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Secrets to Keep Your Bathroom Fresh

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date February 20, 2020

Secrets to Keep Your Bathroom Fresh

Cleanliness is godliness, and there’s no room in your home more important to keep clean than your washroom. When you have company over, they will leave your home thinking less of you if your bathroom is in bad shape!

Plus, you want to feel clean whenever you use it, and it’s a room that gets used every single day. Keep on reading for some good tips to a deep-clean on the different components of your washroom.

Toilet

Naturally, when keeping things clean in the washroom we need to pay extra attention to the throne in our home which deals with biological waste. Put chlorine bleach in the bowl and let it sit for ten minutes, then scrub the interior and flush it all down.

Make sure to use disinfectant on the toilet’s exterior, including the rim, seat, cover, and the handle. Cleaning your drains and plumbing system is an important component of bathroom cleanliness, too.

It’s a complicated process that requires professionals, so read this to learn more about cleaning your drains and ensuring a blockage doesn’t cause other problems requiring cleaning. Overflowing toilet bowls and messy floors don’t need to be cleaned if they never occur in the first place.

Bath Tub

Sometimes city water contains minerals which causes scummy textures to appear on the porcelain. They look pretty gross, and can ruin the tranquility you’d otherwise feel taking a nice warm candle-lit bath.

For a nice natural solution, fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and warm water. The acidic contents will work wonders. Just spray the tub and let it rest for fifteen minutes, then wipe it away with a soft sponge.

The moisture in your bathroom causes mould and mildew to grow. Any black spots near your tub’s caulking should be cleaned off with bleach, and scrubbed away with a soft-bristled brush. Your tub will be disinfected and clean, so you can clean yourself in it.

Cleaning Your Showerhead

As pay back for all the times it has cleaned you, it’s time you properly clean your showerhead! Hard water can cause white streaks near the rim to form, and they’re not only ugly to look at, they reduce the water pressure of your shower.

Fill a little sandwich bag with white vinegar, and fasten it around the showerhead using an elastic band. After twenty minutes, take the bag off and turn on the shower to flush out the deposits or gunk from inside the showerhead.

Wipe the showerhead down with a clean and damp cloth to remove the vinegar smell. You’ll have a clean and properly working showerhead, and you’ll love how much less time it takes to rinse the shampoo out of your hair with the improved water pressure.

Keeping a home clean is important, but the bathroom poses unique challenges. Keep these tips in mind concerning your toilet, tub and showerhead, and you can enjoy a fresh and clean room in which to groom and relieve yourself.

Food

Beyond Meat will Satisfy Every Appetite

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date February 17, 2020

Today it is easier than ever to offer meatless options when having a BBQ, a party, or any other time you are offering food. Here’s how:

Plant-Based “Meat” is Getting Easier to Find

Something that makes going meatless easy are the new Beyond Meat products. They are plant-based products containing no meat, but are so meat-like that they can be found in the meat aisle at the grocery store.

People are becoming more and more familiar with Beyond Meat as it becomes available in more and more grocery stores.

Plant-Based Meat Can Be Enjoyed by Everyone

It is easy to throw Beyond Meat Burgers on the BBQ and satisfy not only the vegans and vegetarians, but confirmed carnivores who want to do their part, whether it is for environmental or animal welfare reasons.

Some Health Benefits

Beyond Meat products are relatively new and have not had a long history of study. However, some health benefits that make them a good alternative to beef are that they are a good source of protein and iron, and they have more fiber and less saturated fat than beef, and no cholesterol.

It is a processed product, so they do contain higher amounts of sodium.

The proteins in the Beyond Meat products are derived from peas, mung beans, fava beans and brown rice. The fats, which give the burgers their juiciness, are made up of cocoa butter, coconut oil, sunflower oil and canola oil.

There are natural flavors, and beet juice extract and apple extract to give you the meaty taste and color that you would expect from a meat burger.

