#how to increase laptop performance

[watcher7-9]

The Paradox of Love and Logic

Dr. Veritas Ratio X reader II Fluffy II Might be OOC

There’s been changes, if you had two brain cells that you could rub together you could tell Dr. Veritas Ratio had started to change. Well not completely, but for one person. All the students had noticed the subtle difference in his eyes when you walked by or said hi. It was odd, truly. Even Ratio himself had noticed. He could feel like heart drumming against his chest as he placed a hand onto his chest. Interesting. I’ve been experiencing an increase of heart rate and slightly higher dopamine levels when they are near. This could indicate—no it’s impossible, I must perform further observations to verify these results. Dr. Ratio failed again and again as he just couldn’t understand how to suppress them. After so many failures he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper as if these emotions were an endless void. So, he moved onto his next step.

Denial. Dismissing these feelings as a hindrance to his work; an obstruction if you must. This is…irreverent. There’s no logical reason to entertain such distractions. Focus, Ratio. Though as his mind battles with his heart, he admits defeat. Emotions are what make us human after all so decides to embrace these… inconveniences he decided. He had decided a plan, a well thought out one. He had taken up all the space on the large chalkboard he had in his home. Spending a few days planning out every single detail. Through his efforts and a lot of smeared out chalk marks he had contemplated the ultimate plan…

Operation: Heart’s Equation

1. Offering unusual acts of kindness

You had started to notice these small gestures when one day he approached you and handed you a granola bar. “Here. I have calculated your caloric intake for the day and you’re missing approximately 35.5 grams of protein. This snack should help balance that.” Before you could ask any questions he just placed it in your hand before walking away as if it was nothing. Little did you know his heart was racing as he walked off.

After settling down in the chair in his office he couldn’t help but overthink. Did he do it right? It was the perfect setting, no? Passing by as a subtle interaction in the hallways, he had an excuse to walk off afterward; given the excuse he could say he was busy, oh but now he rethinks it he shouldn’t have been so frank. Human emotions truly are complicated. Dr. Ratios mind races with excitement and self-doubt as he sighed.

2. Trying to impress you

You had tried to find a seat in the library, but it was filled. Everyone was trying to catch up on their assignments and today was your unlucky day. You scan around the room and notice Dr. Ratio sitting quietly at the corner table on his own. The table had a neat stack of papers as he typed on his laptop. As you approached him, you hesitated. He was known for his ruthless and upfront nature making students cry and run out of his classroom. You had witnessed it once yourself it was quite the experience to say the least. But you needed this time to study, and you had finally taken time out of your heck of a schedule to go to the library to catch up on work.

“Could I sit here? The other spots are taken…sorry,” you asked him hesitantly. Perking up from his screen he replied with little to no enthusiasm, “I suppose there’s space.” You breathed out a breath of relief that you didn’t know you were holding in. At least he didn’t just reject you. As you settled down and started to work you could almost feel his gaze shifting to you for a mere second in the corner of your eye a few times. “What are you working on?” Dr. Ratio suddenly suddenly asked. “Huh? I’m tasked on writing a paper around the topic of human brains. So, I picked advanced neurocybernetics but there’s not been many reliable sources,” you sigh as you explained the situation. “I have a few sources that I could introduce you to, they contain examples and proven solutions. Allow me to demonstrate my latest research on this topic for you. I’m certain this will benefit your paper.”

3. Try to...Flirt?

You two had ran into each other in a coffee shop when he first tried to flirt with you. It indeed had taken Ratio quite some time before finding the “perfect” opportunity. “You enjoy coffee as well? The flavors are like a chemical equation of sorts. It is quite the balance of acidity and sweetness if I must say. If I had to take a guess, the molecules interaction between the compounds create a 87% satisfaction rate. Hmm maybe even a little than that. ” Dr. Ratio commented as he held up his coffee cup before taking a sip. “Um that’s an…interesting way to think about it.”

After take a sip of from his cup he remarked with a small glint in his eyes, “I could suggest a few other brews like the one you have that I personally recommend. Perhands something with a higher concentration of…romance?” A slight smile tugged at his lips as he sees you laugh. “A scientist testing the water aren’t you?” You tease back with a smug smile. Dr. Ratio’s eyes widen slightly not expecting you to tease him. A red hue spreads over his cheeks as he clears his throat. “A-ah no! I mean um, not literally. But you just seem like the person to enjoy a coffee break from time to time.”

Oh you might just be the solution to his equation. A truly complicated problem. And oh he hopes just one day, he’ll be the solution to all your problems.

[studyblr-perhaps]

Misa Explains 1: Spintronics in a nutshell

A series of posts where I will explain bits and pieces of physics I have gathered throughout the my foray into this wonderful science. Warning, these will be long.

Highly inspired by @chemblrish and @minmin-vs-physics 's posts on their fields, check out their posts (linked on this post in various places!)

Wait what even is going on?

Okay, first of all, why are we even talking about spintronics, whatever that means? Now, we live in an age where we need devices, right? Phones, TVs, laptops, name it. All digital devices come under electronics, which is a cluster of what we call "logic devices" (verrry loosely speaking) with various functions, made with expert circuitry to create our sophisticated "smart" devices. Whew. That's a lot of words. But what does it mean? It means that the very device you're using to view this post is made up of very tiny mini devices, which are made to utilize electrical signals (current, flow of electrons) to make it store information, read information, or perform logic tasks ("AND", "OR" "NOT" and the rest. Let me know if you want me to explain those, but this is not the point of the post so I'm letting them hang in the air for now).

We store digital information in the form of 'bits' (I swear all of this is relevant, please be patient) which is a computer's language of storing and using information. If you've watched any show involving hacking, you'll see stacks after stacks of "1"s and "0"s on their high contrast screens in that radioactive green font (general older sister advice: don't use high contrast it hurts your eyes), these are bits and the basis on which logic devices work. Each combination of 1s and 0s makes a different information, which is the backbone of computing. Now, how these devices make 1s and 0s is again a whole course on electronics, so I will skip over it to just preface that they exist and that's how we make digital devices.

All these years, we have used semiconductors, which allow moderate amount of current flow from them (in contrast to conductors, which allow free flow of electrons, and insulators, which do not allow flow of electrons) to make transistors, which are currently the building blocks of circuit-making devices.

[here's a picture containing ICs (the bug-like looking thing covered in wires) which have tiny transistors inside them, and the LEDs, on which the lit ones are "1"s and unlit ones are "0"s. This was my project for one of my courses!]

In electronics, a very famous law called Moore's Law, states that for increase in tech and development, the amount of transistors in integrated circuits (IC) doubles every two years. This moves proportionally with the increase in use of semiconductors, because transistors are made using them.

Every device maker's main goal is to make a device faster, smoother, and more functional. Which means, more transistors, better semiconductors. Moreover, the smaller space occupied by the ICs, the better. But obviously there's a limit to how much we can decrease the size of the transistors. One is the technical issue of creating such a small object, which will require highly precise instruments which we are not in possession of/ not feasible in the long run. The second issue is the working. "Will a semiconductor keep it's properties when they layer is so small?" is a valid question to ask when we go further down in scale. In simple words: in the long run, improving semiconductors for transistors will be difficult. Moore's law plateaus, and the number of transistors doesn't double with two years. What now? We can't just stop developing better computing devices, not just smart devices, astronomy, medicine and other scientific areas also require reliable, stable and fast computing devices.

Which means we desperately need new materials (and techniques) for logic and memory devices.

Hold on, when's spintronics going to start?

Okay background information done. Now we move onto spins and why we use it. We know that atoms are made of protons, electrons and neutrons. Out of these, electrons "revolve" in "orbits" around the nucleus, which holds the protons and neutrons. I put "revolve" and "orbits" in quotes because essentially it's a cloud of probabilities and we have no clue what path it truly takes. Electrons reside in what are called 'orbitals', which are balloon-like spaces which have a high probability of the electrons being present in (@/chemblrish explains orbitals better here).

Now along with the "revolution", electrons also considered to have a "spin". We don't really know if it "spins" the way Bayblades do, but regardless, they have an angular momentum, which is classically something rotating objects possess (@/mimin-vs-physics goes more in depth on quantum mechanical fun stuff) Either way, we don't know why it has angular momentum, but we know it does (at least I have no idea if we've figured it out??). And in true human fashion, we see anything new and think "now how can I utilize this for my benefit?"

Years and years of research later, we figured out something interesting. The angular momentum which the electron spins contain, and the angular momentum of electrons in "orbits" can interact! This interaction is called Spin-Orbit Coupling (SOC) and it causes a bunch of other fascinating phenomena in quantum mechanics. One of which, is that it if we supply electricity into a metal plane, we can align the electrons and their spins in such a way that it causes a stream of current (remember: current is essentially a flow of electrons in one direction) with aligned spins to move into a different layer perpendicularly.

Okay but what does all of this have to do anything with Spintronics?

We're finally at the part where we can discuss what Spintronics is! We can use our now generated spin current to make electronic devices (hence, spintronics!). So, how do we make these tiny devices?

What we first take is a heavy metal (these are metallic elements/alloys with high atomic numbers, which have a lot of free electrons to use) and make a very thin film of it. (The procedure of making thin films is very interesting, and I will make the next post on it!) We can now pass a stream of current/electricity* parallel to the surface of the thin film, which will give us a stream of spin-aligned electrons bouncing to move into an upper layer.

For the upper layer, we add a thin layer of a ferromagnet. A ferromagnet is a type of material which readily aligns its spin on one direction when under a magnetic field (contrary to this are paramagnets which weakly align their spins, and diamagnets which weakly align their spins opposite to the applied field).

Now remember the electrons with their spin aligned which wanted to move into the upper layer? Yeah once they are given an upper layer to move into, they flow into the layer, bringing their aligned spins with them. This spin can now affect the ferromagnet's spin, and align it in either the direction of the applied electric field ( the one applied on the heavy metal layer. I'm marking it as * for you to check which electric field I mean) or directly opposite to the direction of the electric field. This alignment can be measured. The value doesn't matter, only the direction. Is it parallel to the electric field or anti-parallel? "Up" or "down"? "Left" or "right"? Or, in terms of electronics, "1" or "0".

And look! We now have a way to make a tiny device which can display values of "1" or "0"! We used an analog signal (electricity) to create a digital output (1s and 0s)! That is electronics! But because it uses spins, it is called Spintronics.

Because we use Spin-Orbit Coupling, these devices are extremely precise and fast. And the layers of heavy metal/ferromagnet will be in the ranges of nanometers (10^-9 m), so they are also extremely small. We can also choose materials with properties we like (high melting/boiling point, low reactivity) to create devices which can work in extreme conditions (high heat, pressure, reactive areas).

And here we have it! We've made spintronic devices!

End of post disclaimer: I am a Bachelors student and I will have mistakes. I also tend to exaggerate. So if I have made a mistake in this post, please inform me nicely in the comments or tags!

[bubbleebubz]

Save me Professor- part 1

Word count: 2,006.

Pt.2

15+++

~warnings- eventual smutt! pantie stealing (consentual), pet names (is that a warning?), suggestive content, w3t dreams, mental health issues, bad dreams (fire and death)

Y/N had just been kicked out of her mother's house after her mom has a schizophrenic break and moves to Flordia leaving her to fend for herself. Her professor can't bare seeing Y/N in such a state, and offers her to stay in his guest bedroom, can they be roomates without his dark desires taking control?

