Daily Bits

The Best Use for Pizza Box Supports

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I know someone who is very handy with old boxes and those sorts of things.  He’d get “trash” and cut them up to make them useful – like a DIY iPad stand, for example.  But, have you ever thought of making something useful out of those plastic pizza box supports that come with every pizza you order?  If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up with so many of those things.  Either that or you just throw them away every time.

Here’s a cool idea from Serious Eats: recycled pizza box support as a mobile phone stand.

Pizza Box Support

It’s rather simple, actually.  You just need to get that plastic thingamajig, and make sure you wash it thoroughly.  I would think that dishwashing liquid can remove all that grease.  (The last thing that you would want is grease to get all over your phone and probably ruin it.) Snip off the front leg and mount your mobile phone.  I am not sure about the angle – you might have to do a little bit of cutting off here and there to get your desired angle, but you get the idea.  I say it’s a cheap – not to mention semi-creative – alternative to mobile phone stands that you can buy today.

This got me thinking – what other “everyday things” can you turn into something useful like a mobile phone stand?

Via Serious Eats

 

Perhaps the Coolest Carnival Costume This Year

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Carnival is a season that is celebrated in various parts of the world. It is normally conducted right before Lent starts, and different areas have their own ways of celebrating. From Asia to Europe to North America to South America, Carnival is something that countless people look forward to. One thing is common: Carnival is full of festivities and fun.

Most people may know about Carnival as celebrate in places such as Brazil and Germany, but did you know that it is also celebrate in the tiny country of Cyprus? This island has a long tradition of celebrating Carnival, and can be traced to the times of Venetian rule in the 16th century. Much like many other celebrations, the Cypriot Carnival is characterized by parties, parades, and people dressing up in their most creative costumes and putting on fabulous makeup.

Speaking about creative, here is a short video clip of a guy who just might have the best Carnival costume this year. Shot in the streets of Limassol, where the Carnival is mainly celebrated, the video shows a guy in a Transformers get up.

I have to say that the costume as a whole can have cleaner lines, but the fact that he was able to create one that actually transforms smoothly deserves two thumbs up! This is definitely way better than that parody video of Optimus Prime I posted some time ago!

Google Person Finder for Those in Japan

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People Finder
The whole world is watching the events unfold in the east following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan earlier today. Though the country is the most prepared country in the world for this kind of natural disaster, today’s event is another reminder of how helpless us humans can be when the forces of nature are unleashed.

While many of our readers may not be directly affected by the earthquake and the following tsunamis, let us collectively show our support to our fellowmen in whatever way we can.

If you know anyone who is affected by the earthquake and tsunamis, or you have any information related to the disaster, here is a tool that you can use. Google has come up with a People Finder site, which is both in English and Japanese.

Let’s say a prayer for everyone out there.

Ecotopia: A Worthwhile Facebook Game?

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Ecotopia
For some reason, I have never gotten into FarmVille, which is perhaps the most popular Facebook game of all time. I did find myself wasting lots of hours on CityVille, though, for reasons I cannot explain. Now, here comes another game, which aims to catch the attention of the hordes of people already addicted to Facebook games. Called Ecotopia, the game seems to have some similarities with CityVille and other games in the same category. The big difference is that Ecotopia is being touted as a “green game”. It is being developed by Talkie, in cooperation Conservation International, with Hollywood star Harrison Ford’s support.

The game has not been launched yet, but there is already a Facebook page for Ecotopia. According to what the developers, the game is:

  1. Eco-friendly
  2. A heroes-versus-villain adventure
  3. Players start with an environment that is dirty and inhabitable. The task is to generate resources and eventually create one’s own utopia – with the good of the environment always a prime consideration.

Just like all other social games on Facebook, players can connect to their friends and interact with them via the game. Indeed, no social game will be complete without these features. For those who may already be raising their eyebrows and thinking that the game is nothing more than an escape from reality, Ecotopia does reach out to the real world. I don’t know exactly how the system will work, but the developers say that “players will also be heavily rewarded for performing real-world acts of green and incorporating them into their Ecotopia gaming experience.”

I know many of my Facebook friends do not care about my fish, my mafia, or my city; but if Ecotopia is going to be good as it is being hyped up, I wouldn’t mind risking the ire of some Facebook friends for a worthy cause. Shall we give it a try when it comes out on the 4th of April?

How do you say this and that?

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“Between the two” OR “among the two”? What is the best sounding and most probably the right phrase to use between the two or should I say, among the two? Is there a tool that can help me with this?

Francesco Benetti from Italy had the same problem so he created Phras.in, a website that helps you decide on what phrase to use.

Simply enter two phrases that’s making your day miserable and watch the site show you the number of results instantly. Hit the contextualize button and see a side-by-side comparison of the two phrases based on its results. It’s a cool tool but does not necessarily mean that it’s a neat one. It’s still best to have a thesaurus and a dictionary close to you because the assumption that having higher number of results indicate common use and probably the right phrase does not really sound right. Phras.in, however, is a fast tool that’s nice to have around especially when you’re in search of the right phrase.

So let me go back, “between the two” or “among the two”? Let the results speak for itself.

Can Someone Please Help Me Find My Cell Phone?

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A cell phone is a necessity. Some people would even say that they can’t live a day without their cell phones. It is not only for making calls to family members, friends and business associates. It has become a link to the Internet, a tool to capture memories through photos and videos or a gadget to play music. It stores tons of information about you and the people you are associated with.

So what happens when your beloved cell phone goes missing? You know you just misplaced. Where? You’re not sure. How do you find it? You go to I Can’t Find My Phone, a side project of Dave Dawson from New York City. It’s mission is straightforward: to help people find their photo when misplaced.

Simply enter the phone number and you should hear your phone ring.

(Note: Don’t abuse the system though by entering other people’s phone number.)