YES, SOMETIMES WE COMMUNICATE THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

And sometimes we just enjoy the silent humming of our laptop batteries and the tapping of each other's fingers on keyboards. I think it shows maturity; only a really magical relationship can get away with this and be stronger as a result. The Mister is saving the world doing unmistakably difficult things on Linux. I am reading blogs and tweeting to prove I'm still partially among the living.
This is just like Mister and me in bed in our blue room.

$100 LAPTOP

MIT Media Lab has developed a laptop that will be sold exclusively to governments in developing countries for $100 and then given to school children. I love the sleek design. And the concept of providing such a low cost machine to the developing world is spectacular in and of itself.

DO YOU WEB CAM?

I don't web cam. Part of the reason I like talking on the phone is that I can keep a part of me and the conversation a secret. But if I were to web cam I'd use this retro style from Urban Outfitters.

ME LIKEY!

IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME

The iPhone. It's all anyone is talking about. I work with a lot of really smart technical analysts. Many who know the communication and telephony market quite well. And NONE of them are clamouring for the iPhone. They chuckle about it and shake their heads saying things like, "see this? {holding their old phone} It's a phone. I can receive and make phone calls and text messages. And if I need to, I can browse the web. That's good enough for me." I guess if it's good enough for them, my old Nokia is good enough for me.
If you want one...good luck. Pack a sandwich and get ready to wait a long time.

HELLO HELIO {OCEAN}

I'm not usually one to woo on the latest and greatest technology. I carry this phone {made popular by the movie Cellular. Thanks for that stellar performance Kim Basinger!} which proves my point since that movie and phone debuted in 2004.
That's why I'm actually surprised to find myself with lingering thoughts of this phone. I like anything shape shifting and mysterious. Check out Helio Ocean here.

WILL IT BLEND?

Apparently this guy is a blending guru and has run many experiments. Kudos to Novell for their unique perspective and, especially, for the mushy green slop! If you are patient and wait for this to download, you'll witness what must be the most powerful blender in the world.

LEARNING VIA YOUR EARBUDS

I've just selected a good list of podcasts to enjoy over the next few months; whenever I can steal a moment away, or whenever I'm working at my desk and won't be thrown off by listening to grammar tips {Grammar Girl}, indie poetry {IndieFeed: Performance Poetry}, NPR's This American Life, or the Ricky Gervais Show. Find your favorites on the iTunes library.
You can choose to learn a language, pick up a new skill like cooking or photography, fine-tune your photoshop skills or learn more about the law. There are so many podcasts to choose from; so many to distract you while running or doing something that takes no conscious thought.

If you see this graphic, it usually indicates that the particular digital or audio file you want to access can be automatically downloaded using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Opera. This is what distinguishes a podcast from any other audio or digital file.

U.S. GETS SMART

I first fell for the smart car about ten yars ago when they were rare to even the most progressive european cities - and I was reminded of how great they are last year on my trips to both Barcelona and Paris.
Now, the Smart Cars currently buzzing around European cities are coming to America. If you are interested in owning one you can visit Daimler Chrysler and get on the waiting list for just $99. This small fee {which can be applied to the purchase price of the car} proves to the company that you really are an interested party and not just pretending.
Don't be scared off by the size of the car, it's been redesigned to pass U.S. crash tests and should be ready to drive Route 66 by 2008. Check out all the models you have to choose from and while you're at it, imagine zipping into a parallel parking space "nose to the curb" rather then parallel. It can be done with the ForTwo model. For anyone that commutes, this is the way to go!

{fortwo coupe and roadster}









{fortwo cabrio and forfour coupe}

Wii AVATARS

I thought you might enjoy seeing what our Wii avatars look like. Nate plays with one called Rubin that looks nothing like him so I'm only showing the one I made as his look-a-like affectionately called "sexy nate".

