Tools of The Trade

»If the best part of waking up is the hot coffee in your cup, the worst is that last gulp of lukewarm brew. There are a few ways to keep your coffee warm, however: (1) Drink it quickly from a shot glass, (2) build a fire in your cubicle, (3) or buy Chows’ USB Coffee Warmer. Able to warm beverages up to a max temperature of 104 degrees, this gadget will keep your coffee piping hot while you work at your desk. Just plug it into the USB port of your computer. www.chowschina.com.

»The cell phone charger might be this country’s greatest annoyance. If you are traveling, you will undoubtedly forget it. If you’re at home, you’ll forget to plug it in. Why, with all our technology, can’t they charge themselves? Well, the Powermat attempts to do just that, or at least a version of that. Simply attach a Powercube Receiver, lay your phone onto the Powermat and it will charge as quickly as a normal adapter, no cords needed. www.powermat.com. $99.99.


Message Sent
Even if you are not actively participating in social networks, you can “listen in” to keep a pulse on conversations about your industry. You don’t know what you don’t know, if you don’t log in occasionally and listen. —Cyndee Woolley, C2 Communications