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StikkiCLIPS

I recently read about a product whereby a computer beams the digital image of a recipe onto some type of eye-level display in your kitchen. Here's the low-tech way, which I've used for the last two years: take your printed recipe and use StikkiCLIPS to temporarily place the recipe up on the cupboard door right in your line of sight. When I've finished cooking, I easily remove the clip from the cupboard. The recipe isn't covered in stains. And the door doesn't have any permanent marks from the clip. Rather than traditional adhesive, the back of the clip has a bit of wax-like substance on it. This substance does get used up as you use the clip (I've used one clip as much as two dozen times). However, the clips don't mar the surface you've clipped it to -- in my case, the kitchen cupboard door looks good as new. I've also used the clips for other projects to keep whatever paper I'm using off my work space, but still in my line of sight. Another use: I put a clip in the driver's side corner of my windshield, where it holds parking stubs, so the Parking Control Officer can spot them easily and so the stub doesn't get blown out of the dashboard when I close the car door. The package cover says "the best way to hang papers anywhere." I think they're right.

-- Helen Hegedus

StikkiCLIPS
$5
(pack of 20)
Available from OrganizedLiving

Manufactured by StikkiWorks

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Xootr

My commute is the typical metro mix: walk to train, take train, ride to work (25 min. of walking and 20 min. of train). There had to be a better way and I found it: the Xootr MG scooter. This is no kids scooter. Made from lightweight magnesium, the scooter weighs a mere 9.9 pounds and folds up small enough to take on public transportation and easily store at home/work. Unlike the Razor, the Xootr sports a big front wheel, which makes it less likely to get stuck on a sidewalk lip and pitch you forward -- though you still have to be careful! The wheel is also a hard, smooth, thin black rubber, which tracks in very little dirt (unlike inflatable grooved tires) and loses less energy than skateboards or lesser scooters. I chose the MG model, since its deck is lower and 7.5 inches wide (my feet are size 13). Unlike the previously-reviewed K-2, the Xootr's handlebars are full, two-hand handlebars with agile steering that is the same as a bike. I actually replaced the grips with thicker more absorbent ones from Ergon (I'm a software developer and don't want to screw up my wrists). The Xootr also has a familiar bike-style front brake for when you need to stop in a hurry. You can also push down on the rear fender, but I'm not in the habit of using that method and have read it may wear down the tire more rapidly. The brakes basically don't work in the rain; there's a real loss of friction/stopping power, so I don't recommend riding in those conditions. When it's not raining, though, this scooter makes getting around sans car not a drudgery, but efficient and fun. I've found I can go about 8mph with the Xootr. It's a workout.

-- Jeff Winkler

Xootr
$210
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Xootr

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Levenger Surf Desk

I always thought lap desks were for the bed-bound, until the Levenger Surf desk arrived on my doorstep, an early birthday gift from Levenger's founder, Steve Leveen. The Surf Desk is a super-light desk made of the same materials used in surfboards, and as hip-looking as something one might see in Malibu. I'll admit I was a bit puzzled by the thing at first and I never imagined a lap-desk would be a useful tool, but I now use the darn thing every day! It's perfect for working with a laptop and my notes while slouching on a couch, or relaxing outside on a deck chair. In my office, I often set it atop an open file drawer as an impromptu credenza to hold paper sprawls during big projects. When I am not using it, the Surf Desk parks conveniently in a corner or propped up in my closet (though I use it so much it is hardly ever there). The folks at Levenger joke about "alternative desking," but I think the term gets at what makes the Surf Desk so interesting: it gives vastly more flexibility in choosing how -- and where -- to work. I haven't taken mine away from home yet, but the Surf Desk is so light and convenient (and presumably water proof), I'd think anyone who wanted a travel desk in their SUV, van or the like would enjoy this one. And solo surfers take note: pull out a surf desk at your local espresso bar and you are sure to draw a crowd, especially if you are close to the beach!

-- Paul Saffo

Levenger Surf Desk
$148
Available from Levenger

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Free topo maps

Topo maps have long been friends of all explorers and wanderers. Contours of the land make or break your journey, but this critical relief is not captured by the satellite images or street maps usually found on Google Earth. Togographical maps however do show relief. Topo maps typically display the gradient of the land as concentric contour lines which can be easily followed. Topo maps also label structures, buildings, railways, and other features of interest to someone trying to navigate on their own power. All continental areas of the US have been mapped in topographic detail and these crisply printed topo maps are available inexpensively from the United States Geographical Service.

But this is the age of freeconomics, so there are two ways to acquire topo maps for free.

