Feature

8 Future NBA Stars En Route to the Final Four

April 1, 2016 // by Isa// Leave a Comment

As April begins, we are coming up on the beginning of the end of March Madness, and things in the college basketball world are only going to get hotter from the friction of the tournament’s most stand-out players. As you’re hanging on the edge of your seats waiting to see how the tournament turns out, consider which of the college players you’re watching might be the next Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Are you up to the challenge of broadcasting your predictions? Let us know in the comments section who you think is going to the NBA!

Everyone has their predictions for the winner, but in the end, the numbers don’t lie. Here’s a fact you may not know: it might sound superstitious, but historically speaking, “burger boys” tend to determine the outcome of the entire tournament. Since the McDonald’s All-American Game became a national phenomenon in 1978, only two teams have claimed a national title without having a “burger boy” on their roster.

The “burger boys” participating in this year’s Final Four include Joel Berry II (North Carolina), Theo Pinson (North Carolina), Kennedy Meeks (North Carolina), Isaiah Hicks (North Carolina), Justin Jackson (North Carolina), Marcus Paige (North Carolina), DaJuan Coleman (Syracuse), Malachi Richardson (Syracuse), and Jalen Brunson (Villanova). Oklahoma has an Oscar Robertson Player of the Year in Buddy Hield, but no “burger boys.” Will they pull an upset and be the third team burger-boy-free team to win, or are they doomed from the start?

We’ll look at some “burger boys” in the list below, but just as one player doesn’t win a title, obviously one award is not going to determine who from the Final Four is going to be the next NBA star. Let’s take a comprehensive look at each of the best players from the four teams and why they might be a great draft pick for next year’s NBA season.

Kris Jenkins

Kris Jenkins, the forward for the Villanova Wildcats, is great on offense, but he’s also a real team player and doesn’t hog the court. While he started out as a defensive liability, he has drastically improved over his college career into a talented three-point shooter and the most unstoppable force on the Wildcats.

He won the Most Outstanding Player at the South Regional and scored 31 points in a win over DePaul. He was named to the All-Tournament Team when he averaged 19.7 points per game in the Big East Tournament. In the Elite Eight, he guarded Kansas forward Perry Ellis and prevented him from scoring multiple baskets, helping his team nab a place in the Final Four.

Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield, guard of the Oklahoma Sooners, made it onto the Naismith College Player of the Year pre-season watch list this year, and the rest of his senior season did not disappoint.

As a freshman, he received the Most Inspirational Award and established himself as a talented high-volume three-point shooter. Despite being a potential 2015 NBA Draft selection, he stayed in college for his senior year, receiving additional honors as Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. If the NBA was having second thoughts about Hield, this season definitely cemented him as an NBA pick.

He’s always been talented, but this year he graduated from a gifted shooter to a well-rounded NBA pick. After Hield scored 33 point on the Bluejays, Creighton coach Greg McDermott said, according to Cliff Brunt of the Associate Press, “Last year, he was a shooter. This year he’s a basketball player. He’s going to be wearing an NBA uniform next year.”

Brice Johnson

This year, power forward Brice Johnson was unanimously chosen for the Associated Press All-America Team for 2015-2016. Coach Roy Williams’ relentless tough love has finally made a tangible difference in his college career. You can see the evidence every time he beats his own records by a landslide, as he did against Syracuse earlier this season: he went from no more than four assists per game to eight assists in a single game.

He’s also a star on the team. Brice Johnson is the first Tar Heels player in more than fifty years to score more than 39 points and achieve 23 rebounds in one game. He also set the school’s record for the most double-doubles in a season.

He might be a little over-emotional in response to the ups and downs of the game, but Brice Johnson is learning to channel it into his game instead of letting it distract him. He is truly shaping up into a star.

Joel Berry II

Despite an injury in his freshman year, point guard Joel Berry II helped the Tar Heels get to the Atlantic Coast Conference as a sophomore and came away as Most Valuable Player. The same year he became the first sophomore to win Florida Mr. Basketball.

Much of his success has come from his association with adoptive brother and fellow college basketball player Nate Britt, but in his college career, he has blossomed into an intimidating player in his own right.

Ryan Arcidiacono

Villanova’s point guard Ryan Arcidiacono was pegged as a success from his freshman year, despite being unable to play in his high school senior year of basketball because of a herniated disk in his back. He was named to the Big East Conference’s All-Rookie Team. As a junior, he was one of the winners of the conference’s Player of the Year award. This year he’s been a consistent asset to the team and is one of the primary reasons they’ve made it this far in the tournament.

Michael Gbinije

Michael Gbinije, small forward for the Syracuse Orange, played for Duke for a season before he transferred to Syracuse and then sat out for a season. However, this didn’t stop him, and he’s become one of the Orange’s best players. He’s also played for his father’s home country, Nigeria, on an international level. This year, he’s the number one three-point shooter in the ACC.

