November 2005

RapidFAX is an easy to use solution that eliminates the cost and maintenance of a fax machine. There is no software to download or install. You simply register to receive your own local or toll free number, and they’ll have you faxing within minutes - in the office or on the road.

RapidFAX will allow you to:

• Reduce or eliminate fax machines, supplies, and fax lines
• Send or receive faxes wherever you have access to a computer
• People sending you faxes will never experience a busy signal
• Faxing will be as fast and efficient as e-mail for agency employees
• Incoming faxes can be stored or backed up as digital images on your PC

RapidFAX is powered by EasyLink Services which serves over 20,000 companies, including over 60 of the Fortune 100.

Have you ever had to wedge a phone between your shoulder and ear while doing something with your hands…all while trying to sound ultra smooth, professional and totally in control? If so, you know full well why I’m awarding demi-god status to the inventor of this headphone.

The Essentials:

• Comfortable Headset Connects to Cordless Phones
• Noise-canceling microphone for clear calls
• Comfort-fit headband
• Reversible microphone can be used on either side

The Panasonic Comfort-Fit Headphone’s 7.4-foot cord lets you place the cordless phone on your desk as you wax all kinds of brilliant at your computer, or even on your belt loop as you pace about, planning your next corporate takeover. (Or dinner…)

Visit the website to learn more about the Cordless Phone Headset - KX-TCA92. While you’re there, browse around a little - there are lots of seriously ingenious products to ooh and ahh over. They honest to goodness have something called a shoe deodorizer.

Blew what was left of my 11:00pm brain cells.

UncommonGoods.com has a beautiful collection of East Meets West Desktop items. While Asian-inspired decor has always been wildly popular, it’s even more so right now.

There’s an understated beauty and exotic simplicity to Eastern design and decor, and everyone wants to bring it into their own lives.

I recently redecorated one of the rooms in our house, centering it around an Asian theme. I can’t put my decorating finger on it, but being in the room just has a calming effect somehow. Positive energy and all that.

This particular collection is comprised of a paper clip holder, a photo stand, a tape dispenser, bookends, and a pen and pencil holder. Each are sold separately and would make beautiful Christmas gifts.

Not as interested in giving them away as you are in keeping them? Yeah, me either. I figure I need one of each!

While on the subject, click HERE for an interesting article on Feng Shui in the Office.

This year has seen a steady rise in the number of my clients who are forgoing data CDs and DVDs altogether, and just bringing me their jobs on tiny USB Flash drives (I work in printing, which of course is entirely digital these days.) To be honest, I started to get a little jealous last week when a guy brought me his entire job on a USB drive that was stashed in the lid of his pen – too freakin’ cool!

The great thing about these USB Flash drives is that they’re usually cross-platform, require no external power (they draw it from the USB port,) and they’re just incredibly convenient, particularly for us laptop users.

So anyways, I’ve been searching the internet trying to figure out which drive to buy, and I think I’ve settled on this little 1GB baby from SanDisk, called the Cruzer Mini USB 2.0 Flash Drive. Browsing Amazon’s user reviews (I just love those things) makes it apparent that SanDisk has a number of happy customers when it comes to this product – in fact at the time of writing this the Cruzer is garnering an impressive 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, from 70 reviews.

Not bad numbers, and it’s not too expensive either…of course, if you need even more space there are versions with larger storage capacities available, too.

Get the latest price on the Cruzer 1GB USB Flash Drive

Dust bunnies, prepare to meet your match. Along with crumbs from sugar cookies, little pieces of eraser, and…well, whatever that is.

This colorful mini computer vacuum has four different attachments and runs on two AA batteries. It promises to evict everything that’s currently calling your keyboard home.

Since it’s only 4″ x 3″ , you can easily store it in a desk drawer until it’s needed. So much easier than lugging the Hoover around the office.

The computer vac is also ideal for cleaning cameras, audio components and other tight little places your Hoover just doesn’t want to go.

I’m not ashamed to admit I have a thing for cases, bags and organizational swag. I just can’t help myself. I found this cd/dvd case over at Deal News and I have to have one. First off, this thing just looks tough. It’s a sturdy case, not just some flimsy old later “cd wallet” that seems to dominate this type of product.

With CD’s and DVD’s getting so cheap most of us have way more than the usual little wallets will hold. They all come in various shapes, sizes and colors, but they just aren’t practical. This case will hold 1000! It’s sturdy enough to stack and looks great. This thing is perfect for your office. We have dozens of computers and they all have dozens of pieces of software cd’s to store. This thing will do the job with room to spare for my MP3 collection! It’s currently going for $99 with $20 off if you use an instant coupon (Coupon Code: AC18020OFF) plus free ground shipping. I knew a few people who might be getting one of these for Christmas!

Another scoop from the Deal News gang.

It doesn’t make much difference whether you work in a home office or at the corporate headquarters, coffee is the fuel the makes the cogs in the machine go round. Coffee is often a very personal, almost spiritual part of the daily grind and when it comes to coffee and Bunn is the Sherpa of java.

This thing is awesome. Just check out some of these features:

* Hot-water reservoir-style coffee brewer makes 10 cups in just 3 minutes
* Spray-head design and accurate brewing system thermostat for great taste
* Stainless-steel 800-watt 75-ounce water reservoir; convenient vacation switch
* Vacuum-insulated carafe; coffee funnel, deliming spring, and filters included
* Measures 14-1/4 by 7 by 13-3/4 inches; 3-year limited warranty; 1-year limited warranty on carafe

Amazon.com is runnning a killer deal on this model. Save $25 on your order today when you spend $125 on Kitchen & Housewares or Bed & Bath products. Offer valid through November 27, 2005 with free super saver shipping so grab a Bunn BT10-B Thermal Coffee Brewer soon!

