I used a plastic water filter for years. Who wouldn't? It cuts down on buying bottled water, which, as it turns out, is pretty much the same as unfiltered tap water. Plus, bottled water is terrible for the environment and your wallet, too. Water that costs only pennies a day a ...more
Do you have a major mosquito problem? Well, here's a solution used by the military to drastically cut down their numbers. Video: . Step 1: Getting Started. Grab a plastic bottle from your recycle bin. The bigger the better. This concept will work with many types of containers ...more
Opening a brand new carton of juice can be disastrous if you're not careful. The air pressure on the inside of the carton is waiting to exit, but does so in a vigorous force when opening a carton for the first time. This causes the liquid to force out in a violent wave, which ...more
Christmas trees, once decorated and brightly lit, are the penultimate holiday decoration, but authentic pines lose their brilliance fast without any nourishment. Plus, they are major fire hazards without regular hydration. But watering one requires a lot of sliding around on t ...more
Ant-Man isn't one of the most famous Marvel superheroes. In fact, with the news of his individual movie came great doubt that the comic book legends could succeed in telling the tiny story of an oddball hero on the big screen. Yet with its humor and unique story, Ant-Man has b ...more
There's nothing in this life that we love more than making one ingredient or one food tool do multiple things. It saves money! It saves time! It makes us look smart at cocktail parties! Without further ado, here are several ways to save money, waste less food, and make the mo ...more
Soda bottle jello went viral when the popular YouTube channel AwesomeDisneyToys posted video directions for this revolutionary gelatin confection. I just had to try it out to see what the hype is all about. Video: . My takeaway: Yes, it really is as easy and fun as described i ...more
You've made a bottle rocket (or ten) and a sparkler bomb, and now you want to put those empty plastic bottles to a new pyromaniacal use. With a little rubbing alcohol and a match, this video by io9's Esther Inglis-Arkell will show you how to make your own homemade rocket boost ...more
Small containers are useful for many things. They're good for storing snacks if you have children, as well as holding coins or odds and ends. But those regular store-bought containers are lame—who wants to keep their stuff in a Tupperware dish or old butter container? If you' ...more
What’s better in the summer than playing around in the water? Lounging in the pool, water balloon fights, and playing in the sprinklers helps us forget how much it sucks to be outside in 100+ degree weather. Sprinklers are especially fun to play around in, particularly if you ...more
The drinking straw isn't just there to help you make annoying noises when you get to the bottom of your soda. That little tube of plastic is extremely versatile and can make your life a lot easier with a little know-how. Curious? Read on to find out more. Bendy or straight, th ...more
It's nice to have a drink on an airplane, whether you're taking a flight somewhere fun or for work. However, what's not so nice is the high prices and relatively bad quality of the liquor that's available. If that's what's holding you back from having a nice tipple, never fea ...more
Decorating your Christmas tree does not have to be an expensive ordeal. You can easily make personalized, unique ornaments for your tree by using things lying around your home, like toilet paper tubes, paper towels, wine corks, old newspapers, CDs (remember those?), plastic wa ...more
Gatorade: its popular red flavor can stain the whitest fabric, and its sweet taste is oddly refreshing after breaking a sweat. If you've ever participated in a sport, you probably spent halftime at games and practice breaks chugging the stuff. Though it made its name as a spor ...more
Everyone has a junk drawer in their kitchen. It's like an unspoken rule. The junk drawer is full of all the strange bits of what not that accumulates in your home over time. Everything in there is useful, and you never want to throw any of it away for fear that you might need ...more
If there's one thing that gets used far too frequently in the modern kitchen, it's the trash can. Home cooks everywhere waste enormous amounts of food by throwing it away before it's actually ready to be tossed. So much waste... so depressing.. One way to lessen the amount of ...more
Separating an egg yolk from the white is one of the most universally hated kitchen tasks out there. Most cooks prefer using their hands or the egg's own shell to separate them. For those who don't like getting messy, there are countless devices designed solely for this purpose ...more
So you've chosen the ideal Christmas tree for your place and decorated it so that it's mathematically perfect, but something's missing. It's not quite complete without a topper, but all of the traditional ones are soooo boring. What's a geek to do? If you're a fan of the newer ...more
The following is a compilation of 5 super mean pranks you can set up on friends and family members at home, you'll only need household times which most of you already have, such as cereal box, plastic bottle, styrofoam cup, Plastic bag, Shaving cream and even a simple string. ...more
Bottled water is a rip-off. Not only is it pretty much the same stuff that comes out of your tap for free, but plastic bottles are rarely recycled and thus account for a huge amount of the waste that's overflowing our landfills. Next Up: Water Bottles You Can Eat Fortunately, ...more
10 Life Hacks: 1.Wifi Booster 2.Spray Bottle 3.Mosquito repellent 4.Untie Plastic Bag Knot 5.Tootpaste Hole cover 6.Remote Control fix 7.Vibrating Toothbrush 8.Shoe Reminder 9.Zip Bag Protector 10.Colored Keys Video: .
