CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL 22 IMAGES.

Thanks for posting this - she offers some great tips!

Kevin

http://goseeruneatdrink.blogsp.....-whos.html

One of the tips I happen to agree with 100%: 

"McDonald's is not the devil. If nothing else, the bathrooms are always clean. (But some of them actually require you to punch a passcode printed on your receipt into a lock on the door. France, I'm talking to you."

From the report:

Conclusions on laptop reliability

Given the high overall failure rates of laptops and sizeable difference in reliability by brand, reliability should be a concern for consumers shopping around for the best holiday deals.
While our study found netbook malfunction rates to be trending 20% higher than more expensive laptops, the variance between manufacturer is far greater and should be a bigger factor in making a buying decision. ASUS and Toshiba laptops failed just over half as frequently as HP, which makes them a solid bet in terms of reliability.
Given that netbooks have only really been around in volume for about 12 months, it will be interesting to see how their reliability plays out over the course of the next 12 months. SquareTrade will continue to monitor the progress and publish an update of laptop and netbook failure rates in 2010.

You can download the free pdf from this site.

CLICK HERE

Airport draws smiles with 'recombobulation area' Mitchell puts some humor in security process

By Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: July 9, 2008

Travelers at Mitchell International Airport moving through security screening are met with a sign showing them the recombobulation area.

Steve Bentin of Madison puts his shoes back on while his wife Maureen McGilligan-Bentin waits at the "recombobulation area" at Mitchell Airport on Tuesday.

Taking off your shoes and pulling out your laptop at airport security may leave you feeling discombobulated.

The Mitchell International Airport staff has set up some chairs and a sign just past one of the security checkpoints to help you out.

They've labeled it the "recombobulation area."

Yes, it's a joke. At airport security.

The sign has been hanging at the Concourse C security checkpoint for about a month. Some passengers get it immediately. Some take a few steps, then laugh. Others look up and say, "Huh?"

"See? You're getting recombobulated right now," Melissa Fullmore said Tuesday morning to another traveler who was putting on his belt.

It took Fullmore, who was traveling home to Tallahassee, Fla., a minute to pick up on the joke. But she said airport security could use more levity.

"It's a stressful time," she noted. "You've got to throw out your soda."

A few passengers have written odes to the sign on their Weblogs. One question they've raised: Has the airport staff coined a new word?

"It's more in a pop culture dictionary than it is in an older version of Webster's," said airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe. "I get an occasional e-mail from someone either saying 'huh' or saying 'thanks for the laugh.' "

Airport Director C. Barry Bateman thought the sign would be funny, so airport workers crafted it in their maintenance shop, Rowe said. "We work really hard here, but it's also important to have some fun."

Max Wescoe of San Diego laughed when he saw the sign. It was a moment worthy of snapping a picture on his cell phone.

"I've seen plenty of discombobulation areas," he said, talking both about airport travel and life.

He now knows the one place he can come to do something about it.

"I thought they put that up just for me," he said.

Till 

I write this on Sunday morning, while sitting in my study.  I sip coffee from a favorite cup, the furnace hums quietly in the background, and life, although not perfect, is very good.  My thoughts turn to the people of Haiti, who are not as fortunate as most of us, and who now face a terrible crisis.  Please reach out today and help.

Please take a moment to help the people of Haiti.  The 7.0 earthquake which struck on Tuesday was catastrophic, and help is desperately needed.  Here are four organizations which are playing a key role in getting aid to the Haitians who are so in need of it:

The American Red Cross

The William J. Clinton Foundation

Catholic Relief Services

Food for the Hungry

(See original article via link above; the article includes videos.  See below for some highlights.)

What to Take Away From CES BY Chris DannenToday

Sometimes it takes a million square feet of gizmos to understand where humanity is headed. After all the pageantry and pixels, here's what the world learned about tech in 2010.

There Is No Such Thing as a Netbook

No one could stop talking about netbooks last year, and in 2010, you'll scarcely be able to find one. Why? Because netbooks have become tablets have become e-readers. With Pixel Qi's hybrid displays, which switch between e-ink and full-color LCD with the push of a button, there won't be any reason to have two dedicated devices for work and reading. Not to mention the gorgeous Spring Design Alex e-reader, which contains a fully-functional Android smartphone in its belly for Web browsing, email, and multimedia. (Image courtesy Gizmodo.)

