The alarm clock which keeps you healthy and wealthy

Got a habit of switching off or snoozing the alarm and going back to sleep only to be late for work or ever planned to go for the jog but too lazy to get out of bed? The alarm clock (of Ig-Nobel awards fame) that starts running away and hiding from you when the alarm goes off and you try to snooze it. The bright idea -- you wake up and run after it. It's small, can survive a jump of three feet, and comes in three colors.

Clocky is available for $49.99 at nandahome.com » Continue reading

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Neolog Watch

If you're bored of digital and analog clocks try a Neolog watch - the A-24 II. It uses bars stacked on top of each other to indicate the time. You might develop a squint trying to read those bars, and possibly take a little longer figuring out what time it is, but it's a fun gimmick, and beautifully finished.

The watch has a Negative-LC-display, quartz operation, stainless high-grade steel casing and buckle (316L), mineral glass, silicon watchstrap, backlight button, measures 34 x 45 x 14 mm and is 3 ATM water resistant.

The Neolog watch is available for £149 at neolog.co.uk and for €200 at neologstore.com.

You can also get a Neolog timepiece for your website or blog like the one on the right from the neologstore.com website. Just click download, click Neolog time for webmasters, check the licence agreement, click Continue, customize your clock and copy-paste the code into your web page or template source code, save and publish. » Continue reading

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Easy Come, Ezeego

This new website is truly a first for India. While other travel portals like makemytrip.com also offer comparative options for flights and hotels, ezeego1.com expands the field by taking on international travel in a big way. You can search domestic and international alternatives for flights, sights and package tours, and even buy travel insurance. The biggest selling point is the web site's unique tie-up with Rail Europe -- next time you're planning a vacation in Europe, book your rail tickets right here. Or if you'd rather drive through your next trip abroad, the site offers international car rentals. And if you're not yet accustomed to making large payments online, the website enables you to pay offline through 2,200 EasyBill outlets across India. » Continue reading

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Fidgety Flyer?

Few people like air travel for long periods, but you can do a few things to minimize discomfort.:

Travel sick: Take-off, turbulence and landing promote queasiness. Choose seats over the wings (most stable) and focus on a still object until the feeling passes.

Exhausted: To minimize fatigue, once on board, switch to your destination's time zone and try to sleep or rest according to that.

Uncomfortable: Move around regularly and do stretching exercises in your seat. The risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), although small, is higher for those with pre-existing conditions, so seek medical advice before traveling.

Hungry: Inactivity makes it harder to digest food, so avoid excessive snacking. Humidity levels in the cabin are low, so drink plenty of water-tea, coffee and alcohol will dehydrate you. » Continue reading

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Coping with kids in transit

Planning a long car journey?

Limit children's "Are we there yet?" moans with these distraction tips:

• Plan the journey in advance and mark it on a map, so the children can follow your progress. Highlight landmarks so they can point these out too.
  
• Make regular short stops -- even if you stop on the side of the road. Fresh air will revive all of you.
  
• Music passes the time. Give everyone in the car a song request to avoid arguments.
  
• Try playing word games, such as I Spy. If kids are alert, car sickness and boredom are less likely.

» Continue reading

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Beware the Online Quack

Loonies and tricksters have always been ready to sell us "miracle cures", but the Internet has made it so much easier. Dr. Stephen Barrett has spent 30 years campaigning against dodgy tests and cures and now does it online at www.quackwatch.org. Here are some of his warning signs to watch out for:

• Claims that most diseases are caused by diet or can be cured with supplements.
  
• Pseudo-medical jargon, eg, offers to "detoxify" or "balance" your body.
  
• Anyone claiming that doctors, drug companies or the government want to suppress their find.
  
• "Secret cures" -- quacks only keep them secret to stop others proving they don't work.
  
• Products claimed to work against many unrelated diseases.
  
• Encouragement to ignore established scientific thinking and "think for yourself."
  
• Testimonials or (misquoted) scientific references.
  
• Allowing desperation to cloud your judgement.

» Continue reading

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Maps to download to your Phone and MP3 Player

Forget carrying around chunky guidebooks. Several websites now offer maps that can be downloaded to your phone or MP3 Player, Choose from thousands of diagrams of cities and transport networks from all over the world. You can even zoom in and locate the closest ATM or hotel, and customize your map to suit your itinerary. For starters, try:

• mgmaps.com
  
• ipodsubwaymaps.com

» Continue reading

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