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Mar 30, 2010

Noise canceling headphones - life saver for travelers?

Ultimate Ears MetroFi 170 Noise Isolating EarphonesI love listening to music. I am a fan of variety, but lean more towards rock. One of the best inventions in the 20th century I believe is the personal music player. With these 'magical' devices you can plug in and tune out anywhere. I especially have great appreciation for having these great gadgets on my commute to and from work and at work. Music just makes the day go faster and most importantly helps you immerse in your own world and your work.
To make that even easier, we now have noise cancelling headphones, which not only transmit clear sound of music, but also mute the sound around you.
Sometimes all you want is a little peace and quiet, or just tune out all the things going on around you. And that is when noise canceling headphones are life enhancers, if not life saver in some situations.
Moreover, a lot of the times when trying to cut out some of the background noise, a few people, self including, have turned up the value on their speakers to drown it out. Not the best idea as it fatigues your ears and not to mention causing hearing loss and unpleasant drumming on the ceiling from the neighbors. With noise canceling headphones, such as Ultimate Ears, it would be turning down the volume and at the same time tuning out. Maybe, just maybe, all those folks on the train that have music blasting so loud in the ears that others can hear every beat of the song they are listening to, would be able to also turn it down a notch if they had the IECs.
Sennheiser and Shure are considered the kings but Skull Candy makes some great headphones also, and often cheaper ones. For full-sized headphones Sony, Bose and Sennheiser are the recommended brands.
I prefer in-ear-canal headphones. IECs provide comparable noise protection as traditional active noise canceling headphones. They're much more portable and require no extra power, such as batteries, which large noise canceling headphones require. And, in my opinion, they look better when walking around outside and easier to wear.

What others say:
- "I always listen to music while traveling. It is the best thing to keep me busy while having a boring journey. I love music and I can hardly spend time without listening to music. My cell has about 100 songs and there is the FM.So between them I listen whichever song I like."
- "I actually find music very relaxing and sometimes it helps me concentrate more at what I am doing. I guess it varies from person to person. I can listen to music all day and do many things at once and Im not affected. Some people I know actually get mad when there is other noise around them when they are trying to do something. When i am in my car I usually listen to my music pretty loud and it helps keep me alert when I wake up early to drive to school and then later on if Im driving at night."

What kind of headphone do you prefer? How do you tune out?

Mar 26, 2010

Taking Precautions Against In-Flight Thieves

An interesting post on blog "Taking Off" about keeping your possessions safe and having a comfortable and peaceful flight - Taking Precautions Against In-Flight Thieves

Mar 11, 2010

Dissolving Travel Toiletries

It seems just about anything comes in dissolving variety nowadays. First, as far as I remember, it was the dissolving Listerine dissolving strips. Which was a great invention and did wonders for many get-togethers. The thin sheets, while sticky, were quick to dissolve and were incased in a tiny plastic container that can go anywhere. Later, they came up with same kind of sheets that contained medicine and easily and quickly dissolved to deliver the right dose. And vitamin strips that provide a convenient way to take a variety of supplemental nutrients, especially convenient when giving vitamins to the kids. Than came the dissolving detergents and softeners. As the trend continues, it becomes quite obvious just how useful these new innovations are to daily lives. And they are even more so for traveling. As mentioned, they are small and can take anywhere. Now you can have many different types of these products and place all of them in one, airport security friendly zip lock bag.
There are dissolving soap sheetsthat are good for a one time use in restaurants, rest stops, and other areas for a quick wash up. All you have to do is add water and they are ready to use. These packets also come with body wash and shampoo. There are also convenient, paper-thin facial cleansing sheets that dissolve instantly when run under water into a foamy lather to deep clean your skin. A hair gel that dissolves without any mess or leaking while in transport. And adhesive bandages which include a sterile white pad to protect your wound, covered by a shaded pad, designed to protect and blend in.
I wonder what will come next in tiny dissolving strips? If anyone knows of any other products such as these please leave a comment


 

Mar 9, 2010

Green Geek: Energy-Saving Strategies for Household Electronics

This is an article from, out of all places, NationalGrid, residential gas provider. I found it very informative on conserving energy and in the process saving money.

