Whether you live in Bangor, Maine, or Bakersfield, California, your home will be more comfortable and energy efficient with the right insulation. Insulation helps lower the cost of heating and cooling your home. Here’s how: Heat travels. In the winter, heat flows out; in the summer, heats flow in. A properly insulated home reduces that heat flow, so you don’t use as much energy to heat your home in the winter and cool it in the summer. Using less energy — or using energy more efficiently — could mean money in your pocket.
To help you get the most for your insulation dollar, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has answers to some basic questions about home insulation. As the nation’s consumer protection agency, the FTC enforces a number of energy-related laws, including the R-value Rule, which deals with insulation.

Q. What’s the first thing I should look for when I buy insulation?

Look for the R-value. “R” means resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Almost all insulation products have to tell you their R-value — pipe and duct insulation are the only exceptions. (Duct wrap is covered.)

So, if you’re looking at insulation with an R-value of 38 from Company A and insulation with an R-value of 38 from Company B, you’ll know the two products offer the same level of insulation. That’s true even if they’re different kinds of insulation — say, if one is blanket insulation, which comes in batts and rolls, and the other is loose-fill insulation, which comes as loose fibers or fiber pellets and requires special equipment to blow it into a space.

Q. How do I know the R-value that’s appropriate for insulation in my home?

Several factors affect the R-value your home needs:

• Where you live. You’ll need insulation with a higher R-value if you live in a cold climate like the Northeast than if you live in a warm climate like Southern California.
• How your home is built, and where the insulation will be. Is it a single-level or multi-level structure? Do you have cathedral ceilings? Is there a basement, or is your home built on a slab? Each of these factors helps determine the level of insulation your home needs.
• How you heat and cool your home. Whether you have a furnace, central air conditioner, or a heat pump can make a difference in your insulation decisions.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), has answers based on your zip code and information you enter about your home. Your local home improvement store (or its website) also may have information to help you determine your insulation needs.

Q. Should I use the same R-value of insulation throughout my home?

It’s more efficient to use insulation with higher R-values in the attic and in rooms with cathedral ceilings than in wood frame walls, basements, or crawl spaces with walls.

A good way to see where energy is being wasted in your home is to do a home energy audit, which involves looking at your heating system, insulation, windows, doors, and other parts of your home to determine where you might be losing energy. You can do a basic walk-through yourself, or hire a professional to do a more thorough audit and make specific recommendations on how to make your house more energy efficient. Your utility company may offer free or low-cost energy audits, or may be able to recommend reputable local companies or organizations to do it.

Q. How do I know what R-value I’m getting?

The FTC enforces the R-value Rule, which ensures that you get accurate, honest information about the R-value of your insulation before you buy it, have it installed, or buy a new home. Manufacturers must label their packages of insulation; installers and retailers must provide fact sheets; and new home sellers must include this information in sales contracts.

Q. What should I do if I don’t get information about the R-value from the manufacturer, retailer, installer, or new home seller?

Ask for the information. If no one provides it, consider buying it from someone else who will. Make sure to report it to the FTC. Use the online complaint form or call toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

This article was previously available as Home Insulation Basics: Higher R-Values = Higher Insulating.

Think “Efficiency”

More than half of the energy use in a typical home goes toward heating and cooling it, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). There’s plenty to consider when you look at new heating and cooling systems: the latest options, the cost to buy them, how much energy they use, and the cost to operate them.

By choosing the most energy-efficient equipment that meets your needs, you may be able to spend less money to heat and cool your home. And it’s good for the environment, too; energy efficiency can reduce air pollution and help conserve natural resources.

