I love nothing more than the sea, the sun and a sandy beach. Fact is I aspire to live life in flip flops and shorts with my toes touching salt water as often as possible, and I find myself drawn to the things that keep my day dreaming and hopes brewing. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that every once in a while something stands out, catches your eye and screams your personality.

Most recently, that “something” for me is the latest series of unique Mike Ming designs tattooed on the front covers of select Dell laptops, or more specifically the new special art edition Dell Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops. These covers beautifully depict elements of my favorite places.

My two favorite patterns out of the five are Red Swirl and Seaweed. I went with Red Swirl as it reminds me of getting caught in a big beautiful wave that I get to ride for a few moments before it crashes to the ocean bottom.

The colors and organic patterns are just cool and make my new laptop look like, well, mine.  Check out Dell’s Flickr account for more images. (Btw, Seaweed was a very close second choice. The greens and blacks look 3D and fly off the back of the laptop.)

Overall, I am super excited about my new laptop. Not only does it sport 4GB of memory and a screaming video card, it makes me think of my happy place.

Jason Dunn over at Digital Home Thoughts took delivery of one of the first Dell Studio Hybrid PCs and shares his out-of-the-box impressions on YouTube:

For years I couldn’t figure out how anyone could spend hours, if not days, on a computer. Chat rooms, blog posts, YouTube — or whatever — could not peak my interest or hold my attention. E-mailing, keeping up with national news and the occasional shopping are the things I really want to do. But, when even those seemingly simple tasks required staring at a small screen and waiting on programs to load — it was not a good use of my time.

Well, things changed when my daughter arrived back in Austin after completing her degree. She couldn’t help but constantly point out how slow and ridiculous my “completely inadequate” computer was. I have to admit, it was depressing to sit in the dark in an uncomfortable chair and wait for my Outlook to to open or download.  Meanwhile — everyone else is out and about, anywhere in the house using their laptops while utilizing the wireless network (which we have had since they became available…but not for me!)

Unknowingly, I got left behind in the digital age. As the mom, and least tech-savvy of the bunch, I inherited all the old hardware.  My high-tech family cheerfully dumped all their old gear on me whenever they got the latest and greatest gadgets. So, for years I was stuck using an out-of-date desktop that lived in the closet of one of our guest rooms. How did I get out of this tech slump (and the closet)? I took charge of my technology situation.

Coming out of the closet and into functional furnishings centered around a new, space-saving Dell All-In-One PC

With a new computer and a new office set-up, the cyber-world is looking better!  My customized leather bucket style chair (new legs to accommodate rollers) allows me to lounge while I surf the ‘net, play with my digital camera, keep up with friends, and follow the news. Shelving for reference books and a few mementos make the space functional and fun.  Okay, and the large work table and matching file drawers from IKEA do really help me define my own personal work space.

Let me just say to all of you who have put off getting a new computer (for almost 10 years like me): “Do it now!”  Many of my friends complain about their ancient and slow computers and how nothing seems to work right. A lot of these women have much better computers at work, but nothing at home to use for fun.  And, spending time on your computer can be fun when it’s up to speed. I used to think I was a technology hostage — sitting around waiting or trying to figure out why things were not working.  I must say, it made it worse to do all this while stuck in a closet!

Last summer Dell released the 1320c Color Laser Printer, which was and still is one of the most affordable true color laser printers on the market. The printer went on to garner some very impressive reviews and is perched at the number 2 position on the PC World List of Top 10 Color Laser Printers. Given that a few years ago color laser printers still had four-digit price tags, the $249 1320c looks like an amazing amount of performance for the price.

The 1320c is a fairly basic printer. It has no copy or scan features and while there is network upgrade available, it is definitely a very basic printer. For those wanting full-color laser capability for a home office or small business, you’ll need a machine that’s a bit more capable.

Enter the new 2135cn Multi-Function Color Laser printer. The 2135cn offers a powerful array of functions that make it capable of replacing a lot of office machines. In addition to being a high-quality color laser printer, it offers scan, copy, and fax capability in full color with an automatic document feeder to handle large multi-page documents.

Dell 2135 cn Multi-Function Color Laser Printer

The 2135cn offers professional-quality color printing in 600×600 dpi resolution and it can crank out up to 16 pages per minute monochrome or 12 pages per minute in color. It even optimizes image quality without user intervention. It offers full networking capability and a host of convenient fax-handling features.

