Chaps, History and Types

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Chaps (pronounced “shaps” and short for chaparajos) were originated as a protective garment worn by cowboys in brushy areas. There are many reasons for the use of chaps from decorative to practical. This study will include the origin as well as the practical uses of chaps.

Chaps originated in Spain and Mexico. The first known use of them was for riders to wear when working cattle. They were two large pieces of cowhide that were used to form a protective shield over both the riders legs as well as the horse’s chest. Hooking onto the saddles horn, they served both purposes well, but were bulky and hard to work with; therefore chaps were conceived.

Batwings – Originally the most prevalent type of chaps were batwings. These chaps were mostly just an outer layer of leather, usually with three clasps to hold them on the leg. One clasp was near the top of the leg, one behind the knee and one around mid calf.

You will see batwings in most early westerns and western art. Frederick Remington and Charles Russell probably never heard of shotgun chaps which are more common today. Batwing chaps could keep a cowboy’s legs safe from brambles and brush, but they weren’t a lot of help keeping the legs warm in cold weather.

Batwings mostly gave way to shotgun chaps in the mid 20th century; however batwings are still popular today among rodeo cowboys for the decorative value as well as the fact that they flop around so much during a ride that they can help show good spurring traits.

Shotgun – Shotgun chaps tend to be more fitted to the individual than batwings. They are formed from leather, usually with a zipper to zip up and encase each leg, as if in armor. Shotguns can be used to keep warm in cold weather as well as protection from thorns and brush.

Both kinds of chaps are also useful in a branding corral protecting against all kinds of dangers such as vaccination needles and hot branding irons.

Chinks (short for chinkaderos) – Chinks came along in the latter part of the 20th century and have grown quite popular, although there are still pockets of holdouts here and there. Chinks have been called “cowboy shorts” by some individuals who don’t want to change, but they are quite practical for the working cowboy.

Usually made in a similar fashion to shotguns, chinks are simply cut off around knee to mid-calf level, and have fringe around the outer edge. Much more comfortable in warm weather, chinks, like batwings and shotguns, serve a purpose in the cowboy life style. Since most cowboys wear boots that come up near the knee, chinks protect the area above the boot.

Chaps are also useful for other reasons. Leather chaps stick to a leather saddle or a bareback horse better than do fabric trousers and help the rider stay in the saddle.

Akon Freedom – A New Chapter

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Akon, or Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, has over the last few years taken the step up among the really big stars. He has cooperated with some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Eminem, Gwen Stefani and Chamillinaire. In 2004 Akon released his first album “Trouble.” The album got a lot of attention from its leading single, “Lonely”, which became a huge hit all over the world. “Lonely” actually reached the top spot in the charts in UK, Germany and Australia. The album itself also reached number one in the UK.

His next album, “Konvicted”, was released in 2006. “Konvicted” included cooperation with Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Styles P. The first single from the album was “Smack That.” The single, which included Eminem, was an instant success, and peaked at #2 in the Billboard top 100 singles chart. His second single from “Konvicted”, “I want to love you”, became Akon’s first #1 hit on the Billboard chart. With Snoop Dogg included on the track, they topped the U.S. charts for two weeks. “Konvicted” itself debuted at #2 on the Billboard top 200 album chart, with 285,000 sales in the first week. The single “Smack That” still holds the record for the biggest leap in the Billboard list, with its jump from 95th to 7th place.

With these two huge successes, Akon has gone from a virtually unknown to one of the brightest stars on the music heaven. His third album “Freedom” is right around the corner, being released on December 2. In several interviews, Akon has said that “Freedom” will include tracks that has a more “Euro-club scene” style than his previous releases. Judging from the success he has had with cooperating with other artists with other styles, this will surely be something you should not miss. Two singles has already been released from the album, “Right now” and “I’m so paid”. “Right Now” made an impact on the charts right from the get-go, and if we can expect some more of those easy-listened pop tracks in the same style, Akon’s Freedom will surely be a hit.

Oscar Dela Renta – Famous Dominican Fashion Designer

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Born on July 22, 1932 in city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Oscar de la Renta is one of the leading fashion designers in the world.

