Pluto flyby inspires awe, pride: Your Say.

I would like to congratulate all those at NASA, all of its partners and all those individuals who worked on the mission to Pluto and the New Horizons spacecraft (“Pluto: Icy, weird, far away — finally gets a close encounter with Earth”). To have endured 10 years and 3 billion miles successfully is beyond words. It just proves that men and women can do amazing things that will benefit all of us for years to come.

Benjamin Carroccio; Westlake, Ohio

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

The flyby of Pluto, along with the Mars rovers, are just two of the many amazing accomplishments of NASA. Still, it is a shame that we are currently unable to get our astronauts into space on our own.

— Johnny Rose

Right now, we don’t have a major need for sending astronauts into space. When time does come for more people in space, the private sector should be able to do the job.

— Dave Cawdell

It makes no sense to keep putting money into programs just to discover more about things we’re never going to step foot on. There are way more important things right here that our money could be used for.

— Cathy Raymo

Understanding what Pluto is, where it came from and how it came to be sheds light on our own questions of existence. By understanding the farthest reaches of our solar system, we can better understand our own planet, and ourselves. That is amazing, and well worth it.

Hope for democracy in Africa: Column.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington on July 20 is an important symbol of the significance of an unprecedented peaceful, democratic transfer of power from a defeated ruling party to the opposition in Nigeria. That symbolism matters for the development of genuine democracy in Africa.

Nigeria matters. With 179 million people it is Africa's most populous country and, with a GDP of $569 billion, the continent's largest economy. The West African country's large diaspora in the United States includes nuclear scientists, doctors and other professionals that contribute significantly to America's progress. But Nigeria, afflicted at home by a predatory political class, corruption, and military dictatorships for much of its 52 years as an independent nation, has performed well below its well-known potential. It is not coincidence that President Obama's trips to Africa have by-passed Nigeria.

Now, Buhari's visit at Obama's invitation is only one of several indications that the country is beginning to reclaim the respect of Western governments and its natural leadership role in Africa. But huge challenges remain, from the depredations of the terrorist group Boko Haram to the near absence of electric power to drive real economic transformation, unemployment and a dilapidated public education system. And many Nigerian institutions have been progressively weakened by their use as instruments for partisan political power plays. The private sector is virile, but the absence of transformational public policy means that the country's economic growth, at an average of 7% annually for the past decade, benefits only an elite few. Poverty remains widespread.

The solutions for many of these challenges lie at home and not in Washington, but Buhari's meeting with President Obama has strong potential to break down a wall of mistrust that existed between Washington and Buhari's predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan. This mistrust affected the extent and effectiveness of US-Nigerian military and intelligence collaboration to combat terrorism. Perhaps Washington will now back Nigeria's homegrown anti-terrorist efforts more wholeheartedly.

Buhari will also need US support in his fight against corruption and his government's efforts to recover stolen Nigerian assets in foreign countries. Ascetic, and with a consuming disdain for corruption, Buhari is a rarity in the Nigerian political firmament — the former military dictator who ruled Nigeria with an iron fist for 20 months in the mid-1980s before he was ousted by another coup, is now a born-again democrat. He was elected largely on the basis of his anti-corruption credentials. Measurable success in this area will be an important test for his government.

But his start has not been auspicious. Immediately after he was sworn in on May 29, Nigeria's Democracy Day, his party, the All Progressives Congress — an amalgam of different opposition parties united only by a burning desire to sweep away the Jonathan administration — has nearly imploded from an internal wrangle over leadership posts in the country's parliament. Precisely because expectations of him are so high after years of disappointing leadership, Buhari's honeymoon with Nigerians will be brief. He has just four years to make a dent on Nigeria's problems before facing the voters again. Civil society organizations have already established a "Buharimeter" to measure his performance.

Despite a difficult start, Buhari can make a strong transformational impact if he can bridge the yawning ethnic and religious divide between Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south and achieve a constitutional restructuring that addresses a distorted federalism that has hobbled Nigeria's potential. Only if his values outlast him as part of the Nigerian political canvas will he succeed in his mission.

