The leather writing journal is a fun return to the old cowboy style journals. The book is hand-made with acid-free pages (to better preserve what is written).

It’s not a regular book binding, but is stitched. The side flap opens up and can been secured by wrapping the leather strap around the journal.

Amazon has entered the game with their Video on Demand program. Visitors can select from videos within the On Demand library and rent or buy the movie.

One benefit of the Amazon Video on Demand is that the first 2 minutes are free to watch. With this benefit, you can start watching a movie, and if you find out in the first 2 minutes that it’s going to be a dud, you’re not out anything.

Videos can be watched without an Internet connection by using the free Unbox program. If you start watching a video, you can stop and come back where you left off. Another nice feature is that you can watch from different computers. If you’re going on a trip, you don’t have to download the whole movie before leaving, just log in when you reach your destination to watch.

You can connect you video stream to your Tivo or from your computer to your TV.

Most notebook stands don’t have a protective measure designed to keep the laptop from falling to the side, front or back.  This stand does.  The stand has no fans to keep your laptop cool, but in our tests, because the laptop is elevated fairly high, and because of the curvature of the stand, the stand helps keep the laptop cool.

An external keyboard is a must with this stand.  Because the stand has a USB hub, a computer mouse, keyboard, and other low-power accessories can be connected to the hub and thus to the notebook.

The OVO digital photo frame comes with a stand so it can stand upright on a desk.  It’s battery is rechargeable and is charged when connected to your computer.

The photo album comes with a slip case, USB cable, software, and instructions.

A great device deserves a great protective yet stylish case. The iPod Touch Leather Case by LLG helps to enhance the look of the Apple iPod Touch.

Silicon cases tend to pick up lots of dust and lint especially if you put your iPod in your pocket. Hard-shelled cases tend to obscure the beauty of the Touch. Cases that have a protective” screen that covers the iPod are usually hard to remove and can leave a residue on the device.

The LLG iPod Case really does a great job of protecting the Apple iPod while keeping it classy.

There are a lot of “interesting” digital photo key chains out there, but one trumps them all.  The MX Digital Photo Keychain has a metal backing similar to the ipod (very nice looking). It can store around 100 (re-sized) pictures.

The software is included in the photo frame and works through your computer’s USB port. It also has a calendar and clock features.

Also available in white:

A great case combination for the Sansa Fuze. Rising quickly in popularity, the Sansa Fuze is finding its way into homes across the world, but so far, there are not that many accessories for the mp3 player as many manufacturers focus on the Apple iPod. Fortunately, a few good accessories are out there.

The Sansa Fuze Case kit contains an armband for running/jogging, a hard-shell protective case for travel, and a leather-like sleeve for every day use protection.

We tested the Fuze in the case. It fits quite snug but still works great. The “hard-shell” case helps to protect the player if you toss it in your bag when on the go.

The sleeve works with the armband, so you can take it off the armband and still use the protective sleeve and also cuts down on space and material used.

The armband fits the device well, and because the Fuze is small, the armband and the Fuze together don’t feel like they weigh all that much on your arm. A video iPod on the other hand (or arm as the case may be) is more bulky and heavy to go jogging with compared to the Fuze (just FYI, the Sansa Fuze has an FM tuner in it so you can listen to the radio while you’re out and about).

See the case at: Sansa 3 in 1 Fuze Kit (Armband, Travel Case, & Leather-Grained Protective Glove)

Randy’s focus on achieving childhood dreams is a great premise for the book and should inspire all of us to (1) identify or reacquaint ourselves with our childhood dreams and (2) live to achieve those dreams.

It is very interesting to compare Randy’s philosophy and his approach to the time remaining in his life to the philosophy and approach of someone in a very similar situation but very different background.

A few years ago, I read Chasing Daylight by Gene O’Kelly. Gene was CEO of one of the largest companies in the world when he was diagnosed with his terminal disease (and still at a relatively young age) that would claim his life soon after the diagnosis.

Comparing the philosophy these two men (Gene and Randy) took in approaching the time they knew they had left was very insightful.

Randy comes from the world of academia, very logical, with attention very much centered on the teacher/professor who lectures in front students. Gene’s background was in business, more specifically, the corporate world and had achieved top leadership in KPMG on of the leading accounting firms in the world.

Randy’s approach focused heavily on leaving a legacy for others and for his children. Much of his book describes preparing for his last lecture and the content that was covered in his lecture.

Gene, among other things, decided to have a “Perfect Moment” (a moment of conversation, reflection, or parting) with each of his friends and family. A “Perfect Moment” was different for each, and usually was something simple. He identified his outer circle of friends and wrote notes or had telephone calls. With close friends, he went for a walk with them or had longer, deeper conversations with them. With family, he planned special outing with each member.

