A device that just might make boring meetings go faster & end quicker!

This is a very different kind of clock. You bring it to meetings, not to watch the time, but to watch how much that time costs a company! TIM stands for Time is Money. Brutally long business meetings are not only boring, but they’re expensive. The Bring TIM! Clock can give you the power to break the cycle. It prominently displays the total cost of everyone's time that ticks by. When people understand the cost, the discussion becomes brief, topical, and productive. To use Bring TIM you take the best guess (unless you know exactly) how much each person makes per hour. You enter that into the clock. It can be set in $5 increments from $5 to $995. Next you enter the number of people in the meeting, any number from 1 to 99 people. Then as the meeting goes on you can see the total cost of having all those people discussing things. It’s probably a lot higher than anyone would have guessed! The inventor, Brad Johnson says: “The inspiration in developing Bring TIM! came from working at a company that regularly held 4 hour weekly staff meetings. (Yes - that’s right - 4 hour staff meetings!!!) At the end of each meeting, I walked away wondering what did that accomplish? It became my personal quest to make sure no one endures that type of torture in the workplace! The Bring TIM! office clock is designed to keep your business meetings on track. Everyone will appreciate that this lighthearted device might actually keep your meetings more focused, effective, and shorter in duration. So the next time you want a shorter, more effective business meeting...Bring TIM! - The ultimate Office Clock & Meeting Cost Calculator!”  $24.99    

www.bringTIM.com 

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1086

Easier Water Control at your faucet saves 90% more water

www.One2tap.com   is a new device --- coming a month or two that will save you a lot of water!

Total flow control faucet adaptors let you easily determine just the right amount of water you need at the bathroom sink. A simple lever activates a valve that releases the water and stops it again with a simple touch. So easy a child can control it, so durable it meets all plumbing codes. The choice is simple. Let the water run or tap a lever. One2tap.  The One2tap valve and lever are manufactured with an anti-microbial agent to ensure against cross-contamination with the sink faucets. Because the faucet handles of the sink are left in the “on” position at the desired temperature, there is no need to touch them again. Simply tapping the anti-microbial impregnated lever runs the water only when you need it. There’s no longer cross-contamination from one person to the next at the handle. It's simple to install. Just remove the aerator & replace it with the one that’s built into this device. Because the One2tap fits most faucets it allows children, the elderly, anyone with arthritis or the disabled the freedom to wash their hands, brush their teeth, or shave on their own. It works in schools, RV’s, boats, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Plastic version about $15…  Chrome   About $35 - $40  Out in May or June!

Make really great coffee in just about a minute!

Monday, February 15^th, 2010 Netcast 1026

Aerobie, yes the folks that make those fun-flying rings have found a way to make a good cup on the fly! There’s a picture of their AeroPress on the left. It may look a touch complicated, but using it is pretty simple. First you place the Aeropress on top of your favorite coffee mug. Then put a measured scoop of coffee into the brewing chamber and pour hot water into the grounds. (Here’s something to remember, pour the hot water slowly. The fist time I used the AeroPress the water went right thorugh and make a super-weak brew. Then I started looking at the instructions. Turns out that if you pour the water slowly, the grounds get wet and slow down the brewing process so you get a deeper, richer flavor. Now that you’ve learned how to pour the water, once it’s in the brewing chamber, use the included stirrer to mix the coffee and water for about 10 to 15 seconds. Then a few seconds later place the plunger on top of the brewing chamber and push down gently. What’s neat about this coffee maker is clean-up is quick and easy. Unlike that French Press machines with the springy-thingy on the bottom, which is difficult to clean, with this unit you just pop out the block of coffee grounds into the garbage. They refer to that block of coffee grounds as the “puck” because it does like a mini-version of one. You can make 1 to 4 cups of coffee or espresso (enough for 1 or 2 mugs). It uses a micro paper filter and I was pleased to find that they include 320 of them! And the company says if you don’t mind giving the filter a mini-rinse you can use each one 3 or 4 times. Best news is that if you buy another 320 along with the AeroPress it only adds a few dollars to the order. Now there are sorts of tips on how to brew the best coffee and a quick web search showed there are devoted fans across the world offering videos and ways to improve your coffee making techniques. It retails for $25 to $35, but our friends at ThinkGeek have it at the low end, $25.99. (No, we don’t get a commission, but they did provide a sample so we could play with it.) There’s also a video on using the Aerobie at their website here:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/8e3a/

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1026

Like LED's? Like Keyboards that Light? This is for you!!

Mike Herron sent me a email about an amazing customizable illuminated keyboard. He saw it at Think Geek and suggested I view the video demo. (Link below.) I spoke to Ty at Think Geek and he said the Luxeed Dynamic Pixel LED  was one of the most amazing keyboards he had ever seen. It has 430 LEDs capable of individually lighting each key in your choice of color. But wait there’s more! You can do some amazing tricks like an animated rainbow across all the keys, or if you like you can make each key light when you press it by using the “Spark” mode. There are four "preset" buttons you can use to choose between different customizable-lit skin presets. Set-up a glowing skin for your favorite game with different colors to indicate each key action... or create illuminated patterns and designs. Now the Luxeed doesn't have a tiny screen on each key like the legendary Optimus Maximus, but it's about $1250.00 cheaper! This is important if you’re looking for maximum dazzle: The Luxeed is available in black or white. The keys of the white Luxeed have a semi-transparent look and light up more brightly than the black keyboard. The black Luxeed has a stylish treatment with only the letters being illuminated. Both keyboards look the best in dim lighting of course. No driver software is necessary and it works with any OS. All the controls for setting the color of keys, modes and storing key presets are built into the hardware. Uses a standard USB connection. Keyboard Dimensions: 15" x 7.5" x 1". $139.99 for the black version  & $149.99 for the brighter white keyboard.  

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/cb22/ 

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1058