperatures, making temperature ultimately irrelevant for certain quantum effects,” said Professor Gerhard Kirchmair, one of the researchers involved in the study.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Trained Giant Rats: A Potential Game-Changer in the Fight Against Poaching

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There’s a saying: “Never stay more than 6 feet away from a mouse.” Although I’m here BBC Science Focus, we concluded that this measurement is inaccurate, but may soon become more accurate for those involved in illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

The research team used the anatomical structures of endangered animals such as pangolin scales, elephant ivory, and rhinoceros horns on African giant pouch rats to provide a low-cost detection system to prevent illegal smuggling. I trained myself to be able to distinguish scents.

– Hmmmm – Swarms of rats have been shown to be able to identify these items even when hidden inside other materials, and to remember their smells even after months of no exposure.

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Why rats?

this is not the first time Apopo The Tanzania-based nonprofit organization tasked with conducting this study recognizes the potential of a super rat workforce.

The organization aims to provide low-tech, cost-effective solutions to pressing humanitarian challenges across Africa and has previously developed the HeroRATS technology to detect landmines and the pathogen that causes tuberculosis. I trained the pack.

Dr. Isabel Zottofirst co-author of new research Published in frontiers of conservation science, It helped to identify the potential for IWT detection in rats.

“There is an urgent need to strengthen cargo inspection, as existing inspection tools are expensive and time-consuming,” Schott explained.

“The APOPO rat is a cost-effective odor detection tool that can easily access tight spaces, such as cargo inside packed shipping containers, and can also be lifted high to block ventilation systems in closed containers.”

rat boot camp

The new research rats, Kirsty, Marty, Attenborough, Irwin, Betty, Teddy, Ivory, Ebony, Desmond, Thoreau, and Fosse, have undergone several rigorous training stages.

They first learned to “nose” a target’s scent for a few seconds to acquire a flavored pellet. Next, we discussed common scents used to hide wild animals in real-life human trafficking, such as electrical wires, coffee beans, and detergent.

The final step was retention training, where I re-experienced scents I had not been exposed to for 5 and 8 months respectively. Despite several months of no exposure, the rats showed perfect memory retention scores, suggesting that their cognitive retention performance is similar to that of dogs.

By the end of the training, eight of the rats were able to identify four commonly smuggled wild animals among 146 non-target substances.

Why now?

Statistics on IWT (defined as the illegal capture, killing, or harvesting of animals or plants) have become increasingly bleak in recent years. of wild animals of the world fund (WWF) estimates that it is currently the fourth largest illicit trade in the world, with a value of more than £15 billion a year.

They also estimate that around 55 African elephants are killed for their tusks every day, amounting to more than 20,000 a year. It also found that rhino poaching increased by 9,000 percent in South Africa between 2007 and 2014.

While this clearly has a negative impact on wildlife populations, a 2019 study found that world bank It also estimates that long-term global losses to ecosystems affected by IWT are approximately $1-2 trillion (£700-1.5 trillion) per year.

Evaluation of crime

Scientists involved in the new detection study have already identified the next steps for the HEROrat project. The idea is to develop methods that allow rats to operate within ports, which are likely to be hotspots for smuggled wildlife.

To this end, the rats are outfitted with custom-made vests (possibly inspired by Virgin Atlantic’s iconic red flight attendant uniforms). When they pull a small ball attached to the chest of their vest with their paws, it makes a beeping sound. In this way, the rat can alert the handler when it detects a target.

“The vest is a great example of hardware development that can be useful across a variety of settings and tasks, including shipping ports to detect smuggled wildlife,” the co-authors said. Dr. Kate Webb.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Search for the Revolutionary Star: Uncovering the Universe’s Game-Changer

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Akinbostansi/Getty Images

No turning point in the history of the universe surpasses the birth of the first stars. As stars flickered into existence some 200 to 400 million years after the Big Bang, the energy they emitted ripped apart the atoms of the gas that had cooled the universe, reheating it in a process called reionization. Then, as the stars burned out and died, they created a cocktail of chemical elements that prepared the universe to give rise to galaxies, planets, and eventually life itself.

It's no wonder astronomers are itching to get a glimpse of this first generation of stars. To start with, they were spectacular: huge and blisteringly bright, thought to be 300 times more massive and 10 times hotter than the Sun. But observing them could also tell us a lot about the mysterious early stages of the Universe, particularly how the universe came to be flooded with supermassive black holes in an incredibly short space of time.

Now we may finally be on the brink. Earlier this year, astronomers reported that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), by fixing its excellent field of view on the outer edges of very distant galaxies, may already have seen evidence of the first stars. “The observations we can now make really expand our knowledge,” says Hannah Ubler of the University of Cambridge.

The signal may turn out to be a false alarm, but what's interesting right now is that other researchers are starting to look at different features of the light from the early universe, even suggesting that it might be the first stars.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Drones: A Game-Changer for Animal Rights Activists Worldwide

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Late last year, UrgentSeas received an anonymous tip from a former Miami Aquarium employee about an animal tank kept away from public view. Advocacy groups investigated.

In November, they posted a short clip of what they found after flying a drone over the property. It was an old manatee living alone in a dilapidated private pool. Within a month, the video had been viewed millions of times and the outcry became so intense that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved Romeo the manatee and his companion Juliet to a sanctuary.

