Andrew Stemerman

Is Spotify In Trouble?

Is Spotify In Trouble? With both Apple iRadio and Google’s Reportedly Launching A Music-Streaming due to release later this year, Spotify might be coming to an end. Currently Apple is having some royalty issues with SONY, but that’s to be expected with any company attempting to create a music streaming service.

When and if Apple ever releases iRadio it will result in a major blow to Spotify and its users as it will be easier for people to stream music on all of their Apple devices rather than with a 3rd-party program.

As for Google’s Music-Streaming program, the final information will be released today at 12pm EST during Googles Keynote I/O. Whenever google releases this program it will serve as the final blow to Spotify. This will leave Spotify with members who do not use an Apple or Android Smartphone, which is about 96% of their member base. Get ready for some big changes.

What do you think? Is Spotify In Trouble?

Ripple Using Bitcoins

For those of you who are unaware what Ripple is and how to use Ripple using bitcoins? The Ripple Network is a global system for making transactions of any kind: US dollars, bitcoin, yen, or any other existing currency. Additionally, Ripple has a native currency called “ripples” or XRP. Like Bitcoin, XRP is a digital currency that cannot be duplicated or falsified, and can be sent directly from account to account without any central authority.

Also like Bitcoin, there is a known, finite number of ripples. The Ripple network contains 100 billion XRP, a good deal of which will be distributed for free by OpenCoin Inc. XRP also provides an important security feature: every Ripple transaction destroys a miniscule fraction of an XRP, and while this amount will be unnoticeable by even high-volume users, it prevents someone from overloading the network with abusive transactions.

You can learn more about how Ripples work here and if you’re unaware what bitcoins are you can learn about them here.

So, what does this mean for people mining or using bitcoins? You will be able to Ripple using bitcoins by purchasing ripples with bitcoins and vice versa. This could also be used to turn your bitcoins into USD or any other currency. Which will allow another way for bitcoin miners to sell their bitcoins without paypal. We will have to wait for the official version of Ripple to be released to see if this will be a great addition to Bitcoin or a negative for bitcoin.

Donate Bitcoins

What are your thoughts on Ripple using bitcoins?

What are Bitcoins and Bitcoin Mining

If you are unaware what Bitcoins are, they’re the first decentralized electronic currency not controlled by a single organization or government. Bitcoins are not monitored by any person, company or government. Bitcoin transactions are untraceable and cannot be frozen by the government. Bitcoin is an open source project and is used by over 100,000 people, 140 stores and over 20 attorneys. There are thousands of websites that except bitcoins and business owners are becoming more involved in bitcoins every day. Even the Winklevoss twins own over $10,000,000 in bitcoins. You can also accept donations via bitcoin as I am below.

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You can download the bitcoin wallet and start getting involved with bitcoins at bitcoin.org. There are many ways that you can obtain bitcoins. First, you can simply purchase them with your countries currency. Another way you can earn bitcoins is by completing tasks that pay you in bitcoins on websites such as BitVisitor and CoinURL. But, the most profitable way of earning bitcoins is by mining them.

Bitcoin mining is by far the most profitable way of earning bitcoins short of buying them when their exchange rate is low and selling them when their exchange rate is high(similar to the stock exchange). Bitcoin mining requires computers certain processors and high end graphic cards that can calculate a very high amount of hashes per second. Macbooks and Laptops do not calculate enough Mhps (mega hashes per second) in order too make it worth it. There’s a website that put together a complete list of how much Mhps each processer can do. The more Mhps, the faster you will mine 1 block. Each block is worth 25 coins and the worth of 1 bitcoin is currently $110, but it fluctuates everyday. To find out how much a bitcoin is worth, I suggest booking making a bitcoin ticker or downloading a bitcoin app such as BitCoin Free.

You can get more information regarding bitcoins at bitcoin.org

I also created a website that locates local stores and companies that accept bitcoins called BTC Spender.

Donate Bitcoins

Netflix Loses 2000 Movies

As of today Netflix will lose almost 2000 movies today. Thats right, netflix loses 2000 movies today. The titles that will be removed are movies owned by Universal Studios, MGM and Warner Brothers. However, they will be available on the  Warner Archive Instant app. The CEO of netflix claims this is due to licensing. Well, this has more too do with company creating their own apps, uploading their movies to their own apps and creating more of a profit for themselves.

My problem with this is that other companies will most definitely soon follow, leaving netflix with not many movies or tv shows to watch. I think it’s about time to leave netflix and stick with companies such as hulu, hbogo and other streaming devices that have a better selection for the same price.

