Password strength checker.

If you are anything like most of us, you have a few favorite passwords that you use over and over again. Very few seems to invent new passwords, but use and old one that is easy to remember. With the Password Meter you can check your favorite passwords and see if they are up to par. You can also easily experiment with different variables to improve your password and make it stronger. Hint: try to use lower/upper case letters and throw in a number or the odd symbol.brbr

Rope fastener for the knot challenged.

Anyone awkward with knots will appreciate this simple fastener. Resembling a large paper clip, it securely holds line up to 3/8 in diameter. Load rated up to 150 lb., the steel fasteners are available with two spiral ends for splicing or with a hook end for use as a tie-down. Comes with instructions. USD 2:75 for a pack of two.brbr

Fire resistant document bag.

This fire resistant bag can be used to store deeds, car title, passports, wills, and other important papers that you want to keep away from fire. It is woven from fiberglass and can withstand up to a 1,000 degrees F. It’s USD 12:99.brbr

Reebok Emoretion

My new limited edition shoes for Reebok will launch March 31. Im certainly getting emoretional about the launch date….

The perfect travel jacket?

If anyone knows, National Geographic should. Using almost 100 years of travel experience they have created the National Geographic Global Travel Jacket (USD 150:-. It is made from teflon coated wrinkle resistant cotton which means it’s both water- and dirt repellant. And of course it has leather patches on the elbows and at the end of the sleeves, besides no less than 14 different sized pockets for all your stuff. brbr

The most awesome search engine…

We got this link from Joe on Bookofjoe today. And before we knew we had spent the better part of an hour flipping through the pages. And it was worth every minute. That’s why Smart Stuff is late today. So you know. Searchme is a new search engine that shows the actual pages in your results much like a rolodex if anyone remembers those. The service is in private beta which means you need an invitation to sign up for it. You can get yours here. When this is written there’s 708 private beta accounts left. Better hurry. this can be big. brbr

What you see is not always what you get.

But you knew that, didn’t you? Or at least suspected. If you have ever bought a frozen or otherwise packaged meal, chances are the actual food did not live up to what the picture on the box promised. A bunch of Germans behind the Verbung gegen realität (Advertising vs. reality) website had noticed the same thing, and with almost proverbial German thoroughness they have gone through exactly 100 ready-mades of all kinds, taken pictures of the packaging, cooked the food according to instructions, and finally photographed the often pretty pathetic result. The pictures are organized in sets of three (example above) where everyone can compare what you’re promised with what you actually get. The food in the project comes from German stores, but we don’t think the assortment in your or our store is much different. Take a few minutes and look through the gallery before you go grocery shopping next time! Bon appétit!brbr

New LED light rig for compact digital cameras.

We found this new ring light, the Marumi LED-8, for digital compacts today, and we think it looks pretty smart. You attach the light rig either to your camera’s tripod mount or to the tripod itself and attach the camera on top (like in the picture above). The flexible arm the lets you either center the ring light around the camera lens, or, if you prefer, to light up the object from another angle. Battery powered. EUR 79:99 (about USD 125:-).brbr

Stab-proof t-shirt.

The company Nihon Uni has created a t-shirt that they say will protect against stab wounds. They were doing research to find a lightweight way to offer a bit more security in your day to day routine. The shirt is made from a fiber that is three times stronger than the cotton used for an average T-shirt. It is a ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber, which is supposedly equal to the aramid fiber used in body armor. It will be released in Japan in June in both short sleeve and long sleeve versions, the long sleeve variant offering a bit more arm protection. The long sleeve will be sold for USD 220:- and the short-sleeved version for USD 190:-. Expensive, but perhaps we could hope that companies will buy them for their employees…brbr

Self inflating tire.

Tires lose their pressure over time. This is a factor in both road safety, fuel economy, and of course in the cost of having a car. Tires wear out before their time when they do not have the correct air pressure. This solution comes from Czech Republic CODA DEVELOPMENT company and is an integrated system that inflates itself using the air around us. The system consists of a tube chamber in the tire wall that acts as a peristaltic pump, inflating the tire as it turns against the road. Once correct pressure is achieved a valve shuts down any further inflation. Impressive. brbr