Born as Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo, de la Renta is a son of a Puerto Rican father and Dominican mother. When he turned 18, he moved to Spain to continue his studies. He attended the Academy of San Fernando in the city of Madrid and studied painting. He then developed his passion for fashion designing and started making sketches for famous fashion houses in Spain. This paved way to his apprenticeship to Cristóbal Balenciaga, considered as the most popular Spanish couturier. When De la Renta moved to Paris, he worked for Antonio Castillo as his couture assistant.

In 1963, torn between choosing a job as a designer for Elizabeth Arden or designing ready-to-wear clothes, shoes, and accessories for Christian Dior in New York City, he seek the advice of the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine Diana Vreeland. With his goal of creating his own label to make money, Vreeland advised de la Renta to work for Elizabeth Arden instead for the reason that it is with Arden that he could build up his reputation in the fashion industry faster; since Arden is not a designer hence she would be promoting de la Renta’s work. Diana Vreeland added that if he chose to work for Dior, he would always remain a shadow to Dior’s name.

Hence, in 1963, de la Renta started working for Elizabeth Arden in New York City. Two years after, he created his own ready-to-wear label. Over the years, he won numerous awards including CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award (1990) and CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year (2000). At preset, Oscar is considered as one of the beast and lading fashion designer in the world.

Social Classified Ad Marketing With Facebook Marketplace – 3 Methods Revealed

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With your business fan page up and running on Facebook you will be ready to do business. You might have even launched ads to watch those who “like” your page grow. Even putting social plugins to work from your website you likely saw an increase in traffic and conversions. With these strategies in place you might have asked yourself, how can I get more? How can I tap into millions of more prospects online? Can Facebook give me more people interested in my business without going broke?

If you were just to focus on Facebook Advertising it might seem hard to keep your business growing. They are awesome, they will convert into cash, but for some businesses it can seem like too much risk to spend $2,000+ a month (or even $20,000) on just ads. Instead of focusing your efforts on just ads, or hoping for people to find your page, tap into the Marketplace of Facebook.

The Marketplace is Facebook’s classified ad section. While there may be half a billion+ people on Facebook, less than 10% are currently using the classified ad section. Most people seem to still prefer going to Craigslist. Facebook is trying to change habits and is giving you an opportunity to share with your friends and fans special opportunities.

To help you tap into a few million more prospects, we invite you to consider the following with Facebook Marketplace.

  1. GoPro – While many marketing methods with Social Networking are free, there are costs to other items. When you use the “Pro” version of Marketplace (powered by Oodle) you get the opportunity to connect your classified ads to your fan page. This allows you to quickly share new offerings with those connect to your fan page.
  2. Headlines – With people being exposed to more and more media it is getting tougher to get the attention of people. Snap them out of just browsing and call them to action by creating a power-packed headline. Let people know how they can save time and money when they take time to look at your ad.
  3. Keep a schedule – 1 ad on marketplace just won’t cut it. Even the basic “pro” service allows you 10 listings a month. Give yourself maximum opportunity by using all 10. As you get responses, consider launching more ads, even 1-3 a day. Most importantly be consistent with your ads to give yourself the best possible opportunity.

With Facebook Marketplace giving you the opportunity to market everything from cars to services there is a huge amount of opportunity. Getting your fans involved on what they want to see more of from your business will help you to capitalize on this powerful platform for your business.

Discover innovative Facebook Marketing methods with our free 5 day course today.

How To Zero A Rifle Scope

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You’ve just got yourself a new rifle scope, fitted it and let me guess…for some reason your shots are landing nowhere near the crosshairs?

Sadly there’s more to rifle scope sharp shooting than just plonking the scope on the rifle and forever after shooting like an SAS sniper! You have to “zero” it.

Think about it. It’s like a bike wheel. If you tighten the bolts wrong, too much on one side for example, it spins wrong and rubs the brake pads. It’s the same with a Rifle scope. If it’s not set up correctly it will be offline and even at short air rifle, airsoft and paintball ranges this is going to throw your accuracy right off. At longer ranges you’ll miss by a mile (well figuratively anyway!)

What Does “Zero a scope” mean?

Zeroing a sight or scope means getting the crosshair in position so that when you shoot. Ground zero if you like. The point of impact.There’s a lot of discussion amongst shooters on the best way to zero a scope or sight. What I’ve written below is what I’ve been sending out to my eBay scope buyers for the last year or so and received a lot of good comments back about it so I know it’s OK!

