Awesome Products Reviewed

Macro Express

2007-08-23T01:35:00.000-07:00

So as a big reader of the NY Times online and a huge fan of David Pogue, I try to check out at least some of the products that he reviews on his blog or videos. Today's product is Macro Express for PC. You can find it at www.macroexpress.com. As David Pogue describes it, it is a product that simplifies your computer experience.
I decided to give this one a try. Download from the site was very fast and I was up-and-running in no time. You even get a free 30 day trial. You can also purchase the program for $39.95. I decided to give it a test ride for 30 days.
Once I opened the program, I was totally hooked. It's incredibly simple to use and really does make your life a lot easier on the computer. Mundane tasks such as opening Internet Explorer to look at my Google Mail account are simplified to a shocking "Alt-G" command. Entering my workouts for my coach to see at Workout Log also get simplified to "Alt-W".
Then there are the other features such as "Ctrl-Shift-S" which is a command I created for shutting down my computer with one simple command. No more going to the start menu!!!
Here's some other cool macros I created:
- Maximize/Minimize Window
- Quit program
- Start various other programs
- Insert my name automatically (so cool for emails and documents)
- Insert today's date automatically
I know there is hotkeys already built into Windows to do some of these functions but it's still so much fun to create your own hotkeys and this program makes it super easy.
Probably the coolest part of this program is the Quick Wizards option that has pre-defined macros which you can customize for your own use. This really simplifies the whole way of creating the macros.
Of course, there is also the option to record your own macro which comes in really hand for more advanced macros such as opening a program and inserting a frequently used template or starting Powerpoint and automatically opening a particular slide master.
Anyway, a big thumbs up to David Pogue for highlighting this awesome program and of course to the team that created Macro Express. I highly recommend this one.

NAU Quintessenshell Jacket

2007-07-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

So I playing around online I found a company called Nau. Their website is www.nau.com and it is one of the coolest companies on the planet. All the clothes that they make are environmentally friendly which is totally amazing. They also give 5% of the amount you spend back to a charity of your choice from a pre-selected list which is available in the stores and also online.

Anyway, since I was in Chicago today, I decided to stop by the store and get some clothes. I have been trying to find a new rain jacket for a while so I wanted to give Nau a try. Living in South Florida, the only way to order the clothes is to go online. Lucky for me Nau has a store in Chicago, where I travel very frequently. They also have stores in Boulder, Colorado, Bellevue, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

So onto the jacket. To start with, the jacket comes with some heavy credentials. It was won the 2007 Killer Value Award from Outside Magazine. That's a pretty cool distinction coming from the leading outdoor magazine. That's all great but what is it really like. Well that's where I come in. I tried it on and instantly loved it. It's got a cool stretchy feel and fits amazing. There are two outside pockets and one internal pocket that fits your wallet and ipod. There is also an internal routing for your headphones. The bottom of the jacket also has the ability to be more fitting with some adjustments although I really like the fit without changing anything. The only slight negative for me was that you can't tuck the hood away or take it off. I will say however that in the day of playing with it, the hood did not get in the way once. The zipper feels really durable and is hidden away by a two button flap. Although I have not tried it in the rain, I think it will do pretty well. The material is very light, feels durable and is pretty breathable. I can't wait to try it out in the Florida rains or Chicago. On top of the cool material and the features, the jacket also looks really good. It goes well with jeans and also over a shirt and pants on the way to the office.

By the way, the staff in the Nau Chicago store was extremely helpful and very friendly so I would highly recommend a visit. It's in Lincoln Park at 2118 North Halstead.

One other thing. If you have time, check out their awesome blog at blog.nau.com. It's really awesome!!!

If anyone gets the jacket, please let me know what you think.

Reviews Previewed

2007-07-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Through this blog, I hope to review and give some insight into some of my favorite products and services. These products and services are not only super cool but are also extremely useful. Most of the products that I am writing about are things that I bought but I'm sure there will some products that I mix in that are on my wish list.

Hopefully anyone who reads this will find it useful.