If you ever accidentally drop pieces of cork into your newly opened wine bottle, you can use a plastic drinking straw to fish them out. Simply place the straw over the cork piece and close the other end of the straw with your finger to create a suction that sucks the cork out ...more
Here's how to build a sexy looking water-fuel generator that will convert your tap water into an extremely powerful, clean burning gas! Video: . An oxyhydrogen generator, like this one, uses electricity from your car battery to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gasses. Toge ...more
If you're anything like me, you probably rinse your mouth out after you brush your teeth. I know technically you're supposed to not rinse your mouth out after brushing, but I just can't stand the feel of the excess toothpaste in my mouth. It's a surefire way to dry it out. To ...more
Step aside, ginger ale; ginger beer is here, and it's delicious. Ginger beer is made by fermenting a combination of ginger simple syrup, yeast, and water, which gives it its robust flavor and sparkling quality. It's extremely simple to make, but you do have to wait a bit for ...more
With tick-borne diseases on the rise, it is especially important to protect yourself from the prevalence of ticks in the outdoors, especially if you live in a high-risk region like New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and the upper Midwest. You can make your own all-natural, ...more
While most people build collections of things with intrinsic value such as coins, stamps, or rare post cards, I collect wine corks—the natural ones, not the plastic kind. Corks are a natural product harvested from the cork oak tree. It takes the better part of 10 to 12 years b ...more
Video: . It can some time be a pain to separate egg whites from the yolk. I did some searching online and came to find some great ways to separate them. Step 1: Using a Plastic Bottle Crack the egg and have a clean bottle, simply squeeze the bottle to release some air then w ...more
Using an empty Gatorade bottle, empty 5 oz. food container, power drill, string, and some red nail polish, you can easily construct your own DIY hummingbird feeder in less than 10 minutes to attract hummingbirds to your own backyard garden. The bottle serves as a vessel for t ...more
Each year, about 40% of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten and gets thrown away. Become a part of the solution and not the problem by practicing the following simple hacks to make your produce and perishables from the supermarket last for as long as possible. ...more
Acetone-based nail polish remover is great for removing nail polish, and it's also great for some DIY uses around the home. From eliminating scratches to fixing the consistency of correction fluid, its uses are varied but all effective. With nail polish remover, you can also c ...more
If you have read any of my previous articles or viewed the many videos I have published, it's quite clear that I appreciate a good rocket or fiery projectile. The following video will certainly not lessen that reputation. Using very inexpensive and common materials, this vide ...more
Need a broom and a dust pan to clean up your living space? Look no further than your recycling bin and upcycle some of your empty drink containers to make new cleaning tools for your home. Using 3-5 empty 2-liter bottles (labels removed), a wooden dowel, and a few tools from ...more
Cleanliness is next to godliness. My interpretation of that age-old adage means that keeping your house clean is just as un-fun and boring as being a goody two shoes. That's why they call things like laundry and doing dishes "chores," I assume. Yuck. Lucky for you, though, we ...more
Cassette tapes, much like the boombox, Walkman, and record player, aren't used much anymore. With the ability to put music on our smartphones, most of us don't carry tapes or CDs around because it now seems inconvenient. Looking for something to do with your old tapes? Instru ...more
Water purifiers are already portable, but not as portable as this crazy invention. Created by Marcus Triest and Ryan Lynch, the Solar Bag can be worn like a shoulder bag and holds up to 2.5 gallons of water. In a feat of ingenuity, the bag is designed to use sunlight to purify ...more
Tonic water, seltzer water, club soda, and mineral water: these 4 types of "bubbly water" are often, erroneously, used interchangeably. But the truth is that each possesses unique qualities and uses that set them apart from each other. Most experts can tell types of bubbly wat ...more
Silence spreads over these mountains like nothing I've ever felt. If I didn't have Moby blasting in my earphones, there'd probably be no other sounds around. Well, except for someone, Phil probably, murmuring in a nearby tent just low enough to make his words indiscernible. W ...more
Vacuum sealers keep food fresher longer by first removing the air from plastic food preservation bags and heat sealing the bag to keep air out. They have rapidly become a popular way to keep your frozen food fresh. They have one big problem, though. Vacuum sealers can get qui ...more
When temperatures drop and hit new lows during the cold, winter months, it's hard not to crank the heat up. That means increased energy bills each month, no matter if you rely on gas, electric, or another fuel for heating. Instead of resorting to blankets, coats, and layers u ...more