Syracuse is the first ever number ten seed to make it to the Final Four, so maybe Michael Gbinije can help carry the team to an outstanding upset.

Marcus Paige

Point guard Marcus Paige of the Tar Heels has been receiving awards and honors since high school, including Iowa Mr. Basketball, McDonald’s All-American, the ACC All-Academic Team, the Freshman All-American Team, ACC Most Improved Player and ACC Pre-Season Player of the Year. He has had some slumps, sometimes because of injuries and sometimes because of the intense pressure he puts on himself to succeed, but he’s come out on top.

He was particularly unstoppable during March Madness this year, and a good part of the reason that the team made it there in the first place.

Malachi Richardson

Forward Malachi Richardson of the Syracuse Orange has had an amazing freshman season, making several great plays to help his team make the Final Four. He was rated highly in the 2015 draft class at number twelve, and continues to be a great shooter with an impressive range.

Don’t forget to come back to see how well these predictions pan out. Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!

Movie Review – Batman vs. Superman: The Dawn of Justice

March 25, 2016 // by Isa// Leave a Comment

The year 2016 will see a lot of superheroes clash against one another both in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as well as the DCCU (DC Cinematic Universe). We all know Marvel has made billions by pitting superheroes and supervillains against each other on the big screen. DC is hoping to do something similar with their first movie of this scale, planning on laying the groundwork for many sequels and characters from the comic books.

Note that there are spoilers in this review, so if you haven’t seen it here is your warning!

A Substantial Movie

With “Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice”, Zack Snyder is simply trying to repeat his “superhero with a dark side” formula that he has previously used in “Watchmen” and “Man of Steel”. Unfortunately, and not so surprisingly, it failed to impress some but to others it was symbolic. It certainly had the action to make it entertaining. There are some flaws, but it was fundamentally an alright movie.

Lack of Priorities

This is a movie that is determined on creating a spectacle using two superheroes without giving much thought to the characters or their motivations. It is less about the clash of ideology and more about fighting spirits being played by the hands of Lex Luthor.

Jesse Eisenberg played the character interesting, taking a more modern spin on the character. Some will hate the performance because it is not what they’re accustomed to, but those with an open mind might be impressed.

The Dream Sequences

How many dream sequences can one movie handle? How many dream sequences can the audience handle? The limits were tested in this film.

We understand DC is going to hit us with movie after movie starring various characters is has just forced upon us. MCU took it slowly; they took their time to build up character and individual personality. These dream sequences just felt forced and unnecessary by comparison. Some more thoughtful building of the world would have been appreciated.

Kryptonian Ship Chooses Lex Luthor

So Lex Luthor is the new master of the Kryptonian ship. Why? Because the ship chooses him to be “The One”. This was a ridiculous scene. The US government just allows Luthor access to General Zod’s body and the Kryptonian ship with unfiltered access? No oversight? That is preposterous. The US government is pathetic now by this point in the film, but this was just over the top.

Lois Lane was Badly Done

Lois Lane “is not a lady. She is a journalist.” If you memorize this line, it will probably make more sense out of the fact that she is able to appear everywhere almost magically. Her character is confusing since she is always playing a damsel in distress. This seems to conflict with her previous characterization. This goes back to Man of Steel. Amy Adams should not have been chosen to play this role.

How about someone else? Odette Annable? Snyder made a big mistake here.

Final Thoughts

Dawn of Justice may have jumped the gun here in trying to catch up with its competitors in the MCU, but the movie was still an action packed blockbuster like you would expect. If you throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a movie, something will have to stick.

DCCU has some incredible characters and most likely they will be able to bank on them for years to come. Another thing to not forget is that Ben Affleck did not ruin this movie or Batman like he was expected by some to do. You have to be happy about that!

I’d recommend that you just hold off for now and watch it on Netflix during your vacation or while waiting for your layover. It’s a spectacle, but I’m not certain if it’s worth the ticket price.

Are there any other thoughts you have about the movie? Do you agree or disagree with the above review? If so, please leave a comment below and tell us what you think.

What Will the Biggest Games of 2016 Show Us About the Industry?

March 18, 2016 // by Isa// Leave a Comment

Gaming is all about the future, and the industry is still new and innovative. It has to be, given the constant competition in the market. Old consoles will give way to new ones, and PC games will always try to push the envelope in terms of online features and graphics to match the improved computer technology concurrently being released.

Yet we’re seeing some new directions in the industry as innovate technologies allow developers to do standard things for a reduced cost (allowing for indie developers to make outstanding work with a skeleton crew) and try out new things (such as what we’re seeing with motion sensor technology already). Some titles on the horizon are already getting us hyped up to spend our gaming budgets on the latest tech.