Other Meatless Products

Besides faux beef patties, Beyond Meat also makes plant-based sausage and beef crumbles. You can crumble up the beef patties to make hamburger, or you can use the beef crumbles in place of hamburger. The beef crumbles can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Here is an easy recipe to try, which you can make vegetarian instead of vegan by using regular cheese, milk and butter.

Meatless Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

16 oz cooked macaroni, such as elbow macaroni

1 package Beyond Burger patties, or Beyond Burger crumbles

1 cup cashews

2 1/2 cups vegan cheese

1/2 cup almond milk

3 cups water

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp cornstarch

Preparation

In a blender, blend together the cashews, cheese, almond milk, water, butter, salt, mustard, and cornstarch on high speed until fully combined and sauce is smooth.

In a skillet over medium high heat, add the Beyond Burger patties and crumble with a wooden spoon into small pieces, or use Beyond Meat crumbles.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Remove Beyond Burger from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, and cooked Beyond Burger. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Beyond Burger just made it easier to become a vegetarian or vegan, or to continue being a vegetarian or vegan.

Finance

The Best Way to Find a Beautiful, Reliable and Affordable Used Vehicle

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date February 12, 2020

The Best Way to Find a Beautiful, Reliable and Affordable Used Vehicle

For many people, owning a vehicle is a necessity — whether it’s to bring home a trunk full of groceries, commute to work or to see friends or family, people around the world depend on their vehicle to get things done.

Yet the cost of living around the world is rising, so it’s never been more important to find great deals on the things we need in our daily life. Read on to learn why it’s smart to take advantage of the best way to get a vehicle you’ll love driving for years, priced at an affordable rate, by going through Mazda’s Certified Pre-Owned program.

Thorough Inspections

Most people stress out when buying a used vehicle because they aren’t car mechanics who understand how to appraise the condition of the parts under the hood. Mazda has eliminated this concern.

Every vehicle in the Certified Pre-Owned program has undergone a thorough 160-point inspection by factory-trained technicians. This means the people who built the vehicles in the first place have all seen that the used ones will drive like new.

You don’t need to be an auto mechanic to know the vehicles are reliable and in good shape. Check out the wide selection of used Mazdas at Yorkdale Dufferin Mazda to see what’s available near you, and even go for a test drive.

Generous Warranties

Sometimes, like all machines, vehicles in perfect conditions break down over time. Still, Mazda gives peace of mind that is hard to come by when buying a used vehicle.

Every vehicle in the Certified Pre-Owned program comes with a Limited Powertrain Warranty that covers up to 7 years or 140,000 kilometres (whatever comes first) starting from the date the used vehicle was purchased.

It can be difficult to find a 7-year warranty on a brand new car, never mind a used vehicle! Support that carries over for this long will make you drive with confidence and comfort in the long term.

24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance

There’s always a possibility that you encounter some troubles on the open road, no matter what vehicle you’re driving. Still, when you buy from the Certified Pre-Owned Program, Mazda has your back!

Every vehicle in the program comes automatically with 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, good anywhere in Canada or the Continental United States. Covered services include things such as jump-starts, flat tire changes, gas delivery, lock-out assistance, and trip planning.

If you need a tow, Mazda will tow you for free to any authorized dealership within 100 kilometres for warranty-related, covered repairs. Getting a used car for a great price when the costs of living are rising is smart, but getting one with an extended warranty and this much peace of mind is very smart.

Buying a used vehicle from a recent year from Mazda’s Certified Pre-Owned program is the best way to get a vehicle that is still very modern, but at a much lower price. If you want an affordable used sedan or a Crossover SUV that’s built to last and backed by long warranties, this is the road to take.

Entertainment

These Actors and Actresses Deserve Their 2020 Oscar Nominations

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date February 9, 2020

These Actors and Actresses Deserve Their 2020 Oscar Nominations

The Oscar nominations have been announced for 2020, and as always, it is exciting to see if your favorite actor and actress have been selected to be part of the nominees for Actor In A Leading Role or Actress In A Leading Role.

