Accepted Plumbing Products - Massachusetts: IKEA

Accepted Plumbing Products Online System by Massachusetts Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters: IKEA, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

Did you know that plumbing products have to be approved for installation in Massachusetts?

They do.

There's even an online system for it: Accepted Plumbing Products Online System by Massachusetts Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters.

I searched for IKEA: Accepted Plumbing Products: IKEA.

Only two sinks are approved. No faucets.

Well, they sell a lot of faucets in Massachusetts. Why aren't they on the list?

I emailed the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters and sent a tweet out to IKEA.

Tweet:

@designbyikea Hi. Can you get your faucets approved for installation in Massachusetts? license.reg.state.ma.us/pubLic/pl_prod…

— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) October 19, 2012

Like this one:

TÄRNAN: Single lever kitchen faucet, chrome plated, pull-out

Let's see what happens.

Update 1:
I'm talking via email with both the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters and IKEA.

Stay tuned.

Update 2:

Lots more IKEA when you search for lowercase ikea.

Update 3:

Hello Steve,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We are always happy to
share information about our products.

The Tarnan faucets are CSA/IAPMO approved and are sold in
Massachusetts..

We hope that this information has been helpful, and we thank you for
giving us the opportunity to assist you.

Best Regards,
Julie
IKEA Customer Care Center

Steve Garfield Pheed Channel

Steve Garfield Pheed Channel, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

Here's my Pheed Channel: www.pheed.com/stevegarfield

More:

Is Pheed The New Twitter? via [ Laughing Squid ]

How To: Import iPhoto Movie Files into Final Cut Pro X (FCP X)

For some reason Apple doesn't make this easy. It should be intuitive, but I couldn't figure it out. All I wanted to do was to import movies from iPhoto into Final Cut Pro X.

I had to Google it to see what the solution was, an all I found were peopel complaining that they couldn't figure it out.

It's easy, but not intuitive.

Here's how to Import iPhoto Movie Files into Final Cut Pro X (FCP X):

STEP 1: Choose the menu item FILE > IMPORT > FILES

STEP 2: CLICK 'Import Files'



STEP 3: In the left hand part of the FCP X 'Import Files' dialog box, CLICK Movies, then select the movie files that you want to import.

Note: These are iPhoto Movie Files. I know, it's not intuitive.

Travel: Niagara Falls Attractions - White Water Walk Along The Rapids. Really, Really Fast Rapids.

I had no idea that the attractions at Niagara Falls would be so good.

Not to set your expectations too high, but Niagara Falls is a real life Disney World.

When you go down to Disney World in Florida, you go into manufactured reality. At Niagara Falls, you are actually seeing the real thing.


Image: Niagara Falls Adventure Pass

The Niagara Falls Adventure Pass combines a number of attractions together, so you can save money. I bought this pass online, before heading up to Niagara Falls, and after using it, I feel that it is a good deal.

The first attraction we went to was the White Water Walk.







It's explained this way in tourist talk:

Take a walk along a boardwalk at the very edge of one of the world's wildest stretches of whitewater! Marvel at the relentless power and beauty of nature; see how the Great Gorge was created.

the walk was really fun, and we were there during the Fall season, so the colors were really beautiful.

Here's a video to give you a feel for the power of the rapids:



Here are my photos in a slideshow:

Review: Belkin Grip Candy iPhone 5 Case

Belkin Grip Candy iPhone 5 Case, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

I didn't think I'd want a case for my iPhone 5, then I got one.

This is a Belkin Grip Candy Case for iPhone 5 (F8W152ttC00).

I got it for free at the #gdgtbos event.



I was a good sport and put on some funky glasses and let the Belkin people take a photo of me.

I thought it was fun, and posted it online. Geeky fun.


Image: Geek with Crazy Glasses

Then after the photo was taken, I was given the new phone case for free.

I didn't expect that.

In fact, I didn't even think I was going to use a case on my iPhone 5.

