The Platypus PlusBottle is a soft, flexible water bottle that when emptied, takes up almost no space. It's perfect for anything from day hikes to plane rides.

If you're one of those people that likes to have water with you everywhere you go, you know how annoying traditional water bottles can be to carry around. The Platypus line of bottles (the PlusBottle being the best designed) collapses to almost nothing when it's empty—just flatten it out and roll it up. It's also lighter than your average bottle, and is quite inexpensive at only $12 (on Amazon). It isn't the only bottle of its type, but it does seem to be one of the most popular and the best designed, with a small loop on the end that you can use as a carabiner clip (for you hikers out there. Other brands include the Vapur Anti-Bottle (with which I have personal experience, and can vouch for) and the Evernew bottle.

The only downside of water bottles like this is that you really can't drink them one handed...or at least, it's a bit more difficult to do so. Still, I'd give that up in a second for something that's this easy to carry around. Hit the link to check out the Platypus line of bottles, or check out one of the links above to see its competitors.

Platypus Water Bottles | via the comments at Cool Tools

Those of you that have ditched cable often have to resort to less-than-legit means to get your sports fix online. When it comes to this year's NCAA championship, though, you can stop looking. Unlike many TV outlets that do everything they can to gouge you for money, CBS and Turner have made watching March Madness free for most, and undeniably cheap for everyone else.

March Madness may have been 100% free last year, but this year's legal options are almost as good—and, perhaps more interestingly, are actually better than just pirating it. Essentially, the games will be airing in two places: Some on CBS, and some on Turner's cable channels like TBS, TNT, and truTV. You can stream all the CBS games from CBSsports.com for free, but the cable games are a bit more complicated. Here's how it works:

If You Subscribe to Cable TV (Or You Know Someone Who Does)

If you already subscribe to cable (or know someone who does), you can stream the non-CBS games online on their respective websites—TBS.com, TNT.tv, and truTV.com —all you need is the account number on your cable bill. Stick it in your favorite syncing note-taker so you have it on hand throughout the month.

We're not sure exactly how the system will manage multiple streams for the same account—that is, we don't know if you and a friend could use the same credentials to watch the game at the same time. However, chances are you have a close friend with no interest in sports that might be willing to lend you a hand. If not, though, see your options below for streaming the games.

If You Don't Subscribe to Cable TV (Or You Want to Watch the Games on Your Phone)

If you don't subscribe to cable, you can still stream all the games, but from NCAA.com instead. It isn't free, but you only have to pay $4 to watch the entire month-long tournament—which is hardly something to whine about. That $4 will also let you stream the games on your iOS and Android devices, which is particularly awesome.

At the moment, Coke Zero is offering a promotion for this setup that'll get you full NCAA Live streaming for free. You can find the details over at Slickdeals, but it essentially involves texting the name of an NCAA team's mascot to 2653 to get a promo code for free access. Just be sure to unsubscribe from all the other texts Coke Zero might send you afterward (heck, I'd pay $4 just to not have to deal with all that nonsense).

If You Don't Have Cable, Or $4 to Spare

Frankly, we see no reason not to pay the $4. Yeah, we know, we're usually the ones trying to buck the system, but that's because the system is usually so unbelievably stupid. Turner and the NCAA have succeeded where other TV companies fail miserably: they've actually made it just as easy, if not easier, to stream legally—and with a price that is very worth the product.

That said, if you somehow get enjoyment from crappy, sometimes unreliable live streams—we expect the usual suspects at UStream Sports, First Row Sports, and Stream2Watch will find streams of the games (though we can't verify their reliability since there aren't any games streaming at the time of this writing). No matter what your desires, though, you have a lot of options for catching the tournament all month long, no matter where you are. Plus, if you don't need to actually watch the games, our friends over at Deadspin have a few other solutions for keeping an eye on the games—no computers or $4 fees required.

Any of you sports fans out there got other tips for tuning in to the games this month? Be sure to share them with us in the comments.

A business trip on the other side of the country or a weekend with a family member without cable don't necessarily mean you have to go without your favorite shows. There are plenty of ways to stream the live television that's available in your home to your smartphone or your laptop wherever you are, whether it's upstairs in another room, or across the globe in a hotel room. Earlier in the week we asked you how you preferred to stream live TV. You responded, we looked at the top five TV streaming options, and now it's time to highlight the winner.

Slingbox was your far and away favorite, taking home close to half of the votes, with 49%. In second place with was 19% of the vote was the Hauppage WinTV tuner and software, and in third was Orb with 14% of the overall vote. The Elgato EyeTV came in fourth with 12% of the votes cast, and bringing up the rear was the Vulkano Flow with just under 6%.

Photo by Yutaka Tsutano.

The Super Bowl is this weekend, but not all of us have the privilege of making some snacks and sitting in front of the couch all evening to make sure we catch the game (assuming you want to see the matchup, or the commercials, even.) Thankfully there are a number of products and web services that make it easy to stream live television to a computer or mobile device when you're away from home. This week, we'd like to hear your picks for the best services to help you watch the game, even when you're away from your TV.

One of the best sites to help you watch sporting events in real time when you're away from home, First Row Sports, was recently caught up in the Department of Homeland Security's domain name seizures. If that used to be your place to turn, it's time to find a new one. Leave us a comment below with the method you choose to watch the big game—or any live TV—when you're away from your living room.

The Hive Five Call for Contenders is closed! To see which of your picks earned enough nominations to make the top five, head over to our feature, the five best ways to stream live television and vote for your favorite to win!

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: BEST LIVE TV STREAMING METHOD. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's five best tax preparation tools.

Photo by Pittaya Sroilong.