world gone mad

I have other step stools, but none so handy, sturdy, easy to use, and simple to store away as this small, plastic folding step stool. One lives in the narrow crack between my refrigerator and wall—it breaks down to less than two inches flat, but pops out easily to give me the extra nine inches I need to root around in the back of the top cupboards. Very sturdy: rated for 300 pounds. Reasonably lightweight: less than 2.5 pounds. And it has a nice handle when folded, so it's great for use wherever, whenever. I'm belatedly realizing I should have brought mine to the Red Bull Soap Box Derby the other day; I would've seen something other than the backs of people's heads as the giant donut, belt sander, and Rubik's cube whizzed by. Live and learn.

I've used mine for five years, inside and outdoors, and it's not showing any signs of age; I just hose it off on occasion. Really good to have on hand anywhere space is at a premium -- apartments, boats, RV's, etc. They're also available in 6- and 12-inch heights, plus a two-step model (17 inches high), that folds to 4.5 inches (haven't tried those models myself, though). The stools also come in a variety of colors.

—Barbara Dace

E-Z Foldz Step Stool, 9-inch (aka "Turtle Stool")
$11-21
Available from Amazon

I planned my first trip to Japan six months out with every intention of studying basic language skills in advance. I subscribed to a podcast, looked into Rosetta Stone, and added a few foreign films to our Netflix queue. Easier said than done. After five months of procrastination (just being honest), I picked up this book as a last-ditch effort to learn at least a little as we traveled. For a two-week trip, we brought five guides, including the previously-reviewed Japan's Hidden Hot Springs. Survival Japanese is the only one I consulted everyday -- at least one-third of its pages are now dog-eared. Rather than overwhelm with long word lists or complex explanations of how to form unique sentences, the book is broken into scenarios with simple phrases listed in English, Japanese (Romanized), Japanese characters and, most importantly, spelled phonetically in English. You just flip to whatever situation you're prepping for or have found yourself in... in a taxi, greeting people, paying bills, apologizing, asking questions, at the station, in a bar, visiting a home, medical emergencies (thankfully, we had none) and more. Sure an extensive glossary with many more words would be nice; additional phrases for the same and other scenarios would also be useful. That's not the point with this one. If you're a true beginner, the book provides just enough in a package you won't mind stashing in a jacket pocket or tossing in a day bag. I still wish I'd learned more beforehand. Nevertheless, my new (and very polite) Japanese friends gave me an A for effort.

-- Steven Leckart

Survival Japanese
Boye Lafayette De Mente
160 pages, 2003 (revised ed.)
$7
Available from Amazon

If you want to save money and have the time to create a DIY pocketguide (I did not), this wikitravel phrasebook is a great resource; also, please note that below are just a few select phrases from a few sections -- SL

Traditional Japanese tools are not as esoteric as they once were. In part because for 35 years this venerable importer has been publicizing their virtues. Fine cabinet makers in particular have found Japanese-style saws, chisels, and wood shapers to be superior in many ways. But you don't need to be a cabinet maker to appreciate the tools featured in this catalog. I've bought some very reasonably-priced Japanese kitchen knives that we've maintained with razor edges for many years.

-- KK

The Japan Woodworker

Or visit the store in Alameda, California:

Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 5 pm PST, 1-800-537-7820

Unlike the previously-reviewed Starfrit Securimax, this opener is electric and sits on your counter, so it requires very little exertion or physical dexterity. Since the blade cuts along the side of the top, it never cuts or touches down into the can -- i.e. no dirty blade contaminating the can contents, no metal shavings fall in your food, and no contents oozing out over the dust covered can top. Also, since the cut top is slightly bigger than the body, no cut lids fall into the can -- and after opening, the top can easily be placed back on the can. For short term storage in the fridge, I use some tape to keep it in place.

Best of all, the opener leaves a lid and can that have no sharp edges -- even with a pop-top. I don't know about the rest of the country, but most communities in New York State require recycling, and all recycled food containers must be clean. Our household goes through many cans in a week, and washing out cans opened with a traditional can opener can be treacherous because of the sharp edges.