When I knew that I was getting an iPhone 5, I took the case off of my old iPhone 4 and starting using it that way.

Apple sure does make some nice products.

When I got my iPhone 5 I decided to try it without a case. It's nice. Especially since it has Gorilla Glass 2 on it which is less likely to break or crack.

But, then I got this free Belkin case. I put it on the phone, and it's nice.

I like it.

Here are some photos:









I like the feel of it too.

On the front, it has a raised edge which will protect the glass.

All that connectors and buttons are still easily accessible, except for the volume silencer, which is a little too recessed, but it's not that hard to switch on and off.

You can get the Belkin Grip Candy Case/Cover for New Apple iPhone 5 - Blacktop/Ice at Amazon for $24.99. This one is Black/Ice.



There are other styles and models too including this one with a clear case.

Travel: Niagara Falls (Canadian Side) What a view! Choosing a hotel.

Trying to figure out what hotel to stay at when traveling is always a challenge. I will always ask my friends on social media for advice. Usually works out great.

Marriott is my preferred hotel so I always look for a Marriott first.

When researching Niagara Falls in Canada, the Niagara Falls Marriott Gateway on the Falls, 6755 Fallsview Boulevard · Niagara Falls, Ontario L2G 3W7 Canada, looked like the place to stay.

It was.



The website made the hotel looked pretty good, but when we got there we could not believe the view.



Then we checked into our room and pull back the shades, and this is what we saw:



Unbelievable.

Seriously.

Here a short video showing what it was like to look out our room's window:


That's what the word unbelievable was meant for. This view. Unbelievable.

Then the next day the sunrise was pretty cool too.



More views:





If you are bringing a car with you, the nightly rate for the car is $25. Down the street at the Casino I saw a sign for $5 per day parking.

Traveling to Niagara Falls (US Side) and Fort Niagara

Growing up, I heard about people traveling to Niagara Falls, but I really never knew anyone who had been there on vacation.

Recently, I saw my friend Cassidy Quinn Brett Brettler take a picture in front of Niagara Falls.


Image: Cassidy Quinn Brettler at Niagara Falls

When I saw that this photo, I was impressed. I'd never thought about visiting the Falls, but this picture stayed with me.

The day after I saw this picture, I got and e-mail from TravelZoo, with a special hotel rate for Niagara Falls (Canadian Side).

So, I asked my wife if she be interested in taking a trip up there, because we were trying to decide what to do during the next week.

She asked if there were any wineries up there, so I searched, and found some. Actualy more than just some, there's a whole wine country at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We booked the trip.

After that I posted to Facebook and asked people for suggestions on what to do in the area. One friend suggested going to Old Fort Niagara.

I checked it out and saw that it was a short ride from the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport selects what we did.

Here are some photos:


Image: Fort Niagara 2


Image: Fort Niagra Soldier


Image: Fort Niagara Window and Canteen


Image: Fort Niagara

It was a great stop.

Next up was Niagara falls on the US side.

We found some free on street parking right by the falls and walked over.

Here are some photos:


Image: Niagara Falls Rainbow


Image:


Image: Niagara Falls - American Side


Image: Niagara Falls - American Side Tilt Shift


Image: Niagara Falls - American Side Pinhole


Image: Niagara Falls - American Side Vibrant


Nicola Tesla statue at Niagara Falls - American Side


Image: Niagara Falls - American Side Goat Island Bridge

It was fun to take photos there.

Here's our self portrait:

Image: Steve and Carol at Niagara Falls

Next up, crossing over to the Canadian side.

Travel Tip: When flying JetBlue, Get the Even More Speed, Even More Space Upgrade.

Image: JetBlue at Logan International Airport

When I travel, I don't like any hassles.

I like to plan.

I like to get to the airport early.

I like to leave time, so that if anything unexpected happens, I don't have to rush, or miss my flight.

I never check my luggage.

I've got a few favorite airlines, Virgin America, and JetBlue top the list.