Here are the nominees for Lead Actor and Lead Actress:

Lead Actor:

1. Antonio Banderas – “Pain and Glory”

Antonio Banderas plays Salvador Mallo, a middle-aged filmmaker whose life is based on Pedro Almodovar, who wrote and directed the film. Banderas and Almodovar are long-time collaborators, so that’s pressure!

Mallo, afflicted with both physical and mental ailments, looks back on his life and decisions he has made.

2. Leonardo DiCaprio – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, a washed-up Hollywood TV actor. He and his stunt double desperately try to achieve success in the film industry in 1969 Los Angeles.

DiCaprio is living Dalton’s dream.

3. Adam Driver – “Marriage Story”

Adam Driver plays Charlie, a stage director dealing with a failing marriage. Charlie is so relatable, and has such major moments that Driver was sure to get a nomination.

4. Joaquin Phoenix – “Joker”

Joaquin Phoenix is already an acclaimed actor, having played troubled loners before, and this performance as Arthur Fleck, the Joker, was one that Phoenix had embodied and suffered for.

5. Jonathan Pryce – “The Two Popes”

Jonathan Pryce plays the future Pope Francis in this Netflix offering. He is a Welsh actor, and not as well known as the other nominated actors.

Pryce is one of those actors that has been consistent and excellent for over forty years, but has not won an Oscar.

Lead Actress:

1. Cynthia Erivo – “Harriet”

This film about Harriet Tubman’s life contains everything her life did: heroism, danger, twists and turns, and triumph against all odds. Cynthia Erivo captures all this, and gives the larger than life character humanity.

2. Scarlett Johansson – “Marriage Story”

Scarlett Johansson plays Nicole, who wants a divorce from her stage director husband in New York, while she is with their son in California.

Johansson gives a fantastic performance as a woman who wants to move on, and has her own life goals.

3. Saoirse Ronan – “Little Women”

In another film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Saoirse Ronan plays Jo March, an aspiring novelist who refuses to accept the restrictions of social conventions.

Jo is a passionate character, who was captured with a passionate performance.

4. Charlize Theron – “Bombshell”

“Bombshell” portrays the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News, which led to the firing of the network’s then CEO, and highlighted the institutionalized harassment of women.

Charlize Theron plays one of those women, Megyn Kelly. Theron does her research, and practically becomes Kelly.

5. Renee Zellweger – “Judy”

Renee Zellweger plays Judy Garland, and gives the role everything she’s got, which means a lot, considering that Garland was notoriously troubled.

You will get a chance to see them all on the Academy Awards, airing live February 9^th, exclusively on ABC.

Entertainment

Looking Back: The Best Video Games of 2019

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date February 5, 2020

Looking Back: The Best Video Games of 2019

2019 was an excellent year for the video game industry. Anyone who stays up to date knows that several highly anticipated titles were released, many of which met (and in some cases, exceeded) critics expectations.

Picking the best titles from 2019 isn’t the easiest thing in the world; every gamer has his or her own expectations and preferences. This leads people to have different opinions about varying titles.

Although you may not entirely agree with this list, it’s a good look into some of the best releases of this past year. If you’re a casual or avid gamer that’s been looking for some new games to sink your teeth into, then be sure to continue reading.

Best MMORPG: World of Warcraft Classic

Release Date: August 27, 2019

Platforms: PC

Ok, so technically World of Warcraft (often abbreviated to WoW) isn’t a new game. WoW has been available to the public since 2004.

However, the current version of WoW is continuously changing. Blizzard, the company that created WoW, patches and expands the game regularly. Because of this, modern WoW looks nothing like the original version that was released in the mid-2000s.

This has left veteran players feeling nostalgic and left new players feeling curious about the past.

This is one of the driving reasons behind the release of WoW Classic — Blizzard wanted to give players a pre-expansion experience.

