New wacky kitchen gadgets

From the cute to the kooky, these kitchen gadgets, spotted at the International Home and Housewares Show, promise to bring a little whimsy to your home. Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Here, Kitty Kitty It's a given that Hello Kitty fans will adore the new line of Hello Kitty Kitchen Appliances ($19.99-$49.99, sanrio.com), but we're guessing that any girly girl will swoon over these cutesy pink gadgets. Recent launches include a mini-fridge andmicrowave oven; also look for new items in the collection, like an ice cream maker, popcorn popper, cotton candy maker, and more.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Slam Dunk If you love dunking sandwich cookies in milk, this is the kitchen tool for you! The Dipr($2.99, thedipr.com) is "the ultimate cookie spoon." By holding onto the frosting of cookies, which doesn't disintegrate in liquids as quickly, you can dunk longer and with less mess. Plus, it's kid-friendly: The Dipr is made of flexible medical-grade plastic.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Want S'More? Get ready for summer cookouts with the S'more to Love (Starting at $9.99 for a 4-piece unit, Yahoo! Shopping). This unique gadget looks like a grill basket, but it's meant for marshmallows and graham crackers! Best of all, you can use it on your grill or in the oven, so campfire fun doesn't have to be limited to the outdoors.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Guy Fieri Frying Pans Whip up a "winner winner chicken dinner" with Guy Fieri'sDecorated Nonstick Aluminum Skillets ($24.99 for the 8-inch, $29.99 for the 10-inch, $34.99 for the 12-inch,lifetimebrands.com). Designed by Guy's personal tattoo artist, Joe Leonard, these fry pans feature a nonstick interior and soft-touch silicone handles.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Drink It Up Talk about a big gulp — Bubba Brands' 34 oz. Travel Mug and 52 oz. Original Mug (in black, blue or purple; $8.99 for 34-oz., $9.99 for 52-oz;amazon.com) are some of the biggest cups we've ever seen! Made with foam insulation sandwiched between two walls, these enormous mugs are designed to keep your beverage at the perfect temperature for up to 6 hours for hot drinks and 24 hours for cold drinks.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Flower Power A cute gift for the little chef in your life, Kizmos' Flower Pot Tool Set ($29.99, lifetimebrands.com/kizmos) is a collection of kitchen gadgets — a turner, slotted spoon, ladle, spoon, and masher — designed to look like flowers, housed in a ceramic vase. Unlike real blossoms, this bouquet is made from heat-resistant nylon and is dishwasher-safe.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Holy Guacamole Avocados can be slippery little buggers, which makes slicing them tricky — and potentially unsafe. To the rescue: The OXO 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer (in white or green, $9.99, oxo.com) lets you split, pit, and slice avocados with one tool.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Shake It Out The BlenderBottle SportMixer ($14.99 for 28oz and $12.99 for 20oz, amazon.com) is popular for blending up protein shakes — but when put to the test, the manufacturer claims it can also whip cream in two minutes. Made from Eastman Tritan plastic so it won't retain scents, the shaker couldn't be easier to use: Insert ingredients for anything from pancakes to smoothies, drop in the BlenderBall, then shake.

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Line It Up If you like things just so, then this is the cutting board of your dreams. Fred & Friends' The Obsessive Chef cutting board ($26,amazon.com) is laid out with a grid so you can julienne as precisely as possible. Get chopping!

Photo: Nicole Price Fasig Prepara Roasting Laurel Ditch your roasting rack for the Prepara Roasting Laurel(available July 1, $24.99, prepara.com) — your chicken will be literally resting on its laurels. This silicone tool is designed to help avoid burning the bottom of food and make sure that your meal doesn't mix with any greasy drippings. Plus you can use it as a trivet, for a little extra style on your table!

Amazing glass homes

Almost everything inside this Milan, Italy home is made of glass. Photo: SantambrogioMilano

There are a few good rules of thumb to follow when owning and living in a house made of glass, and they don’t just involve throwing stones. Don’t play baseball in the front or backyard, don’t build a glass home near a golf course, and, most importantly, don’t forget to stock up on a supply of industrial-sized Windex—you’re going to need it.

Skyscraper architect Philip Johnson left a legacy of impressive buildings and skyscrapers, such as the Sony Building in Manhattan and Madrid’s improbably angled Puerta de Europa. But it’s his Glass House, in New Canaan, Connecticut, that is his most famous.

“Sure, it’s just a box of clear glass in the woods, but that simplicity makes this 1949-era house stand out as particularly beautiful,” says Rich Beattie, executive online editor at Travel + Leisure.