Virgin America is great flying out of Logan in Boston because they have their own TSA security and gate.

I fly JetBlue a lot, and love to take advantage of their Even More Speed, Even More Space upgrades.

Even More Speed gets you through security in a fast lane. On my last trip when I printed the boarding pass on my Mac, the printout where it says even more speed was cut off, so make sure when you print your boarding pass that shows up, otherwise you might have problems getting into the fast lane. They led us through anyway.


Image: First! Extra Speed! #ftw Thanks @jetblue

Even More Speed also gets you early boarding. I love early boarding, because I always carry on my luggage and there's never a problem of fitting the luggage in the overhead compartment.

Even More Space gets you more legroom, which I appreciate because in 6 feet tall.

To me the upgrade is worth it and the past few times it only cost $25.

Travel Tip: Driving a car in Canada, get an insurance ID card

Image: Mercedes C250 Hertz Rental Car

I went on a last-minute trip to Canada, and flew JetBlue into Buffalo. It turns out that flying into Buffalo New York, is a lot less expensive than flying into Toronto, unless there's a special on Porter Airlines.


Image: JetBlue


Image: JetBlue Dunkin Donuts Coffee

I rented a car at Hertz in Buffalo, and when I went to pick up the car this Mercedes C250 was sitting right in front of me. The car I had reserved was a Chevy Impala.

So, I had a decision to make that I will want to drive around for a week in Canada in a Chevy or did I want to upgrade to a Mercedes?

Mercedes wins!

I always think that renting a car for a week is a really great way to do a test drive if you're thinking of buying a new car.

Before I left the US, I knew that I had to get an insurance card for Canada. So I called my insurance company, AMICA, and they sent me the card via e-mail.

When I stopped to pick up my car at Hertz, I asked if he needed to see my insurance card for Canada, and he said "Don't worry about it."

Well, better safe than sorry.

Traveling Outside the Country: Upgrade your cellphone coverage

The last time I traveled outside the country, I went to Paris. I looked into getting cell phone service, but decided against it.

During that trip, I was always on the lookout for signs that said free Wi-Fi.


Image: Free WiFi

On my recent trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada, I decided to look into upgrading my cell phone service so I could upload photos and videos from anywhere.

I've got an AT&T contract so I went online and determined that I could add 300MB Updated to my plan.

I determine this amount by taking my previous months total data usage, which I could look up on my phone app, and divided by a for giving me a weekly total of around 300 MB.


Image: International Data Plan: Activated

I was doing pretty well up until the very end of the week when I exceeded the 300MB by just a little bit.



Upgrading your cell phone's data plan is a great idea before taking it with you outside the country.

Traveling Outside the Country: Notify Your Credit Card Company

You know how it's a pain in the neck, and embarrassing when you go to make a credit card transaction and you get rejected at the counter?

Well, that can happen if you leave the country, or even your state, and neglects to inform your credit card company that you won't be shopping in your home area.


Image courtesy: NFL Extra Points

So, before you take that trip, notify your credit card company where you are traveling to, and the dates of your travel.

[Video] Romney's Way

Lightt: Grab 10 seconds of time in a burst of pictures and share

This is going to be fun to try.



It’s easy to capture and share what’s happening around you with Lightt. With one tap, you grab 10 seconds of time in a burst of pictures. We call this a “highlight.” Your highlights upload instantly and connect in a seamless stream of beautiful moving pictures. Watch your highlights, and the highlights shared by your friends, play back faster than life, like the speed of your memory.

Lightt:
http://lightt.com

On iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lightt/id545803363

Robert Scoble interviewed the team:
https://plus.google.com/+Scobleizer/posts/fzFJVGPmWGH

Update:

I've started using the app and it's fun.

Here's one from tonight on the subway.

Tweets from last night: Presidential debate 10/16/12

Welcome To Canton High School - Lip Dub on Vimeo

Welcome To Canton High School - Lip Dub on Vimeo, a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

This guy is cool.

vimeo.com/51366716