(BPT) – Every decade gets two moments in the sun it seems — when the years actually occur, and when they’re fashionably retro. In the twenty-teens, it looks like everything 90s is hot again.

The influence of the 90s is showing up virtually everywhere in pop culture in 2016, from reboots of movies and TV series that were hugely popular 20 years ago, to fashions that evoke the grunge era. The trend isn’t just popular among older millennials who remember the decade. Nineties style is being embraced by 20-somethings, teens and even children who are too young to recall the 90s or weren’t even born until after 1999.

Nostalgia can be a great way to bridge the gaps between generations, especially as kids discover updated versions of pop culture elements their parents who lived through the 90s loved. If you’re a child of the 90s, here are some retro experiences you can share with your kids this summer:

Video games

While some video game characters that have been around since the earliest days of console games are familiar to kids of all ages, others are just being rediscovered by today’s young gamers. Crash Bandicoot ruled the 90s gaming scene as one of the coolest, most fun platform games of the decade.

First introduced to the gaming public in 1996, Crash jumped, ran and spun his way through more than a dozen games that sold millions of copies worldwide. Now, he’s back in the newest game in the Skylanders franchise, Skylanders Imaginators. Skylanders Imaginators gives players the freedom to unleash their imagination and create their own Skylander using immense possibilities available in the game, including appearance, powers, abilities, names, catchphrases, musical themes and much more.

No Crash game would be complete without the ability to jump on TNT Crates to blow them up or collect the Bazooka Crate to get a rocket launcher. Crash is back in ways that will appeal to hardcore fans as well as introduce him to a new generation of gamer. Parents and kids alike will enjoy experiencing his unique and quirky personality both as a fully playable Skylander Sensei character and brand new toy. In Skylanders Imaginators, every Sensei has a devastating Sky-Chi attack, their most powerful move. Crash’s Sky-Chi attack is the ability to use a yo-yo to yank his enemies into a spin attack!

The Skylanders Imaginators Starter Pack Featuring Crash Bandicoot will be available exclusively for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 at launch this October. The Crash toy will be playable across platforms.

Screen reboots

Some of the hottest movies of the 90s are rebooting. Last year’s successful “Jurassic World” continued the dinosaur-cloning-gone-wrong cautionary tale and demonstrated the movie-going public has an appetite for 90s entertaining.

This summer, the “Independence Day” sequel is hoping to cash in on the popularity of the original that first premiered in 1996. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who first made it to the big screen in 1990, are back this summer, too. Their rebooted look and approach aims to appeal to both parents who grew up watching the original TV series and their kids who are discovering the heroes on a half shell for the first time.

Other 90s screen hits that are in the works for reboots include “Lethal Weapon” and Stephen King’s “It.”

Fashion backward

There’s something about retro fashions that makes people willing to wear attire they wouldn’t have dreamed of trying on the first time it was popular. Older millennials who lived through the years when acid wash jeans, chunky-soled shoes and oversized shirts were the height of fashion may now wonder if their own kids raided their old closets!

With the arrival of summer, you’re sure to see more crop tops — a signature look of the 90s — paired with shorts and combat boots. When the weather cools, denim overalls, nylon bomber jackets and bucket hats will reappear.

Whether you lived through the 90s, or you’re discovering the era’s entertainment and fashions for the first time, there’s no denying the decade is experiencing a retro renaissance in modern pop culture.

Yoav Vilner is Co-Founder at Ranky and a regular blogger whose articles have been published on Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, VentureBeat and TheNextWeb.

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(BPT) – When patients are treated as individuals, they become engaged, active partners in their care plan and their health outcomes improve. This shift in providing customized care to patients is also being adopted by nurse educators, who are applying a similar approach that sets up nursing students for success in both the education and clinical setting. The customization of care is also a driving force behind four growing trends across education: individualized instruction, experiential learning, educating for cultural humility and increased access to education for military students.

Focusing on student success

Individualized instruction is an emerging trend that is designed to help students achieve greater confidence and overcome barriers to their education. Each student has their own preferred methods of learning, their own challenges and their own goals. When nurse educators care about the student’s individual success, everyone benefits. 

“We believe that if we take extraordinary care of our students, they will in turn take extraordinary care of the patients and families they serve,” says Dr. Richard Cowling, vice president of academic affairs at Chamberlain College of Nursing. “We call this value system, ‘Chamberlain Care.‘”

Through the Chamberlain Care Student Success Model, a team of Chamberlain faculty, advisors and mentors identify any barriers to the student’s success and deliver individualized academic coaching and a customized support plan to encourage and support students in reaching their goals.

Fostering active learning

To help students reach those goals, nurse educators turn to another emerging trend: active learning. A stark contrast with passive learning, watching a teacher in a classroom or learning from a textbook, nurse educators are cultivating active student participation and curiosity through direct patient care and simulated and virtual learning experiences.