In WoW Classic, you get to build your character, complete quests and take part in massive online “raiding” events. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg; there’s countless days’ worth of gaming content waiting for you to complete. This may make it a frustrating game for videogame completionists, but it is an excellent option for people that love social games with unique lore.

Best Third-Person Shooter: Resident Evil 2

Release Date: January 25, 2019

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Your heart rate is elevated, your palms are sweaty, and you can feel your stress levels rising; that’s right, you’re playing the latest Resident Evil game.

If you’re a die-hard gamer, you’ve probably played your fair share of Resident Evil games. The first installment of the Resident Evil series was released in 1996. This lineage (and Capcom’s attention to detail) has helped the series earn quite a reputation over the years.

You may be thinking that after all of these years, it would be impossible for Capcom to keep the series exciting and engaging. Well, think again.

When compared to the rest of the series, Resident Evil 2 (which is dubbed as a “remake” of the 1998 release) stands alone. This critically acclaimed title has the perfect mix of progressive gameplay and riveting presentation. Best of all, this title still gives you the spooky feeling that you’d expect from a Resident Evil game.

In Resident Evil 2, you take on the role of an inexperienced police officer who has to rid his town of zombies and undead creatures. The game is very detail-oriented and forces players to make smart, in-the-moment decisions. If this sounds like it’s up your alley, then you should give it a try.

Best Fantasy Game: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Do you remember reading choose your own adventure books when you were a child? Well, Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses is essentially a choose your own adventure book, but in videogame form.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a turn-based fantasy game that focuses on character development and detailed storylines.

Yes, storylines; there are three separate storylines that players can choose from in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The storyline depends on the house that you pick, along with a handful of other decisions throughout the game. This gives the title a tremendous amount of replay value, which can’t be said about every release in 2019.

In the game, you play the role of a professor who leads one of three houses: The Black Eagles, The Blue Lions and The Golden Deer. Throughout the game, you can gather several non-playable characters that can aid you throughout your journey in the continent of Fódlan.

Whether you’ve been playing Fire Emblem games for years or are relatively new to the series, this title is one of the must-haves of 2019.

Best Action-Adventure Game: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Release Date: March 22, 2019

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4

When a title wins notable awards like “Game of the Year” and “Action-Adventure Game of the Year,” you know that it’s worth checking out.

There’s a reason why Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice received such a positive reception; the game is exceptionally detailed, fun to play and features an innovative combat style. It is truly unique, especially when compared to many of FromSoftware’s previous releases.

In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you are instantly immersed in the game and start adventuring as a katana-wielding shinobi, by the name of Wolf, in 16th century Japan. Players are taken on a number of long quests, which require you to take revenge on a brutal samurai clan.

So, what makes Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice such an exceptional game? For starters, its combat system is one of a kind. Instead of chipping away at health points, players have intense duels with their enemies. During these duels, players have to look for an opportunity to land a single crushing blow. This combat style is noticeably more realistic than what many players have grown to expect.

Additionally, the game doesn’t feature any player levels or online elements. Instead, FromSoftware decided to focus on gear-leveling and customizable character trees.

Many players have found that the game requires a lot of skill to master. This makes it an excellent choice for players that are tired of “button mashing” their way through levels.

If you’re a fan of samurai-style games, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the game for you.

Over the past year, there were so many video game releases that it was hard to keep track of everything. If you haven’t been staying up to date and are looking for something new to play, then you should consider starting with one of the titles mentioned above.

Finance

Making This Year’s Budget with Apps and Smart Planning

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date January 31, 2020

The holidays are over and it’s back to real life. As much as you might want to “be sick” for a few more days, you have to go to work because of all the extra spending you allowed yourself because, “it’s the holidays!” It’s also the time of the year where people choose their New Year’s resolution and gyms get fuller – some say there’s a connection. If you have money worries on your mind, then this year make a budget to tidy up your finances!

Why Budget

Yes, the word “budget” instills immediate dread and resistance for a lot of people, but once you get everything organized and a plan to have enough money for the year and even next holiday season, you’ll be grateful that you made one. Don’t worry though because you can use apps, some free, and these tips for making a budget this year.

