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Your grandparents used everyday household items in ways many people have completely forgotten!

Discover 25+ old-fashioned mechanisms, forgotten household features, traditional tools, and practical design ideas from earlier generations.

From vintage windows and mechanical appliances to classic home fixtures, these objects reveal how people solved everyday problems before modern technology became common.

Some older designs were surprisingly ingenious — and understanding them makes familiar household history even more fascinating.

#ForgottenKnowledge #VintageEngineering #OldSchoolTricks #HouseholdSecrets #HiddenSecrets

Category

🎈
Fun
Transcript
00:00Trying to squeeze all of the juice out of a lemon without a strainer can be messy work.
00:04Instead of using your hands, try using some tongs. Place a lemon between the tongs and
00:10squeeze it. You'll definitely get a lot more juice with much less effort.
00:15Lynch rollers were originally designed to remove tiny fibers from things like upholstery and
00:20clothing. But you can also use them to keep your silverware shiny and clean.
00:25The dishwasher might thoroughly rinse and clean your utensils,
00:28but that doesn't help much if the place you store them is dirty.
00:31If you want to remove the dirt from the utensil tray, you don't have to take the whole thing
00:36out of the drawer. Simply take your sticky lint roller and put it into each compartment,
00:41and ta-da! The crumbs and dirt are all gone. Lost your earring back? Take a small piece
00:48of pencil eraser and stick your earring in it. That'll keep it in place.
00:52Soda cans come with that little tab you use to open your drink.
00:56You know that hole in the top of the tab? It doesn't just make opening the can easier.
01:01It's also designed to hold your straw. It has more uses, too. If you want to hang a picture up
01:07on a
01:07wall, but it doesn't have a wire or hanger, you can use a soda can tab for that, too.
01:13You're having a coffee to go. It usually comes with that lid so you can close your drink,
01:18but you can also use it as a coaster. Take it off, turn it upside down, place it under your
01:24cup,
01:24and you'll never leave a mark on a table again.
01:27If you don't know how much spaghetti to have for dinner, there's an easy way to measure out a
01:32portion with a spaghetti spoon. The base of the spoon has a hole so you can drain water out,
01:37but it can also be used to measure how much pasta you should cook. Whatever fits in the spoon's hole
01:43is one serving of pasta.
01:46You opened applesauce and don't have a spoon with you. No need to buy one. Just take the lid,
01:51twist the end to make a handle, and use the other end as a scoop. Your little spoon is ready.
01:57Once your tissue box is empty, you don't have to throw it away. It's a great shape to store things
02:03in. Maybe you can never seem to remember where you keep your plastic bags. If you put them in an
02:08empty tissue box, you'll always know where they are. Binder clips are great little things to carry
02:15around with you when you want to leave the house carrying as few things as possible. Link one together
02:20with your keys, and you can just clip bills to it. With one of these, you'll never need to carry
02:25a
02:25wallet or purse around with you again. If you don't have a computer duster or something specifically
02:31designed to clean your keyboard, just use a cotton swab. Lightly moisten it with disinfectant
02:37and wipe between the keys once or twice a week. You may notice lots of boots have those loops
02:43sticking out on the back. Their main purpose is to help you pull your shoes on easier.
02:48Just pull it up as you push your heel into the boot. It has another handy use, too. You can
02:53use it to
02:53hang your boots on a hook when they're dirty or when you want to dry them after washing. You can
02:59also
02:59run your laces through the loop if you're tying them around your ankles. It can be irritating when you
03:05buy shoes you like and then realize they're really slippery. No worries, just take a bit of sandpaper
03:11and rub it on the soles for better traction. Now they're more grippy. You can even wear them out
03:17in the rain. Okay, I admit it. I used to believe that the rougher end of the two-tone eraser
03:23was
03:23there to erase ink. The truth is that the darker side, which is usually blue or gray, can erase pencil
03:30from more delicate paper. This type of paper is usually only used by artists, so most people
03:36don't know about it. That's not all erasers can do, though. They can polish your jewelry,
03:41clean electronics, and even remove that annoying residue from stickers. It can also clean scuffed-up
03:47suede and dirt you might have on your walls. Uh-oh, your zipper got stuck again, and you're late.
03:53Who has time to deal with that now? Well, wax paper does. Try rubbing it on the stuck zipper,
04:00and it should loosen. Can openers can do so much more than the name suggests.