Some glass abodes enjoy their wooded nooks, as the surrounding foliage allows for privacy, a notion with which all glass houses play. Case Study House #22 (also known as The Stahl House) takes a different approach, and, due to its location atop the mountains surrounding Los Angeles, opens itself up to the city skyline below. The home, designed by Pierre Koenig, was a product of Arts and Architecture magazine’s 1945 project to inspire famous building designers to create modern and affordable homes for G.I.s returning from the war.

Ultimately, the project was abandoned, deemed a utopian idea that ultimately proved impractical. It did, however, leave behind some beautiful “experiments.” Visitors are allowed to view the privately owned home on weekends.

As Philip Johnson designed his glass home, Mies van der Rohe was contemporaneously at work on his glass-walled Farnsworth House, situated outside Chicago. His work reportedly greatly influenced Johnson’s final vision. The resulting home, the Farnsworth House, located in Plano, Illinois, is located nearly 55 miles outside of the Windy City.

The single-room window retreat, reminiscent of Johnson’s style, and has become so famous and influential that it was named a National Historic Landmark. Originally commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth, who worked with van der Rohe on the designed and approved the final plans, the home was eventually the subject of a lawsuit first brought by van der Rohe and later countered by Farnsworth. Rumor has it that it wasn’t the home that drew her litigious ire upon completion, but rather the souring of a relationship with van der Rohe.

Read on for more about the Farnsworth House and four other amazing glass homes:

Church Point Home
Location: Pittwater, Australia

The Church Point Home, outside Sydney, resembles a tree house. Photos: Utz Sanby

This hill-perched transparent home plays peek-a-boo through the trees, but for the most part, rocks and foliage nestle it in complete privacy. Located near the ocean in Pittwater, about 30 miles north of Sydney, the Church Point Home was designed by Sydney architectural firm Utz Sanby. The firm describes the home on its website as a tree house that offers “seclusion and sanctuary” to its residents.

Concrete pillars made to look like trees support the house on its hillside seat, much like limbs act as a tree house’s supports, and though the home can seem muted with a majority grey-and-white color schemes small bursts of red strategically assert themselves inside and out. Hardwood floors and a wooden kitchen table set help harmonize the home with its forest location.

Philip Johnson's Glass House
Location: New Canaan, Connecticut

Johnson's home is surrounded by art that he and his partner collected. Photos: Philip Johnson's Glass House

Used as the famous architect’s “Glass House Retreat” (he died there in 2005), the building was originally designed as a home. Johnson preferred to use it for the 58 years he lived after building it. Johnson’s lifelong partner, David Whitney, helped design the surrounding landscape and was responsible for collecting the art that the couple amassed. Thirteen other modernist buildings occupy the land, adding to the famous couple’s art collection.

Glass Home By Santambrogio
Location: Milano, Italy

The Milan glass home is being replicated in Paris. Photos: SantambrogioMilano

If you have the funds, architect and glass designer Carlo Santambrogio will design for you almost any glass structure you can think of. But it is his Glass Concept Home, located in Milan, which is perhaps his most impressive architectural feat – one which is currently being replicated in Paris. A blue-tinged glass cube sits in the middle of a wooded clearing – a location private enough to reasonably place a home that is made almost entirely of 6 to 7 millimeter glass (the material can be specially heated during the winter).

“After the client requested it,” says Santambrogio, “I came up with the project idea.” Almost every feature or piece of furniture is made from glass as well, from the dining room table, to the stairs, to the bookcase. In fact, one of the few items not made of glass is the bed. Seems glass is just not comfortable to sleep on, even with a great comforter.

Case Study House #22 (The Stahl House)
Location: Los Angeles, California

The Stahl home is the result of a post-World War II project. Photo: 2012 Stahl House

Arts and Architecture magazine had an inspired idea in 1945: to commission a variety of homes from some of the best architects of the day as a way of designing efficient and modern homes for troops returning from WWII. From 1945 – 1966 (with some gaps in between) a total of 25 homes were built (11 projects were never completed) and Case Study House #22 remains one of the most impressive.

Built on a cliffside overlooking the city, the home designed by Pierre Koenig, was completed in 1959, and the Stahl family, which still owns the home, moved in. Views from any area of the house (except for one wall facing the road, which provides privacy) take in the expanse of the whole valley, and guided tours of the home, while possible during the day, are most stunning at night. Tours are available and admission varies.

