{"id":98616,"date":"2016-11-23T09:45:13","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T14:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/countingpips.com\/?p=98616"},"modified":"2016-11-23T07:22:58","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T12:22:58","slug":"the-rational-shoppers-list-for-black-friday-and-cyber-monday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/2016\/11\/the-rational-shoppers-list-for-black-friday-and-cyber-monday\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rational Shopper\u2019s List for Black Friday and Cyber Monday"},"content":{"rendered":"
November 23, 2016<\/div>
\r\n<\/div><\/div>

By WallStreetDaily.com<\/u><\/a> \"The<\/p>\n

Here are 10 innovative, scientific, and exploration-based ideas that are sure to bring joy to you and yours this holiday season.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which is another way of saying that it\u2019s two days before Black Friday.<\/p>\n

Yes, we\u2019re already on the cusp of another Shopmas.<\/p>\n

How the time flies.<\/p>\n

Hopes are high at the National Retail Federation, which on October 4 forecast a 3.6% increase in sales for November and December (excluding automobiles, gas, and restaurants), to $655.8 billion.<\/p>

\r\n
\r\n

Free Reports:<\/p><\/div>\r\n

\r\n

<\/a>\r\n\t Get Our Free Metatrader 4 Indicators<\/u><\/b><\/a> - Put Our Free MetaTrader 4 Custom Indicators on your charts when you join our Weekly Newsletter<\/p>

\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

<\/a>\r\n\t Get our Weekly Commitment of Traders Reports<\/u><\/b><\/a> - See where the biggest traders (Hedge Funds and Commercial Hedgers) are positioned in the futures markets on a weekly basis.<\/p>

\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n
<\/div>\n

That\u2019s a lot higher than the 10-year average annual growth of 2.5%, and it beats the seven-year, post-Great Recession-recovery average of 3.4% too. Online sales, meanwhile, are expected to increase by 7\u201310%.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of the season, we present the Wall Street Daily<\/em> Gift Guide.<\/p>\n

This list is based on the innovative, engineered, scientific, or just plain interesting quality of the items presented. And you can track down all of it online.<\/p>\n

The Best Ladle in the World<\/h2>\n

As Andrew Liszewski of Gizmodo notes<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s certainly not the worst thing that could go wrong at a dinner party, but having a ladle sink to the bottom of a punch bowl or pot is no longer a potential embarrassment thanks to a clever swan-shaped alternative that\u2019s engineered to float so that it\u2019s always within easy reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Swanky. If you pledge $32 at Kickstarter<\/strong><\/a>, you\u2019ll get two Swanky ladles \u2013 \u201cone for you and one for your friend!\u201d<\/p>\n

And while delivery is scheduled for January 2017, this is the perfect innovative gift for the host with the most. It\u2019s not only a great way to save money, but it could save the punch, as well.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an Interstellar Mystery-Adventure<\/h2>\n

Who doesn\u2019t love a good mystery? Who doesn\u2019t love Star Wars?<\/em><\/p>\n

Exactly: Clue: Star Wars Edition<\/strong><\/em><\/a> is for literally everyone.<\/p>\n

Gizmodo\u2019s Liszewski is on the case<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cThe biggest twist you\u2019ll find in this version of the game is that no one actually dies. Instead of solving a murder by figuring out who the killer was, what weapon they used, and where they committed the crime, Clue: Star Wars Edition<\/em> ($25) has players trying to escape the moon-sized space station with a copy of the Death Star\u2019s plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Print and Play<\/h2>\n

Oliver Roeder, writing about the ongoing World Championship of Chess for FiveThirtyEight<\/strong><\/a>, wonders whether computers are \u201cdraining the beauty out of\u201d the royal game.<\/p>\n

It is, indeed, a fascinating debate over the impact of IBM\u2019s Deep Blue on the aesthetics at the highest levels of the game.<\/p>\n

At the same time, as depicted in a picture accompanying this story<\/strong><\/a>, computers can actually make<\/em> chess now. There\u2019s no question that additive manufacturing \u2014 or 3-D printing \u2014 has come a long way over the last five years.<\/p>\n

As Mark Frauenfelder notes for Boing Boing, his newest 3-D printer \u2014 New Matter\u2019s MOD-t<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 is easier to set up, sleeker, and quieter than one he picked up half a decade ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MOD-t also sells for $400 and also uses PLA filament, and I was curious to see how two similarly-priced printers from then and now compare. After using the MOD-t almost daily, I can say with confidence that it is much, much better in every way than my five-year-old 3-D printer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find Your Wave<\/h2>\n

Any surfers in your life?<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll thank you for this<\/strong><\/a>, a \u201cUS$150 waterproof puck that communicates with a cloud network\u201d and functions as a Waze for surfers.<\/p>\n

As IEEE Spectrum\u2019s<\/em> Tekla Perry details, the Internet of Things device incorporates \u201ca GPS, nine-axis inertial measurement unit, barometer, thermometer, and a battery that lasts two to four hours\u2026 It reports ocean conditions and logs waves caught in real-time, so a user\u2019s friends can check in on not only water conditions, but how the surfer is doing, helping them decide whether or not to head to that spot themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flo Labs, the startup for which West Askew engineered the device, has secured $275,000 in venture funding so far. It\u2019s in the beta-testing stage. The company plans to take orders starting in July 2017 and ship to surfers beginning in the fourth quarter next year.<\/p>\n

