Download these apps if you want to train your brain

Forest app

It’s natural for the mind to decelerate as we become older. Since we’re likely to be less involved in sports, it might have an impact on our overall mental activity. As a result, it’s essential to work out often to keep our minds and bodies engaged.

Studies have found that, just as we exercise our bodies to maintain them in excellent functioning order, we should also train our brains to relax and keep them alert when they should. This could greatly reduce the chances of dementia in our later years. Keeping our brains active allows us to focus on the present moment and diverts our attention away from our anxieties.

If you want to train your brain daily, these apps could help.

TED
TED app

Image Credits: edutopia.org

TED is a worldwide network that welcomes individuals from all cultures and disciplines who want to learn more about the world. They are convinced that ideas can alter people’s minds, lifestyles, and eventually, the universe. Their mission is to make brilliant ideas accessible and create dialogues surrounding them. TED, owned by a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, makes a great platform to revisit if you’re searching for fresh inspirations.

Calm

 

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Calm bills itself as the best app for meditating, relaxing, and sleeping. They were also the Apple’s App of the Year 2017, Best of 2018 award winner, and Google Play Editor’s Choice 2018. It’s not even surprising that they have over 100 million downloads and over 1.5 million 5-star ratings.

The team is dedicated to creating sleep and mindfulness solutions that are based on solid scientific data. By downloading the app, you can discover personalized music for rest, slumber, and concentration, as well as countless hours of mindfulness meditation on subjects such as worry, panic, and relationships.

Forest
How Forest can help

Image Credits: Forest

You may plant an oak or cedar in the Forest app and watch it grow while you concentrate on your tasks. Because quitting the app halfway would cause your tree to perish, it’s an app that lets you concentrate on the present, urgent things that matter.

There are a variety of additional plant species available, some of which may be purchased with virtual gold coins. It’s a very meaningful initiative because to plant actual trees on earth, the Forest team collaborates with Trees for the Future, a real-tree-planting company. The Forest team gives to its partner and makes planting orders when users like ourselves spend virtual currency we earn while navigating through the app.

Lumosity

 

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Lumosity transforms laboratory assignments into enjoyable games where your results will be interpreted by the app, giving you useful feedback and deep insights on your cognitive levels. The team recognizes that everyone’s brain is different, regardless of age or ability level, thus their program caters to your strengths and shortcomings.

To keep yourself continually challenged, we suggest that you work out with a new set of games every day. It will help you keep your brain training habit if you use it in conjunction with their extensive progress tracking. Don’t take our word for it for Lumosity games and tests have been used in over 20 peer-reviewed articles in academic journals. One complete study can be found here.

Duolingo
Duolingo app screenshots

Image Credits: Duolingo

Duolingo is a great way to learn new languages, and evidence indicates that it works. You can earn points and level up by taking short, bite-sized quiz-like sessions while gaining real-world language skills.

Classes are personalized to help you navigate at the proper level and speed, incorporating elements of AI and language science. Reading, listening, and speaking abilities are also adequately and efficiently taught in their programs. With game-like elements, engaging challenges, and prompts from their cheerful mascot, Duo the owl, they make it easy to create a routine of learning languages. Duolingo is fully free to use, but the Plus version removes advertisements and allows you to make quicker advancements.

Headspace

 

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Consider Headspace to be your brain’s best pal. They are available to anybody who needs them, no matter the location, to assist people in getting through trying situations and finding joy in ordinary living.

Headspace helps you establish life-changing routines to enhance your psychological health and achieve a better, brighter self by using science-backed meditation and mindfulness methods. In just 10 days of usage, it has been shown to lower stress by 14%. It can also calm you down in minutes, boost your attention, and have you enjoy the best night’s sleep you’ve been longing for.

PsychologyCompass
PsychologyCompass app screenshots

Image Credits: getapp.com

The app’s goal is to use research to assist knowledge workers in attaining their optimum mental performance in a measured way. They provide a completely automated cognitive coach to help people in improving abilities including attention, communication, judgment calls, stress management, and more.

They do so by utilizing their free cognition calculator to get your benchmark rating on each category. Thereafter, you will start getting weekly bite-sized lessons based on psychological and neurological findings and content crafted by a team of PhDs that you can apply in your daily life. The app assesses your progression after each unit and tells you how far you’ve progressed.