Here’s how to tell how efficient a system is:

Once you know which systems are appropriate for you, tools are available to help you find out about the energy efficiency of specific models:

• The EnergyGuide label. Anyone selling heating and cooling systems — central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps — has to let you know how much energy a product uses, as well as how it compares to similar models, at the point of sale. Manufacturers provide that information on a product’s EnergyGuide label. But depending on how you shop, you may not see the actual product and label, so the information might be on a website, a fact sheet, a brochure, or a directory. If you don’t see the information, ask for it. The EnergyGuide label is required by the Appliance Labeling Rule, which is enforced by the FTC.
• The ENERGY STAR logo. This logo means the product meets certain energy efficiency criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency and DOE. Learn more and look up specific products at energystar.gov.

How Else Can You Save on Energy?

Being an energy-smart consumer means getting the most from the energy you use. You can:

Do a home energy assessment.

It will tell you how efficient your heating and cooling systems are and where your home is wasting energy — say, through air leaks or under-insulated attics and ducts. Your utility company may offer free or low-cost energy assessments, or it may recommend a local company or organization to do them. Check with your state or local government energy or weatherization office for recommendations, or visit energysavers.gov for more resources.

• A professional assessment with special equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras might cost several hundred dollars. Before you choose a company, be sure to get several references, and check the company record with your local consumer protection agency. Make sure the auditor uses a calibrated blower door and does thermographic inspections, or else contracts with another company to do them. Your assesment should include specific recommendations you can implement.
• A do-it-yourself assessment is an option. For more on how to do it, visit DOE’s Energy Saver website, or use the online tool at hes.lbl.gov.

Seal air leaks and insulate:

• Seal air leaks around windows, doors, and places where pipes and wires come through walls. Check existing caulking and weatherstripping for gaps or cracks.
• Check ducts for holes and gaps where sections have separated and air may be leaking. You can seal some leaks yourself with mastic sealant or metal tape (don’t use duct tape). Hiring a professional to repair leaky ducts can be a good investment.
• Bring your insulation up to DOE-recommended levels where your energy assessment shows it’s needed.

If your home has very old or inefficient windows, think about replacing them.

Look into special energy efficiency offers.

Ask your local utility or system salesperson about cash rebates, low-interest loans, tax breaks, or other incentives for buying energy-efficient products, and how you can qualify. You can learn about tax credits and incentives at energy.gov/savings.

Notice the small stuff.

Small savings add up. Other energy-saving ideas include:

• Lowering your thermostat in winter and bumping it up in summer before you go to bed or head out for the day, or getting a programmable thermostat to do it automatically.
• Checking filters for forced-air furnaces, heat pumps, or air conditioners as recommended to see if they need to be cleaned or replaced, and checking that fireplace dampers are closed when you don’t have a fire going.
• Considering a budget-billing program, if your utility or oil company offers it. While you won’t actually pay less, a budget-billing plan spreads your costs over the whole year, protecting your budget from seasonal spikes. If you’re on a fixed income or have trouble paying your utility bills, contact your utility company. There may be energy assistance plans.

If you use heating oil, consider shopping around to make sure you’re getting a good price. Research a company and its service before you sign a contract. If you live where you can choose your natural gas provider, shop for a good price on gas.

Shop smart for “energy-saving” products and services.

Be skeptical of gadgets and products that promise drastic reductions in home cooling costs or extreme energy savings. Verify product claims with an independent source you trust. Resist high-pressure door-to-door sales calls for furnaces, windows, and other home improvement products. Find a contractor who’s licensed and reputable, and remember that the Cooling-Off Rule gives you three business days to cancel a contract if you sign it in your home or at a location other than the contractor’s permanent place of business.

Where to Learn More

To learn more about saving energy in your home, visit:

• energysavers.gov and energystar.gov
• your state and local energy offices
• your local utility company

Ferrite Magnets are used in a variety of things such as – loudspeakers, magnetic therapy, toys, motors, crafts, and machinery. They are prone to chipping and cracking.

Manufacturing

These are manufactured in the following process:

• First, fine ferrite powder is pressed and then sintered
• The ferrite powder undergoes blending and then injection molding in the same manner as injection-molding of plastics

An interesting fact about these magnets is that they can be magnetized at all the poles or only at one pole. Ferrite powder could be in a dry or wet form. However, it has been noted that in wet form, the powder churns out better magnetic properties than in dry form. After the magnet is produced, it goes through machine finishing.