The easiest way is to download a free nifty app for Google Earth, called the Topographical Overlay, that will add a KMZ "layer" of official US topo maps on Google Earth. Once installed you can toggle it on or off. When on, the Topo Overlay displays the standard 7.5 minute topos as one seamless map of the country. This makes it very easy to center your interest in the middle of your custom map. (You can buy a similar service on a not-cheap set of CDs from National Geographic, but you get the same thing here for free.) For browsing, this arrangement is hard to beat. You can zoom in, or out, and scroll forever. Its major drawback is printing. I have not been able to get the displayed map to print larger than one half of a standard letter page.

Topographical Overlay layer in Google Earth.

However there is another way to print free topos. You can download, for free, a high resolution PDF file of any US topo map made. These are the same maps that the Google Earth app is using, but here they are dished out one by one in PDF format. Go to the USGS Map Locator page, and search for the quad you want. You can type in an "street" address just like in Google. Click on the appropriate miniature map and then choose which scale map of the area you want to download. The PDF files of the standard 7.5 minute topo map will be between 6 and 16 megs. You'll need Photoshop or equivalent to crop and size them. Be prepared to use some heavy duty processing power. These are big, very detailed maps.

Once prepared, you can then print the topo map out yourself if you have a wide color printer. But since you can order the topo map itself for only $6 (plus postage) from the same government website, why not buy if you have the time?

There are four good reasons you might want to download and print your own topo maps.

1) It is instant. When you need a topo today, it's worth the hassle of messing with files.
2) It is selective. Way too often the spot you are looking for is in the corner of 4 maps, which means you have to order all four just to center the chosen area. You can eliminate 3 extra maps by combining the parts you want into one map.
3) You can print it on Teslin map paper (see below) which holds up in field use.
4) It can be lots cheaper.

However most of us don't have extra wide printers. You can print a series of cropped portions of a topo on regular 8.5 x 11 sheets at the official scale, but I wouldn't want to do many by hand like that -- say a long trail. (Someone should write a utility for that job; write me if you know of one.) Even a slightly wider printer which can handle a 11 x 17 size sheet (Ledger) will give you very usable results. I recently printed a river run by cutting out the relevant sections of 6 topos, then printing each sheet at standard scale on an 11 x 17 page. We got served wonderfully.

Teslin +ink-jet map, printed on both sides. No-see-through when used horizontally.

Whatever size you print, you can drastically increase the usability of your home-printed map by upgrading to Teslin paper. National Geographic sells cut sheets of Teslin as Adventure Paper. Think tyvek, but smoother and printable. It's available in boxes of 25, 15 or 10 sheets depending on size. You send this this untearable, nearly indestructible paper through your ordinary ink jet printer. The resulting map (see picture above) can then be dunked in the ocean, folded again and again, and it won't break. When applied as if the paper were Glossy Photo Paper, your typical ink jet ink seems to adhere well and hold up pretty good to abuse. It can be printed on both sides, too, to further compact your maps.

-- KK

USGS Topographical Overlay (KMZ file)

USGS Map Locator

National Geographic Adventure Paper
11 x 17 inches, 10 sheets
$20
Available from National Geographic

And from REI

Or Waterproof-Paper.com

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Making Your Own Digital Topo Maps These Days

GoBidet

Instead of the previously-reviewed Toto Washlet Toilet, there's another bidet attachment option that is easier to install and use while being cheaper. The GoBidet is an adjustable arm that affixes to your existing toilet and swings into position when needed. I've been using mine for at least six years. We had one in a hotel down in Costa Rica and I liked it so much I found a stateside supplier. I find it much more flexible than the fixed bidet seat variety. Although it costs more than the BioBidet, the remote control handle makes a world of difference compared to a fixed tip. With the GoBidet, you're actually able to aim the nozzle. It's kind of like playing a twisted version of Space Invaders.

The bidet can be set to spray both hot and cold water, and the water hookups and mixing control are just like those in a single lever sink faucet. You move the water control lever up to increase water volume and to the left or right to make it colder or warmer. I have it hooked up to just the cold (attached to a 'T' from the toilet supply spigot). While it initially required some getting used to, I found it was easier than running a longer hose from the hot water hookup under the sink. Of course, in a new bathroom install you could run another hot water spigot next to the toilet supply. I've used warm water bidets before and would definitely recommend setting it up with the hot water, if at all possible. It's $130, but they can be frequently found for less on eBay (new, of course).

