Best Portable Hard Drives

External hard drives are a must for backing up computer data.  And for most users, the best portable external hard drives work just as well as their desktop cousins, with the added versatility of travel-readiness.  Storage capacity is important, but it’s definitely not the only factor to consider.  Here are a couple of the other criteria we looked at for …

Minimalist Functional Design

Kenya Hara wrote the book “Designing Design“, which is 472 page tribute to “white” not just as color but as a design concept. It contains chapters by like-minded designers such as Jasper Morrison and Naota Fukasawa. The works of German industrial designer Dieter Rams (Braun), and Apple’s “Snow White” design language are other examples of the “less is more” approach …

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Most Efficient 3-Ring Binders

Bloggers are drafting up their top 10 list posts and techies are e-organizing their hard drives for the new year. But if you’re old school — or have a boss who forces you to stick to ink-and-paper ways, here are some efficient 3-ring binders to help you catalog and file away 2008.

Optimal Gift Wrapping

Optimal gift wrapping comes from renewable sources and does not contain toxic substances. Virgin forest fiber, bleach and heavy-metal inks need not be a part of gift giving. What are some of the better choices? One of the more optimal ways to wrap gifts is Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese technique of wrapping gifts using cloth. The appeal of this form …

renourish: A Guide to Green Graphic Design

Renourish is guide for graphic designer to help them practice their craft using greener techniques. The web site, created by Eric Benson, offers many green tips and pointers to green resources (which can be otherwise quite difficult to track down). Great reference.

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Portable Pen For All Environments: The Inka Pen

The Inka Pen attaches to a keyring and has a lightweight, stainless steel design. Using a pressurized ink cartridge, it writes at any angle, temperature, altitude and even underwater. The pen is made in the U.S. and has a lifetime warranty. Available from Amazon for $11.

Picopad: Wallet-Sized Pen and Pad

A Picopad consists of 15 sticky notes and one tiny pen, that are designed to fit into the credit card slot of your wallet. The pads themselves are made from a cardboard-like material and come in a variety of colors. They feature two small push-out tabs to make it easier for you to pull it out of your wallet. There’s …

Recycled Paper Journals

These classy journals are made from 100% post-consumer fibre. They have a perpetual calendar printed on the inside fold-out front cover. The journals measure 6” X 9″ and are filled with 200 pages of 24 lb. cream coloured paper which is processed without chlorine bleach. Availalbe for $14.55 from Grass Roots. Found via Great Green Goods.

Cellulose Tape: Biodegradable

Cellulose Tape is metaefficient because it is completely biodegradable. It is difficult to find, especially in the US. Almost all transparent tape sold here is made of acetate. One store, Green Earth Office does offer it. Brands such as Sellotape are available in the UK. Sellotape is made from wood pulp that comes from suppliers with extensive reforestation programs.

TAK Pushpins

It’s a design update on a common household object. The TAK Pushpin has two pins, an oversized head and a channel in the middle. The double pins add strength and stability while preventing paper from swiveling, and the horseshoe shaped channel allows users to organize wire and hang up holiday lights. Packs of six are available for about $5.