"P-please don't stop sir" his hands hot on her body. His large hands getting closer and closer to where she needs them most.

"What do you want, baby? Tell me" His breath hot on her neck.

"Please professor Reid" she moans out in need.

"Y/N... Y/N... Y/N wake up"

What?

My eyes snap open, being awoken back into the cruel reality of my life.

I sit up at my desk and look around.

The class is empty.

I look up, "oh my God, I'm so sorry professor Reid, I must have fallen asleep." I say hastily gathering all my things causing my pencil case to fall off my desk.

I lean over to pick it up, as does he. "Y/N, it's ok, but are you alright?" He asks, crouching down next to me.

I look into his eyes anxiously. Nodding. "Why would you think otherwise Sir?" I ask shyly, trying to avoid his intimidating eye contact.

"Look at me sweetheart" He says, making my thighs clench and insides throb.

I follow his orders and look into his eyes.

My mouth going dry.

"What's the matter?" He asks. "Your the best in this class and never lose focus like this, let alone fall asleep." He explains his worry.

"I. I uhm, my mom kicked me out last night. She has schizophrenia and she now decided to move to Flordia. So I have no where to stay. So I was up all night, studying to keep my mind off of things." I say, my eyes beginning to water.

I blink them away and look over to the window, not being able to look him in the eyes.

"Oh sweet girl" He says, and hugs me.

I hug him back as tight as I can. The comforting feeling unusual to me.

"I'm sorry, I know this isn't your problem and there are other students who have much bigger more important issues, i really didn't mean to fall asleep." I say into his chest.

"Don't apologise Y/N" He says sternly.

"You didn't do anything wrong, did you know that the average female needs atleast 7 hours of sleep, and if they don't get that, their stress and anxiety levels increase and the lack of sleep reduces your physical and cognitive performance." He says pulling away. I smile at his rambling and nod while wiping my tears away.

"Where are you staying now?" He asks, standing up and looking down at me.

I look up at him anxiously to respond.

"I don't know." I whisper out, looking away, feeling the tears starting again.

"How would you like to stay with me? Until you figure things out ofcourse." He asks cautiously.

I look up at him shocked.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

He nods.

"Ofcourse, you are my favorite student after all." He chuckles out.

He Whips the falling tears as they spill down my cheek as I look up at him. I lean into his touch.

"Is that alright, love?" He asks, I nod.

"Use your words" He says.

"Yes sir, I'd love to." I say shyly.

"Excellent, let's get going now shall we? Do you have your things or?" He asks, as he walks to his desk, gathering his belongings.

"I was only able to grab my school uniform, school books, laptop, chargers and bathroom stuff, that's all I could fit in my backpack." I say.

He nods.

He signals me to follow him, I get up and walk behind him to his black sports car.

I get into the front seat and place my bag infront of me on the floor.

"Seat belt" He says, starting the car.

I put the seat belt on and shiver from the cool fall air.

"Good girl" I blush hard.

I lean my head against the cold window, watching the passing trees go by. My eyes begin to get heavy as I doze off.

I'm awoken this time ruthlessly.

"Y/N are you ok?" He groans, shaking me awake. There was fire everywhere.

"What happened?" I ask, beginning to hyperventilate.

I look back at him but his eyes are shut, his face bloody and chard.

I scream and scream and scream.

"Y/N wake up, it's ok wake up, we are here" he says lightly shaking me awake once again.

I wake up sobbing and lean to cling to him in a tight hug.

"Shh s'okay, I'm here, it's ok" He says holding the back of my head and rubbing my back.

"What was the nightmare about baby?" He asks soothingly.

"We got into a car accident, and you died." I whimper out, my voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Oh honey, it's ok, I'm alright see. I'm alive." He says placing my hand over his heart. I calm down and look around seeing we are at a nice sized house, with vines down the front and sides of it, it looked like a cottage from a fairytale. My eyes light up at the sight.

"Woah" I say amazed.

He chuckles.

"Follow me" He says, taking my bag for me.

"Thanks" I say shyly, realizing this is my professor and not some high-school crush.

He was just being nice and caring. That's all.

I follow him into his house and smile at the decor, it matched him perfectly, the furniture old and dark, and the scent of his house was exquisite, like a pumpkin vanilla.

"You can stay in the guest bedroom over here" he says, guiding me down the hall way. "My room is next door here" he says pointing to another door. "And the bathroom is over here" he says.

I nod a thank you.

"I'll let you get settled, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me" He says giving me a caring smile putting his hand on my lower back while leaving down the hall.

I enter the room, observing my surroundings, there was a double bed with an beatiful oak bed frame, on the left side of the room in the middle of the wall, and a window straight ahead, to the right there was a desk, and to the left of the desk was an old white chair.

It was very basic, not in a bad way.

I unpack my bag, putting my limited clothes (being only my school uniforms) in the dresser. And placing the singular Grumpy Care Bear on my bed for comfort.

I exit my new bedroom and go to the kitchen.

"Hey Professor" I say shyly. Sitting down on one of the chairs set at the island.

"Please call me Spencer" He chuckles out.

I blush lightly, enough for him to notice and smirk.

"Ok Spenerrr" I say goofily out of anxiety.

Causing him to smile again.

"Whatcha doing?" I ask boredly.

"Cooking dinner, I hope you like chicken vermicelli noodles" He says with a chuckle.

"I have no clue what that is but it smells good so I probably will!" I say giggling.

"Why are you still in your school clothes its-" He pauses checking his watch "8 PM on a Friday" He asks.

"I didn't manage to fit any of my actual clothes in my bag, so I just have my school uniforms." I say with a sad chuckle. "But it's ok, they aren't that unc-" "nuh uh, I'll be right back" He says cutting me off before leaving the kitchen and stove unattended. "Uh Spence you kinda forgot about the fooood" I call out and walk around the island to the stove, stirring the food in the frying pan. Still having no idea what I'm doing, causing me to burn myself slightly.

"Ow" I say blankly, running my finger under cool water.

I look over to see him leaning against the wall chuckling while holding a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"It's not funny, I don't know how to cook" I whine out in a giggle.

He shakes his head in a laugh.

"Here, wear these" He says handing me his clothes. I reluctantly take them. "Thank you very much sir, you have no idea how much I appreciate you doing all this for me" I say sadly. "Don't mention it, your not that unbearable" He says, causing me to roll my eyes and playfully punch his shoulder.

His eyes widen, "oh yeah?" He says jokingly and picks me up as if I weigh nothing (I most definitely don't weigh nothing) and carries me over his shoulder.

"HEY SPENCER PUT ME DOWN" I giggle out and hit his back, causing him to slap my ass making me yelp "ah ah ah" He says placing me down in the bathroom. "Change your clothes then give them to me so I can wash them" He says smiling before shutting the door.

I sigh out with a smile before undressing, taking everything off.

My smile drops when I realize I have to go commando in my professors sweatpants and braless in his t-shirt.

I put the clothing on, it fitting loosely.

I fold my dirty clothes, making sure my bra and panties were hidden to the best of my abilities.

I exit the bathroom and begin to go to the kitchen, but he isn't there, the food is plated and set on the island but he is missing, "Spence?" I call out.

"BOO" He says, grabbing my waist causing me to scream and drop my clothes. "GODDAMIT" I say absolutely terrified making him laugh even harder. " s'not funny" i whine out.

Both of us bending over to pick up my clothes, I freeze when I see him picking up my panties.

"Hmm, lacey blue, so innocent yet so naughty Y/N" I blush really hard, I go to grab my underwear from his hand but he snatches them away, putting them into his pocket and picks up the rest of my clothes.

I stand in the middle of the kitchen, my jaw on the floor. "Spe-" "ah. I'm confiscating those. For reasons I don't need to say!" He says. "But those are my only-" "we can buy you new ones, any ones you'd like." He says, before walking into the laundry room to place my dirty clothes into the washing machine.

"Common, let's eat." He says, walking over to the island and pulling out a chair for me, before sitting next to me.

I take a bite out of the food and moan out in happiness.

"Do you like it?" He asks with a chuckle.

"Mhmm" I say, taking another bite.

I look over awkwardly.

"I-i like food.." I say shyly.

"I can see that, it's cute" He says, making me blush.

After dinner I help clean up.

"I'll do the dishes, you put the leftovers away?" I say. And he nods.

I wash the dishes by hand, but after washing only 2 cups I get ancy and put some music on the TV, Reflections by The Neighborhood starts playing and I start to sing along while doing the dishes.

Swaying my hips to the music.

I hear footsteps behind me and freeze the music pausing too.

"Y'know. You look really good in my clothes sweetheart." He whispers in my ear, causing me to shudder. His hands around my waist.

"Wanna know what you'd look even better in?" He asks seductively.

"W-what?" I whisper out, not daring to turn around.

"In bed! Because it's bedtime!" He says picking me up again.

"But the dishes! There is only one left!" I whine out, kicking my feet, as he holds me bridal style.

"I can do it, sweets" He says sweetly causing me to smile at the pet name.

God he was going to be the death of me.

NO HE IS YOUR PROFESSOR, but he doesn't seem to mind.

He places me in my bed.

Grabbing my care bear and chuckling.

"What.." I say embarrassed.

"Nothing, just pictured you as a hello kitty girl" He chuckles.

"I love hello kitty too, but I had to chose, and Grumpy was the softest one so.." I say realizing I'm rambling.

He hands me the bear and nods.

"Goodnight Y/N" He says, putting the blankets over me and kissing my forehead. I blush.

"Goodnight Spence" I say kissing his cheek.

I fall asleep easily.

[purplephantomwolf]

Harmonies of the Crown

Chapter One

Note: I know Switzerland does not have a king or queen, but please pretend for this story. I am new to hockey so I don't know much about the teams and players yet, so please forgive me for any inaccuracies.

Masterlist

     You hear the cheering of the crowd as you step onto the platform that’s going to rise to the stage. The energy in the arena is palpable. You take a deep breath, calming the nerves you get before each performance. You hold the microphone to your face as the platform raises. The screaming gets louder as you rise onto the stage. “How are we doing tonight, London?!” You say into your mic. The screaming increases tenfold in response. The introduction to one of your songs starts and you start to sing. 

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

     “Whew, another tour done,” you say, falling into the chair in your dressing room. 

     Your manager, Kieran, walks into the room, “Congratulations on another record breaking tour.” 

     “Thank you,” you grin at his congratulations. With the end of your tour, you sold out of almost every arena you went to, with multiple nights at the different arenas. 

     “I received an interesting email today that I want to discuss with you,” Kieran says, sitting down on the sofa. You turn to face him, your curiosity piqued. 

     “What is it?” You ask him. 

     “Switzerland is crowning their prince in a couple weeks, and they would like you to perform at his coronation,” he says. 

     “You’re kidding! Why?!” You ask. Kieran pulls up the email on his phone and shows you. You quickly skim it, your jaw dropping. “He’s a fan of mine?! This is amazing!” You exclaim. You hand the phone back to Kieran.

     “So, I take it that you want to perform?” Kieran asks, to get your answer. You nod quickly. “Okay, I’ll respond to them and get all the details.” Kieran immediately gets to typing on his phone and leaves the room. 

 You quickly change out of your costume and into your everyday clothes. You hear a knock at your door as soon as you’ve finished changing. “Come in,” you call out. 

     Garrett, your head of security, walks into the room. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel, Ms. L/n?” 

     You sigh, “Garrett, how many times have I told you to call me Y/n?” Garrett shrugs. “Please, call me Y/n. I beg you,” you tell him. 

