I know nothing about this product other than that I saw someone carry one out of my local hardware store this morning and was immediately fascinated. I tracked it down online and learned it is the Cosco Super Fold 3-Step. It is a standard step ladder that, in a very non-standard and clever way, folds into a cylinder for storage (check out the link, it has a graphic showing it in action). As the owner of a city condo, every square inch of space is valuable, making this the perfect item for hiding in the back of a coat closet for those occasional times when I need to reach something near the ceiling. What an excellent piece of industrial design. Surprisingly, this ladder is on sale right now at Target for $34.99; I can find it other places for over $100.

Finding flexible and durable computer furniture can be a challenge. Many places -- from Ikea to Target -- sell computer desks and hutches... and some of them even look fairly nice. But put a heavy CPU or old CRT monitor on them and the ubiquitous particle board will start to sag pretty quickly. Metal shelving is an (ugly) option but the ergonomics are usually terrible. The best company I've found for housing computer equipment while preserving aesthetics is Anthrocart. Many of their products are modular and adjustable, all of them are extremely durable, and they offer models designed to look nice in a home office where the emphasis really is on "home". I've had a computer desk and a printer cart I've used as a rolling TV stand for going on ten years now and they seem to be indestructible. There are two remarkable things about Anthrocart, the first is their packaging. Really, I'd never seen 2-inch thick cardboard before in my life. The second is their customer service. The people there are impossibly nice and are willing to spend plenty of time with you to figure out what primary pieces and accessories you need to put together your ideal system.

I've already had one request for suggestions on digital cameras for the holidays so I'm going to write up a few of my thoughts and recommendations here. To make things simpler since there are scores of models out there, I'm going to divide things into 3 categories: point-and-shoot, mid-range, and pro-sumer.

Before I look at a few individual models, I want to cover some general principles that apply to all types of digital cameras. The first is the heavily-touted number of megapixels. This value is simply the number of pixels across an image (photographed at maximum resolution) multiplied by the number of pixels down. It used to be that the megapixel count was a critical factor in selecting a camera; these days megapixels are cheap and the quality of the digital processing that takes place when the photo is taken often has more impact on the end result than anything else. As a rule of thumb, 4.0 or more megapixels will do wonderfully for everyday use. I have 8x10 prints on my wall from a 4 MP camera that look great.

When it comes to zoom, immediately ignore the so-called "digital zoom." All that does is enlarge the image already in the camera, reducing the resolution and compromising the quality of any prints you make. In fact, when you get your camera, the first thing you should do is turn off the digital zoom. Optical zoom is a much more important matter since the ability to get closer to distant subjects always comes in handy. In general, try to get a camera with the highest optical zoom number you can find.

In buying a memory card, get the largest you can afford, even if you don't think you will take that many pictures. With high resolution cameras, these cards fill up faster than you might expect.

There are two primary types of digital camera makers: traditional camera companies and traditional computer companies. Since chips and lenses play equally vital roles producing a digital image, there are good arguments in either direction about which might be the better choice. At this point, I think it is probably best simply to follow the reviews and ignore the brand name as long as it seems trustworthy. That said, I personally have a bit of a bias toward the camera companies -- I think they tend to put better optics in their products.

Finally, the single most critical thing in a digital camera is usability. A spectacular device is worthless if you don't know how to use it. If you are technologically hopeless and know that you will never touch a product manual, then don't waste money on a sophisticated camera; most point-and-shoot models take decent pictures and even a low-resolution shot is infinitely better than none at all.

Reviews
There are many places to get good camera reviews, here are three of my favorites:
- Take Control of Buying a Digital Camera - an excellent ebook (see my other post on this series) that will tell you everything you need to know about buying a camera. This $10 book is on sale for $5 through December 26th, 2005. You will definitely recoup your expense in what you save through this ebook's hints and recommendations.
- Digital Photography Review - more detail than you can even hope to digest.
- CNet - Lots of quick, useful reviews.

