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Santa the Road WarriorHave Santa’s mobile crew stuff these goodies in your stocking this year.By Patricia KutzaIt’s the stuff of urban legends. I recently read that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is lobbying the Guiness Book of Records. He says that his team of deer are the original mobile workers ( seasonally employed!) In fact I expect that the type of gifts that Santa is seeing on this year’s wishlists reflect the fact that many more of us, while not joining Rudolph on the Christmas run, still consider ourselves to be road warriors all year long. With wireless access, easily portable laptops, PDAs and cell phones chock full of all types of applications, we travel in an environment seamlessly meshing work and play. Here are some products that most road warriors (full or part time) would love to find in their Christmas stockings this year:
This product is perfect for travelers wanting a low cost, light weight and durable laptop. It has a large graphical screen, full-sized keyboard that easily synchronizes data with a conventional PC. It includes a built-in powerful word processor that’s compatible with MS Word. And the Dana runs thousands of existing third party Palm OS applications since it’s based on the Palm operating system. The original Dana product debuted in 2002. Dana Wireless, launched in 2003, uses 802.11b connectivity so that you can get Internet access at public ‘hot spots’ across the US (subscription to a ISP is not bundled in the cost).
Weighing just 14.5 ounces, this Desk folds to a size less than 12” square. It’s got vents to dissipate the heat that your laptop generates over time. It’s perfect for a lightweight laptop such as the Dana. And it sure beats balancing your laptop and latte on your lap! (There’s also a desk version that supports heftier laptops.)
At last a bag that can tote the likes of a Dana and laptopdesk and still look stylish. Brenthaven calls it their ‘sporty SUV’ . Made of military-grade ballistic nylon this bag is stain resistant, has a roomy interior along with a padded strap and handle. It also has lots of pockets, my personal fetish. Available colors include: black, red, blue skies and celery.
It’s why they invented Murphy’s Law. You are proud that you are finally traveling light, then buy an item that you can’t do without. You could ship it but it’s nice to have an alternative plan. Kiva thought about this when they designed the Fold ‘n Go. Just 1.4 lbs and measuring 17 ” x 12.5” x 6 ” when fully extended, this suitcase folds flat so that you pack it into your main luggage. Retrieve it when the need arises. Voila! Instant luggage!
Audible.com
Audible’s subscription service has an awesome array of choices that include books, magazines, newspapers, and radio programs. Their proprietary player, the Otis MP3, has a smaller footprint that the I-Pod. It is compatible not only with the Audible book format but also MP3 and WMA (MS Windows Media Player) files. I load it up with my favorite books and music and hit the highway! Admittedly my book choices are a departure from the coffee-table variety that most folks would rather get as gifts, than buy themselves! I thrive on the type of information that helps me reach people, find interesting places and manipulate the images I capture while I am on the road. Web Search Garage
Search engines divide the Internet world, so saith web junkies like me. And Google still rules the roost (my bias). So when O’Reilly added Google, The Missing Manual, to their Missing Manual series, I just had to see what is missing in my understanding of this great tool. Sub titled “The book that should have been in the box” it goes into great detail about how to harness all of the Google features and functionality that make such a devout user out of folks like me. eBay Business, The Smart Way
Spend an hour or two with this book and bid your way to fantastic bargains on everything a road warrior needs!
You travel to Finland and discover that the widget you make at home will really sell well in this part of the world. Selling globally is still tricky business but thanks to books like eBay Global, The Smart Way, you have some very good advice at your fingertips from pros that know the ins and outs, not only of eBay but also of the complex world of international trade. For eBay newbies, I recommend reading eBay Business for starters, then graduating to eBay Global for the finer points of doing business on a worldwide scale. Digital Photography – Expert Techniques
Today that roll could have been redeemed. The most casual photographer has such powerful tools at their disposal! Even the most wretched of images can be salvaged. I really am fond of Digital Photography – Expert Techniques. While it is essentially an Adobe Photoshop guide, it covers in depth many of the principles that form the basis for most of the photo editors that come bundled with digital cameras today. It also covers a favorite subject of mine, converting photos to paintings. Read this book and watch your photographic skills mature dramatically!
