【推荐1】Many pet owners desire to talk with their animals. After all, if pets were able to talk, people could take care of them more easily and have closer emotional connections to them, so a number of companies are working on devices and apps that could help understand what animals have to say.

One such app is called MeowTalk.     1     For example, one type of sound might mean “feed me” while another could be translated “let me outside.” The app can use machine learning to assess its translations and improve at identifying one particular cat’s vocalizations.    2    

For dogs, a Japanese company called Inupathy has developed a harness (系带) with a heart rate monitor to record dogs’ heart rate and thus assess dogs’ emotional state.     3    

The harness also has a light that turns red when the dog is excited, but when the dog is relaxed, the light is blue.

The most obvious application of this technology is to help pet owners empathize (共情) with and provide for their pets better.     4     There are other uses for technology that help us understand animals. For example, some sheep farmers are using artificial intelligence to scan animals’ faces and determine if they are in pain, which helps them identify sick animals.     5    

Anyone who interacts regularly with animals could benefit from understanding their animals better. Thus these technological developments might transform the way we interact with the creatures around us. Maybe in the near future, we can interact with our furry friends more effectively.

【推荐2】Top Apps For Climate Activists

The world population is at 7 billion and it’s predicted that by the end of this year there will be one smartphone for every five people in the world. That’s a lot of phones and a lot of information literally at our fingertips.

Information is constantly changing and those of us working hard to protect the environment for ourselves and future generations need to have access to up-to-date material. Being a climate change activist can be time consuming. But there’s an app (or ten) for that! The number of apps out there is staggering.

With these apps you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to stay in the know when it comes to your health, and the health of the environment.

	Carbon Emissions Calculator (CEC) for Air Travel (iOS-Free) This app allows passengers to estimate the carbon emissions attributed to their air travel. It is simple to use—just select your origin and destination airports, specify the class of travel and number of passengers. View the carbon footprint and the distance traveled for your trip.
	Fooducate (iOS and Android-$4. 99) This app empowers food shoppers everywhere to make healthy, informed decisions while at the supermarket. Scan your food and Fooducate generates a letter grade (A, B, C, or D) for each product scanned, along with brief explanations and warnings about its nutrients and ingredients. There is also an option to enter the bar code manually. The app will recommend minimally processed, real foods which are naturally rich in nutrients and antioxidants.
	Locavore (iOS and Android-Free) If you’re looking for the closest farmers market selling your favorite in season produce, then Locavore is the app for you. Locavore is a great app for those searching for local, in season, organic foods in your area. The app has one-click access to thousands of healthy, seasonal recipes and other information that can be shared with your friends and family. I like how the app not only lets you know which fruits and veggies are in season—it also lets you know how long they’ll be in season.
	Zimride (iOS and Android-Free) Ridesharing apps are all the rage. Zimride is a new spin on ridesharing, using social networks to enable real connections. Once you set up a profile you are able to book a ride in your area, or post a ride of your own. Drivers can charge for rides and Zimride doesn’t take a cut. Rides seem to be reasonably priced and since profiles are linked with Facebook it’s easy to check out your potential ride companions.

【推荐3】Every time I feel a buzz from my smartphone, a voice comes up inside of me, “Oh, there is something for me that needs attention.”

If I were to look in my brain, I’m sure I’d see a surge of dopamine (多巴胺), the pleasure-seeking chemical that drives us toward addictive substances. Now, I’m a promoter of technology, but the following story can show you exactly where it gets in the way and how we can turn it around and use it for good.

A while ago I was on a walk with my little boy and found myself checking my email and responding to a colleague. My colleague learned that I was on a walk with my son, he responded, “That is great; now get off the phone, AND BE PRESENT!”

She was right. I was on autopilot, caught in a habitual cycle of engaging with this little machine. For me, I noticed it was starting to take away from my experiences of being present with the world around me, and with my family.

This has actually become more dangerous as people are feeling forced to engage with these machines while driving not only at stop lights, but while actually driving.

If you do not have one of these little machines yet, at some points, it is highly likely that you will, so maybe this can help preempt the addictive behavior from occurring. What can we do to break this cycle once we’re in it? We can actually use the machines to help us. I have begun to schedule little reminders that pop up with a link to a short video that helps me take a minute to be present.

Yes, using the technology for good. In doing this practice, we can become aware when we are on autopilot with our phones, ground to the present moment, and then choose how we want to proceed. We actually create opportunity to have more choices in our lives over what we really want to be doing. Moderation can be so difficult, but this can support us.