Shopping with the Starbucks app is a game you won’t win

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To exist and succeed in this post-capitalist hyper-hell will sometimes require a Grande Pike, and, lord help us, the most convenient way to buy one is through the Starbucks app. You will not wait in line or talk to a person; it is pure, depersonalized consumerism.

I started using the Starbucks app this month. So far, the major consequence has been that I spend a lot more money on Starbucks, even when I don’t want to. It’s good for Starbucks and bad for me — or any consumer who uses the app to order their drinks before setting foot in one of the chain’s stores. Read more…

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10 excellent platforms for building mobile apps

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If you’ve ever wanted to build an app after thinking up a brilliant idea, you’re in the right place.

Sure, the fear of coding can push you to not act on building your own app or to put off looking for the best app building software. Well, the good news is that it’s easier than ever to enter the mobile app market — no coding knowledge or experience required.

Whether it’s for your business, blog, product, service, or just something totally random, app creation software options are both plentiful and easy to find, if you know where to look.

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This lightweight design software is an affordable alternative to Adobe Creative Cloud

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On the spectrum of graphic design software, pro-level software suites like Adobe Creative Cloud sit at one end, while bare-bones, free-with-purchase apps like Microsoft Paint reside on the other. But if your budget and ambition lies somewhere in between the two, your options are kind of limited. Yet there is a large demand for design software that’s both powerful and accessiblePixTeller Pro is here to answer that call.

This robust, web-based design tool is just what you need to create custom content for the web, social media, print, and more. Pick up a lifetime subscription today for just $34.99. Read more…

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March Mindfulness: How I created the world’s first meditation bracket contest

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The call went out on Facebook — which, despite its increasing levels of creepiness, is still where we turn to make something inherently ridiculous happen with a large number of co-conspirators. 

“Who wants to take part in the first ever high-tech competitive meditation tournament?” I wrote. Naturally, it took mere seconds for a friend to say what I would hear a hundred times over the rest of the month: “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” 

“Exactly why I love it!” I shot back. 

By turns performance art, subtle comedy, nail-biting sport, cutting-edge tech demo, and something with the genuine potential to help a large number of people live better lives: competitive meditation, I thought, had it all. The first friend to declare it an oxymoron also gave my tournament the perfect title: March Mindfulness. Read more…

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March Mindfulness: How I created the world’s first meditation bracket contest

TwitterFacebook

The call went out on Facebook — which, despite its increasing levels of creepiness, is still where we turn to make something inherently ridiculous happen with a large number of co-conspirators. 

“Who wants to take part in the first ever high-tech competitive meditation tournament?” I wrote. Naturally, it took mere seconds for a friend to say what I would hear a hundred times over the rest of the month: “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” 

“Exactly why I love it!” I shot back. 

By turns performance art, subtle comedy, nail-biting sport, cutting-edge tech demo, and something with the genuine potential to help a large number of people live better lives: competitive meditation, I thought, had it all. The first friend to declare it an oxymoron also gave my tournament the perfect title: March Mindfulness. Read more…

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How to watch Netflix together online without being in the same room

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Just because you and your friends have moved to different corners of the globe doesn’t mean you have to stop watching shows and movies together.

Trying to all hit play at the same moment — as well as juggling between Netflix and Skype, a Facebook chat, Slack, Discord, or any other online chat program — isn’t exactly the most convenient thing in the world. Luckily, there is another way. 

There are several great apps, extensions and websites with the goal of syncing up Netflix streams across the Internet, but they all have their ups and downs. Some are exclusive to Chrome, some have top-notch chat features and some don’t go full screen. Read more…

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