March 25th is a date many Harry Potter fans around the world have been waiting for - on that day, Universal Orlando will reveal the opening date of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The park has slowly been revealing its secrets, but the opening date was the one big detail they kept from us.

As you can see from the picture above - 12 PM EST is when you'll want to have your browser at the Universal Orlando Harry Potter site. In the meantime, that site is a fantastic place to get a sneak preview of what you'll find once the doors open.

For some reason, a picture that isn't formatted in the typical 3:2 semi-rectangle shape is more eye catching. This wide view taken by arex of a crashing wave in California, complete with a little vignette (darkening of the edges) is eye catching enough to make our photo of the day.

Nice job, Arex!

Higher resolution cameras today have enough definition to crop them into a shape like this one without losing any detail. It's worth a second look at the pictures in your collection to see if you can transform a dull picture with a simple crop. If you like the results, why not submit it to Gadling's Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!

Oh, hellooooo, Mr. Tanning Butler.

Ladies, allow me to introduce you to your favorite beach accessory. He strolls Ritz-Carlton's South Beach pool and beach area during peak tanning hours with one purpose: to apply sunscreen to those hard-to-reach shoulder and back areas.

You can flag him down every weekend from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and ask him to layer on the Hampton Sun tanning products. The Tanning Butler travels with an Evian spritzer to help you cool down, and will even clean off those spots on your sunglasses. Whether you need SPF 10 or SPF 100, he's got it and will offer you a complimentary rub-down... err, sunscreen application, while you enjoy your day in the sun.

"This modern twist on the English butler is beyond guests' expectations," said Michelle Payer, creator of The Tanning Butler. "It's a light-hearted service we created to cater to our guests as they sunbathe by providing an unexpected, luxury service they won't see anywhere else in the world," she said.

We completely agree, Michelle! (And may I just say, bravo, Ritz-Carlton. You rarely disappoint, but this little luxury certainly tops the list of favorite hotel amenities.)

UPDATE: We just got word that the The Ritz is hiring a new tanning butler!

"We're looking to fill the position immediately with someone who's outgoing, positive, energetic and recognizes the role as a brand ambassador," said Payer.

If you think you fit the bill (Requirement #1: The position is for men only) contact the Ritz-Carlton South Beach for details. It's a good gig, if you can get it -- the last tanning butler is on his way to Italy for an Armani modeling gig. (psst, Ritz-Carlton: If you need help with the interviewing process, you know how to reach me.)

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

What would you do with 300,000 frequent flier miles in your account – not to mention enough hotel points to get you 10 days in the blissful destination of your choice? Your imagination is probably running wild, as mine did when I got my first travel-intensive gig a decade ago. I had visions of southern France: soaking in the Mediterranean sun, roulette in Monte Carlo and smoking Cuban cigars from a balcony overlooking the ville.

Six months later, I fantasized about sleeping in my own bed for three nights in a row, in a one bedroom apartment I shared in a suburb of Boston. Eventually, I did burn most of my miles, some of them to Nice and Monaco, but not under the circumstances I expected. Along the way, I saw three major attitudes that business travelers had toward the points and miles they'd collected.

We spend our travel lives hunting down the world's most famous sights like the Eiffel Tower and Machu Picchu. But did you ever consider the amazing sights right in your own backyard? That's the idea behind Obscura Day, an international event taking place in 80 cities worldwide on March 20th.

Obscura Day is dedicated to celebrating the strange and interesting sights found in our hometowns. In San Francisco, a tour will be visiting the Musee Mecanique, a museum devoted to antique coin operated carnival games. In Detroit, the tour will bring visitors to the Heidelberg Project, and "outsider art" project made from found objects. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the tour will bring visitors inside the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, a 170-year-old subway tunnel Gadling visited last year. Those living outside the U.S. will find plenty to do as well, with events taking place from Canada to Iceland to Japan.

Want to investigate the weirder side of your own home town? Head over to the Obscura Day event page and see if there's a tour near you. Hurry though, tours are filling up quick!

Anyone who has ever spent a day walking around Rome, Tokyo, Paris or any other cobblestone and concrete jungle knows that comfortable shoes are essential. But sometimes your favorite shoes aren't always the best for your feet. Or, they've worn a tad thin and no longer provide the comfort that you need for a long day of sightseeing, shopping and meandering on foot. That's why insoles and footbeds can be vital pieces of gear that keep you going even after a full day on your feet. We recently tested the SOLE Softec Response Footbeds to see if they can keep our tootsies happy while pushing pavement in New York City.

March 2010 is the seventh annual Deep-Vein Thrombosis awareness month.

DVT is sometimes referred to as "economy class syndrome" because the cramped airplane cabin often prevents people from getting the movement they need to prevent blood clots.

Of course, airplanes are not the only place where DVT can be a problem - even desk workers or people bedridden can be in danger.

The Coalition to Prevent DVT has put together a collection of videos that raise awareness of the dangers of DVT, and help people understand the basic steps they can take to prevent DVT.

The videos can be watched online, or downloaded for transfer to your portable media player.

The dangers of DVT are very real - the spokesperson of the Coalition to Prevent DVT lost her husband, NBC News correspondant David Bloom from complications of DVT while covering the war in Iraq.

So, do yourself a favor and devote a small part of your day to watching these videos and learning how to combat DVT. Your knowledge can also help others so forward the information to anyone you know that is regularly stuck in a cramped airplane seat.

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Thursday March 18th 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal is for a 2-pack of iPhone cases. You don't get a say in the colors, and you'll need to pay about $5 for shipping, but that still keeps this well inside the "hot deal" area. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a hot deal on the amazing Moshi travel alarm clock. We reviewed this voice recognition clock last year, and with its price drop down to $27, it makes a fantastic on-the-road gadget. Click here for this deal.

Today's third deal is for an iPod/iPhone charging kit. For just $1.31, you get a car charger, home charger and a retractable charge/sync cord. Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup - head on over to 1aleaday for a free T-Mobile wireless data card. It only works in old(er) PCCard adapters, and it won't do 3G, but it could make for a great little backup data option for your laptop. Click here for this deal.

When it opened 10 years ago, Son of Beast was the world's tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster. Today, it has an infamous reputation for causing injury and requiring costly repairs.

Kings Island has poured a reported $30 million into Son of Beast, but the theme park's General Manager Greg Scheid says the wooden coaster will not be operating when the park opens for the season on April 17.

In July 2006, 28 people were injured on Son of Beast when a car on the coaster hit a "bump" caused by a broken wooden timber. The accident led to a yearlong closure of the ride, and renovations that included lighter ride trains and the removal of the coaster's famous inverted loop.

Then last June, Son of Beast was closed yet again, after a woman told the state she suffered a head injury while riding. A Cincinnati Enquirer report last summer showed that since the wooden coaster opened in 2000, it has had more injury investigations than any other ride in the state of Ohio.

"We have smoothed out the ride. Most people will say they enjoy the ride right now. I am not comfortable with the ride," Scheid told the Business Courier of Cincinnati.

Scheid says the massive Son of Beast may reopen someday, but he was not specific about what improvements would need to be made before it rolls again.