Heated Mouse on CBS News - The Early Show & YouTube

Heated Mouse on CBS News - The Early Show & YouTube

Tech Gadgets to Keep You Warm on CBS News The Early Show

Discount Coupon Heated Mouse

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Shop ValueRays at Amazon.com

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Shopping for a Warm Mouse - ValueRays Infrared Heat Computer Mouse, Mouse Pad & Heated Computer Keyboard

Just when you thought you had it all, something new and better comes along. ValueRays infrared heat heated computer mouse, heated mouse pad, heated computer keyboard pad and heated mouse hand warmer blanket will keep you toasty warm by providing an energy-efficient and cost-effective source of heat when you are using the computer.

Don't wait until your fingers are frozen stiff to place an order. Contact ValueRays today and get the warm mouse and mouse pad computer accessories delivered to your door with free shipping and no sales tax.

Infrared heat heals. It provides deep penetrating heat to sore muscles, aching joints and relieves cold hand pain. Just 20-30 minutes of infrared heat daily produces positive results. For more information, visit http://igmproducts.com and http://valuerays.com.

Vote Online: IGMproducts at Start Up Nation

Click the link below and cast your vote for IGMproducts and Shopping Brokers at Start Up Nation. It's just a click away!

Please click the above picture and vote for our start up company on Start Up Nation. Voting deadline is March 31, 2009. Thank you!

http://www.igmproducts.com/

We specialize in Ergonomic Heated Computer Aids.

Made in USA Forever keeps your mouse hand warm

If you are looking for Made in USA products to keep your hands warm, look no further. The Mouse Hand Warmer is American Made and can be found on Made in USA Forever!

Do you sit and work for long hours sitting in front of a computer? Does your mouse hand ache with pain from the cold? If you answered yes, then you should click here to read more about the Mouse Hand Warmer at Made in USA Forever!

Amazon helps keep your cold mouse hand warm this winter

There's a lot of chat online these days about COLD MOUSE HAND. And, Amazon.com may just have the solution. The Mouse Hand Warmer uses NO Electricity to keep your mouse hand covered by a warm, fleece blanket as your mouse your way to Nerdom or Geeksville!

Available online at Amazon.com.

FREE SHIPPING

Etsy.com for cool computer gadgets for cold mouse hand

The Mouse Hand Warmer is featured on Etsy.com. Shop Etsy for handmade, unique and novel products. The Mouse Hand Warmer is constructed of a warm, fleece fabric. It's hand washable and has a non-slip surface. It can be used alone or with a standard sized mouse pad. Any size mouse fits inside the mouse hand warmer with plenty of room for movement. Click Here for more details.

Mouse hand warmer mouse pad blanket on eBay!

Shop eBay and save money this holiday season. If you are looking for the perfect gift for the difficult-to-buy-for computer geek in your life, look no further. The Mouse Hand Warmer is available at eBay.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is a mouse pad blanket for your exposed mouse hand. It keeps your mouse hand warm.

Yes, people who use the computer suffer from the cold mouse hand syndrome. And, the folks at IGM have solved that problem!

Click here for more details & FREE SHIPPING!

Mouse Hand Warmer solves the cold mouse hand problem

Dear Oprah & Doctor Oz.... help us solve the cold mouse hand problem!

Searching for an answer to define the "cold mouse hand" syndrome, Oprah and Doctor Oz were sent an online letter. We haven't heard back from them, and if/when we do, you'll read about it here.

Here's what we wrote:

Many people may not be aware of a condition called "Cold Mouse Hand." It affects computer users who work using a computer mouse. It's not carpal tunnel and shouldn't be confused with other mouse hand medical conditions. I believe the "cold mouse hand" problem is a fairly new discovery.

I started using a computer in the early 90's, and I owned and operated an ecommerce site for over 12 years. My work required me to sit in front of a computer using the mouse. A/C offices, fans, drafts and chilly weather would cause my mouse hand to get so cold my finger tips would become numb. The only relief to the cold mouse hand was to stop working, and that was not an option. I tried pulling a sweater over my mouse hand and wear fingerless gloves to keep it warm and that didn't work. I bought computer gadgets that promised to keep the mouse hand warm, and they were either non-ergonomic, caused pain, or were too small.

In February 2007, after suffering from a cold mouse hand for many years, I decided to obtain a provisional patent for a "Mouse House Hand Warmer" to address and fix the problem. But, I was still too busy operating my business to do anything with the patent.

