Which myths listed here are true and which are, well, myths?
CFL bulbs are no better for the environment than incandescent bulbs: Mercury is still released into the environment during production. If a bulb breaks, mercury may be released and pose a health risk. CFL bulbs don't cost that much more to produce than standard bulbs; customers are simply being overcharged. Removing incandescent bulbs will make the room colder; the traditional bulbs create and use heat, which helps provide warmth.
File these under duh, although we didn't think of these two options for making your cell more user-friendly, no matter the cell type/brand. So even though it didn't take a genius to come up with them--just a physics professor--we are the last people to hold it against you if you didn't think of them either. And if you did....
Our love for all things iPhone has pretty much been unabashed, with the exception of the occasional excessively long bill, and here's another reason: turn your iPhone into a wireless touchpad and control your computer from across the room--perfect for controlling the media server you've built!
Here's what's hot and home tech on other AT websites: above is the Anglepoise Fifty Lamp by Anthony Dickens, seen over on AT:Chicago. We've got some good stuff after the jump, especially if you have a desk, a small space you want to maximize or live in SoCal...
Coordinate your look both at home and on the go with Angela Adams laptop bags, which are currently on sale.
A group of graphic artists who love their Apple iPhones and iTouches but don't love the standard wallpaper have put together a collection of alternatives that are colorful, creative and anything but standard (random "family members, anyone?). Check out more options after the jump.
What about the energy spent storing those emails we'll never read?
Woah. We have something like 3500 unread emails in our personal Gmail box, and 6800 messages total, not counting the spam folder contents. Almost all of the unread ones are bulk mail we signed up for but don't feel like reading at the time, and then they just stay in the cue forever.
Don't get "stuck" with your HD-DVDs if you don't want to...Wired has a tutorial for for making your HD-DVDs playable on your Blu-Ray.
Wired prefaces the tutorial with this: "By converting your movies to a more enduring format, you can ensure your movie collection survives the death of the machine that plays them.
We've got clocks on the brain, and somehow, PB Kids was delivered to the inbox of our day job (which makes the arrival of the catalog even more strange!)...these two seemingly random facts of life combined when we flipped through the catalog and saw this fun clock. You place the numbers, so it can become 3-dimensional when placed on an architectural detail, have a Dr. Seuss "skewed" appearance, or just a regular, circular clock shape.
Multi-function furniture is even better than multi-function electronics and appliances when it looks like this. Check out more pictures after the jump.
On the top, the Sunbeam Clock from Target, and on the bottom, the Binary LED clock from Think Geek. They are not to scale relative to the landing strip (both are about 1' in diameter).
Being the geeks we are, we're considering getting a binary clock for our living room. We need a practical clock in the bathroom for getting ready in the morning, which we now have (check it out after the jump), so we could do something fun in the living room. We're deciding between these two and we'll put it on the wall above.
Details about how we're going to hang what where are after the jump...
We keep seeing these articles pop up around the web, so we wanted to share the thought with you: check your local library for a Kill-a-Watt and see if you can check out one from your local library, including outside the US.
Here's the latest ways to geek out around the house, all courtesy of GeekSugar...
Silly name, but wonderful product. We realized this morning that we hadn't ever specifically raved about the Cuisinart Griddler to you (although it has been mentioned a few times on our sister site, The Kitchn), and in light of the best panini press award it won from Food & Wine, we need to tell you more.
The March issue of Food and Wine Magazine has 27 "counter top" appliances that they rated good, better and best in each of 9 categories--narrowed down from the original 76 that they tested--and not all of them break the bank, either.
We saw these over on AT:SF and had to share them with you: Philips Portable Lights are motion-sensing LED lights--and reasonably priced to boot.
As well, check out other ideas for lighting closets after jump.
Think you're a big Apple fan? Probably not as big as these guys, who built a Mac computer and housed it in an "iToilet." Check out the video after the jump.
And unlike the prototypes on the right and others that have popped up in the past, this time it's for real. It makes for "praying to the porcelains gods" a bit different this time...
Today Show producer Stephanie Becker and her cameraman during a break at the Soul Tech seminar.
A new program has popped up that is helping people unplug--not go wireless, but give up a tech addiction to their blackberries, blogs and email. It got us thinking, do we need this intervention? How about you? Check out (after the jump) the Today Show segment where we first learned about the program--and Ariel of 52 Nights Unplugged--and our assessment of ourselves.
PS Being addicted to Unplggd is never a bad thing!
Ariel, a blogger, vowed to go one night a week without technology, email or blogging. And of course, as a result, she has created a blog about it. Above left is her "before" picture that she posted on her site.
Do you think you could give up TV, internet, email, etc., for one night a week more than you currently do? What would it take for you to do that?
We know what happens when the cat's away...
Hey Unplggd, A month ago my Dell Latitude D505 laptop died on me - the screen went black and after many hours of tech support, the verdict came in: replace the motherboard, at a cost of $400 parts, $200 labor. The machine cost $1100 when purchased (3-4 years ago!) so obviously $600 is just not gonna happen. Plus, I already have a new laptop for work!
Ok, so now, what do I do with the Latitude? Should I pull an Office Space and bash it to pieces?
Here's a hard working, super-adjustable desk lamp with a tiny footprint. The Mini-Z LED Desk Lamp is about as wide as your finger--and comes with a desktop clamp if the base is even taking up too much space.
This video segment is worth watching if only to see Al Roker rock out to the Beastie Boys. But seriously, not sure what Bluetooth is? Or have a friend who doesn't understand your explanation?
Here's a very real example of what's happening with our electronic junk. Not all is lost, though...
Want a color-coordinated mouse for your home decor? How about choosing from a selection of 19 different options? This is the most we've ever seen from one style--we've never even seen mice in a lot of these colors.
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