How to Zero a Rifle Scope

First of all you need to set a firm foundation by fitting the scope mounts well.

  1. Put the scope mounts on the rifle first with the top brackets removed.
  2. Tighten them into place using 1/2 turns at the time so that they sit solid and level as best as is possible, i.e., the downward pressure is as equal as possible. At this stage don’t tighten them fully as you might want to slide them up and down a little.
  3. Now take scope and place it on top of the open rifle mounts.
    • Make sure the windage and elevation turrets are one up and one to the right (these are the “turrets” on the sight. You use them later to make micro adjustments and in the field adjustments for wind)
  4. Then put the top mount brackets on and tighten – Again use partial turns to tighten up.
    • Don’t tighten fully at this stage, you may yet need to adjust a little.

Zero the scope

  1. Lie in your normal shooting position and check that you can see through the scope well…
    • The distance between your eye and the rear scope lens is called Eye Relief.
    • Unlike cartoons you do not use a scope by pressing your eye up against the scope lens!
  2. Once comfortable complete the screwing down of all mounts so that your set up is solid –
    • take care at this stage to keep the final turns partial and one by one to ensure pressure is equal.

Now it’s time to zero the scope for shooting:

  1. Load the rifle
  2. Adopt your standard prone/lie down shooting position.
    • Prone is the best way as if you test shoot from standing or kneeling positions you waver more and it’s harder to do a “true test”.
  3. Put some sort of target in place at say 20 yards – or whatever you think your “standard” range will be.
  4. Using cross hair on target centre – Take 2-3 shots – Where do do they fall in relation to where you want them to? Right, left, up, down – dead on (lucky you!)
  • 2-3 shots is best as it will average out shooter inaccuracy and give you a more “significant” feel for how far or close you are from true zero.

Now it’s time to use the windage and elevation turrets to get it zeroed dead on. These are the 2 turrets on the top and right side of the scope. See my website for pictures.

  1. Models vary, you’ll probably screw a cap off and expose either a coin twist or finger knurled type of dial.
  2. The top turret adjusts up and down. The right one left and right.
  3. If you have your scopes instructions they should have a table with figures to tell you what each click adjustment means in terms of cross hair movement at “x” distance, e.g., 1/8 inch at 100 metres.

Use single click turns and each time take a new shot to gauge where the shot now falls – the dials basically adjust the cross hair position up-down and left-right.

It’s trial and error basically but with testing you’ll get to where you need to be and be able to trust that your shots will go where it says they will! This may take some time and a lot of shots. Be patient!

Music Books – The Best Books That Teach You How To Play The Piano

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No matter how many instruments are introduced in the market, along with the technologically improved and played ones; there are a few instruments that you can never forget and one of such instruments is piano. Although the keyboard has replaced the sound of the original instrument, one can never forget the peaceful and soothing tune of this black and white beauty. Hence, there are still many families that send their children to piano classes in order to keep the music alive in them. If you talk about the benefits of learning to play piano, there are many; however, all of them focus on two main advantages – peace of mind and a decrease in the feeling of loneliness.

Although people take up different courses to get a hand in playing piano, there are many books that help you learn this wonderful instrument right at your home. Following are the three books that teach how to play piano and have been voted as the best ones by those who have used them:

“Alfred’s teach yourself to play piano”:

Alfred is one of the largest educational music publishers in the world and hence the customers have an already existing trust with whatever is published under the name. Starting from the basic lessons to a little advanced ones; this book has lots of pictures that help you learn to play the mind soothing instrument just the way one should. To add to the visual help, it comes with a DVD that teaches you lessons on how to use your fingers on the piano to play your favorite songs, as you sing along.

“How to play the piano – Everything you need to know to play the piano”

Trust us, although the book’s name is long, it teaches you the basics of this instrument within a few minutes. Of course, you need patience and time in order to be a perfect beginner in playing the instrument. But every single basic detail is mentioned in the best possible way, so that it’s really easy for you to understand the steps and start seeing progress as soon as possible.

The Classic Piano Course Book:

This is not just a book; it has been titled as a “tutor book” by all those who have taken its help to learn their favorite instrument. It starts with an introduction to the instrument, pitching of notes, key signatures and takes the learner to a world of other important aspects that the pianist must be aware of.