In May 2008, I sold my ecommerce site and decided to research the cold mouse hand problem to focus on a solution. I was surprised to discover the problem was experienced by many people.

In June 2008, I made a Mouse Hand Warmer using blanket fabric, tested the prototype, and it worked. The Mouse Hand Warmer was born! I don't suffer anymore from a cold mouse hand.

If Doctor Oz finds the mouse hand syndrome, not carpal tunnel, but the "cold mouse hand" problem, an interesting, new topic, please ask him to shed some light on this mysterious computer geeks' situation. If you look for little inventions to address new problems, I will participate by sharing the problem and the solution with your audience. I hope you find this story and it's solution unique and worthy of a discussion topic.

Mouse Hand Warmer at Amazon, Etsy & IGMproducts.com

If you are one of the many computer users who suffer from a cold mouse hand all winter, a solution has arrived. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a new product being introduced this year by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. The price is $19.95 and it includes free shipping. If you buy directly from the manufacturer, there's no sales tax, too.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is available online at this locations:

Amazon.com

Etsy.com

IGMproducts.com

It's a perfect gift for any computer user. If you sit for long hours at the computer with an exposed mouse hand, you'll agree, a cozy blanket is the solution to a cold mouse hand.

Online Shopping - IGMproducts.com

New Merchant added to ShoppingBrokers.com! IGMproducts.com is now offering ShoppingBrokers.com's shoppers FREE shipping and NO sales tax on orders placed online.

Click here for more details: IGMproducts.com

Click here for Mouse Hand Warmer! A new product just in time for winter computing and gift giving. A great gift idea for all the computer geeks in your life! A warm fleece blanket to keep your mouse hand warm.

Mouse Hand Warmer - Geek gadget shop online

IGMproducts.com is launching a new site and a new product just in time for a shift in the weather and holiday shopping worldwide. We'll post photos and purchase opportunities here as soon as they are received. We're looking forward to being one of the only online resources for the new Mouse Hand Warmer.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is new, and there's nothing like it on the market. Here's details directly from the manufacturer:

$19.95 price includes Free USA Domestic Ground Shipping & Sales Tax!

The perfect gift idea for computer users.

Keeps your mouse hand covered by a warm blanket. Constructed of a warm polyester fleece blanket material with a non-slip surface. Fits standard mouse pads. Hand wash and air dry.

Instructions: Slip a standard sized mouse pad inside the Mouse Hand Warmer. If using a wireless mouse, the net front provides a clear optical connection. When using an USB connected mouse, slip the cord through a small slit opening made in the center front net. Easy to keep clean by hand washing with a mild detergent and air drying.

Made in the USA.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is an inexpensive way to keep your mouse hand warm during chilly weather or whenever you feel your mouse hand getting cold. A drafty air-conditioned office makes for an uncomfortable exposed hand if you sit and work all day at the computer. During the winter, a draft or drop in temperature makes your mouse hand cold, too. Sometimes fingers get numb due to the cold air. Keep your mouse hand warm inside a cozy blanket.

The idea for a Mouse Hand Warmer came about after spending many years working long, late hours sitting at a computer. When your mouse hand gets cold there's really nothing you can do to warm it except stop working or cover it with a warm blanket. That's why the Mouse Hand Warmer was created.

No wires or cords to get tangled on your desk top. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a contemporary, modern, techie-looking desk accessory in neutral colors of gray fleece with black and white trim. The pouch measures about 12" x 12" with a wide front opening to get your hand into and out of the Mouse Hand Warmer with ease. Fits most mouse sizes, from a standard small mouse to a large ergonomically shaped mouse.

Mouse Hand Warmer is a registered trademark and patented product made in the USA by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. For more information, for distribution or wholesale orders, please write by clicking on the Contact Us located at the top of each page at IGMproducts.com.

FREE SHIPPING & NO SALES TAX

Dangerous curves ahead

ShopBop

TOO much flesh can be an issue for swimwear designers focused on less than reality, writes Sharon Krum.

ON Miami Beach there are two kinds of coveted oceanfront real estate. The first involves luxury hotels with spectacular views, while the second can be acquired via a day with a plastic surgeon: think C or D cup. Hollywood might have pioneered the surgically enhanced starlet but Miami stands out as the land of implants. (And it feels like no one is exempt: even the surf and the palm trees seem bigger on top.)

