I’m always on the hunt for cool gizmos that make my world a little better. I recently added a few to my collection and thought they may help you too.

I adore my iPad. It keeps me connected and productive especially when I’m sitting idle somewhere waiting for something, my food, my drink or my next big idea.

When I purchased it, I opted for the simple black case with an extended keyboard. That worked for a while until my keyboard battery seemed dead more often than I had patience to deal with. Plus, what was I thinking? That black case was boring and did not symbolize my brand style.

Well I fixed that. I found the perfect lipstick red leather case at the Apple store.

Michael Kors iPad clutch
This investment not only generates regular compliments by my fellow fashionistas, but it also makes me feel a lot more creative. It will set you back $130.00, but if you divide all that benefit by 730 days or two years, it’s a steal.

red michael kors clutch

Jot Touch4 – iPad pen also known as a stylus
Now that I’m a bit more branded up with my accessories, I needed a Bluetooth pressure sensitive writing instrument for my tablet. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, it’s a very slick and a useful tool to take notes on the fly, doodle in a rainbow of colors and even work the keypad and your favorite app. If you have an iPad, I’d recommend getting one of these.  The battery will last a month and recharges with a USB connector. Just keep your eye on it. Losing this $89.00 pen would be a bummer.

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Samson mini Go Mic 
One of my goals this year is to master some new skills, using iMovie and then being able to make videos and audio tracks with my Macbook Pro. I’m making decent progress and hopefully will have some things to share soon.  However, along the way, I did discover that the built in microphone in the computer is not good. I found this small and portable clip on model from Samson for $39.00 and it’s really good, plus you can throw it in your bag when you need to produce stuff on the road.

samson-go mic

Downbeat hearing protectors
This past year I’ve been doing a lot of work in the audiology industry, working with Oticon, a leading manufacturer of hearing devices and their retailers. These are the folks that test your hearing and provide some truly innovative technologies to restore hearing loss. While I’m glad they do what they do, I hope my hearing remains and I’m not a customer anytime soon. Which brings me to my last gadget from Downbeats, high fidelity hearing protectors. These small, fit in your earplugs reduce the damaging noise that can hurt your hearing and clarify the great sounds and grooves you want to enjoy. I’ve worn them several times and they really work. And the best part they are only $10 and come in niffy carrying case that clips on your keys or other accessories. If only they made a red case, then they’s be really perfect.

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