Free tool

"Fill and save PDF forms - Most other PDF viewers do not enable you to fill and save PDF forms without support from a premium product.
Nuance PDF Reader provides frequently used annotation tools, letting you highlight, cross-out, and underline text."

Labels: Free Stuff, General, Links, Products, Reference

It's a recommended practice

"Let's face facts. The whole low-carb craze is playing itself out. The USDA recommends that every day we eat 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and other foods containing grains, especially whole grains. Bread is not the enemy of a healthy body, if you select the right bread.

The American Dietetic Association recommends a minimum of three servings of whole grains per day and goes so far as to recommend whole-wheat toast with peanut butter as a quick and healthy breakfast option."

Labels: Products

For your real desktop

"A couple of months ago I bought a 17" LCD monitor (PolyView V17E). However, when I first powered it on, the thing that struck me was just how bright the blue power LED was! This power LED is just next to the power switch, immediately below the screen itself. The LED was bright enough to be very distracting, to the extent where it was just too bright to be able to look at the bottom part of the monitor without needing sunglasses.

Luckily, the LED was shining through a small plastic diffuser, mounted in the case, which had a flat surface on it. A couple of coats with a permanent marker dulled the brightness sufficiently to allow me to use the monitor without being blinded."

Labels: Products

Fold your own steamship

What exactly is a Micromodel? Micromodels are card or paper models that were originally sold from the 1940's through the 1960's. Most were designed by Geoffrey Heighway.
Each model was made up of several small cards illustrated with the pieces of the model, all wrapped up in a label. You could cut the pieces out and carefully assemble an intricate little three-dimensional model.
Micromodels were known for the amazing details that people would add to customize their models. There were more than 100 original Micromodels of all types.

Labels: Activities, Products

What this country needs is plenty of Moxie

"Contains not a drop of Medicine, Poison, Stimulant or Alcohol. But is a simple sugarcane-like plant grown near the Equator and farther south, was lately accidentally discovered by Lieut. Moxie and has proved itself to be the only harmless nerve food known that can recover brain and nervous exhaustion, loss of manhood, imbecility and helplessness. It has recovered paralysis, softening of the brain, locomotor ataxia, and insanity when caused by nervous exhaustion. It gives a durable solid strength, makes you eat voraciously, takes away the tired, sleepy, listless feeling like magic, removes fatigue from mental and physical over work at once, will not interfere with action of vegetable medicines.

PLANTATION STYLE MINT JULEP

Bubbles of fresh tasting mint in a soft drink. This one is so great! It's delicious alone, use it as a mixer or make ice cubes.

LENINADE

Many people who once escaped from the Soviet Union, upon tasting Leninade, have overwhelmingly remarked that it is "BETTER THAN EXPECTED"; and those who prefer vodka in their potables have been known mix it with Leninade and ice to make a COMMIE KAZE. The Marx Brothers would be so proud. But even if you're a teetotaler you can get tired of Russky Chai and Drink As Lenin Drank!

BOYLAN'S ORIGINAL BIRCH BEER

"Although we may be the smallest soda company around, our flagship brand is the most locally loved soft drink of its time. Rich with history, Boylan's Birch Beer started in a apothecary in the early 1890's and developed into the most popular flavor of The Boylan Sodaworks. Boylan was a bottling and keg filling operation located in the heart of Paterson, NJ, the first industrialized city in the country.

Competition increased however, and in the 1930's Boylan was forced to close its bottling lines, leaving Boylan's Draught Birch Beer as its only product. Shortly thereafter, the rights to the name, the formula, and the sole route was purchased by the driver. He, by himself, was responsible for pulling Boylan's Draught Birch Beer from near extinction to a beverage that is enjoyed by thousands at Fourth of July parades, town picnics, hot dog stands and many good times.

His reward for this accomplishment was a 7 day - 80 hour work week, but he would have it no other way.

In appreciation of our grandfather's effort, we honor him with this bottling project."

Labels: Products

Or at least nearby

"I love the fact that more and more devices are sporting built-in Wi-Fi. The lone hitch: Wi-Fi is useless without a hotspot.