     “Okay, Ms. Y/n. Are you ready to go back to the hotel?” Garrett asks you. You sigh at the ms, but nod and grab your bag. Your crew will get the rest of the things on your tour bus tonight. 

     “Garrett, what do you know about Switzerland?” You ask as he drives you back to the hotel. 

     “Not much, Ms. Y/n. Just that they have mountains and a king and queen. Why do you ask?” Garrett glances at you in the rear view mirror. 

     “I’m performing at the prince’s coronation in a few weeks, so I was seeing what you knew,” you inform him. 

     “Congratulations,” Garrett tells you. You hum your thanks in response as you arrive at the hotel. 

     You decide to do some research on Switzerland and their government. Grabbing your laptop, you open it. You get comfy in the bed and type in ‘Switzerland Prince’ in the search bar. “So, his name is Nico Hischier,” you hum. You scroll through articles and pictures of him. “He’s a cutie, he seems to have a fair head on his shoulders, and he loves my music,” you speak allowed at what you’ve discovered during your research.

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

Nico’s POV

     “Oh, Nico,” my mom sings as she prances into my office. I glance up from my work, ready for her to tell me the latest gossip. 

     “Yes, mother?” I say, distracted by my work. 

     “Guess who we got to perform at your coronation!” She exclaims, super excited. 

     “Who?” I ask, still distracted. 

     “Y/n L/n!” She exclaims. It takes a second for it to register but when the name registers in my brain, she has my full attention. 

     “You’re kidding! There’s no way you got THE Y/n L/n to perform at my coronation!” I exclaim, getting excited. My mother nods, looking ecstatic. “She’s my favourite artist! She’s performing for me?!” I get my mother to confirm it. She nods, before turning to breeze out of the room. I quickly follow after her. “I need more details! Do I get to meet her? When is she performing? What songs is she performing? Oh, I hope she performs my favorite song!” I bombard my mother. 

     “You’ll probably get to meet her. She’s performing after you get pronounced king, and I don’t know what songs she’ll be performing. We just got confirmation that she’s willing to do it from her manager,” my mother answers my questions. 

     I let out a laugh, giddy about my coronation now. “Thank you!” I say to her, before heading back to my office to continue my work.

Next Chapter: Chapter Two

[gougarfem]

how was the process of getting a dumbphone!

oh my god this is something i'm so excited to talk about, sorry it took me so many months to respond!

getting a dumbphone improved my quality of life so so much. i knew my screentime was high, but didn't realise it was a genuine psychological addiction until i quit. the first few days were extremely rough. time seemed to pass about ten times slower, and i was forced to fill the hours with various hobbies and activities. i know we all love to tell people to touch grass, but i really did have to connect with nature and it did wonders for my mental health.

i think for the first three days i was constantly restless and horribly irritable, looked around for my phone every few minutes, felt intense boredom and even cried a few times lol. your addiction may not be as extreme as mine was and this varies from person to person. however, after about a week i realised i remembered everything i'd done each day, because it was filled with intentional activities and little moments of peace rather than a blur of scrolling. i also wasn't on adhd meds yet, which is something i'll talk about in another post.

not having everything at your fingertips is uncomfortable, but (and it's a cliche) you really start to appreciate the world around you more. i looked forward to spending time with my family, because it filled time and i wasn't half-involved in my phone the entire time. i use an mp3 player to listen to music, and uploading music to it is a meaningful and interesting activity, rather than just shuffling a playlist. i listen to whole albums instead of being flooded with dopamine from spotify firing recommended songs at me. i appreciate music more, i make CDs for friends, i have to be intentional in discovering new artists and music. if i'm having an interesting conversation online, i look forward to going home and logging onto my laptop to continue it. i don't spend my commute, time in class, or time with friends texting somebody else. everything feels more intentional, spaced out, and interesting, even the things i do online.

i also found i stopped performing in every activity i did. i stopped thinking about whether i could post it to instagram or instantly send a picture in a discord server. i started picking up new hobbies for myself, not for an online audience, and living in the moment more. this is really important in the modern age, although again uncomfortable.

the best part was how my connections with others increased through having a dumbphone. i started calling friends rather than messaging on five platforms at once, and they started reciprocating. my message threads are continuous, coherent conversations, rather than sending memes. people realised they have to intentionally reach out to me, and i lost relationships with people who weren't interested in that, but strengthened connections with people who did put in the effort (many of whom i barely talked to in the past). i give people my phone number, not my social media handle, and they actually start conversations with me rather than hitting follow. i get to hear my friends' voices when they have drama to share and realise it takes me forever to type on my flip phone keyboard. again, everything is intentional, takes time, and richer than when i had a smartphone.

i genuinely would recommend it to absolutely everyone (i've kind of become like a crossfit guy in telling people to get a dumbphone lol). i won't pretend it's easy, and most people make excuses - for the first few months of having a dumbphone, i was bedbound or in hospital, and truly relied on online connections to pass time and communicate. it still hugely improved my life. however, no matter your situation there are always, always better options than scrolling an app, and you deserve to pass your time in a memorable way. i think most people don't realise they're addicted/reliant on smartphones, and the idea of quitting is horribly uncomfortable, but at least for me, the benefits were worth it.

i'm happy to answer any questions, i literally could talk about this topic for hours (even if it's stuff like "how would i use x app" "how would i replace x smartphone function").

ditch your smartphone babe, u deserve better <33

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 20)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (20)

Masterlist (other parts here)

YFN had just received an email from the company she now worked for, Lumos. She tried to research the company and the first thing that popped up was a popular charity, followed by several other companies sharing the same name. Eventually she found her company which had nothing beyond a basic internet site and new social media accounts, so she knew they were being honest when they said they were brand new and starting up.

The salary they’d offered her was already high, with the promise of increase based on performance, both hers and Lumos’. The amount of money they were putting into the business and expenses were also much higher than she expected. Someone really wanted this to work.

She looked over at Lucy who was making her own sandcastles and smiled. Once the email had come through, Lucy had insisted she read it and took her time to mull it over. YFN loved that she was doing anything she could to let her make a future in the country, and especially around her profession. That was her Lucy. Always three steps ahead.

She took her phone out to film a little snippet of her as she made her giant sandcastle. She couldn’t help the smile on her face looking at how happy she was. Lucy’s big kid was shining through. She looked up and saw YFN filming her and grinned, gesturing to her sandcastle as if to show it off. YFN ended the video and put it away, looking at Lucy sitting in the sand, a leg either side of her creation. She was wearing black shorts, her whole body tanned from Spain, abs shining with the sunscreen YFN put on her, regardless of the clouds. Her heart felt full just watching her.

“Admiring the view?” Lucy grinned.

YFN felt her face reddening, though she didn’t know why. She wasn’t ashamed to look. She nodded, pressing her lips together to hide a cheeky smile.

“Can you send me that video, little one?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She sent the video and went back to the email on her laptop. The email was promising, and she found herself excited at everything she read.

Her phone rang and she looked at the number, Lumos. She answered it, putting it on speaker, knowing Lucy would be interested.

“YFN speaking.”

“Hi YFN, it’s Joe, how are you?” She sounded lovely, like a mum.

“Hi Joe, lovely to hear from you again. I’m great, just at the beach soaking in all of the sunshine the UK has to offer.”

She laughed. “I dare say it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to in Australia. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”

“No, not at all. I was expecting this today, I’m free to chat.” She smiled at Lucy who gave her a supportive thumbs up.

“Excellent. Okay, well I thought we’d just go through the basics of what we’re hoping to accomplish as a company, our goals and along those lines. If you have the email open, we’ll just run through it together. Also, how’s the work Visa coming along?”

“Perfect, I have it open now. I’ve also spoken to my Visa agent and he’s confident they’ll have it approved by tonight. They’re happy with the contract and 6-month minimum guarantee that you’ve sent through.”

“Outstanding, that’s what we want to hear! Just send that through as soon as you receive it, or if you need any other information. Fingers crossed! Okay, let’s get started. So firstly, as you know, I’ve wanted to start this company for quite a period of time. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in and around the industry, and we’re not seeing the movement in female football that we’ve wanted, so Lumos is a plan to change that. Now, the World Cup has been brilliant for progress, and we plan to latch onto that and keep the momentum building. Over the past year and especially the past few months, I and my friends in the industry have put our feelers out, gotten some feedback and have established interest by a lot of the players. Now, I understand it will start slow, but we’re willing to put the work in and definitely also put the funding into it.”

Lucy looked impressed, nodding as she was talking.

“That sounds fantastic, Joe..”

“I’m glad you agree! To be quite honest with you, YFN, you’ve been the lynchpin I’ve been looking for. I’ve been looking for someone with your experience and after reading your columns and seeing the interviews you’ve conducted, I’m beyond impressed. The research you put into your work, and the way you speak and ask questions to your interviewee’s are smart, and incredibly respectful. I can see that’s important to you, and it’s very important to me. We shouldn’t be asking the same boring questions, or we’ll get the same media trained answers.”

“Oh I completely agree. I was a bit worried at first that this job would encourage me to ask those simple and sometimes far too personal questions, so I’m really happy to hear you say that because people don’t realise that we can go beyond the norm of interviewing, and still remain just like that. Respectful. Not only that, but players will be more willing to open up, accept interviews, and request us if they’re comfortable around us. They’ll also want to use us to get their messages across and I know that if we do this right, the momentum will build and more players will be using us to fulfil their media duties.”

“Outstanding, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear! We’re so, so lucky that you happened to meet Katie so she could recommend you to us. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”

YFN was a little embarrassed, she didn’t know how to accept compliments and blushed. Lucy reached over and squeezed her leg in support. “Thanks Joe, that’s lovely to hear. I hope I can live up to your expectations, and I’m excited to get started! It’s a blank slate which means so much opportunity for the company.”

“100% agree. Any chance you’ve found our website and social media accounts?”

“I did just before you called..”

Joe laughed again. “Of course, you have. Straight into work! Excellent. We’re going to get along so well, I already know it. Our IT guy is Noel, and his contact details are in the email. Right now I’ve asked him to make the accounts all bare minimum, as I imagine you’ll want to create a theme to follow..”

“Yes! Absolutely, so I plan on organising a meeting with the whole team for Monday, I just wanted to make sure you were happy with that first..”

“Yes, please! And just for the future, this is your team, your baby. Anything involving the creation of this, meetings, team logistics, etc, all of that is yours. Obviously I’ll still like to be kept up to date with the progress and the plans, but to be completely fair with you, YFN, I run several businesses so I’m quite busy. This company is still in its start-up stages, so I’ll have much more time for it, and I do have a soft spot, this is always going to be one of my priorities, however I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page with this.”

“That’s perfect, I’ll send you through weekly updates and expenses, planning, coverage and everything we change or create along the way. I appreciate the honesty and the communication also, I think until we establish that solid footing, you and I will have to be in a lot of contact to ensure we’re achieving the expected goals, and keeping everything in budget.”

“You don’t know how much this is music to my ears.”

YFN laughed, feeling positive and happy with the plan thus-far. Joe seemed perfect, offering her everything and having the blind faith in her to start up the business almost from the ground, up. “I think we’re starting at a good time, though. We’re catching the start of the seasons, so it gives us time to iron out any issues before the finals for both the WSL and the Conti Cup. A good timeline will be for us to have full coverage by Round 5 on the Conti Cup, and January for WSL, covering both through to the Final. Then we should be fully prepped and running smoothly for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.”

