Consolidating Service Items on Flights

If you travel internationally or long distances, you’ve probably received an in-flight meal.

The meals are almost always are grouped on to small plastic trays which separate each “course” or meal option (pictured).
If you’re anything like me (or seeming everyone else who sits by me), you might be tempted to “consolidate” all of the wrappers, scraps, and small items which are leftover (napkins, plastic cutlery, salt/sugar sachets, etc.).
While this may make your service tray look tidy, it’s actually very bad for the recycling efforts of the on-board crew. All of these service items are later separated for recycling, and consolidating makes this process more difficult or forces the recyclable materials to be disposed of as general waste (this is especially the case of you stuff things in plastic water bottles).

Next time, embrace a disorderly tray in an effort to aid recycling on flights.

High Fidelity Earplugs

After blowing out my ears one too many times at concerts and clubs, I decided there had to be a way to protect my hearing without ruining the listening experience and (perhaps more importantly) not looking stupid.

Foam earplugs are cumbersome and block the sound at all levels, ruining the highs and lows.

There is the concept of "high-fidelity" earplugs which are designed to reduce noise (not block it), while delivering the full spectrum of sound.

I've tried two:

1. Etymotic ER20 http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html


2. EarPeace http://earpeace.com/

Etymotic ER20:
These come in two sizes: Standard (white) and Baby Blues (smaller, blue color). I purchased the Blues and used them a few times. They have rubber ear tip and a plastic shaft which stick out of your ear when worn. At first they were a bit uncomfortable, but after my ears adjusted I forgot they were there.

The sound quality is surprisingly good. They let in a good amount if mid's and high's which make the music sound clear. Depending on how deep you push the plugs into your ear, you can (sort of) control the amount of noise reduction



EarPeace:
These plugs are made of soft silicone which feel really comfortable in the ear. They come in three colors (pictured) so you can choose the one which best fits your skin tone. I suppose this is to camouflage the plug from your friends.

The sound reducing level is stronger than the ER20's. They block a lot more of the mid's and high's so they give a bit of a muffled sound.

They are almost impossible to see when worn, but because they block a significant amount of sound they should only be worn at the loudest of concerts/shows.



After trying both, I think I like the ER20's a bit more. They do stick out of your ear more, but the clarity of the sound and right amount of reduction make them a winner.

Windows Phone Update Error

If you have a Windows Phone, you may get an error while updating the software.
There is now a tool which you can download to recover your device and force the update:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2530409

Takes a few minutes to download and run, but seems to work!

Fixing Duplicates in Zune Library

The Zune software is great, but there are certainly some bugs. If you have a library with a lot of old content (either downloaded off a file sharing program or ripped from CDs), you probably have lots of missing and incorrect metadata. The Zune software can find this metadata (like album and artist information), but this can also create duplicate albums and artists in your library.

To fix the duplicates, you need to take a couple steps:

1. Under "Settings" > "Metadata and Ratings" > "Media Info", select the option to "Only add missing information" - this will prevent the software from making duplicate entries in the future

2. Run the Microsoft Zune Media Collection Reset Tool to clear your entire library so you can start from scratch (yes, you need to do this to remove the duplicate entries):

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=945319

Running this tool will erase your Zune library (including all that bad metadata) so the Zune software can rebuild the library over again without adding the duplicate data. This will take some time, but it will clear out all those unnecessary duplicates.

Hope this helps!

Samsung i770 (Saga) Shortcut Error

If you have the Verizon Samsung Saga (also known as the i770), there is a bug where you may get an error when hitting the Messaging shortcut key (the button in the lower righthand side with the Envelope icon on it).

The error will state "Shortcut Target - Error opening the shortcut or locating the target filename."

This is because the shortcut was removed from the main start menu.

To fix, simply go to start > settings > personal tab > menus > check the "messaging" box

Your shortcut key should now be working again.

I went through 3 phones and a half dozen support agents before I figured this out myself. Samsung does not have the best KB archive....

Replacing Headlight Bulb on BMW E46

Just had a blub go, and the replacement is pretty easy:

1. Buy an H7 55w bulb at any auto-parts store (~$15)
2. Disconnect the electrical connector to the light socket by pressing in the middle tab and pulling up
3. Hold the bulb socket and turn the gray rigng counterclockwise
4. Pop out the old bulb, and place in the new one (do not touch the glass with your bare hands)
5. Install is reverse

Good luck!

W Hotels - The good, the "eh", and the ugly

I'm an SPG member, so naturally I like to stay at Starwood when I visit new cities.

W Hotels are great in that they are a sheik and stylish establishment which are a treat for young travelers.

The problem with W Hotels

is the consistency in quality.

Here are my experiences with W Hotels from East coast to West:

W Seattle: Good

By far my favorite W. Centrally located in downtown Seattle, the rooms are the largest of all the W's, and the furnishing are the newest and most natural (not a lot of cheesy space fillers). The "living room" is nice, and the bar is a great mix of locals and other business/leisure travels.

W New York: Eh

There are two W's in New York, and I always stay at the Times Square location. The W Times Square is nice in that it is in the bustling, neon-lit few blocks of Manhattan. The bad part is it is in the bustling neon-lit blocks of Manhattan. The building is extremely tall, so views are nice. However, the rooms are a bit small and there is a lot of light pollution from Times Square.

W Minneapolis: Good

This was an amazing surprise. Brand new, and located in a historic building in downtown Minneapolis. A great roof-top bar, and an open air walk on the top of the building with great views of the city. The rooms are very well sized, and the bathrooms - incredible. Ceiling to floor windows in the bathroom make you feel like you're outside when showering.

W San Francisco: Eh

Located next to the convention center, it's almost all business travelers. A decent walk to Market and the Embarcadero. Rooms are nice, but cheesy decorations. The parking is outrageous ($40/day, if I remember correctly).

W New Orleans: Ugly

This was one of the worst hotels I've stayed at, and not limited to W Hotels. The rooms were filthy, the

furnishing were disgusting (the desk chair looked like it was found at a flea market - rusted and falling apart, and the couch was so worn you could almost see the springs). I can't believe this place has the W name on it. The only redeeming part was it is across the street from Harrah's Casino.

All in all, the W is nice if you don't mind gambling. I haven't had any issues with the Westin yet...