November | Volume 7, Issue 11

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Drones Might Be The Next Medical Transporter

From breathtaking videos to Amazon deliveries, people have been finding more and more uses for drones. Because they are small, unmanned, and able to cover any terrain while flying, these aircraft are especially good at delivering small things from one place to another.

According to The Verge, hospitals are currently testing them as a form of medical transport that could dramatically decrease the amount of time it takes to deliver medical supplies to the field or recover samples to take back to a laboratory.These hybrid drones combine the helicopter-like ability to vertically launch with an airplane's ability to fly longer distances to make them as flexible as possible in the field. Coupled with a special foam-cushioned cooling compartment, these drones are capable of keeping samples cool during a three-hour flight over the Arizona desert.

The Return of the Polaroid

Camera phones have incredible quality but you don't get the photos instantly on paper. To get that, you have to go retro.

Polaroid and its 1977 OneStep, the best-selling camera of all time, fell out of favor with the mass adoption of digital photography.

But the OneStep 2 is the updated reincarnation, sharing many characteristics of the original including the basic design and big red shutter button. The Impossible Company, new owners of Polaroid, has added a USB battery charger. You have to buy film, which at $2 a shot is expensive but turns out to be a big party treat, if not a master of beautiful photos.

According to Wired, Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera has somewhat better photos but it doesn't have the retro reputation.

Simple Food Safety Tips for Thanksgiving

The best way to thaw a turkey is in a refrigerator, according to USDA recommendations. Allow 24 hours for each four to five pounds, in a refrigerator cooled to 40 degrees or below. Be sure to let the turkey thaw in a container so juices will not drip onto other foods.

If you must thaw a turkey in cold water, be sure it is in a leak-proof bag. The turkey should be submerged in cold water. Allow 30 minutes per pound. Change the water frequently. USDA recommends every 30 minutes. Cook immediately when thawed.

Cook turkey to 165 degrees in thickest part of the breast, inner thigh, and inner wing.

Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before touching any food.

Do not store stuffing inside a turkey. Refrigerate it separately.

Don't wash the turkey. According to the USDA, loosely attached bacteria can contaminate the kitchen when you wash meat or poultry. Studies have found bacteria cling to sinks, sponges and towels. Bacteria is effectively killed in the oven. The best idea is to take the turkey out of the package and put it straight into the pan.

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How the Pilgrims Became America's ForefathersIn American lore, Plymouth, Massachusetts, holds a singular place.It's known as the site of the colony founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers on the iconic ship, the Mayflower, and host to the first Thanksgiving feast.The town has not always been well known. The town and the Pilgrims who created it were largely forgotten for 200 years until December 22, 1820.

On that day, the great orator Daniel Webster traveled to Plymouth from Boston to take part in the bicentennial celebration of the Pilgrims' landing. So great was his speech that it became known as the "Plymouth oration." Before 1,500 people seated on wooden benches in the meetinghouse, he said, in part:"We have come to this Rock to record here our homage for our Pilgrim Fathers; our sympathy in their sufferings; our gratitude for their labors, our admiration of their virtues; our veneration for their piety, and our attachment to those principles of civil and religious liberty..."We listen to the chiefs in council ... We are filled with reverence and admiration for the mild dignity of Carver and Bradford, the decisive military air of Standish, the devout Brewster, the enterprising Allerton..."Webster's oration started the elevation of the Pilgrims to the status of forefathers of the nation. At that time, the recently independent America needed an event and a place that rooted the country to its founding history. They needed a founding location. Jamestown in Virginia was a candidate as was Plymouth in Massachusetts. Jamestown had an advantage because it was founded 13 years before the Pilgrims landed. But Plymouth offered a moral authority, thanks to the words of Daniel Webster. Though the great Thanksgiving feast occurred 396 years ago, we still follow the Pilgrims' lead in being thankful for our blessings on Thanksgiving Day.

