Month: August 2023

Apple has just issued a service announcement warning people that sleeping on a charging device could lead to fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to the phone or property. This is big news: nearly 1.5 million people worldwide are iPhone users, and according to a survey, 64% of those who live in America charge their phones while they sleep.

That means every night, somewhere around a billion people are at some risk, however statistically small, of starting a fire.

Apple says that its phone and USB power adaptors can become hot while charging, which may lead to discomfort or injury. “Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device, its power adapter, or a wireless charger when it’s operating or connected to a power source for long periods of time,” the statement reads. “For example, don’t sleep on a device, power adapter, or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow, or your body, when it’s connected to a power source. Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging.”

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Apple also warns against charging a phone near liquids and asks users to discard damaged chargers immediately. “Using damaged cables or chargers, or charging when moisture is present, can cause fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to iPhone or other property,” the company said in a statement.

Additionally, Apple cautioned users about the heightened risk of fire when using third-party chargers, noting that some cheaper chargers might not meet the safety standards of Apple’s official products. The company advises using chargers paired with “Made for iPhone” cables that adhere to global safety norms.

The tech giant isn’t the only one sounding the alarm about overnight charging dangers. A fire department in Kent, England, has also warned iPhone users about the risks of sleep-charging.

“We get a lot of questions here at Kent Fire & Rescue about why you shouldn’t charge phones overnight,” the fire expert warned in a viral TikTok video. ”So here are the reasons why. Number one: you can’t smell anything when you’re asleep, so if it starts to burn, the fire won’t wake you up. Number two: it only takes three breaths of smoke to knock you unconscious. Number three: lots of people have cheap or faulty phone chargers, but even genuine ones have been known to start fires.”

Even though Apple and a fire department have warned about charging at night, changing the public’s habits will be hard. Those who want to see the real dangers of charging a phone at night look no further than this video of an iPhone 4, all by itself, catching a blaze at a home in Green Township, Ohio.

Older iPhones are more likely to catch fire because their lithium batteries become larger with age. A chemical reaction inside the battery provides power, but the chemical reaction can fail over time and create a gas. “We were extremely lucky to avoid a house fire,” Brian Leisgang told WCPO. “Luckily we had just cleaned off the counter.”

Does this conversation sound familiar?

Millennial: “Housing costs are ridiculous. And now mortgage rates are double what they were a few years ago. How am I supposed to afford to buy a house?”

Boomer: “You know what the interest rate was on my first house? Over 16%. I’d have loved to have a 7% interest mortgage!”

Millennial: “But you could raise a family on a single middle-class income when you were my age. That’s just not possible now.”

Boomer: “Well, maybe if you stopped buying avocado toast and Starbucks, you could afford a house.”

Millennial: [blank stare]

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Generational battles over economics aren’t new, but some eras provide more fodder for such exchanges than others. Right now, it’s the cost of housing that has younger people feeling stuck while older folks (or people who were lucky enough to land a house several years ago) are sitting pretty on the equity they’ve gained since the pandemic started.

Those of us who already own a house and aren’t thinking of selling any time soon may not be fully aware of how drastically things have changed for those in the homebuying market. One realtor on TikTok shared a breakdown of the numbers, and it is eye-opening.

Watch this explainer from Freddie Smith:

@fmsmith319

Housing cost from 1995 vs 2019 vs 2023

Umm, yeah. It would take a truckload of avocado toast to even come close to making up for that increase. And these numbers are assuming you could even afford an $84,000 down payment. First-time homebuyers can often qualify for a 3% down loan, which makes it easier to get into the house but increases the monthly payment.

People in the comments commiserated, and many people asked what they were supposed to do in light of this reality. Some suggested buying land and putting a cheap mini-home on it until they had enough saved up to build a house. Others said to wait it out because the current market isn’t sustainable and we may see a housing crash. (Though, as one commenter pointed out, “[In] 2019 we were told everything would crash but instead everything went up in record numbers.”)

Some blamed the current administration, completely ignoring the global pandemic of the past three years that resulted in economic upheaval and ongoing fallout everywhere. The immediate housing market has always been somewhat unpredictable, and it’s a crapshoot as to whether or not it’s the best time to buy.

But when you can’t even come close to affording it, it’s a moot question anyway. Surely, something’s got to give, but the question is what, when and how.

Smith has many, many videos showing the math behind the housing market. Follow him on TikTok for more.

If you have older teens and frequent mom groups, you’ve probably heard of the term “soiling the nest.” Sure, there may be plenty of parents who don’t know the term, but as someone who belongs to a few social media groups geared toward parents of teens and young adults, I can assure you a lot of parents know it and are misusing it to explain some really poor behaviors.