Naturally, you can save a lot of energy as well as office space when you replace your scanner, copier, and fax machine with a single piece of equipment like the 2135cn. But these days, it’s definitely good to know that this printer has been designed with Dell’s emphasis on environmental impact in mind. The 2135cn is fully Energy Star certified, which means that, on average, it is 25% more energy efficient than conventional models. On top of that, Dell provides prepaid return mailers to allow you to easily recycle toner-cartridges when they run out.

Both quality and environmental impact benefit from Dell’s Emulsion Aggregation Toner Technology. This technology allows for more precise imaging by using smaller toner particles. This can also reduce energy consumption during the printing process as well as allowing the printer to warm up and print more quickly. The 2135cn is a printer designed from start to finish to make your home office or small business more efficient, more economical, and more environmentally friendly and carries a price tag of $599.

OK, here’s one for the shameless-plug-but-hopefully-useful-info category, if we had one.

There’s no excuse to settle for dull in a world that increasingly values substance and style. Dell has gotten that message … right down to historically mundane PC accessories like speakers and ear plugs.

Check out what Nick Mokey over at Digital Trends has to say about these options for the new Designed for Dell program.

Let’s just say that I like to keep things neat and organized!  I admit, I had surrendered this priority when it came to the four remote controls on the TV console.  After all, everyone was doing it and I did not think that I had any options … until the all-in-one universal remote.

I purchased the Harmony Advanced Universal Remote as a gift for my husband.  After connecting it to my computer and filling in some information from the back of my devices — ta da!  I was in business!

I can use the one remote for my DVD player, TV, VCR (yes, I still own one of these) and my cable box.  When I push the “watch TV” button, both my TV and cable box turn on.  The four remotes are now neatly packed away out of view, and life is a little less messy!

To follow up on Natalie’s post yesterday, I literally wrote this while on set at Chelsea Studios as HGTV’s Color Splash host David Bromstad chatted with TV and radio news teams across the country about getting ready for back to school and creating “work space” for students that is personalized and conducive to studying and learning.

As David’s specialty is “color,” he had a great time sharing details about Dell’s colorful Studio Hybrid and Studio Laptops, paired with some cool furniture and accessories from PBTeen. From 7 a.m.- 1 p.m. David chatted with 28 TV and radio stations answering questions about color, how to show your personality, define your space, and finally how Dell and PBTeen have teamed up for a great Back to School giveaway, the grand prize being a $5,000 make-over from PBTeen, plus a $1,500 gift card from Dell.

Working with David has been very educational - for example I’ve learned that while blues and greens are typically seen as calming colors, they also have some specific student-friendly attributes: blue is actually a motivational color, while green will help the brain retain the new knowledge (seriously - put a green acetate sheet over those World History pages and see if you remember more dates).

On the flip side, warmer tones like red, orange and yellow are stimulating — so those young people who have a harder time getting out of bed in the morning (hint, hint to the 15-year-old in MY house) react to those colors like a visual cup of coffee.

The set was loaded with great visuals - like cool furniture from PBTeen: a Style-It-Desk and Style-Tile message board, and the Cushy Lounge with a great Storage Base.  One of David’s favorite ways to personalize a space is with a rug, and he actually suggests mixing and matching rugs to define specific areas - like the “Lounge/Relax” area versus the “Desk/Study area.” David also talked about the cool design of the Studio Hybrid PC (often referring to it as “art” for the desktop) and the range of color options on the Studio laptops. He encouraged folks “go wireless” to help cut the clutter - like a wireless keyboard, mouse and printer.

One of the more fun aspects of the day was when an interviewer turned out to be a fan of David’s - you see  David was the first winner of HGTV’s reality show, Design Star, and is getting ready to kick off his fifth season of Color Splash.  Despite his “celebrity” status, he is as gracious and sincere as anyone I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And while this was his first satellite media tour, he did a GREAT job merging his knowledge about color and personalization with great solutions from PBTeen and Dell. Thanks David - it was a pleasure - and I’ll be checking out the new season of Color Splash on HGTV this fall.

Is this the line for Space Mountain at Disney World or could it be holiday shoppers crazed for the Tickle Me Elmo?

Neither. It’s a line for airport security. Ugh! With the world taking security much more seriously, you’ve probably experienced the line, the frustration and maybe a missed flight or two. But what’s most frustrating is all of the bins you have to put your stuff into for scanning.

One bin for your coat. One bin for your shoes. One bin for your laptop, and yet another for your laptop bag. Everyone’s eyes seem focused on you while you take out your laptop, fumble to get it into the bin — all the while knowing that people are wishing you’d move just a little faster. I won’t even go into the limited places available to put the laptop back into the bag, after you make it through security. Same people, same eyes glaring upon you to move just a little faster.