As Buhari meets Obama, US-Nigeria relations should not be a one-dimensional focus on Boko Haram and terrorism. US-Nigeria ties must seek enhanced export trade opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), especially now that the US, powered by the shale oil boom, has become self-sufficient in its energy needs and virtually stopped importing Nigerian crude oil.

Beyond this, there are opportunities for American investment in a market that can offer solid returns. These include investments in lighting up Africa's powerhouse with electric and renewable power, investments in educational institutions that will create human capital needed to drive innovation and transformation, and a huge need for affordable, patient capital in a country with little remaining patience and little capital. This is how democracy in Nigeria and many African countries can deliver a better life for citizens.

Tyrese takes 'Black Rose' to No. 1

On the first Billboard albums chart to track a Friday-through-Thursday sales week, Tyrese Gibson debuts at No. 1 with his album Black Rose.

Gibson, who goes by the stage name Tyrese, sold 83,000 copies of Black Rose, according to Nielsen Music. That was enough to place the R&B singer ahead of Taylor Swift's 1989 and rapper Meek Mil's Dreams Worth More Than Money, which had spent two weeks at No. 1.

Debuting at No. 4 is the 29th installment of the Kidz Bop series, which contains kid-friendly takes on Swift's Style and Wiz Khalifa's See You Again.

Following Ed Sheeran's fifth-ranked X comes pop/rock band R5's sophomore album, Sometime Last Night, at No. 6. The latest albums from Sam Hunt, Meghan Trainor and Maroon 5 finish out the top 10.

Jamaican singer OMI has the week's most-downloaded track for a second week, with Cheerleader.

Five surprising things you can control with your phone.

In the last 10 years, the smartphone has taken over the worlds of communication, entertainment, productivity, photography and more. It was only a matter of time, then, until the smartphone absorbed the typical remote control as well. And I'm not just talking about replacing the myriad remotes for your home entertainment center.

Some of these might surprise you.




1. Drones and toys

You might have seen many drones using smartphones for control. The Parrot drones, for example, not only let you control the drone with your smartphone, they stream live video to it so you can get a first-person view and even play augmented reality games. High-end drones like the DJI Phantom and Inspire tend to use tablets instead and only for video streaming and non-flight control. Learn more about the wonderful world of drones.

However, many remote-controlled cars, boats and planes are headed that direction as well. There's the PowerUp toy that turns any paper airplane into a smartphone-controlled plane. Or you can get the TobyRich SmartPlane that connects to an Apple gadget. Just tilt your iPhone to control the plane.

In non-air arenas, the Moto TC Rally RC car connects up to an iOS gadget. Plenty of hobbyists have instructions online that use low-cost Arduino boards to give just about any RC vehicle smartphone control.

2. Home theater

OK, you might have known this one, but a lot of people still don't. Also, you might have looked at this area a while ago and haven't seen some of the latest options.

In the past, the best way to turn your smartphone or tablet into a universal remote was with an inexpensive infrared add-on and the right app. The Samsung Galaxy S6 even has an IR transmitter built in so it can act as a universal remote. However, many of the IR add-ons have disappeared in the last few years with companies switching to Wi-Fi base stations instead.

Logitech has a good example with its $99 Harmony Ultimate Hub. It sits in your home theater cabinet and uses IR blasters to control your components. Your smartphones or tablets connect to the Hub via Wi-Fi and the free Harmony app, which gives you complete control over your home theater setup from anywhere in the house.

The app makes it a snap to control your gear thanks to clearly labeled buttons and helpful graphics. You can set up macros to make complicated tasks a one-button operation. It isn't just home entertainment boxes; home automation gear is supported as well. So if you have compatible lighting, climate control or appliances, you're set.

Logitech isn't the only company doing this, of course. A company called Roomie sells similar items like the iTach Flex Wi-Fi for $90. Universal Remote Controls also makes home automation hardware, including the MRX-1 base station. At $320, the MRX-1 is a little pricier than Logitech and Roomie's offerings, but you could also integrate it with a full Universal Remote Controls home automation setup if you wanted.

