Even if you don’t own one, everyone has heard of Stanley Cups by now and the absolute chokehold they have on the world at the minute.
A recent release of ‘limited edition’ cups had shoppers lining up at 3am and causing a stampede in Target.
For a cup. A limited edition cup, I must add. But still, a cup…
(Though I imagine holding one makes you feel like you’ve fully got your life together for some reason).
Then there’s the woman who was arrested for allegedly stealing 65 Stanley cups – come on, who needs that many?
And how can we forget about the Stanley cup that survived the car fire, with the company later gifting the owner a new car.
More mystery surrounds the popular cup, as the company has recently been called to answer worries about what the product is actually made from, as buyers became concerned about the potential health risks after finding out lead is involved.
It makes sense that Stanley Cup owners were panicked by these claims, as according to the Mayo Clinic, lead poisoning ‘occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over months or years’.
A spokesperson for the company told multiple outlets that lead is indeed used in the manufacturing process of Stanley cups.
The statement, as quoted by The Independent, reads: “Our manufacturing process currently employs the use of an industry standard pellet to seal the vacuum insulation at the base of our products; the sealing material includes some lead.”
However, it notes: “Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers.”
The material of the cups have made people curious, with a few taking it into their own hands.
YouTuber joemyheck decided to conduct an experiment to see just how durable they are by filming himself melting a Stanley Cup with a ‘solar death ray’ which is basically a giant magnifying glass.
He begins the video by saying: “My daughter donated her Stanley cup to me, I’ve heard these are all the rage, so I’m going to see what happens when I put it under the solar death ray.”
The cup slowly bursts into flames but after a few layers coming away, the last layer appears resistant to the flames.
He said: “This really surprised me, even though the outer layer of the Stanley melted away over time, there’s an inner steel layer that’s very strong. Which shows that the Stanley cup is much stronger than most things I’ve put under here.”
So there it is, your Stanley cup is pretty much safe from any major damage!
Topics: Community, Technology, YouTube
People shocked to see what’s actually inside an earbud after man cuts one open
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/@BreakingTaps
Have you ever wondered about what’s inside your earbuds?
Other than any earwax, that is.
Chances are, you’ve never thought twice about the technology that goes in to making earbuds unless you suddenly notice yours have stopped working – and even then we often think we can fix the issue by shaking or blowing on them.
But in reality there’s a lot of tech that goes into making music come out of the speakers, and making sure that your voice will be picked up if you take a call while wearing them.
After being left curious about the inner workings of the earbud, YouTuber @breakingtaps decided to cut into one of the devices.
The YouTuber worked with a $10 earbud to make sure he wouldn’t be losing hundreds of dollars to his curiosity, but he was still impressed by what he found even on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
He knew there’d be a microphone to allow users to take calls while wearing the earbuds, but he was blown away by just how small this piece of tech was.
The YouTuber had to use a microscope to really be able to see the detail of the microphone, which is made out of silicone.
He explained: “There are two thin layers that form a capacitor. As soundwaves pass by it causes the upper layer to vibrate.”
The changes to the circuit are detected by a microchip in what the YouTuber described as a ‘remarkable piece of engineering’.
He isn’t the only person to think so, as Reddit users shared their amazement after the video was posted online.
“So amazing how technology finds new and often seemingly impossible ways to make things work while making them much smaller,” one person commented.
Another wrote: “I still try to wrap my head around how such small, such precise instruments are fabricated. Like how are those teeny tiny holes in the silicon membranes made? Are they drilled? Is the silicon poured into a mold? Printed?
“To me, it’s such a bafflingly complex process that I just don’t understand how such technology can be sold at Five Below.”
A third viewer responded: “Micro-technology is impressive, affordable micro-technology is an almost unbelievable achievement.”
Though the impressive tech starts even with cheaper earbuds, it increases with pricier options with features like touch sensors.
We might not be able to wave a wand around and cast spells like Harry Potter, but tech like this should definitely be classed as magic.
Seven Target workers ‘fired’ after buying Stanley cups
Featured Image Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images/X/@PrincessSunay
Seven Target workers claim they have been fired after they purchased special-edition Stanley cups.
The chain is one of the biggest retailers in the US, with close to 2,000 stores across the country.
Catherine Carter is one of those who has worked a lot of hours for Target, starting at 3:30am every work day for the past two years.
Carter worked at a Target store near Miami, Florida, where she would lead her team in preparing five departments to sell the wide variety of stock sold at the store.
Before the dreaded early wake-ups, Carter worked the overnight shift for the three years. She subsequently spent 19 years with Target, and in that time she’d ‘never been written up, never called out, never been late’.
But that all changed earlier this month.
On 3 January, Carter stopped by her store’s Starbucks while on break when she says she was asked by the barista if she wanted to buy one of the exclusive Starbucks x Stanley mugs.
Speaking to Business Insider, Carter said: “My mama passed from breast cancer, so I always try to get as much pink as I can.”
The next week, Carter claims she was fired from her position at Target due to the purchasing the cup, which retails at $49.95.
Apparently, she had violated the employee purchase guidelines, which bans employees from using their jobs to ‘gain an unfair advantage over guests’.
Carter is just one of several Target workers who claim they were let go in relation to the cup, with one team lead in Maryland alleging to Business Insider that she was sacked for allowing one to be sold before the official release date.
“I don’t need another Starbucks cup. I don’t need a Stanley. I don’t need any of this,” she said. “I allowed one of my team members to buy a cup because he was my team member and he was one of the people who was consistently closing with me. When we’d have call-outs I could count on him to come in and help.”
