To The Moon And Back

I’ve never appreciated how useful portable storage can be until I met a client last Monday. I didn’t want to bring my laptop because one, I haven’t replaced my battery yet and two, I just don’t see myself lugging something heavy without a car. So thanks to my ever reliable portable hardisk, I just saved all my designs and finished website and then plugged it in my client’s computer. My husband learned about this and wanted to have one for himself. He needs to bring it with him in the office all the time so he can’t possibly share mine. So I promised him I’ll get him one if I earn extra this month.

I’m choosing between the two -

Western Digital 160GB
My Passport Essential USB 2.0
Portable Hard Drive - Real Red

Western Digital 320GB
My Passport Essential USB 2.0
Portable Hard Drive - Intense Blue

The only difference is the capacity but they both have the following features.

From Buy.com

Simply Elegant
# Combine a beautiful new gloss-red case that fits smoothly in your hand and pocket with mega-capacity for all your digital content and the worlds most popular portable drive just got better than ever.

Easy
# Installation is a snap because you don’t really “install” this drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the drive the first time you plug it in.

Smart
# Powered by the USB bus. No separate power supply is needed.

Big capacity that fits in your pocket
# This compact drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces and with capacities up to 320 GB, you can take tons of photos, videos, files and music with you wherever you go.

Synchronized and secure
# WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you take your critical data with you. Plug My Passport into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer. Your data is protected with 128-bit encryption. (Windows only)

Includes Google software
# Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software. (Windows only)

But for twice the capacity size, you only have to pay about $45 extra for the blue model. Not so shabby eh? Now you can bring all the photos, electronic books, videos, music, even scrapbooking kits with you wherever you want to go.

Want to know our most cherished and useful purchase so far?

It’s the Coby 7″ Widescreen TFT Portable DVD Player.

Compact portable design
Swivel screen with 180-degree display
7″ Widescreen (16:9) TFT color display
DVD, DVD±R/RW, CD, CD±R/RW, JPEG, and MP3 Compatible
Anti-Skip Circuitry
Dolby Digital Decoder
Digital and Analog AV outputs allow for use with home theater systems
Audio/Video input jack for video games, VCRs, or other AV sources
Headphone jacks for private listening (x2)
Multiple language, subtitle, and camera angle support
Parental lock control

This was just a last minute purchase, a couple of days before we went on a trip. I figured I’d need all the help I could get when entertaining a toddler on a two-hour trip. We didn’t have a budget for this but we bought one anyway. And because we paid for it in cash, they gave it to us for $130 instead of the original price of $142. Not that big but it was enough to pay for our dinner in a restaurant that day. The graphics quality is good for the price and although the video stops once or twice on bumpy roads, I am perfectly satisfied with it.

I was hesitant to buy this at first because what I really wanted was to buy those DVD players that can be mounted inside the car. Those types were a bit more expensive so we bought the laptop-type instead. To my relief, the monitor swivels so you can fold it and put it in a bag that you can latch on your car seat’s headrest. And when were not in the car, my daughter watched her DVDs inside the hotel room while my husband and I watched on the big TV. No competition / fighting on whose turn is it to watch. We we’re nothing but happy and peaceful vacationers.

Tracking devices have always been a controversial topic because of privacy issues. However, I believe that services like GPS Tracking can save time and even lives when used wisely. In fact, Lightning GPS has created a solution especially for law enforcement to help them do their jobs efficiently.

For personal use, GPS Tracking can be a great gadget for parents who are always worried about their children. There are always cases of missing children anywhere in the world that parents just can’t relax enough when their kids are not with them. Lightning GPS have several GPS Tracking devices for kids that you can choose from. There are GPS jackets, GPS strollers, GPS clothing and GPS backpacks developed both for outdoors and indoors to help parents informed where their children are at all times. You can never be too safe when it comes to your child’s safety.

So yes, I approve tracking devices as long as it’s used for safety and saving crimes. I don’t think using one on your spouse, even if you’re suspecting him/her of infidelity, will help you solve your marital problems.

My husband has conspired with my daughter in convincing me to buy them a Nintendo Wii. I’ve already established before that I’m not crazy about video games and my husband knows this. Hence, the need to use my daughter. He also sent me the URL for Shopwiki.com so I can learn more about this game console. I admit I’m just giving them a hard time but the truth is, I’m really planning to buy one this Christmas. They can get really charming and cooperative with household chores when they need to buy something.

I checked Shopwiki anyway just to see what kind of Wii games would they recommend. There are lots of arcade games that I’m sure my husband will love but what I’m really looking for are Wii Board games. There’s monopoly, newlywed’s (to check how compatible you are with your spouse), High Society, Lost (yes, the TV show), Harry Potter and lots more. Call me what you want but I actually got excited when I saw the 12 in 1 Board Game (chess, checkers, Othello, snakes and ladders, etc). And above all else, I’d really love to try out the Tennis games using a tennis racquet remote. I saw some blog posts about people who have one and can’t help but notice how fun it looks.

So, does it show how excited I am to get one? Just don’t tell me husband or else he’d stop kissing my A_ _.

Have you heard about Phone-007? It’s a special telephone that you can use to record phone calls or conversations nearby in a discreet manner. All sounds are then stored in a secure network so you can listen to it via phone anywhere in the world or through the web. This type of service may be intrusive but according to the website, there are tons of cases where this phone actually helped people catch a cheating spouse, monitor a baby, or find out what their teenagers are up to.