Hat tip to gang over at Deal News for the scoop.

There are some fun trends gaining popularity in home offices today. As more and more people go to the office by route of a hallway (and are staying there for longer periods of time), they’re looking for ways to make their office as comfortable as possible.

On average, I spend between 8 and 9 hours in our home office, so like most people, I find myself making it feel more like a mini-apartment than a room: a television, cd collection, bookshelves and a yoga mat are as at home as the computers and desks are.

Two of the newest trends in home offices have really caught my eye. One is mini kitchens and the other is fitness equipment. (Cute little paradox, isn’t it?)

We don’t personally need the mini kitchen, because our home office is right off of our kitchen. As the family chef, this keeps me happy, and as a coffee addict, this keeps me functioning. However, I can certainly see how others are looking into small refrigerators, toaster ovens, microwaves, and for sanity’s sake, coffee makers.

I know all too well how quickly a great idea can leave you. You’re working away at the computer, then you take the time to trek into the kitchen for a sandwich and chips. You and the idea leave for lunch, but only one of you makes it back! Some chances aren’t worth taking. The closer we have our needs, the better off we are.

The other trend is fitness equipment. The Furniture.com has a lot of great looking office furniture and exercise equipment, they even have some where the two are combined. A wicked kind of cool.

With so much time spent working in the home office, it’s just so much more convenient if your gym is right behind you. I’d love to add a great treadmill or stairclimber to our office. I think it’d be a great way to, not only stay in shape, but to kick brain cells into a higher gear when they’re stuck in first. Happens.

Do you spend more time in an office with a poor view than you want to ?

Do you spend time in a cubicle with no view ?

Do you wish you could see the lights of Las Vegas more than once every year or two ?

Well now you can !

You can see Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, too.

Hop over to Murals Your Way and look over the selection of scenes from more facets of life than you can pin on a billboard.

They have over 4000 images and you can supply your own. Like if you have a scene from playing a shepherd in your junior high play that you’d love to see every day. Or your prom picture with the mullet.

At Murals Your Way, it’s simply your image, your size, your way !

Imagine being able to print pictures directly from your digital camera. The Epson Stylus R320 Photo Inkjet Printer lets you own that power.

For the office, this type of printer would be perfect for personalized brochures and flyers. Unpersonalized literature just doesn’t have the same impact. There’s something to be said for keeping your face and your logo in the minds of your customers. The Epson Stylus R320 Photo Inkjet Printer would also aid in creating the all-important portfolio.

For the home, I love the thought of fun greeting cards, and stationery. For anyone who keeps a journal or is into scrapbooking, this would be picture perfect. I also like the thought of adding visuals to my recipe cards, so I can strut my capacity for cunning culinary craftmanship.

Features:

• USB 2.0 interface, built-in preview LCD; PC/Mac
• 6-color photo printing at 5,760 x 1,440 optimized dpi
• Up to 15 ppm black print speed; 4-by-6-inch photo in as little as 39 seconds
• Accepts wide range of digital-camera memory cards
• Supports inkjet-printable CD and DVD media

From the Manufacturer:

Print great photos and CDs–no PC required! A fast, full-featured performer, the Epson Stylus Photo R320 makes printing brilliant, long-lasting photos a snap! Plus, it prints directly on inkjet-printable CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, so it’s easy to customize each disk with a cool, finished look.
This versatile printer includes a color monitor to view, select, and crop photos. Print from popular memory cards or PictBridge-enabled digital cameras. For beautiful frame-ready photos, take advantage of BorderFree printing. This inkjet even connects directly to an external CD-R or Zip drive to save and print colorful moments with ease. It’s all within reach with the Epson Stylus Photo R320.

With up to 5,760 x 1,440 optimized dpi and superior 6-color Photo Inks, this printer offers precision color and detail, whatever the task at hand. And, whether printing stacks of photos or an important presentation, the Epson Stylus Photo R320 speeds through every project. With versatile, PC-free printing, brilliant image quality, and powerful performance, this inkjet offers a remarkable choice in the world of digital imaging. And, consider its convenient individual ink cartridges. When paired with Epson’s high-quality, value-priced papers, it delivers a remarkably affordable, home photo printing solution.

I love copywriters. They geek sexy.

Includes:

• Epson Stylus Photo R320 inkjet printer
• Cyan ink cartridge (T048220)
• Light cyan ink cartridge (T048520)
• Magenta ink cartridge (T048320)
• Light magenta ink cartridge (T048620)
• Yellow ink cartridge (T048420)
• Black ink cartridge (T048120)
• CD print tray and software
• Printer documentation
• CD-ROM containing printer drivers and software (Windows and Macintosh)

I rarely, okay I never, rely solely on a manufacturer’s assessment of what they’re selling, so I hunted around for product reviews by actual consumers. The consensus is that this printer does an amazing job, especially for the price. Most said they were actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of the pictures.

My biggest concern was whether or not the pictures would be pixelated, as they often are with these type of printers (as in the ones that don’t set you back thousands). Apparently that isn’t a problem with Epson Stylus R320 Photo Inkjet Printer. Good to know as I think I’m now on the need side of this printer.