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Tech Tools and Tips For Trips Near or Far

Luggage all packed: check. Forms, documents, and maps ready: check. House all prepared for departure with unnecessary appliances unplugged, lights on timer, etc: check! So you've got everything ready before you head off, but did you make preparations for all your tech needs while away? Here are a few tech tips and resources below that might help you find free wi-fi on the go, help you pack a home-away-from-home, or prevent your gadgets from being swiped while traveling, whether for business or leisure. Oh, and happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

  • Gregory Han
  • July 3, 2009 02:00PM
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Final Frame: Contrast

070209macessence.jpgAlthough probably a pain to keep clean, we're loving the contrast of this setup ontop of an all black work surface from me™ everyday.

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 09:00PM
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Enable Multi-Touch and Hidden Features With Firefox 3.5

070309Multi-Touch-Screen1.jpgIf you didn't know that Firefox released a major update this week, you should update your Firefox immediately. Why? There are a bunch of new features that are really interesting, including one that lets you enable multi-touch tab switching. There are other hidden features that can make your browsing life a lot easier.

  • range
  • July 2, 2009 08:45PM
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Philips LightFrame LCD Eases Eye Strain Thru Light Therapy

Philips LightFrame 220XW9FW-02.jpg
Philips designed the LightFrame 220XW9 widescreen LCD display in similar fashion to their line of Ambilight technology televisions with a peripheral lighting system which eases eye strain and perhaps the blues, using a cool halo of blue light similar to full spectrum lights used to treat seasonal disorder...

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 07:30PM
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Before & After: Dr. Rabbit's IKEA Home Office Makeover

We've seen lots of before and afters here at Unplggd, from cable box magic tricks to disappearing desktops, but an entire home office done using 90% IKEA stuff? This, we've got to see...
  • Anthony
  • July 2, 2009 07:00PM
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Hot or Not? Recharge Mower

7-2-2009recharge.jpgNow that McMansions are out of style, we're not sure how necessary ride mowers are going to be in the near future. But, if you do need one for some reason, an electric version makes a lot of sense. Get more details and vote after the jump.

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 06:00PM
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Roundup: No-Frills Computer Desks Under $200

A basic desk offers lots of possibilities. As technology changes, as your home decor shifts, a simple desk can stand in for a console table, sofa table, vanity, or even a kitchen table. We've rounded up a few options under $200, ranging from small space solutions to traditional student desks...

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 05:15PM
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How to... Take Pictures of Fireworks

070209_tf_picsforeworks1.jpgHaving art on the walls is a great way to take your space from model-home bland to comfortable and personal. It's even more personal when the art on the walls is something you created. Why not get out there this weekend (Happy early 'Fourth'!) and take some great shots of the gorgeous fireworks in your town. Here's some tips to get snapping like the pros...

  • taryn
  • July 2, 2009 05:00PM
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Ensci Small Space Tech Kitchen Concept

Living with a small kitchen (we're talking one person at a time, lest one stabs or burns the other), we're always looking for space efficient kitchen ideas. And that's exactly what this space-saving mini kitchen designed by Ensci is...an amazing compact kitchen that opens up to offer a cooking surface, an oven, sink, plenty of storage options and even a place to get some work done on the laptop when all closed. We'd imagine touch screen controls and LED display would also be likely be incorporated if (and that's a big "if" considering this is only a concept) something like this made it to market. We'd love to see this idea expanded in similar fashion for a media center or workstation...

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 04:30PM
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Travel Month: Treadway Wearable Transportation

We love our mobile tech here at Unplggd and since we are on the topic of travel for the month of July, why not talk a bit about how we get around?
Cars are clogging up our city streets. If every one of those cars were to be switched to electric, we would still have the same number of cars on the road- we would probably have more since electricity is cheaper to run. The fact is, cars can adapt to multiple usage scenarios and that is why we use them... but is there another way?

  • peter
  • July 2, 2009 04:30PM
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Inspiration: Edelweiss If All Desktops Could Look Like This

070209_rg_edelweiss_01.jpgOne of the reasons that people are buying less desktops is basically because of the way that they look. Most desktops are just plain boxes of plastic, that are best hidden underneath your desk. Tangled wires erupt from the front and back, and depending on how neat you are or if you have implanted some kind of wire management system, there might be quite a few wires lying around. It's not hard to see that people like having all of that messy stuff crammed into a neat little laptop.

  • range
  • July 2, 2009 04:00PM
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Breeze Reflection by Djeff

Breeze reflection by Djeff @ "Mal au pixel" France from djeff on Vimeo.

A beautiful art installation made of fans, motion sensors and LED lighting; Breeze Reflection by DJeff.

  • Gregory Han
  • July 2, 2009 03:30PM
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This 4th, Skip the Crowds and Design Your Own Fireworks Display

We love the 4th of July for its BBQs and outside fun, but we're not big fans of fireworks. It's not that we don't dig pyrotechnics, we just don't dig rushing to the waterfront to stand like sardines with the rest of Brooklyn to see the show. If we lived in the country and got to lay in the grass with just a few hundred people rather than a few thousand, that would be a different story.

This year we're thinking of turning on the Mac Mini plugged into our 42-inch LCD and busting out this fireworks screen saver.

The Mac and Windows friendly screen saver is designed by Terence M. Welsh. You control every aspect of Skyrocket, including how much smoke fires out of the rockets, how long the smoke stays on screen, wind speed, star density, how loud you want not just the explosions, but the sizzle sound as the rockets shoot up towards the sky to be, as well as camera angles, and what other animations are on screen (moon, clouds, the city below).

  • soniaz
  • July 2, 2009 03:00PM
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What Are Your Tech Travel Neccesities?

070209_tf_traveltech1.jpgJuly is travel month at Unplggd and I'm happy to tell you that I'm leaving for Boston in the morning and spent last night packing. In an effort to save some cash (read: I'm broke), I decided not to check luggage for my weekend trip. That means that with space at a premium in my carry-on, I have to edit my travel tech selections...

  • taryn
  • July 2, 2009 01:00PM
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BFG Phobos HTPC: Too Hefty for Modern Living Rooms?

070209_bfg_htpc.jpgDespite its shiny gloss finish, it's the bulk of BFG's Phobos home theater PC that becomes questionable here. We recall having a PC this size back in 1999 when using an extra desktop PC in the living room to play movies on the big screen was ubercool. But now, it's hard to say we're in love anymore...

  • Anthony
  • July 2, 2009 12:00PM
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