Sunscreen, beach blanket, sunglasses, umbrella, and a good book...the essentials for a great day at the beach. Many of us are also bringing a few electronic companions: a tablet, phone, digital camera, and/or a wireless speaker to keep us company while kicking it out on the sand. We've gathered up a devices and accessories designed for enjoyment out in the sun and surf with the seaside elements in mind...

The Samsung Galaxy S4 may be one of the world's most popular devices of all time, but it took a little hunting around to find cases aimed at the design conscious consumer, diverging away from the device's plastic fantastic exterior. Here is a selection of S4 covers and cases ranging from sophisticated to playfully colorful...

Replacing an incandescent or compact fluorescent bulb for a new LED unit is the way to go: they're extremely energy efficient, operate cool, contain no mercury, cast pleasant warm light, and are now finally within the realm of "affordable". The current batch of LED bulb offerings can provide comparable brightness to previous lighting options, but unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs provide instant light without needing to warm up, with even lower energy requirements. But which one to choose?

With the dizzying array of educational apps aimed at kids today, it can be a daunting task for parents and teachers to find ones to complement what's happening in the classroom. We're spotlighting several educational iPad, tablet apps below, all which utilize either color, music, and puzzles to provide an entertaining and educational experience for the Sesame Street set...

Have you ever heard that it's bad for birds to throw rice after a wedding ceremony? That the rice expands in their stomachs and they die a painful death? According to Truth or Fiction, it's a big ol' wedding legend, started in the 60s at the suggestion of advice maven Ann Landers. In reality throwing rice has been done for years — all over the world — as a symbol of fertility and good luck. The real hazard is the groom being blinded, or your great uncle slipping and falling on the errant bits of rice littering the walkway. 

Whether you're making your own end table from a tree stump or purchasing a high-end, live-edge dining room table, going organic modern in your home is a perfect way to strike a balance between the clean lines of modernism and the soft, comforting effect of nature.