For most people, the thought of having to watch themselves work out is not an attractive one. Yet as any gym-goer knows, there are always some people who like to enjoy their reflection in the floor-length mirrors. It is perhaps these particular keep-fit lovers who are most excited about the latest trend in home exercise-smart fitness mirrors.

These are 180cm or so tall, high-tech mirrors that have a computer which is connected to the Internet, and also work as a video screen. The idea is that people contact an online trainer, who then appears in the mirror along with their reflection.

On the more advanced devices the mirror is equipped with cameras, speakers and numerous sensors connected to AI, so the trainer can watch people’s movements, and provide improvements and changes. On the simpler mirrors the video and sound are just one-way — people can see and hear the trainer, but not the other way around. Lessons are typically not live; instead, people just get into a library of online workout videos.

But is there any actual advantage in being able to watch yourself work out? Colleen Logan, the US owner of both Nordic Track and ProForm, says, “Seeing themselves in the mirror allows the users to correct their form or position, so they get the best possible benefits of strength exercises and reduce mistakes that could lead to injuries”.

However, Dr Anthony Papathomas, a sports and fitness psychologist says there is value to this argument, but that he also has some concerns. He said, “How people who are not confident about their body image feel about the mirror gets me in a fret. It may be a problem for those new to exercise and looking to make a lifestyle change. Even for regular exercisers, there are many who experience body dysmorphia (变形) or eating disorders, and for them, seeing a reflection throughout their exercise might be troubling.”

The tradition of giving gifts didn’t start with the modern holidays we celebrate. Many ancient cultures celebrated holidays with the exchange of gifts. People who love to give gifts often can’t wait until it’s time for the recipients to open their gifts. If you’ve ever been given a gift, you know that part of the fun is the curiosity that builds as you wonder what the gift is.

The wish to hide the identity of a gift until just the right moment led people to wrap gifts long, long ago. Historians believed wrapping gifts in paper probably started not long after paper was invented thousands of years ago.

Wrapping paper like what we use today, though, is a much more recent invention. More than 100 years ago, gifts were usually wrapped in heavy brown paper. Before that, cloth was often used. The technology to mass-produce wrapping paper didn’t come along until the early 1900s. The first American gift wrap company— Hy-Sill Manufacturing Inc. — was founded by Eli Hyman and Morris Silverman in 1903. It wasn’t as easy to wrap presents back then as it is today, though, because adhesive tape (胶带) wasn’t invented until 1930.

Over the years, wrapping paper has developed into what we see in stores each holiday season. But scientists say that the United States alone produces an extra 5 million tons of waste over the holidays, most of which is from wrapping paper and shopping bags. To cut down on this waste, some people carefully unwrap presents, so that the wrapping paper can be reused. Others have started to use reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper.

Teens are really good at ignoring（忽视）their parents’ messages, which is why Nick Herbert, a father from London, created an app called ReplyASAP.

Nick came up with the idea for ReplyASAP after realizing that simply giving his son a mobile phone didn't make getting in touch with him easier. He wasn’t answering Nick's messages as fast as Nick had expected. It was driving the father crazy, so he set out to create a messaging app that would make reaching kids easier for parents. It took eight months and a lot of money to complete the project, but Nick thinks ReplyASAP could really take off, as it is likely to give parents some peace of mind.

ReplyASAP is designed with parents in mind. It lets them know if their child has seen their message,or if their phone is turned off. However, most importantly, it makes it impossible for kids to ignore messages. When they receive a text from their parents, the app basically locks their phone, taking over the home screen and sounding an alarm until the message is answered.

It seems that ReplyASAP will become teenagers’ biggest nightmare（噩梦）, by making it impossible to ignore their parents. Nick agrees that it’s a possibility, but adds that his app shouldn't be parents' most important way of communicating with their children.

ReplyASAP is free to download(下载),but offers a series of plans, depending on how many people you are planning to get in touch with. It works only on Android now. But that's only a short-term shortcoming(缺点), as Nick wants to make ReplyASAP be found on the Apple Store as soon as possible.