Hamilton Beach sells almost a dozen models of can openers, but only one uses the "Smooth Touch technology." I'm baffled, since after using this one it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to return to a traditional style opener. You operate it, more or less, as you would any electric counter-top opener. Just wedge the can between the two rotating discs and push down on the lever to grip the can. Press the lever a little more to rotate and cut the can. You do have to hold the lever down throughout the operation, which can be mildly annoying for a large diameter can. Some time-pressed people will also miss the automatic shutoff of other electric can openers. Certain brands, notably College Inn tend to require up to two revolutions to open. But the time, effort and caution it saves when we're cleaning the cans is certainly worth it.

-- David King

Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Can Opener
$31
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Hamilton Beach

Spray-On Cooking Oil As Expedient Wetsuit Remover

As a triathlete, I practice the transition during every training session, meaning I try to remove my wetsuit in super fast time.

Every Friday last summer I swam in a lake in my Promotion triathlon wetsuit. I spent the whole summer struggling to get off my wetsuit. I tried slopping some water down the front before getting out of the water, Superglide and all kinds of things. My Ironman friend swears by Pam Spray On Cooking Oil. He's used it for 17 years and has had no damage to his wetsuits. You can't buy Pam in the UK (at least not cheaply). All I could find was Frys spray on oil. I bought a pump-action one since this is more eco-friendly.

I got to the lake one Friday and sprayed a generous coating on my legs. I was sure the oil would come off during my hour-long swim so I didn't really expect it to work. As I clambered out of the water I unzipped my wetsuit, ripped it down to my waist and then pulled it off my legs. I couldn't believe how effective this is. Triathletes normally try to pull a wetsuit down enough that they can tred on it to pull the rest of it off. I hadn't managed to do this all summer, but on my first attempt using cooking oil, I was instantly able to get the wetsuit down. Absolutely perfect!

-- Carl Myhill

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Chopsticks for Whisking

On one of my trips to Asia, I noticed an omelet chef at breakfast using a pair of chopsticks to whisk the eggs. Since then I have kept several pairs of good quality chopsticks in my kitchen for whisking and stirring jobs where a traditional balloon whisk is simply too big and also doesn't get into the corners if the container or pot does not have a rounded bottom. For this use, simply grasp the chopsticks as if they were a pair of pencils; only holding towards the thick (far) end. For better whisking power, slightly separate the two thin ends. As with a balloon whisk, most of the power should come from moving your forearm from the elbow, with your wrist just giving the 'whip'-like follow through. -- Aryeh Abramovitz

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Tie Wraps in a Bike Repair Kit

I would strongly suggest adding tie-wraps or zip ties to any bicycle repair set. They can hold a whole lot of things in place when screws get lost... I'm speaking here as an avid cyclist (I do about 2 to 3000 kilometers every year, most in vacations). -- Michiel Kemeling

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Prevent Flat Bike/Motorcycle Tires

Here's an easier way to flat-proof your bicycle: make a flap of stiff plastic that extends in front of the back wheel until it nearly touches the pavement. Then glue or rivet a rubber flap to the lower edge that brushes against the pavement. A bleach bottle is a particularly good source of plastic since you can gain some stiffness from curve to the neck, and depending on your bicycle design, you might even profit from the neck itself. I learned this many years ago when I was a motorcycle mechanic and discovered that perhaps 90 percent of all flats are on the back wheel. The reason: the front wheel stands the object up, the back wheel runs into it. All the flap does is knock the object back down, and that's all that's necessary. I put one these on my motorcycles and have never again had a flat in more than thirty years and hundreds of thousands of miles of riding. I put them on my bicycles too, and never have flats. -- Bill Babcock

***************
Quick Ways To Open a Shrinkwrapped CD

I got my start writing about music, so I received review copies of a lot of CDs. Since the days of physical, shrinkwrapped CDs are numbered, I feel compelled to share the two solutions I picked up. 1) To cut the shrinkwrap, vigorously rub one side of the disc on the corner or leg of a desk (preferably a metal one). Don't rub the face of the case, otherwise you'll scratch it. 2) To remove the barcode sticker binding the edge of the case: pry open the case at the hinges, then use the leverage to pull the sticker off in one long, quick movement.

These are so simple, I was able to do both in a minute with my left hand (I'm right-handed).

-- Steven Leckart

Shrinkwrap removal...

Sticker removal...

