From the Tips Box: Frozen Locks, Beard Trimming, and Loose Items [From The Tips Box] (via Lifehacker)

I got this on my reader this morning. Of the tips, I think the hand sanitizer bit and squegee idea are definitely the best!!! Thanks to New England winters for that perspective...

From the Tips Box: Frozen Locks, Beard Trimming, and Loose Items [From The Tips Box]:

Readers offer their best tips for de-icing frozen car locks, trimming your beard without a guarded trimmer, and remembering to bring loose items out the door.

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About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in—the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, share it here, or email it to tips at lifehacker.com.

Use Hand Sanitizer to De-Ice Car Locks

Photo by akemp42.

Kevin Kelsey shows us another handy pocket item that acts as a multitasker:

Went to a movie on Christmas, and when we came out, the car locks were frozen. No stores open for miles. I said to my wife that if we just had some alcohol, we could use that to unfreeze it. She gave me a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and I dipped the key in it. The lock opened right up. Neat, huh?

Use a Regular Comb as a Beard Trimming Guard

handbra gives beard-rockers a tip to keep it neat without a guarded trimmer:

If you have facial hair (I have a goatee) and forgot your guarded trimmer, you can use a comb as a guard and use the trimmer on the back of most electric razors. Just 'comb' your beard and run the trimmer over the comb. It takes a little getting used to, and it isn't the cleanest trim, but you can touch it up when you get through, and is much better than letting it grow out for the duration of your trip.

Keep a Squeegee In Your Car for Easy Snow Removal

Photo by VirtualErn.

spacecoyote lets us know about another useful windshield-clearing tool:

When the snow starts a-falling, throw a squeegee in your vehicle along with an ice scraper. It's much more efficient at clearing snow from the car and doesn't have bristles that clog up with snow and ice that will later melt inside your vehicle. If you have one with a sponge side, you can use that on painted areas if there's a worry about scratching the paint with the rubber squeegee. I've been using a $3 cheap-o from Wal-Mart and it hasn't let me down yet.

Leave Loose Items With Shoes For Quick Remembering

Enginerd keeps us from leaving important items behind with this tip:

Going to somebody else's house? Place the things you need to remember in (or on, if this grosses you out) your shoe, such as keys, wallet, or phone. Since you can't leave without your footwear, you're certain to remember these other items.

For those of us that are really forgetful, this tip works at your own house, too.

Wiiwaa -- may be fun for kids

Engadget was making fun of the upcoming Wiiwaa game (for Wii) earlier today. But... Well, check out the video before I say my piece.








And now that you've seen it... I think it looks like fun for kids. Really. Aside from stuffing the remote in the poor monster's mouth, it gives kids a chance to control the monster in the game just by playing. I think it is kinda cute for a kid (but I am too old -- for me I prefer Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games).

Signs of Impending Disaster (via I can has a cheeseburger)

Don't we all feel we are surrounded by mounting disasters some days? I know I do!!!!

The New Flight Security Rules, So Far [Air Travel] (via Lifehacker)

This is for all you fliers, via Lifehacker"

The New Flight Security Rules, So Far [Air Travel]:

After an attempted explosive attack on a U.S.-bound flight Friday, air travel security tightened and rules were changed. No official procedures were announced, but here's what fliers and news agencies are reporting as the standards for the time being.

Photo by Joshua Davis.

The first thing anyone flying needs to know is that there are no hard and fast rules put into place at this time, and what you read or hear about at one airport may not be the case at another. The Transportation Security Administration wrote in a press release that 'These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere.'

Most sources are reporting that the most stringent measures are implemented on flights entering the U.S. from foreign lands, including Canada. Air Canada posted on its web site that, during the last hour of a flight, travelers headed to the U.S. will have to remain seated, will not have access to their carry-on baggage, and cannot have anything on their laps.

American Airlines posted on its own site that anyone flying into the U.S. should allow three hours for the entire boarding process. Passengers and carry-on items would be screened both at security checkpoints and at airline gates, according to the airline.

What about domestic flights? As stated, the only predictable element is unpredictability. Gizmodo has posted audio recorded from a Jet Blue pre-flight announcement, indicating that the airline's notable seat-by-seat in-flight entertainment system would be shut down for a recent flight, along with in-flight Wi-Fi, presumably. In that post, and others, gadget-savvy readers and Twitter users have reported a range of restrictions and rules.