Ferrite allures are resistant to corrosion and hence, do not need any surface treatment. They require a magnetic field of 10 k0e.

Ceramic Ferrite

Hard ferrite magnets are usually referred to as ceramic magnets. These are quite strong and used for laboratory experiments. Since they are more affordable and durable, they are quite popular. The raw materials that are needed to make these magnets are easily available and do not cost much. The reason why ceramic magnets are called permanent is that they can retain their magnetism for a long time. This makes them suitable to be used extensively in various industries, even households.

Made from ceramic and iron oxide, ceramic ferrite magnets also go through sintering process.  This makes them purer and more uniform. The name “hard ferrite” does not mean they are denser than other ferrites. Actually these magnets have been misnamed. The difference between them and the other ferrites does not lie in their density but in the magnetic field they need. Hard ferrites need a more intensive magnetic field.

Ceramic magnets are quite unique in terms of their applicability. They can be applied to flexible fabrics, MRI machines and even cars. If you intend to use ceramic ferrite, you should take into account the magnetism, the demagnetizing process and the kind of temperatures it can withstand.

Curie Temperature (Tc)

Named after famous French physicist Pierre Curie, the Curie temperature is the temperature at which ferromagnetic material gets rid of its magnetic properties. This trend was discovered by Pierre Curie in 1895 is also called superconductivity. The Curie point of ferrite magnets is around 734 Kelvin (K).

In today’s market, one can easily get customizable magnets to suit their needs, though there aren’t many color options available other than black and gray.

With regards to the iPhone 5S, according to a French website Nowhereelse.fr, Apple’s seventh generation handset will come in multiple colors, and include an upgraded processor, and 13MP camera. It could also come with a fingerprint scanner. Again, these specifications are in line with what others have been saying in recent months. There are also some earlier reports stating that iPhone 5S will be launched in three different sizes. Apple now believes that one size per iPhone release does not work for everyone and offering consumers an option has the potential to expand the company’s market share. As said by analyst Brian White in a discussion during a trip to China that iPhone 5S will be available in two, or possibly three, screen sizes.

Last September, Apple announced its new iPhone, the iPhone 5, a device that replaced the iPhone from the year previous, the iPhone 4S. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that Apple’s iPhone is not only a game changer but a certifiable hit. It totally revolutionized the cell phone industry since its release in 2007. An analyst states, 49% of Apple’s stock value is made by the iPhone. So what are the features of Apple’s iPhone series? What’s the reason for its success? Here I analyze in the following aspects.

Before the release of the first iPhone, it was a long awaited celebrity developed to change the wireless communication process, hence handling phone numbers or making a call is now an easy cozy operation with multiple options. Its popularity can firstly due to its functionality. The iPhone however fundamentally changed the industry, with Steve Jobs proclaiming in 2007 that “the phone was not just a communication tool but a way of life”. Since iPhone 3GS, an iPhone can take photos, shoot video, play music, browse the web, send emails and receive visual voicemail. It can also used for other uses like games, GPS navigation, social networking if you download apps. It totally breaks the traditional boundaries that phones are used to make a call or send messages.

Besides, the best part of iPhone was its “user-control” action, status quo where personalization of a phone was possible. Apple has spent a lot of time not only adding capabilities not available in other phones, but also making efforts to perfect the current functions. This can also be a reason for the success of Microsoft. You may be troubled for Windows 2008 password recovery, while, we can see there are two more authentication means, picture password and PIN code, for Windows 8 users.

The continued top popularity of the iPhone despite growing Android competition was also attributed to Apple being able to deliver iOS updates over the air. As we can see, there are six generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the six major releases of iOS. However, the updates of Android, the main competitor, are frequently impeded by carrier testing requirements or hardware tailoring. As a result, consumers have to purchase new Android smartphone in order to get the latest version of that operation system.