Over the past decade, drones have become an invaluable tool for activists and conservation groups. In 2013, the animal rights organization Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was launched. drone campaign Tracking illegal bowhunting in Massachusetts.

Since then, drones have been used to record factory farm pollution In the Midwest of the United States, there was an outbreak of sea lice in salmon pens in Iceland. Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. Drones are popular because they are relatively cheap, easy to use, and can extend reach even in difficult or inaccessible terrain. It also provides a bird’s-eye view of the scale of problems such as oil spills and illegal logging.

When it comes to breeding marine mammals, an aerial view is extremely valuable and can reveal the cramped conditions and restricted lives of animals in aquariums.

In some cases, drones have captured the secret lives of hidden animals, such as Romeo the Miami manatee. “This is footage that people need to see to understand how cruel confinement really is,” said the drone pilot who shot the footage at the Miami Seaquarium, and who wishes to remain anonymous.

Another early adopter of drones is Sea Shepherd. Marine conservation groups have begun filming illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas.As technology advances, drones have become quieter and stealthier, he says. Simon Ager, long-time Sea Shepherd volunteer. This is critical for infiltrating ships and catching crimes in progress, he added.

“In my experience, drones have been ineffective because you can never get close to a ship where illegal activity is taking place. They see us coming, and they see us over the horizon. They will turn and flare up, and you guys will have nothing to go after them,” says Agar.


Sea Shepherd thermal drones monitor the porpoise sanctuary in the Gulf of California as part of an effort to protect the world's most endangered marine mammals from illegal fishing. Photo: Eli Hausman/Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Agel said off the coasts of Mexico and Ecuador, tuna fishermen are pulling up nets tangled with sharks and other unintended bycatch, or dumping miles of fishing line into the water, where more marine life is caught. I recorded how it looked like it was dying. Off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, he tracked a large flotilla of Chinese squid fishing vessels with a night-vision drone.That campaign was exposed. Environmental and human rights abuses are rampant on boardincluding slave labor and the dumping of unwanted catches.

Drones also allow activists to safely distance themselves from the dangerous situations they are filming. During an operation to save endangered porpoises in the Gulf of California, cartel-funded fishermen shot a Sea Shepherd drone out of the sky and threw petrol bombs at the ship.

“Conservation is a very dangerous profession, and more environmentalists are killed every year,” Ager said. “Drones are a great way to study something without putting yourself at risk and decide if it's worth the risk.”

The high seas are a near-lawless zone where drone rules and regulations are severely violated. The legal situation is different on land, where activists use drones to photograph zoos and aquariums. UrgentSeas pilots say they use the app to determine where they are allowed to fly their drones and do their best to follow the appropriate laws.

“Flying a drone is clearly something you shouldn't do,” she says. “You don't have to stand outside the facility and fly the drone. You might even hide in the bushes. You're watching the cars. It's kind of like a mission.”

Last November, the Miami Seaquarium filed for a non-disclosure order against Argent Seeds co-founder Phil Demers after drone footage of Romeo went viral. The move is part of a larger lawsuit the aquarium filed against animal activists in May 2023, alleging defamation, public nuisance and trespassing, many of which include flying drones and trespassing on property. It was from a recording.


Romeo, the Miami Aquarium's manatee, was moved to a swimming pool at the Tampa Zoo in Florida last December. Photo: Zuma Press Inc/Alamy

The Miami Seaquarium did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Guardian, but said in the complaint that Demers “repeatedly flew unmanned aircraft without authorization.” [Seaquarium’s] Accommodation is available during normal business hours. ”

As a relatively new technology, drones still exist in a legal gray area. “Drones, legal and privacy issues are new issues,” says Benjamin Christopher Caraway, an attorney with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project in Colorado and Demers' attorney. There are several state torts and statutes regarding drones, but he has yet to see many cases heard in court.

Activists say drones are necessary for free speech and democracy, but opponents say they invade privacy and, in the case of aquariums and zoos, cause trouble to animals, customers and staff. .

Carraway hopes the drone law will address conflicting concerns in a nuanced way. “The whole concept of drones requires a significant update to the law and raises another question: the balance between legitimate interests and the public's right to know, privacy.”


Romeo the manatee rescued from the Miami Aquarium sticks his nose out of the water in his new home at the Tampa Zoo. Photo: Zuma Press Inc/Alamy

A trial involving Demers and the Miami Seaquarium is scheduled for May, but it is doubtful the facility will still be open by then. Last year's death of killer whale Lolita and news reports about Romeo's living conditions have added to public pressure on an already struggling aquarium. On March 7, Miami-Dade County issued an eviction notice, ordering the aquarium operator to vacate the county-owned property by April 21.


“The Dolphin Company has repeatedly failed to meet its contractual obligations under the lease agreement,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said in a statement. “The current situation at Miami Aquarium is unsustainable and unsafe due to its failure to maintain the facility in good condition and its failure to demonstrate that it can ensure the safety and welfare of the animals in its care.”

UrgentSeas receives 5-6 tips from whistleblowers each month. Most are former or current employees of zoos and aquariums around the world. According to Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, currently 56 killer whales They are in captivity all over the world.

UrgentSeas plans to document every facility with a drone (though the group encourages supporters to fly the drones themselves). “It’s the drone that shows us everything,” says his anonymous UrgentSeas pilot. “But it comes with a lot of risks.”

Source: www.theguardian.com