“That’s a very respectable timeline and exactly my thoughts. January will be perfect if we can have full coverage by then.”

“I think it’s achievable, I’ll have a better idea after I research a bit more and talk to the team. I’m sure everyone’s keen to get started! Also, it’ll be quite a heavy work period as we start up, and then when we finally start to get footing, we’ll be expanding to make sure we have the people to cover all games and the email also says you’re hoping for international team and coverage of the other leagues in Europe?”

“Yes,” Joe sounded a litte sheepish. “I know, I know, it’s quite a high expectation, but we’ll get there eventually. Let’s start with the WSL and Continental Cup. Definitely want to be all over the UEFA Women’s Champions League, that’s the first major goal. From there, you and I can talk about expanding to cover Tier 2. Then, depending on the timeline, we want to cover Tier 3 and Tier 4 so we can encourage grassroots and young girls upcoming through the leagues. Then we want Liga F, Serie A, Feminine, etc, also following the national teams, NWSL in the US, A-Leagues in Australia and onwards.”

“Very large goals! That’s great, a lot to look forward to and to aim for. We’ll make sure to split the goals up to feel more achievable for the team, but I think if they know the long-term goal, it’ll make everyone determined and ready to settle down into the job.”

“That’s exactly what we want. The team building and team trust in each other is vital to make this business a success. Anything you need, let me know and we’ll work through it together, that includes extra positions or professionals. I imagine a recruiter may become useful if you become inundated with the logistics.”

YFN nodded, even though she couldn’t see her. She was taking notes eagerly, excited by the conversation as she responded, a little distracted as she typed. “I’ll definitely let you know if we need anything to help us expand..”

“I heard you’re meeting some of the players, also?”

YFN stopped typing and tilted her head. Lucy groaned. She looked over at Lucy who had a frown on her face, gesturing to the phone. “Um… Joe I have Lucy close by who wants to say something I think?”

Joe was aware that YFN was dating Lucy. YFN had made sure she’d told Joe, fearing a conflict of interest, especially with the need to visit Spain. Joe had had the opposite reaction. She thought it was great that YFN was so involved in the industry, knowing that dating Lucy made her closer with the inner circle of football than just being part of a media group. As for Spain, she’d encouraged her to go, offering to pay for flights and knowing that the more she was involved with Barcelona, the easier it would be to expand into Liga F and onwards. She was particularly interested in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati as they had so much influence in the sport. Joe’s ambition was multi-faceted, but positive on all fronts. She wanted to encourage the young female footballers of tomorrow, give women strong rolemodels to idolise, and to bring much needed attention to all of women’s football in general, all around the world. Popular footballers like Lucy, Alexia, Aitana, could help expedite their growth and influence.

“Of course! I assumed she was there with you and then Lucy’s post confirmed it.” She laughed.

Lucy’s post? She looked at a now cheeky looking Lucy as she passed her the phone and stole Lucy’s to check on said “post”. She’d posted the video of her building sandcastles on the beach and grinning at the camera, but more importantly, she’d posted a selfie Lucy had taken of the two of them, YFN sat in-between her legs and being pulled back by Lucy who was kissing her cheek as she smiled. Her mouth dropped open. Hard launch. She looked at the caption.

“Happy place with my happy little Australian” *red heart*

She’d tagged her and YFN looked at the phone in Lucy’s hand, unsure how it hadn’t blown up from all of the notifications it must have had. Lucy winked at her as she moved next to her, resting her hand on her thigh and stroking her thumb there.

“Hey Joe, it’s Lucy.. funny you should mention that, I actually hadn’t told YFN that just yet..”

“Hi Lucy… oh, I’m sorry! I’d heard a few little whispers from a few friends..”

Lucy laughed. “That’s okay, she had to find out eventually.” She looked at YFN who looked curiously at her gorgeously tanned athlete. She couldn’t help reaching out and playing with a few strands of Lucy’s hair that were wildly playing in the wind. “I might as well tell you both.. YFN said a while ago that one of the first things she’d want to do is to have a get-together with a few players to ask them what they want, their likes and dislikes and to start building those relationships.” YFN’s fingers stroked down the side of Lucy’s face from around her temple, down to her jaw as she watched her speak. Lucy leant into her as she did. “So a few of the girls and I made a few phone calls to get some players together for dinner tonight.”

YFN’s fingers paused on her jaw, her eyes softening and heart filling. How did she get so lucky?

“That’s fantastic! A very strong start to everything! Relationship building is the most important thing for us, we want to build and maintain those special relationships with all of the players, so this dinner tonight is going to be the perfect start for that. I speak for our whole company when I say a big thank you to you, Lucy. This is just… beyond the start I was expecting.”

“You’re welcome, and to be fair, I know a lot of the players are excited for this. As you said, word has been spreading for a while now and heating up in the last few months so we’re all excited to see this come to life. The girls I’ve spoken to have been so under represented and misrepresented for so long that they’re excited for this to happen. YFN’s going to have a lot of work, but I know she’s going be the most amazing asset for you and create magic, like she does with everything else.”

YFN’s hand dropped and she looked at Lucy with an embarrassed but thankful expression. Lucy touched that little dimple, her eyes unable to leave it. She handed the phone back to YFN who was almost crying. So much work. She wondered how busy she would be in 13 days when she needed to head to Spain. Joe was aware of it, of course, and immediately approved, reminding her that she didn’t need her permission.

They spoke for a little while longer, talking about the email and the team members they had. The call ended and YFN folded up her little note taking book, pulling the band over it. Lucy’s mouth on hers was surprising, but not unwelcome. She kissed back eagerly, tilting her head and their tongues meeting. It grew a little bit more desperate as their hands tangled in each other’s hair, and Lucy pulled her on top, straddling her in a sitting position. YFN groaned into her mouth at the feel of Lucy’s body against hers. Then her phone rang again.

She jumped, assuming it was Joe calling back and looked at the phone.

“Nan calling. Baby bro calling.”

“Oh shit, Joe really distracted me.” She answered the phone on loudspeaker, sliding off of Lucy, noticing her confused expression. “Hi Nan, hey bro.”

Lucy understood and settled herself behind YFN, legs either side of her and pulled her back to lean on her body. She pulled a blanket around them.

“Hello!”

“Hey sis.”

They changed to Facetime and it was impossible for them to not see Lucy. YFN’s nan adjusted her glasses to better see and her brother looked surprised and unbelieving.

“Oh shit, you weren’t joking.” He choked.

Lucy laughed. “Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so much about you two.”

“Oh, YFN, she’s stunning.” Her nan said, making her choke out a little of the water she was sipping. Lucy and her brother laughed as she coughed the water out of her lungs.

“It’s not just about looks, nan!”

“No, but it certainly helps, doesn’t it?” She laughed.

YFN could feel Lucy’s whole body vibrating as she laughed behind her. She rolled her eyes knowing that Lucy loved compliments.

“Oh and I saw the photos online, very nice!”

Her nan was far past retired, she was a pensioner who spent most of her time playing games on the iPad YFN had bought her, and looking through Instagram and Facebook she’d installed on there for her. She had no idea how to use them and only had a few friends and followers, but that’s all she needed. After that, Lucy took out her phone and followed them both, making sure it was okay first and warning them about random follows that would ultimately pop up.

They spoke for a while, Lucy immediately loved by both, of course. Everybody loved Lucy. Lucy and her brother clicked surprisingly well, perhaps even better than YFN did with him, though she suspected a part of it was his idolisation of athletes and Lucy was nothing if not an athlete. She felt Lucy’s abs against her back, her strong biceps cradled around her own arms and she held her and laughed with her family like this wasn’t the first time they’d all spoken. God, that woman.

By the end of the phone call, Lucy had already managed to convince them both to come over and watch a game, offering to pay for their flights and accommodation. YFN made a mental note to argue with her about that later, or pay before Lucy could. Somehow she’d even convinced her nan who had always said she was too old for flying, Lucy managing to sweet talk her about first class and how much room and food you got. She was excited at the prospect of seeing them both. She’d seen her nan only a few weeks before, but the distance was cruel. Also, she hadn’t seen her brother in 8 months as he was living in Japan, exploring and doing god knows what.

They ended the phone call after a good period, both agreeing to come and watch England play at some point in the near future. She was excited at the thought of seeing her family soon and wriggled back into Lucy to show her happiness.

When the call disappeared from the screen, she saw the notifications and groaned nervously. She opened the post.

*Lucy Bronze MBE tagged you in a post*

*Caitlin Foord liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Caitlin Foord commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Jordan Nobbs commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Alexia Putellas liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ruesha Littlejohn liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Millie Bright liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Ridley commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

*Leah Williamson liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Mariona Caldentey liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe liked a post you’re tagged in.*

*Katie McCabe commented on a post you’re tagged in.*

She didn’t finish reading the notifications before she cleared them and put her phone away. She’d look later. Right now, she was with Lucy, and she was more than aware that she only had her for one more day. Lucy hummed her approval and kissed her temple.

“Busy third date, hm?”

“Cute lunch, majestic sandcastle, exciting work call, successful first meeting with my family… I’d call that a brilliant third date.”

Lucy nodded against her. “It’s getting late, little one. We need to go; I want us to get unpacked and showered before we go out for dinner.”

“Okay…”

“What’s on your mind? I can hear you thinking.” Lucy nuzzled behind her ear.

“I was just thinking about how I need to say goodbye to you in a day..”

“Don’t think about that.” She whispered. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“I am. My heart is starting to feel sad already though..” She turned slightly to look at Lucy. “Also, just out of curiosity, are we going to not have sex tonight, or just be quiet so Jordan doesn’t hear us?”

Lucy’s head fell back as she laughed. It was one of YFN’s favourite sounds. “Oh, we’re having sex tonight. As for the noise… I’m going to make sure you’re thinking about it for the next 13 days so… good luck staying quiet.”

[odysseyeurobeat]

A New Approach To Performances - Feb 2, 2025

(AKA, "What do you MEAN I can't use one MIDI controller for two programs at once???")

Many of you may know that I perform live! At conventions, at clubs and bars, and wherever else the world needs a dose of eurobeat, I've been performing my work on stage for many, many years now! Fewer of you may know that I've tried different approaches to my shows over the years— for a little while, I'd just play the songs end to end; then I learned how to DJ, and now most of my sets revolve around DJing.

Lately, I've been revisiting that, and trying to figure out new and more compelling ways to perform. For the last year on and off, I've been attending choreography classes. These have not resulted in me properly learning routines, but they HAVE boosted my confidence tremendously. As well, in the last few months I've dreamed up possible performance methods and workflows that are less DJ-centric so I can focus on singing, crowd interactions, the occasional novelty (maybe some keytar sections or playing a drum pad?), and some fun video effects.

Today I began putting that into action by trying out my various MIDI controllers, trying new configurations in Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio, and... failing. A lot.

It turns out, some of my ambitions of mapping multiple functions in two applications to one MIDI knob were a bit more ambitious than I thought they would be. Getting programs on the same computer to talk to each other is surprisingly more difficult than I thought it'd be. Getting Resolume Avenue and Bitwig to communicate worked, Avenue and Ableton surprisingly less so. And even then, getting one or the other to handle MIDI clock information in basic integer values has proven frustrating.