According to Financial Post, in a note to investors, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek infers that Apple will launch an iPhone 6 with a larger screen in June 2014. Apple is also expected to release a low-cost iPhone during the launch with a price ranging between 300 dollars and 350 dollars.

Let’s look forward the new surprises from the next iPhones!

Mason Brown, a senior writer, works in Seattle and focuses on investigations on operation systems. He may also write on computer and smartphone security, say, Windows password reset, iPhone Internet security, etc.

Developed by a team of researchers from North Dakota State University, the RFID-equipped smart paper could potentially be used in legal documents, tickets, package labels and banknotes. Researchers say the technology could help prevent fraud and counterfeiting.

While RFID-equipped paper already exists, other versions on the market rely on thicker chips, resulting in bulky and bumpy paper that can’t be printed. However, researchers at North Dakota State developed a process called Laser Enabled Advanced Packaging that creates ultra-thin silicon chips that can be seamlessly embedded in paper.

The process uses a plasma etcher to thin down the chips, then uses a laser beam pulse to insert the chips, as well as antennas, directly into the paper.

Project leader Val Marinov said the process is cheap than current manufacturing methods because less materials are being used and equipment is less expensive. Not only that, the process is twice as fast as other methods.

“About ten years ago the Bank of Japan and the European bank signaled their intention to develop such technology but they aren’t there yet,” Marinov told the BBC. “I believe our scheme is the first to demonstrate a functional RFID tag embedded in paper.”

Marinov and his team recently presented their work at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference on RFID in Orlando, Fla. They are currently seeking commercial investors.

“The technology needs to leave the lab and find a place in industry,” Marinov said.

Image via iStockphoto, imagestock

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This article originally published at Discovery News here

Google I/O 2013 kicks off at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco on May 15. The three-day conference will have one noteworthy change this year: a three-hour keynote.

Google has traditionally divided its keynote up over two days, the first day focusing on Android, and the second on Chrome. This year there will only be one keynote event, held on May 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Google uses I/O as an opportunity to showcase new products and software. At last year’s I/O it announced Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” and the Nexus 7 tablet, among other things. Skydivers also demonstrated Google Glass by live streaming a jump from above the Moscone Center where the keynote was being held.

This year Google has already scheduled four developer sessions around Google Glass, with more potentially added before the schedule is finalized.

You can check out the current Google I/O schedule here.

What do you think Google has in store for this year’s I/O? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

If the Optimus G was LG’s attempt to take on the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Optimus G Pro is LG’s take on the uber-successful Galaxy Note II.

Now, this isn’t LG’s first attempt at the phone/tablet space (I hate the word phablet, but it does apply), the company previously tried its hand at the large-phone space with the LG Optimus Vu (released as the Intuition in the U.S.). Unlike the Optimus Vu, the Optimus G Pro has a much more streamlined design and aesthetic.

Big Screen. Really Big

Compared to the Galaxy Note II, the Optimus G Pro has a slimmer profile. Both devices have a 5.5-inch display, but the Optimus G Pro has a smaller bezel on the sides, which makes the device slimmer and easier to hold.

Still, make no mistake, the Optimus G Pro is a big phone. Even for large-palmed individuals, I could see the Optimus G Pro — and any smartphone of its size — being hard or impossible to use with one hand. I’m probably the last person who should use a 5.5-inch phone because my hands (and fingers) are so small.

LG has modes for the phone that are supposed to make one-handed use easier, including better access to a keyboard and dial pad, but it made little difference in my experience.

The 5.5-inch screen is a full 1920×1080 IPS display. That’s higher resolution than the 1280×720 on the Galaxy Note II and in line with the full HD displays we’ve seen from HTC and on the Galaxy S4. It gives the Optimus G Pro a pixel density of 400 ppi, meaning that text and graphical elements are crisp and clear.