As part of Business Insider’s investigation, it found two cases of workers who bought a cup that was improperly set aside by a colleague, both of which allegedly resulted in their jobs being lost.
Others, including Cater’s situation, claim managers witnessed or approved the purchases of the cup.
“I just don’t think they’re doing right,” Carter said of Target. “I mean, for a cup. Come on, a cup.”
UNILAD has reached out to Target for comment.
Topics: News, US News
9-year-old bullied at school for having fake Stanley tumbler
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@dayna_motycka
A mom has spoken out saying her nine-year-old daughter has been bullied over her fake Stanley cup.
You couldn’t pay me to transport myself back to school and the days where if you didn’t have the latest toy, gadget or fashion accessory, you’d get picked on.
And sadly, one nine-year-old girl has allegedly been targeted by bullies after bringing her fake Stanley cup to class.
See just how popular the cups have become here:
Dayna Motycka – who goes by @dayna_motychka on the platform – took to her TikTok page earlier this month to speak out after her daughter allegedly became a victim of some nasty bullying.
In the video, the mom explains she opted for a cheaper version of the Stanley cup to gift to her daughter for Christmas.
An actual Stanley cup will set you back at least $35 – unless you’re trying to get your hands on one of the limited edition cups that is, many of which are selling for a flabbergasting $400+ online.
Instead, Dayna bought her daughter a Walmart Cup – costing a much more affordable $9.98 – which her daughter had spotted and said was ‘cute’.
However, sadly, some other pupils at the nine-year-old’s school didn’t feel the same.
The mom explains on just the second day of her daughter returning to school after the Christmas period, she came home ‘not crying’ but still ‘upset’.
“All the other girls in her grade – I’m not saying all, maybe she said nine or 10 of them – all got Stanley’s for Christmas,” Dayna says.
“And they made sure to let her know that this is not a real Stanley, that this is fake and it’s not as cool.”
Dayna’s daughter was left so ‘upset,’ she asked her mom if she could ‘have a real Stanley’.
Dayna questions why a nine-year-old needs a Stanley, noting while she herself does have one, she doesn’t have ’50 Stanleys in all different colors’.
“I’m not going to Target and fighting other women or moms to try and get the new Valentine’s Day Stanley,” she adds.
The mom then calls on other parents, questioning whether they’d ‘do something to keep your child from getting made fun of to help fit in’ before revealing she did, in fact, go and then buy her daughter a ’30 ounce Stanley cup’ for a total of $35.
Rather than attacking the kids who ‘upset’ her daughter, Dayna notes the real problem starts with ‘parents’ and with ‘moms’.
Dayna questions what people are ‘teaching our kids,’ noting if she knew her daughter had done what the other kids had, she’d be calling up the other parents and getting her child to apologise.
The mom resolves: “If you want to have main brand things and you can afford name brand nice things, that’s great. We are fortunate enough that we can afford name brand things, but once again, we’re trying to teach our kids they don’t necessarily need that. Things are earned. You have to work for things in your life, things aren’t just going to get handed to you.
“But do I also not want to see my daughter being left out and made fun of because she doesn’t have the main brand things?
“[…] We have got to teach our kids to not make other kids feel inferior for not having the things that they have. That’s it, that’s where it starts and it starts with us as parents.”
So, what do you think?
UNILAD has reached out to Stanley for comment.
If you’ve been affected by bullying and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Bullying UK (part of Family Lives) on 0808 800 2222. The helpline service is open 9am–9pm Monday to Friday and 10am–3pm Saturday and Sunday
Man dies in head-on collision moments after stealing good Samaritan’s car
Featured Image Credit: Google Maps/Getty stock
A man in Florida died in a head-on-collision just moments after he stole the car of a good Samaritan who pulled over to help him.
Florida Highway Patrol shared news of the events in a statement this week after the 29-year-old man initially crashed his car at around 8:30pm local time on 23 January.
The crash took place on State Road 50 in Brooksville, about 70 miles west of Orlando, when the man lost control of his car and collided with a traffic median barrier.
Shortly after the accident, a 35-year-old woman from Webster was driving in the area and spotted the car accident.
She pulled over to assist the driver, but the man, who was from Dade City, ended up stealing her Chevy HHR and left her stranded in the dark.
The man fled west on State Road 50 in the woman’s car, but before long he lost control once again and crossed the median into eastbound lanes.
According to officials, the driver then ‘collided head-on’ with an oncoming tractor-trailer.
The suspect was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision and ultimately suffered fatal injuries.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 45-year-old man from Plant City, sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Authorities have not released the identity of the suspect who died in the collision.
When it comes to witnessing a car accident, insurance company Geico advises drivers consider their own safety first.
Witnesses who stop at the site of a crash are advised to pull over at least 100 feet from the scene to ensure you are not in danger of broken glass, leaked fuel, or flames.
Even if the wreck does not appear to be severe, the company advises witnesses to call 911.
“Never assume that someone else already called 911,” the site says. “Let the 911 operator know you witnessed a car accident, the location, number of people involved, and any other pertinent details.”
If those involved in the accident look to be in need of help, Geico recommends checking on the condition of the crash victims and making sure they are okay once witnesses have determined it’s safe to approach.
If the accident is minor, it’s recommended that witnesses make sure the driver puts the car in ‘park’ and turns off the ignition to eliminate the risk of fire that may come from an oil, fuel or coolant leak.
UNILAD has contacted Florida Highway Patrol for further comment.