HULU Plus is a good alternative to netflix. Click here to get 2 weeks free of HULU Plus.

What are your thoughts on this? Will you be leaving netflix or will you be sticking it out with them and hoping for the best?

 

 

Properly Brewing Tea

Another one of my passions is tea and properly brewing tea is very important as all different tea leaves require different temperature in order to extract the nutrients from the leaves properly. Of course there are plenty of different methods when it comes to brewing tea and those methods depend on personal choice and preference. I am not a fan of tea that you buy in bottles at supermarkets or fuel stations as there are little to no antioxidants in them as they water them down and hide put counteractive ingredients in their tea in order to get a sweeter taste out of their tea. With that said, there are five factors that are important to obtaining quality results when infusing teas. Those factors are quality tea, quality water, appropriate vessel, water temperature, and infusion time.

Water
First, you will want to choose the best water possible. This is very important when brewing tea. A lot of people think all water is the same. This is not true. Most counties have chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals in their tap water. Than you have the different processes of purification which range from reverse osmosis to an all natural spring which then gets filtered with natural rocks and natural substances. Water that does’t come from a natural spring won’t contain all of the good mineral contents that you would get from natural spring water. Personally, I always use natural spring water as it has the best taste in my opinion.

Amount of Tea
When brewing tea, the amount you use can make it too watery or too strong. I generally use 1-2 teaspoons per 8oz of water and you could add more or less depending on how you enjoy your tea. Be sure to allow room for the water to circulate between leaves for best results.

Water Temperature
Water temperature is the most critical element in preparing for brewing tea.Heat the water in a glass, ceramic or clay teapot until it reaches a boil (212 degrees Fahrenheit) then allow the water to cool before brewing your tea. 175 Degrees for Green Tea, 185 degrees for Oolong tea, and 195 degrees for black tea.

There are tea kettles with built in thermometers and they’re clearly labeled for which ever tea you’re brewing in your kettle, such as the Presto Heat ‘n Steep Tea Kettle. Personally, I am more of a glass Chinese tea pot person. For example the Yama Northwest Glass 40-Ounce Chinese Glass Water Kettle Tea Pot.

There are also a few other very modern tea pots such as the Ingenuitea Teapot, which is made from plastic and you want to stay away from certain types of plastic as some of them will release chemicals into your tea at high temperatures. However, the Ingenuitea Teapot is made of a safe plastic which will not give off any chemicals when you’re infusing your tea.

Tea Infusing
First, lets talk about the different types of Tea Infusers. There are hundreds of different tea infusers out there. However, I will only go over a few of my favorite tea infusers. I will not cover any plastic tea infusers as they’re not ideal for infusing tea as a lot of plastics leak chemicals into the tea at high temperatures. Let’s start from a little older Mesh Tea Ball Infuser, which is a very basic tea infuser where you put your tea in the ball and drop it into your water. Next, there’s a more modern version of the Mesh Tea Ball infuser, which is called the Snap Mesh Tea Ball Infuser. This is basically the same concept except its easier to open, scoop and close. One of the best manual tea infusers I have used is the Teastick by Gamilia Products. The reason I like the Teastick so much is because it’s easy to clean and most importantly there are no plastics.

Than of course there’s the ultimate tea infuser. It has been labeled The Kettle That Makes Tea, Perfectly. Yes, I am referring to Breville’s The One Touch Tea Maker.

This device will allow you to select which tea you want to brew from the panel and will automatically heat your water to the proper temperature and will automatically lower the tea infuser into the water and will automatically raise the infuser out the water when the tea is finished being infused.

Once you have your tea infuser, simply place it in your cup of hot water. The amount of time that you should infuse the tea will vary depending on the type of tea you are infusing. Below is a list of how long you should infuse your tea for.

Green Tea	1 – 1 ½ Tbsp (3 gms)	180 – 200F	1 – 2 mins.
White Tea	2 Tbsp (3 gms)	180 – 200F	1 – 3 mins.
Scented Tea	½ Tbsp (3 gms)	200F	1 – 2 mins.
Oolong Tea	½ – 2 Tbsp (4 gms)	212F	1 – 2 mins.
Black Tea	½ Tbsp – 2 Tbsp (4 gms)	212F	1 – 2 mins.
Puer Tea	1 – 2 Tbsp (4 gms)	212F	1 – 2 mins

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy your tea.