04:07For instance, they can help out with those frustrating hard plastic packages. Arrgh!
04:13You don't have to wrestle with scissors anymore. Just take a regular can opener, run it along the edge
04:18of some packaging, and enjoy never struggling to open anything again. Now, here's a top secret.
04:24Shh! WD-40 can completely remove gum from the soles of your shoes. It removes stickers, labels,
04:31and even crayon marks from walls. You could also use it to untangle your necklaces and loosen a ring
04:37if it gets stuck on your finger. Surprise! Now your earphones have a new holder. Neatly rolling them up
04:44in a kinder egg is a cool way to stop them from getting tangled. Heh, hopefully.
04:50Doorknobs are mostly made of brass, and that's not a coincidence. Sure, it has a nice golden shine
04:56to a room, but it actually has a practical reason too. Brass is generally durable and, most importantly,
05:02resistant to all the moisture and oils on human hands. It's also antibacterial, so brass doorknobs
05:09actually help to keep your house more hygienic. Wooden hangers look fancier and more elegant than
05:16those plastic ones, but that's not the only reason they're more expensive. They're actually made of
05:21cedar, which is a special type of wood that repels bugs. Speaking of the wardrobe, putting a soap bar
05:27inside will leave a refreshing scent on your clothes. Nail polish is not only for beauty treatments.
05:34Thanks to its adhesive and waterproofing abilities, it's great if you need to make a protective
05:39seal or stick some things together. No more licking envelopes, the nail polish is here.
05:45It can also keep your glasses frames tighter. Fix a run in your stockings, guys, or take care of the
05:51fraying ends of the shoelaces. You get a small silica gel packet every time you buy a new pair
05:57of shoes. You should keep them because silica gel is excellent at absorbing moisture out of the
06:03environment. It can be used for much more than just shoes, though. You know how everyone says if your
06:08phone is wet, you need to put it in a jar with some rice? The rice is supposed to draw
06:12the water out,
06:13but silica is even better when it comes to absorbing moisture. You can also put silica
06:19packets in your gym bag to stop any bad smells from building up. Make sure to always be careful
06:25with silica gel, though. The warning label clearly says you shouldn't eat it because it contains toxic
06:31additives. You're writing an essay on your computer. Almost done? Oh no! The internet's gone!
06:37No problem! There's an easy way to use up some time. If you use Google Chrome, you'll see a little
06:43T-Rex show up in your browser, right next to no internet. When this fellow appears, just press the
06:50up key on the keyboard, and you'll start a platformer minigame. You need to help the T-Rex run around
06:56without hitting any cactuses on its way. Okay, connection, no need for you to come back.
07:01I've got some records to break. We all know what a thermos is for, but it wasn't actually
07:07invented to keep your coffee warm. It was made by a Scottish scientist who just wanted a safe place
07:12to keep his chemicals at a stable temperature. So he took two bottles, put the smaller one inside the
07:19bigger bottle, and vacuumed out the air between them. Ah, thank you for helping me keep my coffee
07:25warm. So grab your phone. Good, now turn it around. You see that little dot between the camera and the
07:34flash? That's a tiny microphone. Bet that's something you didn't know. What's it doing there? Well, when
07:40you're on a phone call, this little guy is busy at work, reducing the amount of background noise other
07:46people hear when you talk. That's right, if it wasn't for this, calls wouldn't be as nearly as
07:52crisp as they are now. You're lost in the woods, and you're rushing to get back to camp.
07:59You suddenly remember you've got something that can help. You grab one of your chest straps from
08:04your backpack and whistle on it. Yup, that's right. A lot of bags have this feature in them, especially
08:11the ones made for the outdoors. It isn't long before you hear the call of one of your
08:16friends, and you follow them back to the warm campfire, saved by this cool bit of design.
08:22If you're a curious person, you might have wondered what that little pocket in your jeans is doing
08:28there. You know, the one that's inside the bigger pocket? People often use it to store coins and bills,
08:35but it's not meant for that. It's actually designed to store your pocket watch safely.
08:39Huh? Maybe that's where the name pocket watch comes from?
08:45You finally arrive home after a long day's work. You understandably don't feel like cooking,
08:51so you sit on the couch and watch a bit of TV and order some takeout. How about Chinese? Ah,
08:58perfect.
08:59There's the doorbell. That has to be your food! It smells delicious!