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4 Significant Improvements In The iPhone 13 Series

For the Apple enthusiasts, the long wait is over! Apple announced the new iPhone models in its annual conference, which is ahead of the holiday shopping season. This year’s virtual conference included the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, and two Pro models with premium features that you will not find in the regular iPhone 13.

The iPhone 13 will retail from S$1,299 and the iPhone 13 Pro starts from S$1,649. As always, the Pro models are more expensive. These phones will be available in Singapore from September 24.

1. LONGER BATTERY LIFE

In a 2019 poll by SurveyMonkey, 76% of iPhone owners said longer battery life would get them excited about a phone upgrade. Let us see how that pans out because the iPhone 13 series comes with major batter life improvements.

The longer battery life is made possible by A15 Bionic, larger battery, more efficient components, and power optimizations from a deep integration of both hardware and software. In fact, iPhone 13 offers up to two and a half more hours in a day than iPhone 12. iPhone 13 mini, on the other hand, provides up to an hour and a half more power in a day than the iPhone 12 mini.

2. ELEVATED PRO LINEUP

Mr. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, said:

“iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max make up our most Pro iPhone lineup ever with the biggest advancement for our camera system, the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and the fastest performance of any smartphone. (It is) setting a new standard for iPhone and enabling incredible experiences never before possible…”

The new Pro models were redesigned inside and out. Both models introduce an all-new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. Your touch experience will be faster and more responsive. What’s more? The Pro camera systems has the new Ultra-Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras to help you capture stunning photos and video. All these are powered by the A15 Bionic.

3. IMPRESSIVE CINEMATIC MODE

Apple followed an extensive study of cinematography to create the Cinematic mode for its newly introduced iPhone series. You will be able to capture cinema-style moments without the training of a professional filmmaker. The focus can be changed during and after capturing pictures for creative control. Users can also adjust the level of bokeh in the Photos app and iMovie for iOS.

Cinematic mode records in Dolby Vision HDR and is enabled by A15 Bionic.

4. DIFFERENT CAMERA ARRAY

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini represent a leap in camera design with its advancements in hardware and computational photography to deliver stunning photos and videos. The camera array is arranged in a diagonal manner. You would be happy to know that the new Wide camera comes with the biggest sensor in the history of iPhone’s dual-camera system. Moreover, its camera system can gather 47% more light for less noise and brighter results!

We officially welcome you to the iPhone 13 series! Do you consider their longer battery life and cinematic camera mode as minor or major improvements? Write your thoughts on the comment section below.

Sources: 1 & 2

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iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro will be available for pre-order in S’pore this Friday, 17 Sep 21

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini

Apple today introduced iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, the next generation of the world’s best smartphone, featuring a beautiful design with sleek flat edges in five gorgeous new colours. Both models feature major innovations, including the most advanced dual-camera system ever on iPhone — with a new Wide camera with bigger pixels and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) offering improvements in low light photos and videos, a new way to personalise the camera with Photographic Styles, and Cinematic mode, which brings a new dimension to video storytelling. iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini also boast super-fast performance and power efficiency with A15 Bionic, longer battery life, a brighter Super Retina XDR display that brings content to life, incredible durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, double the entry-level storage at 128GB, an industry-leading IP68 rating for water resistance, and an advanced 5G experience.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will be available in pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED1 with pre-orders beginning Friday, September 17, and availability beginning Friday, September 24.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple today introduced iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a smartphone. Redesigned inside and out, both models introduce an all-new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, making the touch experience faster and more responsive. The pro camera system gets its biggest advancement ever with new Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras, that capture stunning photos and video, powered by the unmatched performance of A15 Bionic, more powerful than the leading competition. These technologies enable impressive new photo capabilities never before possible on iPhone, like macro photography on the new Ultra Wide camera and up to 2.2x improved low-light performance on the new Wide camera. New computational photography features like Photographic Styles personalise the look of images in the Camera app, and both models now include Night mode on all cameras. Video takes a huge leap forward with Cinematic mode for beautiful depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even better low-light performance. Both models also offer end-to-end pro workflows in Dolby Vision, and for the first time, ProRes, only available on iPhone. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also include 5G with more bands for better coverage, big improvements to battery life for the best battery life ever on iPhone with iPhone 13 Pro Max, new storage capacity of 1TB, and the Ceramic Shield front cover, tougher than any smartphone glass.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available in four stunning finishes, including graphite, gold, silver, and the all-new sierra blue. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 17, with availability beginning Friday, September 24.

