You can’t be too careful these days. The economy’s in the crapper and almost everyone’s looking for an easy way to make a couple of extra bucks. You know what’s a hassle-free way to get some fast cash? Steal it. Now, it all depends on your stealth level, but money for nothing is an enticing enough offer that a lot of people are gonna go for it regardless. While you should look out for the cash you have on you right now, you should also be aware of your online assets. I’m talking about the latest and greatest in thief technology: identity theft. Not only do they have your cash and credit cards, but they have access to everything you’ve ever touched. It’s a pretty frightening thought, right? And there’s nowhere where you’re more vulnerable than when you’re traveling abroad. Think about it, you’re supposed to keep your passport on you at all times, right? What better way to steal your identity than without even having to physically pilfer your documents?
Maybe you’re ready to stop being a sitting duck and you actually want to protect your good name and financial standing? If that’s so, then the RFID Blocking Passport Billfold (ThinkGeek, $17.99) is a good step towards achieving peace of mind. See, this item protects you from technologically savvy hackers who scan your passport’s RFID tags, which basically allows them full access to all your personal information. And here’s the kicker – thieves don’t even have to get that close to you. They can scan your information from up to 30 feet away, and you’ve never even know. This billfold blocks the radio waves from reaching the RFID chip, so your information stays safe. By the way, in case you think this technology has nothing to do with you because you don’t travel internationally, you should know that some states are considering embedding RFID chips in driver’s licenses. In fact, New York already offers an enhanced license that is RFID equipped for use at the border in lieu of a U.S. passport. Also, some credit cards are utilizing this technology to make it easier for consumers to shop (think Chase’s blink card) without ever having to get out their credit card. Oh, and E-Z Pass? That’s RFID too.
Alright, so maybe none of this means anything to you, maybe you think that you’re way smarter that all those thieves and hackers out there. Did I mention that the government can use RFID to track your movements? Sure, they say they won’t, but do you really believe that? After all, that’s how E-Z Pass works. Did you ever wonder how E-Z Pass knows when you’re speeding in between tolls? It’s because they’re scanning your RFID chip and calculating how long it took you to get from one checkpoint to the other. Still wanna leave that to chance?
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Blocks radio waves from the RFID chip in your passport
-Prevents unauthorized access to your personal information
-Includes space for standard passports, four credit cards, driver’s license, and a pocket for folding money
I love to walk around my house barefoot, even in the winter. I’ve just never been a big sock person and I didn’t have much use for a pair of slippers. I have a friend, we’ll call her “Chris,” that is the exact opposite. She hates to have cold feet. Always wearing at least one pair of socks on her tootsies, Chris has been known (on more than one occasion) to rock a pair of slippers over her socks. In fact, she recently bought a pair of slippers that look like sneakers because her usual slip on pair were not warm enough. And just for a frame of reference, the average temperature has been about 50 degrees lately. That’s just how strongly Chris feels about warm feet.
So I searched the Interwebs and finally found the perfect foot warming contraption for my dear friend: the Pink USB Heating Slippers (Chinavasion, $4.98). Not only are they fully functional slippers, but they’re heated from the inside! These things are great because they don’t run on batteries, but they’re not exactly for the ultra mobile type. See, the way they generate their heating power is from the USB port of any computer, game console, or pretty much anything you can steal power from via USB cord. And in case you’re worried about getting your new favorite slippers dirty, all you have to do is remove the foam cushion and heating pad from the inside of the slipper and then you can throw them in the washing machine.
I know Chris will be super excited when I present her with these slippers for Christmas. She’s probably gonna just tear them out of the box and put them on immediately, and then just marvel at the roasty toasty nature of her piggies. I’d get myself a pair, but they only come in pink. Wait, real men wear pink, right?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Size 40 (about 9.5″) but fits almost any size
-Extremely comfortable
-Foam cushion to reduce stress on feet
-Plugs into any USB port
-Machine washable
I believe I’ve mentioned before that I’m not really the outdoorsy type. Now, I’m not saying that I quarantine myself indoors, but I don’t really like the idea of “roughing it” in the woods. An afternoon out in the park playing catch? Sure. A picnic? Absolutely. A three day camping trip in the middle of nowhere? You’ve got to be kidding. I prefer the finer things in life, like indoor plumbing and electricity. That being said, I wouldn’t mind a camping trip if it wasn’t so rustic. I know, I know, that’s the exact “appeal” of camping, but just hear me out. What if there was a way to keep the nature aspect of a weekend away while still incorporating some simple luxuries?
