The Lurking Dangers of Technology

Not robot overlords, but self-inflicting habits

The Pyramid of Luxuries

The Bespoke - $1,000 Mobile Phone Shopping Spree

The Ultra High End - 3D Printing Pen Set

The Superpremium - Oktoberfest in Munich

The Premium Core - Silicone Kitchen Tools

The Accessible Core - The Lurking Dangers of Technology

The Affordable Luxury - Trivia: Lowest income state

The Everyday Luxury - Date for Online Social: Poll

The Bespoke

WARNING: This is the last week to submit for the $1,000 Mobile Phone Shopping Spree. Make sure your fellow members submit before the deadline!

Click on the banner to enter The Bespoke Photo Contest. Click here for the Official Contest Rules.

• Prize: $1,000 Mobile Phone Shopping Spree [ARV $1,000]

• Odds: For every 130 Ducky Tran premium member by the time of judging, I will give out one (1) Shopping Spree

• Contest Period: July 3, 2024 at 10 AM CST to July 30, 2024 at 10 PM CST

The Ultra High End

Previous Contest Winner

The winner of Issue 35 Ultra High End contest is TIMOTHY from LEWISVILLE, TEXAS! Here’s his submission for “a photo that shows the decade you’re born in”:

Congratulations TIMOTHY, you won $100 Amazon Gift Card. Hope it will be useful to you or at least save you some time. Check out the other submissions:

I’m impressed with the submissions, because I think I would struggle finding something for myself. I was never into pop culture so I don’t have much to go by. I wonder how many of you are stuck in the decade you were born in, or perhaps believe you should have been born in a different decade?

This Week’s Contest

Click on the banner to enter The Ultra High End Photo Contest. Click here for the Official Contest Rules.

• Prize: 3D Printing Pen Set [ARV $70]

• Odds: For every 50 Ducky Tran premium members by the time of judging, I will give out one (1) 3D Pen Set

• Contest Period: July 24, 2024 at 10 AM CST to July 30, 2024 at 10 PM CST

I am a tinker. I own some wood working tools, some 3D printing equipment, and other hobbyist items. I love the ability to create my ideas the moment I get some inspiration.

This week, I’m giving out a 3D printing pen set that will allow you to make unique coasters, 3D models, outfits for your plants/figures, and anything you can imagine. It will come with the 3D modeling pen, the modeling mat, and a collection of colored filaments so you can customize your idea.

For those with a creative side, this is an ideal set to get general structures of your ideas down; however, if you put some time into it, it can produce some quality final products.

For those that lack this creative aspiration, the set makes a great gift for that hobbyist friend. They would love to make custom coasters and giftwrap your next present in a 3D printed cage.

Whoever wins this prize, I would love to see your creations with the pen. The possibilities are boundless.

The Superpremium

This week’s Superpremium topic is Oktoberfest in Munich. This is another one of my bucket list items. I love Germany. The culture, the food, and the people. Since my visit to Germany during Christmas time, I have anticipated the day that I can go back again. I would love the next visit to Germany to be attending the infamous Oktoberfest in Munich, an event that dates back to 1810!

This historical event attracts 6+ million people each year and about 2 million gallons of beer is consumed during this time. I’m not attracted by the beer or crowds of people; however, my love for the German delicacies and culture keeps this event on my bucket list. Plus, an event like this would be no fun without the masses to keep it lively during the two-week duration.

Also, every time I travel, I open myself up to meet people from around the world. What a better place to do that than at a fair gathering of millions of people! Sitting at communal tables to share food, drinks, and tales. To top it off, there’s even traditional outfits to dress up and make it even more festive and fun.

If you’re planning to go, there are some dos and don’ts listed out there on the internet. It is considered a family-friendly event; however, not recommended for children after 6PM or on the weekends. Read up so you don’t ruin a wonderful experience. If you have any experiences or photos of your trip to Oktoberfest, share with me at [email protected].

