Category: feature

Springtime is the best time for planting flowers as the temperatures are getting warmer. Growing the plants early enough ensures they have enough time to bloom and survive even in the fall season. The following are some of the best flowers to plant in early spring:

1. Crocuses

These hardy bulbs are a classic herald of early spring. Crocuses will often pop up when snow is still on the ground. With narrow and grass-like foliage, Crocuses grow rapidly, forming carpets of color over the years and growing even where you did not plant them. Plant your on slightly acidic soil and partly shady areas, but with full sun. Good drainage is also essential for crocuses to bloom. These flowers are available in shades of purple, orange, pink, white, and yellow.

2. Snowdrops

A snowdrop is a very early bloomer that often grows with the hellebore and crocus. Snowdrops have thick, fleshy grass-like leaves and drooping, white, bell-shaped flowers with a splotch of green on the margin that resembles a tiny inverted heart. To grow snowdrops, you require organically rich and well-drained soil. Provide enough sun for the quick blossoming of the flowers. Well-taken care of snowdrops can grow up to 7 inches.

3. Daffodils

These sturdy, trumpet-shaped flowers are best known for their classic bright yellow color. Often interplanted with snowdrops, hyacinths, and tulips, daffodils come in many different varieties. The ideal conditions for planting daffodils are enough sunlight and organically rich soil with a neutral pH and good drainage. The foliage of this sturdy plant consists of narrow and strap-like leaves.

4. Weigela

These deciduous species of plants have pretty pink-and-white trumpeting flowers, which bloom profusely in early spring. They bloom most when exposed to plenty of sunlight, though they can also tolerate partial shade and will rebloom in summer and fall. They look beautiful in a front garden surrounding an entryway or porch.

5. Primroses

These low-care perennials often bloom when snow is on the ground. Primroses appear in early spring in a rainbow of colors, including white, canary yellow, deep purple, and pink.

6. Forsythia

Forsythia is a tall, deciduous shrub with slender, arching branches dotted with bright yellow blossoms. These flowers spring directly from the stems, nodding their star-shaped yellow heads before most other blooms have awakened, and their narrow elliptical leaves sometimes appear before the flowers fall. The leaves may turn bronze during fall. Right after flowering, you need to trim the older flowers to make room for the next year’s budding. Forsythia is attractive for lining fences and walkways, especially with bright bulbs and perennials in the foreground.

7. Tulips

Tulip bulbs are technically a perennial, but they often fade after the first year, so they are treated as annuals and planted every year. Likewise, this means they are ideal for an early spring plant overhaul. Unfortunately, tulips are also prone to attack by rodents, so plant them in pots where rodents cannot dig or layer them underneath less tasty bulbs such as daffodils.

Whether you want to incorporate early spring flowers into existing gardens or give them new spaces of their own, it is good to plant them early enough and under their required growing conditions.

It’s time to dive into this week’s tech news with the leading headlines around the globe. From New Netflix Features to AI News from Meta and more, stay connected with the world of tech.

AI-powered ‘universal speech translator’ plans announced by Meta

An AI-powered ‘universal speech translator’ may soon be on the way from Meta. The owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp announced the new research project this week. Meta hopes to create a translation software that can work for “everyone in the world.” The announcement of the product came at an event for Meta which focused on a range of benefits the company believes AI can offer. Likewise, all of these AI ventures tie into the company’s ambitious metaverse plans. “The ability to communicate with anyone in any language — that’s a superpower people have dreamed of forever, and AI is going to deliver that within our lifetimes,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an online presentation.

Google Ditches Data Saver Mode on Android Devices

Bad news for fans of Google Chrome on Android. Google announced this week it will soon eliminate the data saver mode feature on Android phone devices. Chrome’s “Lite mode” served as a way to help users cut down on mobile data usage. The feature will go away with the release of Chrome version M100 in late March. With unlimited data plans not being the norm, the company feels that the feature is no longer needed. “Although Lite mode is going away, we remain committed to ensuring Chrome can deliver a fast webpage loading experience on mobile”, said the company in a statement. The latest version of Chrome for Android will release on March 29. Likewise, this means that the Lite mode will remain available until that time. 

Netflix Unveils Curated Stream of Comedy Clips

Comedy fans can rejoice at the arrival of Netflix’s Fast Laughs. The new stream of comedy clips hand-picked by the streaming giant serves as a collection of funny short videos. Each video clip will run at about 3 seconds or longer from Netflix hit series and movies. The company hopes the new service will help to introduce users to new content. Those that have opted into the feature and are part of the test will be able to access Fast Laughs from the Netflix homepage. Some of the clips will include content from hits like Army of the Dead, Big Mouth, and Jerry Seinfeld stand-up specials. In addition, users will also get the chance to add the title to their watch list or choose to watch more. The feature is available in the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and “other select English-speaking countries.”

Virgin Hyperloop to Switch Focus to Cargo Transport

In a company-wide shift, Virgin Hyperloop has announced they will be switching focus from passengers to cargo transport. The company is one of the leading firms working on the energy-saving concept of vacuum-sealed tube transports. This comes after Virgin Hyperloop, known prior as Hyperloop One achieved the milestone of the first-ever test run with human passengers. The change to a cargo focused service comes as a result of the company seeing a lack of funding interest. While the company had hoped to see working hyperloops around the world by 2020, no such technology has been unveiled as of yet. In addition, the company also stated the shift to cargo has “more to do with global supply chain issues.”