Stores
Be a little careful when shopping for unbelievable camera deals... they occasionally are too good to be true. Four stores I can recommend, having purchased digital equipment from all of them, are:
- B&H - Their product descriptions are the most thorough I have found.
- Adorama
- J&R
- Amazon

Point and Shoot Cameras
In this category, small size is a premium. You want a camera small and light enough that you can put it in your jacket pocket or purse and forget about it until you need it. The charm of a compact camera is its ability to be there for candid and unexpected moments. And without film to worry about, you can take lots and lots of photos without concerning yourself with the expense of developing them.

I think the ELPH line from Canon is great. They are tiny and tough with good image quality and a friendly user interface. The SD300, for instance, is a nice simple device with just about no manual controls--you just point it at your subject and take the picture. You should be able to find it for $200 to $250 online but look at the other cameras in the SD line for both cheaper and more expensive models.

Mid-Range
These digital cameras are for those people who want point-and-shoot ease along with the capability to get more creative occasionally: manually focus or adjust the exposure, take macro (extreme close-up) shots, etc. They are always somewhat bigger and heavier than the point-and-shoot models so be sure the extra features are worth the greater bulk.
I'm going to be a Canon snob here and recommend another camera from that company. The Canon S2 IS is the highly-anticipated follow-up to the impressive S1 and it doesn't seem to disappoint. This is a remarkably full-featured camera with some really advanced options. Most impressive, perhaps, is its stunning 12x optical zoom!! I also like that the screen swivels, allowing you to fold it backwards into the body so it doesn't get scratched in a bag. See the article at Digital Photography Review for an in-depth look. Note that this camera doesn't come with batteries so budget for that extra expense on top of the $350 to $450 price you should be able to find during holiday sales.

Pro-sumer
This awkward term refers to cameras with many of the features professional photographers require but at a lower price point, generally slightly below $1000 for a camera with a lens or two. Pro-sumer these days means a digital SLR: something that looks and acts like the 35mm film cameras from 10 years ago. I'm not going to pick a single model here since much of the decision is personal preference, familiarity with a company's products, and/or owning a set of existing lenses (several of these models will accept lenses from their film camera counterparts). Two camera that have made big news this year for resolution, quality, and enormous feature sets never before available for under $1000 are the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. These are both excellent cameras. If you are really getting serious about your photography, save your pennies, do your research, and pick one of these. However, make sure to try them both out in person to see which works best for you; since there are scores of lenses available for these models, this purchase can end up being a long-term investment.

The single best idea I've seen in publishing lately is the Take Control Ebook series. These are small books focused on very specific technology topics, carefully edited for clarity, and available in downloadable, PDF format. They are designed to read equally well as printouts or -- easier on the forests out there -- on a computer screen. Perhaps the best feature of all, and as far as I know unique, is that the authors keep updating these books as new information comes out and you are provided with free updates in the same way that software is updated. There is a large button on the first page of the PDF which, when clicked, will check over the internet to see if an updated version is available. If so, you can download the latest edition in a few minutes without having to pay anything extra. Not that these books are expensive -- quite the contrary. Most cost in the $5 to $10 range depending on length while special prices for bundles of related volumes can often bring the cost down even more.

The topics in the Take Control series are primarily, but not exclusively concerned with the Macintosh (the publishers are famous in Mac circles for starting the weekly newsletter TidBITS in 1990 and running it continuously since then). The standards for writing and content are extremely high and the regular updates allow the ebooks to be very topical while remaining current. One thing the authors and editors do well is keep the language appropriate to the books' target audiences; that means an introductory book wont leave a new user behind. All in all, these ebooks are an impressive bargain.

In thinking about holiday gifts for oneself and others, a great idea is a good set of headphones. They don't need to be very expensive to sound much better than those that come with most portable music players, including the iPod. Those "mug-me-white" earbuds aren't horrible, but you can do much better for only about $15 at online retailers like Amazon. A set of Sennheiser MX-500 earbuds sounds far clearer and more life-like than Apple's offerings and many people think they fit their ears better, too. They also have a little volume slider on the cord which I've found comes in handy when riding DC's Metro where environmental noise comes and goes quickly (the 450's come without the slider, if you don't like that feature). Sennheiser now sells these in white in case you just can't live without the status symbol.