-- Ed Tapanes

GoBidet
$115
(chrome finish only)
Available from Medex Supply

$130+
(multiple finishes)
Available from Bidets America

Manufactured by GoBidet

NOTE: Check out this video for how to install and use the device. --sl

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CliC Readers

For anyone requiring reading glasses intermittently, these specs are heaven sent! The frame breaks in the front and clicks together once resting on your nose by way of two magnets. When not in use, they stay out of the way -- the glasses have a hard frame 'loop' that slips around your neck. As soon as you need them, you reach down and pull them up into place. I've tried lanyards -- they get caught on your seat belt strap and tangeled around your collar. I've tried my pocket -- they fall out. Nothing seemed to work, so I ended up buying eight or ten pair of cheap glasses and leaving them all over: habitat, car, at work, etc. CliCs are a wonderful way to avoid all that clutter.

-- Dennis Brittain

CliC Readers
$29
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by CliC

CliC also makes goggles that look promising. If you have any experience with the goggles and can report negatively or positively, please let us know. --sl

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Clearblue Fertility Monitor

This fertility monitor is designed to predict ovulation and optimize a couple's chances of conception. It requires test sticks which are used at the onset of a woman's menstruation to monitor urine once daily (best in the AM). The urine is applied to the test stick which is inserted into the monitor. When ovulation is at its peak, the monitor shows a dot within a circle. We referred to this as the "egg's in the basket." My wife and I had tried for quite some time to have a second child. Our firstborn son was conceived in vitro, and the second time around we paid for two attempts at a cost of approximately $16,000 -- both failed. Just as we started to save up money to try again, we stumbled across the fertility monitor (it cost $250 when we bought it six years ago). We thought we'd just keep trying with the monitor until we'd saved enough for another in vitro attempt. To our surprise, the monitor worked on only the second attempt using it. Much quicker than when we had our son. I'm pretty sure it would have worked on the first attempt, but at the time we actually didn't believe the readings were accurate. It showed my wife ovulating extremely late in her cycle. News to us! There are now monitors available that don't require test sticks ($50-60/pack). This one's still the best purchase we've ever made. The average cost for an in vitro attempt is $12,000 to $16,000, which was not covered under our medical plan. The first attempt is the most expensive and subsequent attempts can be less expensive depending on the number of embryos available from the first attempt. We had four embryos remaining and if we paid for that treatment, it would have run around $6,000. The unit saved us roughly $5,750, which was a blessing, but needless to say, the birth of our daughter using this monitor is one of the greatest joys in my life. We have since loaned our monitor to four other couples that were having trouble conceiving. All four mothers got pregnant -- interestingly, all with girls.

-- Jeff Cruz

Clearblue Fertility Monitor
$150
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Inverness Medical, Inc.

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Strap-A-Handle

I picked up my first Strap-A-Handle while helping my brother move into his dorm room. Before we got started, I saw these for sale outside his building. It's an adjustable strap rated for 50-lb loads with a comfortable, built-in handle on top. It helped eliminate numerous trips to and from our car, and allowed me to walk up the four flights of stairs and navigate his winding hallways with ease. You just wrap it around the box(es), clip it and go. It's more expensive than DIY Box Handles, but obviously, it requires no assembly and can be reused. I let my brother keep the one we initially bought, and when I left his dorm I bought two more -- one for my mom to use when shopping to help carry cases of soda and water, and the other one's in the glove compartment of my car. I've since discovered a bunch of ways to use it to help eliminate carrying awkward-shaped items or items in bulk, including a PC tower and beach chairs. I also plan on using it to carry portable grills when I go tailgating this football season. The strap comes in two different sizes -- the standard 6-ft. (which I have) and an XL strap that's 8ft.

-- Brian Donovan

Strap-A-Handle
$13
(6 ft.)
Available from Amazon

$15
(8 ft.)
Also from Amazon

Manufactured by Strap-A-Handle

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Straptite

Best home chemistry lab book

The very best chemistry experiment book for kids is the legendary and long-out-of-print book, the Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments. Published in 1960 during the heyday of home chemistry, it was meant to accompany the millions of chemistry kits that were sold each year to typical American kids. You got real experiments with real chemicals. Not like the so-called chemistry sets today which boldly (and insanely) advertise they contain "No Chemicals!"

Among many other things, the Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments told you how to make chlorine gas from bathroom supplies, hydrogen from flashlight battery parts, and rayon from scrap paper, etc. You can see why it was not reprinted in the decades following because of concerns about safety. I used my copy, which is now worth $200 on eBay, to do all the experiments in the book when I was 12, and went on to build a chem lab in my basement. As many kids did.

Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, 1960.

