Techlife is all about the fusion of technology and life. Let’s jump right to meat this month with our feature story: Recharge Your Batteries.

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Into Tech? Into Life? We share that passion. Tell us! Ask us! Techlife is waiting to hear your voice. Hit me via email at: techlife [ at ] dkworldwide [dot] com. Do you subscribe to the RSS feed for Techlife? Visit the TechLife weblog where all you need to do is point and click.

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Are your corporate batteries running on empty? Looking to make a long lasting change in your organization? Let me help you. As a marketing and technology proven “venture strategist” I want to meet businesses and organizations that are looking for a way to break out, all it takes is an invitation. Contact me, it’s easy: techlife [at] dkworldwide [dot] com.

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As we manage the rising costs of business and energy I am reminded of a story, so sit back and enjoy Techlife’s tale of power.

The typical company rolls along putting out daily fires, and not giving employees the true time to make work a better experience. Most of you readers will skim over that last sentence just as easily. Let me repeat it, as it bears repeating. The typical company rolls along putting out daily fires, and not giving employees the true time to make work a better experience. Ah, you get it now? You think this is going to be another column about taking time to breathe, but you are wrong.

As we all coast along in work and life I want to share a small tale with you. Many years ago I learned of a new site, Woot, a site that sells one item a day. One day they were selling “Random Crap” (yes Woot faithful, this pre-dates Bags of Crap), so I took a gamble for $.03 and ended up with a variety of, you guessed it, “Random Crap.”

One item was an Auto Starter - Car Battery Charger. While reading up on this I learned that inside, this device was powered by AA alkaline rechargeable batteries. Hmm, interesting I thought. I could use some AA batteries, so I used a hammer carefully opened the case and found a small pot of gold.

Gleaming up at me were Pure Energy’s AA gold rechargeable alkaline batteries. And in typical story fashion our hero doesn’t really recognize the true power of his finding. I began using them and they were great, long lasting batteries. Of course, I forgot one thing. They were rechargeable and I didn’t own a charger.

Research online showed most chargers worked for various other types of rechargeable batteries, except alkaline. Then I found Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools, article about the Battery Xtender for recharging alkalines. A bit more research led me to the Rayovac Universal Battery Charger.

I still use the batteries and the charger today nearly 4 years later. The batteries are long lasting like regular alkalines and the charger works for some other non-alkaline rechargeable batteries I now own. I decided to look for a few more Pure Energy batteries and found they have updated their technology, to the new Pure Energy XL Alkaline, which have:

…longer charge retention (up to 7-year storage life), higher battery capacity (rated at 2000 mAh), and overall up to 80% more service life (up to 500 cycles) compared to the original gold line.

My company has saved hundreds of dollars on batteries. I enjoy the power and durability of an alkaline battery and the eco-friendly ability re-charge again and again. Going green is easy! A happy ending to our tale.

So how does this relate to our statement: The typical company rolls along putting out daily fires, and not giving employees the true time to make work a better experience. As a consulting firm we often see valuable ideas employees have that are just not getting the attention they deserve. Our own cost-saving approach resulted in stepping away from the “fires” and being given the freedom to think, research and act.

We encourage you this July to think about Independence Day, truly as a day to provide co-workers the chance to make a positive independent change. And if you need a little kickstart, let us know.

How have you made a difference? Tell us in the comments.

Techlife brings a special feature to our readers, Techlife Illustrated. We have put together a visual tutorial for installing Google Gears. I deem Google Gears, the company’s trojan horse, because it is the gift to us the users, that strikes at the underbelly of Microsoft. It provides Google a platform for working with a user who is offline, say on an airplane. They re-sync when they are back in range. This gives them a real foothold on the desktop market.

I can easily see Picasa, Google Desktop and a few other products being folded under Google Gears as time goes on and Google’s strategy become more focused. For now learn how to get Google Gears working for you and your work.

Got that next big thing? Have a new feature? A intriguing story? Tell us! Techlife wants to know. Hit me via email at: techlife [ at ] dkworldwide [dot] com. Do you subscribe to the RSS feed for Techlife? Visit the TechLife weblog where all you need to do is point and click.

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“HELP!! I am not sure even where to start?  My company could really use some assistance.” Let me help you. As a marketing and technology proven “venture strategist” I want to meet businesses and organizations that are looking for a way to break out, all it takes is an invitation. Contact me, it’s easy: techlife [at] dkworldwide [dot] com.

