Remains of the Day: Google Finds Itself in More Hot Water [For What It's Worth]

Google is in trouble again, Verizon iPad works with an AT&T Micro-SIM, and custom content in Google Earth comes to mobile devices.

Google Faces New Federal Investigation Over Safari Hack [REPORT]: Already in the midst of a Federal Trade Commission antitrust investigation, Google is now facing a new probe via the European Commission, as well as the U.S. and federal authorities. This comes as a result of Google bypassing privacy settings in Apple's Safari browser that tracked users on both the desktop and iPhone versions of Safari. A Google representative has confirmed these probes do exist in a statement to the Wall Street Journal: "We will of course cooperate with any officials who have questions. But it's important to remember that we didn't anticipate this would happen, and we have been removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers." [Mashablel]New Verizon iPad Runs on AT&T 3G Networks With AT&T Micro-SIM: What do you get when you insert an AT&T micro-SIM card into a Verizon iPad? An iPad with a data plan! Today, user jsnuff1 confirmed on the Mac Rumors forums that he inserted his AT&T iPhone 4S SIM card into his Verizon iPad, and "the data worked." However, by going this route, your Verizon iPad will only be limited to non-LTE bands. [Mac Rumors]Access Custom Google Earth Content on Your Mobile Device: If you have been awaiting the day when you could view custom maps on your mobile device, now is the time for celebration. Today, Google has announced that Google Earth 6.2 for Android and iOS will support custom content (KMLs). In addition, Google has also released the Google Earth Gallery in the mobile app as well. [Google Lat Long Blog]Ready for Your New iPad: High-Res Readability: If you have become a fan of Readability, you will be glad to know that Readability for the new iPad is now available in the App Store. It features a high-resolution retina display that makes reading on the web a breeze. [Readability Blog]

Unclog a Toilet with Warm Water and Dishwasher Soap [Macgyver Tips]

It's something that most of us don't like to think about, but toilet clogs happen. If you don't have a plunger handy when they do (or you're dealing with a particularly difficult clog), some warm water and dishwashing detergent can help.

Reader Ignignokt recently sent in a tip saying that you could just turn on hot water elsewhere in your house to get rid of a nasty clog. While I couldn't verify this, I did come across something just as good in my research: dishwasher soap and a bucket of hot water can get you pretty far. The Art of Manliness has more info:

Add a few cups of hot water to the toilet bowl before you start plunging. After you pour the hot water in, let it sit for a few minutes. To put it mildly, the heat helps break the, um, stuff up. This will make unclogging the toilet with the plunger much, much easier. The heat from the hot water can sometimes break up the clog without plunging, so this could be a good tactic to use if you a clog a toilet at a friends house and you don't want to face the embarrassment of asking for a plunger.

Also, try adding some dishwasher detergent to the mix. The soap can help break the clog up, as well.

For more expert tips on unclogging a toilet, be sure to check out the full post over at the Art of Manliness. And, if you're having trouble filling up that bucket of warm water, remember that a dustpan can overcome the limits of any small sink.

How to Unclog a Toilet Like a Plumber | The Art of Manliness

“Power Soak” Your Beans Before Cooking by Giving them a Two Minute Boiling Water Bath [Cooking]

 We've discussed the old soak beans for 24-hours trick to...alleviate excess gas, but if you don't have a whole day to wait before you start cooking your bean dish, this method from the folks at Bon Appetit magazine can save you a ton of time and waiting. Just put your beans in a pot, cover with water, bring them to a boil and keep them there for two minutes, and set aside.

This "power soak" method, as they call it, is essentially just pre-boiling, and once you've finished the two-minute boil, you let the beans stand for about one hour. In that time, some of the more complex sugars that may...contribute to gastrointestinal distress after eating, dissolve in the water, which is then discarded prior to cooking the beans. After the hour's rest, your beans will be ready to use in any recipe, as though it had been soaking for hours.

Have you tried this "power soak" pre-boiling method before, or do you have a different preferred method? Share your tips in the comments below.

The Faster Way to Soak Beans for Cooking | Bon Appetit

Prevent Candles from Sticking to Their Containers with a Bit of Water [Video]

 Candles are great. They smell good, they provide a romantic mood and...they get messy really, really quickly. To keep melted candle wax from sticking to your glass candle holders, just add a bit of water.

Weblog Curbly originally recommended cooking spray, which we thought was clever—until many of you brought up the good point that fire and canola oil don't exactly mix! A commenter over at Curbly though made a suggestion—which the internet confirms—that adding some water to the candle holder before putting the candle in will accomplish the same thing.

Of course, if it goes awry, there are some easy ways to get it out—but this is a nice preventative measure. Check out the video above to see more.

How to Remove Candle Wax From a Glass Container | Howcast

Use a Drop of Water to Turn Your iPhone Camera into a Microscope [DIY]

No shortage of clever iPhone camera hacks exist, but Scientific American found out that adding a drop of water on the lens of the camera creates a free magnifying glass and some cool effects.

The process is pretty simple. Place a drop of water on the phone's lens and carefully turn the device over. The suspended drop of water acts like a magnifying glass on the lens. Scientific American adds:

Larger, rounder droplets lead to higher magnification, and as the droplet evaporates and shrinks magnification decreases.The liquid lens is jiggly and sensitive to vibrations. The phone should be placed on a stable platform for maximum clarity.

That second note is a big one. It's almost impossible to hold the phone with your hands and steady it enough to snap a picture. Still, it's not a bad little hack considering it's completely free and while the post talks about the iPhone specifically it should work on most camera phones. Hit up the post on Scientific American for a bunch of samples and a few more tips to using the water for a good effect.