Touch Rules

Blackberrys, Kindles, and G1 devices look mighty antiquated beside all the touchy-feely goodness at this year's show. Gone are the tactile keyboards of yore: Whether it's Dell's mini-tablet or Vizio's touchscreen HDTV remote, everything seemed to operate by touch. Even relative smartphone newcomers are expounding upon the trend that Apple and Android spawned, as evidenced by the ELSE Intuition, an Access Linux-based device being hawked in an unused conference room off the show floor.

Your Phone, Your Everything

Sure, we already had smartphone apps that could serve as digital key fobs for our cars. But CES democratized the phone-as-tool phenomenon by bringing us apps like a remote controller for Sony Blu-ray players and new accelerometers from STMicroelectronics that can sense temperature and wake the phone when it's in motion. A whole new bevy of fart apps lie in wait.

Any Inanimate Object Can Be a Computer

Intel was on hand to show the world how walls make excellent HD multitouch computers, when hooked up to Core i7 chips and linked to Flickr and Facebook. Meanwhile, Israeli startup PrimeSense was across the hall demonstrating their software, which allows home theater buffs to control their Blu-ray players, TVs and set-top boxes with hand gestures akin to HP's TouchSmart technology. And you thought it was cool that Microsoft made a computer from a coffee table. Psh.

...click on the link at the top of this post to see more at Fast Company.

• Software and Technology
• Lifestyle
• Personal productivity and creativity
• Work and Career
• Productivity
• "Life Lessons"

Read it here

Whether you're an occasional traveler or frequent flier, the prospect of passing through airport security can be daunting, and those traveling internationally to the U.S. should plan for longer delays due to increased searches. While you cannot make the security line any shorter, there is much you can do to make the process easier.

• Pack in easily inspected modules - mesh cubes, mesh pockets and packing folders - that can be lifted out individually for inspection.
• Follow 3-1-1 rules when carrying liquids, gels and aerosols on board: use travel-size containers of 3 oz or less that fit easily in 1 quart-size, clear plastic zip-top bag. Read more...

Packing for Limited Carry-On
Increased carry-on restrictions need not decrease in-flight comfort. Here's how to pack all your en route essentials.

• Wear your carry-on. A multi-pocket vest or jacket is perfect for stowing electronics, book, pillow, water bottle and more.
  • Security is a breeze - just take it off and send it through x-ray
  • Takes virtually no space at your seat
  • Doubles as a blanket
• Carry a Slimline In-Flight Organizer for electronics, glasses, reading material, snacks, etc.
  • Qualifies as a "purse" equivalent for Canadian carriers
  • Opens completely to lay flat for x-ray
  • Takes up no leg room
  • Keeps in-flight items at your fingertips
• Roll a carry-on tote for overnight or business trips.
  • Fits easily under the seat or in the overhead compartment
  • Holds laptop, change of clothes and toiletry kit, as well as in-flight items
  • Read more...

Whether you're an occasional traveler or frequent flier, the prospect of passing through airport security can be daunting, and those traveling internationally to the U.S. should plan for longer delays due to increased searches. While you cannot make the security line any shorter, there is much you can do to make the process easier.

• Pack in easily inspected modules - mesh cubes, mesh pockets and packing folders - that can be lifted out individually for inspection.
• Follow 3-1-1 rules when carrying liquids, gels and aerosols on board: use travel-size containers of 3 oz or less that fit easily in 1 quart-size, clear plastic zip-top bag. Read more...

Packing for Limited Carry-On
Increased carry-on restrictions need not decrease in-flight comfort. Here's how to pack all your en route essentials.

• Wear your carry-on. A multi-pocket vest or jacket is perfect for stowing electronics, book, pillow, water bottle and more.
  • Security is a breeze - just take it off and send it through x-ray
  • Takes virtually no space at your seat
  • Doubles as a blanket
• Carry a Slimline In-Flight Organizer for electronics, glasses, reading material, snacks, etc.
  • Qualifies as a "purse" equivalent for Canadian carriers
  • Opens completely to lay flat for x-ray
  • Takes up no leg room
  • Keeps in-flight items at your fingertips
• Roll a carry-on tote for overnight or business trips.
  • Fits easily under the seat or in the overhead compartment
  • Holds laptop, change of clothes and toiletry kit, as well as in-flight items
  • Read more...

For Security Ideas, Ask Business Travelers