Google's official launcher was finally released on the Play Store a couple of months ago to much fanfare. Despite being your favorite home screen replacement , it's still not officially available for many devices. Here's how to work around that pesky limitation.
The average US employee only takes about half of his or her earned vacation time, according to a new study by the folks at Glassdoor. We've talked about how important it is to take your vacations to avoid burnout and to just stay happier and healthier, but we're still not doing it. So, what's holding you back?
Having trouble getting your kid to behave at the dinner table? New research shows that you might be able to avoid this by cutting their food into bite-sized pieces rather than serving things they have to use their front teeth to bite into.
Freezing food is an incredibly convenient way to save it, but thawing it is such a hassle. Here are the best (and quickest) ways to thaw just about any food.
There are plenty of places to pick up great PC games, whether you're looking for something just-released or a classic treasure. Still, some are better than others, either thanks to their deals, selection, approach to DRM, or support for indie games. Here are five of the best, based on your nominations.
Stainless steel pans are harder to clean than non-stick pans, especially when it comes to eggs and fish. Nylon scrapers cost just a few dollars and clean so well that you won't regret not having non-stick pans.
Eating chips right out of the bag is convenient, but messy when digging out the ones left at the bottom. You can avoid cheesy knuckles and greasy arms, though, by cutting the top of the bag off.
Even if your home is in relatively good order, there's something cathartic about spring cleaning. This spring, take some time to get yourself organized with this list of tasks.
You can get all the free space you want , but your Dropbox can fill up fast. If photos are the problem, there's a simple (and somewhat obvious) solution: Use another auto-upload service instead.
A consistent lack of sleep wreaks havoc on your body and brain. Want to quickly test if you're not getting enough sleep? Hit play on this video.
It’s like a game! But without the fun.
While Taco Bell explains that its beef is mostly beef, at 88%, there’s still that other 12% that consumers might be wondering about, so the chain is providing a page laying out all that list of unpronounceable ingredients (H/T BusinessInsider). This, instead of driving consumers to ask scientists to explain what the heck torula yeast is.
“Our seasoned beef recipe consists of 88% Premium Beef and 12% Signature Recipe. All of our ingredients are listed on our ingredient statement page, and you can learn more about these ingredients and the Taco Bell meat grade by clicking on a topic below.”
With catchy titles that sound like Taco Bell is trying to be just like your cool Uncle Hal bonding with you over science, each ingredient comes with a pop-up explanation.
“Why trehalose?” Why indeed? Because “It’s a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef.”
Oh, okay. “What’s the deal with soy lecithin?” Taco Bell’s version of Seinfeld asks.
“When you prepare as much seasoned beef as we do, you don’t want it to separate. That’s what soy lecithin does. It helps (with moisture) to bind substances that would otherwise separate – like oil and water. It’s a common ingredient in many grocery staples, like chocolate bars and salad dressings.”
Whether or not this makes you actually want to chow down on 88% beef and 12% other stuff, that’s up to you. But I’m saving “torula yeast” for future Scrabble games, that’s for sure.
Frontier’s new fee structure offers discounted flights, minus standard amenities like carry-on bags. Here’s a look at what the fares for a flight from D.C., to Las Vegas in June.
On its way to morphing into an “ultra-low-cost” carrier, Frontier announced an overhaul of its pricing structure, USA Today reports.
Effective immediately, customers can choose from two fare types that the airline says has “simplified its fee structure for carry-on bags, checked bags, and seat assignments.”
The Classic Plus fare includes the traditional travel package fliers have become accustomed to, complete with refundable fare, a free carry-on bag, a free checked bag and an advanced seat assignment.
Frontier’s new Economy fare will slash prices by about 12% and won’t include amenities like carry-on bags or reserved seats. However, a passenger can pay a fee for the ability to use the overhead storage bins or reserve a seat.
These seating options are available for customers beginning today.
Frontier also unveiled the Discount Den, a club that allows travelers to receive a $5 savings on the lowest-cost carry-on and first checked bag prices. Currently only EarlyReturns loyalty program customers are eligible for the promotion.
“With an unbundled product, customers can save even more by choosing to pay for only the products that they want, allowing them to customize their flight experience for each and every flight,” Frontier CEO David Siegel says in a statement.
