Most of the time, I’m hauling a bag for one of two reasons. Either I’m around town and taking my computer with me to get some work done, or I’m traveling to conferences and events, something I do a couple of times a year.
Around town I carry more basic kit, of course: usually, just my computer, power cord and surge protector. But when I’m traveling, the kit gets more complicated.
The Bags
I don’t know about you, but one of the hardest things for me about navigating these tough economic times is keeping my gadget spending in check. I have a problem, or more accurately, many problems, and they are all shiny, new and electronic. It’d be nice to say that I have enough willpower to forgo these things when the budget isn’t there, but that’s not at all true. I still have to scratch that itch, so I’ve come up with some ways to do so on the cheap.
Closet Excavation
It may not be quite as satisfying as unboxing something brand-new, or buying a big ticket item at retail, but digging around in your closet for old, nearly forgotten hardware and gadgets can actually be pretty satisfying. Especially if you haven’t looked at them in many years, since you’ll often be surprised with what recent software updates or new peripherals can help you do with older devices. Read the rest of this entry »
We like stuff, it’s fair to say, and I only just said so earlier today, in fact. But like having multiple applications running at the same time, having lots of gadgets close at hand will unavoidably split your focus — which is a bad thing if you’re trying to do more singletasking like me, and less driving yourself insane doing 50 things at once.
So as part of my new program of simplification, I’m re-evaluating what kind of kit I roll with on a regular basis. My weapon of choice used to be a large, multi-pocket bag (or two) with ample room for my computer, camera, and countless other attendant knickknacks including portable hard drives, USB keys, and most recently, a small secondary screen for auxiliary tasks like monitoring Twitter or my IM client. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: bag, equipment, Gear, singletasking, sleeve
I’m not gonna lie, a big reason that I like my current freelance tech blogging gig is the gear. But even if I wasn’t in this particular line of work, I’d still take an unnatural amount of interest in outfitting my office or workspace, regardless of whether it happens to be in my home or not. Computers, gadgets, office supplies, office furniture — these are the things that get me truly excited about doing my job, from the lowliest stapler to the most extravagantly outfitted desktop computer.
While just acquiring and setting up new gear is cause enough for celebration, better still is getting great deals on new work-related stuff. For instance, re-purposing an old SLR camera bag as the perfect clandestine portable HDD/DVD-RW/cable tote, or having Best Buy match the deep discount a much smaller competitor is offering on a 16GB SDHC card. Read the rest of this entry »
From Reware’s solar-powered Juice Bags to Noon Solar’s range of solar handbags, some of our regular readers may have detected that I have a bit of a “thing” for solar power. I’m sure this is an enthusiasm shared by many web workers: When your working life is governed by the proximity of electricity and availability of connectivity, free solar power would be very welcome!
Sadly, most solar charging products — like the aforementioned Noon Solar and Juice Bags — unnecessarily bundle solar chargers with some other product, like a bag! Fortunately, standalone solar charging products are beginning to find their way to the marketplace. Some of the most intriguing are found in Suntrica’s range of SolarBadge and SolarStrap chargers. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve really enjoyed reading the “What’s In Your Bag?” posts here on WWD. I have my fair share of electronics in my bag, but I also carry around some useful non-electronic items. Today I had a moment where a handy new non-electronic item made it into my bag: the Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover Pen, which should help ensure that I always looking my best for those tricky first client meetings.
This pen is one of those “as seen on TV” type of items that I would never purchase myself, because they “never work.” Tuns out I was wrong, very wrong. A few years ago my mom gave me one. It got thrown into my junk draw and hadn’t been seen since, until today. Read the rest of this entry »
I have been a mobile worker for many years, and my gear has evolved over time to fit the way I work. I can divide my work routine into three different scenarios (on the road, day trips, and “work sessions of opportunity”), and I have a unique tool kit for each one. My gear changes frequently due to my work on jkOnTheRun, so this snapshot is certainly not static by any means. One thing common to all of my kits is that I like to be be as light and mobile as possible.
I was just reading Meryl’s take on our “What’s In Your Bag?” theme and realized we had a lot in common. Turns out that I’m not the only one on the team here without a MacBook or iPhone, and we are also both fans of the RoboForm Password Manager.
But it was when she mentioned her Lapworks Laptop Desk I realized I had forgotten to include my lapdesk in my own post. Honestly, it is so much a part of my gear that I hardly think of it as anything other than part of my laptop.
A couple years ago I realized that laptops get really hot. The fan on the side of my ThinkPad puts out a good amount of heat and can get uncomfortable pretty quickly. At the time, I did a lot of research about laptop desks and such and eventually ended up buying the oddly named, but very effective, Lapinator portable insulated laptop desk.
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Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
