Prepare for departure

SeatGuru is a helpful new site that has become a crucial part of any travel planning we do at CThings. The site is a database of airlines and the planes they fly, enabling you to see exactly which amenities are available on your flight, which seats are prime and which ones to avoid. Seat charts are color-coded, which makes it easy to figure out exactly which seat to select, with notes on seat pitch, width, under-seat storage, and proximity to power ports and lavatories. Other details include exit rows, missing windows, added or reduced space on certain seats, and even gentle hints about bassinet-friendly seats that may be more likely to house a screaming infant. Check out SeatGuru -- we guarantee you'll use it on the next flight you book.

Are you related to Marie Antoinette?

DNA isn't just for crime labs and court cases any more -- The DNA Ancestry Project is an exciting development for anyone who wants to explore their own genealogy. DNA studies have shown that people shared a common ancestor who lived in Africa between 50,000 to 200,000 years ago. As our ancestors migrated out of Africa into the rest of the world, small mutations occurred in their DNA as generations passed, and each mutation links our ancestor to a specific time and place in history. The mutations that we find in our own DNA can actually tell the story of our own ancestral past. Now there's a cool new website that will analyze your DNA and print out a detailed report showing exactly how your family has branched and scattered around the world over time. The DNA Ancestry Project also has a Surname Project that allows people from all over the world with the same or similar surname to use DNA markers to determine the roots of their surname and reunite family groups. Reports start at $119.

A Complaint Free World!

Did someone cut you off on the freeway this morning? Was your coffee too hot? We all complain about major and minor things every day. But Pastor Will Bowen of Christ Church Unity in Kansas City, is trying to change all that. In a Sunday morning sermon, Will told his congregation he wanted to make the world a complaint-free place, and passed out purple bracelets to each church member with the following challenge: If you catch yourself complaining, you take the bracelet and you move it to the other wrist. The idea is to ultimately keep it on the same wrist for 21 days. Will says he chose this length of time because scientists believe it takes that long to form a new habit. The idea has taken off in a big way, with a recent appearance on Oprah and more than 5,900,000 bracelets requested to date. By the way, that's requested - not purchased. The bracelets are sent to you FREE just for asking. Check out Will's "Complaint Free Church" for more info and to request bracelets for yourself and the people you love. It's also inspiring to note that Will's church is not a "mega-church" -- it is a small church with only 275 per week in attendance. Yet another example of the power of one small group of people to transform the world!

Customer Service Solution

If you've ever waited for hours on customer service phone lines trying to reach a real human being, you'll be thrilled to discover the GetHuman 500 Database. It's a massive listing of 500 corporations with the phone number and techniques to bypass their computers and reach a human operator quickly. Companies are also given grades based on their customer service experience, using a dream list of GetHuman Core Principles we wish all companies would follow:

• Humans first - humans should answer calls first to determine callers' need
• Make it easy - automated systems should be so easy and efficient that users can accomplish tasks faster than with human interaction
• Prompts should not include meaningless cliches like "Your call is important to us." "Please listen carefully, as our menu options have changed." "You can access our website to answer most questions."
• Automated systems that try to sound like humans are patronizing - when customers call with serious issues, they do not want to be greeted by overly friendly and cheery personas

These are all issues that need to be addressed in the vast majority of corporate phone systems, and it's great to see this website launched as a start.