What Will They Think Of Next?: Bring Back the Mix Tape

Anyone who grew up in the '80s or early '90s will have given a girlfriend/boyfriend, potential love interest, friend, or family member that popular gift of a "mixed tape". Yes, before the CD, and then the downloadable MP3 format became popular, the cassette tape was king. People popped them into this cool device called a Walkman, listened to tunes blasting from a square-shaped player hoisted atop their shoulder, and flipped them from side A to side B to get a whole new listing of songs (accessed only by a tedious manual fast forward/rewind process: no song skip with these babies!) Today, about two decades later, a company called fi-hi aims to bring this format back, but with a modern twist.

Called the usB-Side Mix'D Tape, the device is designed to look exactly like a cassette tape. But there's a secret: it's actually a USB flash drive, with a connector that flip-outs from its side. Then, just connect it to your PC and load up all your digital files, including music, as well as documents, videos, or images onto the gadget's 512 MB of internal memory. Now you have a nostalgic "mixed tape" for your love; and you can even add your own personal touch via the two included labels.

Aside from the mixed tape, the device can obviously also be used for sharing other data, or for transferring files back and forth. The inconspicious tapes are also great for storing or backing up sensitive data. A thief might grab USB drives, CDs, and your PC, but whose going to swipe your old tapes and 8-tracks?

Business persons might also find good use for these stand-out flash drives. They can contain promotional materials for distribution (in the same way many companies already use standard-designed USB keys); press kits, or flyers.

The "tapes" work with either PC or Mac, and come with their own little gift box for US$15 ea. at http://www.fi-hi.com/. I must say it's a pretty cool idea, and will certainly be a conversation-starter for anyone who receives them. But buyer beware: in case you didn't realize, they won't actually play in old cassette players!

What Will They Think of Next?: Solid Gold USB Drive

What do you do when the economy is in the dumps? You spend money frivolously on things that you don't need. OK, so a USB flash drive is certainly a useful accessory to have. But would you spend $600 on one?

A company called Super Talent Technology has introduced a limited-edition 18-Carat, solid gold USB drive called the Pico-C that it deems the "ultimate executive gift". Sure, it has neat features like a water-resistant design, ample 8 GB capacity, encryption software, and support for 200x (30 MB/sec.) transfer speeds. But is the use of gold really worth the extra, oh, $550 you're spending on the gadget? Oh wait: it also comes with a serialized Certificate of Authenticity and black velvet jewelry box; and you can have your name/logo laser-etched onto the device at no additional charge. Now that changes everything! (Insert sarcasm here).

I apologize to those who think this is the coolest thing ever, but I just don't get it. Perhaps there will be plenty of gift-wrapped holiday USB drives under the trees of IT geeks everywhere. But I can't imagine any gal (or guy, for that matter!) opening up a box with a gold USB drive and declaring in awe to their loved one or boss: "oh my, you shouldn't have!"

Nevertheless, if you think you know someone who would like one, they're available by pre-order for a limited time, and require 3-4 weeks lead time.

Canadians, Tech Industry, Love "Chachkas"

A new study conducted by Leger Marketing for eBay Canada, says that Canadians love clutter, with many citizens having accumulated enough of it to get a tax return of over $1,200! I would bet that a large percentage of these consumers are from the CE industry. Why?

Attend any press conference, trade show, or media event and you'll almost never leave empty-handed. You might receive a product to review (if you're a journalist) or a tiny USB flash drive with product information (I must have at least 50-100 of these by now!) Other popular "giveaways" in the tech sector include T-shirts (great for lounging around the house!), DVDs, and portable gadget cases. These items are lovingly known to the media world as "chachkas". I say lovingly because, for the most part, they really are cool items that you want, or just simply know you will use "one of these days". I can't count how many times I've given a "chachka" to someone else, only to find myself in a situation where it could have come in handy shortly thereafter. Sometimes, however, these trinkets just sit around, collecting dusts for years (e.g. cases or skins for devices that I don't own, but hey, you never know, someday I might buy one!)

Anyone who's been in the CE industry for any length of time has likely accumulated, and accumulated, and accumulated until a drawer or portion of the closet becomes deemed the "chachka" area. In fact, the study found that the closet is the most popular hiding spot for clutter (64% of respondents use it), followed by the basement (48%), garage (34%), spare bedroom (29%), and backyard shed (20%).

Leger also found that the most popular clutter items in people's homes include old books, magazines, and files; knickknacks and souvenirs; old electronics; DVDs and CDs; and children's toys. It's worth noting, however, that going forward, the amount of clutter accumulated from out-of-town trade shows and events might be considerably reduced. Various airlines (see related stories here and here) are charging additional fees for both carry-on and checked luggage in order to offset rising fuel costs. I guess that means no more chachka-filled, CES bags flowing 'round the baggage claim!

It's no surprise that these survey results come just in time for annual "Spring Cleaning", nor that the survey was commissioned by eBay, the spot where you can buy and sell literally anything. My advice: try to clear out your chachka collection at least once a year; and keep only what's absolutely necessary. If, like me, that tends to mean every chachka you receive, than hey, enjoy!