The display is bright and vivid, but while I normally prefer IPS panels to Super AMOLED and PenTile displays, I wasn’t in love with the viewing angles on the Optimus G Pro. Colors are bright and vivid and video playback and text is super sharp — but the phone doesn’t have great viewing angles from the side, which is a shame. Part of the appeal of a phone of this size is that you can easily share it with someone else.

Like the Galaxy line of smartphones, the LG Optimus G Pro has a home button. Unfortunately, because of the way LG designed its bezel (to make the footprint of the phone smaller), the button’s shape and positioning is almost hard to press. It just doesn’t feel good or comfortable to press.

That wouldn’t be a problem if the home button didn’t become an important part of navigating the phone itself. In this case, I wish LG had followed its steps with the Optimus G and the Nexus 4 and just gone for all soft buttons.

There is a volume button on the side and a button at the top that toggles LG’s Quick Memo feature. QuickNote allows users to quickly draw or write on top of the screen. You do this with your finger — no stylus for the Optimus G Pro.

The phone is made of plastic and the back is removable. This means that the back can be replaced with a Quick Cover to add wireless charging and provides easy access to the huge 3140 mAh battery, the microSD card slot and the SIM.

The phone comes with 32GB of storage and an additional 64 can be added via a microSD card.

The phone also has NFC support, LTE and Bluetooth 4.0.

Under the Hood

The Optimus Pro G has a quad-core Snapdragon processor running at 1.7 Ghz and has 2GB of RAM. It’s running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, rather than the latest 4.2.2 release. The differences between 4.1.2 and 4.2.2 are minimal, especially when you factor in LG’s Android skin, but it is curious that the company wouldn’t release the phone with the latest software.

The phone also has dual cameras: a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera. Like the Galaxy S4, the Optimus G Pro has a dual-recording mode for photos, video and video conferencing.

Using the phone, I found that performance was generally quite snappy, with little to no discernible lag.

Having said that, I did find myself getting frustrated with LG’s Android skin. Maybe I’m just more used to TouchWiz (Samsung’s Android skin) or HTC’s Sense, but I wasn’t in love with the interface.

And while HTC is really touting the importance of Quick Memo, the feature activates itself in some really frustrating ways, often when unexpected. There wasn’t an easy way to turn it off altogether — though I’m sure it’s possible — and can severely impede with the ability to use the phone.

LG is also touting its idea of on-screen widgets, known as QSlide. It allows for floating instances of other apps like a calculator, note pad or calendar on the screen itself. I can find this being useful — especially the calculator — but it’s far from the “multitasking” that LG claims.

Like the Galaxy S4 and the Note II, the Optimus G Pro also has an IR port so that it can act as a remote control. This was one of my favorite features of the Galaxy S4 and the implementation on the Optimus G Pro is similar on the surface.

While setup was simple, I didn’t like that I couldn’t set the remote to truly act universal — controlling volume on the TV while changing the channel with a cable box. Perhaps that’s something that could be merged in settings but in my limited time with the feature, it felt more like a kludge rather than a thought-out feature.

And that’s the problem. There’s a lot of stuff that on the surface looks cool, but the implementation doesn’t feel fully formed. I could lob the same criticism at Samsung, but at least with the Galaxy S4 (and the Note II), it’s relatively easy to turn off or ignore the features you don’t want.

Camera

The 13 megapixel camera on the Optimus Pro G is solid but nothing to write home about. The camera software includes time shift features we’ve seen from HTC, Samsung and BlackBerry, as well as various automatic modes.

In my limited testing time, I was disappointed with the softness of some of the shots and the automatic white balance. I did, however, like how easy it was to focus and take a shot.

The same was true for video. It’s fine quality, but nothing particularly stellar.

The dual video mode works similarly to the implementation on the Galaxy S4. Samsung, however, has done a better job with the camera software and it makes accessing that feature easier. Of course, it also helps that the Galaxy S4 is a physically smaller device. Trying to take a photo or video with a phone the size of the Optimus G Pro is only slightly easier than trying to do it with a Nexus 7 or iPad mini.