What You Should Budget For

There are two main budget categories: Essentials and Non-Essentials

The Essentials or “Must Be Paid” expenses usually include:

Housing – if you want a roof over your head, you need to keep a part of your income to do that either through your mortgage payments or rental payments.
Transportation – unless you walk everywhere all the time, you need some funds for getting around. This includes auto-insurance and car payments and/or money for public transportation.
Food – it’s hard to find free food and you have to eat to survive so you need some money earmarked for it. Estimate your monthly food spending from any record of your recent spending and average out what you usually spend.
Healthcare – if you have your own insurance plan, this category should be your monthly payment. If you don’t have an insurance plan, you can put away what you can for any medical costs. If you have to pay for medication, you can adjust this category to however much you spend on that.
Savings – this category is where the money that you want to use later in life or for a rainy day. After figuring out how much money goes into the essential categories, you can determine how much you can put away each month.

You might first want to take into consideration the non-essentials or the “Mostly for Me” expenses include:

Personal spending – this amount is just for you and whatever you feel like buying. You might find that you might not have enough to spend as much as you used to, but you can always adjust your spending in a way that you can!
Recreational – You don’t want to be holed up every day just because you’re saving money. Budget some money for fun things like going out to the movies, concerts, and any entertainment subscriptions you have like Netflix or Spotify.

Best Budgeting Apps

The best part of all of this budgeting is that you don’t even have to do all the work because of convenient apps like Mint, Pocketguard, YNAB, Wally, and others that work with your goals.

Food

What 2020 Holds for Food Trends

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date January 28, 2020

With a new year, you get new food trends and new foods to try. Here are our top eight food trends and foods to try for 2020:

1. Eliminating Food Waste

This is an ongoing trend, as the goal of eliminating food waste continues to grow. Some ways to do this is to use all parts of any animal you eat, by using some of the ingredients you wouldn’t usually eat in sauces, spreads, broths and pickled goods. People will be doing all they can to use leftover food scraps, too.

2. Seed Butters and Spreads

Parents out there may have instigated this trend, in a bid to supply their kids with school-friendly, nut-free options.

Butters and spreads can be made from pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Some more exotic options include watermelon seed butter and macadamia nut butter (macadamia nut is a misnomer – it is actually a seed).

3. Brussels Sprouts

Gone are the days where Brussels sprouts were boiled until the flavor left them. When prepared correctly, they are delicious and they are as good a source of nutrients as kale. They are rising in popularity.

4. Cauliflower as a Substitute Ingredient

Products that contain cauliflower are growing in sales. Cauliflower gnocchi, pizza crust and other starch and grain alternatives are becoming more popular as people try to cut carbs from their diets.

Food companies see this growth and are starting to use other vegetables to replace carbs in things like rice and flour. Cauliflower is a preferred substitute because of its relatively mild flavor and versatility.

5. Food and Drink with CBD

CBD is short for cannabidiol, which helps the body relax without altering the mind like THC, and there is a lot of consumer demand.

So, expect to see CBD offerings in coffee shops, cafes and restaurants, especially in coffees, teas, beers, wines and sparkling waters.

6. Meat Alternatives

Plant-based items are becoming more popular because they are better than ever, and are easily available. Even confirmed carnivores like them.

Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat products are offered both at fast food restaurants and are becoming more available in grocery stores.

7. Milk Alternatives

There are a few reasons why people don’t want to drink cow milk, from lactose intolerance to animal welfare. There are many substitutes to choose from besides the tried and true soy and almond milk.

Some newer milks include coconut, rice, hemp and oat milks.

8. Sugar Substitutes

The health conscious are always looking for ways to get sugar out of their diet, which led to sugar substitutes that turned out to be flavorless and even unhealthy.

Now, pomegranate and coconut sugars and date syrups can be used when you need something sweet. While they all contain sugar, coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than white or brown sugar, which is beneficial for those watching their blood-sugar levels.