My Websites

I have been creating websites since 1993 and I believe you can still find some of my old geocities websites archived on google. I have created and owned many more websites than what’s listed below. Over time I have either sold them or decided to close them.

Bitcoin Spender

Tech Attack (Online series and Podcast)

Forum Of The Nerds

Biker Cinema

Sons of Anarchy Forever

Benefits of a Beard and Beard Care

Benefits Of A Beard
There are many reasons to grow a beard. and there are also many benefits that come from having a beard. Some great benefits from having a beard are that they keep your face warm in the winter and keep your lips from getting chapped. There’s also a lot of scientific research that shows that a beard is also healthy for you.

A study from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia has found that a big secret to being healthy is a big beard.  They stated the 5 biggest benefits of a beard are…

1) Beards protect your face from the sun.  Men with beards are exposed to 30% fewer UV rays on their face.
2) Beards can trap allergens that might cause asthma attacks.
3) They keep water from leaving your skin, which keeps it moisturized and makes a person’s face AGE more slowly.
4) They raise your neck temperature, which helps fight colds.

Beard Care And Growth
Beard care is important, regardless if you just started growing your beard or have been growing your beard for a while. Some good tips for a healthy beard are too clean your beard with natural soap such as Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap. Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap won’t strip your beard’s natural oils and helps prevent dandruff. Another good product for your beard is Culligan’s Filtered Showerhead. Tap water contains contaminents and chemicals such as chlorine, lead, copper and bacteria. These contaminants will also create irritation and rashes of your skin as well as it will dry out your hair and beard. Skin pores widen while showering, making dermal absorption of chlorine and other chemicals possible. If you have a water softener than there’s no need for a filtered showerhead.

How long a beard grows and how nice it looks also has a lot to do with exercise and how healthy you are. You should get plenty of exercise and eat healthy.

Another great product to help your beard is called Vitabeard. Vitabeard are vitamins specially formulated for facial hair. Below is a list of the benefits you will get from taking Vitabeard.

Prevent Beard Itch
Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) helps reduce the secretion of oil and thus may help prevent the clogging of facial oil glands and the buildup of beard dandruff.

Strong Facial Hair
In addition to many well-known antioxidant/immunity benefits, Vitamin C assists in the production of collagen and can help prevent dry, splitting hair.

Beard Shine & Sheen
Vitamin E assists circulation in the body, bringing oxygen and nutrients in the blood to the hair follicles, and is responsible for nice skin and hair sheen.

Facial Hair Support
Often called the “hair vitamins,” B Vitamins are essential to hair growth and quality. VitaBeard™ packs a complete set, and lots of it. Additionally, B Vitamins play a vital role in energy production.

Beard Growth
Biotin, also known as Vitamin H (for hair!), aids in cell growth and many other metabolic reactions in the body. Biotin is essential for healthy hair and higher quantities may help prevent hair loss in some men.

Prevent Hair Loss
Zinc can prevent hair loss, and is vital for immune system wellness. Easily depleted, Zinc deficiency is often the cause of many hair and skin issues, including slow facial hair growth and facial hair falling out.

Healthy Facial Hair
A natural sulfur compound, MSM is essential for optimum health and helps to nourish your facial hair and skin.

Horsetail Extract
Containing the highest known content of silicon in any herb, Horsetail Extract strengthens hair follicles to grow stronger and healthier hair.

Prevent Gray Hair
Supplementing with Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) can prevent hair from going gray and may restore gray hair to its original color if the graying was caused by stress or a nutritional deficiency.

Motorcycle Care and Proper Detailing

One of my passions are motorcycles and one of the most important things when it comes to keeping your motorcycle in excellent looking condition is motorcycle care and proper detailing.

I ride my Harley-Davidson every where. Which means it gets dirty fast and requires me to maintain proper motorcycle care and proper detailing of my Harley-Davidson every weekend. Below is a list of the best motorcycle care products on the market. If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly suggest you pick them in order to get your harley-davidson to the look and shine that it deserves.

If you do not have a water softener than you’re constantly battling with water spots after washing your motorcycle. The best way to get rid of those water spots is with the Mr. Clean Carwash System. As for the cleaning products, I would only recommend Meguiar’s as there are no better automotive cleaning products on the market. You can purchase a complete Meguiar’s automotive Gold Class detailing kit here. Be sure to always dry off your motorcycle with the Absorber Shammy Cloth.

Hello, I’m Andrew Stemerman

Thank you for visiting my personal page. I am a website designer, website owner, vlogger, motorcycle enthusiast and tea enthusiast. You can read more on my  About Me page.