COMPARISON & PRICING

iPhone 13 Comparison

 

 

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Locating the best company for electric tariff

It is good to locate the best electric tariff company in Singapore. There are several companies out there where you can get electricity, but not all of them can serve you well. It is good to take time and compare the several companies available out there before you decide on the best. Apart from the cost of the electricity, it is also essential to consider a company that has a good reputation. Some companies are known to offer the best services. They are the most ideal if you can locate them. Electricity supply is an issue you should take seriously. There are some places where you would like to get a consistent supply. Check out reviews that other people offer about the companies before you can decide to sign up for a given electricity supply company. A company that has a good reputation for offering top-quality services will assure you the best experience. Here are some of the factors to take into consideration so that you can locate the best electric tariff company:

Compare plans

The different companies available out there have separate electric tariffs. Some electric tariff plans are affordable. They may require you to sign up for an extended period, but they are very effective in your everyday life. Take into account your electric needs, and it will be easy to get the best deals. If you can locate the best company, it will be easy for you to enjoy great deals. People looking forward to realizing value for money prefer comparing the tariffs before deciding on the best. You can always work with different companies, and you will locate the best for your everyday use.

Offers and promotions

Some companies are known to offer great offers and promotions from time to time. You can hire them, and they will play a significant role in assuring you the best deals. Ensure you take time to compare the several companies available out there, and it will be easy for you to get the best deals. When you work with the best company, it will be easy for you to get the best deals. The companies are known to save you money if you can take advantage of the great deals.

Reliability of the electricity supply company

The best company to sign a contract for your electricity supply in Singapore should have a reliable electricity supply. It will be easy to know more about the reliability of a given company if you can check out the reviews that other people offer. A company that is known to offer excellent services will attract positive reviews from the customers.

Customer support

There are times when you would like to get assistance regarding your electric tariff. In such a case, you need to call the company and get to know more about their services. A company that has a good reputation for offering top-quality services will always assure you great deals. Take time to check out the time taken to respond to queries. Remember you will not like to be stranded as you get electricity from a given company.

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You can now send money to Thailand instantly via PayNow

PayNow to Thailand main banner

The pandemic has seen a fluctuating curve in terms of recovery, and no one knows exactly when we can cross borders to visit our loved ones overseas.

Financially, it can be worrying too. Thanks to Singapore’s PayNow and Thailand’s PromptPay partnership, users can now transfer funds up to S$1,000 or THB25,000 daily across the two countries. All you need is just a mobile number.

Real-time payment systems linkage

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) shared that the transfers will be done in just minutes. This presents a much faster solution when compared to other cross-border remittance solutions.

Those who’ve sent money overseas before know that it takes up to two working days to complete a typical transfer process.

On our sunny island, the participating banks are the big names we know – DBS, UOB, and OCBC. In Thailand, there are four financial institutions – Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Krung Thai Bank, and The Siam Commercial Bank.

What are the fees?
a woman holding onto an iPhone

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Convenience comes with a price to pay. But the MAS and BOT noted that the fees would be transparent and affordably priced. In addition, users will know the exact figure before proceeding with the transfers.

“Senders will also be able to view the applicable foreign exchange charges prior to sending their funds, with these rates benchmarked closely to prevailing market rates,” the central banks said.

ASEAN Payment Connectivity

As part of the ASEAN Payment Connectivity initiation two years ago, the PayNow-PromptPay collaboration has come into effect. This is in line with the overall aim to bring about more robust cross-border payment arrangements.

MAS managing director Ravi Menon mentioned that the PayNow-PromptPay linkage is only the beginning. Plans are in place to scale the system to involve other participants and even business transactions.

“MAS’ shared objective with BOT is to work with our ASEAN counterparts to expand this bilateral linkage into a network of linked retail payment systems across ASEAN,” Menon commented.

To that, UOB chief executive officer Wee Ee Cheong added that the PayNow-PromptPay linkage is a stepping stone to connect payment systems across ASEAN as we progress. This means that possibly more customers can transfer funds to their counterparts easily. They can also pay for goods and services within a few taps or clicks conveniently.

In fact, Thailand is already a step ahead with QR cross-border payment arrangements with other countries. This includes Laos, Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

“This service by the MAS and the BOT will effectively address customers’ long standing pain points in the area of cross-border transfers and remittances including long transaction times and high costs,” said BOT governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput.

Not using PayNow? You might want to visit abs.org.sg/consumer-banking/pay-now for more information.

paynow-promptpay-linkage-infographic

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