3. Home automation

The Internet of Things is coming and it's going to connect your fridge, washer and dryer, dishwasher, thermostat, lights and everything else in your home to the Internet. That means you can monitor and control these appliances through your smartphone no matter where you are.

Want to trigger your smart crockpot or smart thermostat on the way home from work? You can. Need to see if your load of laundry is done, or turn on your lights so it looks like someone is home? No sweat. There is one hitch, though.

Right now, each smart gadget has its own app. Finding and loading the app for the gadget you want to control is the digital equivalent of juggling remotes. That's why Apple, Google and others are working on unifying them.

Apple's project is called HomeKit and Google has Project Brillo. HomeKit has a lot of support with manufacturers, but it only works with gadgets that are HomeKit certified. Brillo, on the other hand, should work with just about any smart gadget.

The technology is new, so it remains to be seen how it works in practice. Also, it will be a while before you have a good number of smart gadgets in your house. Still, the smart house isn't as far away as it used to be.

4. Cars

There are plenty of times starting your car remotely would be great. On a cold winter morning, you could turn it on from the comfort of the house and let the heater warm up. It would also work well for cooling off your car on hot summer days so you don't have to climb in and experience 130+ degree heat.

Newer high-end cars have remote starting as an option, but you can add it to your existing car with a third party like Viper SmartStart or Drone Mobile. These have apps that not only let you start your car, you can monitor if it's running, its location, whether it's locked or set it up to control other things like the windows.

That isn't to say this type of system won't set you back a bit. Drone Mobile's Remote Start + GPS Tracking package is $449.99, and you'll need to sign up for a monthly service plan as it uses cellular to communicate. The plans run $50 a year for the Basic option, which covers vehicle control and alarm alerts, or $120 a year for Premium, which adds GPS tracking and vehicle status. Still, that's less than buying a new car with remote starting.

5. Security cameras

Installing security cameras around your home or business to catch evildoers in the act is a good idea. However, being able to watch or even control the camera from a distance makes it even better.

There are plenty of apps that let you tap into your security cameras, from tinyCam Monitor (Android; $4) to IP Cam Viewer Pro (Android, Apple; $4). Setting up the streaming video does take a little work, but I have step-by-step instructions for you.

If you get the Komando Indoor Pan Tilt Wireless Security Camera, it lets you use your smartphone or computer to control pan and tilt to get a better look at the area. You can even listen to a room or talk to someone using the two-way audio system. That makes it great for spotting burglars, or keeping tabs on children or an aging parent.

Of course, if you need to watch a door, drawer or closet, you can also turn your smartphone into a security camera with very little effort. Click here to find out how.

On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. Email her at techcomments@usatoday.com.

Learning Tips for the Top 8 Learning Challenges.

On Friday, I issued the 30-Day Learning Challenge for June, and you responded incredibly: more than 2,600 people have signed up, and the list is still growing!

As a thank you for joining me, I thought I’d write a couple bonus learning articles this month (in addition to what I’m creating for the Sea Change Program) — this one on tips for learning specific things, and another in a week or two from now. Today I’ll look at your top eight most common learning challenges.

Before we dive into specific learning challenges, let’s talk about some general ideas for this challenge:

• Set a specific time for your daily learning session. Block off 10-15 minutes (or more if you have it) and set reminders so you don’t forget.
• Focus on learning just one thing this month. Yes, I know, you have 10 things on your list. But for now, it’s better to stick with one.
• Find some free learning resources on the Internet to start with. No need to go crazy and buy a course or a bunch of books/DVDs yet. There are amazing free learning resources if you look for 5 minutes.
• Make yourself retrieve the information you’re studying. Don’t just read or watch videos — actually use it. Quiz yourself. Put it into practice. Do this regularly so you’re forced to retrieve it before you forget.
• Don’t be afraid of hard work. The best learning is difficult. If you only do the easy stuff, it won’t be meaningful learning and it won’t last long.

Now let’s dive into specific learning challenges!

