The COMMA Notebook Cooling Bag uses special crystals-based cooling technology to reduce any laptop’s temperature by 10 degrees Celsius, prolonging the life of the computer and battery. The company claims that its cooling bag dissipates heat faster and in a more effective way compared to traditional coolers and requires no power, wires or refrigeration. When a notebook heats up during usage, the crystals inside the bag take heat from the laptop and transform from a solid to liquid state. Grooves in the cooler channel air under the laptop and make use of the Second Law of Thermodynamics — that heat tends to flow from hot to cold areas to reach equilibrium. Once the laptop is cool, the crystals solidify again.
Lean IT has been gaining popularity as companies seek to make the most of their tech resources. Lean IT is about eliminating waste, not eliminating technology. Lean focuses on analyzing and optimizing Value Streams — the sequence of activities to design, produce and deliver a good or service — by removing non-value added activity, or waste. The book, “Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation,” by Steven C. Bell & Michael A. Orzen, uses practical tips, examples, and case studies to show how to establish a culture of continuous improvement and deliver IT operational excellence and business value to an organization.
“The Parent Show with Angela Santomero,” is a new web series from PBS Parents. The show may be viewed whenever a parent has a moment to spare and is interested in advice, ideas or a laugh. Each week, The Parent Show will explore a topic that parents are dealing with today — such as school readiness, media habits or healthy eating — through a video interview, a follow-up video message and a blog post. Between episodes, parents can chat with Angela through her blog on pbsparents.org, and on Twitter @AngelaSanto.
The Eye Reader (www.netsoftengr.com/EyeReader) is a reading magnifier application that utilizes the bright LED light of the iPhone 4, providing a solution for reading small print in dark areas. The app has a 5x zoom capability activated by placing two fingers on the screen and then separating them to magnify the text the desired amount. The Eye Reader is great for reading menus, medication labels and receipts. It is the first in a series of “Silver Apps,” created for mobile handset users over the age of 45. A version for Android is under development.
Numi is Kohler’s most advanced toilet. It uses at least 20 percent less water than standard toilets while still meeting strict flushing performance guidelines. The toilet’s touch screen remote allows its users to fine tune every option. The Numi features a heated seat as well as an air blower to warm the user’s feet. Its Bidet Functionality relies on a self-cleaning wand programmed with multiple options for the water spray pattern, wand position, water pressure and temperature. The Numi also integrates an air dryer in the wand for efficient drying. Built-in speakers allow the user to play a selection from the Numi toilet’s pre-programmed audio, FM radio or an MP3 player may be connected through the audio input jack in the remote docking station. Retail price of this advanced personal comfort station is $6390 — three year limited warranty included.
