Handy How-To's

It’s time to wise up on Waze  As a frequent user the Waze app, I noticed that it doesn't always come up with the best possible route. Over time, I learned how to make it do a better job of finding the quickest route. In this short post, I would like to share my technique.  The basic idea is to make Waze recalculate your route as you approach an intersection that may offer alternative routes. For example: City driving: Make Waze recalculate as you approach an intersection.  Inter-city driving: Make Waze recalculate as you enter your destination town or city.  As a safety reminder, do not operate the app  while your car is in motion or in any situation where it is  prohibited by law. If you are driving with a companion, ask him or her to operate the app for you.  How to make Waze recalculate routes Tap the blue icon at the bottom right corner of the navigation screen: On the next screen, tap the Routes icon near the bottom left cor...

Prepare a “travel kit” Here are some items that are so useful that they should have a permanent spot in your travel bag. Electrical plug adapter and extension cord You might encounter these situations that make it difficult or even impossible to plug your smartphone, computer and other electronic gadget into an electrical outlet. First, some hotel rooms have only one electrical power outlet. Second, the outlet is in an awkward location, such as behind the nightstand or under a table. Third, the outlet might not be of the same type as the one you use at home. The plug adapter lets you plug the extension cord into the outlet, while the extension cord lets you charge one or more smartphones simultaneously while they lie conveniently on a desk or table. Get a plug adapter that can be used in the USA, Australia, and Europe. A 3-meter-long compact extension cord with three outlets should be adequate for most situations. S hook Having an S hook is almost like having a third ...

Blue tack is a reusable clay that is used to temporarily stick one thing to another, such as a poster to a wall. Well, it turns out that blue tack can also be used to mount a smartphone to the dashboard of a car!  All you need is to do is to stick one or two lumps of blue tack to a convenient spot on the dashboard, and then stick your smartphone to it. But before you try blue tack, know how it stacks up against conventional car-mounts. Here is a brief run-down: Holding capability In my experience, a blue tack car-mount is quite capable of supporting smartphones with screen sizes of up to 6 inches. Use a clamp-based car-mount if your smartphone is quite large or if you drive your car off-road. Convenience A blue tack car-mount works just like a magnetic car-mount. Just glom your smartphone to it upon entering your car and peel it away when you’re done driving. No need to fiddle with the clumsy spring-loaded clamps found on many types of conventional car-mount. What’s...