It may be invasion of privacy to some but I think it depends on what you plan to do with this spy phone. And if you’re the owner, you can do what you want to ensure the safety of your kids or home. Now, for working mothers, there’s no better feeling than knowing that their babies and toddlers are being taken care of by their nannies. Think of Phone-007 as a nanny cam. Instead of recording videos, the spy phone can record all sounds your baby (or nanny) makes even when the phone is not in use. Wherever the mom is, she can just dial the Phone-007 access number to listen to recordings or download audio from the web. This process also applies to checking on your teenagers or elderly at home. You can make sure that everyone at home is safe or not doing what they’re supposed to when you’re not around.

We’re going on a much-deserved getaway this Friday. We only booked one night but since it’s my birthday, we might consider staying another night. The travel, I hope won’t take that long because it’s been a year since we tried traveling with a toddler. And that was in my in-law’s car where we watched movies the whole time. She didn’t mind the three-hour drive because she spent it watching all her hi5 and Harry Potter DVDs.

Just this afternoon, it suddenly occurred to me that we should go ahead and purchase a dvd player for our car. It will definitely make the travel more tolerable for the little one. We have been looking for car DVD players for some time now but still unable to find one that’s right for us. I saw some brands for a folding DVD player at Shopwiki and instantly like the fact that they are lightweight but sturdy. The prices are so much lower too compared last year. There are also headrest monitors but you can’t take this anywhere else once you installed it.

I’m still keeping my options open. I asked my husband to scout the local malls tomorrow and see if he can find a good deal. I’m sure there are 0% interest promos at this time of the month.

As an online worker, it’s important to be visible anywhere in the Web. Aside from social networking sites and freelancers community, you can also try promoting yourself or your business via Lookup page. Look up page helps professionals, individuals and businesses make their presence known around the World Wide Web. What’s great about this service is that Lookup page will market your page so it will have a high ranking on Google and other major search engines.

For all Lookuppage members, they can upload their professional online profiles for free. This page includes basic information about you, web links, photos, services that you offer and free web search ranking. If you want more features like reports, statistics, personalized domain, web hosting, etc. there are several paid options that you can choose from. From Standard Account at $2.99 a month to Business-Pro account at $19.99, you can totally take control of your online identity and maximize your online visibility.

In search for the best digital camera? Let BestinClass.com help you. There are thousands of cameras that you can choose from so the first thing you need to do is figure out your needs. Do you travel a lot? You can find the best travel digital camera using the search wizard wherein you will choose your preferred size and price. Once you submit your search, Best in Class will display the top recommended cameras as recommended by experts.

Don’t like what you see? You can easily refine your search results by:

• Type - point and shoot, manual controls, interchangeable lenses
• Use - for travel, young children, fast action, low light
• Size - compact, ultra compact
• Price - $200 to $1500 above
• Features - wide angle lens, high resolution, large LCD screen, rugged and weatherproof, etc.

Other search options that you can use: Brand (canon, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus), Memory, Lens.

I’ve been wanting to buy another camera that’s light and easy to use. Usually, by the time I’m done tinkering with the manual settings of our DSLR, my daughter got tired of posing and I’d be left with blurry and not so nice shots.

After trying the search wizard for the best compact digital camera:

1. Use - Photos of young children or pets (need to quickly capture the moment)
2. Size - Compact (fits in a purse or jacket pocket)
3. Price - under $400

I got four recommendations but the other two were as big as our Canon 300D. The other two are Canon Powershot and Panasonic Lumix. I haven’t tried any Panasonic cameras though and don’t want to spend money on a brand that I haven’t used yet. This cuts my list to only one:

Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
8MP Ultra Compact Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
$229.94 (cheap huh!)

This small and versatile camera has clean lines and an easy-to-use interface. It also
boasts a good zoom, image stabilizer, and face detection, making it ideal for capturing
precious moments with children.

The recommendation doesn’t end there. There’s a full recommendation page detailing the features of your chosen product and a few more camera options just in case the item did not meet your requirements.

I just saw that my cell phone, Nokia E65 now costs $281.99 from buy.com. I bought it nine months ago at $500 and now it’s almost half the price. Talk about depreciation. Well that, or cell phones are just insanely cheap when bought online.

I also saw a Nokia 95 unlocked phone and couldn’t believe that it’s being sold for only $478.99. Man, I better take advantage of this before my client comes home this July. He asked me if there’s anything that I want to buy online so he can bring it with him. Of course, what I really want is an iMac but there’s no way I can afford it right now. A new phone, on the other hand, to replace my now cheap E65 is a great deal. I could always sell it, for a higher price if I find that I don’t like it.

Remember the old times when engraving was done manually? The process was too time consuming and prone for mistakes. Now you can easily create detailed designs using laser engraving. According to wiki, laser is an electronic-optical device that emits coherent light radiation. Laser technology is being used on operations that demands utmost precision. The most common use of laser technology is for creating storage devices like compact discs and DVD players, bar code readers, laser printers. In medicine, lasers are used for internal surgery while in military; lasers are used for illumination and target identification. For product printing, laser technology is a fast and efficient way to transfer designs to any kind of materials. Whether it’s wood, plastic, fabric or glass, your intricate designs can be cut and engraved in detail. The laser cutting machines use laser beams to cut through intricate patterns. High precision and focus are the key features of this technology and since you don’t need any technician to perform the task, you will save labor costs. Laser technology is big business and with the advancement of technology, I’m pretty sure we can do so much more in a couple of years. There’s the fact that laborers are being replaced with robots / lasers of course, but that’s another different story.