Here are some of the things we can expect from the coming months and what we can figure out so far:

Virtual Reality

The Oculus Rift will no longer be the only realistic player on the market now that the HTC Vive is starting to gain traction and public awareness. It promises to provide a more stable and intuitive experience with its interesting control design. Yet it also appears to be only available to the wealthy subsection of the gaming market at a price of $800 (assuming you can get one). Yet now developers will be able to focus on VR content and bring immersion to the next level, and it will be exciting to see what bright minds in the field will be able to do with this new technology.

No Man’s Sky

One of most universally anticipated titles of last year is No Man’s Sky, a procedurally generated exploration game that puts you in the cockpit of your spaceship and sends you off to explore things that have never been seen before. The universe will effectively be infinite, allowing you to play for hours on end without repetition to what the world will bring you. Combine that with a sandbox feel and gamers will have their very own playground to share with others still. We’ve seen procedural generation before in games, but nothing on this massive scale. How will this titan affect the gameplay of future titles to come?

Lots of Indie Titles

While big studios have captured a lot of the console market, the state of indie gaming has never been better as titles like Stardew Valley and Superhot are making waves in the gaming world. It is now possible for developers to gain funding through methods such as Kickstarter or Steam Greenlight. Early Access is become a commonplace item. Yet will this mean that gamers will constantly be playing games before they are complete? What happens when indie developers hit it big and are able to expand? The next year will be sure to hold at least some answers.

Battleborn, Paragon and Overwatch

The online battle arena market is still strong with games such as Heroes of the Storm and League of Legends taking point, but the genre is now starting to get crossed and multiplayer gaming might get changed as a result. Battleborn is a FPS with a colorful art style that adds in a cast of interesting characters and some MOBA gameplay mechanics. Paragon is a MOBA that allows for a more direct control of your online avatar. Overwatch is Blizzard’s latest massive-scale effort that has a full cast of heroes (all of whom play differently) inhabiting a FPS game, and the closed beta is already getting heaps of attention (and some controversy).

All of this points to a trend that players are perhaps getting bored with the standard formula and are looking for the next big thing in multiplayer gaming. Will these titles satisfy the world’s population of gamers?

Clearly there are additional anticipated games than those above coming out this year, and we’d love to hear your thoughts about some of the excitement to come. Do you think the industry is heading down a new path? Do you think that this is a natural progression from what the industry was like last year? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think.

How To Fill Out A Killer March Madness Bracket

March 4, 2016 // by Cassie// Leave a Comment

The time of the year has rolled around again where sports fans everywhere begin to prepare themselves for the annual excitement of March Madness. The NBAA Tournament is one of the great basketball highlights of the year and creating the perfect March Madness Bracket is a highly debated task by game lovers all over the country. This year, the bracket was leaked only 20 minutes into the Sunday Selection show, so fans have had more time than ever to scrutinize and narrow down their selection. We’ve compiled a few tips to help sport lovers everywhere fill out a killer bracket and make the most of this year’s tournament.

Avoid Bias

You might always have a special place for your own college team in your heart or there may be a certain player that you have a bit of a soft spot for. Unfortunately, relying on your own personal biases when crafting your bracket will not take you very far. Relying on loyalty and naively placing your personal favorites as champions is sure to lose your win in the office pool or the bet between you and your friends. You know your team best out of anyone, so it’s down to you to make a rational and logical choice when placing them.

Work Backward

More often that not, the easiest way to create a well thought-out bracket is to work from the overall winner. Consider all factors, how the teams have competed this season, and then select a final four. From here, you can make decisions on each previous match, basing the scores on the result that will lead your winning teams into their spots of victory. The biggest choices always come with the final rounds so getting them out of the way first avoids difficult decisions down where there are far more outcomes to decide on.

Don’t Just Back No.1 Seeds

Many people rely on the fact that the No. 1 seeds have already been decided as the best of their pods. Just because statistically they’ve come out top of the bunch, doesn’t necessarily mean that will translate into results. Although there’s been a No.1 final score clean sweep once before, in 2008, the odds of it happening again are an extremely underwhelming 57:1. Particularly as this shapes up to be one of the most unpredictable seasons ever, it’s highly likely that some of the best teams might slip up and a few underdogs will pull through.

Consider Outside Factors

Team rankings and statistics may seem like a solid way to lay your bet, but plenty more goes into these games than just what has been put down on paper. Knowing your geography is an important factor when deciding on winners as long journeys and unfamiliar climates all play a bit part in each players performance. It’s easy to be off your game after long-haul flights and time zone changes. Similarly, recent injuries and media scandals also have a big affect, so it’s worth doing the research and identifying any potential factors that could influence the game play. This may be time consuming, but there are plenty of resources to help you scour the whole of the internet for clues!

Keep Controversial Decisions Early On

Everyone wants to have predicted a controversial result. Picking a No.16 seed team to triumph over a No.1 seed team may be a terrible idea, unless it actually happens! Then you become king of the bracket and get to lord your victory over everyone who went for the more predictable option.

