Robot vacuum puts itself away, too
Who wouldnt love a robot that does all the vacuuming for you? Press the clean button and the iRobot Roomba 650 removes dirt and dust from all kinds of surfaces, including carpets, hardwood, tile and linoleum. You can program it to clean for up to seven days a week, plus its low profile means it can maneuver under sofas and beds. Like a good robot, it returns to its home base and tells you, in a robot voice, when it needs to be recharged or emptied. (One drawback is that it doesnt hold as much as most conventional vacuums.) I found mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $399. The iRobot Roomba 770, with features such as dual HEPA air filters and a remote control, is $499. Visit www.irobot.com. — Nina Wu
Pig out on puffy fried pork rinds Available when fresh at Thai and Lao stores and food stalls in Chinatown, Chao Siam fried pork rinds are like puffy pork potato chips its impossible to eat just one. Maybe they are crispy good because theyre made locally, or it could be the special marinade the pork skins soak in before frying. They dont taste too oily and the curly strips go well with a beer or som tum (papaya salad). They cost about $4.50 or $5 per bag. — Craig Gima
Website tests your vocab know-how
Word geeks beware: Reading this may result in a loss of productivity. My husband, a teacher who is always looking for insidious ways to get his students to acquire knowledge, has gotten me hooked on vocabulary.com. The website is set up as a running quiz that builds in difficulty as it assesses your knowledge. You may occasionally find yourself crying foul at a particularly obscure word (hint: You might want to brush up on 19th-century American slang) or a contrived definition, but it is addicting nonetheless. And it wont cost you anything except time. — Stephanie Kendrick
Fuel up before cruising in Waikiki
Looking for a stress-free way to holoholo in Waikiki? Make it a day trip to the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue, where metered stalls near the Honolulu Zoo and Kapiolani Park make it a little easier to park your car, and a new sandwich and smoothie shop will save you the hassle of packing a lunch.
Just outside the entrance to the lobby of the Park Shore Hotel, Tucker & Bevvy claims a Kalakaua Avenue address but is actually on Kapahulu Avenue between the Park Shore and the stairs leading up to Lulus Waikiki. Honolulu-born Cecily Sargent and her husband, Sydney-born Tony Sargent, opened the place a few months ago with the goal of feeding the beach with fresh juices, smoothies and a variety of picnic food.
Sandwiches, salads and sides are prepackaged and ready to grab and go. Fresh-roasted turkey with cranberry and roast beef with havarti cheese sandwiches, granola shards, sesame beets, lemon couscous, kale salad and gelato from La Gelateria were all in the cold case during a recent visit. Got a little time to wait? Order a pastrami reuben, ham and gruyere cheese or Veggie Stack panini and a fresh-fruit smoothie or the Mean Green Juice made with kale, broccoli, celery, cucumber, parsley, cilantro, lemon, ginger and lots of green apple.
Tucker & Bevvy is at 2586 Kalakaua Ave. Call 922-0099 or follow on Twitter (@tuckerandbevvy). — Jason Genegabus
Shop offers top-notch bar accessories
Mixologists are the new rock stars, and if you happen to know someone who loves playing barkeep at home, you can find any number of wonderful additions to his or her bar at the Roberta Oaks boutique at 19 N. Pauahi St. in Chinatown. In addition to clothing and accessories, the designer offers such barware as Yarai mixing glasses for $69, copper strainers for $34, and Mason-jar shakers for $29.95 assembled by Brooklyn hipsters. If youre the to-go sort, flasks range from $47.50 to $72. And, to inspire your budding mixologists, Oaks offers reprints of 19th-century and Prohibition-era bar books with recipes for such concoctions as Sherry Cobbler and Glee Club Punch. Mix and match them as your budget allows. — Nadine Kam