What if you could marry the short-range power of Wi-Fi with the huge coverage areas of high-speed cellular services such as EV-DO to create a portable hotspot?
Since EV-DO works at freeway speeds, you could even give Internet access to an entire road-trip caravan.

Now I can surf for as long as three hours without being tethered to anything but a cell signal. The project isn't cheap, but prices for the components and service are sure to come down in the next year or so. In the meantime, you can find me in the hills around Southern California. I'll be the one surrounded by PSP-packing hikers."

Labels: Activities, Products

The Rolling Reels Circus

"Automata, from the Greek automatos, "acting of one's own will, self-moving" is more often used to describe non-electronic moving machines, however, especially those that have been made to resemble human or animal actions, such as the jacks on old public striking clocks, or the cuckoo and any other animated figures on a cuckoo clock. See more from Wikipedia.

Thanks to the web, paper automata represent a fascinating evolution of the mechanized toys developed during the XVIII and XIX century. The possibility to export the complete design throughout the world with a simple click of the mouse gives paper automata (and in general paper modeling) a great impact.

Despite the relative simplicity of the material, paper automata intrinsically are objects with a high degree of technology, where the principles of mechanics meet the artistic creativity. "

Most of the templates used to create the models are free.

PaperPino.net:

Rolling Reels Circus



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Labels: Free Stuff, Humor, Products

Location digits

FedEx tracking numbers

example search: "fedex 999999999999"
Remember to put the word "fedex" before your tracking number

UPS tracking numbers

example search: "1Z9999W999999999"

USPS tracking numbers

Vehicle ID (VIN) numbers

Patent numbers

example search: "patent 5123123"
Remember to put the word "patent" before your patent number

FAA airplane registration numbers

example search: "n199ua"
An airplane's FAA registration number is typically printed on its tail

FCC equipment IDs

example search: "fcc B4Z-34009-PIR"
Remember to put the word "fcc" before the equipment ID

Telephone area codes

UPC codes

Enter "upc" and then the numbers under the bar code

Labels: Products, Search

Even rodents can use some help

"James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have been collaborating on projects since the concept of the audio tooth implant was first conceived in October 2000."

Auger-Loizeau.com

Night-vision survival goggles



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Labels: Humor, Products

After Rent and Groceries

..."a 'thick, A5, black plastic bag'.. With little handles, of course - can't forget those.
But hidden behind this mini-bin liner facade is a thermological, nutrition preparation device of truly impressive proportions. For, as its name suggests, the Toastabag allows you to cook things in a toaster. Not in every toaster, just the thick-and-thin kind that most people have nowadays. All you do is bung the ingredients in the bag, pop it down in the toaster and wait."

Here's a video of a sandwich that might have been made with spam.

Pet Phone

"The patent pending PetsMobility™ PetsCell™ will be compatible with existing cellular and satellite GPS technology. The PetsCell™ will allow pet owners to talk to their pets as well as allowing owners to request assistance should they become incapacitated and require help. In addition, and perhaps more valuable, pet owners will have a peace of mind that if their pet is lost and someone finds their pet wandering the streets, with a simple press of a button on the PetsCell™, the auto dial function will dial the owner's home alerting the owner to retrieve their pet.

While on vacation, at work, or on the road, pets can be contacted by that friendly recognizable voice of their owners."

"When cats walk or climb on your keyboard, they can enter random commands and data, damage your files, and even crash your computer. This can happen whether you are near the computer or have suddenly been called away from it.

PawSense is a software utility that helps protect your computer from cats. It quickly detects and blocks cat typing, and also helps train your cat to stay off the computer keyboard."

Labels: Products

PDA for $3.00

" The Hipster PDA (Parietal Disgorgement Aid) is a fully extensible system for coordinating incoming and outgoing data for any aspect of your life and work. It scales brilliantly, degrades gracefully, supports optional categories and “beaming,” and is configurable to an unlimited number of options. Best of all, the Hipster PDA fits into your hip pocket and costs practically nothing to purchase and maintain."