Meditation

What a wonderful thing to learn! Here’s what I’d suggest:

• Find a really simple meditation technique if you’re just starting out. Simply sitting and counting your breath is a great way to start.
• If your mind wanders, try to notice the wandering. Gently return to the breath.
• A tip from my teacher, Susan: When you notice your urge to get up from meditation, don’t follow the urge, just sit there. The second time you have the urge to get up, don’t get up. The third time you have the urge, go ahead and get up. This helps you to notice urges and not need to act on them.
• Don’t be afraid to really work to concentrate on your breath. A lot of people allow meditation to be a time when they just sit and think quietly, which is fine, but if you really want to learn meditation, practice concentration. Put some effort into it!

Languages

I’m no master of languages, but I’ve attempted some learning and I’ve talked to people who are much better at learning languages than me (Benny and Tynan, for example). Here are a few things I suggest:

• Practice every day. If you can get into the habit of practicing for at least 10-15 minutes a day, you’ll get better even if you suck at it at first.
• Make yourself use the language. Don’t just listen or read, and don’t just repeat language tapes — actually find ways to use what you’ve learned. Talk to a language partner (you can find ones online), use it throughout the day whenever you get the chance, take online quizzes.
• Use the Anki flashcard system. It’s free, there are lots of language flashcard sets available on the Anki site, and its spaced repetition is the best method for learning available. Do your flashcards daily, even if you suck at first. You’ll start learning inevitably.

Programming

I’ve done a bit of learning with programming (dabbled in Python, PHP, Ruby, Javascript, all are good for beginners), and though I’m far from any kind of knowledgeable programmer, I’ve put in my share of beginner learning. And I’ve actually made some (very simple) working scripts and apps!

Some ideas:

• If you’re a beginner, start with a resource like Codeacademy. There are actually numerous courses online, all great — just make sure that they’re having you apply the knowledge they’re giving you, not just reading or watching videos. That’s why I like Codeacademy — they make you write actual code right away.
• Once you get past this stage (where you learned the basics of the language), you’re going to need to make some working programs. This is the hardest stage by far, because you know the basics of the language but not how to actually make a program work. Find some super simple projects to work on — a little beyond “Hello world” but nothing too hard. Just implement one feature of that project, and get it running. Then another. Force yourself to the knowledge you’ve been exposed to, not just read/watch some more.
• Internet searches are your best friend. Stuck on something? The answer is online — just do a search. Stack Overflow is a great place to find the answers to your question — it’s probably already been answered, so search before asking. But don’t be afraid to ask for help.
• After you make your first simple program, make something a little harder. One at a time, learn how to create a user database, how to make a login, how to display on a webpage, etc.

If you’re more advanced than this beginner stage, you don’t need my advice!

Drawing/painting

I’ve also dabbled in drawing, though I really suck at it. That doesn’t stop me from making suggestions!

• Sketch daily. Bring a pad around and sketch simple things you see.
• Watch a free online tutorial each day, and actually practice what you learned in the tutorial.
• Work on the basics: how to draw lines, circles, eyes, then faces. Practice the basics every day until your pencil control gets pretty good.
• Post your daily sketches online somewhere. You’ll be amazed at how motivated that makes you, and how much progress you’ll see over time.

Musical instruments

OK, I’ve never really learned to play anything, except piano as a kid (not very far). I’ve only dabbled in guitar, but my kids have taught themselves to play, so I’m obviously highly qualified to give out advice:

• Again, there are tons of online video tutorials. Watch one, then actually practice it!
• Learn three chords to start with: G, C and D. There are a billion songs with just those chords. Once you’ve learned how to do them, find a song that uses these chords and learn to play it! Using the knowledge will help solidify it.
• It takes a ton of practice to get even a little competent. That’s OK, keep at it! You’ll find it getting easier over time. When you do, learn a new chord and a new song.
• Play for your friends/family. Tell them you suck, so they don’t expect Stevie Ray Vaughan to show up in their living room, but playing for others makes you focus and really try to learn something.

HTML/CSS

I taught myself basic HTMl and CSS, and Zen Habits is a WordPress theme I coded myself. OK, it’s not that advanced, but the basic skills I learned have helped me a ton with my online projects. And it’s not hard to learn!