Some flights have banned electronic usage during the first and final 30 minutes of a flight, not including takeoff and landing periods, and others have restricted usage for up to an hour before ascent and descent. Some fliers have experienced pat-down searches and more thorough bag checks, and most flights seem to require passengers to stay seated during the final portion of a flight, regardless of bathroom needs. The Times reports (at the link below) that while blankets and pillows were being banned from passengers' laps just before landing, that rule seems to have been softened and left up to each airline.

Have you flown since Friday's in-flight incident? What was your experience, and how much more time did your flight experience take? Help fill in the blanks for everybody in the comments.

For Airline Passengers, Pat-Downs, Searches and Restroom Monitors [NYTimes.com]

Pre - Christmas Blizzard hits the Vineyard (via Peter Simon)

Via Peter Simon's Blog:

Pre - Christmas Blizzard hits the Vineyard:

A rare, pre - Christmas snowstorm blanketed the Island last Sunday. We were not as hard hit as some places, such as New Bedford (24"). I measured 15" on my outside porch. Late Sunday afternoon, once the heavy snow abated, and my good friend Howard Wall plowed us out (we live down a long and winding half mile road), I scoured our whited - out landcscape for photo ops, with the Vineyard Calendar 2011(!) in mind. Since Edgartown was all lit up with seasonal decorations, I checked that out first. I headed home around 8:00, with the notion to get up early the next day to "do" Oak Bluffs. Al in all, I got some nice captures, maybe some that are worthy of calendar consideration. If you have a favorite one or two, please feel free to let me know which one(s) by emailing me at: peter@petersimon.com. Happy Holy Daze!

"

Work Around Menu Psychology at Restaurants (via Lifehacker)

This was on Lifehacker today. The full NY Times article is worth a read.

Work Around Menu Psychology at Restaurants

The New York Times has a great read on menu psychology and how the fonts, ordering, and descriptions of food is engineered to get diners spending more at restaurants. Taken a different way, it's a handy guide to culinary counter-intelligence.

Liking that item in the top-right corner of the menu, with the dotted border line around it? That's fine, but be aware it's probably one of the most profitable items for the owner to serve. In tough economic times, many restaurants have turned to menu redesign as a means of bringing in more cash. If you're interested in getting a full read on the food, and not just letting your lizard brain give in to the highest-margin item on the menu, heed these examples:

Some restaurants use what researchers call decoys. For example, they may place a really expensive item at the top of the menu, so that other dishes look more reasonably priced; research shows that diners tend to order neither the most nor least expensive items, drifting toward the middle. Or restaurants might play up a profitable dish by using more appetizing adjectives and placing it next to a less profitable dish with less description so the contrast entices the diner to order the profitable dish.

Not that there's anything wrong with ordering a profitable item off the menu, but you want to make sure your eatery isn't sub-consciously hiding something truly appealing from your decision process.

If you've done any menu design yourself, or know the tricks of your own local eatery, let's hear about them in the comments.

Restaurants Use Menu Psychology to Entice Diners [NYTimes.com]

Funny Top Chef Video Spoof

This video was reported by the Serious Eats blog today. If you watched Top Chef this season, you'll get a kick out of it (embedded below).

Top Chef: Hungry Ladies - watch more funny videos

Simon's Cat

The latest adventure (embedded below). I just love this cartoonist.

I Want a Dog

I'm not going to get one, but I still want one.

I met Dave and Chrissy's Shiba Inu, Ryu, last week. OMG, I just love the breed. Seriously. This Japanese dog is compact, independent, and said to be similar in mannerism to a cat. Sounds great to me!

Isn't it such a cute dog? This photo is from the website I Love My Shiba Inu, which has great information.

I know I am not going to get a dog, but I can still dream :)

Jamaica

Things have been a little hectic, so I will do my best to catch you up day by day.

We spent last week in Jamaica at a private villa called Golden Clouds. The villa, the week, the vacation, was nothing short of wonderful. Now we just have to write an article for N about it!

The villa is located in Oracabessa, about 145 minutes east of Montego Bay. The property has nine guest rooms, and fees includes a butler/bartender, cook, and grounds keepers. The private beach has glorious views of the northern coast, with a few villas tucked away. GoldenEye is just three properties away.

 We would love to get a group together for a future stay. Interested? Rates are reasonable...