09:03Wait! Before you grab the plates, do this instead. Open your Chinese food container on the table.
09:10It becomes the perfect plate. And it's cardboard. Which means no cleaning either!
09:17That can of soda you got with your food has a cool feature too.
09:21Look at the tiny metal tab there, the one you used to open the can. Guess what? You can fit
09:27your straw in
09:27there. In fact, that's exactly what they're made for. Go ahead, try it for yourself!
09:34If you're not at your computer, take a look at your keyboard right now. If you're not, that's okay.
09:39Here's one on the screen. The keycaps are arranged in what's called the QWERTY layout,
09:45named after the first six keycaps below the numbers. As it turns out, it wasn't always this way.
09:51They used to be laid out alphabetically, which would make more sense when you think about it.
09:56The alphabetical layout fell out of use because long ago, there were things called typewriters.
10:02Remember those?
10:04You press down a key, and a type bar would fly out, hitting an inked ribbon and stamping a letter
10:10on the piece of paper.
10:11Eventually, typists got good at this and typed faster. Too fast. The typebars would eventually
10:18get caught in a log jam with each other, ruining the flow. To fix this problem, they made keyboards
10:24with randomized keycaps. The new layout actually worked better because it made typing harder,
10:30helping to slow typists down and prevent the typebars from getting stuck. Much better!
10:35Today, no typebars. No typewriters, mostly. People are still fast nowadays, but you just
10:42can't help but wonder who was faster, though. Us or them?
10:46Keyboards have another hidden feature, too. Have you ever noticed that the F keycap and the J keycap
10:51have little bumps on the bottom of them? As it turns out, they're there to help people figure out
10:57where they are on the keyboard without having to take their eyes off the screen.
11:02Grabbing a takeaway cup of coffee at your favorite cafe might be just what you need to fully wake up
11:08in the mornings. When you get back home or to work, though, you might be afraid to stain your desk
11:13when
11:14you put the steaming hot coffee down. Worry not, your plastic lid isn't only good for keeping your
11:20coffee hot. It also doubles as a coaster. In fact, they're the perfect size to hold a cup.
11:26Try it for yourself. This one's gonna come in handy if you're a home cook. If you're like me,
11:33you might have a bit of trouble deciding how much pasta you need for just one serving.
11:37Well, if you've got a pasta scoop, grab that. Most people don't know what the little hole in the
11:43middle is for and assume it's supposed to help with water drainage or something. It turns out that
11:49it helps you measure out a perfect serving. Just see how much dry spaghetti you can fit in the hole
11:55and use that as one portion.
11:59Out of the store buying coat hangers, you might notice that the plastic ones feel cheaper than
12:04the wooden ones. There's a good reason for this. Wooden hangers are made out of cedar wood.
12:09The big difference between the two is that the wooden ones repel bugs and moths.
12:16They're stronger and last longer, too. Perfect for things that might stay in your closet for a long
12:21time. When you brush your teeth, you might have noticed that your toothbrush has blue bristles.
12:27They're not just there for show. In fact, they're there to tell you when it might be time to switch
12:33toothbrushes. These bristles lose their strength and color when the brush has been worn down,
12:38letting you know that it's time to get rid of it.
12:43Microwaves often look a bit like mini-TVs, especially ones where you can clearly see the
12:48black film around them. This is actually a really important feature that's used to keep the radiation
12:53from slipping away. They're called Faraday cages, if you want to get technical. This is why you can
13:00stand next to a microwave without melting into a puddle. That's not to say you should stand in front of
13:06the
13:07microwave and watch your food heat up, but at least you know you won't grow an extra ear or something.
13:12Okay, not really.
13:14Some ovens have a drawer under them. It's tempting to use this to store random junk you don't use often,
13:20but there's a better use for it. Instead, this should be used to help keep the food that's waiting
13:25to be served hot. You can take it out of the oven and store it right in this drawer, keeping
13:31your oven
13:31free for you to carry on cooking. Now, you're on a plane looking around trying to pass the time before
13:38takeoff. When you examine the window, you notice this has a little, very tiny hole on its bottom.