A student who has the zeal to give his 100% to learn something, can learn whatever he wishes, even without someone to teach him. However, he grabs the knowledge in a much better, easier and quicker way if there is a proper guide to help him. This is why these 3 best piano learning books may come in handy when you decide to start learning how to play the piano. Of course, the help and guidance of someone with experience in playing the piano would be a great bonus, but as long as you give your best and remain consistent and motivated, you will soon see progress in playing the piano.

An Overview of Fashion in the 1970’s

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Fashions in the 1970s were far more relaxed than those in the 1960s before, many emerging design showed signs of nostalgia with designers taking influence from previous decades. Laura Ashley was noted as being heavily influenced by Edwardian style dresses and prints. Barbara Hulanicki’s Biba label produced a 20s/30s influenced look with long cotton skirts, long sleeved shirts or smock and a floppy brimmed hat. The use of 30s inspired colourings, the two tone black and cream or brown and cream, could be seen in shoes and ‘office work wear’ styles.

By looking back the fashion designers were still continuing the new fashion trends for the new ideas, ideologies and social freedoms that were sought for both men and women.

Distinct fashion styles for certain youth groups became apparent again through this decade in the attempt of identification of the differing subcultures. Several mainstream trends came and went such as the glam fashion (David Bowie inspired) and disco fashion. (John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever 1977) The hippie/ethnic fashion trends of flared jeans, tie die shirts, peasant blouses, hair-bands and sandals continued from the sixties. More influence from other cultures became incorporated as social awareness of social and environmental issues increased.

In the early seventies the short skirts and ‘hot pants’ launched by Mary Quant in the 60s were still very popular, dresses however were available for all in three established lengths, the mini (as the mini skirt), the midi (calf length) and the maxi (ankles). Long flowing ‘boho’ skirts and the inspired hippie styles were very popular.

Footwear started to become more exotic with the platform shoes that appeared in the early seventies, their huge soles of several inches thickness for mainly women and some men! Health warnings accompanied this fashion about potential damage to your back, however you do not hear many people saying they injured their back in the 70s wearing platform shoes although my mother blames a pair of winkle pickers for her bunions.

Men’s clothing continued on the brighter flamboyant note from the previous decade. Flared denim jeans, once a symbol of manual work and now a fashion statement, along with a cheesecloth shirt is perhaps the most common image associated with men from the 70s. However the glitter, heels, bright colours and disco-wear was available for all genders as the trends passed through.

Lapels on all shirts and jackets grew in size and the kipper tie appeared to be necessary for the smarter male outfit. Longer hair and beards were considered very fashionable for men, the hippie and psychedelic influences were still in the fashion statements although the pop music had started to move on.

By the end of the seventies it was socially acceptable for most people to wear jeans and mostly flared jeans at that. Printed T-shirts became very popular in this decade along with trainers and canvas shoes. The inspiration and ideals behind the hippie styles from the late 60s were not as apparent in society but the fashions stayed.

Then Punk Fashion emerged onto the scene with the original Punk band, The Sex Pistols. The legendary Vivien Westwood was the partner of The Sex Pistols’ promoter, Malcolm McLaren, and is credited with creating the original Punk look.

This look was based around black leather, ripped denim and slogans on T-shirts intended to provoke and insult people who thought along what was considered mainstream ideals. The punk message was ‘destroy’. This destruction was of anything considered as mainstream good taste. Spiked hair dyed bright colours and second hand clothes ripped to shreds to demonstrate a rejection of the accepted fashions and ideals. The punk trend continued well into the 1980s.

5 Reasons Why Phone Cards Haven’t Died

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With the introduction of new technologies into the market more and more people wonder why is it that these so-called outdated calling cards have not yet died? Why is it that there is still a healthy demand for calling cards and why hasn’t voice over IP or any of these new technologies taken over this sector of the market?

Land lines have been around ever since we can recall and the new kid in town (voice over IP) was supposed to take over a great share of the market due to its low cost however we haven’t seen any aggressive takeover or a sharp decrease in phone card sales, there are many reasons for their resilience of phone cards, the top five are:

A well branded product

Overcoming a well branded products such as calling cards can be a very difficult task even for a revolutionary technologies such as voice over IP because people are arrayed used to the way phone cards and land lines work and at the same time they know what to expect from the product, we can say same thing about VOIP.

