Content Consumption
Are you interested in the Japanese toilet craze? Yes, really there is a craze. Today’s digital universe has created global interest in reading and following the developments the Japanese have regarding their bathroom experiences.

Do you sell iPod socks? Yes that’s right, socks. The digital storefront has allowed the smallest micro-entrepreneur to launch a line of iPod Socks, basically a hand knit iPod case.

Do you know someone uprooted by Hurricane Katrina? Okay maybe not. The uprooting of life, by powerful forces of nature is seemingly more commonplace. You are likely to know someone displaced by a job, family or schooling. Interestingly, staying in touch has never been easier.

Do you like to comment on the local, state, national or worldwide politics? Before you say no, ever thought about how high your taxes are? Commentary on politics has always been reserved for those that have an own audience; the digital universe has made the audience one click away.

So what do these four seemingly unconnected topics have in common? They are all Blogs.

More after the jump. (more…)

The recent explosion of email to techlife [at] dkworldwide dot com has been great. Thank you. I try to answer all the emails I get, and some are just interesting enough to get published.

Food for Katrina

Dear TechLife,
My son recently inquired about how to make the donated canned food for the Katrina victims taste good. I tried to explain that canned food is non-perishable, which was promptly replied to with, “you mean non-edible?” I decided to look online for good recipes to cook for him and there were a lot of sites, but I couldn’t find exactly what I needed. Any suggestions?
Hungrily yours,
Katie D.

More after the jump (more…)

School is in session. Please pay attention; there will be a pop quiz! Does buying online scare you? It shouldn’t. There are few keys to making the experience simple, painless and cost effective.

Quick Shopping Tips from Shopping dot 101

• Use Amazon.com Customer Reviews
• Pay attention to shipping prices
• Froogle’s learning curve is worth it
• Look carefully at smaller vendors
• Email vendors before and after the sale

Search and re-Search
I was recently buying some gifts. A friend of mine had told me about the “space pen”, with gas-pressurized ink allowing writing upside down. It takes its name from the fact that all NASA and Russian space missions have taken the pen with them to outer space. Clever aren’t they?

Visiting Amazon.com, I typed in “space pen”. I got back a cool looking bullet pen, by Fisher Space Pens for $19.00. The reviews all gave the pen 5 stars. Great! I clicked to add it to my shopping cart. Amazon often offers free shipping, but this product did not meet the requirements.

Looking closer I saw, the actual vendor was not Amazon but The Writer’s Edge, hence no offer for free shipping. Not to worry, I trust Amazon to vet their vendors for excellent customer service and quality. Simple, right? Maybe…
Click here for more. (more…)

Techlife has some very smart readers. We get letters all the time from readers who ask technical questions, “how to” questions, and even the occasional praise for the column. Thank you to everyone. Nothing brightens my day more than getting email from people I have never met. (Though there are those pesky ex-kings around the world who insist my current career could be greatly enhanced by sharing in their millions.)

1 – A Reader’s Letter
So was it was nice to see this email:

The letter and answer after the jump. (more…)

This is it! The middle of the decade! July 2005 is the exact halfway point between January 2000 and December 2010. Remember back towards the end of 1999? You were going to change your life, learn new things and overall life would be different. So where are you in “Life’s To-Do-List”? Still looking to add a few more “checks” to completed items?

Techlife would like to share a few helpers in the quest…

Keep reading after the jump. (more…)