Instead of still trying to mix between two "decks" like DJs do, I may do it one of a few ways: * Pre-mix the set in Bitwig or Ableton, find "pause points" for water/audience interaction. I'd basically be performing to an automated experience, which would be easier to predict and work around, but with little to no flexibility. * Load in songs as clips instead of full-length audio, which would buy me back my cue points from the DJ years; but I'd still have to mix between songs, which increases potential failure points. * Find more innovative ways to use Traktor (my current DJ software of choice) and video/lighting programming, or pre-mix a few songs together and THEN load those into Traktor. Current performance method wouldn't change dramatically, but the overall visual appeal would improve. * Make shorter versions of my songs I play through from start to end, like a traditional concert. (Doesn't seem right, given the nature of eurobeat; but it's not far from what a few eurobeat stars do already!) * Keep pushing towards building a whole one-laptop visual audio extravaganza, restraints be darned.

...I want to see what I can do with some MIDI automation and video for now, with maybe one play-in "novelty" and automated vocal effects with some optional ones I can dial in any time. It'll be a bit weird to surrender some of my control over which songs play when, but I want to start building a more compelling, less DJ-specific live set where I'm a bit more of a performer. I think I'm onto something with this, though time and figuring out the tech will tell.

I'll be chipping away at it in the month(s) ahead. Who knows? If I get it ready in time, it may not be long before it gets a test drive at a real show! 😉

[ms-demeanor]

So i do have trouble running anything in my lap, but it is old and very basic but I can't really get a new one, how do i learn how to change its RAM, battery and anything that could make it perform better?

So I actually have a post that's a basic explainer on this kind of stuff, but here's my specific steps for figuring out if your computer can take more RAM, what kind of RAM it takes, and if/how you can install it.

If you're in a hurry or this entire thing looks intimidating, scroll down to the section with the pink text for a quick and dirty way to find what you're looking for that I don't wholly endorse because there are sometimes errors with this process.

This is literally my job, so while this guide won't cover all contingencies it is the basic process that I do every time I need to source upgrades for a computer.

How to Find RAM for your computer:

Step One: Identify the model of your computer. This is usually visible in a sticker with a barcode on the back of the tower or on the bottom of a laptop. If you aren't sure, you can search "how to find model number of [Samsung laptop][HP desktop][etc.]" I'm going to use a Lenovo M710e as my example here, because it was the computer I had to find RAM for yesterday.

So, the ThinkCentre M710e is the product line and the model/product number is 10UR001JUS. The product number gives us the information about the specific configuration of that computer when it was sold, while the product line gives us the general information about configurations that were produced as part of this line. So for example, all M710e desktops will accept the same RAM technology, but the 10UR001JUS specifically came with 2x4GB RAM modules while another line might have come with 1x8GB RAM installed.

GENERALLY SPEAKING it is better for you to work from your product ID/product number/model number and not from the product line.

Step Two: Find out what memory technology your computer uses, what's installed, and what the max your computer will accept is. Most manufacturers will have spec sheets, so if you search the part/product number you will likely see a link from the manufacturer for the specifications of that device. Here's the one for this computer:

So this tells me that the computer has 8GB total memory in 2 modules of DDR4 RAM with a speed of 2400 Mhz. When I am shopping for RAM the important numbers here are DDR4 and 2400. BUT this does not tell me how much RAM the computer can take or what the physical format of that RAM is, so I need to look a little more, which I do by searching "[model number] specifications," which brings me to a Newegg page that has more information about the specs:

This shows me that the computer has 8GB of DDR4 2400 RAM installed in 2 slots. It shows that the computer only has two slots, and it shows me that the maximum RAM for the computer is 32GB. What this means is that if I want to upgrade the RAM I would need to remove a module from at least one of the slots.

RAM tends to come in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB modules. If I wanted to increase the RAM in this computer for the least amount of money possible, I would add one 8GB module, and that would help the computer a lot, taking it from 8GB to 12GB. BUT if I wanted a higher performance for just a little bit more money, I'd replace both 4GB modules with 8GB modules. RAM is happier and works better when the modules in the computer match, so what I'd do is look for 2 8GB modules that are faster than 2400mhz.

Step Three: because I'm me and I was the one who initially ordered this computer five years ago and I have RAM upgrades for this model in my order history, this is where I would stop. But if it was for a computer that I wasn't familiar with, this is where I would check my work. I do this by going to the Crucial Memory tool:

I'd click on "upgrade my computer" and I'd use the "upgrade finder" option.

If you are searching for a RAM upgrade on the computer that you are currently using, you can use the Crucial Scanner tool which will read the specifications of your system and take you to recommended upgrades that Crucial thinks are compatible with your system. I do not 100% endorse doing this, and if you do use this option I recommend checking Crucial's work because I've ordered RAM on Crucial's recommendation in the past and then found that it was incompatible when we went to install.

But, like I said, I use the upgrade finder option. There are a TON of computers listed in this, so once you go through manufacturer (lenovo, in this example) and product line (for crucial, "product line" here means "thinkcentre") I'll use ctrl+F with "M710e" to find the actual product, because scrolling though this bullshit is for chumps:

That takes you to a page with what should be your computer's specs and recommendations for product upgrades:

As I scroll through, looking for 16GB upgrades, I notice that all the RAM listed is 288 pin, which is the correct size for this computer. RAM tends to come in two physical formats for consumers, Desktop RAM and Laptop RAM. Desktop RAM is longer, Laptop RAM is shorter. There are some more complicated layers to that, but what it means is that I need to match the RAM in my search to the format the computer uses.

So let's say that I want to upgrade my computer here and I decide that I want to go with the 3200 speed. So instead of buying from Crucial (which you could do if you wanted to) I decide to shop around. If I search for "16GB DDR4-3200" on Amazon here's what I get:

One of those is 288 pin and will fit in desktops, the other is 260 pin and will fit in laptops or very small form factor desktops. You need to make sure, either by checking the specifications from the manufacturer or on a ram compatibility site or PC part picker, that you are getting the correct physical format in addition to the correct size/technology/speed.

Step Four: Shop around. I prefer not to buy from Amazon when I can help it, and I like seeing what deals I can get. You *do* have the option of clicking "where to buy" on Crucial and there are usually several choices of where to get that specific Crucial part number, but I want to see if there are more generic options, or options from other brands I like.

A newegg search shows me an A-tech 16GB kit with the specs I'm looking for, but at a higher price than Crucial. Poking around a few places doesn't show me any better deals than Crucial, so I go back over to the crucial site, click on "where to buy" for the product I want, and choose to get it from B&H because it's not amazon and I've got an account there.

Step Five: Figure out how to put the RAM inside of your computer. The easiest way to do this is usually to check IFixIt.com, a website designed to show people how to fix their computers.

IFixIt has guides for some types of ThinkCentres but not an M710e. I can check out the M72e, because that's a pretty similar model, but then it turns out the page is a stub. So I search "how to upgrade RAM in Lenovo M710e" and I found the user manual, which has an diagram of the internal parts of the computer, an exploded view of where everything goes, and a section on replacing RAM modules.

Replacing RAM on most desktops is pretty simple, and if you haven't done it and this set of diagrams doesn't give you much information, I really recommend watching some videos from Paul's Hardware that show you how to handle computer components and identify what parts of a computer you're looking at.

Replacing RAM on laptops is usually a bit more complicated than on desktops. But sometimes it's even easier (one of my computers just had a little door on the bottom where you could add RAM if you needed to). Regardless, the principles are the same - there is a slot on the motherboard for you to put RAM in. Watch videos or look at tutorials for how to open up various kinds of computers and see if you're comfortable replicating those steps.

SOME CAVEATS:

Sometimes you can't add or replace RAM. Sometimes RAM is soldered directly on the motherboard. That should be noted somewhere in the manufacturer specifications.

Sometimes computers are more of a pain in the ass to upgrade than they're worth. Most ultra-slim laptops are difficult to get into and most all-in-ones are a *nightmare* to get into. Watch videos of people working on computers similar to yours before you buy anything to figure out if you're even going to be able to get into the damned thing.

On older laptops replacing the battery is very easy, on newer ones it's getting more difficult. Use the same process of identifying your computer model number to look up compatible batteries, then look up how to replace batteries. Sometimes they're just inaccessible and difficult to get at, and sometimes you literally don't even need tools besides your thumbs.

Anyway. That was kind of a lot. I hope it made sense. Check out the linked post at the beginning for tips on performance improvements outside of hardware upgrades, and good luck.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #15

15. AUSTRIA Kaleen - "We will rave" 25th place

Decade Ranking: 50/153 [Above Systur, below Lesley Roy]

WHEN THE DARKNESS HITS AND WE CAN'T BE SAVED

WIRAM WI DAM DAM DA WE WILL RAVE

Fucking AMAZING chorus. At this stage of the ranking, I don't really give too many shits about the flaws in the product. And that's for the best because Holy Hell Kaleen that was NOOOOOOOT GOOOOOOOD (objectively). Fortunately it was still very entertaining (also objectively?), so.

Also at this point, you may expect some real emotional investment from my part and Kaleen is clear example of that too. SHE, more than anyone else, was the uncrowned queen of Millennial Monroehood this year. Not only did she provide a fucking BANGER from the time I was a middleschooler, she also SERVED:

LOOKS

PERSONALITY

POISE

JE NE SAIS QUOI

ATTITUDE

and also NONE OF THE VOCALS. 😍 😍 😍

And this comes on top of her song being leaked two months in advance off Marvin Dietmann's laptop, and becoming a viral hit among millennial eurotwitter BEFORE its full release ♥ (and I fully buy into the conspiracy theory that the leak was intentional to build hype.)

But yeah, this performance was heavily flawed, I won't deny that. "We will rave" is a great song and it's only 15th on my ranking, that's how far south that went.

It is equal parts comical and tragic that Marvin Dietmann arranged for his PARTNER (I assumed "business partner" at first, but apparently also partner in a domestic sense? Yeah I'm as surprised as you are that he likes the clam.) to be cast for Eurovision and then failed to provide staging for her that capitalized on her strengths.

Kaleen is a professional dancer and dance instructor.

She runs Marvin's Dance School FOR HIM, FOR A LIVING.

The leak showed a vibrant dance choreography that allowed her to (barely) provide passable vocals.

She's a natural born performer of the ~rhythmic arts~

So what does Marvin do?

HE REDUCES HER DANCE ROUTINE TO THE TYPE OF TARD DANCE ANYONE CAN EXECUTE.

HAS HER WALK AROUND THE STAGE. NOT DANCE. WALK.

AND HAD HER DANCERS SHIMMY HER AROUND IN LIEU OF A DANCE BREAK.

ALL SO THAT SHE CAN DELIVER THE BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE... WHICH IS... WORSE THAN IN THE DEMO BECAUSE UM HELLO EARTH-TO-MARVIN:

YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS A DANCER, AND NOT A SINGER.

And all of that, I mean I'm sorry, is fucking hilarious, foremost. I know the live was "bad" but god it was really good at being bad. Casting your girlfriend and then FAILING to take her skillset (anything involving movement) into account is so uproariously funny to me. The staging was not bad on paper (it tried to increase momentum via the lasers and looks good if you mute), but it featured a slow, aenemic choreography that couldn't keep up with the music's light speed pace. That same dichotomy killed Halo, killed Edgar and almost killed "We Will Rave" too. This is the choreo you'd give to someone who cannot dance either due to being a block of wood (Dons) or old (Meri Bas.).

Even Firefighter, which is a fucking abortive attempt at a "dance song", had more tempo and life and let Nutsa (who is NOT a dancer) perform a break by herself. Christ Marvin.