The Premium Core

From previous newsletters, you may already know I love cooking. I have used nearly every kitchen equipment and tools that is out there for a household kitchen, my favorite kitchen tool is the silicone spatula.

Not just the silicone top and wooden handle ones, it has to be all silicone-covered. I use my silicone-covered kitchen tools so much, even having 6 different ones, I have to wash them all every 1-2 days. They are hygienic, cool to the touch, easy to use and most importantly they get every last bit without scratching my pots and pans. This week I’ll be giving a deal on a set of silicone spatulas so you can build up your collection too.

Deal #1: You can purchase a $10 set of silicone spatula for ONLY $5! They come in a variety of colors, but there is a limited number so get yours today at shop.duckytran.com.

The Accessible Core

The Lurking Dangers of Technology

According to statista.com, since 2021, the average time used for non-voice activities on the phone daily is over 4 hours! That’s 25-30% of our waking hours! This doesn’t include computer usage, or TV watching. With the amount of consumption of these technologies on the rise, studies have come out about effects that they may have on our society and our bodies.

In this study, there were 3 major findings that show the negative effects these technologies may have on our bodies:

1. Smartphone usage of 4+ hours a day showed lower craniovertebral angle (CVA). A lower CVA increases the burden on the neck by the weight of the skull. A lower CVA progresses to a forward head posture that results in many issues like: back pain, spasms, neck tightness, headaches, and many other problems related to the neck and spine.

2. Smartphone usage of 4+ hours a day showed lower scapular index. This causes the rounded shoulders posture. Most of the complications this posture causes are related to muscle tightening and shortening. Many people that have rounded shoulders posture also have forward head posture, compounding the negative effects on their neck, shoulder, and spine.

3. Prolonged usage of smartphone showed lower values in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF). The lower the PEF, the shallower a person’s breathing is. This shows the strain on your respiratory function due to prolonged smartphone usage and poor posture.

With the average over 4 hours already, this study is indicative that the average population will see a shift in head and shoulder postures, as well as, lower values in PEF. It is likely that we see an increase in neck, shoulder, and back injuries related to technology usage in the near future. However, there are things we can do to help mitigate many of these negative effects:

1. The most obvious is to reduce our time using smartphones/computers. Specifically, improper posture while using these technologies for a prolonged period of time.

2. Keep your chin up. We have a tendency to slouch over the computer, or bend our necks to look down at the phone. If we can raise up the computer or smartphone screen so we can limit the degree of prolonged tilted posture of our necks, we can avoid long-term neck problems in the future.

3. Exercise. Strengthening your muscles can improve posture and counteract tendencies to compensate poor posture due to fatigue or weakness.

4. Stretch. Relaxing the tighten muscles and stretch our shortened muscles due to prolonged posture will help reset your body. Combined with other methods it can produce proper posture.

5. Don’t sit still. Take periodic breaks to move around during stagnate work or watching TV or using the phone. These breaks help stretch out your body, relax tension slowly building up, and a habit of improper posture.

I hope this helps you recognize and solve any discomfort you may have. Posture is so important and in our modern age, a lot of our time is devoted to computers and smartphones that can affect our posture. Be cognizant as to how it is affecting your posture, so you can avoid the long-term discomfort in the future.

The Affordable Luxury

Issue 35 Community Poll Results

Here’s the results from last week:

1. 40% of members would like to be taller and 60% voted they would not change their height. There are studies that have correlated taller people with making more money; however, as we know, this is not indicative of a happier life. However, there are some complications that may arise in society from being too short or too tall, mostly because most things are made for the average height individuals.

2. Nearly everyone voted they would not change their facial features, but there were people that voted they would change their nose. The nose is considered the most defining characteristic of the face and sometimes any abnormality can seem like an exaggeration due to its prominence.

3. Everyone voted for a gift card to be the prize for the future online social.

This Week’s Community Poll

Here are this week’s poll questions:

The Everyday Luxury

Now that we have the prize and online social concept resolved, let’s vote on some dates to see if we can have an event soon. Pick the date you most liking can attend if you want to attend.

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