10 simple tips for making your home wifi network faster
There's a good chance that you're reading this article over a wifi connection. And if you are, it's quite likely that from time to time, your wifi network doesn't perform as well as you'd like. But there are some very simple steps you can take to make it better. We often think of wifi networks as virtual, uniform fields that fill our living spaces. For evidence of that fact, take a look at this wifi map that physics grad student Jason Cole made of his apartment: (Jason Cole) Clearly, where you put your router — and what's around it — make a big difference in the strength of your network. 1) Put your router near the center of your house A router sends out signals in all directions, so putting it in a corner of your house or apartment — or near a window — means that a significant amount of its signal is wasted. You might only have a network connection in one spot, but long network cables can be pretty cheap, and moving your router can dramatically improve performance. (Scott Beale)
Man Converts Dumpster into Deluxe Backyard Pool (Video)
© Stefan Beese Whether it's for wasted (but still edible!) food or recreation, dumpsters and diving seem to go quite well together. While the "dumpster pool" meme has taken root in places like Manhattan as a form of public wading, New Orleans-based production designer and architect Stefan Beese has also transformed one old dumpster into an upscale-looking private pool in his backyard. According to The Times-Picayune, 42-year-old Beese is no stranger to reusing old metal containers; for the city's annual Voodoo Music Experience, he adapted shipping containers into the event's stage design. I wanted it to be a contemporary modern component in the garden. To create his dumpster pool, Beese cleaned and coated the steel container with anti-corrosive paint, placing it into a shallow hole dug into his backyard, which had a layer of limestone to protect the soil underneath the pool.
Funniest Clothing Tags Ever (click twice)
Be honest, when was the last time you read the label on your favorite t-shirt or most comfortable pair of jeans? Probably a while ago, right? These clothing labels will convince you to look again - they aren’t your usual “do not mix with colors” or “do not boil me in water over 60 degrees, thanks very much” kind of thing. Some offer serious life advice (seriously, we aren’t joking!) If you’ve ever come across any similar labels, please submit them. Show 18 more Add Image Drag Image Select File Rules: 1) no ugly watermarks 2) no borders 3) no low quality images Ooops!
10 Cleaning Uses for Cream of Tartar
Any half-decent chef or baker most likely has a jar of it stashed somewhere, something that they bought long ago, for that one project that one time, and then ignored forevermore. And the name may ring a bell for you, but maybe only in that vaguely-familiar way. Snickerdoodle cookies? Fish sticks? All the way at the very back of your spice cabinet, pushed into the farthest corner and long forgotten, is that little jar of eco-friendly DIY green cleaning gold: cream of tartar. Tartaric acid is a white crystalline by-product of winemaking that’s affectionately referred to as “wine diamonds.” 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Related: 51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda How To Make A Non-Toxic Cleaning KitGreen Home Cleaning Essentials5 Basics For Non-Toxic Cleaning
House Value Jumping? Save Your Home Improvement Receipts
A tax time bomb is ticking for an increasing number of people who have been lucky enough to see big gains in the values of their homes. This is especially true in and around cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and San Diego, where home prices have increased smartly over the last decade or two. There, single homeowners with gains of over $250,000 and married people who have notched at least $500,000 could end up paying federal tax of as much as 23.8 percent on real estate gains over those amounts when they sell. Additional state taxes loom for some of them as well.
3 Poisonous Plants That Could Be Close to Home
Just recently my brother was doing some much needed yard work in the back of the house. Everything seemed completely normal after a hard day’s work, but within 24 hours he had a rash all over his arms and legs. He spent the next two weeks itching until eventually the rash went away. Unbeknownst to us, it turns out there was some poison sumac growing in the backyard, and my brother just so happen to come into contact with it while he was cutting down some overgrown plants. Fortunately it wasn’t anything serious, but it was a good reminder to brush up on local poisonous plants. With summer upon us, people—especially kids—are going to be spending a lot of time playing outside. Poison Sumac/Photo Credit: WikiCommons Poison Sumac Poison sumac, also known as Toxicodendron Vernix, is a woody shrub or a small tree that can grow up to 9 meters tall. Sumac is related to poison ivies and poison oaks, thought it appears less often than other members in the family. Water Hemlock Azalea Final Words
40 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar Click again for clear view
When common household goods like baking soda have hundreds of different uses from shampoo to cleaning product to deodorizer, it make us question why we even need such a vast assortment of products in our everyday lives. Another one of these versatile, environmentally-friendly products is apple cider vinegar. Looking for a new mouthwash? Apple cider vinegar. A natural energy kick? Apple cider vinegar. This infographic originally found on SwansonVitamins Related10 Natural Remedies For Swollen Feet and Ankles10 Yoga Poses For StressCommon Old Wives’ Tales Revisited-Truth or Myth?
Garage Insulation: The Surprising Energy Saver
At an average size of 400 square feet, garages are an important part of our properties. Not only do they shelter our vehicles from extremes of weather and would-be thieves, they also usually multi-task. The typical American garage may serve as a workshop, craft room, man cave, music practice studio (ever wondered where the term “garage band” originated?), or private storage unit. The only problem with this is that throughout much of the country, garages tend to be freezing in winter and broiling in summer. Although many people never think of adding insulation to their garage, it can be an excellent energy-wise move. Advantages of Insulating Your Garage: For You To put it simply: when your garage is insulated, you’ll tend to be more comfortable working or playing in there, no matter what the season. Advantages of Insulating Your Garage: For Your Belongings Insulating Threshold and Walls Insulating the Garage Door Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
8 Household Cleaning Agents to Avoid
A surprising number of the most harmful toxins ever created are found right in our own backyard — indeed, right inside your mop closet. Here are ways you can detoxify your home, make it safe again, and keep it that way by avoiding a few key chemical cleaning products. The air in our homes is filled with fumes from petrochemical solvents added to cleaners to dissolve dirt. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to identify which products contain these hazardous ingredients. When it comes to cleaners, the consumer has little to go on beyond the warning labels that manufacturers are required to put on their products. These warnings apply only to a product’s immediate health effects; they don’t illuminate what happens when we use them over a long period of time. Chlorinated phenols found in toilet bowl cleaners are toxic to respiratory and circulatory systems. Some cleaners may advertise that they are “environmentally sound” but fail to provide a full list of ingredients.