• Again, for absolute beginners, Codeacademy is a great place to start. They walk you through the basics while you actually put what you learn into practice as you learn.
• Build a basic site. Find a tutorial, and actually put a site online.
• Learn how to use your browser’s developer tools, and look at the HTML/CSS of really simple sites you like. Rip them off.
• I started with a free WordPress theme, put up a live site, and just kept making changes to the CSS until I liked the style. Then I learned to change the PHP tags of the theme until it was structured the way I wanted. Then I deleted a bunch of things (backing up my files first) until I had only the most basic things. Many themes these days use advanced PHP functions to make the site work a certain way … I recommend starting with the simplest themes you can, without a lot of custom functions required to make it work, because those are easier to understand.

Sports or martial arts

I don’t know anything about martial arts, and I recommend a teacher for that. But some of the things that apply to sports would apply to martial arts as well, I would think. What do I know about sports? Not a whole lot, though I’ve taught myself to be fairly OK at basketball, and I’ve taken up running, cycling, triathlon, Crossfit, and strength training at various times in the last decade.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Find some good online videos with the basic mechanics, even if you already know a bit about the sport. I’ve been watching basketball shooting mechanics videos, and it has shown me some things I’ve been doing wrong.
• Take what you learned in the videos and actually practice it. Do some drills. If you can, record a video of yourself practicing so you can watch the video and see where you’re going wrong. If necessary, post the video to an appropriate online forum for your sport, and ask people to tell you what you’re doing wrong.
• Play an actual game (or spar, if you’re doing a martial art). Don’t just do drills, but play in an actual game against opponents, even if it’s just a casual pickup game. Playing in a tournament or league is even better — it’ll force you to really practice, and you’ll learn much more. You’ll also find out where you’re weak and then you can work on those areas more.
• Be patient. The basics take awhile to master. Having a coach who can not only teach you drills and other techniques, but watch what you’re doing and make suggestions, is always a plus. But you can start out by yourself, trying to get some basic competence at the fundamental skills. That takes a lot of practice, but after awhile, you’ll start to get some muscle memory going, and it’ll be a lot easier. It’s like learning to walk: you’ll be shaky at first, fall down a lot, but eventually you won’t even need to think about it.

Subject like history or math

I’ve studied various subjects that interest me, but I don’t consider myself an expert (I’ve never gotten a PhD, for example). That said, I will make a few suggestions:

• Quiz yourself before you study something — yes, you’ll get a lot of things wrong, but it will make your learning even stronger, because when you get to the answers in your study, you’ll recognize them as things you don’t know and make some solid connections with that knowledge.
• Quiz yourself regularly. It helps to take a quiz right after your study session, but also a couple days later, and a week after that, etc. This regular habit of forcing yourself to retrieve the knowledge will be difficult, but will interrupt your forgetting and make the learning last longer.
• Again, use the Anki flashcard system. It’s free, there are lots of subject-based flashcard sets available on the Anki site, and its spaced repetition is the best method for learning available. Do your flashcards daily, even if you suck at first. You’ll start learning inevitably.
• Join a study group. There are lots of other people studying what you’re studying, and surprisingly, they’re online! This will help motivate you, help you when you get stuck, and deepen your learning because you’ll make lots of connections between what you’re learning and the interactions you’re having with people.

OK, there was some repetition in these different areas, but that’s great! It helps with learning, you know.

I’ll give you another article on learning in a week or two. If you haven’t signed up for the Challenge, do it now!

The Case for Replacing Exercise with Play.

The Great White Whale in the matter of framing new propensities, for a great many people, is activity.

Alongside eating your vegetables, reflection, getting great rest and stopping smoking, activity is presumably the most essential propensity change anybody can make.

But, a great many people battle with making an enduring activity propensity.

The arrangement is to supplant the "activity" propensity with play.

Keep in mind what it was similar to go outside as a youngster? I do, in light of the fact that I watch my children consistently. They circled, imagining they're warriors and wizards, ride their bicycles like they're flying, swing like they're going to take off for the stars.

Children couldn't care less about what they "ought to" do …  all they need to do is have a great time. Thus they play.

Why Exercise Sucks :

I really love exercise. I adore doing a weight workout, going for a run, doing a cluster of pushups. For me, its play.

