A Home For Your Phone

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Two things often are at a premium in the busy home office and bustling home: Space, and the ability to find stuff. Think about it, you come home from work, or the kids get home from school, and keys and cell phones are tossed about with abandon. Where they land, nobody knows (or cares, usually). But rest assured, the search will turn frantic next time you head out. And the phone likely will be squeaking by on one power cell. The Cell Phone Charging Station from KangaRoom is an ideal solution…

In fact, for some, it could be one of those “Where have you been all my life” remedies you wish you’d found earlier. Available in two-“pod” and four-pod models, the Charging Station has pods or slots for phones – or iPods, or cameras or whatever you need to place in there. The four-pod has a sizeable, removable 10×2-inch tray on top into which you can put keys, pens or any small items.

But the cool part is the power station itself. Here’s how it works. Place a power strip behind or inside the Station (some power strips might be too large for the otherwise cavernous 10-inch-wide compartment beneath the tray; in that case, a three- or six-plug MonsterPower Outlet To Go or a smaller PowerSquid may fit perfectly in the compartment). This way, only one power cable feeds out to a plug. And the rest can be tucked into the station, wrapped neatly with Velcro cable wraps. When the phone or other device is not in its pod, all that shows is the charging cord.

The pods have varying widths, making for creative charging. My Casio digital camera or PureDigital Flip Video fit comfortably in one. BlackBerry Pearl has its pod, as does my daughter’s Razor, and my wife’s itty-bitty Samsung clamshell cell phone. The two-pod unit comes with slots for holding mail, cards or important papers. It even includes plastic-covered sleeves to put preprinted labels denoting whose pod is whose. This isn’t some vanity thing about “owning” your pod; each power cable emerging from within the station obviously is unique to the phone or device. Tags foster recall.

Available in faux leather and four colors, it’s a functional and sharp addition to the home office, kitchen, dorm or office. And you’ll never need to look for your cell phone, keys or wallet again. Hopefully…

Since the '80s, Jeff Zbar has been a writer, speaker and spokesman on all facets of working from home and entrepreneurship. His columns and blogs have appeared via Entrepreneur, Success Magazine, Home Office Computing and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and he has been a small business expert on national television and radio. Learn more at www.chiefhomeofficer.com.