Dymotec 6 Bicycle Generator

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Bicycle Sidewall GeneratorThe days are getting shorter, so it might be time to think about bicycle lighting. Bicycle generators have fascinated me since I saw my first bottle generator on another kid’s bike when I was in elementary school. Then I grew up and learned about the British Sturmey-Archer Dynohub (which they don’t make anymore), and then the Schmidt and Shimanos that you can buy today. The new hub generators are quite expensive (especially the Schmidt), and after you buy one and the rim and spokes that go along with it, you still need someone to build a wheel around it. Not only does the hub create a little bit of unnecessary drag during the daytime, but you also need a switch. Problems which are all solved by the German-made Dymotec 6, the high-quality modern sidewall generator. You need to get a bracket and figure out whether you need a left or right, but installation is quite painless. For $55, you have no more need to buy batteries, charge batteries or replace batteries on your bicycle. No more batteries from your bike to a landfill.

Affordability: 8                   Luxury: 8

Want more luxury? Busch and Muller also makes the Dymotec S12 (the 12 volt version – those Germans take their bike lighting very seriously) , which is probably a lot brighter, but it costs almost six times as much …

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Rexite Hannibal Tape Dispenser

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Here’s another tape dispenser that was designed by the British industrial designer Julian Brown to look good and work well. They are not necessarily cheap to manufacture, but it’s entirely up to you to decide if you like Brown’s whimsical design enough to spend $83 for the orange version or $97 for the metallic silver colored one. The design is space-saving and is heavy enough to use one-handed, but once again it’s not so much about practicality, but more about whether you love it or not.

Affordability: 5                  Luxury: 8

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Rhodia Notebooks

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Rhodia notebooks are one of those iconic products that are instantly recognizable by their fans. With their bright orange (or sometimes more tasteful black) covers, they are hard to misplace. But are they good notebooks? Well, for one thing, they come in many sizes: large, medium, small, rectangular, square; lined, graphed, blank; spiral-bound or not. If you know what you need, there will be a Rhodia just for you. They have waterproof covers that are scored so they fold back, stiff backs for ease of writing and smooth, acid-free paper. Definitely one of the right tools for the job of writing or drawing on the go.

Affordability: 8                   Luxury: 8

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Black and Blum Tape Dispenser

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

I love office supplies, which is a good thing, since I spend so much of every day surrounded by them. Quality ones are an easy luxury item to justify spending the money for, because you have to buy them anyway. The British Black and Blum tape dispenser weighs a whopping full kilo, 2.2 pounds of heft resisting the one hand you need to cut off a piece of tape (presumably as the other hand holds together the things that need taping). Not only is it good and heavy, but it has a sharp steel blade and an attractive industrial looking design. Beats the heck out of the throwaway plastic ones; and is much better-looking than the usual ugly beige or black “desk” dispensers.

Affordability: 6                    Luxury: 9

Available from Design Within Reach or the Black + Blum Web site

Want more luxury? I don’t know this time if the El Casco tape dispenser, as nice as it is, is all that much nicer …

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Dual Monitors

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

With all the time we spend looking at computer screens, it is always a good thing to have as much video real estate as possible to make things easier on the eyes. Compared to a few years ago, LCDs take up much less space, are lighter, clearer and cheaper than the monster CRTs we had back then. So the question becomes: if one LCD monitor is good, then are two twice as good? My answer is that two are MORE than twice as good. It is so much easier to have two things that you are comparing, copying or revising both up on the screen at once; you never have to minimize windows or look around behind them. You can have the extra screen display your email program, Skype, a video or anything else that you want to just keep an eye on. The only way to see how truly useful they can be is to try dual monitors for yourself. In Windows or Linux, you will need a video card with two outputs or two video cards. You already have one, just need one more. Dual monitors are the way to go. Once you have tried them, you’ll be hooked.