For listening where size is not a concern, the Grado SR-60 and SR-80 are justifiably famous in audiophile circles for their high-quality sound and low price. I've been using the SR-60s while at work for the past 2 years and they are just exceptional. The range is amazing -- the bass is clear and balanced -- and the sound never gets tiring, even after several hours of listening. I always used to save new music I wanted to hear in great detail for my home stereo; no longer, now I bring it to work where I can hear it with the Grados. The best part is the cost: around $70. Considering what some hi-fi headphones sell for, that is amazing. I recommend using the softer ear pads or, even better, getting the donut-shaped ones that feel a little more comfortable and slightly improve the highs. Unlike many larger headphones, the Grado SR-60s require no separate amplifier meaning you can plug them directly into your iPod if you so choose. A word of advice, keep the headphones out of the sun when not using them: the foam padding will degrade.

For the ultimate in personal listening, many people select In-Ear-Monitors. These tiny buds fit deep inside your ear and seal out other sound. Brands like Etymotic and Ultimate Ears set the standard for accurate sound reproduction (many professional musicians use them on stage) but prices can range from $100 to $1000. And they go way inside your ear.

For research and purchasing, I've never found a better site than HeadRoom at <www.headphone.com>. They give thorough reviews of everything they sell and even tell you when a cheap model works better than something more expensive.

Dear SprayOnSalt,
Our DirectTV service has just switched its music service to Satellite radio music. We are miserable not only with the poorer selection of music but with having to listen to DJ chatter. Any suggestions about other ways to get a music only service? Our favorites were from the 50's and 60's.
Thanks,
Joyce and Ron,

It looks like DirecTV recently switched their music-only station provider from Music Choice to XM Satellite Radio. DirecTV probably sees this shift as an improvement because of the name recognition of XM and the recent, widely publicized move of high-profile radio personalities away from the Clear Channel radio monopoly to satellite radio. Additionally, XM and Sirius Satellite Radio are in a big battle for ears right now and being able to claim all of DirecTV's customers as listeners (whether they are or not) is a big coup for XM.

None of that helps your problem with the offerings from XM. Unfortunately, it looks like you may inescapably be the victim of corporate deal-making since most people see satellite radio as the only remedy for the pathetic offerings that over-the-air radio now delivers. When the alternative isn't acceptable (while satellite radio is generally commercial free, it is rarely DJ free), your last option these days is the Internet. More on that in a minute, but first some details about what XM does offer. Channel 5 (802 through DirecTV) is the '50s channel and its playlist and schedule can be found on XM's site here. They do have regular programs, some of which -- the Doo Wop Show, perhaps? -- might be interesting. Channel 6 (803 on DirecTV) covers the '60s and once again has its own schedule of shows. The most intriguing series is definitely the remastered originals of the Wolfman Jack Show which run every evening but Saturday. If you are bothered by the switch to XM, I would recommend registering your complaint with DirecTV through their website form. I doubt it will make them switch back, but at least they will know you are dissatisfied. You might have more luck getting XM to improve their broadcasts. Tell them that you find their DJ's annoying and suggest a music-only option.

Many people are avoiding commercial radio and satellite radio altogether (myself among them) by looking to the Internet for streaming or podcast options. Apple's iTunes offers several streaming "stations" under the "Radio" tab in the player, including several that specialize in '50s and '60s music. The quality of the connection and the station can vary widely, so it is worth experimenting. For podcasts, my new addiction, iTunes has added a "Podcast" tab and a directory within their music store. A podcast is a (generally free) music file that is downloaded automatically to your computer as soon as it is posted by its creator. Once there, you can listen to it any time you want or transfer it to your iPod for listening on the go. Just about anyone can make these shows as is clear by the quantity of junk out there. Best to use the Top 100 list on iTunes or go to a place like PodcastAlley where users rate these shows. Unfortunately, you aren't going to find too much music because of draconian rules put in place by the RIAA, but there are some notable exceptions. Coverville is always excellent and is one of my personal favorites. One nice thing about podcasts is that there is a very good chance a show exists for whatever it is you are interested in: knitting, fishing, cooking, gardening -- you name it.