You can get a decent free PDF version of the Golden Book on BitTrorrent. Even better, there's a new great book for home-made experiments, updated for today: the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments from the tech publisher O'Reilly. The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments is aimed at home schoolers, high school students, and lifelong-learning adults. It is aptly subtitled "All lab, no lecture"

The Golden Book encouraged playing around with molecules, with no agenda beyond demonstrating the power, principles, and diversity of chemical reactions. The Illustrated Guide on the other hand is a basement laboratory manual meant to teach you the basic working principles of chemistry. How to mix a molar solution. How to titrate. How to do quantitative sleuthing. It claims that if you go through all the chapters you'll be prepared to pass the college-level AP Chem Lab test. You would also be able to work in most laboratories. And of course, you would probably be able to follow most chemistry recipes from the internet, or at least to figure out what you need to make something chemistry-wise.

At the very least, this book should help cure any hysteria you -- or your kids -- might have about CHEMICALS. Sure, they can be dangerous, like your car. But we are surrounded by chemicals, and the only way to understand their real risks is to mess around with them.

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments is a fantastic teacher for chemical literacy. It will show you or your kids how to work with chemicals, and why they are fun. Some of the experiments are visually entertaining. Others are scientifically important. It's got wise advice about the few bits of equipment you'll need for your lab. The Illustrated Guide very handily provides substitutions for ingredients whenever possible, so you can work around harder to acquire or expensive chemicals and gear. And it very conscientiously gives proper disposal instructions for substances at the end (the first I've ever seen in a chem book). The author is thrifty, using no more stuff then necessary, and always suggesting ways to purchase the minimum equipment.

Other than the hidden Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, there are simply no other decent books for the beginner chemical experimenter. The ones you find in libraries are simply useless trash. The stuff on the internet is haphazard and inconsistent. Follow the instructions here in the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments and you'll be on your way to chemical literacy.

-- KK

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments
Robert Thompson
2008, 432 pages
$20
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Using a Beral pipette to bring the water mass up to 100.00 g

And, finally, a word about who this book is not for. If you want to make fireworks and explosives-or perhaps we should say if all you want to make is fireworks and explosives-this book is not for you.

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Bemis Easy-Clean Toilet Seat

This toilet seat's plastic hinges are equipped with seat anchors that allow the seat to be removed for toilet cleaning. A simple twist of two locking knobs and the seat lifts off; reversing the procedure re-locks the seat. It makes an awkward job very simple. My toilet is so much easier to clean completely. The area around the hinges is much cleaner due to easier access. Still one of the best ideas for the bathroom I've ever seen. There are various colors and incarnations on Amazon that cost more than $30. I purchased the cheapest basic style at the local Home Depot for less than $12.

-- Lester Coats

Bemis Easy Clean Toilet Seat
$9 (white)
Available from Amazon

$18 (black)
Also available from Amazon

$20 (blue)
Also available from Amazon

Manufactured by Bemis

NOTE: The manufacturer sells Easy Clean seats under the following brand names: Church, Mayfair and Westport. Also, I think it's worth saying that although we're recommending this product, I'm personally not thrilled with the manufacturer's "what women want" slogan. -- sl

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Sleeptracker Pro

As a frequent traveler and someone who has a hard time sleeping in strange hotels, I live with a recipe for many sleepless nights. Seems like the alarm always goes off just when I have just fallen asleep. To help me get a good read on my sleep patterns and to get more restful sleep, I bought the Sleeptracker Pro, a wrist watch that monitors your sleep cycle from barely asleep to REM by tracking a succession of small bodily movements. You set the alarm for, say, 6:30 am and specify a window of time around that (normally I do 15 minutes on either end of my desired wake up time). Within that window, the watch finds the point at which I'm most awake and wakes me then, as opposed to when I'm out silly. I started using mine about 10 months ago and had success as soon as I first put it to use on a business trip. I'd tried using one of those gentle wake up alarm clocks before, but it was more like an airhorn. The Sleeptracker is far more effective (it cab be set to beep or vibrate), plus it's on your wrist so you don't have to remember to pack it. The set up was simple, too. I now find the watch especially useful for when I am traveling across time zones, since it helps me get a more restful sleep. The watch also monitors your sleep pattern over time and you can download the data to your PC to see the trends, which helps to spec out the optimal window you'll need to wake up.