13:45Don't worry, it's not broken. It's there to relieve the pressure that builds up over time as the plane
13:51goes up and down. It also lets the air flow through it. Now, raise your hand if you've ever ridden
13:57on
13:57an escalator and scrubbed your shoes on its bristles. Hey, I'm guilty of doing that, maybe more than I
14:03should. It's not there to clean your shoes, though. It's an important safety measure. It stops your
14:09shoelaces, clothing, and other stuff from getting stuck in there, avoiding a nasty scene when you go
14:14to get off. Sometimes a piece of fabric comes with your new clothing. It usually comes along with the
14:21extra buttons in a little plastic bag. You might think it's just a piece of fabric to use for future
14:27patching, in case you rip it. But that isn't its purpose at all. It's actually supposed to be put
14:33in the washing machine to test how it reacts to various washings. Now, you don't have to worry about
14:39shrinking your new, expensive coat because you know how it'll react to the wash.
14:44Bubbles! Who doesn't love bubbles? Most people have fond memories with bubble blowers as a kid.
14:50But as adults, the closest thing we can get to recapturing that feeling is with bubble baths.
14:56After a hard day at work, there's nothing better than dipping into a nice warm bubble bath.
15:00Right, guys? And the bubbles do more than just clean you. If they're high-quality bubbles,
15:06they'll serve as a heat insulator. So they make sure that your bath stays warm for longer.
15:13Boxes of chocolate sometimes have these mysterious holes in them. When I'm eating a box, or two,
15:19I usually ignore them and take out the chocolate by pressing the bottom of the plastic. But it turns
15:25out that I've been doing it wrong the whole time. If you press one of the holes, the chocolate comes
15:32right out. I'm certainly going to start doing this from now on. Mm-hmm. Here's another one from the
15:38kitchen. The handle on a pot will often have a hole in it. Most people use this to hang them
15:44on a nail on
15:45the wall as an easy storage method. The hole has another use, too. When you're cooking, you can use
15:51this handle to hold your wooden spoon or whatever else you might be cooking with. This makes sure you
15:57don't make a mess when you put it down. Glass bottles usually come with a cap in them. Well,
16:04duh! Otherwise, the liquid would just spill. In this cap, there's a plastic liner that seemingly has no
16:10purpose, right? Wrong. It's a seal! No, not a seal! A seal! It's the kind that helps keep your drink
16:20fizzy. Ah, just the refreshment I needed. A lot of doorknobs are made out of brass, and it's not by
16:27chance. They're made out of this specific material because it's bacteria's worst enemy. That's right,
16:33it destroys them. Perfect for those who want to keep a clean house and avoid germs. Hey, you want a
16:40fish?
16:43After a bad day at work, you decide to hide yourself from the rest of the world. You turn off
16:48your phone
16:48and your laptop and lock yourself inside the bathroom. You jump out of your meditation when
16:54you hear a beeping sound. It's your toothbrush saying, data transfer completed! Your robot vacuum
17:00knocks at the door. Looks like it must be after you. Robot vacuums make a map of your home to
17:06get
17:06around and plan cleaning better. They can share this map with other gadgets via Wi-Fi and store
17:12them in the cloud. When advertisers get access to those maps, they can get an idea of your home size,
17:18your income level, and lifestyle to send the right ads your way.
17:23Vacuums don't have microphones, but their navigation systems can be repurposed to listen
17:28to your conversations. They map the room with a laser beam directed at objects. Sound waves affect
17:34that light. If you collect that data, you can convert it back into sound waves and identify
17:39what someone said. Headphones and microphones are based on the same idea. Headphones turn electrical
17:47signals into sound, and microphones turn sound into electrical signals. If you plug your headphones
17:53into the microphone jack, they'll work as a microphone. Bad guys learn to do it remotely
17:58without your consent. There's malware that retask your computer output channel into input channel.