So you’ve heard that Photoshop is the gold standard of photo editors. And you intend someday to enroll in a class but still haven’t got around to doing so. Then this book is for you! I love the feeling that I am getting a very personalized session with a pro. The lessons are challenging, fun and the text and photos so stunning that I have a hard time remembering that some folks are intimidated by Photoshop’s complexities. A 2-hour training video (CD) accompanies the text.
Travel lovers come in all sizes and persuasions: Some are travel agents, photographers, writers, and promoters. Others don’t eke their living from it but love it just the same. With Adobe Design CS, professionals and amateurs alike can learn how to leverage the photos and other images they take while traveling, inserting them in newsletters, publicity collateral and a myriad of other media. This is another O’Reilly offering where a nicely-paced text tutorial is supplemented with a CD video.
Pan Pacific Hotel
Images courtesy of: AlphaSmart, LaptopDesk, Brenthaven,
Audible.com, Kiva, Contact information: Laptop Desk UltraLite $29.95 Messenger Bag, from Brenthaven Audible.com Kiva Fold ‘n Go Web Search Garage Google, The Missing Manual Ebay Business – The Smart Way 2004 eBay Global – The Smart Way 2004 Digital Photography – Expert Techniques Adobe Photoshop CS _ One on One Adobe Design CS _ One on One Pan Pacific Hotel |
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TM
Dana
™ Wireless by AlphaSmart
Laptop
Desk UltraLite
Messenger Bag, from Brenthaven
Fold
‘n Go, from Kiva
When my car radio went kaput I fell in love with
audible books. A friend of mine saw my pile of library audible books in my
car’s backseat. She mentioned Audible.com and soon after I graduated to
using a player that fits in the palm of my hand, with the capacity to hold
enough books for me to listen to during a 12 hour road trip to Seattle.
Despite the huge amount of literature published to help
cyberusers navigate the Net, I still meet folks who cry “ I still can’t find
what I need!”. I direct them to Tara Calishain’s book, Web Search Garage.
One of the most talented Web researchers around, Tara may be most noted for
her highly entertaining and informative website ReseachBuzz (
Google,
The Missing Manual
During
the 2004 holiday season, a good half of all sales are expected to be
Web-based. I’ll wager that at least 25% of them will originate at eBay.com
There are so many reasons while I believe it is smart to be eBay savvy, the
least being that knowing how and why to use it, like driving a car, is fast
becoming a differentiating skill. Ebay Business, The Smart Way
primarily targets folks who are serious about setting up shop there. You
don’t need to have that goal to benefit from all the useful information
between its covers.
eBay
Global, The Smart Way
I still think about the day my mother and I were
shopping in downtown Chicago, turned on to State Street just as our
then-President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) drove by in a parade. I was
carrying a camera and I quickly took some pictures. I was overwhelmed with
disappointment when the photos came back from the developer. LBJ was
shrouded in darkness while the peripheral images were perfect. I reluctantly
threw away the whole roll. 
Adobe Photoshop CS _ One on One
Adobe Design CS _ One on One
I
know at least one die-hard Christmas shopper who yearly checks into a
comfortable San Francisco hotel to recuperate from her epic shopping
efforts. This year I am recommending that she stay at the Pan Pacific San
Francisco. 
This recently renovated hotel, located in the heart of the city’s downtown
shopping district, offers complimentary amenities that include a Leisure/Spa
Box (full of such goodies as a scented candle, massage tools, bubble bath,
lotions, jet lag spritz and consumer magazines) as well as a Virtual Office
Box (replete with notepads, scissors, pens highlighters, tape CDs (for
burning), stapler, paper clips and ruler). If that isn’t enough, she’ll
have the complimentary services of a team of butlers at her beck and call!