However, if you are going to take the chance and aim to guess right on one of these surprise results, it’s best to do so early on in the bracket. In the beginning stages, teams are being knocked out all over the place, so the chances are you’re going to get one wrong anyway—might as well go fro broke! However, once you get into the final 16, the importance of each match increases and throwing away an important win could ruin your entire chance at coming out on top.

We’re all waiting in anticipation for this year’s March Madness to kick off, and once we’ve designed our killer bracket, all that’s left is to wait for the games to begin! If you have any more tips on making predications or have your own tried and tested system to fill out your bracket, be sure to leave a comment below and share you ideas with other NBAA fans.

Which Music Streaming Services Will Survive the Year?

February 5, 2016 // by Caroline// Leave a Comment

Nothing embodies the rapid evolution of digital music as much as Apple’s boast that the launch of the iPod would put 1,000 songs in your pocket. The modern music listener demands that their digital music has the majority of songs ever recorded, for an affordable monthly fee, on any device, and on demand.

While many services claim to offer exclusive features, many will have catalogs that offer pretty much the same features. As such, the streaming service that offers the perfect mix of recommendations, number of songs, elegance, range and quality will survive 2016. Let’s review six of the frontrunners to see which one stands the best chance?

Pandora

Released in 2000, Pandora is one of the oldest streaming services on the market. Offering a better user experience through recommendations of unexplored music according to their listening history, Pandora is a leading light in streaming technology due to inventing the Music Genome Project. But Pandora fell behind due to some issues with licencing restrictions that would not allow you to replay a song, a catalog of only about a million songs, poor social integration and the inability to play songs on demand.

However, while the platform has lost a lot of its allure, it still has pros that will ensure it remains relevant in 2016. It offers a free with ads version and a premium Pandora One option that is without the many ads. Pandora One is quite affordable at $3.99 a month and has a sound quality of 192Kbps. It comes with music recommendations from the Music Genome Project that is available on most devices. Pandora is still the best bet when you intend to use a streaming service for a party since it can keep the music playing with minimal intervention even at the free, non-subscription levels.

Pandora’s biggest downside is that it’s only available in Australia, New Zealand and the United States; though users in other countries who registered with a US Zip can still listen to the service while outside the three countries. It’s recent acquisition of Rdio, which was accessible in 60 countries, could result in a future expansion of Pandora’s availability.

Google Play Music

It is the ideal music streaming service if you use the Google Play store frequently. With 35 million songs in its catalog, it has nearly as many songs as its competitors, Spotify and Tidal. But what sets it apart from the competition is that you can download and upload songs to the service, thereby using it as a digital locker allowing you to play songs on demand.

Furthermore, with the exponential growth in Android devices, you can access the service from multiple devices, even iOS though on a limited scale. It’s best sound quality is 320Kbps, which makes it’s MP3s significantly superior to Sony’s AACs that have significantly lower bitrates. It comes with a free three-month trial and costs $10 a month after that. The subscription is inclusive of YouTube Red that gives you background play and ad free YouTube videos.

Google Play Music is currently available in the 63 countries, covering most of North America, South America, Europe, northern Asia and Australia.

Tidal

Tidal is one of the best music streaming services to watch in 2016 due to its new approach to music streaming. It is a proponent of equal and fair pay for musicians. Recently bought by Jay-Z, its aim is to realign the music streaming industry by making artists the owners.

Tidal offers the best audio quality of all streaming services at 320Kbps high-quality FLAC files for all songs in its catalog. One of its most outstanding features is the short articles and videos that inform and entertain listeners about studios, producers, artists, and music genres. Additionally, it offers expertly curated playlists by different artists and producers.

However, the service does not have any free options. The cheapest audio subscriptions start at $10 a month, while the high-resolution content starts at $20 a month. Though it does not offer any free subscriptions, Tidal is totally worth the money as it has high fidelity music, 75,000 music videos, 40 million songs and no ads. The only con is its poor integration with social networks.

Tidal is currently available in the 46 countries scattered across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Spotify

With a 30 million-song catalog and $0 price tag, nothing beats Spotify as one of the most popular means of streaming whatever music you like whenever you want it. Integration with Facebook and Twitter makes it easy to find out what your friends are listening to. Moreover, you could easily switch to private mode that takes you offline and have nobody know what you have been listening to.

One issue with Spotify is that it fails to offer recommendations on what you should listen to. While its curated playlists are excellent, the radio station is not at the same standard. Though it does offer high-quality streaming at 320Kbps for Android, iOS and desktop.

Spotify does offer a Premium version for $10 a month that is ad free and offers the same music. It may be worth paying for Premium to avoid annoying interruptions from commercials. Additionally, Spotify allows users to upload any songs that are missing in the catalog, so the platform is likely to grow organically in 2016.

Spotify is currently available in 59 countries, covering most of the Americas, western Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

Apple Music

The newest entrant to music streaming, Apple Music, launched in July of 2015. The service is experiencing exponential growth in subscriptions rivalling Spotify and Pandora, the current market leaders. Apple Music also features a radio station called Beats1 that is always on, curated playlists made by retired music journalists and a mix of curated music. But its best-selling point is that its playlists draw from Apple’s massive catalog of 26 million songs.