Frontier Travelers who chose the Economy fare can pay the above fees for their carry-on and checked baggage.
In an e-mail sent to frequent-fliers on Monday, Siegel says the changes will ensure those passengers have a change of getting the seat they want and over time they won’t have to worry about finding room for carry-on bags in the overhead bins.
Siegel also hypothesizes that the changes will help to ensure customers get to their destinations on time since there will be fewer bags to check at the gate.
This isn’t the first time Frontier has taken a Spirit-like approach to becoming a low-cost carrier.
Last May the company announced a range of carry-on fees if consumers book travel through third-party sites. Travelers who booked on a site other than FlyFrontier.com could expect to pay between $25 to $100 for carry-on items and in-air beverages.
Additionally, the airline made a change to its frequent-flier program last July. Consumers who book their tickets on third-party sites will only earn somewhere between 25% and 50% of the miles they fly, while reserving with Frontier directly will earn fliers the usual 100%, 125% and 150% accrual rate.
Frontier revamps fare structure in ‘ultra-low-cost’ move [USA Today]
Cleveland.com reports that the first robbery at the Pizza Hut in Mayfield Heights, OH, took place on Dec. 1 and that $2,000 was stolen from the eatery.
Two masked gunmen “forced” their way into the Hut while the manager was opening up. They told her to open the safe, then used a cellphone charger cord to tie her up and lock her in the bathroom.
The second heist too place two months later, on Feb. 3. This time, a masked gunman entered the Hut through a backdoor and tried to get the only employee on duty to open the safe. The worker claimed to not know how to get into the safe, and so the robber left without cash — but not before pulling the old “tie her up with the charger cord and lock her in the bathroom” thing again.
After that robbery, the manager (who would eventually be arrested) told police she’d been the one that had closed the store the night before, but that she’d had trouble with the alarm, and that she’d never checked to make sure it was locked before leaving.
Then there was the third robbery, on April 13, during which the now-familiar masked gunmen switched up their M.O. by using plastic bags to tie up employees. The manager was freed from her baggie bondage and told to open the safe, which she did, allowing the gunmen to make off with $1,200.
Surveillance video from the Hut and surrounding businesses helped police to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Not only did it capture footage of the gunmen fleeing the last robbery, but it also had the robber dropping the manager off in her car earlier that morning before parking it on a nearby side street. The boyfriend was then found driving that car three days after the last hold-up, leading to his arrest and that of his girlfriend, who had worked at the restaurant for two years before these crimes.
He faces three first-degree felony aggravated robbery charges and the manager is on the hook for three counts of aiding and abetting the robberies.
All for a grand total of $3,200, presumably split three ways with the other gunman. It’s like they always tell kids: Crime doesn’t always provide a good return on investment.
On the one hand, a homeowner should be able to paint a house whatever hue of the rainbow he or she fancies. On the other, say residents of a historic stretch of homes in Santa Clara, it’s a disgrace to paint an old lady up in such garish colors.
The homeowners spent two years renovating their home, reports NBC Bay Area (warning: link has video that autoplays), in the city’s Old Quad neighborhood, and felt like doing something a bit different with the Victorian house for their kids.
“They love the movie ‘Up’ and we just thought we’d give them something fun to be proud of and actually all the kids in the neighborhood really love the colors,” the husband said of their daughters.
But others on the oldest street in the city say it’s a shame.
“I don’t think it fits in,” one neighbor said. “It really, in my opinion, is atrocious that this Victorian is a gracious old lady and it’s being painted up to look like a clown.”
Not everyone sees it as an eyesore, or at least, not a permanent one.
“I like historical houses to be historical,” another neighbor said. “On the other hand, it’s his home and I feel that sometime down the line it’s going to be repainted again anyway.”
Take Our PollOld Victorian in Santa Clara Remodeled to Resemble Home in Movie “Up” Sparks Controversy [NBC Bay Area]
Some readers said a few of our previous Consumerist Quizzes, like this one and this one were too hard, but around-the-office testing of this one indicates that this one isn’t as difficult as those others.
Only one way to find out… take the quiz and see!
