I expected some hiccups as I played around with it, but I couldn’t find any.  The directions route me to the best (safest) route, whether I want to go downtown or ride the trails out past the suburbs.

In fact, I’ve been finding trails I didn’t even know existed!  Apparently it’s possible to ride from Milwaukee to both Madison (85 mi) and Chicago (94 mi) almost entirely on dedicated bike/pedestrian trails. 

Even my tiny hometown, with its one lonely (albeit very long) trail is included. 

Right now it seems it’s not possible to use street view along with the biking information, but hopefully that will be rolled out in the future as well. 

You can thank Rails to Trails for all this.  And maybe while you’re checking out their site, you might want to throw a donation their way.  A worthy organization with which my dad has been involved for several years, they’re the ones that are responsible for that one long trail in my hometown.

Happy trails!

[via 8,000 other blogs]

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1. Donate to Haiti

Don’t let the affordability fool you, though – these are top of the line specs.  The frames are made of durable, flexible cellulose acetate (processed wood pulp treated with various acids).  Lenses are polycarbonate, which is thinner and lighter than plastic or glass, has great impact resistance, and offers 100% UV protection.  Anti-reflective coating comes standard, as well.

Of course, it’s tough to buy something like eyeglasses over the internet.  Fit and shape are crucial – especially if you have a child-size head like a, erm…  friend of mine. 

Luckily, they’ve thought of that.  Just upload a picture of yourself, and their facial recognition software will automatically size the glasses to fit your face.  If you can manage to narrow it down to five selections, order them up for a home try-on. 

That’s right, a home try-on:  5 frames, 7 days, 100% Free (including the return shipping).  In fact, just about everything is free.  Despite the fact that the glasses are made just for you, if you don’t like them when you get them, you can send them back for a full refund. 

And, for everything that you get for free, someone in need gets more.  For every pair of glasses they sell, they donate one through Restoring Vision.

Need even more convincing?  They also offer a monocle.

How the H do they do all this?  They’re changing the game.   By taking out the middle man, they have more control and eliminate all the markups. 

So go get yourself a pair.  Get one for every day of the week.  After all, it is for charity.

[via Uncrate]

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Enter, DoGood. 

Now you can block those annoying ads without preventing them from reaping the financial benefits.  The DoGooder plugin replaces those ads with environmental, philanthropic and health and wellness related ideas.  They also donate half of their profits to charity and non-profit organizations.

As if that’s not enough, they’ve also been nominated for a SXSW Web award for Technical Achievement (up against another favorite of mine, SeatGeek!). 

Go rid yourself of those terrible ads, post haste.  (Unless you’re running linux, or browsing with opera or chrome – then you’ll just have to wait.)

[via Download Squad]

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But my world has just been turned upside down.

I had read about Newton shoes before, but I wasn’t too sure about trying them out.  I overpronate, and I worried they wouldn’t have enough support.  A couple weeks ago, I went to a local running store and tried them on.  We popped a supportive insert in, and I was sold. 

They’re easily the most comfortable running shoes I’ve ever worn.  On top of that, they’ve completely revolutionized my running. 

With a name like Newton, perhaps you can guess – there’s a lot of science behind this shoe.  12 years of research and 9 patents make it completely unlike any other.  The key is the midfoot lugs.  For someone like me, they help to train you to land on that your midsole.  It’s much more efficient than a heel or toe strike, and leads to fewer injuries. 

But the lugs move.  Independently.  When you land, they recess into the sole.  As you start to lift your foot, they push you forward.  Don’t believe it?  Check out the tests.  Newtons have less impact, higher energy return and better cushioning than all the other shoes tested (by a third party).

They say you’ll be running better in no time, and they mean it.  For my first few minutes running yesterday, I stuck with my old habit – the heel strike.  It was inefficient.  I was tired.  For my next running interval, I let the shoe lead. 

Holy cow.  Suddenly running was less of a chore, easier and fun.  For the rest of my workout, I ran longer than my predetermined running intervals.  I felt like I had gained weeks of fitness.  I felt phenomenal.

On top of all this, they’re a responsible company (which sometimes matters to me more than my own comfort).  A significant portion of the shoe is recycled, and they  work with a multitude of charities.

My only regret?  I got a trail shoe from another company.  I don’t know how I can go back now that I’ve discovered running nirvana.

[all images via Newton]

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They also have a bevy of information to help you choose between their many options. Should you choose a straight or offset handle for your scissors?  Pointed or safety-point tips?  Snub-nose or broad blade?  You’ll find just enough information to help you make your decision.

If you spend a lot of time on construction sites and are tired of sharing hard hats with your co-workers, you could pick up your own in a snazzy color.

They may just have the perfect item for your home or work needs.

[via Apartment Therapy]

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Porsche has released a plug-in hybrid – the 918 Spyder concept car.  It delivers all the head-turning beauty and performance of the rest of the Porsche line with a projected gas mileage of 78 mpg. 

That’s right – 78 mpg.  Unlike other performance car hybrids (such as the Ferrari HY-KERS which gets 14 mpg), this hybrid is able to deliver on gas mileage without sacrificing performance.

[images via Autoblog | via Inhabitat]

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