The Agony of Da Feet<\/h2>\n

This one\u2019s personal.<\/p>\n

During the late stages of my preparation for the Marine Corps 10K, I began experiencing serious pain in my right foot. There was no way I was not going to race.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m on my way to my orthopedist next Monday for what I hope is just a case of plantar fasciitis, but what I fear could be a stress fracture. I also ran myself into some left-knee pain, the result of favoring my right foot.<\/p>\n

So yeah, I could definitely use RecoverX\u2019s portable thermoelectric app-driven hot\/cold wrap for \u201cgeneral athletic recovery.\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For Kids of All Ages<\/h2>\n

Who wouldn\u2019t be excited to receive a \u201czippy, carbon-fiber\u201d electric scooter that \u201cweighs only 15 pounds, is easily carried, and has a small form factor when collapsed\u201d?<\/p>\n

Michael Borys, writing for Boing Boing, notes that he uses the Swagger<\/strong><\/a> \u201cto blow off steam after long meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

And $399 seems like a small price to pay for what looks like a cool tool for meeting potential mating partners.<\/p>\n

The Future Martian in Your Life<\/h2>\n

One of our kids or grandkids is going to be the first human to set foot on Mars.<\/p>\n

Gizmodo\u2019s Maddie Stone has a great way to jump-start the project<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As the Kickstarter for Epic Space Adventure: Mars Rover Rescue<\/em> explains<\/strong><\/a>, \u201cYour favorite giraffestronaut and robot are back, and this time they\u2019re forming a rescue party to search for a missing Mars rover.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 56-page book, including illustrations by Galen Frazer, presents \u201cspace science in a way that\u2019s easy to understand, combined with an exciting story line and character interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pledge of as little as $13 will get you a hardcover copy of the book plus an e-copy and \u201csuper secret bonuses.\u201d Kicking in $22 gets you two hardcover copies plus the extras.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s much more on offer, including a companion memory matching game suitable for even very young children, a sticker pack, a coloring book, and, of course, \u201ca few\u00a0super secret bonuses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Perfect Collectible for Insane People\u201d<\/h2>\n

I really don\u2019t have much to add to what Gizmodo\u2019s Liszewski has to say about this one<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds preposterous, but to be fair, if you head on over to your local office supply store, a generic box of copy paper \u2014 5,000 sheets of paper \u2014 will run you about $50<\/strong><\/a>. Quill<\/strong><\/a> will sell you the exact same thing for just $40, and its<\/em> paper comes wrapped in fantastic Star Wars<\/em> designs and retro artwork from A New Hope. <\/em>So this is actually sort of a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scientific Cooking<\/h2>\n

As J. Kenji L\u00f3pez-Alt of Serious Eats\u2019 The Food Lab notes<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cThe \u2018sous vide\u2019 part of sous vide cooking refers to the vacuum-sealed bags that are often called for when you\u2019re using the technique. However, these days, when someone says \u2018sous vide cooking,\u2019 they\u2019re generally referring to any kind of cooking that takes place in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath, whether you\u2019re actually using a vacuum-sealed bag or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s precisely the tool<\/strong><\/a> to make that \u201cfantastic technique\u201d everyday-accessible and to establish \u201ca very high level of control over the texture of the finished dish, while eliminating any chance of over- or undercooking it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason Weisberger of Boing Boing immerses himself in the ChefSteps CS10001 Joule<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been cooking with it for months now,\u201d he writes, \u201cand I\u2019m in love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perfect Dispensation<\/p>\n

We first came across Vremi\u2019s olive oil dispenser via Kinja, which was sponsoring a deal for the \u201cingenious\u201d product that enables you to measure before you pour.<\/p>\n

The Kinja deal sold out. But this is still a pretty good bargain and a pretty cool gift\/stocking stuffer for the foodie in your life<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Get Smart<\/h2>\n

Empiricism is everywhere good. But in the kitchen, it\u2019s particularly welcome.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, we shared J. Kenji L\u00f3pez-Alt\u2019s advice on how to navigate the minefield that can be preparations for a Thanksgiving feast<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can bring his knowledge, gained through years of observation and experimentation, home for yourself and your loved ones via his first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smart shopping,<\/p>\n

David Dittman
\nEditorial Director, Wall Street Daily<\/i><\/p>\n

The post The Rational Shopper\u2019s List for Black Friday and Cyber Monday<\/a> appeared first on Wall Street Daily<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By WallStreetDaily.com Here are 10 innovative, scientific, and exploration-based ideas that are sure to bring joy to you and yours this holiday season. It\u2019s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which is another way of saying that it\u2019s two days before Black Friday. Yes, we\u2019re already on the cusp of another Shopmas. How the time flies. Hopes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98616"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98630,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98616\/revisions\/98630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}