BusinessPro

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Is your home office an energy hog? Curb its diet. Companies are coming out with various products designed to curtain consumable use and energy consumption in the small office.

Consider HP's latest offerings. Its HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One ($299) offers versatility to print, copy, scan and fax. In addition to producing lab-quality photos, laser-quality documents and vivid color graphics, this device also features a duplexing automatic document feeder that allows users to print on both sides of the paper - conserving paper and saving money. Connect to a PC or notebook computer using multiple connectivity options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet, allowing consumers to print from virtually anywhere in the home from multiple computers.Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Earth Day is about more than conserving the world's precious and declining resources. It's also about preserving resources in the home office or small business -- which, in turn, can help conserve the world's precious and declining resources.

It's not enough just to turn off lights and wear light clothes in summer and slippers in winter. You need to do more than close your window blinds to better insulate the home office (and home), or turn off fans when you're NOT in a room.

By buying and using simple tech devices, you can save resources for the long-term. Amid the current economic recession and flourishing energy conservation movement, home and business owners and lessees alike are looking to cut costs and conserve power. At www.ChiefHomeOfficer.com, we practice responsible home officing year-round. It's smart, and helps me look my kids in the eyes when I consider our shared future.

"One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to save is through technology," notes Paul Holstein, COO of CableOrganizer.com – an online storefront offering a wide selection of energy management solutions.

Examples? How about...Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

What are you willing to pay for peace of mind? How would you value real peace of mind in the first place?

To me, that measure — at least in the realm of my home office — comes from knowing my data has been backed up and it’s safe and secure from maladies and calamities, both seen and unfathomable.

Such security used to arrive each time I stashed my latest files on my Maxtor 250 gig hard drive. I received a new measure of peace of mind from HP’s Upline back-up service. And it’s a good feeling indeed. Read more

By Jeff Zbar
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

When the PC in my home office was slammed by a nasty virus recently, I luckily had a laptop ready to go.

The problem was, I didn’t have a place to set it that was conducive to work. On my custom-built desk, it would be flat, awkwardly angled, and very much un-ergonomic. The best ergonomic home office furniture aside, my orthopedist, chiropractor and ergonomist would have been thoroughly miffed and scolded me endlessly – though still pleased with the largesse of my increased office visits.

So I had this Aidata Basic Laptop Swivel Stand. Priced around $43 and build of sturdy plastic, it was a perfect complement to my workstation.

A laptop or secondary computer is almost a necessity in the computer-driven workplace. If the desktop or even a primary laptop goes down, you need another handy. But few users contemplate the implications of where to place such a device. With the Aidata, I gave my notebook / laptop a more comfortable and ergonomically-thoughtful place from which for me to work. Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

“Where are my freakin’ keys?!…

“Would someone please call my cell phone so I can find it?”

“Where’s my stinkin’ earbud?”

“My wallet. What’d you do with my wallet?!”

And it’s only Monday.

Sound familiar?

So much stuff, so few homes for it. If I could recoup a fraction of the time I spend looking for lost stuff, I could spend it looking for other stuff I’d invariably lose in the interim.

But now, there’s organization salvation. There’s a home office productivity solution. There’s The Sanctuary, actually.

This power charging station from BlueLounge Designs (about $120 online) creates a very stylish repository for all your power-hungry tech gear. This of it as home office furniture for your stuff. Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

So I’ve downloaded Chrome, Google’s new Web browser. It’s in beta, meaning it’s out for public use but not as functional today as they expect it to be in the future.

Some features I’d like to see in short order, for example, would be the “Highlighter” tool, that highlights a searched term in a long document. And I was wondering — until a few moments ago — why when I went to download the Google Toolbar, the site didn’t list Chrome as a browser it supported.

Then it dawned on me: Chrome is a browser and a search engine. And that simplified functionality is part of the beauty of this new application. Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Hitting the road? Probably have your wireless phone, iPod or MP3 player, GPS devices, even a DVD player for the kids.

But one perennial problem persists: So many plugs, so few ports. Most cars have only one cigarette lighter / power port / DC plug (vans and SUVs might have several more). And splitters and adapters are so cumbersome.

So if you need to charge the phone, and the kids want to watch a flick, to achieve détente, you appease. Or as Bill Cosby once said, “Parents don’t want justice. Parents want quiet.” Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.homeofficehighway.com

Are you a power broker? You have your laptop and broadband wireless card that provide access to the connected world. You may even have a back-up laptop battery in case your first does during the middle of a major project or especially thoughtful missive.

But what about the power that empowers you? Whether you’re in an RV or a hotel room, the stuff we use — our laptops, portable printers, iPods and cell phones — invariably require more power than some measly little two-plug wall outlet will provide.

So, power up. Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.homeofficehighway.com

When I first saw the RV we’d be driving for Home Office Highway, I wondered how I’d make the most of what was by all accounts a miniature space.

Some concepts and practices fell right into place — like using the Mobile Office Workmate or keeping clutter to a minimum. And some were learned, and depended upon the tools we had on hand.Read more

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

On any given day, millions of netizens can be found sitting at a cyber cafe, coffee shop or other locale featuring public wi-fi, sipping coffee and tapping away on laptops. Wireless broadband keeps them surfing the Internet, but could someone be “sniffing” around their laptops – or using their connections to the public network to tap into their hard drives? Could they be planting a virus or stealing data? Internet lounges, cyber cafés and hotspots that offer wireless networking for laptop users can be great for those who work remotely. But hackers and cyber criminals have learned how to exploit user’s bad online habits. They’ll lurk on the network to “sniff” e-mails hunting for passwords, log-on pass codes and other data being sent electronically.

They’ll send pop-ups that tempt users to click to open – and thereby possibly launching a malicious attack. Hackers have even created an “Evil Twin,” or a realistic yet fake wireless networks that lures users to sign up with their credit card and other personal information. Once invaded, hackers can look at the hard drive, steal data, or install a Trojan designed to execute any number of functions – often without the owner even knowing. Read more