Scatty.com

Author: scatty

5 Awesome Games That Inspire Empathy

Posted on by scatty

Some video games have stories that affect us deeply, whether it’s because the characters feel the same way you do or they give you a strong dose of nostalgia. The following five games inspire empathy through their carefully written tales and thought-provoking choices of the characters. This video includes spoilers for these games.

Gone Home

Gone Home explores the theme of returning to your childhood home as an adult. The main character is Katie Greenbriar, who is unable to find her family when she comes back home after spending time overseas. At first, it seems that this game is a supernatural horror, but it soon becomes clear that her family’s absence has a natural explanation. Katie’s sister Sam started dating another girl and ran away after her parents refused to accept their relationship. This game will draw you in with its story about the emotional strain of being unaccepted by your family, while providing some home that the characters will find happiness in the end.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

This game probably evokes the strongest emotions of all the ones on this list. It’s about two brothers with a father who has fallen ill. They must adventure together to find a cure for his illness, while developing a strong bond between them. The brother of the main character dies when the pair fight the final boss, which players may find to be an unbearable loss. This ending isn’t a complete surprise, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a bittersweet story that will many players will find heart-wrenching.

Papers Please

Other games on this list allow you to passively empathize with the characters, but Papers Please forces you to take a more active role in their fate. The player’s character is an immigration officer who decides whether to allow visitors to enter the fictional country of Arstotzka. On its surface, Papers Please is a simple puzzle game in which the player makes admittance decisions based on an increasingly complex set of rules. However, it’s really more about the moral dilemma of whether to allow desperate people to enter the country illegally or get bonuses to your paycheck by enforcing the rules.

Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods is about Mae, who has dropped out of college due to her deteriorating mental health. She returns home to discover that her hometown has changed, leaving you with a melancholy feeling that deepens as the story progresses. The narrative-focused gameplay will deeply affect you long after the game ends.

Celeste

Celeste is about Madeline’s attempt to climb Mount Celeste as a means of escaping the pressures of her life. During this journey, Madeline’s feelings of insecurity and depression begin to manifest as a darker version of herself. Celeste provides a powerful perspective on the struggles of mental health.

Nutrition tips to improve your appearance

Posted on by scatty

Working to develop a healthy glow? Beauty comes from the inside out, and there are plenty of ways that you can change what you put into your body to help improve your appearance. 

First, drink up. It’s key to take in plenty of water each day to help your skin stay soft and healthy. Aim for about half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, drink at least 75 oz. of water each day. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, participating in strenuous exercise, or live in a hot climate, be sure to boost your water intake even more. In addition to working wonders for your skin, drinking plenty of water can also help you with sugar and caffeine cravings, both of which can negatively impact your overall look. 

Try adding sweet potatoes to your diet to up your vitamin A levels. Doing so can give your skin a nice glow, and can help fight dry, dull skin. Use sweet potatoes in place of standard potatoes as a side dish or in soups. Not a fan of sweet potatoes? Adding carrots and other orange vegetables can have the same effect. 

Amp up the fats. Healthy fats can help your skin stay plump and soft, and can help to fight off rough and dry skin. Having enough healthy fats in your diet doesn’t just help your skin stay moisturized and healthy–it can also reduce inflammation, helping you to get rid of any puffiness in your body. There are plenty of delicious ways to add healthy fats to your diet. Adding in fatty seafood like salmon (or taking a fish oil supplement), tossing your lunchtime salad with a dash of olive oil, and snacking on walnuts can all help you get the healthy fat you need to look good and feel full. 

Put down the sugar. We know, we know–sugar is delicious, and if you’re used to reaching for something sweet to get you going, it can be tough to break the candy habit. Getting rid of added sugars is one of the best things you can do for your health, both inside and out. When you cut out added sugars, you’ll likely notice that your skin appears more clear and vibrant, and that you have a consistent sense of energy throughout your day. 

Need a moment of zen in your day? Try a cup of green tea. Research shows that drinking green tea can help protect the skin from sun damage. Many people who drink green tea regularly notice a positive difference in their skin, including improvements in texture and elasticity. If you’re drinking green tea late in the day, be sure to choose a decaffinated version. 

What you don’t know about clean beauty

Posted on by scatty

The term “clean beauty” gets thrown about a lot these days. However, there’s not much agreement on what it means, other than that it has to do with cosmetics and the ingredients that go into them. That has led to a lot of confusion and misinformation around the topic.

Here are some facts about clean beauty that you may not be aware of. 