Each of us would most likely take our own unique approach if in their situation. Gene, spending a career building business relationships (including playing a lot of golf) chose to bring a certain type of closure to many of his relationships. Randy chose to leave a legacy using the medium he had come to love (teaching/lecturing). Each approach appropriate to its creator.

Both books are a great read and cause one to reflect on life and how well we are living it.

Holsters and sling bags have become quite popular as a means to carry your SLR camera with just the bare necessities.

As I searched for a bag, I wanted to find one that would protect my camera. There are a lot of very small bags out there that don’t offer a lot of padding and protection. I decided to go with the Tamrac 5766 Velocity 6x Compact Sling Pack.

The bag is small enough to be comfortable to wear. and easy to take with you to sporting events, on a hike, or to family events. The camera I use is the Nikon D60 which is more compact than other DSLR cameras, so check how your camera compares to the D60 in size. If the body of your camera is ridiculously big, it might not fit in the bag very well. The D60 I have had room to spare in the bag.

The bag can be slung across your chest and worn at the side of your hip or cinched up as sling/backpack.

The Tamrac bag is well designed and a great fit if you’re looking for a small bag that will hold your SLR.

Easy to use Presets - This is a camera for beginners, but pack enough punch for the pros. What’s great about the Nikon D60 is that it has presets for taking different types of pictures. Portraits, sports pictures, pictures of children (who won’t stay still very long for example), vistas, night shots, auto select, and more. You’ll learn about aperture and shutter speed and many more photo terms in time, but until then you can make use of the quick setting dial to select what type of photo situation you’re in.

If you want a camera that is easy to use from the get go (compared to other DSLRS, this is it). However, the camera has enough power behind it that a professional photographer could use it and still tweak the settings. So this is a camera that will grow with you so-to-speak.

Solid Construction - The camera feels like it’s heavy duty. It’s got a solid construction and doesn’t feel at all like the look-alike cameras made all of plastic.

Lenses - The 18-55mm lens is great for taking everyday pictures. The 55-200 lens is fantastic for zooming in on a subject; however, the lens is heavier and thus it’s harder to hold the camera still. You might want to look into a tripod or monopod to help hold the camera steady when using larger lenses or using slower shutter speeds.

I went to an NBA playoff game and sat 3rd row from the very top in the arena. Using a 200mm lens that came as part of the kit, I was able to zoom in and take some great photos (when my pictures are not so amateurish, perhaps I’ll post some).

Using the 55-200mm lens we snapped a picture of the moon. The black sky is cropped from the original, but you can see lots of detail on the moon.

Fuzzy Backgrounds - By far, the best thing I enjoy about using this camera is the ability to take a picture / portrait of someone and have the background be fuzzy thus creating a sharpness around the subject. Now you can do so with other less expensive cameras, but wanting to take great photos, I wanted a great, not just a good, camera.

Vibration Reduction - The D60 kit has Vibration Reduction (VR) built into the lenses and not into the camera body itself. From the Nikon material I read, this is supposed to be better than having the VR in the camera body.

SD Memory Card Types - I tried a slow speed SD Memory and a Class 6, 8 Gigabyte SDHC Memory card and it appeared that both took the ~3 pictures per second at the same rate. From what I’ve read, the D60 has a buffer that will capture the pictures and then transfer them to the card.

So you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest SD memory card, however, when you transfer pictures from the card to your computer, the fast the card, the faster the transfer will be. I did notice that transferring pictures to my computer was A LOT faster using the SDHC Class 6 card.

The Kit - I’m glad I got the D60 with the two lenses. The 18-55mm lens is great, but if I really need to zoom in, the 55-200mm does the job very well. Add a bag to your purchase. You don’t want to get a great camera only to go cheap on a bag that won’t protect your investment. Standard with each D60 is a neck strap. Use it so you don’t drop your camera. With all the peripherals, set a budget for yourself.

Accessories - Once you purchase your camera, you’ll find yourself headed back to purchase additional accessories that make using the camera even more fun. You can find the accessories online for very good prices.

One accessory that fits many Nikon SLR cameras (and yes, it does work for the D60) is the Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control. The remote lets you operate the shutter release without touching the camera. This is a great tool if you are taking pictures with a slow shutter speed or are taking a picture of a group, and you’re in the group. You don’t have to set the timer, run back to the group, have the picture taken, then go back and do it again because no one was looking. You can just hit the button on the remote and the shutter will release.

Where - The D60 is for sale on Amazon (with training DVD’s) at the following link: Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor Lens with 2 Nikon School DVD