(Granted it may be the outfit that forced Kaleen to perform a pantomime rather than a dance, but if that's the case... change the outfit? If those boots restrict your mobility, then don't wear them AT ALL, you know?)

However, as much as my appreciation for the live is based on irony and schadenfreude, I also just really love the song that much. "We will rave" is the best written girlbanger of this year - catchy, infectuous, smoking hot, and a wonderful throwback to the good Flemish techno of the early aughts. It's such a fucking banger in the style of Milk Inc, Lasgo, X Session, Touch of Joy, 2Fabiola, etc.

The prechorus and lyrics are delectable, and Kaleen is, despite her vocal inaccuracies, a charming hostess and style icon. Her personality is the saving grace of this live performance and the reason why I still embrace it in the face of its many mistakes. As disrespectful as Marvin's choreography was, she was flawless in its execution. SHE is what turns "We Will Rave" into a ride. The choreo and the results both did her dirty, but eh. Someone had to finish near the bottom. This year, that was Austria.

Now SAVOUR this last ever instance of them being fun in Eurovision because they'll only send salvaduncans from hereonout. If Eurovision isn't cancelled first, of course.

THE RANKING

[syrips]

oc/pc ask game!!

i love these and im like WAIT i can make my own!!

disclaimer, these may contain stuff weird, suggestive, and/or potentially dark so feel free to make your own version if u want but yea here u go

sections: Personal, Aesthetic, Music, Pleasure, Pain

Personal

🧼 Soap - Does OC have good hygiene? What is their routine or methods?

💰 Money Bag - Would OC donate the change in their purchase to a charity that a company claims is benefiting those in need?

💸 Money With Wings - Would OC commit tax evasion?

🐛 Bug - If OC was a worm, would anyone love them? How would others treat them?

🎮 Video Game - What would OC's gamertag/username be?

🔗 Link - What tags, blogs, pages, discord servers, and/or subreddits would OC follow on social media?

👀 Eyes - What would be in OC's search history?

✍🏽 Writing Hand - Your OC is given five seconds to edit/alter/adjust something about themselves (or their story). What do they try to change?

📈 Chart Increasing - What company/nobility/etc. would sponsor OC?

🎯 Direct Hit - Is OC "Wanted" in any village, kingdom, etc.? Dead or alive? What is the reward for them?

Aesthetic

🎨 Artist Palette - If OC was a color (or palette), what color would they be? Would others assign them the same color?

💻 Laptop Computer - What theme would OC's device, book, belongings, etc. be? What would their background, parchment, decorations be?

👔 Necktie - Does OC dress Modestly? Skimpy? Classy? etc. Do they have a dynamic, loud, quiet, etc. style?

👑 Crown - What textures are part of OC's clothes? Fluffy? Spiky? Leathery? Puffy? Feathery? What about shiny, silky, lacy, etc.?

👕 T-Shirt - Does OC prefer to wear vibrant colors or muted colors?

🐬 Dolphin - Would OC be a JJBA character?

💄 Lipstick - Does OC enjoy fashion? Would they enjoy styling others?

🎭 Performing Arts - If others wanted to join a cult devoted to OC, what choices would OC (or you) have in the style, theme, design?

🧣 Scarf - How often does OC change their style? Daily? Weekly? Seasonally? etc.

🧵 Thread - Does OC mend their clothes (or have them mended)? Does their clothes have tears, patches, alterations? How do their clothes get worn out or damaged overtime?

📖 Open Book - Share a moodboard you associate/made for OC!

🛒 Shopping Cart - OC suddenly has a lot of money. What is most likely the cause of this? What do they spend it on?

👒 Floppy Hat - Share a (sourced) picrew you made for OC!

Music

🎼 Musical Score - Share an OC playlist you associate/made for OC!

🎧 Headphone - Does OC have a large or small range of music they listen to?

🎤 Microphone - Share a (sourced) quote, lyric, poem, etc. of something that you associate to OC.

🎸 Guitar - Someone hands OC a guitar and tells them to play Wonderwall. What do they do?

🎶 Musical Notes - A Bard is inspired by OC and makes a song about them. What instruments, sounds, melodies, etc. may OC's theme song have? What would the mood of the piece be?

Pleasure

👂🏽 Ear - What sounds does OC enjoy? If OC likes ASMR, which types of ASMR?

🎲 Game Die - What would OC's favorite (pc/console/mobile/etc.) game be?

💠 Diamond With A Dot - What is something OC indulges in, publicly vs. privately?

✨ Sparkles - What is OC's comfort activity?

💋 Kiss Mark - Is OC promiscuous? Do they have a lot of lovers, partners, and/or friends with benefits?

😏 Smirking Face - How freaky is OC? What does OC do that they believe is freaky?

🥄 Spoon - What is OC's guilty pleasure food/treats?

🎓 Graduation Cap - OC is giving a motivational speech. What do they say? Who are they saying it to?

🧻 Roll Of Paper - OC is plotting an elaborate, mischievous prank. What is their plan and who is their target?

🥰 Smiling Face With Hearts - What do you love about OC? What events, art, work do you love to put OC in?

🤗 Hugging Face - How does OC make others happy? What do they wish they could do, or plan to do for others?

Pain

👩🏽‍⚖️ Woman Judge - Why don't some people like OC? What did they do?

🚩 Triangular Flag - Is OC uncomfortable with any topic, trigger, item, or event?

🧱 Brick - What is/would OC be traumatized by?

💢 Anger Symbol - What is OC's pet peeve?

💀 Skull - Is OC cursed? Haunted? Possessed? Fated to tragedy?

🩹 Adhesive Bandage - What is OC's worst type of pain to experience?

🔮 Crystal Ball - OC has witnessed a dark omen. What is the omen, superstition, or message that is witnessed?

🪓 Axe - What tragic/dark events, art, work, do you love (or love to hate) to put OC in?

😈 Smiling Face With Horns - How does OC make others sad/suffer? What do they wish they could do, or plan to do to others?

[techgamerguide]

I Found the 5 Best Laptop Cooling Pads for 2025

I can't emphasize enough how critical it is to keep my laptop cool, especially in today's fast-paced digital environment. High temperatures can lead to performance issues, crashes, and even hardware damage. Having a reliable cooling mechanism has become an essential part of my tech setup, ensuring my laptop runs smoothly, especially when I’m working on resource-intensive applications or gaming for hours on end.

Cooling pads function by increasing airflow around my laptop, which helps dissipate heat more effectively. As I use my laptop, modern applications and games can push the hardware to its limits, generating significant heat. A cooling pad acts as a supplementary tool, using fans to pull hot air away from the laptop and push cooler air in. This simple yet effective approach enables me to maintain optimal performance throughout my computing session.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to the best laptop cooling pads available in 2025, highlighting the features that make them stand out while considering various factors that can influence your buying decision.

llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad

The llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad stands out as a modern solution for my overheating laptop. Equipped with a 14cm turbo booster fan, it offers an impressive cooling effect designed to handle high-intensity operations. Even during long gaming sessions, this cooler ensures my laptop remains cool, preventing any delay or lag, enhancing my gaming experience significantly.

In addition to its cooling capabilities, the llano features soothing controllable RGB lights with ten modes and multiple color options. This aesthetic component appeals to me, especially when gaming in low light. The built-in HD LED display shows real-time fan speed, adding a functional aspect to its attractive design.

Pros: Excellent cooling performance with large fans

Slick RGB customization options

User-friendly controls

Cons: Slightly bulkier than some competitors

Check it out on Amazon.

havit HV-F2056 15.6"-17" Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad

The havit HV-F2056 is another impressive product that quickly caught my eye. This ultra-portable cooling pad is designed for laptops ranging from 15.6" to 17". It doubles as an ergonomic stand, with adjustable height settings that allow it to cater to my preferred working position, relieving neck strain during prolonged use.

With three ultra-quiet fans, this cooling pad ensures I can maintain a noise-free environment while working or gaming. Additionally, it features an extra USB port for added connectivity options, promoting functionality without compromising desk space.

Pros: Adjustable height for ergonomic comfort

Ultra-portable and lightweight design

High-quality metal mesh for durability

Cons: Fans may not cool as effectively under heavy loads

Explore it further on Amazon.

Targus 17 Inch Dual Fan Lap Chill Mat

Whenever I use the Targus 17 Inch Dual Fan Lap Chill Mat, I appreciate the thoughtful engineering that keeps both me and my laptop comfortable. This mat does a wonderful job of providing a cushioned surface with soft neoprene material, making it ideal for lap use. With its ergonomic tilt, I find typing and using the laptop a lot easier on my wrists and hands.

The dual fans provide enhanced cooling through a USB-A connection, ensuring effective heat dissipation during heavy tasks. Open mesh on the top allows ample airflow, ensuring constant cooling, which is crucial when I need my laptop to perform well under pressure. Additionally, the built-in 4-port hub makes connection of peripherals a breeze, adding to the convenience.

Pros: Provides ergonomic support and comfort

Excellent airflow for efficient cooling

Versatile USB hub for connecting peripherals

Cons: Heavier compared to some ultra-portable models

Discover more on Amazon.

ChillCore Laptop Cooling Pad

The ChillCore Laptop Cooling Pad is a versatile solution for keeping my laptops from overheating. It features robust construction designed to accommodate laptops of various sizes securely while ensuring optimal airflow. Its combination of quiet fans and effective cooling mechanisms means I can game or work for hours without worrying about my laptop throttling due to heat.

Additionally, it provides adjustable height settings that allow me to customize my viewing angle, enhancing my posture when using the laptop for long durations. This cooling pad encompasses two fans that work symbiotically to create a cooling effect while remaining whisper-quiet, which is a delightful feature for my focus-intensive tasks.

Pros: Adaptable height settings support ergonomic usage

Whisper-quiet performance ensures minimal distraction

Stable and secure fit for various laptop sizes

Cons: Lacks additional USB ports

Learn more on Amazon.

Kootek Laptop Cooling Pad

The Kootek Laptop Cooling Pad distinguishes itself from the crowd with its impressive cooling capabilities, featuring five built-in fans and customizable settings. I can choose to run one fan or all five, allowing a tailored cooling experience based on my laptop's needs. The LEDs also add an appealing look, perfect for an evening gaming setup.

With six adjustable height settings, I have the flexibility to find the most comfortable angle for my laptop, enhancing my overall productivity. The dual USB hub it offers allows me to connect other peripherals effortlessly, making it a convenient addition to my tech arsenal.

Pros: Customizable fan operation for tailored cooling

Multiple height settings for ergonomic comfort

Lightweight design makes it easily portable

Cons: The blue LED lights may not appeal to everyone

Explore it on Amazon.

How to Choose the Best Laptop Cooling Pads

Size and Compatibility with Different Laptop Models

One of the first things I look at when choosing a cooling pad is its size and compatibility. Since I have multiple laptops, I need a cooling pad that fits each one of them comfortably. Many models boast adjustable sizes, but it's crucial to check compatibility specifications to ensure that the cooling pad can support my laptop’s dimensions effectively.

Cooling Efficiency (Fan Speed, Airflow Design)

Cooling efficiency is paramount. I often check the specifications for maximum fan speeds and the design that channels airflow effectively. Some cooling pads feature multiple fans positioned strategically to maximize airflow and ensure even cooling across the laptop chassis. This can significantly enhance performance, especially during high-intensity tasks.