There’s No Definitive Standard for Clean Beauty

A food producer can’t label something “organic” unless it meets specific criteria. There’s nothing like that for clean beauty. Any beauty product manufacturer can define for itself what clean beauty is. There’s no governing body that enforces labeling standards.

Most people agree that clean beauty products must not contain any toxic ingredients and that the label should honestly declare everything that’s in the products. Many manufacturers of clean beauty products adhere to these principles, but there’s nothing that forces them to. A consumer must rely on the reputation of the specific manufacturer to be ensured of a product that’s truly clean.

Clean Beauty Is Not the Same as Green Beauty

While neither clean nor green beauty has a formal definition, there are differences in their characteristics that most experts agree on. Green beauty, like green anything, is expected to be eco-friendly. Products that present themselves as green beauty are usually plant-based, sustainably sourced and don’t involve any cruelty to animals.

These may sound like admirable characteristics, but a beauty product can be green and still contain natural ingredients that are toxic. Conversely, a beauty product can be completely safe and not be green because it contains animal products such as honey, beeswax and silk.

Clean Beauty Doesn’t Have To Be 100 Percent Natural

People tend to think that natural is good and synthetic is bad, but that’s not necessarily the case. After all, poison ivy and nightshade mushrooms are natural, but you don’t want to find them in your beauty products. On the other hand, modern science has developed a multitude of beauty products that are perfectly safe.

Even preservatives can be safe. In fact, cosmetics need some preservatives. Without them the products are unstable.

Clean beauty products must be non-toxic, but they’re not called on to be all natural.

Clean Beauty Products Are Not Necessarily More Gentle

Just as some people react to synthetic ingredients, others don’t get along with some natural ingredients. There are common clean beauty components that can cause skin irritation and set off allergies. Examples are citrus extracts, essential oils and some natural fragrances.

Conversely, plenty of synthetic ingredients are hypoallergenic and just fine for sensitive skin. Because they’re synthetic, scientists are always improving them to eliminate allergens and irritants.

Choosing Natural Beauty Products

Despite the confusion, the trend toward natural beauty is largely a positive one. There are plenty of manufacturers who are serious about making products that are safe and non-toxic. The keys for consumers are to know the manufacturers and to read the labels.

Are gaming laptops a good idea?

Posted on by scatty

Gaming laptops are designed to be powerful. They have fast CPUs, lots of RAM, advanced graphics processing and a high screen resolution. They also multitask well. However, you may be wondering if they’re a good idea and if you should purchase one. Thankfully, there are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if you need a gaming laptop or possibly a desktop computer.

1. Where do you game?

If you primarily game at home, you may not need a gaming laptop. Instead, you could purchase a high-end desktop for nearly the same price as the laptop, and it may even have more power. However, if you like being able to change rooms while you game or you travel and game, a gaming laptop may be a better choice.

2. Do you want your laptop to have style?

Older gaming laptops didn’t have much style. The powerful processors, RAM and internal components often meant they were clunky and heavy. However, those problems no longer exist. Modern gaming laptops are sleek. They often contain keyboards that light up in different colors, making the keys easier to see, and they’re just as thin as a regular laptop. If you want a laptop with style, choosing a gaming laptop may be the answer.

3. Do you multitask?

Gaming laptops aren’t just built for gaming. They’re built for power users. Gaming laptops have the ability to multitask several resource-intensive apps at the same time. This means that if you wanted to watch a movie, check your email, create graphics and browse the web, you could do all of that simultaneously.

4. Do you need a powerful computer for work?

If you don’t game, but have a resource-intensive job or work from home, you may want to consider a gaming laptop. Due to a gaming laptop’s power, it’s great for people with work-from-home jobs that require lots of video conferences. They’re also great if your company requires you to install and use lots of software simultaneously. If you happen to work in graphics, video or sound production, gaming laptops have enough power for you to successfully use high-end photo and graphics creation software, CAD programs and video and sound creation and editing tools.

5. Do you need computing versatility?

If you need the ability to stay or go, a gaming laptop can provide it. Gaming laptops are dockable. Meaning that you can buy a docking station and connect peripherals, like extra monitors, keyboards and mice to the station. While you’re at home, you can dock the laptop. This allows you to enjoy an experience similar to working on a desktop. If you have to leave suddenly, you can quickly unplug your laptop and take it with you.

Whether or not you need a gaming laptop depends on your computing needs. If you like high computing power in a portable design, a gaming laptop may be for you. However, if you don’t take your work or games with you on the go, you may be better served with a desktop, which can be cheaper and more powerful than a gaming laptop.