18:04It can record sounds from across the room even when the headphones are in their jack and the
18:09microphone is turned off and disconnected from the computer. Then it compresses the audio and sends
18:15it over the internet. There are computer mice that look like regular ones but have microphones and a
18:20built-in SIM card in them. The mics are so powerful they can even record whisper and broadcast that audio
18:27in
18:27real time. To activate it, you have to call the SIM card number and it goes on silently. To deactivate
18:34it, you can
18:34send an SMS to the same number. Some employers confirmed eavesdropping on their staff using that
18:40technology. A smart toothbrush remembers every move you made with it and shares it with you when you're done
18:48brushing. It also connects to your iPhone or Android using an app and sends data on your brushing
18:54habits to your dentist. They can watch over your brushing process and give you tips on how to take better
19:00care of
19:01your teeth. Smart watches, fitness trackers, and other smart wearables monitor your health and can determine if
19:07you're walking, running, or driving with their built-in sensors. If third parties get control over that data, they can
19:13also
19:14monitor your hand movements as you unlock your phone, enter your PIN code at the ATM, or your password at
19:20the
19:20computer. The gadgets are smart enough to accurately guess all that secret data most of the time. They can also
19:27find out the
19:27email address you use when you register with the app to identify who you are. Pacemakers and other health devices
19:36send patient data over the
19:37internet. In theory, criminals could obtain it during transfer and change it to look like the patient needs hospital
19:44treatment. That would make them leave their home and bad guys could take advantage of the situation. Smart toys that
19:51have cameras
19:52and microphones in them can record videos and sounds and send them to the toy maker. To keep prices on
19:58smart toys lower, they don't add
20:00expensive security mechanisms to protect that data. If cyber criminals get a hold of it, they can steal pictures,
20:07videos, or audio, and even identify GPS coordinates of the house. LED lights equipped with sensors and connected to video
20:15cameras can watch over and listen to conversations over a large distance. This technology was used at one large airport
20:22for security and comfort reasons. Cyber criminals went further and learned to use ordinary light bulbs for
20:30eavesdropping on conversations. To do it, they need a clean line of sight between a powerful telescope
20:36and the bulb of the right thickness. It won't work if you have drapes on your window. When you're talking
20:41or
20:42listening to music, there are changes in air pressure on the surface of the bulb and it's shaking a bit.
20:47A special
20:48converter can turn data on the sounds from electrical to digital. Internet connected thermostats can be
20:55operated remotely and that made them desirable for cyber criminals. They once got access to millions of
21:01debit and credit cards data through a large retailer's heating and cooling system. Other bad guys found a
21:08way to remotely lock smart thermostats controls and demanded ransom to unlock them. Smart fridges can tell you
21:15when it's time to buy milk as they track your food preferences and have great connectivity. Smart dishwashers,
21:21coffee machines, washers and dryers are also collecting and transmitting your data, even at moments you don't
21:27think they're doing it. Criminals can make use of that data to find out a lot about your schedule and
21:33guess
21:33when you aren't at home. Your voice assistant makes your life easier, but it must listen to you 24-7
21:41to make that possible.
21:42They never record anything you say before you activate them with your voice. Everything that follows is stored
21:48in the cloud and can be of use for different companies. They can learn what music you like to listen
21:54to,
21:54what news stories interest you the most, and where you make your reservations. Some companies hire human
22:00reviewers to listen to commands to see if voice recognition works well and improve its accuracy.
22:05Xbox admitted they also hired people to listen to users' audio to improve voice command
22:11features. The problem is that it made some recordings by mistake and strangers were listening to personal
22:17chats. Home security cameras can take videos, pictures and audio recording and upload them to the cloud
22:24without you even knowing. Manufacturers say it's done to improve object recognition. You can get access to that
22:32camera footage remotely using an app. There are programs that can guess a CCTV password
22:37and forward the video stream to a third-party computer. They can also get control over the camera
22:43and disable any signs of monitoring, like red light, so it seems inactive.
22:49Almost every car has an event data recorder that tracks information on its location, average speed, road
22:56condition and even your preferred route. Your computer on wheels constantly streams that data to its
23:02manufacturer. They use it to try to prevent accidents and make other improvements. It's not clear who owns
23:09all that car-related information, so in theory it could end up at a third party. Smart TVs run an
23:16operating
23:16system just like computers and also have a file system, cameras for video face recognition and a
23:22microphone. They are always connected to the internet and if cyber criminals get access to a TV that can
23:29change certain settings and record audio even when the TV is off. They could also watch you through the
23:35camera and use the smart gadget to move to other devices on the same network, like your laptop.
23:42Well, I'm totally creeped out, so what can we do about it? You can disable automatic content
23:48recognition to stop your TV from giving you viewing recommendations and limit voice activation
23:53function for a safer experience. You'll find that option in general or advanced settings under
23:59viewing information or viewing data. You can also disconnect it from the cloud altogether.
24:06Always change default passwords and usernames on new devices to secure your network. Make up a new
24:12password for every gadget every now and then. You can also split your modem and use one Wi-Fi signal
24:19for
24:19laptops, iPads and the like, and the other for security cameras. Don't forget to turn off the Wi-Fi router
24:26when you leave the house to minimize the risk of a digital intrusion. Whenever possible, enable two-step
24:32authentication that demands physical access to the device to log in.