1. get a bunch of 3"x5" file cards
   
2. clip them together with a binder clip
   
3. there is no step 3

"There is an immense amount of satisfaction in writing on paper - we tend to forget that in this digital-toy-crazed world we live in. The Moleskine has lovely paper - crisp, creamy, and smooth - that is a pleasure to write on. I use a four-nib Rotring pen that has a mechanical pencil (great for sketching), a roller ball pen, a bright orange dry-lighter, and a PDA stylus tip - all contained in a very precision-machined metal barrel.

I also enjoy flipping through my journal pages, reviewing sketches, diagrams, and ad hoc notes. With the Tablet PC, I get a near-paper experience but the best thing about paper is that it requires no batteries!"

Also from 43 Folders:
More Moleskine Hacks

Rohdesign.com:
WSJ Moleskine Article: More Linkage



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Labels: General, Products

Pumpkin chunkin

"I thought it would be fun to have a Web site that was dedicated to the development of home-brew devices for propelling weird objects through the air. When I put up this page in early 1995, I had no idea that there was so much interest in this kind of foolishness. I apologize for not updating stuff as often as I should, but I have a day job now...flipping burgers at Dairy Queen."

The Mechanical Toys Page
Including:


Instructions to Build a Mouse-Trap Car

Also:

Links to other mechanical toys

The Trebuchet at NF/ Observatory

"The NF/ Ranch is a small cattle ranch in the Mimbres Valley (New Mexico). The earliest signs of human occupation are from 1000AD, when the Mimbres Indians occupied sites along the Gallinas River, just down the hill. A Spanish fort was built over some of these ruins arround 1600, for protection against the local Warm Springs Apaches. Now the residents include Bill, Ty, Nick, Cindy, Amber, and Kaelin along with the animals at the ranch. Ty and Nick are currently perfecting a Trebuchet, a high tech siege weapon from the 10th century."

If you're near New Mexico Make 'em fly or make 'em pie

Also:
Trebuchet MS Font




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Labels: Activities, Products

and other cool stuff

Also:
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre

Timber Kits


And:
the Paper Airplane Museum



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Labels: General, Products

Great Gear

"Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. I am chiefly interested in stuff that is extraordinary, better than similar products, little-known, and reliably useful for an individual or small group. There are plenty of places to read about stuff that should be cool, or that looks new and cool, and that might be useful. The recommendations here, on the other hand, are based on people who have used this item and have come to see its superiority. I post things I like and I ignore the rest."

Disposable Suture Set
Micro tools

"The next time you or a friend are in the ER getting stitched up, ask your provider if you can have the suture set when he or she is done. Most places will hand them over if they are the disposable type. Hospitals use disposable suture sets since they are fairly inexpensive and decontamination of the reusable ones can be costly. The curved hemostat, the toothless needle driver, small surgical scissors and the pickups (tweezers) come in handy around the house."
-- Fritz Araya

Ikea Tote Bag
Cheap huge tote bag

"Ikea sells these near the cash register. They are large -- about 4 feet by 2 by 2, with two clever lengthened (short & long) handles, made of some nearly indestructible nylon-plasticy mesh fabric in Ikea blue. For a buck, they're amazing. We put a mess at home, in the car, garden, garage. Great for dragging stuff from Sam's Club, or dirt in the garden, hauling firewood or just whenever you've a lot of loose stuff to move."
-- Vince Crisci

NoTubes
Puncture-proof bike tires

"Stan's NoTubes system.
In the NoTubes system you remove your inner tube from your tire. No tubes! You add a rim strip that seals your spoke holes. Since there is no tube you need a filling stem to put air into the tire.....this is built into the NoTubes rim strip. Then you add some white liquid inside the tire that seals it airtight. It's one of those things that seems like it would never work, but it works amazingly well. I will never go back to tubes."
-- Alexander Rose

Labels: Products

And other stuff

• "Relieve itching from chicken pox, poison ivy, poison oak, or pain from sunburn. Pour two cups Cheerios in a blender and blend into a fine powder on medium-high speed. Put the powdered Cheerios into a warm bath and soak in the oats for thirty minutes. It's a soothing oatmeal bath.
  
