They’re here, they’re there, they’re everywhere. We’re inundated with gadgets no matter where we go or which way we turn. While some are indispensible, there are others that we want to own for reasons other than utility value – status, good looks, or for just pure entertainment purposes. Gadgets that are innovative and quirky tend to catch our attention, even though they may not be good value for money or something that we would go searching for when we shop. But, it’s stuff like this that perks up the monotony of life and makes for interesting conversation. So while some people may find the following gadgets useless, I’ve reason to believe they do justify their cost:
• Flying Alarm Clock: If you have trouble getting out of bed every morning, even on those days when it’s imperative that you absolutely must be up at 5 am, then this is just the thing for you. It uses sheer irritation to get you out of bed – you actually do so only to break the damn thing because of the loud screeching noise it makes; to turn off the racket, you must find the propeller-like wheel that shoots off the clock when the alarm goes off and buzzes across the room to settle in some unknown corner. The saving grace – by the time you’re done finding the small thingy, you’re probably too angry to go back to bed. The clock saves the day!
• Message Toaster: Now you can literally make someone “eat their words”. This toaster burns what you write on a message pad on the top into the slice of bread that pops out for your breakfast. While some might use it to propose more than a toast, those who are more practical (albeit in a whimsical way) use it to leave notes or messages for their significant other. But my personal favorite usage for this is to remind someone of what they said, something that has since then been proved untrue – yes, you’re making them eat their words!
• USB Fragrance Burner: If you work in a closed environment where all the windows are shut (or are non-existent) and the air conditioning system is on 24/7, you’ve probably been through situations where you have to stop breathing if you want to avoid throwing up. Working in close proximity to other people in closed environments can have that effect what with natural gases and other smells permeating the atmosphere from time to time. The USB fragrance burner is just what you need for mini emergencies like these – available in aromas of rose, jasmine, peppermint and lavender, you can just plug this gizmo into your USB port, add a few drops of the perfume that accompanies it, and you’re good to go. Makes for a work environment with clean air and unwrinkled noses!
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of accredited online degrees. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com.
I like to keep things interesting, so in the spirit of doing something different, I’m writing this review for a roll-up silicon USB keyboard from BudgetGadgets.com using the keyboard, itself. I’m doing this because it seems to induce typos around every corner and I want to see if it gets any better the more I use it.
The bad and the ugly
In all fairness, it’s not ugly, but the giant Caps Lock key gave me a chuckle when I first saw it. I laughed less when I found that it doesn’t work. The next thing I noticed is that a silicon keyboard is definitely less productive, so far. Because silicon keys are more flexible, you need to be more precise in trying to hit the middle of the key for it to register the keystroke properly. This can obviously be a problem since it directly affects the intended use. Something else that really threw me off was the extra Shift and Space keys. I’m not really sure what they’re for, but it seems like they could have just made the space bar larger… likewise for the Shift keys. If not that, perhaps a Home key would have been nice. The flexibility of it also makes it a lot harder to type on as it rest in your lap. I have my review notebook under it as a flat surface. Of course that would be true of any roll-up from any manufacturer.
The good
While I found plenty to complain about, this cloud does have some silver lining. First of all, it’s a full keyboard that I can carry in my pocket, so it’s highly portable at the very least. Next, it’s spill-proof. An old roommate once spilled a full can of soda into my keyboard. If it had been this keyboard, I wouldn’t have spent that night carefully cleaning and blow-drying an opened up keyboard. Also, after some use, it’s a little easier to type on, but still not comfortable.
Would I buy one?
Personally, I don’t have a use for it. I like my laptop keyboard more and it works just fine, so I don’t need an external. If I did need one, though, I’d like to see one easier to type on and with a better key configuration and working Caps Lock. For about $10, it’s OK, but could use some work.
Today, I was digging through BenSpark’s Big Box of Awesome and I found something you might like. I know you all love winning stuff, so check it out.
What I found while rifling through Ben’s stuff was an MP3 player, but it does other stuff too. It’s a USB flash drive and a voice recorder, too. The best part about it is that you can win it for free. Ben’s giving all the stuff in his box away and all you have to do to enter is post a comment at http://www.benspark.com/bensparks-big-box-of-awesome.html guessing what could be in the box. You don’t have to be right to win. There’s a bunch of other ways to get more entries, too, so go check it out.