I'm a chart hound. I love the way one large intelligently designed single image can open up a world. My studio walls are covered with such portals. (For previously-reviewed cool charts see the Histomap of World History and A Correlated History of Earth). Recently I've add to my walls the 2009 "Death & Taxes" poster. In one large sheet this chart shows how your federal (US) taxes are currently divvied up among various agencies and programs. No matter what we claim our values are, how we spend our hard earned money speaks a thousand times louder and more truthfully about our real priorities. The immensity of military spending is made plain in this chart; the paucity of science funding equally vivid. But there are lots of other surprises: The size of health related spending, and highway funding. The numerous large sums for things you've never heard of.

A democracy needs informed citizens. This chart can quickly educate you about your government in a new way, a way in which a long list of incomprehensible budget numbers can not. The brilliance of this chart is Tuftian way it diagrams quick sense out of the complexity of a superpower's government and yet rewards close scrutiny.

You can scroll through this chart at close quarters via the online version, but you'll miss the punch of the big picture. Before you vote this election, spend some time with this guide to see how our national priorities shape up.

-- KK

Death & Taxes: 2009
24 x 36 inches
$30
Available from Wallstats

While most tankless water heaters require expensive permanent installation, the Ecotemp L5 water heater provides hot water anywhere there is a water spigot and a garden hose. The L5 comes with a propane hose and a telephone-style shower nozzle. To set up the L5, you hang it on nail, attach the water hose, and connect the propane hose to a standard portable propane tank. The burner starts automatically when you turn on the water using the control on the shower nozzle.

My wife and I have a tiny cabin on a piece of mountain land that has a water supply, in the form of a frost-free water spigot, but no other utilities. We bought the L5 two years ago when we got tired of heating water for washing and showers in a pan on our Coleman stove. The L5 makes this glorified camping spot feel luxurious. The heater weighs about 12 pounds, making it easy to move back and forth between the spot where we wash dishes and a small enclosure I built for taking showers. When we leave, we disconnect it, drain it, and store it the cabin.

The heater uses two D-cell batteries to run its automatic igniter. In two years of summer-weekend use, we've not yet had to replace the batteries. The heater has two controls: a water-flow dial and a gas-flow dial. In practice, you just turn the gas dial to "max" and adjust the temperature by varying the water flow. When adjusted to a decent temperature for a hot shower, the flow is perfectly adequate.

The heater must be used outdoors. Conceivably, you could mount it to the outside of a cabin and pipe the hot water inside. The water outlet accepts the same kind of flexible water supply hose you use to connect a sink's faucet to your household water supply.

The L5 is not the only on-demand portable water heater. Coleman's table-top unit uses small, disposable propane canisters, and has a built in pump, allowing it to be used without a pressurized water supply. The pump's battery must be recharged every 40 gallons. Available accessories for the Coleman include a shower handset and adapters for bulk propane containers and pressurized water supplies. The Coleman unit's built-in spigot makes washing hands and dishes more convenient than the L5's shower handset, and it has a special mode for producing 160 (F) degree water for hot drinks. However, it has 20% less heating capacity than the L5 (which is rated at 37,500 BTUs) and costs substantially more, especially with accessories. Another option, the Zodi travel shower, also uses a battery-powered pump, but provides only 10,000 BTUs and lacks the instant-on feature of the L5 and Coleman heaters. Both the Coleman and the Zodi are free-standing, and do not require a place to hang them. The Coleman costs about $185 (plus $30 for the bulk propane adapter, $25 for the water supply adapter, and $15 for the shower handset), the Zodi $130, and the L5 $120.

In the two years we've had the L5, we've had a couple small problems. We had to replace the short hose that connects the heater to the shower handset. More recently, the handset itself broke when we left it outside on a very cold night and the water in it froze. Occasionally, the burner will go out in a high wind. On the whole, however, the L5 has been very reliable and convenient. Besides luxury camping, I could see the L5 being useful in a potting shed or an outdoor kitchen.