The familiarity of the market with a product

People of all ages have grown accustomed to the way phone cards work; they know that after buying a card they will be giving a phone number and a pin which they will have to enter before they make the call. If we were to ask a person to explain to us how voice over IP works or what the advantages of this new technology are we would not get a straight answer because of the fact that the market is not familiarize with the way such technology operates.

Low cost

If you were given the choice as far as selecting between a monthly payment plan of say $20 a month or a one-time payment of five dollars for every time you wanted to make an international call, which one would you choose? Exactly, those people will choose the lower payment because they just don’t want to get tied up on a monthly payment plan or a contract and given the fact that most people use calling cards every once in a while a monthly payment plan doesn’t make much sense.

No contract

This is by far one of the most important reasons why calling cards have not yet disappeared, people don’t like to be tied up in a contract especially nowadays when the economy to be on a slippery slope. A contract usually calls for a credit inquiry and depending on the results of such inquiry additional fees may be charged and “fee” is just another word that puts people off.

Can be purchased at stores or over the web

Calling cards have for the most part been available for purchase at retail stores and gas stations nationwide and for the past decade they have also been available online which makes it that much easier and faster to make phone calls.

Review of the Pocket Guard Discount Mini Stun Gun

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Do you feel safe when you walk to your car at night? Do you feel there is somebody stalking you when you are jogging? If so, we have the perfect self defense tool for you especially if you are a woman. There is a technology to help prevent crime from happening to you.

Introducing the small and compact Pocket Guard 8504 stun gun. This stun gun is very easy to carry in the hand. But do not be fooled by its tiny size. This machine definitely packs a wallop. At 65,000 V, you can wield this machine against your assailant and watch him drop to the floor instantaneously.

This unit measures 4″ x 2-1/8″ x 1″. It contains a black plastic housing and operates on a 9 V alkaline or Nickel-Cadmium battery. This little rascal weighs only 3.5 oz. On the back side of the item, there is a screwed-on metal clip which is used to carry your Pocket Guard stun gun on your belt or the inside opening of your purse. This provides easy access in the event that you need it at the most appropriate time. That means there is no fumbling around the bottom of your purse before you draw out your self defense tool. It is ready for action.

If you are looking for efficacy but do not want to pay an exorbitant price, then the Pocket Guard stun gun is for you. Ladies like the effectiveness of this unit and enjoy the cheap, discounted price. Even though it does not carry any extra bells and whistles such as an alarm or a flashlight, many women find that this particular model will do the job for them. Ladies feel they have peace of mind.

Personal safety is always a concern on the minds of many women today. With this product, you can rest assured that you are getting what you pay for.

The physiological effects of the Pocket Guard stun gun are as follows:

  • Shocking the attacker for ½ to 1 second will startle him and give him some pain and muscle contraction.
  • For 1 to 3 seconds, he will experience muscle spasms and mental confusion.
  • For 3 to 6 seconds, he will experience loss of balance and voluntary muscle control along with absolute mental confusion and disorientation.

Always keep stun guns away from children since these are not toys but rather self defense tools. Always check your batteries to ensure that you have a fully charged unit that is ready for use whenever you leave your house or your job.

Remember that your safety always comes first.

8 Amazing Gadgets You Really Must Have

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A slump in economic climate inevitably inspires a whole new level of creativity from an assembly of competent entrepreneurs, leading to profitable economic times and booming businesses. It is part of a natural cycle. The superiority of automation and technology that exists on the globe today has freed us from the bonds of putting all our efforts into basic survival. We have time on our hands for expanding our mental horizons and according to the marketplace, far more disposable income than ever before. As technology moves forward in quantum leaps and bounds it unceasingly delivers us gadgets and toys that improve our quality of life and give us plenty of entertainment value. Here are some of the most interesting gadgets (some not quite on the market yet) you will want to have the moment you know they exist…

Electronic Grocery Tags

This is a gadget for shopping soon to be available that will potentially speed up the amount of time you spend a checkout counter at the grocery store. It’s a radio frequency identification tag for groceries being developed by researchers from two universities – South Korea’s Sunchon National University and Houston’s Rice University. The tag incorporates semiconducting ink containing carbon nanotubes for printing electronics on plastic and paper that will emit a radio frequency. A frequency detector at the checkout instantly detects everything in your cart so you get to walk out with your cart in seconds flat, especially if you remembered to bring your own “green” canvas shopping bags and pack your items at your car. This is the same technology currently being used with passports that allow travelers to instantly pass through airport security check points. If you don’t like the idea of your food broadcasting inside your pantry, the radio waves can be blocked by covering the tags with aluminum foil.