How To Advance Your Career In Tech

Posted on by scatty

Technology is an excellent career choice, but not everybody makes the most of it. There are those who advance, staying on tech’s cutting edge or moving into management. There are also people who spend years doing the same work and putting themselves at risk of becoming obsolete.

Here are five areas to address if you want to maximize your tech career.

1. Set Goals

Goals focus your effort. Without specific, time-bound goals, it’s easy to drift from month to month and keep putting off career development. To ensure you’re focused on goals that are truly career-building, do your homework and keep up with trends in the industry. If there’s a specialty that interests you and is growing, there could be an opportunity to become an expert in an area of demand.

2. Upgrade Your Skillset

Because IT changes so fast, it’s important to keep your skills current. Education and training is one way. For example, there are bootcamps in general skills such as Java and also in more specialized disciplines. These camps often have both live and remote options.

College is another route. Not only can you learn something new, but applicants with a degree have an edge. If your goal is management or a specialized field such as data science, a master’s degree may be necessary. Again, online education is an option if live attendance is impractical.

Informal education is also good. You might recruit several colleagues to meet regularly and discuss an emerging technology.

3. Create a Portfolio

IT is still a field where a demonstrated ability to do the work often trumps formal education. What better way to prove that ability than to show how you’ve done it. If there are multiple candidates for a job, one who can provide examples of their work will stand out.

4. Develop Your Network

You can’t get jobs that you don’t know about, and employers won’t reach out to you if they don’t know you exist. Maintain a diverse set of contacts both inside and outside of your current workplace. Tell these people of opportunities you know about. Maintain a profile on business sites such as LinkedIn. Take the opportunity to attend lunches and social gatherings.

You might learn not only about new job opportunities but also about chances to attend seminars or otherwise expose yourself to new technology.

5. Develop Your People Skills

Some people pride themselves on being “supertechies” who work alone and minimize contact with colleagues. However, everyone ultimately interfaces with people, even if they’re independent consultants working remotely.

Communication is at the top of the “soft skills” list. For those who find this uncomfortable, it’s worth taking the plunge by stepping up to lead a meeting, give a presentation or take charge in a volunteer group.

And a Bonus Suggestion

Go the extra mile. Do a little more than what’s assigned to you. Go out of the way to make a colleague’s job easier. This kind of effort stands out.

How to Earn Money Playing Video Games

Posted on by scatty

Monetizing a hobby offers an opportunity to change your lifestyle. Whether you are looking for a way to earn extra income or you want to replace your current income, playing video games may offer a solution. You can make money through video games in a variety of ways.

Become a Game Tester

If you are looking for a way to replace your current income or change your career path, then a game tester is a great opportunity. A game tester, or beta tester, is paid to play video games that are not yet available on the market.

As a game tester, you look for bugs or problems with the game. Game testers also look for ways to break the game or problem areas that may cause gamers to stop playing as it gets boring. By testing the game before it goes to market, you are able to try out new games and get paid in the process.

Become a Coach

Competitive gaming is a growing area of interest for many individuals. When you are skilled at a competitive game, you may have opportunities to start your own business. Consider working as a gaming coach and playing games with others who want to learn from your skills.

A game coach takes on a similar role as a traditional coach. You teach others to play different games. The primary difference is that you actively play with the individuals you coach. Depending on your skills and the games you play, you may work with professional gamers or new players.

Stream Your Game Play

Those who are skilled at popular video games may make money by streaming their game play on YouTube, Twitch, or similar tools. Showcase your skills through online streaming and through online video making. Showcase special tricks you use when playing a game to stand out from other streamers.

Keep in mind that your income potential for streaming and making videos may vary significantly. Try different types of videos, editing, and strategies to find the best solutions to make money while playing your favorite games.

Try Professional Gaming

Professional gaming is a growing opportunity for gamers. A professional gamer participates in competitions set up by Major League Gaming, Intel Extreme Masters, and similar organizations. You play the games at arenas and the organization streams the competition for viewers around the world.

Professional gamers make money by winning competitions, so the income potential varies based on your skills. Avoid games that you are still learning and focus on games where you have mastered the skills. Since it is a competition, you can expect other players to have professional-level skills in their chosen games.

Playing video games may offer opportunities to make extra income or even replace your income from a traditional job. The key is remaining realistic about the amount you can earn. Expect your income from gaming to grow as you gain skills, build up a following, and work toward long-term goals in gaming.