-- Tom Sackett

EccoTemp L5 Portable Tankless Water Heater
$120
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by EccoTemp

Using the previously-reviewed Kayaks You Can Build book, I built my first Coho, a stich-and-glue plywood sea kayak. Before deciding on the Pygmy kit, I also considered ones offered by Mill Creek, Red Wing, Cheasapeake Light Craft, Dancing Waters, and One Ocean Design. In the end, I settled on Pygmy based on the feedback I got from other builders who touted just how very, very accurate the computer controlled router cut parts are. From the start, I realized I've seen a lot of Cohos out there over the years, which seemed to imply the design would be pretty well nailed down and refined by now. I was right.

The eight panels in the hull of the Coho make it a multi-chine boat, sort of half way between a strip construction and a four-panel hull. The way the deck fits elegantly onto the hull was also a big factor in my decision. I really like the fact that it is such a simple, but effective attachment. Some designs mandate you place screws or nails through the deck to the shear -- to me that just seemed wrong. I also liked the more modern vertical stern, though the bow still very much keeps with a classic Greenland kayak shape. The hull is not too wide, but very stable and the deck's extra two panels create a shape that reduces the knocking of your knuckles when you're paddling. Also, the thinner panels of the hull really allow them to twist and create intriguing transitions that are simply not possible with a four-panel hull.

The staff at Pygmy are very friendly and helpful. My mom lives in Port Townsend, WA where Pygmy is located. I had always thought building a kayak would be neat, even before I discovered their shop near the marina. On one trip they let my son and I paddle a double around the bay. Several years later, I was at Eagle Lake, CA and someone had a Pygmy Arctic Tern. The boat paddled like a dream -- reminded me of the first time I rode a high quality road racing bicycle. I was finally sold. Not long after, I bought my Coho kit from Pygmy.

If you are in Washington, I would really take a test paddle. I have a Perception Dagger which I use on the Sacramento River, a knock-around boat I can drag across the rocks or loan out to anyone without worrying. It does not track at all like the Coho. The response and performance are impeccable.

I took a pretty leisurely approach and probably spent about 300 hours, until it was done. After that, there is always something to consider adding -- a carrying cart, some kind of a sail rig, etc. So I guess it is never really all finished! There really are only two problems with the Coho: 1) though they are very durable, you have so much time in them, you still really want to take care of them, 2) just about every trip I go on I get about six people a day stopping and asking me questions. It can actually delay your leaving the beach!

-- Mark Forwalter

Pygmy Coho
$660 - basic kit
$895 - full kit (includes epoxy, fiberglass tape & manual)
Available from Pygmy Boats

I used to wear contact lenses all the time, largely because they made playing sports easier. Then I bought a pair of Eyephorics. Zowee. At 2.5 grams, these glasses are ultra light and ultra, ultra comfortable. I often lay down to go to sleep totally unaware they are on my face. I chose earpieces that hook behind my ears. They don't slip, even when my face gets sweaty when I run and play tennis. Aside from different earpieces, you can get any shape lens and any color nose piece/ear bar. Mine are seafoam green, which sounds weird but they look normal. I got mine at a local high-end eyewear store. The glasses are costly, but they are also super durable. I am very rough on my glasses. This pair has taken some serious abuse in the past 18 months , but always manages to bounce back. I will never buy any other kind. If you wear contacts or glasses, these glasses will make you swoon.

-- Anne Schuster

Eyephorics
$270
(depending on lens/Rx/color, etc.)
Available from SF Optics - San Francisco

Grand Central Eyewear - New York

Eye Spy Optical - Chicago

QOptical - Boston

Also available for $180 via Optical Needs on eBay

Manufactured by Swissflex

For soldering wires in places beyond an extension cord, or for burning stuff with fine details I use this butane-fueled micro torch. It is like a propane torch, only 10 times smaller. The micro torch generates a tiny, precise, very hot blue flame. Uses typical butane refill liquid. It's lightweight and agile. But unlike other self-igniting micro-torch models, including the previously-reviewed Weller Portasol, or the ones used by jewelers, this one is cheap at $12. It is good enough for the occasional heating I do.

-- KK

Micro Torch
$12
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by BernzOmatic

These super heavy duty, compact shelf brackets were installed in the basement of my 80-year-old house when I moved in. I've never seen anything better for use as a lumber or pipe rack system at this price. The steel shelf brackets fit in a steel wall stringer that's rated to 300 lbs. at the tip of an 18" bracket. There are excellent commercial shelving systems costing hundreds, even thousands of dollars, but I don't consider those within the range of an average home owner or hobbyist. These aren't cheap, but they cover that middle ground between the industrial shelves and lesser, consumer-grade aluminum bracket systems. It took me 10 years to track down these, because, oddly, they don't seem to have a brand name or manufacturer affiliated with them. Woodcraft supply is the only place, the ONLY place I've ever been able to find them. Woodcraft claims Telco companies use them in their cable rooms for holding up heavy bundles of cables.

