Postage Hacks: Save the new forever postage stamp

from Lifehacker

Reader Paul picked up a few Forever Stamps at the post office today and writes in with a money-saving tip:

Buy the new "forever" stamps now but DON'T use them yet! The real value in the new "forever" stamp will be realized at the next and future rate changes. As soon as I bought some of the "forever" stamps this morning the nice lady behind post office counter said "put them away for later" and explained the strategy.

See, the Forever Stamp will cost 41 cents now, but will send a first-class letter any time, regardless of when the Postal Service ups the rate again. (The 41 cents first class rate increase will be official this Monday, May 14th.) Paul also writes:

Some other lesser known changes also go into effect this Monday: the "second ounce" rate goes DOWN to $0.17 from $0.24, making the new postage for a 2 ounce letter $0.58 versus the current $0.63. "Flats" now have a new higher minimum postage rate and beginning Monday all international mail goes at airmail rates.

Now the question is: why would anyone buy any other type of stamp besides the Forever Stamp? Hit the link to download the USPS ratefold. Thanks, Paul! —Gina Trapani

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Image Editing: Fix your photos online with Phixr

from Lifehacker

Phixr is an online photo editor that offers a wealth of image-tweaking tools and loads of options for distributing the finished product.

Like Fauxto, Picnik, PXN8, Wiredness and all the rest, Phixr lets you upload, modify, share and save photos. However, you're not limited to uploading from your PC: Phixr can also pull photos from your Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and other accounts. It can save finished photos to those services as well, along with Costco, DropShots, LiveJournal and others. You can also download photos back to your hard drive.

As for its image-editing tools, Phixr covers all the basics--cropping, brightness, sharpen, etc.--while offering plenty of nifty advanced effects. Everything's clearly identified (via pop-up descriptors) and easy to use. My only complaint is that most changes you make take at least a few seconds to appear; this isn't exactly real-time editing. Still, Phixr is a fun and effective tool, and definitely worth checking out. —Rick Broida

Phixr [via Webware]

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Explay intros oio nanoprojector, plans to launch in 2008

from Engadget by Darren Murph

Explay is apparently trying to ensure that its micro-projector doesn't become just one of the crowd, as it's trying to outdo the competition by showing off its oio at SID 2007. While we'd seen offerings from Explay before and even heard whispers of a 2007 launch, it looks like it'll be next year before the oio hits the hands of the general public. Nevertheless, the firm was off parading its accomplishment in Long Beach, California, dubbing its minuscule PJ the "first truly mobile and fully operational nano-projector." Of course, we're sure more than a few outfits would love to disagree on that very point, but Explay went on to praise the oio's ability to function in a variety of locales from a "dimly lit bar to a bright office." Notably, it sounds like the company will be aiming for more dollars than those held by mere gadget freaks, as the oio marketing team will be targeting "medical, security, and even artistic" fields whenever Explay can get these things out of the door. Click on through for a closeup of the oio itself. [Photo courtesy of Explay]

Continue reading Explay intros oio nanoprojector, plans to launch in 2008

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UK to get even more Big Brother with hovering drones

from Engadget by Evan Blass

With literally hundreds of thousands of cameras -- some sporting speakers and microphones -- trained on its poor citizens from the moment they step out of the house in the morning until their hasty retreat inside at night, we're not sure why the UK needs yet another set of eyes scoping out so-called 'anti-social behaviour' among the populace, but that isn't stopping the vanguard of Big Brother technology from deploying its first unmanned police drone next month. In what is being perhaps optimistically billed as just a three-month trial, Merseyside police will unleash a one-meter wide, night-vision camera-equipped mini-helicopter into the skies (up to 500-meters high) above their jurisdiction, and task it with gathering evidence for court cases as well as the less glamorous job of monitoring traffic congestion. Originally built for the military by a Germany company and called the 'hicam microdrone,' these repurposed mechanical bobbies can either be controlled by an operator via remote or set to patrol autonomously using their built-in GPS nav systems. You'll recall that a similar system being considered by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department was shot down by the FAA around this time last year, proving once again that up-and-coming British criminals could probably minimize their risks of incarceration by making the move Stateside.

[Via The Register, pic courtesy of microdrones GmbH, thanks Paul J. and rastrus]

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Ani Phyo: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen book and videos

from Boing Boing by David Pescovitz

My friend Ani Phyo is a Renaissance 2.0 woman. When I first met her in 1993, she was an economics grad creating mind-bending cyberdelic video art for raves. Then, she became immersed in information architecture and wrote an accessible and popular "howto" book on the subject, Return On Design. In recent years though, Ani has become a student (and teacher) of healthy living, eating and cooking. She co-founded Smart Monkey Foods, makers of yummy raw food snack bars and packaged foods available mainly on the West Coast. This month, Ani's first (un)cookbook was published. If you're not hip to the raw food scene, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen will surprise you with recipes that somehow seem very familiar even if you've never eaten them before. I especially like that Ani isn't a raw food fanatic. In fact, the last meal Ani cooked for me was a fantastic leek soup, grilled spicy tofu, and a superclean salad. Don't get me wrong. Ani's a health nut, but she also has her feet firmly planted on terra firma. She's ultra-busy just like the rest of us, so most of her advice is easy to implement and her recipes are often quick to prepare. For, er, a taste of Ani's style, check out her DIY series of cooking shows she's posted for free on YouTube. (A DVD compilation is also available from her Web site where you can also check out sample recipes and other news.) Congratulations, Ani! Link to buy Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, Link to Ani's site, Link to Ani on YouTube

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