apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

If you've ever tried taking a video in low light with your pocket-sized digital camera, you may have wished for a flash-like feature. Make showcases a kit that allows you to create your own mini LED light that easily attaches to any digital camera.

We've covered how to organize cables, hide cables, and cut cables, but what about storing them? A Lifehacker reader passed along a great tip for storing cables and reusing an annoying byproduct of technology consumption, the CD spindle.

Add some drama to your office. This simple hack allows you to add backlighting to your desk, creating a monitor easier on the eyes both when you're working and when you're not.

Name: Justin
Location: Mid South
Years Lived In: 3
What's your philosophy on how to integrate your technology into your living space?: KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) or at least make it look simple.

We've peeked into Justin's home before, when he shared a photo with us a few months ago. So, we asked him to give us a full fledged tour of his home office and media room, which coincidentally happen to be the same place.

Tired of what's offered for gadget consumption? Why not make your own with a little help from BUG Labs?

Stacy wrote in with the following problem: In the year since I rescued my dog, Page, I've been lucky to work from home. Now I'm going to be working in an office and I want to check in on her in case she gets destructive (she's chewed my bed and stripped my baseboards before). I bought this Panasonic pet cam at Target, but I need help setting it up.

Thanks,
Stacy & Page

This isn't a product, per se, but Amazon's MP3 Store has opened our home up to a new world of music consumption. We love the DRM-free files that allow you to share your music with anyone or any computer that you wish, but we've also found other aspects of the service that satisfy our music needs without any of the hassle.

Gregory showed us his new projector setup a few weeks ago, and we saw our share of them in last year's Smallest, Coolest contest. But, Anthony argued that "bigger isn't always better" when we toured his home setup. So, we wondered where you stood in the projector debate. Take our survey below, and let us know why we should get or get rid of our projectors in our homes.

Simple, yet stylish. These wall and travel clocks from Lexon make a bold statement without being overly designed.

Tiny portable hard drives are great for when you're on the go, but they're great in your home too. They take up less space, are often attractive and allow you to back up those files you need at home and on the road. Western Digital's newest release, My Passport Elite falls into the category of attractive and powerful portable storage.

Unplggd reader John wrote in to give the following advice: Watch for old record cabinets. They're often of a convenient size and can be reworked to house modern media components.

Not our usual go to for electronics gear, but we noticed that Urban Outfitters has a bunch of tech gear on sale. Including the Ion Portable PA System above marked down to $219 from 300.

Did anyone notice Netflix's breakdown in service yesterday? Apparently the site was down for most of the day due to technical difficulties yet to be described. Strangely enough, we were just remarking in our home last night that our next movie seemed to be taking longer than usual.

We've uncovered lots of ways to make your own version of the ubiquitous charging box, but this one stood out as a cheap and easy to create solution.