-- Jon Kroninger

Lumber Rack Bracket
$8 - 10"
$10 - 14"
$16 - 18"
$24 - 55"
$225 - full set
Available from Woodcraft

Just because anyone can edit Wikipedia doesn't mean it's easy. Sure, you can edit anonymously and say anything you like, but if you want to make edits that last and if you want to participate in a meaningful way that complies with community guidelines, well, there's a lot to learn. Guidelines can be hard to find on the site, and for better or worse, they're always evolving.

As the pull-quote on the cover of this book indicates, Cool Tools has previously-recommended other Missing Manuals from O'Reilly. Like the other books in the series, Wikipedia: The Missing Manual is logically structured, includes lots of screen-shots, and is infinitely skimmable. A great introduction and a handy reference, the manual starts out with the basics: editing, creating articles and maintaining them (yes, that's just the start). More advanced topics include collaboration, advanced formatting, broader site structure, and interface customization.

Documentation at the website is not particularly searchable given the site's relatively simplistic one-box-fits-all search interface; browsing through documentation and discussion can be difficult and, frankly, overwhelming. In addition to the quite readable, cover to cover flow, the book has a comprehensive index that allows for quick navigation that delivers precise answers to the myriad questions that inevitably arise, especially when you're just getting familiar with this medium.

Make no mistake, community consensus is always the last (ever-changing) word. But John Broughton, who has also overseen the Editor's Index to Wikipedia project, can help you ease into editing without committing any major blunders. 

-- Camille Cloutier

Wikipedia: The Missing Manual
John Broughton
2008, 502 pages
$20
Available from Amazon

As any kid with iMovie knows, you assemble a film from short pieces cut from raw shots. Ah, but where do you cut? This frame, or that one? And which order do you join them? The art of a movie often lies in exactly how it is edited frame by frame. Much like the art of placing one word after another. The possibilities could go a million ways, but only one sequence will appear inevitable in retrospect. So how do you decide?

Of all the many books on editing motion pictures, I found this one explains the logic of editing best. It assumes you can handle the mechanics of the craft (no software menus or photo tech speak here). Instead what I got from this idiosyncratic book is a set of very handy rules of thumb for editing moving pictures. I'd say that this guide won't be of much help for your YouTube videos, but would enlighten any attempt at a long-form film.

-- KK

The Eye is Quicker
Richard D. Pepperman
2004, 350 pages
$19
Available from Amazon

Cool Tools Untried look cool, but -- buyer beware -- may seem cooler than they actually are. Neither I nor any of our reviewers has actually used the items below, so we can't endorse them or speak from experience. If you have used any of these and can report (positively or negatively) -- or if you have a similar item you love -- please let us know in the comments below or via our submit page. Until then, here's some intriguing stuff -- Steven Leckart

Bioline
Available from Go Fast and Light

Biodegradable fishing line that functions like typical fishing line, but supposedly breaks up fully after five years (and even sooner, it wears down enough that a trapped fish can break free -- again, that's the claim). The company also manufactures dissolving medical sutures.

(Thanks Padraig!)

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Presto Planter
Available from Clean Air Gardening

Auger attachment for power drill to help prep soil for seeds and bulbs.

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EcoBee Smart Thermostat
Available from EcoBee

Programmable home climate control with a slick touchscreen interface.

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Lifesaver Water Bottle
Available from LIFESAVER

H20 bottle with an integrated, replaceable carbon filter and pump.

(Thanks Rob!)

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1-Step Metric Conversion Calculator
Available from Amazon

Enables quick metric conversions, when you're on site and/or offline.

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Peltor Ear Muffs for Hard Hats
Available from Ear Plug Store

Helmet-ready ear protection.

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ULINE Scooter Cart
Available from ULINE

A worker's comp disaster in the making? Maybe. No doubt a fun way to speed up the stock room, though.