So what is “soiling the nest”? It’s a term used in psychology and child development that encompasses the stage between the last few months of high school and heading off to college. Teens tend to become moodier, more distant and quite frankly, they get on your nerves.

Lots of big life changes are coming up, so they’re stressed, nervous and overwhelmed about leaving home. To make the transition a bit easier, they start pushing away from their family unit so as to not miss them as much.

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During this stage, it seems like those early teen “I know everything” attitudes return along with those puberty-related mood swings. But it’s not a second puberty; it’s simply an uncomfortable stage that kids about to head out the door of childhood go through.

Except, not all behaviors indicate soiling the nest. I’ve seen this term misused both as a licensed therapist and as a mom of teens and a young adult. It can be hard not to chime in every time I observe well-meaning parents explaining away someone else’s child’s disrespectful and sometimes dangerous behavior.

Behaviors like cussing parents out, extreme anger outbursts, not coming home at night or blocking your phone calls are not really soiling the nest behaviors. Suddenly using drugs, drinking excessively and being verbally or physically abusive are also not behaviors that are “normal,” though time and time again, they’re being dismissed as this psychological term and parents are being told to let some of these concerning behaviors slide.

But if the behaviors that are being lumped into this developmental stage aren’t soiling the nest, then how did it get misunderstood? It comes back to “therapy speak” being popularized by social media and it being used incorrectly repeatedly, which in this case, may have some parents missing mental health concerns. Or at the very least, accepting unacceptable behavior which will, in turn, encourage their own children to treat them poorly.

House rules and respectful behavior don’t simply go out the window when a child is preparing to leave for college. Things like teens spending more time with friends and trying to push their curfew, or parents noticing that it’s 10 p.m. and their teen still hasn’t fed the cats, but when reminded they respond with, “I know. I was going to, you don’t have to remind me”? Those scenarios are soiling the nest. Late teens can be sassy, moody, and hang out until they’re within 30 seconds of their curfew every day. They suddenly know everything they need to know about college, life and being an adult and roll their eyes any time you try to impart wisdom.

Soiling the nest is absolutely a normal developmental stage, but behaviors that swing to the extreme end of the spectrum aren’t.

Amid several rumors and reports of Britney Spears and Sam Asghari‘s divorce, Asghari has taken to Instagram to confirm the news.

Asghari and Spears met in 2016 on the set of Spears’ video for “Slumber Party.” The two married in June of 2022. In a story, Asghari wrote that although the marriage is coming to an end sooner than expected—after 14 months, to be exact— he still wishes his soon-to-be-ex-wife nothing but the best.

“After 6 years of love and commitment to each other, my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” Asghari wrote. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Sh*t happens. Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic], so I will just ask for everyone, including media, to be kind and thoughtful.”

In his message, Asghari seems to be at peace over the divorce, despite the fact that earlier reports claim that Spears once beat Asghari in his sleep.

Spears herself has not commented on the impending divorce, but appears to be in good spirits. In her latest Instagram post, Spears is seen on the beach, riding horseback. In the post’s caption, she shared that she is considering buying a new horse.

You can see Asghari’s post above.

Taylor Swift has had the internet abuzz all summer long. Between her recording breaking Eras Tour and the release of her Speak Now re-recording, the “Karma” hitmaker has been keeping the Swifties fed.

Last week, at the conclusion of the first leg of her Eras Tour in Los Angeles, Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 2014 album.

1989 was a particularly special era for Swift, as the album marked her pivot from country to pop music, and fans have been waiting for to get their hands on Swift’s new version. Today (August 17), Swift announced that she’s releasing a version of the vinyl edition with an alternate cover. On 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Sunrise Boulevard Vinyl Edition, Swift is seen laying in the sand on the beach, wearing a colorful jumper.

On the inside are two pastel yellow vinyl discs.

https://x.com/taylorswift13/status/1692250369164751110?s=46&t=0B7rjHID1V3nNPkYMB-koA

This particular album cover is only available for a limited time, however, fans can purchase this special edition until Saturday (August 19) through Swift’s website.

All editions of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will come with five previously unreleased songs, as well as never before seen photos.

As of now, this special edition is only available to fans with a U.S. address.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out 10/27 via Republic. Find more information here.

Super producer Mike Will Made-It has blessed a new track his Midas touch once again. This time, he has teamed up with Lil Uzi Vert for a flashy new single, “Blood Moon.”