24:38Always install software updates as soon as the gadget manufacturer offers you to do it. Updates have patches for
24:45detected vulnerability issues. Cover your laptop camera with a dark-colored tape when you aren't using it.
24:51Delete your conversations with a voice assistant. You can do it at the manufacturer's website or app.
24:58Another option is to activate the Delete by Voice function in Settings. Then you'll be able to tell the
25:04assistant to delete what you just said or your last conversations. You can also mute the device when you
25:10aren't using it and choose not to send data to manufacturer to help them improve services. If you have a
25:16thermostat that
25:17connects to your voice assistant, tap the microphone icon on its screen and set voice control to off.
25:24You won't be able to activate it remotely and it won't be able to listen to wake words and send
25:29your audio anywhere.
25:30OK, have a nice day!
25:33Fitness trackers and fancy smartwatches are fine for monitoring your heart rate and even the miles you cover on a
25:39run.
25:39They're not so good at measuring the number of calories you've burned, though.
25:44A 2017 study from the Stanford University School of Medicine showed that fitness trackers and
25:49smartwatches have error margins of less than 5% when it comes to measuring heart rates.
25:54That's pretty good, so you can be confident in whatever reading you're getting.
25:58The problem is with the devices measuring energy expenditure accurately or calendars burned.
26:03Even the best was off by an average of 27%. The worst was off by a crazy 93%. That means
26:10they're very unreliable and shouldn't be trusted.
26:13Fitness trackers don't work well for measuring calories because we all have different heights, weights, diets, and many other things.
26:20That means we all burn calories at completely different rates.
26:24The trackers are often programmed with a preset average height and weight.
26:27So, if you're going to use one, take it with a grain of salt. Unless you're trying to reduce your
26:32sodium intake.
26:34Sunscreens have only one job to do, and that's protecting us from the harmful ultraviolet rays.
26:39In 2017, though, a study found that many popular brands failed to protect at all, with only one in four
26:45working.
26:46Most sunscreens didn't protect users from ultraviolet A and B rays at all.
26:50Some manufacturers also claimed that these products had an SPF of over 50, which sounds very high quality.
26:57But the actual SPF was much lower than that.
27:01The misleading labeling means we aren't as protected as we think when we're at the beach.
27:05So, when you're out shopping for sunscreen, make sure you look at the ingredients and apply more than you think
27:10you should.
27:11Ooh, sports drinks. An essential item for anyone working out.
27:15These bright colored drinks are filled with electrolytes that will increase your performance and rehydrate you fast.
27:21The problem is, we're not all athletes. So, most people would be better if they just drink water instead.
27:27Sports drinks are made up of water with some minerals and lots of sugar, coloring, and flavor.
27:33Those minerals are electrolytes, which can help our bodies go longer.
27:37Your exercise habits, the duration, and the intensity of your training all come into whether you really need that extra
27:43boost.
27:43While sports drinks can benefit athletes engaged in long or intense training, they're not really necessary for most gym goers.
27:51Sports drinks are probably pointless if you're only doing light to moderate exercise, like walking or jogging, over a short
27:57period of time.
27:58After using a toaster for most of your life, most people still haven't figured out how to get a perfect
28:04heat setting.
28:05It turns out that bird toast is probably just down to a simple misconception.
28:09Those numbers on your toaster aren't heat levels at all. They're actually minutes.
28:13The dial is basically just a timer.
28:16That means all you need to do is look up how long it takes to toast certain things, and you'll
28:21never ruin your breakfast again.
28:23Hey, I like burnt toast. I'm used to it.
28:26Most of us rely on wireless technology to carry out normal everyday tasks.
28:30It can be very frustrating when technology stops working and interrupts your day.
28:35In fact, the only thing more frustrating might be not knowing why it isn't working.
28:39The worst culprit here is your cell phone. It'll often show really great reception, but somehow can't make a phone
28:46call.
28:46The bars on a cell phone actually don't mean anything.
28:50The way they receive the signal differs a lot between different makes and models of phone.
28:54There's even a big difference between what the bars mean, from one phone to another.
28:59Meanwhile, watching a progress bar showing the percentage of time left to complete a download on our phones or PC
29:05can be tedious.
29:07Sometimes they just seem to be stuck doing nothing.
29:10Bad news! They don't really work. At least, not in the way we think.