High-tech gadgetry is no longer the province of the dedicated few. With the revolution in consumer electronics, the geek population now numbers in the millions. The typical American household contains 24 electronic products, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. All of this comes at a cost however. Household electronics and office equipment are among the fastest growing sources of energy consumption in the United States, and used electronic products continue to fill landfills across the country. By focusing on energy conservation as well as recycling and reuse, electronics users can save on energy costs and reduce their impact on the environment.
Energy-Saving Measures

By following some simple conservation practices and purchasing energy-efficient equipment, you can save significantly on your electricity consumption.

* Turn off equipment when it is not in use. Contrary to popular belief, turning electronic products on and off will not wear them down more quickly. Leaving them on only wastes energy and costs you money.
* Do not rely on screen savers to save energy. There is a common misconception that computer screen savers lower energy use. They do not. To save energy, turn off monitors when not in use, or switch to sleep mode.
* Watch out for phantom loads. Many electronic devices (such as DVD players, TVs, computers, and stereos) continue to draw power when they are switched off. These phantom loads can be avoided by unplugging the device or using a power switch to cut all power when they are not in use.
* Put your computer to sleep. Activate power management features on all computers. These place computers into a low power sleep mode after a period of inactivity. By simply touching the keyboard or mouse, you can resume use in seconds. Sleep mode can help you save energy and money.
* Unplug battery chargers for electronic devices when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
* Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified computers and electronic equipment. An ENERGY STAR labeled computer uses 70% less electricity than other models.
* For your next computer upgrade, consider buying a laptop. They use much less energy than desktop computers.
* When purchasing a new television, consider choosing a model with a liquid-crystal display (LCD). A plasma TV uses more energy per year than a refrigerator.

Electronic Waste Disposal

Electronics contain heavy metals and other hazardous materials. When they reach the end of their useful life, it is important to dispose of them properly. Recycling or donating electronics products extends the life of the materials and keeps them out of the waste stream.

* Recycling. Many counties and municipalities have recycling drop-off centers or hold hazardous waste collections or special events. Public and private organizations have emerged that accept computers and other electronics for recycling. Manufacturers and electronics retailers also accept old products for recycling.
* Donating. Contact local schools or charitable organizations about donating your old computers or electronic equipment that is still functional. This can help to support local educational initiatives and provide access to electronic equipment to those who cannot otherwise afford it.

http://www.myenergytips.com/Article.aspx?articleID=481&userID=4122880

Mar 4, 2010

The Newest Home Electronics and the Latest Travel Gadgets of 2010

A great article by Ed Jackson about some cool gadgets that are either in the works or available in 2010 for entertainment at home and on the go http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Jackson

Mar 2, 2010

White is the color of life

This one is not about a gadget, its a thought that came across last weekend:

White is the color of life

This makes a lot of sense. Some might have known about this before, though for me today was the big discovery. We were white colors on warmer days. Those are also the days when a lot of things in nature bloom or come alive.

White it the color of snow. When it covers the ground in areas where there is usually no snow at other times, it brightens up the atmosphere around it. In the winter time when skies look gloomy with clouds, snowfall clears it up creating a better view and also a better mood. (unless of course you live in a large city where the snow turns dark and dirty with traffic, though still looks great in the first few minutes)

White color represents cleanliness. And also purity. It is the color worn during great occasion quite a few of them that are life changing.

In ancient Egypt, the color white (hedj and shesep) suggested omnipotence and purity. Due to its lack of color white was also the color of simple and sacred things. The name of the holy city of Memphis meant "White Walls." White sandals were worn at holy ceremonies. White was also the heraldic color of Upper Egypt. The "Nefer", the crown of Upper Egypt was white, even though originally it was made of green reeds.

In the movie Bruce Almighty, the producers chose white color to represent the higher power in all white. There is also the White House. The residence for the most powerful president in the world. And though I mentioned this post is not particularly about a gadget, interesting enough products made by Apple for the most part have started in color white. They look clean new and sparkling. Wonder why they decided to go with that color in particular. If anyone has other ideas or knows more of the answers to this please comment.


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