On “Blood Moon,” Mike Will is at the helm of the beat, per usual, and is joined by J. Cole, who, despite not having any rap vocals on the track, contributed to the song’s production. Over the track, Uzi celebrates a life of excess, rapping raspy, bragaddocious bars.

“Stepped in this b*tch like a killer, stepped in this b*tch in all Margiela / Grip on my waist, got a damn caterpillar / Lil Uzi Vert higher then a damn pillar,” raps Uzi on the song’s opening verse.

While Uzi enjoys the opportunity to flex, they’ve admitted that they don’t think of themselves as a fashion icon. In an interview with GQ, they admitted that some of their biggest fashion moments have come from them just throwing random items of clothing together.

“I low-key just wear anything,” said Uzi. “Sometimes I troll and say shit like that, but I’m not the best-dressed rapper. I don’t even care about that. It’d be the worst-dressed people with all the girls, so it doesn’t even matter.”

You can listen to “Blood Moon” above.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s official: Shannon Sharpe is headed to ESPN. According to Andrew Marchand and Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Stephen A. Smith’s well-documented interest in having Sharpe join the roster of personalities on the morning debate show will end up coming to fruition, as Sharpe is slated to appear on the show on Mondays and Tuesday. Their reporting indicates that this will happen during the football season, and it is unclear if this partnership will continue beyond February.

Sharpe recently left Fox Sports, where he and former First Take personality Skip Bayless went head-to-head on their own debate show, Undisputed. While his former show is apparently putting together a roster of names to debate Bayless when it comes back to the airwaves in the coming weeks, Smith was not shy about his interest in having Sharpe come on his show, although he made it a point to say he did not want him to become a permanent co-host.

“I welcome Shannon Sharpe to First Take, but it would be in the mix of being a part of the family,” Smith said on his podcast. “I like the potpourri of contributors. I like the action and the action and the fun on the show. Adding people into the mix is one thing, changing the complete makeup and formula of the show is entirely different, and that ain’t happening for anyone.”

There’s no word on when Sharpe will start to appear on First Take.

There’s a reason why we love movies like “Big” and “13 Going on 30.” We can all relate to that feeling of still being a kid despite walking around in an adult-shaped body. And while some of us are better about letting that inner child run the show every once in a while than others, we all find moments to allow the pure joy and wonder that come from youth.

And when we do allow for some of that kid magic in our lives, great things happen. It’s no secret that playing is not only good for the soul, there are psychological benefits to it, too—boosting our creativity, helping us cope better with stress and improving our overall sense of well-being.

One hotel’s outstanding gesture of hospitality only goes to prove this conventional wisdom. Even if the staff did it by complete accident.

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In a hilarious now-viral TikTok clip, a man (read: man, as in, full-grown adult) named Cole shares the aftermath of a wholesome prank his dad pulled on the Kindersley Quality Inn and Suites after he booked a room for himself and his “kid.”

Cole’s dad must have been in on how the hotel makes little kids feel welcome, because he is all giggles when they both walk in and Cole’s bed has not only a tie-dye fort but a teddy bear.

The fort even came with a list of “rules.” Really they were all for laughs, such as the “defend the fort at all costs” rule…However, there was a “no passing gas in the fort” rule. That sounds like solid regulation, honestly.

Cole’s reaction to all this? Glee. Utter glee.

Watch:

@lifewithacole Kindersley Quality Inn and Suites out did theirselves! This is the funniest things I have seen on the road from a hotel crew! #fyp #canadatiktok #canada #alberta #edmonton #kindersley #saskatoon #saskatchewan #lovinglife #livingmybestlife #hotel #qualityinnandsuites #funny #funnymoments #prank ♬ Caramel Latte – Prod. By Rose

“They just made this your most memorable sleepover!” one person commented.

Other praises for the hotel came flooding in, not to mention all the grown-ups who would love to have this kind of five-star treatment.

Check out what folks said below:

“This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“My actual little kid would freaking love that!”

“Omg…I want this as an adult too…”

“How fng cool is this????”“

That is honestly so sweet. 5 star review! Haha some people just really go that extra mile to make someone smile! So thoughtful.”

So thoughtful, indeed. Just goes to show that we all appreciate the simple joys of life, not matter how old we are.

Mornings can be a challenge for a lot of folks. Our beds feel incredibly cozy, and after the alarm sounds, the allure of “just five more minutes” seems irresistible. The snooze button promises a brief escape to the warmth of dreams, a little respite before facing the day. It’s a small comfort, a momentary delay from the bustle ahead.