You’re sure to come across some of these foods in 2020, so why not give them a try if you haven’t already?

Food

Avocadon’t You Know What’s Good for You?

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date January 24, 2020

The avocado. It’s green. It’s pear shaped. And, drum roll please….It’s highly nutritious! You might have already known that or you might have thought of the infamous avocado toast that millennials spend all their money on. You’d definitely know about avocados if you’re a guacamole lover because they’re the main ingredient! Guacamole and toast aside, the avocado is a “superfood” that is highly nutritious and provides many, many health benefits to those who incorporate it into their regular diet.

All About Avocados

Its telling green skin and pear shape earned the fruit’s nickname, “alligator pear,” but usually refers to the Hass pear. Although it is green and a produce item, it’s actually a berry! What makes avocados stand out from the others is its many benefits all in one fruit.

Here are some of the many reasons why everyone loves avocados:

It has no cholesterol or sodium and low in saturated fats.
It’s better than bananas when it comes to potassium.
Its antioxidants benefit your eye health.
It’s a good source of fiber.
It’s super fatty in a good way.
It helps with chronic illnesses – including cancer!

A Fruit Full of Fat, Fiber, and Folate

The benefits listed above are the overall general benefits of eating avocados. What’s impressive is just how nutritious an avocado really is. Check out the nutrition facts for about half an avocado:

Calories 114
Dietary fiber 6 g
Total sugar 0.2 g
Potassium 345 milligrams (mg)
Sodium 5.5 mg
Magnesium 19.5 mg
Vitamin A 43 micrograms (μg)
Vitamin E 1.3 mg
Vitamin K 14 μg
Vitamin B-6 0.2 mg
Monounsaturated fatty acids 6.7 g

The 6.7 grams of monosaturated fatty acids is what makes avocados so healthy. The main monosaturated fatty acid is oleic acid, which is associated with reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of heart disease, and linked to improving cancer. The fat also helps the body absorb nutrition from other plant foods that have phytochemicals that have shown correlation to improved health.

For a fruit that you can hold in one hand, it is jam packed with all good things for body health.

A Powerful Fruit

Avocados are linked to many more benefits for pregnant women and their babies with its folate and potassium, two nutrients usually under consumed by pregnant women, that improves maternal health, birth outcomes, and breast milk. It’s associated with weight loss, dental health, preventing food poisoning, and reducing liver failure. And it has shown evidence of helping the effects of depression and health experts argue that people who regularly eat avocados are usually healthier than non-avocado counterparts. With so many benefits, it’s a wonder that not everyone is eating avocados at every meal.

The good thing about avocados is that it’s delicious and easy to incorporate into your meals. One of the best ways to do that is to make guacamole. Try out this healthy and delicious guacamole recipe to enjoy alone or with your friends. Then grab some healthy, whole wheat chips (or regular) and be the star of the party who brought the best dip ever!

Tech

Share Now a No Go in North America

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date January 21, 2020

It seemed like such a good idea. Instead of the cost of owning a car that sometimes just sits in the garage, you rent a car when you need it, and only pay for the time you use it. No going to a car rental office. Grab a car off the street and park it back anywhere in the city.

You would rent that car from Share Now, formerly Car2Go, but that will change as of February 29, 2020. That’s when Share Now will be leaving North America.

Here’s how it happened:

Share Now is Owned by a Joint-Entity Made Up of BMW and Daimler

Both BMW and Daimler (the parent company of Mercedes-Benz) are automakers who had previously operated separate mobility businesses.

BMW operated Reach Now and Drive Now car sharing services in the US and Europe, while Daimler owned Car2Go, which was the largest car sharing network in the world, along with MyTaxi, an app similar to Uber. There was a merger of Reach Now with Drive Now and Car2Go that resulted in the rebrand as Share Now.

Share Now Operates in a Limited Number of Cities in North America

Share Now operates in New York City, Seattle, Washington, DC, Montreal, and Vancouver.