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USB Cell
Available from USB Cell

AA Batteries that recharge via USB.

The "Breathing" Mobile Washer is a manual agitator that helps me do as good a job as a conventional washer machine, even better in my opinion. We do almost all our laundry at home in the tub, using the Breathing Mobile Washer and the previously-reviewed large spin dryer. The washer is sort of like a plunger, only made of rigid materials. The cone is articulated, so air is allowed to escape -- unlike a plunger, you don't get a build up of air pressure. Inside, near the bottom, there's a plastic grate. When you push down, water is driven through whatever is under the grate. Unlike the agitator in a conventional washer does, this washer doesn't just move the items around in the water. It literally forces water through the material. At the same time, though, it's gentle on clothing. There's lots of surface area, so there's little chance of anything tearing from potential stress. And, of course, being manual, you decide how hard to go at something. A dirty pair of jeans is always going to get a more thorough plunging than a delicate sweater or blouse. Soaking and pretreating laundry does most of the hard work. We do find it's important to still pre-treat stains, but we had to do that with our conventional washer, too.

Overall, using the mobile washer does not take too much work. I can throw the equivalent of 2-3 loads into the tub, agitate them for a minute or two to ensure everything is soaking well, then leave it for ten minutes or so, come back in, agitate it some more, leave it for another ten minutes, then give it a final agitation before loading it into the spin dryer in 2-3 batches. Since we usually use only one load of wash water and one load of rinse water for multiple loads of laundry, we're essentially doing 3-6 loads of wash with the same amount of water, detergent, and softener as we'd normally use in a single load. (Note: we use white vinegar in the rinse water instead of fabric softener).

According to the manufacturer, the Breathing Mobile Washer is actually a revamp of an old patent from the late 1800's. The old version was made of heavier metal that supposedly rusted. This one is lighter; the cone is made from plastic and the handle is wood.

-- Christine Mank

The "Breathing" Mobile Washer
$17
$35 (non-U.S.)
Available from The "Breathing" Mobile Washer

Self-heating meal packs give you hot meals without a stove. Developed by the US military for battlefield use, these 1,200 calorie food packages, known as Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), are also widely used by firefighters and emergency workers out in the field. In theory you could live off two per day.

Each meal comes in a complete package of two appetizers, main course, powdered drink, and desert. The main course is contained in a sealed pouch that you insert into another pouch that chemically reacts to produce an intense heat. The meal inside gets steaming hot, surprisingly hot.

There are 6 standard menus, like spaghetti or beef stew. The taste is okay. If you were hungry enough you might think it good. We've never had trouble finishing a meal. Sometimes just the fact they are steaming hot hits the spot. The other stuff in the meal pack is pretty much generic and always edible. Each of the seven parts in each meal is individually vacuum packed so there is a pile of litter generated. Also, all the food is ready-to-eat and hydrated; together with massive packaging, these are heavy dudes. Not ideal for backpacking, but one overnight wouldn't hurt.

Self-heating meals are great as easy car camping food. We've used them when we arrive late and are too lazy to set a stove up. Or at events like Burning Man when cooking is the last thing you want to do. I've used them canoeing, too, where weight is not an issue.

These self-heating MREs have an official shelf life of 3 years so that can be stockpiled in your pantry and rotated out as backup emergency rations. I have stuffed two meals for each person in our household into our go-bag.

Until recently all MREs were manufactured solely for military use. You could find wayward MREs on eBay; they may have been past their expiration date, or resold through gray markets, or missing their heater envelopes. Now the makers of MREs are selling directly to the public. The minimum order is a carton of 12, two units of each 6 varieties. The go for about $5 per meal. The brands are pretty indistinguishable. I've been using the A-Pack Ready Meals and am a happy camper.

-- KK

Ready Meals
$55 per 12
Manufactured by A-Pack
(Because of hurricane disasters they seem to be out of stock at the moment.)

