Weekly Web Roundup

January is in full swing, and the staffers of 1851 Franchise are here to help you get the New Year rolling with a bevy of links to get the brain cells going.

By Nick Powills1851 Franchise Publisher

SPONSOREDUpdated 4:16PM • 01/06/16

Cruising at high speeds in order to turn the thermostat off or flip the back porch lights off could result in an auto accident. Ford Motor Co. hopes to alleviate those issues as the brand introduced, with the help of Amazon and platform Wink, to develop controls in a car to perform small tasks around the house. No longer will you have to turn back a million times to complete a chore. - Logan Perakis

Remember Bitcoin? That “ahead of the curve” monetary source your bohemian friends would only use? It didn’t have the introduction many financial experts were hoping for in its launch in 2013, but never fear, for it is making a comeback. Wired is predicting Bitcoin will be making a comeback in 2016. - Ryan Paul

We never really take into consideration the hard work that goes into the fonts we read. There are numerous types of fonts out there and typography has become an art unto itself. For those typography enthusiasts out there who appreciate the hard work and science that goes into this art, Creative Bloq recently outlined three major trends the world of typography will witness in 2016. - Michelle Lonnee

Payphones have received the brunt of jokes from the tech obsessed crowd. For the few payphones that are still around, they are used as sources to tag graffiti or place a band’s sticker on. New York City is hoping to bring these relics into the new age by transforming existing locations into Wi-Fi hot spots, according to the Wall Street Journal. These new incarnations may not be making calls, but they will help people use their phones. - Andi Summers

Every year we make New Year's Resolutions, and every year, we cave on those fairly quickly. While this time honored tradition has been mocked to no end, they can be useful to keep in the professional world. Fast Company outlined five distractions to do away with in your professional life to make 2016 your best year yet. - Chad Cohen

As the New Year rolls out, you may need extra motivation in order to keep those resolutions. Even cutting out those professional distractions take a little work, and thankfully, Quartz has got you covered. The article recommends looking at the struggles and pain in your life and powering through them to make you a stronger person. Hey, if you can get those tough obstacles out of the way, you can do anything. - Sharon Powills

We like to think that we are wordsmiths while typing out our work emails, but, like, sometimes we just aren’t. To help weed out those incessant smaller words, Google has added the Just Not Sorry Extension. The app will help you catch self-demeaning phrases and qualifying words in your emails. - Lauren Moorman

A forewarning, SPOILERS AHEAD. For those that have seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the umpteenth time, they know Luke Skywalker’s predicament. A crafty Twitter user has decided to have a little fun with the Jedi Knight’s self-imposed exile with a Very Lonely Luke parody Twitter account. - Matt Diaz