I used to be very anti-Apple. Then I bought an iPod. Not too long after that, I bought an iPhone and just this year I became a proud owner of an iPad. It’s safe to say that the jig is up. Now that I own these lovely devices, I can’t imagine putting them in harm’s way. It’s not just the cost, although the mere thought of all the money down the drain is enough to give my heart palpitations. I have come to depend on my little iElectronics like they were part of the family.
So you can imagine my apprehension at the thought of submerging one of them in water a la the iSwim Waterproof Case w/ Headphones (Latest Buy, $26.95). This case insists that it can keep your precious music machine alive with the power of its double ziplock seal, making the whole deal waterproof enough to listen to music whilst swimming. To sweeten the pot even further, the set also includes waterproof headphones, lanyard, and an armband that attaches to the waterproof case. And if you want to blow your mind even more, make sure you catch an air pocket in the case before sealing and it’ll even float in the water!
I always want to believe in the power of a waterproof case, but I think I’d just be way too paranoid to use one. I’d always be worried that my case would be the defective one and that my iPod would turn into an expensive paperweight the moment I stepped foot onto the beach. I said I was paranoid, didn’t I?
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 2.7″ x 0.78″
-Waterproof iPod case and headphones
-Includes armband, headphones, case, and lanyard
-Listen to music while swimming
-Double ziplock
Do you get bored at work? I know I do. If you work behind a desk, it’s pretty much the same thing day after day after day. It’s the kind of thing that makes monotony look exciting. The good news is that when things are so predictable, it takes very little to liven things up.
Get ready to put the “fun” in “functional” with the USB Desktop Aquarium (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $29.95)! Everybody needs a little organization now and then, but why pick a boring pencil cup when you can get something with a touch more pizazz? This desk aquarium is powered by your computer’s USB port and includes both a safe haven for your fish and a handy organizer. The organizer side has a place for desk items like pens and your phone as well as an LCD calendar that even has a programmable alarm clock. The aquarium side features multicolor interior LED lights, nature sounds, and an adjustable overhead light.
Getting organized was never so much fun! Just don’t drop your phone in the aquarium because I hear that’s bad.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Fully functional fish aquarium
-Alarm clock with snooze feature and countdown timer
-LCD calendar with time/date and week/temp
-USB power connector
-Multifunction penholder
-Multicolor interior LED lights
-Nature sounds
-Adjustable overhead light
-Under gravel filtration system
-Low voltage pump
I don’t mean to brag, but I am a fantastic packer. I can pack 10 days worth of clothes into a small suitcase that could pass for carry-on (very important these days, what with baggage fees being so outrageous). As amazing a packer as I am, even I sometimes fall victim to the perils of overpacking. The funny thing is, I tend to overpack when I’m just staying for the weekend versus a long trip. I don’t know what it is, but the shorter the trip the more likely I am to jam 17 shirts into my bag before debating whether to bring my entire movie collection.
I feel the worst overpacking happens when going to the beach because you actually might need all of the things you’ve packed. Sunscreen? Necessary. Sunglasses? Necessary. Book? Necessary. Music? Necessary. Towel? Ultra necessary. Too bad that your towel takes up the most space or else you’d totally be able to get by with just one small beach bag, right? The Pocket Towel (Latest Buy, $22.95) makes packing for the beach easy with a magical towel that is small enough to fit in your pocket. Inside its handy little pouch is a nearly full-size bath towel made of ultrafine microfibre that can absorb three times its weight in water! You could probably fit at least two dozen of these super absorbent pocket towels into the same space as a regular beach towel. Plus, instead of putting a soggy towel back into your bag just so it can soak everything else inside, you can simply fold it and put it back in its storage pouch.
A towel like this might also be helpful when you find yourself caught in a torrential downpour (like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately) without an umbrella or poncho.
4 out 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 2.2″ (folded); 48″ x 24″ (unfolded)
-Weight: 3.9oz
-Full size towel in convenient travel form
-Absorbs 3 times its weight in water
-Neoprene storage pouch included
-Available in blue, green, or red
-Made of ultrafine woven microfibre
No one likes to clean. It’s tedious, fairly disgusting and, perhaps worst of all, you have to do it on a regular basis. I mean, who wants to go through all that effort only to learn that you’ll have to do it all over again the following week? That’s why most of my place is covered in a respectable layer of dust.
Maybe if I had the Ultimate Cloth (Vat19, $11.95) then I wouldn’t be so adverse to the act of cleaning. For starters, you don’t even need to use any cleaners for this cloth to clean just about everything you can get your hands on. Some electronics surfaces like an iPad or a computer monitor don’t need anything more than a few swipes of this cloth, but everything else works with the power of water. That’s right, just add water. What kind of crazy voodoo is going on here? Quite simply, this cloth is made of Mirafiber technology which allows it to collect and trap grime with fibers 200 smaller than a human hair. So not only is it chemical free, but this all natural cloth actually provides a streak-free shine to the surfaces it cleans. You can easily rinse and wring it out after each use, but if you’re looking for a deep clean then you can throw it in the washer (even bleach it if you’re so inclined).
Look, I’m not saying I’ll clean every week now, but it’ll most definitely happen more than once a year. Baby steps.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 15.5″ x 13.5″
-MiraFiber cloth cleans with just water
-Collects and traps dirt
-Removes film, oil, grease, dirt, and more
-Chemical free
-Streak free
-Machine washable and bleachable
-5 year manufacturer’s warranty
-Set of 2
If your dad is anything like mine, he spends most of his free time tinkering on outside projects. Whether it’s tending to a rose garden or building a brand new koi pond filtration system, it’s a fair bet that your dad is the outdoorsy type. The biggest problem with spending most of your time outdoors is the unpredictable weather that threatens to ruin tools, iPods, and precious blueprints.
I can’t help you with the first two, but if your dad wants to make sure his notes are intact then he should check out the Rite in the Rain (Firebox, £7.99 – £17.99) notebooks. Using 100% recyclable paper, these notebooks are chock full of all-weather writing paper. What that means is that your dad can scribble away and not have to worry about the pages getting wet and ruined. All he needs is a traditional pencil (or a fancy all-weather pen) to write his notes with and he’s all set. Available in either journal or field formats, each notebook is outfitted with a Polydura cover. The main difference between the two formats is that the journal has 64 basic ruled pages while the field notebook’s 160 pages are in a graphing format.
I guess there notebooks would be good for shower notations, too.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-All weather writing paper
-100% recyclable paper
-Use traditional pencil or all weather pen
-Available in Journal or Field
Journal:
-Dimensions: 4 7/8″ x 7″
-Side wire spiral binding
-Polydura yellow cover
-64 pages (32 sheets)
Field:
-Dimensions: 4 3/4″ x 7 1/2″
-Sewn binding
-Heavy Polydura yellow cover
-160 pages (80 sheets)