Or $85 per 12 from Amazon

Here's a great informational site on MREs run by a dedicated enthusiast

Ever wonder what instruments, pedals and assorted gizmos Eric Clapton used on stage with Cream circa 1968? If you're a gearhound, amateur musician, professional journeyman, or weekend warrior, Guitar Geek is a fantastic resource (and a major potential time suck). In addition to a laundry list of gear, with each artist comes a very straightforward visual roadmap of what hooks into what. Plus, each specific piece of gear gets its own page with additional info and links to every bands in the database that use, for instance, the Digitech WH-1 Whammy: Robert Fripp, Steve Vai, Radiohead, and My Bloody Valentine, just to name a few. The catalog of bands/guitars is not as vast as it could be. It's very late-90s-heavy and there are some glaring omissions -- no Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin. Also, the site says the accuracy of each setup is not guaranteed, as each has been cobbled together from bios, concert footage, eyewitness accounts, press and online research. Nevertheless, even if you're a fan who has no interest in building your dream setup, there's a certain wow factor when you dive in here (check out Eddie Van Halen's rig circa 1997. Seriously.). When I was 14 years-old and played non-stop, not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined so much info would ever be available in one place.

-- Steven Leckart

Guitar Geek

Sample Excerpts:

ARTIST: JIMI HENDRIX
BAND: JIMI HENDRIX
YEAR: 1968
STRINGS: FENDER "ROCK N' ROLL" STRINGS
GAUGE: LIGHT GAUGE
AMPS: Marshall 1959SLP 100Watt Super Lead Plexi Head
CABINETS: Marshall 1960A Slant Cabinet / 4x12
Marshall 1960AC Vintage Cabinet / 4x12
GUITARS: 1968 Fender Stratocaster Reverse Headstock Electric Guitar
(blonde w/maple neck & black w/maple neck)
PEDALS: Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Roger Mayer Octavia Fuzz/Octave
UniVox UniVibe
Vox 847 Wah
STRINGS: Fender "Rock N' Roll" Strings
LAYOUT:

ARTIST: JONNY GREENWOOD
BAND: RADIOHEAD
YEAR: 1997
GUITARS 1990S FENDER TELECASTER PLUS ELECTRIC GUITAR
SUNBURST - REWIRED - CUSTOM ON/OFF SWITCH INSTALLED WHICH MUTES SOUND FROM THE
1975 FENDER STARCASTER ELECTRIC GUITAR
AMPS: Fender Deluxe 85 Combo / 1x12
Vox AC30/6TB Top Boost Combo Reissue / 2x12
PEDALS: Boss LS-2 Line Selector / Loop / Power Supply
Boss RV-3 Reverb Delay
Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Boss TU-12H Chromatic Tuner
Digitech WH-1 Whammy Original
DOD 440 Envelope Filter
Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser USA
Marshall Shredmaster Overdrive / Distortion
Roland FV-300H Volume Pedal
RACK: Mutronics Mutator Filter / Envelope Follower
Roland RE-201 Space Echo Tape Delay / Reverb
LAYOUT:

This light is designed for star gazing, but it is also a superb in-the-glove-box light since it provides red light for map reading or general fumbling around without disturbing a driver's night vision. You can switch to white light when you need it. Yes, the previously-reviewed Pilot's Light is much brighter with 20 white LED and six red, as opposed to the Skylite's two white, two red. So as an all-purpose light, the Pilot's Light might be a better option.

But there's one feature the Skylite has that the Pilot's Light doesn't: a rheostat wheel that lets you attenuate the brightness. Very useful in my case, since I use the light to get up early in the a.m. and walk to the meditation hall/temple. When entering a dark mediation hall at any time of day or night, the red light allows one to navigate to a seat without disturbing anyone else already seated. And I can also adjust the beam down further so as not to disturb them. My friends all use red lights as well, because our Spiritual Master instructed us that white light (as opposed to red) stimulates the pineal gland, and it's best not to do so first thing before meditation. Many of my friends use pinch lights, but I prefer the Skylite because it also provides the option of the adjustable white light when needed.

The light uses a 9v battery -- the upside is longer batter life, the downside is no rechargeable option. In addition, you do have to mind the rheostat wheel to make sure you don't leave the light on slightly. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite and most used flashlights.

-- Cliff Rediger

Skylite LED
$32
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Rigel Systems

The Nuvi is a superbly designed car navigation device that is comparatively inexpensive. The Nuvi is a no-brainer to set up. You type the street address (it will guess the town) of where you want to go on the touch screen (or hit a place you've been before) and it shows you where you are on a driver-view map. It indicates upcoming turns on the map visually and with a spoken voice. It's generally reliable anywhere in the US even in places you would not expect. When you alter course, it rapidly recalculates a new route.