Apple Music could be one of the winners of streaming music in 2016 since it offers a pretentious yet edgy feel while delivering on what it promises. Furthermore, the free three-month trial (that rises to $10 a month after expiration) has seen over 11 million people sign up for the service since its launch.

Probably Apple Music’s biggest advantage is that it is currently available in 113 countries, across Africa, the Middle East and India, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States and Canada.

How to Stream from Geo-Blocked Countries

One of the disadvantages of the streaming services is that they are not all available in every country and some countries have yet to be reached by any of them. If you find yourself in a country that does not support streaming, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) could come in handy. With a VPN, you would simply change your location to a country that your service supports and instantly get access to all of your streaming services.

The Verdict

Overall we’d have to go with Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play Music as having the best chances of making it in 2016. Tidal is quite good, so do not count it out yet. Pandora has longevity on its side but is highly unlikely to be making big waves this year.

So what is your favorite? Which one do you think will outlast all the others and be the top dog in the music streaming industry? Join the conversation below.

Up and Coming YouTube Personalities to Follow Right Now

January 8, 2016 // by Isa// Leave a Comment

Times are changing; the stars we look up to and are inspired by are no longer trapped inside the big screen at the cinema. The next generation of celebrities—as we have already seen—are becoming so from the comfort of their own home. Social media is cutting out the middleman and putting the stars of tomorrow right onto our computer screens. We can interact, get to know and understand these people like never before. YouTube celebrities have become a massive deal in recent years as the likes of Zoella, PewDiePie and The Fine Bros have shot to notoriety using only the platform.

Now, as we move into 2016, a whole new generation of YouTube stars are on the rise. Whether it’s makeup tutorials, game commentary or sketched comedy, there’s so much potential talent to tap into that it’s sometimes hard to find the very best. Fortunately, this list covers five of the very best YouTube channels that are definitely going to be ones to watch over the coming year.

Bretman Rock

Beauty Vlogs have become extremely common practice on YouTube, and I’m sure it’s not just me who thinks the market is starting to become somewhat oversaturated. Fortunately, Bretman Rock is a unique and refreshing addition to the mix that will leave you in stitches while still teaching you to do the perfect winged liner.

After rising to fame via his “How to Contour” video, which took the world by storm with it’s quick and quirky jokes and flamboyant delivery, Bretman has gone on to produce a number of different beauty videos covering all aspects of makeup skills, alongside a few talking vlogs, all in his wonderfully fabulous and unique style.

With over 600,000 subscribers and many other followers on other platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, his charming style has truly captured the hearts of many and that only seems to increase over the course of the coming year. Whether you love makeup, or are just watching for the entertainment, Bretman Rock is definitely a YouTube all rounder who is well, and truly, sickening!

Justin Flom

Alongside the vlogs and hauls and beauty tips, YouTube has begun to nurture another type of star. Many, many talented performers have found the platform instrumental in sharing their skills with the world. It allows singers, dancers, musicians and artists—and in this case, magicians—to show just how good they are at doing what they love.

Justin Flom has been growing in popularity since his appearance on Ellen just over three years ago catapulted him into the public eye. His truly individual, and occasionally grotesque, tricks bring magic to a whole new level and give most professional performers a run for their money.

His videos are a selection of performances to the camera and the reactions of stunned crowds in street shows, and his charismatic ways and perfected sleight of hand will leave any viewer stunned. It’s clear that Justin is going to carry on doing great and spectacular things, so subscribe to him now and wait eagerly for all that is to come!

High On Life

Another ever increasingly popular sub-genre on YouTube is the travel section. The High On Life crew are a perfect example of how, with enough funding, the sky is your limit. If it’s awesome and you’re not sure that you’d be able to afford it, they’ve probably done it.

However, despite their high-tech video equipment and apparent endless supply of money for gas, plane tickets and ropes to throw themselves off things with, the message of the videos continue to ring true: it’s about the experience. The sleek production quality, beautiful videography, epic locations and uncountable back-somersaults make for endless inspirational posts about how the only thing that really matters is living your life.

The group even address how money isn’t important in order to travel and enjoy yourself and their poetic explanations of how to seek happiness are enough to make anyone want to jet off and never come back. These guys are doing big things already, so who knows what the next 365 days could bring.

TheThirdPew

Another comedy king is upon us in the form of Nathan Zed A.K.A. TheThirdPew. His hilarious social commentaries hit on real issues, and his friendly, moral and down to earth views make him easily one of the most likeable guys on the platform.

His rise to fame came from a video response he did to the notorious Nash Grier video “What Guys Look for in Girls.” Thankfully, Nathan put the fellow YouTuber firmly in his place, pointing out that his comments were not only derogatory, but also extremely contradictory and insulting to the majority of his fan base.