Take Our Survey
Imagine that you’re shopping for your first used car, and check out private-party listings on Craigslist. You check out an older but affordable Honda Accord, and the friendly family man selling the vehicle showed you a clean title. Seems legit, right? Who goes around selling ’97 Hondas on Craigslist for huge profits? It turns out that a lot of people do, and they’re called “curbstoners.”
You know, because they’re selling cars at the curb, playing the part of regular dudes or dudettes who want to get rid of their car before buying a new one.
The scenario above really happened to a new dad serving in the Air Force, who took the seller of his Accord at his word. It turns out that the car was really a 1994 Accord, the odometer had been rolled back at least 60,000 miles, and its title wasn’t clean. It had been stolen, then totaled out by the insurance company. The title he saw was forged.
The good news is that he was able to straighten out the title, and the car seems safe and in good working order.
Here are some warning signs that the car seller you’re dealing with just might be a curbstoner:
Kindred spirits are a wily sort of spirit — you never know when you’re going to run into someone who has a lot in common with your life. And while it’s reward enough to share interests with a stranger, when that sharing leads to a whopper of a tip, well then, that’s extra nice.
When a customer at a Holiday Inn bar in New Jersey asked the bartender about the paw-print tattoo on her arm, she told him she loves animals and volunteers with a pit bull rescue group, reports CNN.
During the chat with the friendly couple, they got to talking about her own pets and she confided that one of her dogs was at the veterinary hospital and had just had emergency surgery hours before, after he swallowed a hard plastic ball.
When the man said something about surgery not being cheap, she explained that it was — around $2,700 in this case but she would do whatever she could for her dog Tucker, including working three jobs.
The bartender was shocked to find that the man had filled out the receipt for the couple’s drinks and dinner with $1,000 in the tip line, and tried to return it.
“I went back over and said ‘Sir, I cannot accept this, what is this for, why would you do this?’” she said, adding that she was shaking and crying when she saw it. He told her to put it toward her dog’s medical costs.
“I just stood there in shock. I walked around and hugged this couple. They said, ‘We’ll be praying for Tucker.’”
The hotel manager tracked down the customer through her comptroller this week to verify the tip as legitimate, and it sounds like his generosity isn’t limited to this one instant.
“Apparently this man does this quite frequently. Just a really nice guy and humanitarian,” the manager said. “I have never ever seen a $1,000 tip like that.”
Man leaves $1,000 tip for dog’s surgery [CNN]
I think it’s safe to say that it’s been at least a year since I last washed my car. Not that it doesn’t need it; I just rarely drive and can’t seem to find the time to actually run it through a car wash. But if a new paint being tested at Nissan takes off, none of us would have to worry about washing our cars again.
Nissan’s European research center recently tested Ultra-Ever Dry paint, which repels water and some oils, CNET reports.
The coating contains some really scientific sounding components (super-hydrophobic, oleophobic properties and complex micro-geometry) that causes water and some oils to bead and flow off.
Could the product usher in beginning of self-cleaning cars? Nissan seems to think so with its demonstration of how the new technology works. To test it out the company coated half of a Nissan Note with the paint and then drove through a water and mud-strewn course.
A video (posted below) shows water and mud easily falling off the car on the side with the new paint, while the side without appears to be covered in dirt residue.
The new product was developed by Ultratech International, a company that focuses on oil spill clean-up and industrial fluid management.
Don’t get too excited about skipping the car wash just yet. CNET reports that Nissan must evaluate the paint’s durability, cost, supple and appearance on vehicles before bringing it to market.
Nissan tries on dirt-resistant paint [CNET]
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Call to Action: SPCA Seeks Volunteers to Pick Up Donated Pet Food PotomacLocal.com Good morning – it's time to Celebrate the month of May with Arts Alive!, a free festival celebrating local arts including dance, theater, music literary arts and visual arts. This fun event is Saturday May 3rd at the Hylton Performing Arts Center from ... |
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9-Year-Old Manassas Boy Arrested, Charged With Taking Gun to School NBC4 Washington Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey reports on the arrest of a fouth-grader who police said brought an unloaded handgun to school Thursday. 9-Year-Old Va. Boy Arrested, Charged... Link; Embed; Email. Copy. Close. Link to this video. and more » |