Call Quality and LTE Speeds

The Optimus G Pro is available exclusively on AT&T. AT&T’s LTE network in New York City is really robust and easily rivals Verizon in most parts of the city. I was consistently getting 30 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.

Call quality on the phone is solid, although I’d recommend using it with a Bluetooth headset or pair of earbuds to avoid looking like Zack Morris. Moreover, if you’re a smaller person, the size of the phone just isn’t easy to hold up to your face. So not only do you look silly, it feels awkward.

Overall: Solid, If Uninspiring

There’s a lot to like about the LG Optimus G Pro. It has solid specs and is a good performer. But that’s no longer enough for a great phone.

Right now the Android ecosystem has two hot phones, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, that offer a more manageable experience, better performance and better software.

Moreover, while the Optimus G Pro is better than the Galaxy Note II in the spec department, it’s only a matter of time before the Note III gets released. If you’re interested in a large screen phone, that’s what I would wait for — because it’s sure to get Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 features and improvements.

At $199 (and less if you take advantage of AT&T’s trade-in program), the Optimus G Pro is a good value but at the same time, I can’t find myself getting overly excited about a phone that is a solid performer, but ultimately not very special.

This one didn’t wow me, and the tricks that were designed to wow just turned out to be annoying.

Still, if you’re in the market for a large, HD screen phone, the Optimus G Pro might just be the ticket. But maybe consider installing the Nova Launcher.

MTV has greenlit a one-hour pilot of Scream with Dimension Films, the production company behind the popular 1996 original and its three sequels featuring the “Ghostface” killer. Dimension is in talks to get Craven to direct the reboot, which is scheduled to debut in summer 2014. Although the cast and writers have yet to be finalized, MTV says DiGa Vision has been tapped to produce the potential series.

Among MTV’s other new shows in the works is The Hook Up, a dating show where contestants will choose suitors based on people’s social media history. Andrew Schulz from MTV2′s Guy Code will host the show, which is described as such:

“With the help of their closest friends, the contestants will try to separate the contenders from the pretenders to see if what you see [on social media] is really what you get.”

During the upfront presentation at Beacon Theatre in New York City, MTV also announced two other upcoming shows. Generation Cryo is a “docudrama” about test-tube babies who are now “test-tube adults” on the hunt to discover their sperm donors. Nurse Nation is a documentary that will follow nine travel nurses and their “work hard, play hard lifestyles” for 13 weeks.

Fifteen current shows will return, including Snooki & JWOWW, MTV also said.

Image courtesy of Dimenson Films

Dear Bob & Doug:

— Soulsearching in Seoul

Dear Soulsearching:

Different relationships confer different privileges and permissions. You seem to be confusing movies and TV, which the audience comes to with a certain set of expectations and allowances, and advertising, which just shows up. That limits the permission advertising has to risk offense.

Let us put it to you this way: If you go to a Louis CK concert, you will hear him talking about truly vulgar things and you’ll probably laugh hard. If you go into a Sears to buy a refrigerator, and the salesman starts talking about his love of masturbation, you might be a little put out. The suicide scene in The Full Monty established character and plot elements. In your commercial, it was a gimmick to oversell an exhaust feature. Ha ha! How funny that was to viewers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Hey, maybe VW should do a spot about Seoul being obliterated by North Korean artillery, so buy a Passat and be assured of access to spare parts. Hilarious!
Dear Bob & Doug:

— Devastated in Dearborn

Dear Devastated:

We have some good news for you and some bad news for you. The bad news is that there is nothing so vulgar and cynical as using murder as a thinly veiled marketing opportunity. When we saw that post, we wanted you to take the sentiment to Boston and pass it around personally, because we’ve never seen a car company pummeled by an angry mob.