Since then he’s released many, many amusing summaries on topics that we can all understand and appreciate. He prides himself on quirky and relatable content, and it’s most certainly true that viewers can’t get enough of him! A true online personality and YouTube star, we predict that this guy’s just going to keep getting bigger and bigger.

Infinite Waters (Diving Deep)

There are many, many channels that live in the depth of YouTube that are truly unique and individual, and this is most definitely one of those. However, as the vegan YouTube culture has exploded with the likes of Freelee the Banana Girl and Deliciously Ella, Ralph Smart’s brilliant channel has also been brought into the limelight.

A proud vegan, although not a pushy one, Ralph combines his numerous talents as a psychologist, counselor, alchemist and cinematographer to create inspirational videos with a twist. While his roots are clearly deep into the spirituality and metaphysical realms, his comical and quirky delivery and sound advice make this channel a perfect stop for any YouTube fan. Before you know it you’ll be finding yourself “breathing in that good-ass prana” and asking “can I get a hello there?!”

Are there any other channels that you feel deserve to be on this list? Be sure to share and leave a comment below!

Rush for Adele Tickets Leave Many Fans Empty Handed

December 18, 2015 // by Cassie// Leave a Comment

Whenever a musician releases a new album, a music tour in support of that album won’t be far behind. With the release of her number one selling album 25, Adele has created an unprecedented demand for tickets to her upcoming American tour. Unfortunately, the timing of the release of those tickets and the seemingly unstoppable robotic ordering from huge ticket brokers left many fans stranded without tickets. It also didn’t help that Ticketmaster’s website was overwhelmed by the volume of traffic once those tickets were released. Does this mean the future for the average concertgoer will be left in the hands of expensive ticket brokers?

The Mad Rush for Tickets

Before buying concert tickets online became popular, fans would have to line up outside of venues to score seats for a concert. Dedicated fans had no problem camping out the sidewalk in anticipation of seeing their favorite bands and performers. These sidewalk campouts became a kind of fan club meeting, and despite inclement weather, a good time was had by all.

That all changed with the advent of online ticket purchases. Now concertgoers are given a specific date and time when tickets will be made “available.” That puts them locked to their computer ready to hit the “refresh button” as many times as needed to land those coveted tickets.

For Adele’s concert tour, tickets were made available in a surprise announcement in the early part of December. This was the height of the holiday shopping season, which required many fans to adjust their schedules in order to compete for the tickets. Once the clock struck 10 a.m., there was a virtual mad rush on the Ticketmaster website. This led to many fans being shut out. They poured their frustrations out all across social media. This did not make for a very Merry Christmas!

A Limited Number of Seats

Breaking down the number of show dates plus available seats for Adele’s concert tour, and you’re left with around 750,000 possible tickets. When you consider that by its fourth week of sales Adele’s newest album sold over 6 million copies, then it’s clear that there would be many fans left empty-handed.

In addition to the number of seats, there were other issues that hampered the average fan with their online ticket purchase. There were pre-sales for registered VIP users to Adele’s website. Right out of the gate that took around two thirds of the available tickets off the markets even before the general public got their chance to make a purchase. It’s no wonder the Ticketmaster website was swamped and stalled. Even though Ticketmaster officially stated, “They performed very well,” there were several hundred Adele fans who begged to differ.

The Bot Factor

Another issue that contributed to the limited availability of concert tickets was the sophisticated use of automatic ticket buying by ticket brokers. It was estimated by Ticketmaster that around half a million potential “botted” ticket purchases were blocked. However, with all that blocking action going on, it further slows things down even more. Despite the efforts to prevent these kinds of automated purchases, you can find evidence of their success when several online ticket brokers begin promoting Adele tickets just moments after they went on sale. Of course, these tickets are often double and triple in price because of the “handling charge.”

A Concert Alternative

Although seeing a performer like Adele live would be a memorable event, there are still many ways to enjoy her music. Obviously, downloading her albums and making them top of your playlist is the best option. However, there could be issues with your privacy when downloading music. One way to ensure that your private information will be protected is to download your music through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This will get you the music you want to listen to and provide peace of mind knowing your identity and credit card information to be secure.

As for going to see Adele in concert, if you didn’t land a ticket and aren’t willing to pay hundreds over face value to a ticket broker, you might just have to wait for the next concert tour or try to catch the TV version of her concert. Either way you don’t have to go without Adele!

Adele vs. Spotify

December 4, 2015 // by Cassie// Leave a Comment

Following the footsteps of another global phenomenon, Adele takes her album off the availability list for Spotify. What does this mean for the industry that is trying to put a stop to illegal downloading?

The chart topping songstress took the Taylor Swift route, according to sources at Spotify, to make her album unavailable as part of the music streaming service. With two leading ladies taking a stand against the streaming service—plus a new outlet, Apple Music—the online music business may be in fear of losing listeners to illegal downloading.