These are pretty much standard features on car navigation systems. In addition to built-in nav systems in high-end cars, there are lots of manufactures and models for these small add-on units. I checked a lot of research and reviews, but the best advice came from taxi cab drivers I asked. They use these devices a lot and they have experience with different varieties of them. Their consensus was that the Garmin Nuvi was the best deal.

The Nuvi 350 has a street price of $180. The wider screen and added features of the higher models are luxuries. Do you really need a nav device at all? Here's the thing: it is way better than either a map or directions in getting you to somewhere new. I never get lost now. Also, it does something a map or directions can't do, which is to find the nearest gas station or park, or ATM. A nav system is also way safer, too. I got one for my daughter at school in a new city; I am beloved and relaxed.

The cheaper nav systems (such as the Nuvi 200 series) don't talk. The big surprise in car navigation is that you need turn-by-turn spoken instructions. That keeps your eyes on the road and minimizes looking at the map. The Magellen Maestro is a comparable product, slightly cheaper, but with less love from fans. As of now, the Garmin Nuvi 350 is the starter car nav device to get.

-- KK

The Nuvi 350
$180
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Garmin

The Strap Pod isn't as steady as a monopod and nowhere near as steady as a heavy tripod or even a relatively light one like the previously-reviewed Tiltall Tripod. But when you want to pack something small, stealthy, quiet, and effective....voila! I've been using one for more than two years for when I shoot in low light and available light -- which I do with some frequency (indoor sports, concerts, theater, etc.). The Strap Pod rolls up nicely, stashes easily in your pack, pocket or on your belt and -- unlike a tripod or a monopod -- it is very easy to deploy, use and remove quickly.

I'm more inclined to bring it along when I don't necessarily have a 'set up' of shots in mind. If I go for an impromptu hike in the local woods as dusk approaches, for instance, my experience is that the Strap Pod seems to give me an additional one to two stops. This allows me to shoot without pushing the ISO too far, or shooting at too slow of a shutter speed as to blur any action. (Note: my 85mm prime lens is an f1.4 and my 70-200mm zoom is an f2.8 -- the fastest lenses that allow 'reach' under low or available light ). Even with Virtual Reduction of shake functions in higher end DSLRs (in the lenses for Nikon, in the camera for Canon), having just that much more stability in your shot can open possibilities for a bigger range of useful f-stops. You could accomplish this with a classic, previously-mentioned "chain pod," but if you're in the woods shooting wildlife, the jangling of a chain is hardly stealthy.

Another benefit is that the Strap Pod is removed from a baseplate via a vice action -- not the screwing and unscrewing of a threaded bolt -- so it quickly and cleanly attaches/detaches. I have a camera worth more than the internal threading/tapped hole that accepts something like the chain pod. I'd rather not leave an eye bolt in my camera, because I often need to quickly shift from supported shot to free shot. If you are taking street shots in lower light, but don't want to traipse around with a monopod, you can keep the Strap Pod mounted on your camera. Just drop the strap, step into the loop and shoot. No muss, no fuss, no twisting or flicking sections or wielding something that looks like a baton or a spear. In the case of museums or some public spaces, tripods are simply not allowed (though you can sometimes get away with a monopod by pretending it is a 'walking stick'). But again, hauling a monopod around is sometimes clumsy, frowned upon, or outright discouraged in certain environs. The Strap Pod is much less intrusive and bulky, so I'm more likely to toss it into my pocket or my camera bag and bring it along.

For serious support of camera and lens, I use a serious, lightweight, carbon-fiber monopod with a Kirk arca-mount plate, and a Gitzo Mountaineer model carbon fiber tripod with a Kirk ball head mount. I wouldn't count on the Strap Pod to replace monopods or tripods, especially in critical shoots like weddings or commercial photography. That's not the point. The Strap Pod is another tool for photographers to use to gain some helpful stability with their shots and maintain a more optimal ISO, while giving more options for creative control over f stop and shutter speed ranges.

-- Will Jennings

Strap Pod
$30 - universal mount
$40 - quick-release mount
Available from Kirk Photo