The good news is that you were only the second most despicable marketer to seize on the Boston Marathon bombings. The prize goes to Epicurious, the Conde Nast food website. Tweet #1: “Boston, our hearts are with you. Here’s a bowl of breakfast energy we could all use to start today.” Tweet #2: “In honor of Boston and New England, may we suggest: whole-grain cranberry scones!”

Suggested Tweet #3: “Please excuse previous obnoxious messages. We’ve think our account was hacked by the Chinese, LulzSec or Hyundai.”
Dear Bob & Doug:

— Reese in Custody of the Police

Dear Reese:

We’d like to tell you that a sense of entitlement is among the least attractive qualities in a person, and that throwing your weight around is sure to earn you nothing but opprobrium. However, you are not a mere mortal; you are a celebrity. There is almost nothing you can do by way of calling attention to yourself that diminishes your luster. Charlie Sheen, Donald Trump, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Martha Stewart, L’il Wayne. The worser they behave, the famouser they become. Your movie is Mud. Your name is not.
Dear Bob & Doug:

— Hathaway Is Better Than None in Hollywood

Dear Hathaway:

Have a few drinks and shame yourself in public.

Image via iStockphoto, Cimmerian

There’s a reason Zuckerberg hasn’t made potty training a “Life Event” option for your Timeline: It’s TMI! While this is a monumental step in parenting, imagine how your child will feel at 16 when she finds out her entire baby book is online.

STFU, Parents blogs about the bizarre and horrifying details that parents share on the web. From mama drama to bathroom horror stories, parents on social media are baring it all.

Blair Koenig created the blog four years ago on a grief-stricken whim. Like many in their 20s and 30s, Koenig’s News Feed was suddenly overwhelmed with baby updates. In March 2009, she posted a couple screenshots to a blog, and word spread almost immediately.

Today, Koenig has written a book, titled STFU, Parents: The Jaw-Dropping, Self-Indulgent, and Occasionally Rage-Inducing World of Parent Overshare, based on the trends that parents and social media have collectively influenced over the years.

“As it turned out, people around the world were being bombarded by their parent friends’ updates just like I was,” Koenig explains in her new book.

The author tells Mashable that the book is less about individual occurrences, and thus, is missing the kind of squeamish photos that often make it to her blog.

“I didn’t think there was any good reason to publish aerial pictures of poop in the potty or a crowning baby being delivered, so reading the book is certainly a bit ‘safer’ than reading the blog,” says Koenig. She views the book as a “cohesive, funny field guide to overshare.”

SEE ALSO: SEE ALSO: Can You Be a Good Parent Without Tech?

We caught up with Koenig on the book and parents — new and old — who share TMI on social media.

Q&A With STFU, Parents Founder Blair Koenig

Do you think the book a reaches the people reading the content, or does it reach a new audience: the ones who are part of the overshare issue?

I’ve heard from several people who have purchased the book as a baby shower gift (possibly for parents who already overshare), and I get a kick out of that. One woman emailed the other day saying she’d never heard of the blog but picked up the book on a frantic day shopping with her kids and read it to unwind. I love hearing from people who are discovering the blog via the book. That seems sort of “old school” and suggests that no one medium is the best at connecting with people or starting a conversation. Hopefully everyone who reads the book will think it’s funny.

Parenting can be a really touchy subject. What would you say is the most heated reaction you’ve had to making fun of overshare? Has anyone admitted to changing his or her behavior because of your book?

Yes, I get emails all the time from parents who say they’ve “reformed” after finding the blog. Some people send in examples of their previous oversharing ways and say, “Here’s some material for you!” … Generally, parents on social media wouldn’t dream of posting the types of things found on the blog or in the book, so they’re able to laugh at the overshare while also noting not to do it themselves.

That said, I’ve received my fair share of criticism, the worst probably coming from some media and a select group of mom bloggers. Rather than focus on the content of the blog or the concept of overshare, those outlets honed in on my “childlessness,” which I think is pretty tangential to the blog or book. I’m not claiming to be a parenting expert; I’m highlighting the ways that parents use social media… I also got a death threat once, but thankfully we worked it out, as I’m still alive.

