“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” Roger Miller

OH NO!!! The words uttered just before your favorite electronic device falls into a puddle of water. Now what? Turn the device off immediately. If it is off already DO NOT TURN IT ON! No not even to try it for a sec. Now what? Get a Tupperware container and fill it with rice (uncooked) and then bury your device in the middle of the rice and put the top on. Now we play the waiting game. The longer it was in the water is the longer it stays in the container. Rice is absorbent and will suck in the water from your device. I would try to wait as long as I could, about a week. If you are prone to the watering of electronics then it is time to get prepared. You know those little packets that come with things like shoes or vitamins. It is a packet of silica and is made to absorb water. Every time I get these lovely little freebies I add them to my mason jar and save them for emergencies. I will put them in with the rice to help speed up the absorption of water. So start saving now because a water balloon comes when you least expect it.

“A new gadget that lasts only five minutes is worth more than an immortal work that bores everyone.” Francis Picabia

Think of the Secret Agent Man song before I start, OK got it, now onto the post.

I have always loved gadgets from my radio watch to my spy telescope and that is why I had to write about a really clever new product. The Trackstick II is a product that is devoted to tracking your position. It is the same size as a common USB flash drive but it is actually a type of low energy GPS. Let’s say you’re on vacation and you walked everywhere and you're now home and want to retrace your steps. The GPS in this model keeps track of all of your movements. All you do is plug it into your computer and open Google Earth. It then takes you on a virtual tour of your vacation retracing every step. The maker’s site talks about exploring while hiking or camping and being able to map out where you were. Looking at some of the maps on their site shows the typical confused tourist. Lots of turn arounds and backups. I love that it is so small and will run for about a week on two AAA batteries. Now this is not a cheap gadget that you pick up at a convenience store. It is currently running upwards of $200. I am not sure if I am saying give it a try but the gadgetization of our society sure is fun to watch even if we don’t buy the items.

Thanks to the blog A beef Sandwich w/ Sweet Peppers for the song.