1. Me {a.k.a. Titty}



















2. Nate {a.k.a. Sexy Nate}



















3. Amie! {I used boy hair for her}



















4. Kym {a.k.a. Pheonix}



















******************************
CELEBRITY AVATARS

5. Guess the movie character??



















6. Guess the Actor??



















7. Guess the Musician??



















8. Guess the Musician??

iWANT iPHONE

I'm sure you heard nothing on the news lastnight but Apple iPhone blah, blah, blah. Well, I have to be completely honest and say iHeart the iPhone. It's absolutely something I'd pull from my latest handbag with total confidence and pride. Just look at the screen and icons. YUM!
If you did fall of the face of the earth and miss Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, touting the latest and greatest {and sexy} device, don't worry. I'm here for you. This sleek machine acts as your phone, PDA {you have internet access}, and your iPod! My handbag alone could go from ten pounds to five pounds in an instant. And my cool factor would increase exponentially.
If you happen to see someone with one of these come June {when they are available in stores}, you better talk nice to them - they paid $500-750 for that arm candy.

CLEMANTINE HAS A WIDGET

Do you personalize your Google Homepage? If you don't, but you'd like to, here's a quick how-to.
1. Sign in to Google {very easy if you have a gmail account}
2. Look in the upper right hand corner to see the link "personalize home"
3. Now you have the option to add to or edit widgets already provided {for instance, I added a widget for NPR news, one for E online, and Clemantine. I also selected a different clock and keyed in my zip code to get local weather}
4. If you want to add Clemantine, click the link in the upper left called "add more to this page". Once there, do a search for toniaconger {no spaces}. Once Clemantine appears, click "add"
5. On your new personalized Google homepage, you can grab a widget and move it around the page so everything is exactly where you want it {my Clemantine is upper left}
6. Here's a quick look at mine

EPHPOD (F-POD)

You bought an album on iTunes, you've dropped it on your iPod for portable listening, but now your BFF wants a copy of the album free-of-charge. If you've tried the old drag and drop method, you've learned it won't work. And if you gave the "save as" strategy a whirl, you've been a failure twice. Well, fail no more. I'm telling you about ephPod (open source, of course). This easy-to-get tool will enhance your music sharing experience and allows you to swap tunes from one iPod to another.
After you've installed ephPod, connect your iPod to your computer through the USB drive. When you open ephPod you will see all your tunes there. This is the place where you select what tracks you want, copy them to a folder on your desktop and BAM! you're off and running. Go ahead. eph-off!

ENERGI TO GO

They've gone and done it. Energizer has created a product I must have before I jetset off to Spain next Saturday. Energi to Go is an emergency charger for your phone and MP3 players which will come in handy, especially on my longer-than-life flight to Barcelona.
Energi to Go takes 2 AA lithium batteries which can be a bit trickier to find and will definitely cost more. But if I'm faced with a long flight taken in silence or a steep ticket price for lithium batteries...I'll pay the dough! Read a review here.
Currently Energi to Go adapts to most phones; if you've got a Sony Erickson, you are out of luck!

Even though the product is supposedly available at Target, don't hold your breath. You can find them at Lowes and they are $20.

PRODUCT RED {So Rad}

If you haven't "fallen into the Gap" lately, you'll want to come October 14. Gap, along with Motorola, Geogio Armani, American Express, and Converse are all launching Product {Red} in the US. Masterminded by Bono {of course}, Product {Red} is launching a clothing line with Gap which is made from 100% African cotton and actually made on the African continent. 50% of revenue will go back to Africa to fight AIDS among the women and children there. Likewise, Motorola is offering a Red sliver cell phone, Armani is offering accessories {sunglasses and watches}, Converse has their classic shoes available with African patterns, and American Express has a Red card {for now this card is only available in the UK}.
A musthave from the Product {red} line are the red t-shirts. Each has a word that ends with the word red and they keep the word red in {parenthesis}. Stacey said she found the shirt that will be mine on October 14. Hamme{red}. That sounds about right!

TOOT TOOT

Yes, I am tooting my own horn. The latest Novell Connection magazine just hit the newstand and both Nate and I have articles. For anyone NOT into technology or reading about such things, the magazine is worth it just for the beautiful design. Thank you for letting us write for the mag Eric and McKay!

Q1: {Tonia article only}
Q2: {Tonia article only}
Q3: {Nate and Tonia}

POLAROID PHOTOGRAPHY

I really like polaroid photography and bought a camera to experiement with. I wish the film wasn't so expensive. It ends up being $1/photo. The photography itself gives a sense of voyarism which I like. I want to do a whole album with nothing but polaroids.