It's that time of year again for New Year's resolutions, goal setting and year planning. With hard work on such serious activities
consuming your time, don't forget to play hard as well. I've collected a list of "must have" gadgets to ensure your work life
is balanced with some good clean fun.
Canon PowerShot SD700 IS (http:// http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/)
This pocket-sized digital camera works like a champ. The picture quality is foolproof. The battery life lasts all day and
then some. The full motion video capabilities mean you can leave your digital video camera at home. I recommend several 1-gigabyte
SD memory cards and an extra battery, just in case.
SwissMemory 1-GB Army Knife (http://
http://www.swissarmy.com/)
Carry your data in style with this Swiss Army knife with a built-in 1-gigabyte USB drive. It comes with the standard blade,
scissors and a nail file that doubles as a screwdriver. You'll also find the LED mini light and retractable ballpoint pen
handy. Will you ever need to use all of these features at once? No way. But that's not the point. With this knife you'll be
ready for anything your business throws at you.
Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones (http:// http://www.bose.com/)
Whether you fly a lot or work in a noisy office environment, these headphones block out the world and create an environment
of peace and quiet. Combine that with Bose's famous sound quality and you've got an incredible sound experience.
Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote (http://
http://www.logitech.com/)
Do you juggle three different remote controls just to turn the TV on? You need a universal remote. This remote can control
up to 15 different devices with a helpful LCD screen that's fully programmable. It's even got its own help button to get you
back on track. With this remote you may never get off the couch again.
Along with this year's business and personal planning sessions, make sure you budget enough time to relax and uncompress from
the daily grind. You'll find that clearing your head will give you great insights into both your business and personal challenges.
Hopefully this list of gadgets will help unleash the creative problem solver within.
— The author is a freelance technologist focusing in business automation. Contact him at 801/592-2810 or visit his blog at
http://www.tylerwhitaker.com/.