A model in Luli Fama
So seeing them on many models during Fashion Week's 2009 swim fair, held last week at South Beach's Raleigh Hotel, shouldn't have been a surprise. But for an industry that favours ironing board-shaped runway models, it was.

It was also a slight dilemma for designer Nicky Zimmermann, who with sister Simone was in Miami to show their Cruise 2009 collection, the only Australian label on the 15-designer schedule.

"We look for more editorial girls (and found them), somebody who can walk and wear fashion and not look catalogue," Nicky says of casting the show, later seen by buyers from Barneys, Saks and ShopBop, and editors from Vogue, Elle and InStyle.

"It's important to us that we don't cater to that. We don't want to show ourselves as a commercial brand, but as a fashion swim brand. It's more fashion than swim, and that gives us a really good point of difference here." It was Zimmermann's second appearance on the Miami runway. "Last year ... it cemented our credibility both editorially and with buyers," says Simone.

Styled by Tamila Purvis, the collection showcased vivid prints (diamond, feather, florals, Russian scarf), sharply cut swimwear and contrasting silhouettes: a babushka print triangle bikini paired with an oversized babushka shirt dress; a black bandeau spider bikini under a periwinkle maxi dress. While bikinis boasted frill or stud detail, resort wear included a drawstring playsuit, jumpsuits and harem pants.

"It was very cohesive, the colours worked very well together," says Andrea Tocco, an associate buyer for Barneys Co-op. "It's what a lot of girls want: feminine, colour, design. What worked was there were pieces you could wear out and to the beach."

Judging by the size of the trade fair taking place simultaneously with Fashion Week -- 350 exhibitors, 2000 lines and buyers from 39 countries -- swimwear and resort wear is booming. Buyers cite an increasingly fashion-conscious consumer, even possibly global warming, for this.

"A lot of people have started doing swim brands," says Nicky Zimmermann. "But (the demands are) extremely specific. It has to be cut well, it has to have beautiful colours, function and aesthetic have to be equal."

For Zimmermann, sales in the US have doubled in the past 12 months, while stockists Barneys, Bloomingdales and Saks are about to roll them out into more stores. "Australia is still our biggest market, but in the next two years we are thinking America and Australia will be even," Nicky says.

Miami is the perfect place for a fashion week dedicated to swimwear. Despite the small celebrity quotient at the shows -- Anna Kournikova, Dennis Rodman, Carson Kressley, Billy Zane -- it's a city that crackles with sexual energy, people who love to show skin (typically tanned, plumped, nipped and tucked), love to party, and has weather so hot you can't think of anything but the beach. (You could spot the out-of-town, maxi dress and gladiator sandal-clad editors by their sunburn. They misjudged the severity of the heat.)

Directions from the runway for 2009 revealed that while floral prints were present they were not ubiquitous; geometric, striped and tribal prints were popular, and in terms of colour a ripple of Pucci pink and purple was in the air.

"There was a trend towards Ikat prints and less of the typical Hawaiian florals and obvious aqua blue," says WGSN's senior editor Catherine Bell. "The silhouette was more Brazilian (small) and with a low-back one-piece. With cover-ups there was a lot of volume, whether shorter to the hips or long."

Bell cites Tibi's collection of floral and tribal print swimwear for "great cutting and placement of prints on the suits" and Zimmermann because "the styling was great, it was definitely a show that stood out", while also giving high marks to the Brazilians.

"In Brazil, swimwear for us is fashion," says Benny Rosset, designer of Cia.Maritima, who showed bikinis, one-pieces and cover-ups in art deco, tie-dye or animal prints in bronze, magenta, orange and lime.

"In the US, if a woman has a black bikini this year she might have it for the next five years," he explains. "In Brazil, the women have to have a different bikini every season, like clothes and shoes. This is what I am trying to change."

While fellow Brazilians Poko Pano showed polka dots and stripes, and ANK favoured animal prints and stripes, Spain's Custo Barcelona did bikinis in ethnic motifs, metallics and devore velvet, while Christian Audigier for Ed Hardy added embellishment to their signature tattoo print.

Asked why he thinks beachgoers might want some bling on their four triangles, Audigier says simply, "they want to be seen". For theatrics on the runway there was Red Carter with a tuxedo vest one-piece and British label Pistol Panties with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted monokini. Leave it to Diesel to ditch the (blissfully airconditioned) tents and show their collegiate-inspired collection on a runway built over the hotel pool.

