Get Your Sweetheart to Do Chores Without Nagging
Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project has an excellent list of
tips for getting that special someone in your lives to do chores
without resorting to nagging. I have a hunch, this will be a much-
printed and distributed article.
Here’s a smattering:
Have clear assignments. I always call repairmen; the Big Man always
empties the Diaper Genie.
Every once in a while, do your sweetheart’s task, for a treat. This
kind of pitching-in wins enormous goodwill.
Assign chores based on personal priorities. I hate a messy bedroom
more than the Big Man, but he hates a messy kitchen more than I. So I
do more tidying in the bedroom, and he does more in the kitchen.
Do it yourself. I used to be annoyed with the Big Man because we
never had cash in the house. Then I realized: why did I get to assign
that job? Now I do it, and we always have cash, and I’m not annoyed.
Keep a to-do list. That way, if an energetic mood strikes, you know
what needs doing. This works very well with the Big Man. He makes fun
of me, but I see him consult the list.
The list is HUGE, and all very useful. Bookmark it. Print it. Make it
a set of rules for your house. Thanks, Gretchen.
Tips for Getting Your Sweetheart to Do Chores Without Nagging - [The
Happiness Project]
http://tinyurl.com/ggzts

Double-Walled Beer Glasses
HOME | DRINKWARE | 
Here's a classic beer glass with a twist — it's insulated to keep
your beer cold and the glass from sweating all over you. Like the
insulated iced tea glasses from last year, these double-walled beer
glasses ($75/set of 6) are made out of a material that's used to make
scientific lab glass and are way stronger than traditional glassware.
http://tinyurl.com/evgsz
Spread some light around with Lumalive technology

In the world of wearable electronics, the idea of embedding LEDs into
fabrics is not a new one. But here’s what is new - with the latest
Lumalive technology from Philips, product manufacturers can integrate
LEDs into fibres without leaving a trace whatsoever. Which means, if
you are, say, wearing a jacket with Lumalive technology, you would
have all the electronics, batteries and LEDs so seamlessly integrated
into the fabric that it would be invisible. This adds up to the
result that the fabric would be soft and washable, yet you won’t
feel like you're lugging a sack around when you wear it. With the
lighting technology, you can activate your choice of dynamic
messages, graphics etc on the Lumalive surface at the simple flick of
a button.
Philips plans to unveil this technology at the consumer electronics
show IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) this year. This technology
will not be limited to textiles alone, as Philips is going to
demonstrate its use with furniture as well. Now, that makes me think:
if this technology is going to become really popular and accessible
to the masses, the applications could be enormous. And probably
distressful as well. Just imagine how much more garish the fashion
industry would get. I shudder at the thought. And with a table that
can light up with a flick, would it be the end of candlelit dinners ?
Ok, that was an exaggeration . . . but really, is Lumalive going to
be self-indulgence or necessity ? Wait and watch.
http://tinyurl.com/z73fw
My 3rd Hand
Ever dropped your cell phone -- or had it slip off the passenger seat
-- while driving? The cursing doesn't help, but this invention might.
My 3rd Hand is specifically designed to grab the offending object
with an extended "grabber." When it retracts, It's small enough to
store it in the glove compartment or attach to your key chain. What a
good idea.
The company does post a disclaimer that the product is not intended
to be used while actually driving a motor vehicle.
They currently have a summer promotion for the month of August only:
Buy one and get the second one for free.
$19.95 @ My 3rd Hand.
http://tinyurl.com/klbda
GEN H-4 personal helicopter is for realz and for sale Remember that
personal helicopter we peeped last year which some of you didn't
think was real? Well, we tracked down the manufacturer and yeah, you
guessed it, dug out the price. Ok, it's not exactly the Bell Rocket
Belt we were promised back in the 60's when Engadget was an upstart
think-tank focusing on emerging technology for the US military.