-- Dan Tushinski

Sleeptracker Pro
$100
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Innovative Sleep Solutions

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Benjamin Moore Aura Paint

When my husband and I moved into our new apartment recently, we knew a coat of fresh paint would spiff up the place, but with a new baby we wanted to pay special attention to the kind of paint we used. Unlike a lot of VOC-free paints (VOC = volatile organic compounds), Benjamin Moore's Aura line of low-VOC acrylic paints isn't thin or runny, dries really fast (literally an hour or less) and it's available in a satisfying array of colors in eggshell, matte, satin, and semi-gloss. It's VOC rating is less than 50 grams per liter (a standard paint might have 250 grams; VOC-free paints can still have up to 5 grams per liter). The Aura paint isn't cheap -- I think we spent $10-15 more per gallon than we normally do -- but I have always been partial to more expensive paints because the colors appear truer and, in many cases, they require just one coat. With Aura, we found even the deepest of wall colors only required two coats to cover, and we didn't use primer. The best part is there was no stinky paint smell residue, only beautifully-painted walls to gaze at with our little one.

-- Amanda Hughes-Watkins

Benjamin Moore Aura Paint
$55
(1 gallon)
Available from Moores Hardware

Or search for a retailer via zip code (top right)

Manufactured by Benjamin Moore

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IKEA Frost Drying Rack

Drying clothing on a rack is cheaper and better for the environment than using a dryer, but the design of a lot of drying racks is far from ideal. IKEA's Frost rack is a long series of bars that are horizontally parallel to one another, which maximizes the use for each bar. The closely-spaced bars allow me either to pack in small laundry or put sweaters and thicker laundry across two or more bars to let more air pass around it. On the other hand, many racks are situated with each bar immediately above or below another bar, so if you hang pants from the top bar, they hang down making all of the bars below them useless (i.e. wet). A few companies make potentially-good racks you hang from the ceiling, but they're usually permanent, more expensive and not so nice to look at. The cheap Frost rack can easily fit an entire load of laundry, whether it's socks or jeans, and it folds into a large, flat rectangle when not in use. A few racks can easily fit into the back of the closet.

I bought my first Frost rack when I lived in an apartment. But even when my wife and I moved into a house two years ago, we decided to get by without a dryer for a while, mainly to save money. To our surprise, it wasn't difficult. It's no problem at all in the summer, when we can supplement our drying with an outside clothesline on sunny days. During the winter, our two racks are in constant use (hint: put the rack beside or above heating vents or radiators to speed drying). We might eventually buy a dryer, but only to make it easier to catch up when we fall behind. I've been using one rack for about four years and bought the second about two years ago. I cannot tell which is the old one. They've held up quite well. Granted the rack is not perfect: it could be both wider and higher -- tall people will have to stoop a little bit to use it. Still, it's far better than any of the alternatives I've found.

One unexpected benefit: our clothing seems to last a lot longer. We'd never realized how rough the dryer can be on clothing. I have shirts that are a few years old I wear regularly and they still look new. I suppose all of the lint in the dryer trap has to come from somewhere.

-- Willie Beegle

$20
Available from IKEA

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NEOS Overshoes

NEOS (New England Overshoes) are basically big insulated, gusseted bags with soles. They fit over my hiking boots, sneakers or, if it's just a quick errand outdoors, my socks. The gusset folds over the top of the foot and ankle with a hook and loop (Velcro) closure. A strap across the instep makes for a snug, secure fit. I discovered NEOS a couple of years ago working as a film extra in rural Pennsylvania. We were outside in cold, wet snowy weather all late fall and early winter. Several members of the crew wore them and the wardrobe folks used them to keep the principle actor's shoes out of the mud and slush. Insulated and uninsulated models are rated for temperatures as low as -20F and 0F respectively. I chose the insulated Explorer version, because I often work and play outside during the winter. As a Scoutmaster, I have worn mine on snowy weekend camping trips when temperatures are down in the teens and kept my feet warm and dry. Last winter ('07-'08) was pretty mild, so I didn't wear them as much, but after two years the NEOS are as good as new. The choices have expanded quite a bit since I bought mine. NEOS also makes light, ankle-high models for commuters with a lining that actually shines dress shoes and heavier expedition weight models suited for intense outdoor activities.

-- Clarke Green

I reappropriated a pair of these boots when my son needed an operation on each leg, requiring recovery in a cast for more than six weeks (one leg at a time). I bought a pair of the NEOS over shoes that fit over my shoes, and it so happened they fit over my son's cast(s) as well. This allowed him to go out during the winter. He could walk to the bus stop, go sledding, etc. It really took some of the suffering out of his recovery, because he could lead a more normal, active life.

-- Alan Brandon

NEOS Overshoes
$90
(model: Explorer)
Manufactured by NEOS

Available from Amazon