With Adele’s first album in 4 years, 25 is expected to sell over 2.5 million copies its first week; the album’s single “Hello” has already been downloaded 1.1 million times, and it’s video, produced by French Canadian director Xavier Dolan, has been viewed on YouTube 400 million times.

Adele, and her company, Sony Corporation, mutually made the decision based on Adele’s wide demographic. Unlike most pop music artists, Adele caters to a very wide fan base, not just teenagers watching YouTube, but also adults who are likely to go out and buy an album rather than stream online. With music purchases producing more money for the artist than streaming plays, it’s hard to tell Adele that she’s making a bad decision.

And this isn’t the first time the singer has come up against Spotify. In 2011 with the release of 21, Adele pulled her album due to the fact that subscribers weren’t limited to the number of plays allowed. Swift’s position against the company was similar. That American fans be limited to their number of plays is another argument to add to the fire with Spotify, but with Adele, downloading a Virtual Private Network wouldn’t help you listen to her album. She’s all about cutting down on plays across the board.

Adele’s not all restriction however. Unlike Spotify and Apple Music, Pandora Internet Radio, which follows different licensing rules than it’s rivals, will be streaming the album on its website a few days after its worldwide release. The singer also has a deal with Target, where customers who buy the album from the chain, selling at $13.99 on Target.com, will get 3 bonus songs over the $10.99 purchase on iTunes.

While it’s a huge uptick for the music industry—fondly called “the Adele Effect”—that albums be sold rather than accessed through streaming sites or repeated plays on an online playlist, there is revenue to be lost for the streaming services, who otherwise are a strong contender in the failing music industry. With the continued rise of illegal downloading, online streaming sites have managed to grow to be 10 percent of music industry revenue, attempting to bring back listeners from the land of piracy.

Big artists such as Adele and Beyonce are earning less per play than by album buy, but the growth of online streaming hasn’t put a stop to album sales as much, and artists can always make their music available to stream at a later date, after the initial release of their new album when record sales have dwindled.

According to research conducted by Rolling Stone, the actual numbers and money figures that come from music plays is a difficult equation. With most streaming services like Spotify, musicians earn $.09 cents for every 60 listens, for Pandora it’s around $.001 per song. For every $1.29 purchase on iTunes, around $.20 cents goes back to the artist, with $.09 cents for the songwriter. Record labels can also bank on an artist’s YouTube plays—$1 for every thousand plays, even if it’s not an official music video, but a fan made video that went viral—which can really bring in the revenue. And for straight album sales, an album that’s almost $18 can have as little as less than $2 go back to the artist. But don’t feel sorry for the artist’s yet, that’s just in music. Most mainstream pop musicians benefit much more from concert tickets, merchandise and sponsorships.

The jury may still be out on whether it’s a tactic that will benefit or hurt an artist, since no one has ever made the claim that online streaming has caused a decline of album sales. It’s almost guaranteed that for a top-charted artist like Adele, it doesn’t matter where the music comes from, the fans are going to find it.

Spotify commented saying: “We love and respect Adele, as do her 24m fans on Spotify. We hope that she will give those fans the opportunity to enjoy 25 on Spotify alongside 19 and 21 very soon.” But will it be enough to get the music up for listeners? It’s a time-tested fact that anytime Adele hits the public with a new set of songs from her one of a kind pipes, we all rush to listen, and this time is likely to be no different.

Only time, and the success of album sales, will tell.

5 Free E-Books You Should Grab Off The Shelves This Second

November 6, 2015 // by Caroline// 1 Comment

Calling all readers! Whether you’re a fan of the classics or more modern pieces, this month you’re going to want to delve into the latest free eBooks available. Between army agents, Washington operatives to mustachioed sleuths and ghost-chasing widows, this month’s 5 best free picks will take you on a rollercoaster adventure into literary nirvana and beyond.

Any Means Necessary by Jack Mars

For people with a taste for thrillers and international intrigue that can form a habit for delving into issues that are plaguing the news, then Any Means Necessary by Jack Mars is the download for your next read. Beginning with nuclear waste stolen by jihadists and leading down endless roads of conspiracy, ultimatums and political trysts, this first chapter in the newest series built around Agent Luke Stone is going to leave you grappling with the knowledge that what you see may not always be what it seems, and most of all, leave you begging for the next Stone adventure.

Ghosts of Tsavo by Vered Ehsani

If you can’t decide what you love best, a good mystery or a heartwarming tale, something exotic or something with a little bit of a British humor twist, Ghosts of Tsavo is definitely the next read for you. Set in Victorian times but traveling to the culture shocks of Kenya, Beatrice Knight takes in her newly widowed status, her best friend’s charming godfather and her safari guide’s likelihood to feed her to roaming lions, in an attempt to get to the bottom of a most difficult ghost story.

Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Classics like Sherlock need no introduction, but in this installment of the famed sleuth, Doyle captures the minute details of Baker Street cases in segments that zip a reader through the fast paced world of the detective in his native Victorian England. From start to finish, this rendition of Sherlock’s adventures into murder and mayhem will satisfy any big fan hoping for another taste and definitely become a quick favorite for new readers.

The Big Green Tent by Ludmila Ulitskaya

The Big Green Tent is another classic—but only recently translated to English for lovers of classic Russian storytelling to fall in love with. Set in 1950s Moscow, three school friends are marred in the middle of the Soviet Empire and grappling with the realities of everyday life, everyday dissent and the ideologies coming to power. Intimately showing the lives of a pianist, photographer and poet, this journey into the aftermath of Stalin and the rise of the KGB from an insider’s perspective will give you cause to rejoice your own freedoms while coming to appreciate the hardships of individuals in a society defined by unity.

All The Houses by Karen Olsson

Modernity never seemed so authentic or unsettling than in All the Houses by Karen Olsson, as the author takes her characters through the everyday of life of a family grappling with the effects of the patriarch’s heart attack and following medical care. The unsolved past is what meets L.A. transplant and Hollywood hopeful Helen Atherton when she returns to her home of Washington D.C. in the aftermath of her father’s illness, uncovering the painful truths that relationships must face as they grow, change and age throughout time.

For more ideas on where to get great picks for your next read, check out Kindle’s free 100 list—it’s got a great selection of classics that can perk up any reader dying for more adventures. Don’t have a Kindle? They have their app available for free download so you can get to reading straight from your phone or computer—no gadget purchase necessary!

Netflix Nightmare: Answers to Your FAQ’s

October 2, 2015 // by Isa// 1 Comment

Don’t get me the wrong impression, Netflix is great. Millions of people have voted with their dollar that the service is worth it and that their service is on the whole a better experience than competitors. That being said, there can be some frustrating or confusing issues that come up when using the service. It could be hard to get a constant stream, and some people might rightfully be concerned about their privacy and security.

You shouldn’t let some of the most common concerns prevent you from taking advantage of the future. So we’ve asked some people for questions and looked online for some of the most common queries regarding Netflix. Here are some thoughts regarding the most common topics brought up:

Is Using Netflix Safe?

As a general rule, absolutely. Netflix takes its security very seriously. It knows that it would lose a great number of customers and potential customers should it become the victim of a major data breach. They likely have a cybersecurity team or firm working around the clock to make sure you don’t have to worry about anything while you sit down and chill.

You still should absolutely do what you can on your end to make sure your account is safe. Don’t share your password with anyone else. Make sure to use the proper verification measures. Your personal information is still linked to your account, and you don’t want that info spreading through cybercriminal circles.

I Want to Watch Netflix When I Travel. What Should I Do?

One of the largest problems for people who are traveling frequently yet love Netflix is that the service is typically geo-blocked outside of the United States. There aren’t many other streaming options that operate at the same level around the world, so people often find themselves out of luck.

One of the most common answers these days is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to help you access Netflix regardless of your physical location. A VPN is a service that connects your device (smartphone or laptop) to an offsite secure server and then proceeds to encrypt that connection, also protecting you and your account on any public networks you might use. So long as you set the VPN to a region within the United States, you shouldn’t have any difficulties.

Is There Any Way to Get My Stolen Account Back?

The first thing to do is to change your password if you can to see if you can block off further access to any thieves. If you are having trouble getting into your account in the first place, you might need to go through the process to reset your password and other account information. In the event that you are having trouble with your email address, you will likely need to directly contact Netflix customer support and possibly your credit card provider.

Also, you will want to go to your account page as soon as you possibly can and select the option to sign out of all devices. It will usually lock the hackers out, and all you will need to do is sign in or register with your devices again. It’s a small cost of time for peace of mind.

How Do I Stop All of This Stupid Buffering?

Unfortunately, this one doesn’t have an easy answer. It could very well be that the connection you are using to watch Netflix in HD isn’t sufficient. You should try to have at least a 5 Mbps connection if you don’t want to have issues. If you do have that kind of connection, it might be worth checking your computer or network to see if there are any other factors inhibiting the connection.

On the other hand, it could be something on Netflix’s end. If you are experiencing buffering, first try to refresh the page. If your internet is working fine everywhere else, note that sometimes Netflix has peak times and their servers might not be able to handle the load. At this point, there’s very little you can do except come back later or try to bear the burden of buffering.

Is There Any Way to Extend the Free Trial?

Unless you want to try making multiple accounts (each with their own set of credit card info), no. Any other methods are impractical or illegal. As a general rule, it is always good to financially support services which you take enjoyment from and would normally pay for. If you want to take advantage of your account preferences and content rating after 30 days, there’s no real method to extend your free trial.

Do you have any other questions about Netflix that you want answers to? Are there any problems your friends have all the time? How do these problems make you feel about the general state of Netflix and whether you’d want to switch over to another service? Please leave a comment or question below and we’d be happy to continue this conversation.