Month: September 2013

via kottke.org
The night light

Whether you plan on upgrading to one of the new iPhones or iPods announced tomorrow or you already have a device with a lightning cable, you don’t have to buy a new dock if you’ve got an old one. Flybridge created a little adapter that turns your old iPod 30-pin dock into a lightning-compatible one.

Simply take your existing 30-pin dock and lightning adapter, connect them, then slide on the Flybridge adapter. This will make your dock actually hold your iPhone up rather than connect it with a lot of potential wobbling. While this solution could be a bit cheaper, the Flybridge adapter saves you from buying an entirely new dock.

Flybridge Dock Adapter ($15) | Flybridge
via Lifehacker
Flybridge Dock Adapter Makes Old Apple Docks Lightning-Compatible

The real estate listing for 3970 Spencer St. shows a foreclosed two-bedroom on a suburban street east of the Las Vegas Strip. That’s nothing remarkable in Vegas, which has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, but this house is special: It’s 25 feet underground. A high-end fallout shelter built in secret, it’s a small monument to the Cold War—as well as the dream of post-War suburbia in the American west.

Read more…

via Gizmodo
The Cold War Bunker That Offered Subterranean Suburbia Below Las Vegas

Some of us keep absolutely nothing in our car trunks, while others have enough packed to live in their cars for weeks. Somewhere in between is this list of thirty things we think every car owner should always have on hand.

You can buy packaged emergency safety kits, like this $35 one from AAA, which includes a booster cable, flashlight, first aid kit, and many other items, but the DIY approach is more satisfying and you probably already have many of these items lying around. It’s not just about emergencies or safety, either. Below I’ve separated the checklists by category.

Car Repair and Maintenance

There’s nothing like breaking down at the side of the road and realizing the spare tire in your trunk has a flat from the last time it happened. (True story.) To keep you up and running, keep these in your trunk:

• Spare tire (in good condition), along with a tire jack and tire iron, because without them or someone else to help you, the spare tire is useless. Here’s how to change a tire, in case you need a refresher. Also, if your wheels require a special security key, make sure that’s always in your car too.

• Tire inflater and sealer, like the Fix-a-Flat, which can plug a leak (and help you avoid using the above tools) just enough to get you to the auto shop.

• Jumper cables, because dead batteries happen to the best of us. We’ve got a crash course on how to jump-start a car, but you should familiarize yourself with your engine just in case things are a little different. Alternatively, you can pack an emergency battery booster so you don’t have to rely on a Good Samaritan coming along.

• Your car’s manual, which should be in the glove compartment already.

• Tire pressure gauge: As our sister site Jalopnik points out: “checking tire pressure on a regular basis can improve handling, increase fuel economy, promote tire longevity, and even save lives.”

• Duct tape and WD-40. Seriously, check out these 10 heroic duct tape car repairs.

• Car repair information. A business card for your auto repair shop, the number for AAA (if you’re a member), and car insurance claim forms should also be stored in your glove compartment.

Safety and Survival

You might already have an emergency go bag or kit set up. If you spend a lot of time in your car and it’s always nearby when you’re home, you could just keep that kit in your trunk—or create a second, perhaps lighter version.

In any case, your safety supplies should include:

• First aid kit

• Flashlight

• Multi-tool (here are your five favorites)

• Matches or other fire starter (Bonus: a candle in a can for winter emergencies)

• Energy bars or MREs (the instant food that heat up with just water)

• Water bottles

• Weather radio (You can make a $3 solar-powered one in an altoid tin!)

A few car-specific items:

• Seat belt cutter and window breaker. This one’s $7 on Amazon. Keep this in your glove compartment, not in your trunk, obviously.

• Flares or reflective triangle, so you don’t get hit at the side of the road in the dark.

• Maps. Yes, the paper kind.

For winter/snow emergencies:

• Ice scraper

• Mylar space blanket to keep you warm during a blizzard.

• Cardboard or carpet remnant you can place under tires for traction in the snow.

Convenience and Comfort

In addition to the basics above, you might want to keep these things around also:

• Paper towels or a hand towel

• Tissues or a roll of toilet paper

• Pencil and paper

• Umbrella

• Spare change/emergency money

• Recycled shopping bags for those impromptu shopping trips.

• Blanket, which comes in handy not just for keeping warm in emergencies, but also at the park, baseball stadium, etc.

• Change of clothes: also an emergency item, because if you get drenched in rain or snow, it’s no good to sit around like that.

• USB mobile device charger

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and your needs might vary. While it might sound like a lot, all this stuff doesn’t take up too much space. Jalopnik’s OppositeLock Kinja blog shows us your car might have good hiding places to stash all of your just-in-case items.

Photos by Scott & Elaine van der Chijs, State Farm, and bradleygee.
via Lifehacker
30 Essential Things You Should Keep in Your Car

Ohio State University said Thursday that Brian Cummings is leaving as vice president for technology commercialization, after two years on the job charged with greatly increasing the flow of licensing income from university research.
The surprise move came a week after the OSU Office of Technology Commercialization released its annual report for the year ended June 30 showing that activity such as patents, licensing deals and startup companies have leaped over the past two years. But revenue from…

via Columbus Business News – Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus
Ohio State commercialization chief Brian Cummings out after 2 years, along with top deputy

You have 5 seconds to comply and watch this trailer for the reboot. Stars Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel and Samuel L. Jackson as the head of OmniCorp.
via The Awesomer
Robocop (Trailer)

via ThisIsWhyImBroke.com
LEGO Ghostbusters

Ever need to guess someone’s email address so that you pitch them a sale or contact them about an idea? This new tool from→
via Business Opportunities Weblog
How to Find Someone’s Email Address

Hostage negotiators have a tough job, and we can learn a lot about negotiation from how they do things on a daily basis. Over on Barking Up the Wrong Tree, FBI negotiator Chris Voss suggests that the first tip we can all take away from a hostage negotiator is “active listening.”

Active listening is pretty straight forward and exactly what it sounds like:

1. Listen to what they say. Don’t interrupt, disagree or “evaluate.”
2. Nod your head, and make brief acknowledging comments like “yes” and “uh-huh.”
3. Without being awkward, repeat back the gist of what they just said, from their frame of reference.
4. Inquire. Ask questions that show you’ve been paying attention and that move the discussion forward.

Essentially, a hostage negotiators first job is to hear out the other side and then respond. It’s a good tactic for any type of negotiation. Head over to Barking Up the Wrong Tree for a bunch more negotiation tips from hostage negotiators.

6 hostage negotiation techniques that will get you what you want | Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Photo by Ben Smith.
via Lifehacker
Use “Active Listening” to Get What You Want in a Negotiation