Farnsworth House
Location: Plano, Illinois

The Farnsworth House is a straight line of glass. Photos: Farnsworth House

Modernist German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has had more influence on the architectural identity of Chicago than any other architect. The Farnsworth House, located 55 miles southwest of Chicago, is a fine example of his penchant for straight lines, steel and glass materials.

It was commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth in 1945, who wanted to use the one-room glass shelter as a weekend retreat. Designated a National Historical Landmark in 2006, the Farnsworth house is essentially one large series of floor-to-ceiling mirrors, with a steel roof and support beams holding it in place. Today, the house and its grounds are now a popular backdrop for wedding ceremonies.

10 Hidden Places Most People Don't Know About

Best hidden place in the U.S.: North Dakota. (Photo: Thinkstock/Photodisc)

Need to get away from it all—including other tourists? Shake up your next vacation with a trip to one of these secret spots that most of the world doesn't know about. We got the inside scoop on 10 hidden destinations from Joe Yogerst, one of the authors of National Geographic's Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Best Hidden Travel Gems ($40). His picks will give even the most seasoned traveler new ideas.


Best Hidden Destination Within The United States: North Dakota

"My newest 'find' is North Dakota, which I discovered last fall. Wide-open spaces, very few people, and lots of things to do, too, (like) Wild West towns and old Norwegian pioneer settlements, Roosevelt National Park and the northern Badlands, The Lewis and Clark Trail of forts and museums along the Missouri River. (Plus, there's a) surprisingly sophisticated food and bar scene in Bismarck."

Leptis Magna (Photo: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

Best Hidden Destination for History Lovers: Leptis Magna

"One thing that didn't come out during last year's blanket press coverage of the Libya revolution was the fact that the North African nation has the absolute best Roman ruins anywhere, outside of Rome itself. The place is called Leptis Magna, on the coast 75 miles east of Tripoli. (You'll find) stunning architecture that hardly anyone has visited in modern times."

Tuamotu Islands (Photo: Thinkstock/Photodisc)

Best Hidden Destination for Snorkeling: Tuamotu Islands

"The Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, about an hour's flight north of Papeete, are unspoiled, uncrowded, and unpolluted. You can snorkel with tropical fish or big things (sharks and manta rays) in the coral atolls with lagoons in the middle or 'drift-snorkel' through the lagoon passages on the turn of the tides."

Galapagos Islands (Photo: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

Best Hidden Destination for Family Travel: Galapagos Islands 

"Not hidden per se, but it's not the most obvious family vacation and it's the one spot on the entire planet I would take my kids back again and again. Children love it, especially if you tour the islands by boat. In addition to getting up close and personal with millions of animals who show no fear of humans, kids can also dive into lots of different water sports like snorkeling, sea kayaking, Zodiac (boats), etc."

The Pyrenees (Photo: Thinkstock/Hemera)

Best Hidden Destination for Mountain Lovers: The Pyrenees

"The Pyrenees in southern France and northern Spain (are) everything people crave about the Alps with a fraction of the people. Incredible high-country national parks in Gavarnie, Ordesa, and Aiguestortes; hearty regional cuisine; the running of the bulls in Pamplona—and even duty-free shopping in tiny Andorra."

Sri Lanka (Photo: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

Best Hidden Destination for Romance: Sri Lanka

"Sri Lanka's southern coast, (especially on) either side of the old city of Galle, has everything you need for a romantic getaway—including chic boutique hotels, uncrowded beaches, wildlife sanctuaries (wild elephants and leopards), ancient temples, and great food."

Mauritius (Photo: Getty Images)

Best Hidden Destination for Beaches: Mauritius

"It's a long haul from North America or Europe, but Mauritius is well worth the 24-hour trip for the palm-fringed beaches alone. Great hotels, marvelous mixed-bag cuisine (Indian, Chinese, African, French) that reflects the island's diverse cultural heritage, adventurous volcanic mountains, quirky history, and very nice people who enjoy having visitors come to their tiny speck of land in the middle of nowhere."

Tokyo (Photo: Thinkstock/Hemera)

Best Hidden Destination for Culinary Travel: Tokyo

"A lot of people wouldn't touch 'street food' in Asia, but in super-clean Japan you have nothing to worry about. Especially good are the early-morning eateries of Tsukiji Fish Market, where you can breakfast on fresh-off-the-boat sashimi and premium sake, and the 'Yakatori Alley' beneath the old brick railroad arches near the Ginza district."