Still, the Japanese built GEN H-4 co-axial helicopter features a
125cc, horizontally opposed 2 cylinder engine capable of launching
your ass some 1,000-meters (about half a mile) high at a max speed of
90km/hour, or a bit more than a Sammy Hagar. While it would appear to
lessen the risk of setting fire to your nether regions, any margin of
safety gained is likely offset by the threat from decapitation. For
as the machine translation states: the H-4 is not a finished product,
yet is "probably" possible to self-assemble. Oh, ok then, can we just
PayPal the ¥3,780,000 (about $32,500) or will a personal check
suffice? Yet judging by the photo, it's safe enough for children to
operate so let's not go all pansy just yet.[Via Impress]
http://tinyurl.com/roodj
Diebold machines fail in Alaska primary when you hear the words
"electronic voting machines" and "problems" in the same sentence, you
don't have to be a rocket scientist to infer that our old friend
Diebold is somehow involved. The latest chapter in the company's
woeful history of security lapses and tampering accusations comes
courtesy of Tuesday's primary election in the great state of Alaska,
where several of Diebold's "high-tech" touchscreen units were unable
to use their dial-up modems to upload voting results to the Division
of Elections' central servers due to an inability to pick up dial-
tones and "other problems." Apparently thirteen total precincts
experienced the issues, forcing election workers to toil into the wee
morning hours manually uploading their data and getting it to sync
with the overall numbers. The Director of Elections, Whitney
Brewster, attempted to reassure voters that the integrity of the
process had not been compromised by pointing out that "just because
they're not being uploaded doesn't mean they're not being recorded
accurately." That's probably true, but with all the scrutiny and
negative publicity surrounding the company, it's going to be hard to
convince some folks that any election involving Diebolds's products
is ever on the level.
http://tinyurl.com/fhxvc
What does it cost to get a patent?
© Copyright 1993 to the present, Oppedahl & Olson LLP.
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. Click for information on the
purpose of this page.
The cost to get a United States patent is made of several components.
These include the cost to prepare and file a patent application,
various prosecution costs, and the issue fee. Some of the costs are
payable to the Patent Office. After the patent has issued, keeping
the patent in force requires paying maintenance fees to the U.S.
Patent Office after 3 1/2, 7 1/2, and 11 1/2 years. Many of the
Patent Office fees are discounted for applicants who qualify as small
entities (generally, all individuals and organizations except for-
profit businesses with 500 or more employees). The filing fee,
depending on the number of claims in the application, can be anywhere
from about $400 to $1,000 or more. But for most applicants, the main
cost item in the patent application is the professional charges by
the patent attorney or agent preparing the patent application.
At Oppedahl & Olson LLP, our experience is that a patent application
covering something that is very simple and easy to describe can cost
the applicant as little as $2,000 to file with the Patent Office.
Other inventions, especially inventions that are very complicated or
have substantial electronic or software content, can cost as much as
$8,000 or $10,000 or more to be filed with the U.S. Patent Office.
These costs may seem quite high. However, patents are only intended
to protect commercially useful inventions, and patent costs are
generally small compared to the costs of turning an invention into
product, and then of marketing and selling the product. If you do not
have good reason to believe that the profits from the invention will
greatly exceed the costs of getting the patent, you probably should
not be patenting the invention.
http://tinyurl.com/rcrbu
Hydro-dis — New Chemical Free Water Disinfection
August 25, 2006 12:26 AM - Warren McLaren, Sydney
Hydro-dis is a “water disinfection technology will allow businesses
and everyday families to clean and reuse water again and again
without the use of external chemicals.” It has been developed as a
joint venture between the University of South Australia’s Ian Wark
Research Institute, and an Adelaide company, SSS Water. The three-
stage disinfection process, can treat any type of water, and is being
commercialised so it can be rolled out through an international
distribution arrangement. SSS Water reckon the “technology has
applications worldwide for grey water, drinking water, pools and spas
and cooling tower water disinfection and other products..."
Apparently it can achieve the disinfection at low cost, which should
allow for better water conservation and management. Though the
process itself is currently a trade secret. Via ::UniSA Media Release.
http://tinyurl.com/pezxz
Car Buying: 16 Tips to the Best Deal
A time where it took my negotiation skill to the extreme is when
buying a new car. And trust me, it is stress to talk to the car
salesperon. How do deal with the common tactic from the car
salesperson, or any quick tips on getting the best deal? Get Life On
the Road has 16 tips to the best deal. Read it, use it, I am sure you
will get better deal from it. Here is a snippet of those tips:
11) Even if you really love the car, don’t act like you do until the
price has been put to paper. At that point, start acting like you
really want to purchase the vehicle but the money is the only thing
that is holding you back.
12) Buying a year-end holdover is a common technique. Dealerships
want to make room for the next model year, and it can be difficult to
move holdover vehicles, especially if there has been a major change
in the model — body style changes, engine choices, trim levels can
all change year after year.
13) Negotiate the trade-in and the new vehicle purchase separately.
Your trade-in is not worth more or less based on the value of the
vehicle you wish to purchase, however many dealerships will tell you
that because the care you wish to purchase is so low-priced, they can
not offer you much for your trade-in. Your trade-in is worth the same
amount, regardless of the sticker price of the new car. If you get
trade-in quote from a dealer, request the dealer write it down and
sign it. Take that document to the next dealer so they can attempt to
beat the trade-in offer.
Car Buying: 16 Tips to the Best Deal - [Get Life on The Road]
http://tinyurl.com/mxfsa
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