At what age does overshare become the worst?

If a person overshares when she’s pregnant (and some people share the news the moment they find out they’re pregnant), then every stage will probably feel like the worst to her friends, unless they hide or defriend her. But in general, I think the baby and toddler stages are the worst, in terms of post frequency and gross-out stories. New parents like to crowdsource questions about rashes or share anecdotes about projectile vomit, and parents of toddlers like to brag about their kids’ achievements and discuss potty training (a lot).

But I also think we see more overshare from parents of small children, because social media has only been around for so long.

In a few years, we will probably see a considerable amount of pre-teen overshare from the parents who overshare about their toddlers today.

In a few years, we will probably see a considerable amount of pre-teen overshare from the parents who overshare about their toddlers today. I already see plenty of examples of parents who overshare about their teenagers getting their periods or growing armpit hair, and I’m sure those examples will increase over time.

Have you noticed any particularly interesting trends in how or what parents are sharing over the years as social media and technology change?

I notice changes all the time. For one thing, parents have become more brazen and aware of their oversharing. It used to be that parents would cautiously overshare or not really be aware of it, but now people are more aggressive and post status updates like, “If you don’t want to see my beautiful baby’s face 24 hours a day or read about her every move, then go ahead and delete me!!!” In that same vein, I’ve also seen a lot of mommyjacking over the years, which is when a parent “hijacks” another person’s update to talk about his/her kids.

Mostly, though, I’ve noticed more excessive overshare. The pictures have all gotten way more disgusting and more frequent, and the number of parents oversharing has gone up like crazy. I’m not sure if that’s just because it’s gotten so easy to share information and photos across multiple platforms, or if it’s because more people are adopting the idea that they should share everything about their lives (or their kids’ lives). Treating social media like a digital scrapbook or diary has become more common.

Facebook seems to be the major culprit out of all the platforms, but are there oversharers you’ve encountered on other social networks?

Facebook is definitely the major culprit, mostly because of the level of engagement and the tools it provides, but Pinterest and Instagram have also become strange corners of overshare. One mother on Pinterest was publicly criticized for posting a naked picture of her son covered in maxi pads, and Instagram has been used for many a birth photography session. (The filters come in handy, I suppose!)

I don’t see as much overshare coming from Twitter, but that’s probably because Twitter is such an “opt-in” platform. On Facebook, you feel somewhat obligated to be friends with certain people, but on Twitter there’s less pressure to follow personal contacts or old friends from grade school. Once a person shares too much information (regardless of the subject), you can more casually unfollow.

What makes parents worse than, say, runners, or activists who post a lot? Is it really something to do with parenting, or just TMI in general?

I would like to say “no one is ‘worse’ than anyone else when it comes to oversharing,” but the truth is, parent overshare probably is the worst. Sure, it’s annoying when people post too many bikini selfies or updates about how many miles they ran, but I’ve never seen those people post pictures of their own poop. I’ve never seen an activist say, “Check out this great cause! Plus, here’s a picture of my boogers!” But parents do that. And while childbirth may be a beautiful thing, only parents post pictures of stuff like mucus plugs or placentas, or write 500-word birth stories on Facebook. A person who posts a picture of his food every day is annoying, but it’s better than posting pictures of vomit or rants about nap time.

Do you plan on being a parent yourself in the future?

Yes, I’d love to have kids in the next several years. I promise when I do, I will not give the play-by-play about my cervix dilation or post any pictures of dirty diapers.

What’s the plan for STFU, Parents in the future?

Parent overshare gets weirder by the day, so I plan to keep the blog going and continue chronicling the trends and TMI for now. I’m launching an app soon, and I’m hoping to launch the STFU, Pet Parents site at some point this year. Pet parents are just as bad as human parents when it comes to overshare, and I’ve already received a lot of wacky pet-related submissions.