Active learning promotes clinical reasoning and affords students the opportunity to see the outcome of their care decisions in real time. Simulation labs, a form of active learning, engage students to explore various clinical processes but instead of live patients, high-tech mannequins are used. In addition to these on-campus labs, Chamberlain also offers virtual learning environments for students pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Both simulation and virtual learning are types of experiential learning opportunities. When direct patient care isn’t an option, experiential learning opportunities can be created by nurse educators so students can learn how to respond to disasters, treat infectious diseases or participate in other scenarios they may not have exposure to otherwise.

“Active learning experiences allow students to practice the skills they need in a safe environment,” Cowling says. “Students feel in control of their own learning because they receive real-time feedback from instructors immediately following the experience, which helps in building confidence while they actively build their clinical knowledge and skillset.”

Promoting diversity

In addition to transforming how students learn, current trends in health care influence what students learn. Today’s health care environment is becoming more complex — with a rise in chronic illness, an aging population, ever-changing technology and increasingly diverse communities. The role of the nurse is also rapidly evolving as the focus has shifted to person-centered and culturally congruent care. Students who received individualized attention and a foundation in providing person-centered, culturally congruent care enter the workforce with a deeper understanding of the needs of today’s diverse patient populations. 

“We have enhanced our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum to align more closely with the evolving health care needs of our communities and the practice settings where new nurses will serve. In fact, Chamberlain is piloting two programs to provide care to Hispanic communities and to military students,” Cowling says. “By customizing the learning experience, nurse educators help create a shift in both the education and health care industry by teaching others cultural humility and how to care for an increasingly diverse patient population in a person-centric way.”

Cultural humility is a continual process of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-critique by health care providers in order to develop and maintain mutually respectful and useful partnerships with individuals, families and communities. Rather than focusing on the mastery of many cultures as in cultural competence, cultural humility suggests that understanding other cultures requires a lifelong commitment to a learning process. This encourages an intentional examination of how the nurse’s beliefs, values and assumptions influence the delivery of health care and development of relationships with patients and their families.

Leading the next generation

The nursing students today are the future nursing leaders of tomorrow. Nurse educators who place a high value on individualized instruction and active learning and prepare students to think about caring for diverse populations in a patient-centered way are helping drive the perspective of the next generation of leaders.

Whether these nurses of tomorrow go on to earn their MSN or Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, impact health policy, become nurse educators themselves or serve their local communities, students who receive customized education are empowered to achieve their goals. Thanks to the shift in education to a more customized approach, these students received the experiences, training and caring support necessary to transform health care on a local, national and global scale. 

 

 

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(BPT) – From self-driving cars to Snapchat, digital technology continues to transform almost every aspect of our lives. While these big-ticket smart items make the headlines, many homeowners are more interested in how smart technology can be used to increase their level of home security.

Today, advanced image sensors, indoor video cameras and DIY security hubs allow the average homeowner to install security systems that are directly linked to the police. Homeowners can also lock doors and check cameras from their phones, regardless of their location.

“No matter how advanced your security system, your home is only protected as much as your weakest link,” says Randy Johnson, a professional locksmith with Lock-Tech in Orange County, California. “Far too often, it’s the weak door lock on the door that thieves use as their entry way into a home.”

A rising danger

Recently, Good Morning America reported on the increase in the use of bump keys to break into homes.

Bump keys can be purchased online and fit into just about any door lock. A burglar needs only to hit the head of the inserted key with a hammer or a blunt object. This causes the pins in the lock to jump, allowing anyone to unlock the door and easily enter your home.

Because this entry method is not easily noticeable, many people don’t even know their home was broken into.

Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice found that household break-in rates regularly increase during the summer. Those findings are confirmed by F.B.I. data that show all criminal activity increases roughly 10 percent during the summer months.

These factors have led security experts to remind the public that not all door locks are the same and homeowners need to invest in bump-proof door locks.

Bump-proof locks

As summer crime spikes, the importance of having the right kind of door lock on your home cannot be overstated. Kwikset SmartKey locks are built with a patented BumpGuard technology that prevents would-be burglars from breaking into your house with a bump key.

Available in door knobs, door locks, smart locks, handlesets and more, there’s a Kwikset door lock with SmartKey security to fit virtually every door.

While there is no shortage of smart security options for your home, the Kwikset door locks specifically respond to a very real threat. This technology will be welcome news for moms and dads looking for the best way to protect their family and keep their valuables secure.

(BPT) – Whether it’s for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday or just to show your appreciation, it’s always a struggle to come up with gift ideas for your parents. This is especially the case when parents claim they have everything they need and prefer to do things their own way.

One of those things they’ll always have to do is take care of the lawn — mowing, trimming, fertilizing and more mowing. Whether they like it like it or not, it’s a weekly chore.