Build Quality and Materials Used

Durability plays a significant role in my selection process. I prefer a cooling pad constructed from high-quality materials that can withstand daily use without deteriorating. Additionally, the design should support my laptop's weight without bending or breaking, providing a stable base during my workflow.

Noise Levels During Operation

I value a quiet working environment, so I pay attention to the noise levels of cooling pads. Many models boast ultra-quiet fans designed to minimize sound while maximizing cooling performance. A noisy cooling pad can be quite distracting, especially when I'm engrossed in important tasks or gaming.

Portability and Weight of the Cooling Pad

Since I often work on-the-go, portability is another factor I take into consideration. Lightweight and slim designs make it easier for me to carry the cooling pad around. If it can easily fit in my laptop bag without adding too much bulk, that’s a significant advantage.

Additional Features (USB Ports, Adjustable Height, LED Lights)

Extra features add more value to a cooling pad. Some models come with additional USB ports, allowing me to connect other devices without needing to sacrifice my laptop's ports. Adjustable heights are also helpful for achieving an ergonomic position while working. LED lights, while not necessary, can add a nice aesthetic touch if I enjoy a stylish setup.

Price Range and Value for Money

Finally, value for money is essential to me. I assess whether the cooling pad offers solid features and performance for its price. While I’m willing to invest in a good product, I always make sure it justifies its cost based on my use scenario.

Final Thoughts on Laptop Cooling Pads

After evaluating various options, it’s clear that keeping my laptop cool is vital for optimal performance. The key points to consider include size compatibility, cooling efficiency, and additional features tailored to individual needs. By investing in a good cooling pad, I can prolong my laptop's lifespan while ensuring it operates at peak performance.

The long-term benefits of using a cooling pad extend beyond just temperature management; they include improved overall system performance and an enhanced user experience. I would recommend specific models based on use cases, such as the havit HV-F2056 for portable needs, or the Kootek Laptop Cooling Pad for gamers looking for customizable options.

I encourage everyone to research and choose wisely based on their individual needs, considering how a cooling pad can fit into their tech ecosystem.

FAQs

What are the benefits of cooling pads?

Cooling pads help regulate laptop temperature, preventing overheating which can lead to hardware failure and performance degradation. They also provide ergonomic benefits, enhancing the user experience during prolonged use.

How do I choose a cooling pad?

When choosing a cooling pad, consider the size of your laptop, the cooling efficiency, build quality, and added features like USB ports or adjustable height. It's essential to also check for noise levels and portability.

Do cooling pads really lower temperatures?

Yes, cooling pads significantly lower temperatures by increasing airflow around the laptop. This helps dissipate heat more effectively, ensuring optimal performance during use.

Can cooling pads improve laptop performance?

Cooling pads can improve laptop performance by preventing thermal throttling caused by overheating. By maintaining lower temperatures, they help ensure smoother operation and responsiveness during resource-intensive tasks.

[beardedmrbean]

Gov. Wes Moore will look to make a dent in the looming $3 billion state budget deficit through a new effort that aims to save $50 million by eliminating wasteful and inconsistent spending across government agencies.

Real estate owned by the state and technology contracts will be among the first areas investigated, the governor announced Friday — two days after he first stressed he prefers to make cuts and find cost savings over passing tax increases this year.

The massive hole in the 2026 fiscal year budget is the most significant challenge facing lawmakers in the annual three-month session that began Wednesday. Moore will present his spending proposal Jan. 15 and has said it will include $2 billion in cuts.

The “government modernization” initiative will help close the other roughly $1 billion portion of the gap. Moore has not yet said where the rest, totaling more than $900 million, will come from in his proposal that legally must reflect a balanced budget.

It may also cost the state money to conduct. A contract approved by Moore’s administration in October will pay Boston Consulting Group, one of the world’s largest such agencies, up to $15 million if the state saves an estimated $75 million through its work over two years. Under the contract, the state would only pay if the savings are found in the areas identified.

Beyond real estate and technology, initial work will include streamlining the state’s contracting process and fleet management. That will mean, for example, reviewing policies for maintaining vehicles and whether agencies are paying different prices for items like laptops or desktop computers, Moore said.

At the start of a cabinet meeting Friday in Calvert County, he held up a government-issued Dell laptop as he described how some agencies are paying $1,000 while others are paying more than $1,400 for “the same piece of machinery.” Among the thousands of government-owned vehicles, hundreds are driven less than 1,200 miles per year, Moore said.

“These are taxpayer dollars,” Moore said. “They deserve better. They deserve greater accountability.”

The investigation will touch every agency and get into the “nerdy” details of governing, Moore said.

“We’ve got to get real specific on this stuff because when we get really specific on what it is that we’re looking for, we’re going to be able to save the taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Though the effort is still in its early stages, officials believe they can find at least $50 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1, and they will plan for that amount of savings when presenting the budget Wednesday. Lawmakers will then amend the budget and negotiate with the administration before a final plan is passed before the session ends in early April.

Leading the efficiency initiative will be Asma Mirza, a former official in President Joe Biden’s administration who Moore appointed as his “chief performance officer” in 2022. Mirza, who previously helped implement Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, has so far worked to enact Moore’s vast policy goals — including the “state plan” he pitched last year to outline a wide range of priorities.

The announcement Friday featured an executive order expanding Mirza’s office to include a new “director of government modernization” and codify the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement.

It also follows recent steps at the federal level by President-elect Donald Trump to kickstart a Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, that he’s said will look to trim federal spending. Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and world’s richest man, is preparing to lead the effort alongside entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Moore has targeted a relatively smaller amount of savings, when compared to the rest of the state budget, with his efficiency plan while Musk has said he hopes to significantly slash federal costs, potentially up to $2 trillion.

[cookiesnerd]

Best keyword research technique in SEO

The best keyword research technique in SEO involves a strategic, multi-step approach to identifying high-value keywords that align with your target audience's search intent. Here’s an effective technique you can follow:

1. Understand Your Audience and Goals

Start by defining your audience, their pain points, and what they might search for to find solutions. Think about your business goals: Do you want to increase traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? This understanding will guide your research.

2. Use Keyword Research Tools

Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, or Moz Keyword Explorer to generate a list of relevant keywords. These tools provide data on search volume, competition, and keyword difficulty, helping you prioritize terms that offer a balance between search traffic potential and low competition.

3. Analyze Competitors

Analyze your competitors’ websites to discover the keywords they rank for. Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs allow you to enter competitor domains and uncover their top-performing keywords. This can help you identify gaps or opportunities to rank for similar terms.

4. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases that tend to have lower competition but higher conversion rates. For example, instead of targeting "laptops," a long-tail keyword could be "best laptops for graphic design under $1000." These keywords are especially effective for capturing highly targeted traffic.

5. Look at Search Intent

Match keywords to the search intent (informational, navigational, transactional). For example:

Informational Intent: "How to train a dog to sit"\n- Navigational Intent: "Best dog training books"\n- Transactional Intent: "Buy dog training supplies online"\n\nTargeting intent-aligned keywords ensures your content meets the audience’s needs.

6. Explore Related Searches and Trends

Use Google’s "People Also Ask" and related searches features to identify additional keyword ideas. Google Trends is also a great tool for identifying trending keywords and seasonal interest in specific terms.

7. Refine and Organize Keywords

Group keywords into clusters based on themes or topics. This allows you to create targeted content for each group, optimizing your site structure and improving overall SEO performance.

By combining these techniques, you can develop a keyword strategy that maximizes your chances of ranking higher on search engines while driving targeted traffic to your website.

[mobilebyantoine]

Breaking Down the Latest Trends in Free Phones and Tablets

In the ever-evolving world of technology, phones and tablets remain at the forefront of innovation. With new models hitting the market almost every quarter, the demand for cutting-edge devices is higher than ever. However, purchasing the latest phones and tablets can be a significant financial burden for many. This has led to a growing trend: free phones and tablets. Let's explore what this trend means, who’s offering these devices, and how you can benefit from the latest offers.

What Are Free Phones and Tablets?

Free phones and tablets are devices provided to consumers at no upfront cost, typically through promotional offers from manufacturers, retailers, or service providers. These deals are often tied to specific terms and conditions, such as signing up for a service plan, participating in a trade-in program, or committing to a contract.

The concept isn’t entirely new, but recent trends have made these offers more appealing and accessible. Service providers and retailers are competing fiercely to attract and retain customers, resulting in more generous promotions. From 5G-enabled phones to high-performance tablets, the options available are more exciting than ever.

Why Are Free Phones and Tablets Trending?

Increased Competition Among Providers The mobile service industry is highly competitive. Companies are constantly looking for ways to attract new customers and keep existing ones. Offering free phones and tablets has become an effective marketing strategy, giving providers an edge in the marketplace.

Growing Consumer Expectations Consumers today expect more value for their money. Free devices are an excellent way for companies to meet these expectations while fostering customer loyalty.

Rapid Technology Cycles With devices becoming obsolete faster due to rapid advancements, manufacturers and retailers need to clear inventory quickly. Offering free or heavily discounted devices ensures that older models are sold before the next generation hits the shelves.

Who Offers Free Phones and Tablets?

Wireless Carriers Major wireless carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile frequently offer free phones and tablets as part of their promotional deals. These offers are typically tied to signing a new contract or adding a line to your existing plan.

Retailers Retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart occasionally run promotions where free devices are bundled with other products or services.

Government Programs Certain government programs, such as Lifeline Assistance, provide free phones and tablets to eligible low-income individuals. These programs aim to ensure that everyone has access to essential communication tools.

Manufacturers Companies like Samsung and Apple occasionally offer free devices with the purchase of another product, such as a new smartphone or laptop.

Key Trends in Free Phones and Tablets

5G Devices As 5G networks continue to expand, providers are increasingly offering free 5G-enabled phones and tablets to encourage users to upgrade. This helps providers recoup their investment in 5G infrastructure while giving consumers access to faster, more reliable connectivity.

Sustainable Practices Many companies are promoting trade-in programs where users can exchange their old devices for free or discounted new ones. This reduces electronic waste and makes it easier for consumers to stay updated with the latest technology.

Bundled Services Free phones and tablets are often bundled with service plans that include perks like unlimited data, streaming subscriptions, or cloud storage. These bundles add value for customers while boosting revenue for providers.

Customizable Options To cater to diverse consumer needs, companies are offering more flexibility in their promotions. Customers can now choose from a range of devices instead of being limited to a single model.

Benefits of Free Phones and Tablets

Cost Savings The most obvious benefit is the significant cost savings. High-quality phones and tablets can cost hundreds of dollars, so getting one for free is a huge financial relief.

Access to the Latest Technology Many free device offers feature the latest models, allowing consumers to enjoy advanced features and improved performance without breaking the bank.

Connectivity for All Free phones and tablets ensure that more people can stay connected, whether for work, education, or personal use. This is especially important in underserved communities.

Eco-Friendly Options Trade-in programs associated with free device offers encourage consumers to recycle their old electronics, reducing environmental impact.

Tips for Securing Free Phones and Tablets

Read the Fine Print Always review the terms and conditions of any promotion. Some offers require long-term commitments, while others may include hidden fees.

Compare Offers Don’t settle for the first deal you find. Compare offers from multiple providers to ensure you’re getting the best value.

Look for Trade-In Opportunities If you have an old device, check if it qualifies for a trade-in promotion. This can significantly reduce your upfront costs.

Check Eligibility Requirements For government programs and other need-based offers, ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria before applying.

Act Quickly Many promotions are time-sensitive and available only while supplies last. If you find a great deal, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it.

