Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with useful

After the peppermint soap buzz wears off..

bradly — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:28:50 -0800

My roommate is going to be in Tanzania for 6 months to work with a local NGO. I would like to give him something small he can take with him before he leaves in January. What useful item will he be without access to then that I can give to him now? More details:

Male, mid twenties, item would probably be along the lines of something outdoorsy/practical (the way he is) or some comfort that he will likely miss.

He already owns chocos, nalgenes, filter, stove, master chemist Dr. Bronner's magical soap (DILUTE DILUTE, OK!) and is pretty well covered regarding typical overseas purchases.

Thanks in advance!

Simple, useful skills.

Orange Pamplemousse — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:55:41 -0800

What are some useful skills or abilities that can be learned in a short amount of time, and are never forgotten? Examples that I can think of include knot tying, rolling (from a fall), throwing a football and of course riding a bicycle. I'd especially like to know of potentially lifesaving actions that are extremely simple, but unlikely to come up in day-to-day life (eg. Stop, drop and roll for someone who is on fire).

iPhone couple apps?

k7lim — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:07:04 -0800

What are some great iPhone apps for couples? My girlfriend and I both have iPhones. I just got the new model, cashing in a gift certificate she got me.

What are some apps that are good/useful for couples? Grocery store apps that sync our lists? Apps that help us schedule dates in our busy schedules?

So far, as a new iPhone user, I'm quite disappointed with the lack of imaginitive apps for small groups of people.

I mean, where's the obvious "find your friend in the crowd" (within GPS resolution constraints) that these phones should have by now?

Not particularly looking for games, but if you think a multiplayer game would be good for a couple, that would be welcome.

Prefer free apps, but am willing to pay inside of $10 for really well-done stuff.

What useful trade can I learn to survive a collapsed economy?

sportbucket — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:05:03 -0800

What's a trade I can learn now, as a hobby, that will be useful if/when the economy collapses? Carpentry? Beer/wine making? Animal husbandry? This isn't totally reactionary fear-mongering, I was thinking about this before everyone started talking about the economic apocalypse, but now it seems a little more timely. Is there a useful trade I can learn in a year or so and practice as a hobby, maybe make some side money, that would be useful to be in a collapsed economy?

Nevermind for a minute that economic collapse isn't exactly an imminent threat -- I just want to learn some practical and marketable skills, if only to gain peace of mind knowing that if I lost my job I'd have something to offer the world.

Great new family products?

Camofrog — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:58:33 -0800

Parents: what are your favorite newish tools of the trade? I'm helping to research a magazine article, trying to identify really great products new to the market in the past 18 months or so that make parents' lives easier. What recent discoveries have you made? I've been working on this off and on for days and have a nice list going, stuff like nonchafing facial tissue, all-natural sanitizer, flash-drive ID tags ... but the perfectionist side of me is sure MeFiers can hip me to things I'm missing, especially since I'm not directly in the parenting trenches myself and I'm not sure how practical some of these things are. Toys, gear, media, clothes, health products, I think the field is wide open ... thanks for any suggestions, no matter how trivial they may seem!

Useful Books

shotgunbooty — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:01:20 -0800

What is the most useful book you own? Anything and everything. An example list: The Joy of Cooking, Readers Digest Fix-It-Yourself, The Elements of Style.

Not what I'm looking for: "Physician's Desk Reference... hollowed out. Inside: waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket and, in case I get bored, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. No, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." :)

Eternally useful info

mthomps00 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:34:55 -0800

Say you wanted to print a small chart of eternally and universally useful reference information on the back of your business card, so recipients would have a good incentive to carry it with them and refer to it often. What information would you choose? (I search for things like "business card," "useful information," and "Schott's Miscellany" and turned up nothing; hope this hasn't been asked before.)

Note that I don't know if I'd ever actually put my business card to this purpose, but it'd be sort of a nice idea if it caught on, no?