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This past month has been all about looking at things from a new perspective. Techlife loves seeing the world through new eyes and we started with a new take on an old favorite, getting free money, from Centsports and then we added Alan Becker’s break out animations. Our extremely popular column last month was about the One Laptop Per Child project, and this month we interviewed Wayan Vota a volunteer who is providing in-depth coverage on the project as an observer with a lot to say.

All of these new views on the world culminated in our piece on a street artist. Techlife covered how this unique artist is pushing the bounds of art, perspective and urban living while challenging all of us to think way outside any boxes or conventions. Just the kind of things we love here. Prepare to change your vantage point.

Need a fresh perspective? Looking to increase sales? Not sure how to make it happen? Techlife can do a lot. Just ask us. Hit me via email at: techlife [ at ] dkworldwide [dot] com. Do you subscribe to the RSS feed for Techlife? Visit the TechLife weblog where all you need to do is point and click.

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“Ok your article intrigued me, but now what? My company could use something, but I don’t know what it is.” Let me help you. As a marketing and technology proven “venture strategist” I want to meet businesses and organizations that are looking for a way to break out, all it takes is an invitation. Contact me, it’s easy: techlife [at] dkworldwide [dot] com.

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In Techlife’s day job we advise clients to, “Get a fresh perspective, take a unique look at things.” Most of the time clients ask us for help in this effort. After all, it isn’t easy to achieve a fresh perspective, but when you do, LOOK OUT! because the effect can be startling and eye-opening.

We love that feeling. When the world turns over on itself. It is exciting to realize things can be different with just a shift in perspective.

For a few years, an artist in London, known as Slinkachu has been providing a fresh perspective on life, by placing his art all over the city without permission and then photographing it. Interesting you say, but how does that provide a fresh perspective? View the following pieces and then keep reading and see how your perspective changes.

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While writing a recent article, on the OLPC XO Laptop, one of the all time most popular articles on Techlife, we got to meet Wayan Vota the founder of OLPC News. Wayan’s a strong, independent voice in the community of OLPC and the XO Laptop. He was featured on 60 Minutes for his work. (see 7:06 mark on Techlife TV for Wayan) I appreciated his grasp of both technology and non-profits and how the two mesh, so we sat down with him to learn more about what makes Wayan tick (tick, tick.) (unabashed 60 Minute pun for the OLPCNews readers who know me.)

Lesley Stahl discusses the 60 Minutes piece on the OLPC on Techlife TV.

Techlife: Wayan Vota. Interesting name, what are the origins?

Wayan Vota: Born on Bali to hippie folks. Got a local name in the process.

TL: Why did you start OLPC News?

WV: In the summer of 2006 I noticed there was much hype around OLPC, but little thoughtful analysis of its proposed methods and assumed impacts. I wanted to explore the details of OLPC’s implementation plan - how it expected to actually get laptops in the hands of children worldwide - in public form of open commentary and discussion. With ~5,000 daily readers, over a dozen writers, and too many contributors to count, I feel that OLPC News is successful beyond my wildest dreams.

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Three of the biggest areas in tech are Gaming, Mobile and Computing. This past month tackled this three ring circus in Techlife’s online blog. We covered a Nintendo Wii tip for the gamers, Techlife TV had video preview of Google’s Android mobile phone operating system and finally we took a diversion to a special kind of computing. If you haven’t visited, check out Techlife online.

At Techlife we often advise clients that giving back to the community is not just good PR. It can really impact employees and your business in many ways. I personally have a variety of organizations that I donate my time towards and the rewards truly are amazing. A recent story once again reinforced it pays to do good. It’s called karma people.

Stuck on a problem?  Looking to reduce costs? Not sure how to make them happen? Techlife can do a lot. Just ask us. Hit me via email at: techlife [ at ] dkworldwide [dot] com. Do you subscribe to the RSS feed for Techlife? Visit the TechLife weblog where all you need to do is point and click.

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Is your company looking for that kickstart?  How can you excite customers?  The next big idea? Looking for something easy? Let me help you. As a marketing and technology proven “venture strategist” I want to meet businesses and organizations that are looking for a way to break out, all it takes is an invitation. Contact me, it’s easy: techlife [at] dkworldwide [dot] com.

(part of the syndicated print column’s writing process exposed to online readers)