The State of the Global Mobility Industry was One Reason Cited for the Decision to Leave

In a joint statement, Share Now expressed that the “volatile state of the global mobility industry” was one reason for leaving.

Previously, BMW and Daimler announced they were going to spend $1.13 billion jointly for a mobility endeavour that would include autonomous cars, ride-hailing, electric scooters, car sharing, and electric car charging. They felt that, working together, they could dominate the field.

Other automakers had visions of what the global mobility industry could look like too, hoping smart-phone enabled services like microtransit, car sharing, and ride-hailing would make them money, while protecting them if there was a drop in car sales in the future.

Share Now isn’t the only mobility business to have difficulties. GM announced that it was pulling its car sharing service Maven out of eight North American cities and Ford’s micro-transit service Chariot went out of business as well.

Another Reason for Leaving Was Rising Infrastructure Costs

The two companies were hopeful that they would be able to find some kind of solution that would allow them to find funding for the costs needed to run a mobility business, but in the end, it was more than they felt they could take on. They felt they couldn’t commit to the amount of investment that would be needed to make the North American market successful, not only in the short term, but in the long term.

BMW and Daimler Will Remain Operating in Europe

There are three cities in Europe where Share Now will cease operations: London, Brussels and Florence, because of what the companies called “low adoption rates”.

The two car companies will continue working together and will focus on Europeans cities that are most likely to show profitability and mobility innovation.

Tech

How Disney Built the World of The Lion King

Post author By Dave Funguy
Post date January 19, 2020

When Disney opened the vault of highly coveted classics in March 2010 with the release of Alice in Wonderland, more and more beloved well-known films went back to the big screens, but this time in live-action. Taking advantage of new technology, Disney tackled the challenge of recreating the animated classics that included the likes of the Chesire Cat to the beast of Beauty and the Beast in 2017.

Jon Favreau took on directing The Jungle Book in April 2016, which only had one human character, Mowgli. Through a blend of live action and CGI, the story unfolded in a jungle that looked life-like. After this film, Favreau used his experience and applied it to one of the most popular Disney films, The Lion King.

A New Production Method

Unlike other reboots like Aladdin, Dumbo, and Lady and the Tramp, there isn’t a single human character in the film. The audience must rely on the realistic animals to gauge the events of the film. Since much of the (or all) African wildlife doesn’t have emotive eyebrows, it can be hard for a layman to imagine how you can give Scar his haughty look and distinctly different colored coat to help differentiate from the other characters.

Getting technical, The Lion King, doesn’t fall under the live-action category or completely in the CGI category. Favreau’s vision was to use traditional filming techniques with dollies and cameras in a virtual reality world that today’s technology created. This blend of animation and live action methods created a medium that is difficult to define, essentially forging a new genre in the transition of cartoon animation to an experience meant for the audience the opportunity to insert themselves into the film

Filming CGI Lions

Despite the movie being mostly CGI, there is one non-CGI scene in the movie that Favreau included, “just to see if anyone notices.” The rest was filmed in California on a set with everything necessary to film a real-life movie. The crew wore virtual reality goggles to enter the world that the animators built and filmed as if they were in Africa.

Animators hand drew each scene, in the same way Disney made Bambi, tending to every minute detail including every piece of fur on Simba’s coat. Without the ability to rely on cartoon animation to anthropomorphize characters, animators had to make the animals look as natural as can be without distorting the illusion of realism.

Inserting Artificial Intelligence into Film

Other than filming in a seemingly empty room and strict attention to detail, the production team used artificial intelligence to learn lion behavior so their animated lion can act mimic a real lion when he’s hungry and looking for food.

Building a World

Production supervisor, Ben Grossman, described making The Lion King less like a story or a film, but a building a new world. It was an experience where the filmmakers inserted themselves into the film – something that supersedes traditional filming. What the tech behind The Lion King shows is the huge potential of technology to build worlds to draw the audience further into the movie.