Best pocket-sized books to carry in your bag or purse?

mrbill — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:37:17 -0800

What are good "pocket-sized" reference books to carry in your bag/pack/purse, with the best ratio of useful information to page count and size? I'm outfitting my new "every day carry" bag, and have room for a few pocket-sized books. So far, I've got these:

SAS Survival Guide Handbook (first aid, etc)
Pocket Ref (charts, tables, formulas)

The only other similar books I can think of would be something like a pocket-sized Bible, but I'm not really religious.
Can anyone think of other options? Non-reference books are fine too if they're tiny and light but dense.

I don't travel internationally, otherwise I'd add a phrase book.

Generating Hyperlinks Automatically?

0bvious — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:09:08 -0800

I would like to automatically generate hypertext links from a list of text. Ideally this would mean pasting a series of comma separated words into some online tool and having the system turn each word into a relevant google/wikipedia link... Does anyone know any sites/tools that will do this? Just for anyone who is interested, here's the text I want to auto-link:

Zeus, Zam, Zababa, Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti, Yeng-Wang-Yeh, Yara Ma Yha Who, Yahweh, Ya Mughnee, Ya `Aallah, Xochiquetzal, Xipe Totec, Xbalanque, Winabozho, Warohunugamwanehaora, Waramurungundi, Wakahiru-Me, Wadjet, Voltumna, Vishnu, Venus, Uttu, Urcaguary, Ulaulekeahi, Uke-Mochi-No-Kami, Ukapirmas, Turiacus, Tsukuyomi, Torngasoak, Tonatiuh, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, Thoth, Thor, Tharapita, Tekkeitserktock, Tāwhiri-matea, Take-Mikazuchi, Swāikstiks, Spandarmet, Sobek, Skadi, Shiva, Shina-Tsu-Hiko, Shamash, Shai'-ha-Qawm, Seaxnéat, Saraswati, Saosyant, Runesocesius, Roonikka, Rimmon, rDo-rje-rnal-hbyor-ma, Raluvhimba, Quirinus, Qaynan, Ptah, Prajnaparamita, Potrimpos, Poshaiyankayo, Persephone, Pellon Pekko, P'an-Chin-Lien, Osiris, Odin, Occupirn, Nzambi, Ninhursag, Nevinbimbaau, Nephthys, Nanghaithya, Nana Buluku, Nai-No-Kami, Mudungkala, Morrigan, Morpheus, Morgan, LeFay, Moaalii, Mar'rallang, Marduk, Mao, Mantis, Manisilat, Mama Pacha, Maahes, Lonomakua, Leviathan, Lemminkainen, Lakshmi, Laima, Kunapipi, Kukalikimoku, Ku, Krishna, Koko, Kiskil-lilla, Kishar, Khnum, Khahdoma, Kapohoikahiola, Kaluannuunohonionio, Joukahainen, Jengu, Jehovah, Jahwe, Izanami, Isis, Inanna, Igaluk, Huruing Wuhti, Huitzilopochtli, Horus, Hine Raumati, Hiiakawawahilani, Hendursanga, Heimdall, Hecate, Hastshehogan, Hanuman, Hades, Gudratrigakwitl, Gebeleizis, Garuda, Ganesha, Gandarewa, Frigga, Estasanatlehi, Ereshkigal, Epona, Dolichenus, Dionysos, Dhakhan, Demeter, Dēiwas, Dattatreya, Coyolxauhqui, Chimata-No-Kami, Ch'eng-Huang, Cernunnos, Carmenta, Caillech, Bunbulama, Branwyn, Birrahgnooloo, Bikeh Hozho, Berekyndai, Balac, Bahá'u'lláh, Baal-Qarnain, Athena, Asha Vahishta, Arnarquagsag, Archons, Aramurungundju, Apollo, Apocatequil, Aphrodite, Antero Vipunen, Anitun Tabu, Angwusnasomtaka, Amaunet, Amaterasu, Amaethon, Aji-Suki-Taka-Hi-Kone, Ahmeto Lela Okya, Agadjimbiri, Adnoartina

Well designed objects

vincentm — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 07:33:43 -0800

Where can I find other webpages like this one ? What blogs present other nice items (in terms of usability).