Be that as it may, for a great many people, its tiring and tiring and uncomfortable and exhausting. At the point when this is the way you see the new propensity, you're unrealistic to stick to it for long. It's conceivable, yet just on the off chance that you have a fantastic measure of responsibility, inspiration, determination, responsibility. What's more, and still, after all that, its still liable to fizzle after briefly.

We hesitate regarding activity, notwithstanding when we know its beneficial for us. Notwithstanding when we realize that we'll feel better a while later. It sucks in light of the fact that its simply one more troublesome errand that we're adding to our effectively entire days. Also, notwithstanding when we don't have anything to do, the draw of computerized fun is much more grounded than the call of the circular machine.

Instructions to Form the Play Habit Instead :

In the event that we hate a propensity, we're not prone to stick to it for long. We support motivations to put it off. This is target reality: each and every one of us has done this, most likely commonly.

So what's the arrangement? Do we simply wave our hands noticeable all around and get constant sicknesses as opposed to working out?

No: we get moving, yet we make it fun. We transform action into play.

Consider the activity you've been putting off, and whether it seems like fun. Presently consider circling fiercely, moving to uproarious music, hustling your children or closest companion, taking a bicycle out to investigate your city or bicycle trails, doing a pushup rivalry with companions, bringing kickboxing classes with a gathering of relatives, running for a trek with your nectar, playing soccer or ball with companions.

For some of you, some (or all) of these will sound like fun! Maybe not every one of them are engaging, in light of the fact that we every have our diverse thought of what fun is. I like the thought of strapping a cluster of blocks to my back and doing pushups and bearcrawls and long-separation running/trekking, yet I may have an unreasonable thought of what fun is. Your concept of fun may be altogether different.

Whatever sounds like fun, do that! What's more, do it not on account of you "ought to" but rather on the grounds that you need to appreciate moving. Try not to attempt to hit a specific number of minutes, or any objective — simply play! Lose yourself in it. Make it the most fun you have throughout the day. You merit that sort of play break.

Give yourself little play breaks at distinctive times of the day. Set alerts to go take a 10-moment play break. Make it the prize toward the end of your workday. Let play set the tone for your morning, commencing a day of imagination by discharging your restraints.

Go wild.

Be unconstrained.

Let yourself free.

What's more, do it with an insane grin all over.

Framing the Habit :

In the event that you'd like help shaping the play propensity, go along with us in my Sea Change Program as we take a shot at the Get Active propensity. We're not attempting to shape the activity propensity, but rather to do a dynamic play every day.

Ocean Change is my system for shaping one propensity a month, and it accompanies articles, two or three features, a live feature webinar, day by day email updates, and a dynamic group of individuals supporting one another's propensities. Besides a substantial chronicle of past propensity modules.

Your Internet Habits Create Your Reality Towards Your Career.

Each of us has an alternate reality. What's more, we're making that reality, and can shape it from various perspectives.

We have a tendency to consider reality something outer and supreme, similar to the sun sparkling down on us on a hot, apathetic evening. That sun is truly there, whether we trust it or not, correct?

At the same time, as people, our existence is molded by what we see. So one individual will see the sun has overwhelmingly hot and severe, alternate sees it as an open door for an awesome tan. Another will see it as a colossal tumor machine. What's more, still another will think the sun is a furious god to be dreaded and served.

Those individuals all have altogether different substances, regardless of the possibility that the sun is unbiasedly the same for every one of them.

In that light, whatever you consider and do all the time shapes your existence.

Also, that is for the most part the Internet (and telephone applications), for many individuals.

In case you're on sites that discussion about how shocking the world is, and how gays and Muslims and women's activists are bringing on everything to go to damnation …  then that will be your existence.

In case you're on Facebook taking a gander at your companions' sustenance pictures or get-away photographs, that will shape your existence. In case you're on porn destinations, that is the thing that your world is. On the off chance that you take after individuals on Twitter who grumble constantly, that influences your life in a noteworthy manner.

What Internet propensities shape your world? Is that the truth you need? Can you shape it?

I don't have any answers here. Simply needed to impact your world a smidge.