With our latest purchase of a mega sized duffel bag on wheels for Jim's travels, I have come to the realization that Jim has more bags than the average human being should have a right to own.

I guess that's because he's got more electronics and gear than the average human being. That, and he needs to have a compact, lightweight, and portable means of getting all of his gear from one place to another.

And when you put 2 gadget-friendly people in the same household... watch out! We have fun (and practical) bags coming out of our ears... and we use them all on a daily basis, too.

I have a desktop computer. And I have a laptop computer. These days, I find myself choosing to compute from my laptop computer, more than my desktop computer. Mostly because it's so easily accessible -- whichever room I happen to be in, I just open it up, and I'm online!

I primarily use the laptop in the kitchen as a recipe book -- I store all of my favorite in a program called MasterCook. And in the bedroom -- where I spend most of my day for some reason lately.

But now I'm starting to wonder if I'm favoring the laptop (subconsciously) over the desktop because it's a way for me to work from the comfort of my own bed.

I think I might be onto something here... Either a whole new aspect of laziness. Or a whole new form of work-at-home computing!

You'll usually find Ron fly fishing somewhere fun. But today, he's talking computers.

You see, both Ron, and his mother, recently purchased their very first laptops. And with new computers come new 'problems' -- as well as fun new things to try.

So sit back and enjoy as Ron shares with us his $.02 about the nuances of laptop computers. And you don't want to miss the one-of-a-kind notebook computer stand that Ron made for his laptop. But wait, there's more!... Yep, his mother made her own computer stand, too. They're both really clever!

I was recently given a Kill A Watt electricity usage monitor, so this weekend I decided to try it out.

I've always wondered how much energy we're wasting in our home. And if there's a way to save money on electric bills, then I'm all for it!

Plus, we've been trying to be more 'green' these days. Maybe this fun-looking little gadget will help.

Check this out...

My favorite computer guru, Steve Bass, recently mentioned a new (possibly better) way to go wireless in your home or office.

I passed the info onto Jim and he's diggin' it. We're probably going to try this.

Here's the scoop...

Woah!

It's not often that I talk about a new site or idea without having a lot of experience with it.

But this one doesn't require a lot of experience & know-how in order to wow and amaze you.

Check out Retrevo.com.

It's a site that contains reviews, ratings, details, and specs for virtually every product under the sun. Think: online shopping site... on steroids!

I like it best for the reviews & ratings.

For example, have a look at the prices, reviews & ratings for the Nikon D80 digital camera.

If you're anything like me, once you see Retrevo in action, you'll never go back to standard online shopping & review sites!

They say that Ionization smoke detectors don't work as well as Photoelectric smoke detectors.

Who knew?

In fact, I didn't realize there was even a difference in smoke detectors. Period. I just figured a smoke detector is a smoke detector. But no...

Tests conducted by WTHR, local fire departments, university researchers and government scientists all show that in some slow burning fires, Ionization smoke alarms do not sound at all. Source

The sad truth is... with an Ionization smoke detector, you are more likely to die of smoke inhalation in a fire than you are if you had a Photoelectric smoke detector.

Okay then, what's the real difference between Photoelectric and Ionization smoke detectors? And how can you tell which one you have?