I love to take pictures... and lots of them. I like to look at them, hold them, and remember them. It doesn't matter if they are still photos or moving video... I love them just the same. So it's not surprising that I have a fondness for anything to make that easier or more fun. I'm not any kind of expert when it comes to photography. I don't even know what all the buttons on my camera do. But... I do know what I like.
By Gregory Go, Wise Bread
From saving money to staying on budget, technology has made it easier than ever to stay on top of my personal finances. Here are 3 ways technology has helped me save money and time.
by Heather Armstrong, Dooce
I've written a lot in the past about living in the age of being able to pause live television and how it's the most glorious time to be alive and living. There are few things greater than being able to pause the television to yell at my husband or children to please ZIP IT because two blonde imbeciles are about to argue over problems people living in the Third World would love to have, and if I don't hear that argument I won't know what to do with those extra 100 brain cells.
Over the past few years, craft has seen a major resurgence throughout the world. A lot of this has to do with people utilizing the Internet to gain knowledge and inspiration. Now this isn't just your grandmother's doilies, these are the coolest, most creative people coming up with incredible ideas. There are many sites that have contributed to this groundswell of creativity, whether you want to learn a new hobby or start a career, there is a site for everything!
If you're anything like me when it comes to recipes, then you have them scribbled down on paper in all shapes and sizes. I have them on note pads, printouts, my grandmother's handwritten recipe cards... they are everywhere. I haven't found an ideal way to manage them all. I like order, so I tried keeping them in binders filled with clear sleeves to protect them, but those just seem to overflow, too. I know you know what I mean. Please, if you have a system that works for you, do tell.
There aren't many things I like more than sitting down for hours eating a multi-course Italian or Indian dinner. Conversing, laughing, eating, drinking in good company...it satisfies my mind, body and soul. Less satiating but in many ways just as vital to actually arriving at the big meal...is the snack. Snacks hit the spot and keep me going. And for my on-the-go lifestyle balancing (read: juggling) family
and work, I'm finding that pint-sized computer devices are fulfilling
my need for quick bites of the Internet.
Will you be hitting the malls to do your Black Friday shopping the day after Thanksgiving? By doing a little homework ahead of time, you may be able to find some great deals without even having to leave the house--and if you do decide to battle the lines, at least you'll be prepared. Many websites have posted Black Friday specials already. Black Friday 2009 has a complete and constantly updated list of ad scans, though they caution that some of them may be fake. (And you probably shouldn't be fooled by this supposed Apple Black Friday ad at Boy Genius Report--"Apple almost never discounts their products, other than selling refurbished equipment on the cheap," warns The Unofficial Apple Weblog.) TGI Black Friday has a list of Black Friday deals available online now.
By Rebecca Paul & Dan Mendes, Inhabitat
Gadgets are designed to make our lives easier, but these days it seems like the market is flooded with fancy electronics crammed with unnecessary features and are far from being eco-friendly. But the
recent shift that many consumers are making toward living greener lives has caused companies to strip away many of the superfluous bells and whistles, resulting in some great new green gadgets. This list features the most useful green gadgets that help to do things faster and smarter and, most importantly, lessen our carbon footprint.
By Heather Armstrong, Dooce
In the months after I graduated college and barely had enough money to buy dinner, I reviewed music for a local indie music magazine and received boxes and boxes of free CDs for review. And because I was music addict it was not unlike letting an alcoholic bathe in a tub of vodka.
By Jean Aw, NOTCOT
I know I've been jet-setting too much when some of my closest friends at home haven't seen me for over a month. People are constantly asking me "Where were you? Have you recovered from Europing? Aren't you exhausted?" Honestly, there have been times when I have gotten sick from running my poor body ragged across time zones. But this last time, I felt amazing and came back ready to go! I
figured out which new techniques and gadgets keep me sane, well rested,
happy, energized, and on top of running my company.
Technology can make cooking a lot easier--we're not just talking dishwashers and Cuisinarts, but iPhones. "The iPhone has completely revolutionized my food life," writes Farm To Table, which is doing a series on iPhone apps for foodies. The Kitchn has the best iPhone apps for cooks, including one that just might be a Thanksgiving lifesaver. And Baby Health Advice tells you how your iPhone can help you manage food allergies.
Don't have an iPhone? At Gizmodo, Alton Brown offers up some of his best kitchen hacks: "I use heating pads to raise dough on, or to incubate yogurt with...I have used a hair dryer to the bottom of my charcoal grill to turbo charge the Weber." Boing Boing teaches you to poach salmon in your dishwasher. You can also use your garbage disposal as a margarita maker and, if you're seriously strapped for kitchen gadgets, make chicken pesto in the coffee maker.
Spiffing up your home theater this holiday season? 2009 ZDNet Holiday Gift Guide picks the year's best HDTVs and Blu-ray players for different budgets, and here are CNET's budget home theater picks. BigPictureBigSound covers the latest home theater deals and has an extensive How-To section, but if you don't feel up to doing it yourself, Home Theater Review has a vetted list of dealers and installers around the country. Engadget previews the 3D technology that will soon be in your home theater, writing, "We've come a long way since the old anaglyph red and blue glasses that come in cereal boxes, so before you knock the new technology before it's even out, click through and read about the technologies that might bring us a real 3D revolution." And so you don't get carried away, Sound & Vision Magazine has six cost-saving tips to maximize your home theater.
