The Internet ...
Seatguru.com “offers strangely spellbinding details about every nook and cranny” of the airplane models used by most major carriers. You can tell if a row’s near a bathroom, if particular seats don’t recline, and whether you’ll have access to a TV or electrical outlet.
Webflyer.com makes it easier to cash in all those frequent-flier miles you’ve amassed. “Angling for an upgrade?” Check blackout dates and current promotions for most carriers. Or find out how to swap miles earned from one airline for flights on another.
Flightstats.com can tell you how often a particular airline’s flights are delayed or canceled at a particular airport. It can also estimate, based on recent data, “when a particular flight will really take off and land.”
Source: Inc.
And for those who have everything ...
The Turbo Chef Oven can turn out a three-course meal in 10 minutes, putting gourmet recipes within the reach of someone “who finds instant oatmeal tricky.” A rack of lamb cooks in five minutes, and a soufflé in two. Using “high-speed hot air and occasional microwaves,” the oven comes with 500 preprogrammed settings to make converting recipes easier.
Price: $6,000
Contact: Turbochef.com
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Tip of the week ...
How to win at carnival games
If you want to win that stuffed animal, you’d better know what you’re getting into.
The balloon pop seems easy. A dart should instantly puncture a balloon pinned to the wall. To counteract dull darts and underinflated balloons, however, you’ll need to arc the dart upward slightly so it comes down at a 45-degree angle.
The balloon race, “where you shoot a stream of water into the clown’s mouth” in order to fill a balloon to bursting before the timer runs out, rewards stubbornness. The game mostly comes down to aim, but it helps to have a gun with high water pressure. Watch a few other contestants before taking your turn, “as carnival owners aren’t known for maintaining their game equipment.”
The ringtoss, which requires you to throw a tiny plastic ring over the neck of a milk bottle, is strictly for suckers, with odds against winning as much as 600-to-1. Try throwing sideways, “as if skimming a rock across a lake.” If that doesn’t work, “try praying.”
Source: Baltimore Sun