Affordability: 5                  Luxury: 9

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Books Autographed by Authors

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Unlike some famous baseball players, authors do not charge extra for their autographed books. In fact, they are happy to sign a book they wrote just out of gratitude to you for having bought it. I don’t know how long we will still have brick and mortar bookstores, but as long as we do they will still host writers on booksigning tours. Check the events at your local big bookstore (or big city library) and see what’s coming up. Typically there is an entertaining reading in the beginning, then everyone lines up and patiently waits for the guest of honor to inscribe their book with a signature and/or a personalized inscription. You actually get to meet authors of varying degrees of renown (I have met and shaken hands with Stephen King, William Gibson, Brett Easton Ellis, Jay McInerney and many others). Since the books are always first editions, you end up with a signed first edition that could appreciate quite a bit over the years above the mere list price that you paid for it.      

Affordability: 10 (no premium over the list price)  Luxury: 10 (you get the full experience of hearing the author speak and answer questions before you even read the book)

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Audio Phono Preamplifier

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Not the most exciting luxury item in the world to blog about, but if you were ever interested in getting a nice old vintage Garrard, Dual or Philips turntable, you have to plug it into something. If that something is a modern receiver or computer, you will need a phono preamplifier. The RIAA equalization can be done with software sometimes, but hardware is better. I picked up a TCC TC-750 when I got my Philips 212 out of storage, and I have been very happy with it. It’s small so it doesn’t get in the way, but the audio quality is outstanding for the price. Worth having if you get into vinyl.

Affordability: 8                  Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon

Want more luxury? Why the tube pre-amp, of course. This one is just gorgeous.

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Air Hogs Havoc Heli

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

For better or worse, we are living in the Golden Age of inexpensive imported toys – so we might as well enjoy it. These very lightweight, tiny little foam R/C helicopters are just fun to play with, especially for adults. A great deal for $35. Younger children may lack the hand/eye coordination needed to keep from crashing, but they might like to just watch you play with them. They take about twenty minutes to charge, but they have a lot of power right after that. You have to be careful that you don’t just send it flying straight up to crash into the ceiling. They are surprisingly hard to break, considering how light they are, but it’s a good idea not to keep crashing them or letting the rotors spin helplessly around on the floor. It’s so gratifying to keep practicing, you can almost convince yourself that it’s a useful skill. It’s not.

Affordability: 9                  Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon

Want more luxury? Like many other hobbies, you can take it to whatever level you want, if it turns out to be something you really like to do. Next step up is probably the Hummingbird.

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Home Theater Video Projector

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Hook up a DLP or LCD video projector to a DVD or Blu-ray player or even to your cable box and you can watch movies in your home theater that are at least four times as big as the biggest flat-screen TV. Back in the day when we had much bigger and heavier projectors at work for presentations and training, I was always tempted to take one home for movie night over the weekend. Now video projectors are lighter, smaller and brighter and if you get a refurbished one they are not too expensive. You can watch movies on a white wall or a sheet (eventually you will want a screen, but I will get to that in a future post), and it will add a whole new dimension. Life-size high definition sporting events are a lot of fun to see; it’s almost like being there. Look for a fairly high contrast ratio and XGA resolution, and if you get a used one, see how much life is left on the bulb, because replacement bulbs can be pricey.

Affordability: 6                  Luxury: 9

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Mexican Coke with Real Sugar

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Mexican Coca-ColaYou may prefer Pepsi, but I was always a Coca-Cola kid. It helps to have been a kid before the 1980s, because that’s when they started making Coke in the U.S. with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of cane sugar. Corn syrup is linked to childhood obesity, and may be a Bad Thing, but try a Mexican Coca-Cola and see if you think it tastes better when it’s made with sugar. With apologies to Andy Warhol, you can absolutely drink a Coke that is even better than the one that the President and Liz Taylor drink. It is an excellent afternoon pick-me-up with 46 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce bottle. At least you know exactly what you’re getting. The Coca-Cola Company is not enthusiastic about the Mexican imports, and it tries to discourage the imports. So don’t drink too much of it.

Affordability: 9                   Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon, but you may be able to get it cheaper in local specialty stores.

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