With the heat and humidity testing every hair-smoothing product known to woman (and failing, frankly) the after parties proved the best place in town for some cooling cocktails. Just a few blocks away from the tents at the swim show, Australia was also waving the flag, with Anna & Boy, Zimmermann, Jets, Seventh Wonderland, Rochford Australia, Seafolly, Moontide, Bond-Eye and Billabong Girls all present.

"Every hour is booked," says Simone Zimmermann of their appointment schedule. "We made a decision about two years ago we wanted to be strategic about where we were selling," she says.

"We didn't have control for a while and we took it back. In making that change, we selected buyers who understand our brand and therefore customers who understood our brand." (There is also talk of a Zimmermann store in the US, probably New York first.) For Anna & Boy it was their first time at the tradeshow.

"We felt we should commit," says co-designer Anna Hewett. "We have had some pretty positive feedback from Barneys and a few biggies. The fact we design all our own prints has had a great response from buyers."

Six-month-old Sydney brand Seventh Wonderland decided to make the swim show its launching pad for its deco-inspired swimwear. "We needed people to understand the direction. Zimmermann and Anna & Boy do directional swimwear; we want to have our thing," says co-owner Carlos Aviles.

One notable sighting in Miami was Simon Lock, IMG Fashion Asia-Pacific managing director, there to see how the event might be replicated in the Asia-Pacific. "There's been a huge growth of the resort business in Asia-Pacific," he says. "Not a lot of buyers from Asia-Pacific come to Miami, so there is an opportunity to establish an event to service and support designers in the region.

"The key to its success in Asia-Pacific would be basing it in a resort environment," he explains. "Combining the glamour and sexiness of the shows in a resort location."

And where might that be? "You have to look at where people will travel to. We do have a Miami in Australia: it's the Gold Coast. Certainly Phuket, Thailand and China have amazing resort properties. Australian swimwear has a real point of difference, it's really fashionable, and this could be an opportunity for Australian designers."

ShopBop

August Is the Season For Travel Bargains

Expedia USA

by Arthur Frommer

It's late July, the very peak of the peak season, when every bed, seat and berth is supposed to be full.

Thanks to the heat, all of Las Vegas, including Caesar's Palace, is cheap in August.But travel falls off sharply toward the end of August (when many school years have already commenced, and children have returned to their homes from camp or vacationing). And even on some earlier dates in August, softness is found in travel bookings, and bargains begin to emerge.

Last-Minute Cruises
I find many top opportunities listed on VacationsToGo.com and the other big cruise discounters, even to such places as Alaska (www.frommers.com/destinations/alaska). Here are five last-minute openings:

Aug. 18 and Aug. 25 aboard the Island Princess, seven nights in Alaska, $535.

Aug. 10 aboard Holland America's Vaandam, seven nights in Alaska, $605.

Aug. 29 aboard the Carnival Spirit, seven nights in Alaska, $599.

Aug. 14 aboard the Carnival Victory, four nights from New York City to Canada, $449.

Aug. 30 aboard the Carnival Liberty, seven nights to the Caribbean, $479.

Last-Minute Vegas
Travel to Las Vegas (www.frommers.com/destinations/lasvegas) always slumps in late August and early September because it's beastly hot there, convention activity hasn't resumed after the summer hiatus and no large groups are coming to this city of big meetings.

Late-summer bargains announced on the newsletter LasVegasAdvisor.com start with rooms for as little as $19.99 at the off-Strip-but-quite-serviceable Palace Station Hotel. And right on the Strip in late August and early September, you can enjoy weekday stays at the Tropicana for as little as $39 per room per night, the Excalibur for $50 per room per night and at the cushy Luxor for $65 per room per night. You'll get the best rates if you register with various hotels directly on their Web sites and invite them to e-mail their best offers to you.

Last-Minute Barbados
The extraordinary Best of Barbados (www.frommers.com/destinations/barbados) program, flagrantly subsidized by the Barbadian government, offers its very lowest prices in September, when one-week air-and-land packages start at $326 per person from Miami, using Bayfield House Hotel.

Remember that prices shoot upward by $100 to $200 the moment October arrives. All the major tour operators - Liberty Travel, Vacation Travel Mart and Cheap Caribbean - offer these rates and feature them on their Web sites.

Gas Rebates
And finally, keep in mind that most accommodations search engines - such as Hotels.com, BookIt.com and BedandBreakfast.com - are giving valuable gas rebates to people who book a weeklong, late-summer stay using their services.