29:14The system updates the progress bar when certain milestones are reached.
29:17A progress bar at 50% doesn't mean half the file has been downloaded.
29:22Almost all the files could have been downloaded.
29:25The point of them is to give you something visual to look at.
29:28Progress bars aren't accurate because downloads and transfers have too many variables beyond the system's control.
29:35Internet speeds and network availability are the coordinators of how quickly a download will complete,
29:41while your computer's hard drive determines how fast things process and information gets put in the right files.
29:47It's probably best to make a coffee or set things up to download while you're in bed,
29:52instead of constantly checking up on an incorrect progress bar.
29:56Elsewhere, stopping at a crosswalk and pressing the button hoping the walk signal will come up might just be a
30:02waste of your time.
30:04It turns out that all that button pushing could be for nothing.
30:07Some crosswalk buttons need to be pressed, but others don't do anything at all.
30:11The crossing symbol will just light up whenever it wants to.
30:14Some crosswalks even switch between needing and not needing a button press, depending on the time of day.
30:21That said, it can be difficult for all of us pedestrians to determine whether a crosswalk button works or not.
30:28When in doubt, just push the button anyway.
30:30You don't want to stand around waiting for no reason.
30:33With more people going into the water and sharks, well, living in the water, the fear of bumping into a
30:39not-so-friendly shark is ever-increasing.
30:41This shared water space has pushed many companies to try to create shark repellents.
30:46This sounds like a good idea that should help keep both people and sharks more safe.
30:51Companies have tried everything – sprays, wetsuits, magnets, wax, and even electronic devices – to repel the scary fish.
30:59The bad news is, none of these products are confirmed to actually work.
31:04One, in particular, makes the sound of an orca.
31:06Sharks aren't too fond of being in the same area as them, but does pretending you're an orca stop a
31:12shark from biting you?
31:13If you feel safer using them, then go right ahead.
31:17But if you're looking for a shark deterrent that's 100% effective, it's just not available.
31:22Psst, here's what actually works – stay out of the water!
31:26Rushing into an elevator and repeatedly pushing the closed-door button in the U.S. is basically a huge waste
31:33of time, unless you've got the special trick.
31:36In 1990, the U.S. passed a Disabilities Act for elevators, which meant that elevators had to ensure that someone
31:42with a disability had time to get inside one.
31:45If you're on crutches, use a cane, or travel in a wheelchair, you don't have to worry about someone accidentally
31:51closing the elevator doors before you've had a chance to pass through them.
31:55There's one important loophole to this – if you're an emergency or maintenance worker, you'll have access to keys and
32:01codes that make that button operational.
32:04This is just another example of a placebo button you're invited to push, just to make you feel like you've
32:10done something.
32:10That impatient finger-poking isn't doing anything.
32:14Getting a bit warm or cold in the office? Better adjust that thermostat.
32:18Unfortunately, in the vast majority of office buildings, the system controls are kept inside air ducts, not on the wall.
32:25Technicians installed dummy thermostats to give workers the illusion that they're dramatically changing the air conditioning or heat.
32:32Some are set to change one or two degrees, but they're often not connected to anything at all.
32:37Dummy thermostats came about around the 1960s. As heating prices rose, building leases often required employers to stay within specific
32:46temperatures.
32:47Faced with this problem, fake thermostats became the new rage for businesses.
32:51They offer people some feeling of control while keeping the temperature in the right range.
32:55Now, ever come across some premium PC cleaning software that promises to clean your PC and make it go as
33:02fast as when you purchased it?
33:04Yeah!
33:05These third-party PC cleaners are often made to seem like they really work, but they usually don't do much
33:11of anything at all.
33:12They'll detect non-problems and list them as problems.
33:15The worst example of this is when they list browser cookies and temporary files as having an effect on the
33:20computer's speed when they don't.
33:23It's better to stick to the operating system's built-in cleaner.
33:26It'll work fine if you ever need to clean your computer and save you having to splash out on one
33:31that does pretty much the same thing.
33:33Well, that's all I got. Time to burn some toast!
33:35Remember to make it work with the main trauma Minneapolis.
33:36The end of construction ore!
33:36Yo 8 ma!!
33:36No clubber!
33:37Stix out a unit!стрledoівqv5176
33:37On a other of adoptivePEC!
33:37end of construction Nós
33:37Nou! Do want to recommend the

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