One of the big drawbacks to having a laptop is the lack of a continuous power source to keep your machine running for hours and hours. Despite the improved technology in laptop battery life, our portable machines are still only able to push out maybe 3-5 hours of battery on a charge, which is a good amount, but too often it is not enough. Well, if you to suffer from this problem, there might be a solution: the HyperMac External Macbook Power source. Coming in 4 different models, this compact power source is the size of an external hard drive (the smallest model) and can power your laptop for an extra 9-13 hours (smallest model) or up to 32 hours (the largest model). These guys come at a heavy price tag though, $199 for the small model and up to $499 for the largest. I guess this is worth it for some people, and I am seriously thinking about the small model for my own use. I don’t need 32 hours of backup power, but an extra 10 would be pretty nice!

This weekend I finally bought the Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger! I found it on sale at Circuit City for $20.99 down from the usually $24.99 so I thought I should get it while it was on the cheap. I have been scoping this out for a while because not only is it a mini portable surge protector, it also includes 2 USB outlets and a USB to Mini USB cable for charging devices. I don’t have a wall charger for my iPods, so this is perfect for me! Plus it covers up to $75,000 in damages if it is defective, which is pretty spectacular. I have been using it for the past few days and I, of course, love it. There is not much more to say other than it has a 360 degree rotating head that comes in handy. Oh, but one small flaw that I discovered– when I tried to charge my iPod and my cell phone via the USB ports, the charge flow was interrupted and kept cutting in and out. I haven’t tried to charge two things simultaneously again, but if it keeps happening that is a major flaw because there is no reason to have two USB ports if it doesn’t actually charge two things at once. Other than that, I love the fact that it is a portable surge protector that also acts as a charger for my USB devices especially my iPods.

{This has been reposted from blackalligator.blogspot.com}

I know that Moleskine notebooks are part of the analog word and might seem to have no place on this technology blog, but this is a horse of a different color! This customized “Geekster Moleskine” as it is called by its creator, is actually an 80 GB external hard drive casing. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love the look and feel of a Moleskine notebook, so this hard drive speaks to my personal interests very much and I have to say, I sorta want one! I know I have more external hard drives than I need right now, but what is one more? This Moleskine hack was created using a laptop  hard drive, something I do happen to have an extra of, so perhaps I might be able to create my own custom Moleskine drive using the directions written up by the creator of this hack! Hmm, this is totally moving the wheels inside my mind! You can take a look at more pictures of the project here, and see the work in progress here. Enjoy!

If you have ever owned a Macbook, or if you currently own one, you know that the Macbook battery doesn’t last very long. I know laptop batteries in general are short lived, and in most cases, the Macbook’s battery is said to last from about 1 1/2 years to 2 years. Well, I have had mine for over two years now, and this is my first replacement battery, so I think I did well. Apple sells a replacement battery for $129, which is probably a small price to pay depending on how often you use your laptop wireless, but I really didn’t want to spend $129, so I do what I always do, shop around. I found alternate Mac product dealers that sold a new battery for less, bringing the price down to about $115 or even $100.

Then, I decided to check eBay for deals, and there I hit the jackpot. EBay is notorious for great deals, and I always try to find a great buy it now price. My goal initially was to find a battery for under $100, and I got more than I expected. While I was searching the Internet for new batteries, I completely forgot about the option to buy refurbished, which I know can be tricky with things like batteries, but if you find a good deal, you can get a great product for a low price, and that is exactly what I found. I found a refurbished Macbook battery for $44 plus free shipping.

Now, when I say refurbished, basically, the casing of this battery is used, you can tell, it looks used like my old battery, but the metal inside and underneath the white plastic is brand new. It appears to be a completely new cell. On top of that, I charged it up and tested it out- while I am connected to wifi, with multiple programs running (Safari pages, Mail, Calendar, Aim) I am getting 3.5 hours on a full charge! That is a tremendous amount of time for online usage! My old battery didn’t last 5 minutes on a web page before I replaced it, so 3.5 hours for $44 is a jackpot for me. Now, I didn’t check to see what the offline time was for the battery, but I am assuming it is something like 5-6 hours if I disconnect from the Internet. So this is basically a new battery in old battery clothing! A fabulous deal I would say!

