Thursday, July 31, 2008

Small Space Mobile Phone Charger Solution: Driinn

the-phone-holder 350


First off, let me say that yes I’ve been away for a bit this summer, but I promise there will be loads of new and exciting Small Space Living stuff soon.

Now, how many of you charge you mobile phones in silly places. I charge mine on the floor — really the floor. My wife is charging her phone in the pantry as I write this. There really should be a simple, no-nonsense solution to this problem. Well here it is — the Driinn. At under six bucks, it may be the cheapest and most reasonable idea so far. I have covered charging stations in the past that come with heavy price tags, but this little piece of plastic wraps this problem up nicely.

The Driinn simply hangs between the wall socket and the charging adapter with a space to wrap the cord and a sloped shelf to support the phone. There is real science in this little gadget — the simplest answer is often the correct answer.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Small Space Milk: Not Just For Squares

milk-squared


I remember a few years back reading about how the Japanese grow watermelons inside acrylic cubes in order to produce square watermelons. These square watermelons then fit nicely into fridge compartments. This new square case-less milk container reminds me of that.

Apparently Sam’s Club is stocking these new milk containers that more efficiently use space both in your fridge and in the truck on the way to the store. It is really an innovative idea. It seems to me that the milk crate really should be extinct by now — they are a tremendous waste of plastic. I don’t know how they have survived the endless poaching by college students in search of cheep bookshelves, but they have.

The new container design will translate to a savings of 10 to 20 cents vs. the old school jug. The savings are a result of being able to fit 384 more gallons into a standard truckload. With gasoline prices soaring, the cost of transporting goods has a significant impact on a products bottom-line price.

I love innovation the saves space, money and the environment — cheers Sam’s Club.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Small Space OS for Less: Ubuntu

ubuntu


So I’ve been off Windows for several years now — I have a Mac. I am not going to spend time telling you to pitch your PC and buy a Mac, although I do love mine. It just works; there are seldom issues of any sort with my Powerbook. I do have one issue with Apple — cost.

The prices of Apple computers are somewhat over the top. At the time I am writing this, the cheapest laptop you can get from Apple is a grand. If you actually want a laptop with a video card, the lowest price point is two thousand bucks. These prices are double to comparable Windows machines.

Vista is just bad and Macs are too expensive, but there is a dark horse in this race, Linux. Linux has been quietly improving over the last several years and now looks more like a viable contender for some serious desk to market share.

In the last several weeks I have noticed at least two magazines at local bookstores enticing computer users to switch to Linux. Specifically to Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon.” Ubuntu is a highly polished, not just for hackers, flavor of Linux. It is by far one of the easiest installs out there. It’s free and there is a wealth of free and ever-improving apps out there.

One of the coolest features is the ability to install it alongside other operating systems without damaging the other. It’s a great way to safely test the free software movement water.

Small Space Satellite Dish: Squish

squish


I don’t watch much TV; in fact I have not had cable for my entire adult life. I guess I’m sometimes left out of the “did you see X on Y show last night?” conversations but I somehow manage to soldier on.

One think that I really despise about the boob tube are those darn satellite dishes. In a historic neighborhood like mine I can think of nothing more ridiculous than “The Dish” hanging allover historic buildings. I have long thought there has to be some stealth version of these things.

Well its here The Squish is a slick alternative to the standard ugly dish. It’s a slick little satellite dish disguised with a custom sticker to blend in with your structure. It is one of those things that has me saying once again, could no one really think of this sooner? It is a great way lessening the visual impact of urban dish gardens everywhere.

Via Crib Candy.