By late August, the cost of vacationing declines all over the U.S.

Macy's Featured Products

Macy's

DKNY Women's White-StrapChronograph Watch

Price $165.00

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Lucky Brand Silvertone Peace Sign Earrings

Price $25.00

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Macy's employees raise money for Martha's Village

from The Desert Sun

Employees of Macy's at Westfield Palm Desert held a fundraiser and food drive benefiting Martha's Kitchen and Village and raised enough funds to pay for more than 19,000 pounds of food, officials said Friday. The funds were raised as part of the company's “Bag Hunger” campaign, according to Donna Paul, group sales manager Cosmetics/Fragrances.

Paul, who chaired the campaign, said that as a result of the fundraiser's success Macy's donated an additional $2,200 to the local food bank, which helps the Coachella Valley's needy.

Store officials presented representatives of Martha's Kitchen with a check, as well as the donated food items, during an employee rally on Friday, officials said, adding that every $4 equals a pound of food.

Macy's makes its way to Pearland

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Retailer sees fast-growing town as a smart place to plant a store
By DAVID KAPLAN, Houston Chronicle

Macy's
• Stores: More than 810, with 50 in Texas

• Houston-area Macy's stores: 17, including Pearland

• New Macy's store: Pearland Town Center, Texas 288 and FM 518

• Grand opening: Wednesday

• Employees: 140

• Size: 140,000 square feet

Like other major retailers faced with a weakening national economy and slumping sales, Macy's has been forced to close its underperforming stores.Most recently it announced its store in Sharpstown Center was closing.But when the chain sees a plum opportunity to open a new store, it's not going to pass it up.

The Pearland Macy's which opens Wednesday, is one such opportunity.The town's population has exploded over the past several years, and the retail market generally is considered to be underserved. The store's opening in Pearland Town Center marks a further coming of age for Pearland. Residents in the area will be getting significantly more retail Wednesday when, in addition to Macy's, other stores will open in Pearland Town Center. Dillard's will debut this fall.

Catering to locals
At Texas 288 and FM 518, Pearland Town Center is an ambitious mixed-use lifestyle center that combines fashion retail, restaurants, office space, apartments, a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a 22-acre lake. "We couldn't be happier," said Carol Artz, president and CEO of the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. "Now we'll have selections for all walks of life, and it's exciting.""It will stop some of the economic bleeding which took place in the community in the past," Artz added.The Town Center makes Pearland even more of a retail draw for area residents south of the city, including those in Lake Jackson and Angleton, she noted.

Closer location
Until now, a Pearland resident who lived near the Pearland Town Center and who wanted to shop at a Macy's had to drive about 20 miles to the Galleria, First Colony Mall or Baybrook Mall, noted Gary Hudgins, Macy's regional vice president.

The new Macy's won't be in a mall, a departure for the Houston area. The only other Houston-area Macy's not in a mall is the former Foley's downtown. Department stores increasingly are choosing big town centers and mixed-use developments for their new locations. The mall is less of an option.

"We're not seeing any enclosed malls being built, except for the rare instance," said Michael Beyard, senior retail fellow at the Urban Land Institute."Big department stores still need to grow and by necessity are looking at town centers which, when large enough, are the 21st century version of the mall," Beyard said.

The entire department store sector has been struggling in recent years, however, and now even high-end department stores like Nordstrom are having a tougher go of it, noted Dan Skoda, managing partner of D & R Consultants and former president of Marshall Field's.


Trying to stand out
Skoda is impressed with some of Macy's recent moves, including its plan to install FAO Schwarz toy store departments inside a few Macy's initially and possibly at many more of its locations in the future.

"It's more like what department stores used to offer before the discount big boxes came along — big children's departments and big toy departments," Skoda said. "Anything Macy's can do to differentiate themselves and bring newness and excitement is a plus," he said.

In a recent report, JPMorgan analyst Charles Grom noted that Macy's is facing "tough macro conditions" and that even the luxury segment of department stores is having to get more promotional. In 2007, the company had net sales of $26.3 billion, down 2.4 percent from a year earlier.


The positive side
On the positive side, Grom wrote, Macy's remains "a solid, free-cash flow generator, and potential increases in input costs down the road could be more than offset from higher private-label penetration in new Macy doors" and "better-than-expected synergies realized from consolidation efforts."

The Pearland Macy's aims to meet the needs of Pearland families by devoting significant space to young men, juniors, children and infants departments, said Melissa Steiner, the store's general manager.