Today's product is limited to a particular audience: cat owners. Of course, anyone can get one, but it's up to you to figure out what to do with it if you don't have a litter box around. The Litter-Lifter (warning: garish, confusing site ahead -- but watch the video, it's hilarious) is a simple litter scoop that actually delivers on its fairly extreme claims. While it won't empty the box for you, it does reduce dust from scooping, take less strength, and speed up the whole process. The secret seems to be that it is more of a sieve than a scoop, so the litter easily falls through the holes before you even raise the Litter-Lifter out of the box. The owner of my excellent local pet shop recommended it to me, but I have to admit I was skeptical. As it turns out, it was easily worth the wait for the next delivery. Now the only additional thing I could ask for would be an aluminum version. Even though the plastic seems pretty tough, I want a litter scoop I never have to replace. Maybe that will be their next offering.

I'm not sure this phone will ever makes it to the US, but this Swedish offering has a better chance of showing up on this side of the ocean than most of the amazing Japanese phones out there. The Neonode N1m is extremely cool: thumb-driven touch screen as the primary interface, expandable storage through SD cards, megapixel camera, MP3 player, USB port, and open to developers. The only downsides I can see are that it looks a little bulky and it lacks a miniature keyboard for easy texting. Keep your fingers crossed but don't hold your breath (you will look silly enough without passing out).

A friend asked me if I could recommend an external hard drive for her computer to help her back up photos of her new baby. As with most things technology related, I do have a preference when it comes to external hard drive manufacturers. In this case it grows from experiencing the frustration of many drive failures over the past few years. The most common brand out there -- available from practically every Staples or Office Depot -- is also one of the cheapest: Maxtor. Unfortunately, I have yet to have one of these drives last for more than a couple of months. At one point, Maxtor sent me a total of 4 drives as each one quickly went bad and had to be replaced. Eventually I got so tired of repackaging drives and shipping them off, I gave up and purchased another brand. Aside from the danger of relying on a fickle hard drive for backup, another problem I have with Maxtor drives is that they are noisy.

The drive manufacturer that I have finally settled on is La Cie. Their drives are more expensive than Maxtor's but they have been completely reliable over more than a year of heavy use. Their heavy metal shell provides heat dissipation for the internal workings and keeps the drive nearly silent, but it does make it a weighty package to carry in a briefcase. These drives are best suited to expanding a stationary home or work computer, not for shuttling large files around.

Other than size -- and La Cie's offerings now go up to a full terabyte by pairing 2 drives within a single case -- one should look for the interfaces available on the drives. USB 2 and Firewire 400 are close to the same speed so you just need to check which one your computer has. If you only have an older USB 1 connection, the drive will still work, albeit much more slowly. If you have a computer less than 2 years old, you most likely have USB 2. You can avoid the problem of connections altogether with La Cie's Triple Interface models: USB 2, Firewire 400, and Firewire 800 (available on some Macs) all in one little box. As for computer compatibility, virtually all external hard drives will work with both PCs and Macs.

[Note that some drive manufacturers cut costs by not including cables. Be sure to check the box before you buy.]

Backup is an incredibly important issue for both home and work computers. Now that many irreplaceable things such as digital photos are stored on the computer, it makes it even more important to set up a regular plan to keep at least a second copy around. When it comes to photos, a good tip is to sign up for an online photo printing service such as Shutterfly or Snapfish and upload all your photos, even if you don't intend to order anything. Their remote servers will act as a handy off-site backup system for your computer. If you ever need to retrieve your files, most services will send them to you on CD for a reasonable fee.