Etsy.com is a fast-growing site that allows artists to sell their goods and in some cases earn a living. Walletpop.com goes inside the bedroom/atelier of one such artist, Nguyen Le, who goes by her Etsy shop name KnitKnit. Read more!

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Pulse SmartPen a fun, useful $150 gift for students

Barbara Hernandez Dec 24th 2009 @ 5:00PM EST Filed Under: Technology

Although I write about technology I won't say I'm a gadget junkie, but when I saw this item, I admit to feeling a bit covetous. The Pulse SmartPen is indeed a gadget by Oakland, Calif.-based company Livescribe Inc., founded by the same man who also started LeapFrog. Sure, you say, but $150 to $200 for a pen?!?

It's not just any pen. It's a regular-sized pen that digitally captures audio and syncs it with handwriting. The 2GB to 4GB pen is equipped with a tiny camera at the tip, that when used with cheap but special paper, can play back what was recorded even in different speeds by tapping the pen on any part of your notes.

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Follow Santa on Google maps

Madhusmita Bora Dec 24th 2009 @ 4:30PM EST Filed Under: Technology

You have heard how fast Santa Claus has to travel to visit the homes of all good boys and girls of this world. Well, today, you may follow him around on Google Maps.

Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Google are partnering to provide you real time information on Santa's journey around the world.

Santa began his journey on Thursday at 2 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, and is moving west, as the Earth is rotating from west to east. You can follow him at the NORAD Web site.

The Google Earth browser plug-in can be downloaded here. The plugins are available for only Windows and Mac machines.

Were you good this year? Find out whether Santa is headed your way.

Airlines bring back perks -- for their richest fliers

Megan Angelo Dec 24th 2009 @ 4:00PM EST Filed Under: Travel

The New York Times reports that while even complimentary mini bags of pretzels inch closer to extinction, airlines are dreaming up new elite categories for frequent fliers -- complete with perks and prestigious titles.

A quick sampling of the new clubs: Continental Airlines' Presidential Platinum (customers must fly 125,000 miles or spend $30,000 annually); Delta's Diamond Level (also 125,000 miles per year); Southwest Airlines' A-List (16 round trips in 12 months).

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Jonathan Safran Foer on eating animals and a cheeseburger on 4th of July

Andrea Chalupa Dec 24th 2009 @ 3:30PM EST Filed Under: Food, Video

If you're in the market for New Years resolutions, here's one: cut back on eating meat.

Ninety-nine percent of the meat we eat comes from factory farms. Industrial livestock production is worse for the planet than the pollution from all transportation combined.

What's more, our beloved chicken and turkey are mutating on account of this heavy production. Inside the factory farms, turkeys have lost the ability to reproduce and most chickens can't live past 40 days, and if they do their bones break. (Plus, a North Carolina factory farm gave the world swine flu)

Continue reading Jonathan Safran Foer on eating animals and a cheeseburger on 4th of July

Low-cost remodels are sign of the times

Amy Pyle Dec 24th 2009 @ 3:00PM EST Filed Under: Economizer

As real estate begins to rise from the depths of the recession, is it time to dust off those remodeling plans? WalletPop asked two experts for tips on low-cost ways to make your home sparkle in 2010 without digging too deeply into what remains of your savings.

Jennifer Gilmer, a kitchen and bath designer, says the key may be to figure out what you really want most and then focus on that, rather than on a complete gut and remodel. Fernando Pagés, a builder and author of "Affordable Remodel: how to get custom results on any budget", says the key, especially now, is to think of your home as a refuge, not an investment.

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Airport food worse than you think

Bob Cesca Dec 24th 2009 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Food, Travel

There are about a million (mostly bad) jokes about airline food, but if you're traveling over the next several days you might want to pack a lunch or take your chances on the plane.

It turns out the food served in airport eateries and grab-and-go stands are worse than what is served on the plane. And not just in terms of taste or nutrition.

According to USA Today, eating a sandwich from an airport restaurant could make you very sick. The article reports, "tuna salad and turkey sandwiches stored at dangerously warm temperatures, raw meat contaminating ready-to-eat foods, rat droppings and kitchens lacking soap for workers to wash hands." Delicious.

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Puppies in Pennsylvania looking for homes

Megan Angelo Dec 24th 2009 @ 2:00PM EST Filed Under: Bargains, Extracurriculars, Charity

If you've been trying to decide whether or not to fulfill your child's holiday wish for a puppy, consider this: if you live in or near Pennsylvania, you can make your kid's wish come true and do a good yuletide deed in one fell -- and inexpensive -- swoop.

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Podcast: Out-of-the-box job search tactics

Aaron Crowe Dec 24th 2009 @ 1:30PM EST Filed Under: Career

In this week's "Your Job Will Come" podcast, WalletPop's Aaron Crowe talks with career counselor Alan De Back about his new book "Get Hired in a Tough Job Market" and some out-of-the-box job search tactics.

One of the top tactics is to get off the computer and expand your network. So get out and take someone out for coffee!

A gift voucher you don't want to redeem -- divorce advice

Aaron Crowe Dec 24th 2009 @ 1:00PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars, Shopping

It's not as tasteless as giving a pap smear for Christmas, but a London law firm is getting close with divorce vouchers.

It's a gift you don't want to find under your tree on Christmas morning -- "Merry Christmas, honey! Now get out of the house!"

Continue reading A gift voucher you don't want to redeem -- divorce advice

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