Seeing this frustration and the need for a solution, two laptop bag retailers will be selling TSA-approved laptop bags. This means no more taking the laptop out of the bag at the airport! You will be able to put your whole bag, laptop inside, through the scanner. Woo hoo! What a win for travelers everywhere.

First announced was Skooba’s Checkthrough, shared by Engadget’s Nilay Patel.  Here’s a pre-production photo:

Shortly after, Darren Murph of Engadget shared that Mobile Edge announced its line of TSA-approved laptop bags, “ScanFast,” with three choices to fit your style and carrying preference:

Neither Skooba nor Mobile Edge has announced a price for their bags, but my guess is that they will both charge a premium and will sell out quick. The convenience will be worth a high price to the frequent traveler. Will be interesting to see just how widely these bags will be recognized. Frequent travelers have shared with me that recognition of the TSA-approved locks seems to be limited to airport screeners in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe.

TSA-approved laptop bags make me happy and want to jump for joy. The good news is that this seems to be a quickly developing trend in laptop bag designs. I just hope they start to come out with some more stylish looks to choose from.

Looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

Energy. Concentration. No clutter. Technology that makes you look cool and be mobile. You know, all the things that really matter when you’re heading back to school. Wouldn’t it be great to get some advice from an expert on which school-ready gadgets you need based on how to be productive and stylish rather than on pure specs?

This morning on TV and radio stations across the U.S., the passionate and exuberant David Bromstad, design guru and host of HGTV’s Color Splash, was scheduled to share helpful tips on which laptops, printers, webcams and accessories will help get the student on track for a successful, fun and trend-setting school year. If you weren’t able to catch it where you live, don’t worry! We hope to have some video to share with you in another post shortly so you can hear those great tips!

Whether you’re in elementary school, high school or heading off to another semester in college, picking out the right products isn’t easy. Technology has evolved from the pure purpose of productivity to being at the core of expressing personal style. The choices are endless, the colors are brilliant, and for many the speed of your processor is now just a relatively minor technicality.

What to buy can be a harder and more confusing choice for any mom or dad who are just trying to get their school-bound child ready.

“But Amy has one. And Debbie’s parents just bought her one, too.” Sound Familiar? Shamefully, I know I used that line a time or two on my poor parents. ALL children do. It’s hard to not let these comments sway you in the products you provide your children.

Bromstad brings a fresh and much needed perspective on how to get your children what they really need and still express their personal style.

Given my personal passion for colors and agreement with Bromstad that “color is the root of great design,” I was excited to see his picks for this school year’s most productive and energy-charged colors! Let us know what you think and how technology can help achieve back-to-school greatness!

As part of the Extreme Gaming Tour, I was excited to see a case mod contest was being held. Since the late 90s when LAN parties were beginning to become the rage, case modding and gaming have gone hand in hand. Gamers meticulously transformed their systems into works of art, always trying to strike that elusive balance between utility and beauty.

Gamers are an interesting breed, and are usually competitive almost to a fault. This helped fan on case modding as an art form, as modifications quickly became more extreme and outlandish as the modders perpetually outdid themselves and their peers. You don’t have to be a gamer to take case modding on as a hobby, but in the beginning, the two passions were almost always found together.

What is modding? The answer, like any form of artistic expression, is often left up to the audience, and tends to be rather subjective. My favorite answer comes from a skilled modder named linear1, who writes on his site that “Modding is the application of artistic ability and craftsmanship to solving technological problems.” A more thorough treatment of what modding is from his perspective as a modder can be found here. I think that sums it up nicely. BTW- his Web site gives thorough treatment to the basics of modding, and I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to give it a go.

Case mods come in many different forms, inhibited only by imagination, geometry and physics. Some look like PCs, like this beautiful case (source: http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/crazy-case-mods-part-1) that makes your PC relaxing to look at:

To this crazy contraption by G-Gnome that may get your local bomb squad called out on a false alarm  (http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2005/10/19/wmd_g-gnome/1):

Neither of the above is entered in the extreme gaming tour case mod contest, but the ones that have been entered so far are absolutely beautiful. Come by the Gaming Tour’s forum and check them out!

http://www.extremegamingtour.com/forum.aspx?forumid=12&scope=threads

If you’re a case modder, there’s still time to enter your creation. See how you can submit your baby here:

http://www.extremegamingtour.com/contest+registration.aspx