{This has been reposted from blackalligator.blogspot.com}

With all the thought we put into insuring the safety and security of our digital devices through cases, covers and secure lock boxes, I think too often we forget some other important security measures we should be taking with our tech– cleaning and disinfecting! I mean, how often do you disinfect your frequently used devices with antibacterial cleaners? Well, in case you are someone who does so infrequently, I have made up a sort of how- to guide for cleaning your everyday tech devices so that you keep them clean and bacterial free, securing your health from your favorite toys!

iPod Earbuds

I think ipods might be one of the most popular tech toys on the market today, but I bet there are few of us who take the time to disinfect those iconic white ear buds of ours. You know, those little guys go from our bags, to our ears, to our pockets, back to our ears, to a friends ear and then settle again in a dark pocket or bag, collecting dirt, dust and bacteria and then allowing it to multiply- yuk! So, it is very important that we keep those things clean for our own sake- I mean, hello, they go in our ears!! Luckily, cleaning ear buds is super easy. Just use a q-tip dipped in hydrogen peroxide or alcohol and rub all over the little guys until you are sure you have sufficiently covered them with enough liquid to kill the germs, but not so much that you’re going to cause them damage. Definitely don’t dip your ear buds into any liquid or use any of those antibacterial gels to clean them! Make sure to dry off any excess liquid with a napkin or tissue, and viola- clean ear buds!

Mouse

As someone who owns an Apple Mighty Mouse, I know how important it is to keep your peripherals clean in order for them to function properly. For those of you know do not understand this reference, what I am suggesting is that the Mighty Mouse, because of the small rubber scrolling ball in the center, frequently stops working because it essentially becomes clogged with dirt and debris. So, basically, I am used to cleaning my mouse from time to time, as we all must, however, do we just clean off the visible dirt or do we take the time to disinfect. Luckily, cleaning a mouse is a bit easier than cleaning a delicate piece of tech such as ear buds. Basically, you can do one of two things to disinfect your mouse; 1) spray it with a disinfectant such as Lysol or 2) use a disinfectant wipe or soapy paper towel to wipe it clean. Because mice are usually made of thick plastic, rubber, or metal they can hold up to a bit more moisture, so you don’t need to worry about liquid seeping into small crevices and causing electrical issues with your device, which is particularly useful because we put our dirty hands all over those mice day in and day out!

Keyboard

Our computer keyboards are another piece of tech that we have our hands on A LOT! I think everyone has heard the horrible and disgusting facts about how much bacteria is on the human hands daily and we are just constantly moving that bacteria to our keyboards. Now, keyboards are another piece of tech that I would deem a little too delicate for copious amounts of disinfecting liquids or sprays, but a disinfecting wipe should be just enough moisture to clean the keys and keyboard area without causing drainage into the innards of the device. Keyboards are one of those things that can really be ruined by too much liquid, but a little can go a long way in terms of cleaning and removing bacteria without causing circuit board issues or eroding electrical parts!

{This has been reposted from blackalligator.blogspot.com}

I am definitely one of those people who is always the last to know about everything, so it comes as no surprise that I just discovered a new amazing solution to the problem of my apple earbuds always hanging off my desk while plugged into my mac. So, basically, there is a magnet inside the earbuds and inside the screen of my macbook, and when you put them together, they stick! No more hanging earbuds that tangle up, or worse, risk the wrath of my curious puppy! I know this might be a minor solution for anyone with the same problem, but I hope this helps. I have even included a picture for your viewing pleasure!

Oh, and by the way, this doesn’t mess anything up on either your earbuds or your macbook. I made sure to look into that with a mac genius buddy of mine!

{This has been reposted from blackalligator.blogspot.com}