Essential Life Hacks To Save You Time!

Posted on by scatty

Every day, you receive a gift of 86,400 seconds. Why not implement essential life hacks to save time and add seconds to your day. 

Prioritize Tasks

It’s easy to spend your day putting out urgent fires. But then, you may not complete the crucial items on your to-do list. Write a list of items you want to accomplish and how long each task will take. Then prioritize each item based on your available time. You still may not finish your to-do list, but at least you will complete the most important tasks first. 

Schedule 50/10 Blocks

Distractions are everywhere. Improve your focus and productivity with a 50/10, 20/5 or another block schedule. Work on a project for 50 minutes before taking a 10-minute break. Use breaks to check email or social media, chat with coworkers, grab a snack, or take a walk. If 50/10 blocks don’t work, try 25/5.

Touch Items Once

You waste valuable time and mental energy when you pile stuff around the house or office. Instead, handle items one time. For example, fold and put away clean laundry right away, fix loose buttons immediately, and sort and file every piece of mail in one sitting. 

Buy Multipurpose Products

Consider all the products you use in the shower. Now think about all the time you could save if your shampoo doubled as body wash and if your razor included shaving gel. Multipurpose products save you time, so add those items to your routine. 

Utilize Task Grouping

Switching tasks requires time and energy. Instead, group similar tasks together. Dust one day and vacuum the next rather than clean rooms one by one. And schedule one errand day instead of running every day. 

Delegate Tasks

Think about everything you do during a day, week, month, and year. Which of those items could someone else handle for you? When you spend your time doing tasks that utilize your strengths, interests and skills, you boost your efficiency and productivity, which ultimately saves you time.

Simplify Your Wardrobe

Stop spending so much time in your closet. Select basic items that require minimal care and are easy to mix and match. Once a week, plan daily outfits. Every six months, purge your closet of anything you haven’t worn in a while. Now, you can be ready in a flash.

Prep Meals for the Week

Most of us are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen each day. So, in addition to a cereal bar and snack bin, plan your meals. Once a week, write a grocery list, set up a delivery and schedule a prep period. Then dice all the vegetables, brown all the meat and cook rice. Place containers of ingredients into labeled bins by day and meal. Now, cooking is more efficient, and you’ve made it easier for family members to get dinner started. 

If you’re ready to save time, add these essential life hacks to your daily routine.

How ergonomic are gaming chairs really?

Posted on by scatty

A gaming chair has ergonomic properties since you can sit in it comfortably for a long period of time. However, it isn’t an ergonomics chair, which is specifically designed for this purpose. This video will explain the similarities and differences between gaming chairs and ergonomics chairs.

Gaming Chairs

A gaming chair is designed for long sessions of computer or video gaming. Some of these chairs are built for a specific genre, which can affect their construction. For example, chairs customized for racing games typically have raised front lips that resemble the bucket seats in racing cars, providing a more immersive gaming experience.

Gamers need to maintain a steady view of their monitor, so they often have a fixed headrest. While this feature may be comfortable if a monitor is the only thing you need to look at, it isn’t as beneficial for looking at a monitor and sheets of paper on a desk. Some gaming chairs include head pillows and detachable lumbar support, which research shows can reduce back pain. Winged backrests and a greater recline than a traditional chair are also common features of gaming chairs, although ergonomic chairs usually recline even more. Many gaming chairs also have flashy color schemes and a stylized design, which aren’t common features for ergonomic office chairs.

Ergonomic Chairs

Ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to provide both comfort and physical support. Each person has their own set of ergonomic requirements, so these chairs typically have more adjustments than gaming chairs. For example, all ergonomic chairs should provide good lumbar support, so the backrest should be highly adjustable. At a minimum, these chairs should have adjustments for their back angle and tilt tension. Some models also allow users to adjust the pressure of the lumbar support.

It should also be possible to adjust the seat height so that your feet rest flat on the floor with when your knees are slightly lower than your hips. The seat depth should also be adjustable to provide more leg and knee support than a traditional chair. Most ergonomic chairs have padded arm support, which users can adjust for their arm length and height.

Comparison

Gaming chairs have additional design considerations not related to ergonomics. They often have multicolored upholstery to match a particular gaming theme, which increases cost without adding functionality. Bucket seats also make gaming chairs more expensive, but don’t provide any ergonomic value. This feature also makes gaming chairs less comfortable for larger users.