So this year, why not think about getting them something that eases their routine?

Whether Mom and Dad are somewhat behind the times when it comes to technology, or they’re the ones who wait in line to get the latest smartphone, there are game-changing breakthroughs in lawn care technology that are making a big splash across the country. And this just might be the gift idea you’ve been looking for.

An evolution in lawn care

Maintaining a lawn takes a lot of work, and as you grow older, you realize this more than ever. At times, the satisfaction in doing the work yourself may start to wear thin.

The good news is that technology similar to that which goes into self-driving cars, along with the sensors that allow new cars to park themselves, are being harnessed for lawn care.

That’s right — a robotic mower is now available that automatically cuts your grass. Words not normally associated with lawn care — such as effortless and hands free — are now the secret to a great looking yard!

The Automower(R) revolution

Husqvarna, the world’s largest producer of robotic mowers, recently brought three new models to its lineup of Automowers(R). Guided by the boundary wires that define the borders of your yard, flowerbeds and other landscaping features, the Husqvarna Automower(R) is designed to easily maneuver over a variety of terrain, including inclines up to 25 degrees (depending on the model) and narrow spaces.

The automated system is amazing in itself, but one of the things many owners are most surprised at is how the Automower(R) can precisely cut grass even in the midst of a downpour. Add to this its silent operation and your parents will no longer need to wait for the right time to mow.

While the technology may be impressive, this is far from just a cool new toy. With its sharp, razor-like blades, this little machine houses a unique cutting system that will keep your parents’ lawn looking better than ever.

The loud, gas-powered world of small engines that makes up lawn care is changing. Who knows, the motorized push lawn mower might go the way of the rotary phone.

While the 21st century has seen some astronomic leaps in technology, most of the attention revolves around the devices we put in our pockets or on our desks. Breakthroughs like the Husqvarna Automower(R) remind us of the extent by which technology is making our lives easier. 

And not just making lawn mowing easier, but making it a bit easier to buy Mom and Dad a gift as well.

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(BPT) – Jewelry has signified the bonds between people since the ancient Egyptians created the wedding band. But the digital revolution is quickly converting jewelry from a symbol of connection to wireless ways to stay connected.   

Rings, watches, pendants — even cufflinks — have been transformed into miniature electronic devices that keep us in touch with people, including ourselves. This merger of fashion and function is catching on fast with consumers.

According to Gartner Inc., an information technology and research advisory firm, purchases of wearable smart devices will increase 16 percent in 2016, with smartwatch sales alone predicted to rise a whopping 66 percent.

The wearable device trend took off a decade ago, primarily for fitness. The Nike+iPod fitness tracker was the forerunner for a flood of new products embedded with tiny sensors that report the wearer’s workout progress.

Functions, aesthetics determine price

Today, nearly all the major tech companies compete in the smartwatch market, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Motorola and Samsung. Meanwhile, some traditional watchmakers — such as Tag Heuer — have developed their own high-tech timepieces.

Top designers are also collaborating with high-tech developers to create smart rings, bracelets, necklaces and other fine and fashion jewelry. FitBit, for instance, offers a line of fitness trackers conceived by Tory Burch, a well-known women’s wear designer. The technology is embedded in embossed metallic pendants and bracelets.

Protect smart investments

Since smart jewelry could be a major jewelry investment — second only, perhaps, to an engagement ring — it’s important to adequately protect it with insurance.  

Most homeowners insurance policies cover jewelry to some extent. In many cases, however, your coverage may be limited. Plus, a jewelry claim could affect the status of your entire policy. That’s why it’s important to evaluate your insurance options.

Typical warranties and protection plans won’t reimburse you if your smart jewelry disappears under mysterious circumstances — meaning you’re not sure whether it was lost or stolen. The best jewelry insurers, such as Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, a leader in jewelry insurance since 1913, will cover loss in such circumstances. They will also repair or replace the item through the jeweler or manufacturer of your choice and a loss.

If you’re someone who appreciates socially responsible companies, there’s another reason to look up Jewelers Mutual. This summer, the company is making news by offering $2 million in donations to nonprofits that fight hunger, provide affordable housing and deliver medical research and exceptional care to kids battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

As part of its “Band Together” campaign, Jewelers Mutual is inviting consumers to select which cause receives the largest share of its unprecedented philanthropic gift. For everyone who casts votes at JewelersMutual.com/BandTogether from July 11-31, this campaign offers more than the chance to help their favorite nonprofits. Every individual who answers the call to “Band Together” online will be eligible to win a set of three stacking bands from Stacked New York. Three exquisite sets will be given away during the campaign. While, the bands are not the kind equipped with smart technology, they are a smart fashion choice and symbolize the timeless bonds that connect people to something bigger than themselves.