LED Light Cake Tray

Ever suffered through the embarrassment of baking a perfectly scrumptious, triple-layer chocolate cake for your dinner guests but totally botch it when you try to slice the correct number of pieces? This gadget for bakers is your savior. It’s a 12-inch cake tray with LED lights that show you exactly where to make the slice. After pressing the power button it gives you the option of 2 to 12 slices. (FYI – do the math; the lucky people using the 2-slice option get a 6-inch piece of cake.) This amazing tray includes a spinning feature that helps guide your hand while topping it with icing. It also plays a chipper rendition of “Happy Birthday” if you are a person unwilling to sing out loud in public. The cake tray is sold through Amazon for about $40 US.

Fish School

Pet lovers understand the feeling of degradation that happens when someone uncouthly accuses them of having stupid goldfish. Now you can prove them wrong and keep them quiet forever. The Fish School is a training gadget for goldfish, guppies and other small species that teaches them to do rather impressive tricks. Based on a trial and reward method you will soon have your fish swimming through hoops, playing football and eating out of your hand. It comes with an excellent instruction DVD and detailed written instructions. You could have guessed it’s available at “iwantoneofthose.com” for £24.99.

Flexible Solar Panels

Admit it – you would not mind getting more exercise and fresh air but the thought of being outdoors long enough to run out of charge on your cell phone or laptop computer weighs more heavily on your mind than the extra pounds you need to lose. There is a solution! Flexible or foldable solar panels were created for people that like to hike, backpack, fish or sail the open waters but cannot live without their portable electronic devices. The panels can roll or fold up into a tight, neat package and easily tossed into a bag or a backpack. They are made for rugged use and come with lengthy extension cords and attachments for easily charging 12V batteries. This is enough juice to run your electronics and laptops. “Flexsolarcells.com” sells them through eBay and Amazon anywhere from $80 to $3,000 US.

Heineken Bot

While this is no replacement for a live barmaid, the Heineken Bot does have appeal for bar patrons even if they don’t drink Heineken. The robot, designed by the super techies at Middlesex University, drifts around the bar top on sturdy wheels waiting to serve those in need. It cheerfully dispenses a full cup of lager to the patron that waves his/her hands above it head. A sonar sensing device on the droid lets it know it has a customer. It is not currently sold to individual consumers, but you can contact your Heineken distributor if you are a bar owner.

Touch Screen Skin

Touch screen computer fanatics will be thrilled to know research has taken the “touch” concept to a whole new level. Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft’s Redmond research lab have teamed up and are working on a prototype system dubbed “Skinput” that uses your skin as the screen and input device. A micro-sized pico projector (used in handheld devices) embedded in an armband projects images on the user’s hand or forearm. When the user taps on an image the device acoustically determines which icon has been touched and activates it. In effect your own body becomes your computer screen. The technology is still in early stages of development.

Ultimate Lounge Chair

The ability to relax after a long, hard day at the office has become the focus of entrepreneurs attempting to grab a portion of the ever-growing basket of disposable income. Hammacher Schlemmer does it best. It manufactures the Vibroacoustic Relaxation Lounger that cannot be beat, even if you feel like you have been. It sends low frequency sound vibrations through the lounge chair’s mattress for soothing the mind and body. It comes with headphones that play calming music or any music of your choice through a CD or MP3 player. The soft foam cushion contours to your body, surrounding you in total comfort. It sells for just under $2,000 US.

USB Coffee Warmer

Here is a gadget that will make you very happy if you have a laptop computer and drink hot beverages. That would be most of us right? It is a “plug & play” USB powered coffee warmer that keeps your coffee, tea or hot cocoa steaming. There is no driver required for this nifty little gadget; simply plug it into a convenient USB port on your laptop and away you go. On the flip side, if you prefer chilled beverages there are refrigeration models available that keep your drink cold. Either model is usually available through Amazon or eBay for around $10 unless they are out. It is one of those things you just “have to have.”