Question: What is a conforming loan? Answer: A conforming loan is one that conforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are giant government-chartered mortgage companies that buy loans from lenders, allowing lenders to have more flexibility to make new housing loans.Most everyone who gets a mortgage has a conforming loan. How much you can borrow to conform: Conforming loans are generally limited to $424,100, although there are higher limits in areas where housing is very expensive. The conforming loan limit can go up to $636,150 in specific housing markets, such as certain counties in California and New York, among others.Loan-to-value ratio:Your down payment has to be equal to 20 percent or more of the home's value, but buyers can qualify for an FHA loan with as little as 3 percent down. With a down payment of less than 20 percent, buyers have to pay Private Mortgage Insurance, which can be expensive.Credit score:A conforming loan requires a FICO credit score of 620-640. However, an FHA loan requires a credit score of 580. A lower credit score than that requires a higher down payment.Debt-to-income ratio:Your debt-to-income ratio can be no more than 41 percent (although there may be exceptions that raise this percentage) of your gross income.A non-conforming loan, by contrast, goes over the loan limit and the requirements are stricter. Credit scores must be 680 or higher. The down payment must be 15 percent or higher. Debt-to-income ratio must be 43 percent or less. Generally the borrower shows high cash reserves, according to the Lenders Network.

Annoying Chip ReadersSwiping a credit card just seems so much more efficient than sticking the card into a terminal and waiting. And waiting.

The chip cards are actually more secure, credit companies say. The chip cards attempt to prevent fraud by generating a unique code for every transaction that can only be used once. So the cards are supposed to slow down criminals who steal a bunch of card data and then manufacture physical cards.

Chips make the data much less useful. The cards also reduce the value of card skimming, where a device is placed on the card reader to steal data. Chips do nothing for e-commerce fraud or a variety of other types of criminal activity.In addition, if you use a chip card, but sign for the transaction instead of using a pin number, the transaction is less secure.

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Shopping Malls Selling More Fun

Arcades once brought foot traffic into malls and entertainment is, once again, becoming important in retailing.Alongside movie theaters, malls are bringing in skydiving simulators, laser tag, high-tech golf driving ranges, and "escape rooms," the latter of which lets small groups work together to find clues for a way out of a locked area.Getting people to come in for these attractions means that they are staying longer; even hours longer than they might otherwise. Much like a theme park, some malls are even grouping these attractions together by offering a day pass so that customers can enjoy everything they want.Even the typical movie theater, now a little long in the tooth as a traffic generator, has been getting a facelift as real-estate investment firms are putting money into new features such as luxury chairs, dinner service, and access to alcoholic beverages. Services like these allow malls to become much more of a one-stop-shop than they once were as they can satisfy the shopping, entertainment, and food needs of their customers.

Bringing Water to Rural Africa

A British startup is attempting to do what billions of dollars and dozens of donors have not: Bring a reliable source of water to rural sub-saharan Africa.

In the past, Solar pumps were distributed to villages with mixed results. If the pumps broke down, villages typically couldn't repair them, according to The Economist.

According to The Water Project, 783 million people do not have access to safe water worldwide, and 319 million of those are living in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Without reliable pumps, people use surface water found in pools or dig shallow holes near rivers. The water is often contaminated and is the source of as much as 80 percent of all illnesses in the area.

Now eWater has devised a plan to install pay-as-you-go solar pumps which are equipped with their own repair strategy. The pumps dispense water in response to electronic tags. At local shops, villagers spend one cent for 20 liters of water. Shopkeepers refill the tags via smart phones. Then 85 percent of the money collected is reserved for future repairs. The taps are connected to mobile networks and can transmit their status.

According to eWater, the women and girls who collect the water now take care not to spill it since they are paying for it.

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What was the name of the play Abraham Lincoln was watching when he was shot?

A) Superstition B) Life in LouisianaC) Our American Cousin D) The Lion King

What TV detective lived on the estate of millionaire Robin Masters? a-Jim Rockford, b-Thomas Magnum, c-Remington Steele, d-Adrian Monk.

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