Summary

While gaming chairs are more adjustable than an ordinary chair, they aren’t as adjustable as a true ergonomic chair. Furthermore, ergonomic chairs encourage you to change positions throughout the day while using it, which is crucial for maintaining good health.

Top 5 Apps To Make Life Easier

Posted on by scatty

Life seems to be more complicated than ever before. Whenever you can find a way to make life a little easier, shouldn’t you use it? Thankfully, there are apps that take some of the complication out of life. We’ve rounded up five apps that take the burden out of everything from traveling to saving money to getting to sleep.

1. Waze

Number one on our list of top five apps to make life easier is Waze. Waze is a navigation app. Lots of people use Waze instead of Google Maps. Waze is accurate and reliable. It will get you where to you need to go, whether you need to get to work on time, make your way to a new shopping mall or find the way to Airbnb in Mexico. That’s right. Waze offers navigation in other countries, which makes it ideal for digital nomads.

2. Calm

Calm is a guided meditation app that’s used by millions to get some peace in this noisy world. You can even choose certain meditations to address specific concerns like stress, or low self-confidence. As a bonus, lots of the meditations are recorded by familiar celebrities that you know and trust, such as Harry Styles and Camila Cabello.

3. Barklo

Barklo is an app specifically for dog owners. If you don’t love the idea of crating your dog, this app is for you. It can make you feel more comfortable having your dog roam free in the house while you’re away. Just download the app on any two devices. It runs off of Wifi and allows you to monitor your dog’s activity while you’re at work, at the gym or out with friends. 

4. SleepScore

SleepScore works with Android and iPhones. It uses sonar technology to monitor your sleep habits. If you’re the kind of sleeper who tosses and turns at night, SleepScore will let you know. It measures how much you move around at night. It also monitors your activities. For example, if you get up to get a drink of water or to use the bathroom. It tracks your snoring and breathing, too. With this app, you can take steps to address problems you have with getting a good night’s sleep.

5. Power Outage

Rolling blackouts and emergency power outages are becoming more common. The trouble is, if they happen when you’re away, they can cause damage. Your pipes could burst or all your freezer food could thaw out and perish. Even your home alarm system could go down. When you download the app Power Outage, you’ll be alerted if the power goes out while you’re away or even just asleep. This app gives you a fighting chance to take steps to protect your home and belongings when the power goes out and you’re not at home.

These five apps make life just a little bit easier for everyone. The best part is, they can be used with both iOs and Android phones.

Did China Really Ban Video Games?

Posted on by scatty

China greatly restricted the right of legal minors to play video games in August 2021 by allowing them to play for only three hours on typical weekends. While this policy doesn’t literally ban video gaming, it further tightens existing restrictions for video gaming by minors.

Overview

No one under the age of 18 can play video games at all from Monday through Thursday in China. They can only play for one hour from 8 pm to 9 pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. The previous policy was set in 2019, which limited play by minors to 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends.

The Chinese government has stated that the purpose of the policy is to prevent children from becoming addicted to video games. It also indicated that it timed the implementation of the new policy to coincide with the beginning of the new school year. A government spokesperson added that the restrictions were in response to complaints from parents, who felt their children’s studies had been severely impaired by online gaming.

Private Enterprise

China also clamped down on private enterprise in 2021, especially the tech sector. Most recently, it has expanded these restrictions to other industries like private education. Analysts expect gaming giants in China like NetEase and Tencent to experience minimal impact, as the great majority of their customers are adults. However, the new policies are likely to curtail the growth of the gaming industry in that country.

Registration

China has previously implemented a registration system requiring online gamers to register under their real name. In addition, the policy change in August clarifies that online gaming platforms can’t provide their services to anyone who hasn’t registered for the services under their real name. Tencent also stated that it has been working on technologies to comply with these requirements since 2017, adding that a relatively small portion of its revenue comes from minors. In particular, only 2.6 percent of the company’s gross receipts are from players under the age of 16.

Martin Lau, Tencent’s president, stated that his company was preparing for additional regulations on online gaming. His company has already placed limits on its platforms that would limit the time minors could spend playing games like “Honor of Kings.” For example, the current restrictions limit play by minors to two hours on holidays and one hour on other days.

Criticism

Many users have sharply criticized the latest policies on Chinese social media, arguing that they’re too strict. Others have said the restrictions are overly broad because they apply to all minors, regardless of age. In addition, gamers have complained that the policies will prevent them from remaining competitive in professional gaming, which is quickly becoming a lucrative career in other countries.