The Future of Free Phones and Tablets

As technology continues to advance and competition intensifies, the trend of free phones and tablets is likely to grow. We can expect to see more innovative offers, including:

Expanded trade-in programs with higher value for older devices.

Increased availability of free 5G-enabled devices.

Promotions tied to emerging technologies like foldable phones and AR/VR-ready tablets.

Greater focus on sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives.

Final Thoughts

Free phones and tablets represent a win-win for consumers and companies alike. While consumers enjoy access to the latest devices without the hefty price tag, companies gain loyal customers and a competitive edge. If you’re in the market for a new phone or tablet, now is the perfect time to explore the available offers. Whether you’re upgrading to 5G, participating in a trade-in program, or taking advantage of a government initiative, there’s never been a better opportunity to stay connected without breaking the bank.

For more insights and updates on the latest trends in free phones and tablets, visit Mobile by Antoine. Start exploring your options today and enjoy the benefits of staying connected with ease!

[iammiracl3]

7 Visualization Techniques To Help You Achieve Your Goals

Introduction

Visualization is the practice of communicating your brain telling it what to  concentrate on in a clear and specific way. By constantly visualizing your  dreams, you  lead your mind for success, attract opportunities, and take inspired action towards your asked goals .Visualization, also called imagery, can not only help you reach materialistic goals, but helps to reduce stress as well. It's used among healthcare professionals , athletes and even business tycoons as an effective stress management tool. 

Here are 7 most  important and unique techniques of visualization which can help you transfigure your life and to achieve your goals- 

 1. Vision board

 A vision board is a collage of pictures and words portraying a person's wishes or intentions, aimed to serve as  stimulant or motivation. To make a vision board all you need is a glue stick, some pictures or cut outs, a white board and a pair of scissors. Vision board can also be digital as you can make them on your cellphone or laptop. You'll need to identify what do you want to achieve for your future and write it down, after choosing the specific goals you need to make strategies to achieve your ambitions.  Once you're done you'll need to collect images and  quotations that resembles with your goals or whatever you want to manifest after that you have to stick them beautifully on your vision board which will help you to flash back  your dreams, goals, intentions and strategies.  Using a vision board you can manifest your personal as well as professional goals in your life. Place your vision board at a place where you can see it very frequently. 

How does the vision board works? 

 We all know that it does not seems true that we can achieve anything just by looking at it or thinking about it so what's the need of a vision board?  Vision boards are useful because they keep reminding you about the strategies you have made for your  pretensions and acts as motivational force for the asked   conduct.  By looking at the vision board you get a clarity about which direction you have to go to achieve your goals and it constantly remind you about your priorities.  A vision board guides and motivates you to take necessary  conduct towards your  dreams and you can also use power of visualization with your continuous efforts and will power to increase the chances of achieving the goals you want to achieve.

2. Creating triggers for your subconscious mind

 The process of triggering the subconscious mind is a bit typical but once you learn it will be easy for you to do it in a routine basis. In order to perform that your visualization must work and you need to reprogramme your subconscious mind, you can expose yourself with a sensory input like a subliminal music or messages which can help you to connect with the results you want to achieve for your goals. You need to perform this atleast everyday for a period of time until your brain start accepting that the vision you're having towards your goal is true. The channelization of subconscious mind is very crucial in order to achieve your goals in your life. It boosts the process of visualization and brings concrete results slowly and steadily.

3. Use your all five senses

If we've a clear vision of an end result we feel extremely motivated towards it. Whenever you  fantasize something using all your senses it's extremely powerful. Most of us  incontinently recall a past memory after hearing a song or smelling some fragrance. Choose your goals that you want to manifest and accomplish and with your all five senses try to  envision that how will you feel if you achieve those  goals. With each visual coming to your mind close your eyes and try to feel it as real as possible.   Try to hear the sound which is coming from your surroundings while you're  imaging your dream. Think about what are you wearing?, how is the temperature? Is there anything you can smell? Who are the people around you? By doing and engaging all your senses in this manner you'll  fully submerge your brain into the situation which will enhance your capacities to visualize.

4. Incorporate mental rehearsal

We can ameliorate and enhance the visualization process by doing mental rehearsal . whenever we  fantasize something ,our mind creates an image of our asked  things, these images activates a neural path in our brain as if that thing is actually  occurring, in other words brain cannot  separate between a real and an imaginary thing this process is Known as "internal stimulation theory".  Mental rehearsal involves rehearsing an asked outgrowth in the mind, and this practice helps to strengthen the neural pathways associated with the asked behavior. Mental rehearsal has been shown to enrich physical performance, similar as in sports, by enhancing motor skills and reducing anxiety. Both visualization and mental rehearsal can also be used to upgrade cognitive performance, as in academics and business. Imaging success in a specific task or work can help to increase  motivation, reduce anxiety, and enrich focus and attention. 

5. Draw your goals

For further effective visualization you can draw your goals on a board or sheet using colors or sketches this creative visualization technique makes your goal planning process more interesting and captivating. You can also use digital mediums to draw your art work which resembles with your  thing. Once you're done with your  delineations and artwork put it at a place where you can look at it and visualize that how you can turn your artwork into real things.

6. Meditation

When we combine visualization with meditation the results are incredibly good. Visualization meditation is a type of contemplation where we  produce a  internal image in our mind in order to attain inner peace. All you need to do is to  fantasize a place where you feel relaxed and calm, it could be any destination. You can also imagine about a specific colour or light or  passing any positive emotions. This type of meditation brings  internal clarity, emotional regulation and makes the process of visualization more meaningful and cultivates focus for specific goals. 

7. Practice affirmations

Rehearsing affirmation while visualising something helps you to manifest the  effects you want in your future by focusing on your thoughts and  feelings in a powerful way. Set a clear intention, find a quiet space so that you can  concentrate on your thoughts,  fantasize your dreams and affirm those feelings which are associated with your dream or desire, keep doing this process until you manifest your asked  results. For  illustration you can affirm 

" I deserve to have everything my heart desires and it's coming  fluently and effortlessly into my world now”

Conclusion - If you want to live a purposeful and meaningful life with all your dreams coming true you need to use the power of visualization on a daily basis with your true emotions. If you follow above 7 visualization techniques as mentioned above you will surely observe visible changes which will not only bring you prosperity but a peaceful life also so keep practicing and keep achieving, Universe is always there for you.

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Boost Sales: Responsive Web Design & Ecommerce App Development 

In the fast-paced world of online retail, staying ahead of the competition requires more than just offering great products and services. Your digital presence plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining customers. Two key elements that can significantly boost your sales are responsive web design and ecommerce app development. By focusing on these aspects, you can enhance the user experience, improve accessibility, and ultimately drive more conversions. In this article, we'll explore how responsive web design and ecommerce app development can transform your online business and lead to increased sales. 

1. The Importance of Responsive Web Design 

Responsive web design is a design approach that ensures your website looks and functions well across all devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. With the increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping, having a responsive website is no longer optional—it's essential. 

Why Responsive Web Design Matters: 

Enhanced User Experience: A responsive website automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of the device being used. This means that whether your customers are browsing on a smartphone or a large desktop monitor, they will have a seamless and enjoyable experience. A positive user experience is crucial for keeping visitors on your site and encouraging them to explore your products or services further. 

Improved SEO Performance: Search engines like Google prioritize websites that offer a good user experience across all devices. Responsive web design is a key factor in achieving higher search engine rankings. By ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, you can improve your visibility in search results, attract more organic traffic, and increase your chances of converting visitors into customers. 

Increased Conversion Rates: A website that is difficult to navigate on mobile devices can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates. On the other hand, a responsive design makes it easy for users to find what they're looking for, whether it's product information, contact details, or checkout options. This ease of use can significantly increase your conversion rates and boost sales. 

2. The Role of Ecommerce App Development in Boosting Sales 

While a responsive website is essential, having a dedicated ecommerce app can take your online business to the next level. Ecommerce app development focuses on creating a mobile application specifically designed for online shopping, offering a more personalized and streamlined experience for your customers. 

Benefits of Ecommerce App Development: 

Personalized Shopping Experience: Ecommerce apps allow you to offer a more personalized shopping experience by leveraging user data. Features such as personalized product recommendations, tailored promotions, and saved shopping carts can make your customers feel valued and encourage repeat purchases. 

Faster and More Convenient Shopping: Apps are generally faster and more responsive than mobile websites, providing a smoother shopping experience. With features like one-click purchasing, push notifications, and offline access, ecommerce apps make it easier and more convenient for customers to shop, leading to increased sales. 

Loyalty Programs and Rewards: Ecommerce apps can be integrated with loyalty programs, offering customers rewards for making purchases, referring friends, or engaging with your brand. These incentives can encourage users to return to your app, fostering customer loyalty and boosting long-term sales. 

Direct Communication with Customers: Push notifications allow you to communicate directly with your customers, informing them about new products, special offers, and upcoming sales. This direct line of communication can drive immediate engagement and encourage impulse buying, resulting in higher sales. 

3. Combining Responsive Web Design and Ecommerce App Development 

To maximize the impact of your online presence, it's important to combine the strengths of both responsive web design and ecommerce app development. Here's how you can integrate these strategies to boost your sales: 

Consistent Branding Across Platforms: Ensure that your brand’s look and feel is consistent across your responsive website and ecommerce app. This consistency helps build brand recognition and trust, making it easier for customers to navigate between your website and app. 

Seamless Integration of Features: Features that work well on your responsive website should also be available on your app, and vice versa. For example, if your website offers a wish list or shopping cart, these should be seamlessly integrated into your app so that customers can access them from any device. 

Data-Driven Insights: Use data from both your responsive website and ecommerce app to gain insights into customer behavior. By analyzing this data, you can optimize your marketing strategies, product offerings, and user experience to better meet the needs of your customers and drive sales. 

Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Leverage the data collected from your ecommerce app to create targeted marketing campaigns. For example, you can send personalized offers to customers who have abandoned their carts, or promote new products to users based on their previous purchases. These targeted campaigns can significantly increase your sales and customer retention rates. 

4. Implementing Best Practices for Success 

To fully benefit from responsive web design and ecommerce app development, it's important to follow best practices during the implementation process: 

Prioritize Mobile Users: Given the growing number of mobile shoppers, prioritize the mobile experience when designing your website and app. Ensure that your website loads quickly on mobile devices and that your app is easy to navigate, with intuitive controls and clear calls to action. 

Focus on Speed and Performance: Both your responsive website and ecommerce app should be optimized for speed and performance. A slow-loading site or app can frustrate users and lead to lost sales. Regularly test and optimize your digital platforms to ensure they perform well under different conditions. 

Invest in Quality Development: Work with experienced developers who understand the nuances of both responsive web design and ecommerce app development. Investing in quality development ensures that your digital platforms are robust, secure, and capable of handling high traffic volumes. 

Keep User Experience at the Forefront: Always keep the user experience in mind when designing your website and app. Consider how users will interact with your platforms and what features will make their shopping experience easier and more enjoyable. 

Conclusion 

Responsive web design and ecommerce app development are powerful tools that can significantly boost your online sales. By creating a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience across all devices, you can attract more customers, increase conversions, and build long-term loyalty. Whether you're just starting out or looking to enhance your existing digital presence, investing in these strategies is essential for staying competitive in today's ecommerce landscape. Start optimizing your website and developing your ecommerce app today to unlock new opportunities for growth and success.