Donda 2 Album to Only Drop on Kanye West’s Stem Player

Fans of Grammy-winning artist, Kanye West will have to invest in the performer’s Stem Player device to hear his upcoming album, Donda 2. The follow-up to the first Donda album will not be available on any streaming platform upon release. Set to debut on February 22, the album will be the second record from Ye that is available on the device. The Stem Player debuted last year in a partnership with Kano Computing. Stem Player allows users to manipulate any song using the touch-sensitive light sliders embedded in its beige shell. Fans of the artist and his endeavors can pick up the Stem Player for $200 ahead of Donda 2’s release.

Snapchat to Let Users Share Real-time Location with Friends 

Meant to be used as a buddy system, Snapchat’s latest feature lets users share real-time locations with friends. The new sharing feature will be similar to the Find My app on iOS devices. Of course, the feature will be available to users who have opted in. Likewise, the app will allow users to share their precise location and can be enabled for 15 minutes or a few hours. In addition, users can pause their sharing without sending the other art a notification, according to Snapchat. The company made the announcement this week, in partnership with It’s On Us, a national nonprofit program. 

From the return of MoviePass to Your Uber Ratings and more, keep up with the weeks leading headlines in the world of tech. We have you covered on all of the top news happenings around the world. Read on for the week’s tech news!

Uber Now Lets Users See How Many One-Star reviews They Received

If you have ever wondered how many one-star ratings you’ve received as a passenger on Uber (because no one is perfect) the time has come. The app has launched a new feature that lets users see how many under 5-star reviews they’ve earned through the years. This new insight is meant to help passengers see how they are perceived when using the app. To access the feature, users will have to visit the Privacy Center. From there, you’ll swipe right to the  “Would you like to see a summary of how you use Uber” tile. Once there, you will scroll down to “Browse your data” section where you’ll find “View my ratings”. Once you’ve reached this section, take some time to reflect on any non-stellar ratings you’ve received, and let’s all aim to do better. Happy Uber-ing!

MoviePass Aims to Move Past its Downfall and Rebuild Better than Before

For obvious reasons, the era of MoviePass was short-lived, albeit enjoyed during its brief reign. With the services, first iteration leading to the demise of movie ticket prices in 2019, the company’s former owner is now back at the helm. Stacy Spikes, CEO of MoviePass is looking to the next phase of MoviePass, with a revamp of sorts. Spikes hopes to turn MoviePass into a marketplace where theaters and advertisers can offer incentives directly to customers. In addition, other changes will include MoviePass moving to a credit system. Likewise, this means instead of the previous model of one movie a day, seeing a film will be based on how many points a user has. While many changes are still in the works with MoviePass, the company will also seek to delve into the Metaverse in the near future. 

A Jeff Koons Designed BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe Will Soon Hit the Market for $350k

While only being available in limited quantity (99 vehicles total), you can soon get behind the wheel of a Jeff Koons-designed BMW. The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe will be available for purchase to interested buyers for $350,000. BMW and Koons will build on the 2023 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe will a distinct style of 11 different colors. In addition, to the 99 vehicles for sale, one of the vehicles will be auctioned off for charity. “It’s all about movement and the power of moving forward,” Koons said. “You’re Wonder Woman, you’re Superman, you’re Spider-Man and what’s going through your veins is pure acceleration.” As with most of Jeff Koon’s work, those interested in securing their own specialty 8 series, should get one before they’re gone!

A New Update Comes to Apple AirTags with Better Privacy, Sound, and Tracking

Apple AirTags is getting a long-overdue fix to its privacy settings and tracking tools. The company will soon add new privacy warnings, sound alerts, and tracking codes to its AirTags sensors. This comes as the latest effort by the company to improve the security and privacy of its devices. These software updates will offer new warnings to those seeing up AirTags on tracking consent. “We design our products to provide a great experience, but also with safety and privacy in mind,” Apple said in a statement announcing the changes Thursday. “We’re committed to listening to feedback and innovating to make improvements that continue to guard against unwanted tracking.”

Spotify to Acquire to Major Podcast Platforms in Effort to Expand its Offerings

With the company pushing forward into its Podcast venture, Spotify has acquired two major platforms. Podsights and Chartable are the companies acquired by Spotify, making them the first major acquisition of the year. Both companies are among the most prominent podcast marketing and ad attribution companies in the industry right now. Respectively each company allows podcasters and networks to include tags in their shows to track who listened. In addition, the tracking tools offer insight into whether an ad was heard and what action was taken after listening to the ad. “These tools will make it easier for publishers to turn audience insights into action and expand their listenership while ultimately growing their businesses,” Spotify writes.

Snapchat to Soon Let Users Change Username

This month, users on Snapchat will finally be able to change their Username on the platform. This change comes as a reprieve for users. Up until this point, users had to start new accounts in order to change their chosen account name. According to Snapchat, username changes were among its most requested feature for the app. Likewise, the new option will of course be available on both iOS and Android devices. Snapchat’s username update will go into effect on February 23.