But five minutes becomes 10 minutes and then 15 minutes, until we find ourselves racing against the clock to get to work on time. The snooze button can create a terrible cycle that feels like an addiction.

If you’re a snoozeaholic, a one-minute video by Melanie Robbins may break your dependence. Robbins is a podcast host, author, motivational speaker and former lawyer. She is known for her TEDx talk, “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” and her books, “The 5 Second Rule” and “The High 5 Habit,” as well as for hosting The Mel Robbins Podcast.

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In a TikTok video taken from her podcast, Robbins explains the neuroscience behind why hitting the snooze button is a terrible idea.

@melrobbins

Stop hitting the snooze button on your life and TAKE CONTROL! 🚀 Sign up for my new, FREE 3-part training, Take Control with Mel Robbins. It’s designed specifically to to help you step back into excellence, take ACTION, and create the life you deserve! 🔗 in bio #melrobbins #dailyinspiration #mindsetmotivation #tapintopotential #takecontrol #reinventyourlife #snoozebutton #wakeup #wakeupcall

“Let me hit you with some neuroscience here. Two words: sleep inertia,” Robbins begins the clip. “When you hit the snooze button, you’re awake, and as the alarm turns off, your brain then drifts back into sleep.”

“Here’s the thing that researchers have figured out—when you drift back to sleep after you’ve woken up, your brain starts a sleep cycle. Sleep cycles take 75 to 90 minutes to complete,” she continued. “So, when that alarm goes off again in nine minutes and you’re like ‘oh my God’—have you ever noticed you’re in deep sleep when you drift back to sleep?”

Robbins reasons that because you’ve entered a new sleep cycle, you will feel even more exhausted than if you woke up when the alarm first went off, and the feeling can last for a good part of the day.

“That’s because you’re nine minutes into a 75-minute sleep cycle.” That groggy, exhausted feeling that you have, that’s not a function of how well you slept. “It takes your brain about four hours to get through that groggy-a** feeling,” Robbins says.

If you’re looking for a scientific take on the same issue, Steven Bender, a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M University, agrees with Robbins. “Delaying getting out of bed for nine minutes by hitting the snooze is simply not going to give us any more restorative sleep. In fact, it may serve to confuse the brain into starting the process of secreting more neurochemicals that cause sleep to occur, according to some hypotheses,” Bender wrote in an article published by Popular Science.

Ultimately, it’s all about feeling our best in the morning to have a productive day. Most people snooze because they want a few extra minutes of sleep to feel even more energized. But, unfortunately, the truth is that it makes you feel worse. So, hopefully, all those snoozers out there will break their habits and get up when the alarm sounds so they can feel their best.

A dog mom by the name of Mel might have only intended to soothe her pup with a sweet tune, but it has since taken on a life of its own.

“POV: you have a little jingle for the elevator to hype up your fearful baby,” Mel wrote in the text of her video posted to TikTok.

In the clip, we see Rue, an anxious rescue dog, not having a fun time in the elevator. That is until Mel reassures her with these words:

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“She’s so brave; she’s well behaved / She is not afraid / She’s powerful; she’s a good girl / She is our whole world.”

As if by magic, all of Rue’s fears evaporate, replaced only by tail-wagging joy.

Watch:

@macrosbymel sorry if it gets stuck in your head #rue #ruetok #ruetherescue #dogtok #rescuedog ♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

Since posting the video, Mel’s song has been viewed over 16 million times.

Not only that, the jingle has been used to commend other “brave” souls—be they pets or people.

Introverted humans in particular have found Rue’s song to be a silly power anthem of sorts, a way to congratulate themselves for sticking to social plans, sending work emails and generally leaving the house. For being so brave.

@luisamariiaa hard decision #fyp ♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

@lilyannrosey

Brave!!!!!

♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

@kanadekrafts

Be brave!!!

♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

One person summed up the effect Rue’s song had quite nicely: “POV: you heard this jingle for an anxious dog and now need to play it on repeat before doing anything even remotely social.” Relatable.

But it’s not just introverts running with the joke. Other folks have played the song as they bravely went without their favorite chapstick, got up to get themselves a glass of water, actually prepared a meal rather than just snacking…the list goes on and on.

@simonsits

Triggered to the max rn

♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

@alxndrathegreatest

its really tough being so brave at night after i have tucked myself into bed but i am hungry for a little treat

♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

@eathappierdietitian

♬ original sound – Macros by Mel

Basically, if there’s an obstacle you have yet to overcome, no matter how big or small, this tune acts as an invocation to bring out your most unafraid self. It’s amazing how just one little song has the power to do that for so many beings.

Now go forth and be brave!