Day 3 of Techshow is underway with the always-popular Gadgets & Gizmos program. Actually, I prefer to call them tools—that way they are tax-deductible! Here are just a few of the best “tools” from this fun session:
■Use your iPod as a laptop backup device: I have been looking for a good reason to buy an iPod ever since purchasing my Bose Quietcomfort 2 headsets, but I didn’t have a business use. However, the iPod connects to almost any laptop and becomes a portable external hard drive. The iPod has plenty of gigs to store both backup data and music. Problem solved!
■I read a number of magazines each month, but they either get misplaced or become a crumpled mess in the bottom of my computer bag. Enter the Zinio magazine reader. This software, when coupled with digital subscriptions to your favorite magazine (available through Zinio), allows you to read them on the comfort of your computer. Not only does the software show the pages turning (just plain cool), but digital mags are filled with hyperlinks, making it far more user-friendly than the glossy paper version.
■ Bow Lingual is maybe the silliest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It is a small device that hangs from a dog’s collar and claims to translate dog barks into English! ‘nuf said, just go see it for yourself.
Wells Anderson and Ross Kodner--The Gadget Boys--had more great stuff, but time precludes more today!