Incredibly tiny in size, splinters can be frustratingly difficult to remove from your skin. If large and not completely embedded, a splinter can usually be extracted using tweezers, tape, or glue, but if it's small and in there pretty good, you'll have to get more creative. O ...more
The paper towel is a wondrous invention. It allows cooks to wipe up really gross stuff without having to constantly do laundry and drain fried foods so they're crunchy and crispy instead of oily and heavy. But did you know that your humble paper towel has several other uses be ...more
Video: . The macho and easy way to make golden eggs. How to scramble eggs inside their shell useing a drill. AKA Fuwatoro Eggs. You need a 0.5 liter plastic bottle. Cut it in half and drill some holes in it. Drill a hole in the cap. You need a bolt, some washers and a nut. As ...more
Living in Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to attend a bunch of really cool events. I've been to Dodgers, Lakers, and Clippers games, a few concerts at the Staples Center, and a plethora of smaller joints. In all of these places, I've found a consistent annoyance—I wa ...more
If you're like most people, you probably wish you had more space in your home. With a few clever organizing hacks, you can free up more space in your living space and feel more in control of where and how you store your possessions. Use a tension rod in your sink cabinet to c ...more
Convenience is a big deal these days. You can buy single-serving or single-use sizes of just about anything, from fruits and vegetables to sanitizing wipes, and, apparently, even bananas. Uhh, it already has a wrapper... Admittedly, we do have one of those espresso machines h ...more
It's tough out there on the battlefield, especially when your stuck in the trenches and your comrades are dropping like flies. There's no hope. At least, until the next airsoft battle. So, enlist the help of a little unmanned airsoft artillery with this DIY motion-activated a ...more
A smartphone is pretty much useless with a dead battery. When you're out and about, it can be hard to find a place to plug in (if you remembered your charger, that is). But this DIY solar panel backpack made by electrical engineer Theodore Protasiewicz will help you use the sc ...more
Video: . Step by Step Video Step 1: Ingredients Needed You will need the following: 2.5 Cups of Flour 3/4 of Sugar 1/4 tsp of Salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp. 2 tsps of Vanilla Extract 2 Tbs cream cheese, room temp, Royal icing Bottle Cap Straw Step 2: Mixing Mix to ...more
The following are 10 simple yet effective pranks you can set up around the house, school or the office on April Fools' Day. You'll won't need any special tools or materials to pull these off. Video: . Step 1: 10 Simple Household Pranks For this first prank, head over to the r ...more
Fruit flies are nearly as frustrating as ants and equally impossible to eradicate—but there are a few ways to get rid of them. We've already shown you that apple cider vinegar, dishwashing soap, and plastic wrap is a great way to trap and kill fruit flies, but if you just want ...more
You know how when you finish a bag of potato chips, Cheetos, or some other glorious savory junk food snack, there's always some bits and crumbs in the bottom of the bag? And you know how you pour those into your mouth, making sure to get every last speck of dust, because it's ...more
If you're anything like me, clutter scattered across the bathroom counter, on the shower floor, or on any other available space is maddening. Who enjoys a mess of shampoos, scrubs, and sponges strewn around their feet or just out of reach in the shower? What can you do when sp ...more
Salad greens are a staple in my house and for good reason: they're cheap, nutritious, and work as a base or an accompaniment for almost all meals. However, it's all too easy to forget about them and then pull out a bag filled with sludgy dark goo or yellow, inedible leaves. T ...more
One good thing about having friends who are constantly on their phones and tablets is it's easy to figure out what to get them for Christmas. Everyone hates getting gifts that just sit around, so it's always nice to get something that improves an item you use on a daily basis. ...more
This homemade hairspray-powered PVC rocket takes less than an hour to construct and only costs about 20 dollars to make. Check out my video below for the step-by-step instructions on building your own backyard rocket, and follow the written guide below for reference. Video: . ...more
Once when I was a kid, my dad used a glue trap to catch a mouse in our basement. The result was so awful for the mouse that my mom and I made him promise to never use that kind of trap again. Call me a softy, but I'm a firm believer that you don't have to kill pests to get rid ...more
There are some really talented graffiti artists out there. Some of them are good enough that businesses hire them to paint advertisements, rather than hiring someone to scrub their work off the side of the building. Then there are the taggers who just go around painting their ...more
In this video tutorial, I am going to demonstrate how to clean a spray gun by hand with a few simple steps. Video: . Step 1: Safety First Before cleaning the spray gun, be certain you have the correct PPE. You will need gloves, safety glasses, and respirator to protect your s ...more
There are tons of ways to make simple DIY lamps out of things you have lying around at home. If you've got an empty container, (even an orange or tuna can), there's probably a way to upcycle it into a lamp of some sort, and they can come in handy if you ever lose power. After ...more