  
  
• Make "Cheerios Chicken." Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a jelly-roll pan (15.5 inches by 10.5 inches by 1 inch) with aluminum foil. Mix two cups finely crushed Cheerios (from the yellow box), one-quarter teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon parsley flakes, one-quarter teaspoon garlic powder, one-quarter teaspoon dried oregano leaves, and one-half teaspoon salt. Dip four chicken-breast halves (skinned and boned) into one-quarter cup milk, then roll in cereal mix until well coated. Place chicken in pan and drizzle with two tablespoons melted margarine. Bake until done, about twenty to twenty-five minutes. (Above 3,500 feet elevation, bake about thirty minutes.) Makes four servings."

Labels: Answers, Books, General, Products, Reference, Tutorials

Not just Word

Labels: General, Products, Tutorials

Free Demos and templates

• Sarbanes-Oxley Pivot Diagrams
  
  
• Help Desk Flow
  
  
  

  "Here you will see the six data collection points for this example help desk. Call volumes, wait times, and resolution rates are tracked at each point in the process. The diagram flows from left to right and top to bottom. Not every caller will experience each of the steps, if a problem is resolved by a Level One technician, then the caller does not progress to the Level Two technician.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fault Tree Analysis
  
  
• PC Assembly Process Flow
  
  
• Supply Chain Analysis
  
  
• Value Stream Mapping
  
  
• Factory Floor Assembly Plan
  
  
• Loan Consolidation Process
  
  
• Investment Analysis Report
  
  
• HVAC Controls
  
  
• Military Organization Chart
  
  
• Network Equipment Rack
  
  
• Insurance Claims by State
  
  
• Audit Process
  
  
• Office Space Planning

Labels: Free Stuff, Help, Products, Tutorials

Bitsy bombers

"They're cute. They're zippy. They're the ultimate time-wasters. Created by paper airplane world record holder and engineer Jeff Lammers, authors of the World Record Paper Airplane series, this calendar features a full year of palm-sized flying machines and detailed folding instructions. Perfect for stirring up a little mischief at the office. 4 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Labels: Airplanes, Calendars, Products

Recumbent transportation

Greenspeed

WizWheels:
Why Recumbents? Why Trikes?

SolarTrike:
Solar powered trike
30miles per hour - 10mile range

Catrike

Build Your Own Recumbent Trike

Bike links



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Labels: Activities, Products

So very SAD

SAD

A wistful feeling comes over us in late autumn, as the last remaining leaves drop, morning frosts cover the ground, and the sun sets earlier each day. Hot cider and the warmth of a favorite old coat may be all you need to face the coming winter with good cheer, but for many people, fall melancholy deepens to winter depression.

Winter depression is still a mystery to scientists who study it. Many things, including brain chemicals, ions in the air, and genetics seem to be involved. But researchers agree that people who suffer from winter depression -- also known as "seasonal affective disorder," a term that produces the cute acronym SAD -- have one thing in common. They're particularly sensitive to light, or the lack of it.

"Research shows that bright light visual stimulation (light which enters the eyes), can change the timing of the body clock and its timing of sleep or awakening signals to the body. Thus, bright light therapy has been used to treat the range of disorders caused by a mis-timed body clock including shift work, jet lag, sleep onset and early morning insomnia mentioned above as well as winter depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD)."

"Probably the greatest use of bright light therapy is for the treatment of winter depression, especially in very northern countries which have little sunlight in the winter months. These sufferers appear to have delayed body clocks and benefit most from morning light therapy.

At present, the blue LED glasses are still experimental devices. They are not yet commercially available. The Flinders University owns the intellectual property rights and a provisional patent. A commercial partner to manufacture and market the devices under license is still being sought."

Labels: Answers, General, Products

No need to starve

Little kids eat with chopsticks, surely you can learn how.

Here's a link to seven easy steps.

Chopsticks in Seven Steps

Also:
How to Eat with Chopsticks


Chopstick Kids



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Labels: Activities, Products, Tutorials

Ding dong bling

Wrist Fashion is a Weblog that publishes the latest news, trends and products from the Wristwatch Industry in bite size morsels.

Brand: Venexx
Movement: Swiss Ronda Calibre 1063.1.90 quartz movement
Perfume: Approximately 60 sprays
Water Resistant: 30 metres

Labels: General, Products