All the essentials
The store will carry all the essentials, as well as "a focus on what's fashionable, colorful and fun," Steiner said.The 140,0000-square-foot Macy's store has a clean look and is designed to be easy to navigate.

Pearland Macy's will have a home accessories section with brands such as Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Hotel Collection; a bridal department and an e-Spot, a consumer-electronics vending machine that offers iPods, Cannon digital cameras, Samsung camcorders, Bang & Olufsen headphones and more. The Pearland store will not carry furniture.

Relatively new brands at Macy's include Ed Hardy, Kensie and Sweet Pea. Beginning this fall, Tommy Hilfiger will become a Macy's exclusive.With corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York City, Macy's operates more than 810 department stores under the Macy's brand and 40 under the Bloomingdale's name.

There are 17 Macy's in the Houston area.


Chosen for appeal
The developer of Pearland Town Center is Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties. The more than 700,000 square feet of retail space in the town center is 85 percent leased, and 70 percent of it will be open Wednesday.Other soft goods retailers in Pearland Town Center include Barnes & Noble, Gymboree, Aeropostale, Ann Taylor Loft, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Zumiez, Brooks Brothers Country Club and Eddie Bauer.The Town Center will also contain office space, 300 luxury apartments, a 110-room hotel, a big lake and a walking trail. Pearland was an appealing spot for such a project, said Michael Lebovitz, CBL's senior vice president, chief development officer, because it is "a fast-growing city with excellent demographics in an underserved market."

10 ways to travel for less

Expedia USA

Loyalty programs,
vacation home rentals and price shopping among ways to save!

By LYNN SELDON For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Erik Torkells, former editor-in-chief at Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, offers these 10 tips to save money on travel:

1. Consider buying a package deal.
hotel), can be major bargains. Torkells says that, to fill rooms and seats, hotels and airlines will resort to rock-bottom prices. For obvious reasons, they don't like to publicize these rates, so they sell a certain number of rooms or seats to companies that bundle them in packages. He naturally recommends www.budgetravel.com. Find other good package deals at ajc.com/travel.

2. Rent a house or apartment, particularly for a family or group.
An easy one-stop Web site for home and apartment rentals is www.homeaway.com. If you're intrigued by house-swapping, here are three Web sites: www.homeexchange.com, www.homelink.org and www.intervac.com.

3. Negotiate!
Few price quotes are non-negotiable anymore. Ask if there are unadvertised specials or if the hotel can do better. Play up whatever you bring to the table — you're with a group, for example, or you visit often. Instead of a lower rate, you may end up with free parking or an upgrade. While www.priceline.com is now a full-fledged booking engine, it's most valuable for its bidding system. Another site, www.biddingfortravel.com, has examples of successful bids. Torkells says those looking for a cruise should check out www.cruisecompete.com.

4. Keep shopping, even after you've made a reservation.
Prices for car rentals and hotels fluctuate, so never give up sniffing out a better deal. When you locate one, snap it up and cancel the old reservation.

5. Make your weak dollar go farther.
Visit countries where the dollar still goes relatively far, such as Argentina and less-touristed parts of Mexico.

6. Whenever possible, book directly.
If you see a low rate elsewhere, ask the hotel to match it. Torkells has found that, wrong as it is, hotels are nicer to guests who seek them out than to those who come via a third-party booking engine.

7. Use the meta search engines (and other smart Web sites).
There's no one simple way to track the best fare or rate down. Torkells recommends starting with www.kayak.com and www.sidestep.com, which scour multiple Web sites for flights, hotels, cruises and car rentals. Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia are good for getting a feel for what's out there, though Torkells notes they often don't search all airlines and they may tack on service fees.

8. Sign up for loyalty programs, especially those for hotels.
Hotels will often treat you better simply for being a member, even if you only stay one night. Also, members can choose to receive e-mail newsletters that will always have the best deals. Hotel loyalty programs can quickly lead to free nights.

9. Travel at the last minute, if possible, for the best deals.
Torkells says the best places to find last-minute deals are at the airlines' Web sites and at Expedia.

10. Don't get nickel-and-dimed at hotels.
Some add charges like checked bags, Internet service, phone calls, breakfast and fitness centers. Torkells likes mid-range hotel chains like Hampton Inn (www.hamptoninn.com) that don't charge for parking, Internet, breakfast, and other "extras" that more expensive chains often add to the bill.