I'm always on the lookout for gadgets or other doodads that make life easier. My wife, in fact, accurately insists that if they made fitness in pill, I'd ingest it daily.
Call it laziness. Call it multitasking. Hey, call it whatever you want. But in this busy life we lead, I'm always on the lookout for an extra edge.
Here are a few items that I've come across recently, only one of which I own. Chime in with your own recommendations using the Talkback feature below.
Casio Men's Technoware TV/Cable Remote Control Watch: This gadget is especially funny, since the remote control was once the ultimate couch potato utensil. You'll never whine again about having to find your remote with this fairly ugly watch -- you can't lose what's always strapped to your wrist. A mere $50 on Amazon.com, and no, I don't own it.
Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap: Showering is pretty time intensive, but you've gotta do it. The time spent brewing coffee, drinking it, then cleaning the coffee maker is also precious minutes you could be doing something else, like Tweeting. Why not cut the middleman and scrub yourself clean with caffeinated soap? Yes, it's for real. No, I don't own it. But I might buy it.
Easy Laces: Tying one's shoes is such a pain. Not only do you have to tie them, you frequently have to retie them. And that doesn't even begin to describe the grueling task of untying shoes. Designed for triathlon runners in a hurry, Easy Laces cinch up your shoes in a hurry, then stay that way until you unlock them. For $5.45, they're much more practical and unobtrusive looking than Velcro Kangaroos. I don't own them, but I plan on buy them for my running shoes.
Roomba iRobot: As I've previously blogged, I wholeheartedly support buying a vacuum cleaning robot. Vacuuming is one repetitive task that is perfectly suited to artificial intelligence, and I'm happy to let my robot do my dirty work. Bonus (I think): you can actually install Linux onto your Roomba, though I have no idea why you would want to do that. Yes, I own one.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