Wrangell-Kluane Wilderness (Photo: Thinkstock/Hemera)

Best Hidden Destination for Adventure Travel: Wrangell-Kluane Wilderness, Alaska and the Yukon

"This is the world's largest single protected area (50 million square miles), and boasts the biggest concentration of super-high mountains and glaciers in North America. In addition to copious wildlife (bear, moose, caribou, mountain goats, whales, and timber wolves), the vast park offers all sorts of adventure possibilities—backcountry hiking, mountain climbing, whitewater rafting (on) huge inland rivers, or kayaking saltwater fjords. And best of all: adrenaline-pumping bush plane flights."

Pantanal Wetlands (Photo: Thinkstock/Stockbyte)

Best Hidden Destination for Wildlife: Pantanal Wetlands 

"Everyone thinks the Amazon is the place to go in South America for wildlife, but the vegetation is too thick and the habitat destruction (is) too widespread now. With vast grasslands, animals are much easier to see (and photograph) in the Pantanal wetlands of southern Brazil. It's the best place on the planet to see jaguars in the wild." 

What Indian women want 

What women want... 
The hottest women in India give you a lesson on what turns them on. And off. Pay attention!

Women can't resist... Clean, close encounters

"A good smell with a great smile! So when he talks to me, I am absolutely in heaven!" 
-Gauhar Khan, model, VJ and actress

You've heard/ read/ seen it a million times, yet we're still advertising it. Any smell which has bad attached to it and is coming from you is a sure-fire social-life killer: Body odour from a distance and bad breath up close. It's only the odd friend who's not afraid of getting punched in the face who'll actually tell you you're reeking. Prevention is better than cure, right?

Get it right: 
Use baby powder for dusting, especially before gym.

Buy toothpaste with triclosan in it to bust bacteria and bad breath.

Clean your privates carefully with a soft loofah. You'd be surprised at the nose wrinkling properties building up down there.

Women can't stand... Metrosexual obsessors

"Men who own more cosmetics than I do! I'm all for metrosexual, but do you have to see your reflection every five minutes?" 
-Himarsha Venkatsamy, Kingfi sher Calendar Girl, 2010

Me, Tarzan. You, Jane. You pink-lipped, pretty, make babies. Me bring home bacon. Share the bathroom mirror as long as you're not late for boar-roasting sessions because you had to get your nails done. We get you're attracted to well-kept babes. But they have neanderthal requirements too-let your masculinity shine, keep the rest subtle.

Get it right:
Use grooming products which smell the same.

Don't wear shiny lip balms. Yes, it shows.

Trimming hair on your legs is better than waxing it right off. Especially when playing squash in shorts is a priority.
Grooming rule breaker
Stress does not cause grey hair 
Unless your mug matches George Clooney's, minus the salt-pepper hair, breathe in relief. "Your hair can't turn black overnight," says Dr Navin Taneja, dermatologist, National Skin Centre, New Delhi. 

"Premature greying depends on hereditary factors and the diet you maintain. It's why people living on the coast have blacker, thicker hair. Their staple food is fish, a regular source of omega-3 fatty acids. If you can't eat fish, ingest antioxidant rich foods like fruits or milk, he advises. 

Travel in high-speed double-decker from Bangalore to Chennai

 

Bangalore, March 14 (IANS) Denizens of this tech hub will soon have the privilege of travelling in an high-speed air-conditioned double-decker express to Chennai, covering a distance of about 360 km in a little over two hours.

Of the seven new express/mail trains Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi announced Wednesday for Karnataka in the 2012-13 rail budget, introduction of a daily non-stop AC double-decker express will be eagerly awaited as it will reduce the travel time between the two cities by three hours from the five hours the Shatabdi Express currently takes.

"Reducing travel time from Bangalore to Chennai by nearly three hours will be possible, as the double-decker express coaches are designed and built to run at 150 km per hour on upgraded tracks with no stoppages," a senior South Western Railway (SWR) official told IANS here.

Of the seven direct express/mail trains operated between the two cities, two are Shatabdis on six days a week, which run at 110 kmph, and two are inter-city trains that take over six hours due to their many halts.

"The double-decker express will be launched as soon as we get the new coaches and funds to upgrade the tracks, which currently enable Shatabdis to travel at 110 kmph," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The double-decker rakes, comprising eight stainless steel coaches and two power cars, are manufactured at the Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala in Punjab.

"A double-decker coach can carry 128 passengers in comparison to 78 in a Shatabdi chair car, increasing the capacity by about 70 percent. With lower weight per commuter, the coaches are more energy efficient," the official pointed out.