Office Equipment

Does your keyboard get all crunked up with dust and bits-o-whatever ?

Does your computer case have a layer of dust an 1/16″ thick ?

Do you like to way over-do it when you clean ‘em up ?

ME TOO !

Today I dropped by my local Staples store and grabben a kit called the AirDr from Digital Innovations.

Now you can BLAST away dust from cameras, keyboards, computers, A/V components, and office equipment with pinpoint accuracy.

It contains pure, oil-free, anti-static CO2 gas and delivers higher-velocity airflow than canned air.

It’s compact size houses an easy-to-replace 16-gram air cartridge and replacement cartridges are available.

It was only $14.98, which maqkes it about 3 times the cost of canned air, but I’m betting it will do more than 3 cans of that weak stuff will do and do a way better job in the process.

It’s much more agile and I can access parts of my computer case that have never been cleaned before.

I’ll let you know how long it lasts.

My CPU cooling fan and all the nooks and crannies in my case have never been cleaner.

Be careful, though, this puppy is way more powerful than those cans of air that are only good for selling and not for using.

I never used to eat breakfast. Not that I don’t like breakfast. On the contrary, there is a booth at IHOP with my name all over it. Before I started eating better I never ate breakfast in the morning. It made a great lunch or dinner, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat before 10AM. But now I eat 5-6 times a day and a lot healthier. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day as it kick starts your metabolism and gives your brain and body the fuel it needs to get going. But a good breakfast usually takes too much time and is way too messy. No more.

Say hello to the Egg and Muffin toaster. In 3 minutes you can have an egg muffin with your choice of breads and meat! This little baby looks good and makes short work of breakfast. I prefer to use white/wheat bread (only 40 calories per slice!), but you can build your own hearty breakfast in less time than it takes to put your shoes on. I get tired of cereal, plain toast or oatmeal. This thing is on my Christmas list and I’m half tempted to put it on the corner of my desk just to make my co-workers hungry! Check out the official site for product info and a how to video. Great, now I’m hungry!

Hat Tip to David Seah.

One of my favoritest places in the world - ranking right up there with my favorite Coffee Shop ( Beyond the Brim ) is apparently in a good mood this Christmas season.

Office Depot is in the middle of a couple of promotions that I thought I’d bring to your attention. Click the link that interests you to learn more about that promotion.

Save Up to $100 Instantly or By Mail-in Rebate on Advertised HP Printers! Expires December 10th.

Save 20% or $50 on Select Office Collections! Expires December 10th.

Save $30 off any $150 Purchase from Office Depot in December!

Holiday 2005! Gifts That Mean Business! Expires December 24, 2005.

Curses, my conscience is getting to me. I lied. Office Depot isn’t up there with Beyond the Brim. But it is close.

I stumbled across an ad for this wondrous little gadget in the December edition of Wired Magazine, and immediately thought of Office Freaks. I mean, seriously…is that thing tiny or what? Apparently this diminutive projector weighs around a pound and runs on a battery, making it highly portable indeed. It’s made my Mitsubishi, and according to their website the PocketProjector has some fairly diverse uses beyond the standard business presentations–

Suggested Applications for the Mitsubishi Pocket LED DLP Projector:

Digital camera display magnification

Retail signage for show window messaging at night

Government or military on-site training

Camping video; Mobile video in cars, trucks or vans

Theater or club signage displays

Gaming video

Gaming video? That one really caught my eye…

Wall-sized round of Halo anyone?

My youngest daughter, Stephany, and I lost ourselves one day in an Office Depot. We got so busy looking at different computer monitors that we nearly forgot to pick up my older daughters. I forgot but I suspect it may have been part of Steph’s plan. Anything to ruffle the predisposed feathers of older siblings!

What fascinated us most was how differently websites, text, and images looked on different monitors. I was particularly mesmerized by the sleekness of the LCD monitors. Them some kind of sexy!

We have two computers in our home right now, but my husband’s in talks with himself about building a third. I’m hoping he’ll consider an LCD monitor for it, as the other two have CRT monitors. I have nothing in the world against the CRTs, I just thought one LCD would be cool. Besides, there’s no need being too repetitive!

To further my cause, I’ve been doing some research. In case you, too, are monitoring monitors, I thought I’d be a good girl and share.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Monitors

• Super sharp detail - for spreadsheets and small text
• Less glare, more comfort during long work hours
• Incredibly slender - less than 1/2 the weight of a CRT, so it fits in smaller spaces
• Much easier to move around
• More useable screen space (a 17 ” LCD displays the same viewable content as a 19″ CRT)
• Uses 2/3 less electricity than a CRT
• Less heat, less radiation
• Less eyestrain: Sharper and clearer for text

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) Monitors

• Better color and viewing of graphics, video, photos, and gaming
• More durable for shared use, such as in a home office or for family use
• Better color depth and accuracy for images
• Faster “reload” rates
• Accurate views from almost any viewing angle
• Multiple resolutions - better results when shrinking or enlarging images
• Priced lower than LCDs

I guess a lot of it just comes down to what the monitor would be used for, because otherwise it seems almost too close to call.

The image at the top of the post is one of the LG 50 Series 17 & 19 Flatron LCD Monitors from Office Depot. Le sigh.

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.

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.

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.

How many times have you got to the fridge at work, or a home for that matter, and found that someone swiped your frozen dinner, home made sandwiches or snacks, despite you writing your name on them with a big, black magic marker? Not to mention the guy who insists on bringing in food that smells like feet and ends up stinking up the who fridge and when you got to eat your lunch, well, feet just put me right out of the mood.

The solution is bringing in your own fridge. Obviously the people who came up with the idea of the mini-fridge have worked with the feet guy before because they understood the need for your own personal food storage. But since the very beginning, they just looked like short, uglier versions of their big brothers. White with little dimples and a big coil hanging out the back. It worked, but it just didn’t look right in the office that’s otherwise got a nice sense of style.

Koolatron has a model that’s in the same price range as other min-fridges but has a lot more style. It’s sleek, modern and even includes a digital temperature control. Right on top there is a digital read out of how cool things are in the fridge. But if you take a look at it, you already know that this fridge is cool.

Amazon.com is running a special on this mini-fridge now. You can get the Koolatron Designer Fridge for $99, which is $20 off.