The Coleman LED Quad Lantern (Amazon, $53.83) makes such a mythical idea seems possible. I’ve seen camping lanterns before and I can categorically say, they’re nothing impressive. So you’ve got a light, who cares? I have tons of those in my house, you know the place away from the precipitation and insects? But I’ve gotta say, this lantern is the shit. For starters, it’s four lanterns in one. The lantern is comprised of four light sections, each of which is fully detachable and rechargeable. So you can keep them all together while you’re eating dinner around the campfire, but if someone has to go off into the woods to use the “bathroom” then you can break off one of these lights. And you don’t have to worry about losing light for either the campsite or the poor soul traipsing around the woods because there are 24 white LED lights in this lantern. Basically, you’ve got one solid glow emanating from each lantern section. Each section has a built-in handle to make it easy to carry around the woods while looking for campfire sticks or to hang on a tree when nature calls. The lantern’s rechargeable core runs on eight D batteries, so it’s incredibly practical for a night or two out in the middle of nowhere (it’s not like there’s an abundance of outlets in the forest).
Ok, so we’ve got a touch of electricity going on here, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to persuade me to venture into the great unknown. I’m holding out for decent sleeping quarters and real bathrooms.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 13″ x 8.2″ x 8″
-Weight: 4.6 lbs
-Run time: 30 hours
-Use as a single super bright area light or four separate rechargeable flashlights
-Fully charged separated sections will run for up to 1.5 hours each
-Each section has a built in handle for easy carrying or hanging
-Twenty four 5mm white LEDS
-Each section contains NiMH rechargeable batteries (included)
-Uses 8 D batteries (not included)
I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of things that are “for your own good” are going to make you look like an idiot. For instance, bike helmets. Everyone riding a motorcycle or bicycle should wear a helmet because you’re basically worm food if you crash without one. Now, are bike helmets attractive? No. There’s no way that you look cool wear a helmet, even after you take it off you look like a dork because you’ve got helmet head/hair going on. But you wear them so you don’t get hurt (also, it’s the law!). Another thing that is so not cool looking? Safety goggles. Again, you wear them for your own protection, so you don’t get potentially harmful particles in your eyes. But are you earning any badass points? Definitely not. You’ll probably get some nice geek cred though, even more so when you take them off and are rocking that nice safety goggles indentation on your face.
The Wind Rider (Generate Design, $24.00) is something that’s for your own safety, but manages to keep your rep intact at the same time. This product is a two-timing safety enforcer if I ever saw one. Not only does it serve to tightly gather the bottom of your pants so they don’t get caught in your bike spokes, it also doubles as a reflective device. So let’s see, you’re not causing your own accident because your baggy jeans aren’t getting caught up in your bike. Awesome. And you’re not getting hit by a car because they see your creatively designed safety reflectors around your ankles. Double awesome. And while you’re probably not winning any fashion contests, you don’t look like a complete tool while wearing these. It’s a trifecta.
Why is it that everything is automatically so much cooler when it’s glow-in-the-dark? Even things that have no real business being glow-in-the-dark, it’s still super awesome when they do. I bet you’d buy just about anything if it was glow-in-the-dark. I’m just judging – I probably would too.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4″ x 15″ (laid flat)
-Set of two
-Perfect for night riding
-Made of glow in the dark PVC
I’m not terribly artistic. I’m creative, but it’s not the same thing. Creativity translates into unique ideas, whereas an artistic person has actual talent. I’m not saying that one is better than the other, in fact, I think that they go hand in hand. I mean, who cares if you’re some great artist if all you want to do is copy other people’s work? A touch boring, no? On the flip side, if you’re all creativity and not at all artistic (me), then you’re pretty much stuck. No one will ever realize the full extent of your genius because the only thing you can draw is a stick figure. Now some people believe that artistry can be taught (namely art institutions and their inhabitants) and if that’s the case, then practice is surely the most important advice an aspiring artist can adhere to.
If you want to marry creativity with the taming of raw talent, then there’s no better vehicle than the Napkin Sketchbook (Perpetual Kid, $5.99). It’s kinda like a sketchbook, but so much better. See, every larger than life person seems to have gotten their big break by outlining some great idea on a cocktail napkin. Cocktail napkins: the stuff dreams are made of. Would these ideas have been just as monumental had they been written on college ruled notepaper? Probably. But that’s not really the point, now is it? The cocktail napkin adds a bit of romanticism to the story, thereby elevating a good idea to a majestic one. With a sketchbook made of napkins, you have unlimited chances to achieve such greatness. Ok, maybe not unlimited, but 120 pages should be enough to get you started.
If you don’t believe in the power of the cocktail napkin, just ask Steven Spielberg. He had to pay his ex $100 million dollars in their divorce settlement after a judge deemed a prenup written on a cocktail napkin to be legit. That’s almost as embarrassing as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Almost.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 4.75″
-120 pages
-30 blank napkins
