My Diva Lounge

In today’s fast-paced, high-tech, world, it’s pretty easy to take for granted just how much computers contribute to our daily lives. For most Y2K+ Divas, our computers are extensions of our bodies and minds. They hold the music we listen to; they sync up our calendars with our mobile phones or PDAs; they hold our Christmas list, our address book, our recipes, our resumes, and tell the story of our lives in the digital media (photographs and videos) they store for us. But what would happen if all that was suddenly taken away from us? What would happen if your computer hard drive was suddenly useless from an “unrecoverable” crash? Certainly, you would (at a minimum) get a new hard drive or perhaps even a new computer, reinstall specialty software, reconnect to the internet and try to pick up where you left off. But what about those big pieces of your life that are now lost forever? Losing your data can be like losing a piece of yourself - losing parts of your life - and no Diva should have to ever experience such a loss… not with the incredible decline in cost of the coolest little backup drives you’ve ever seen!

Enter Seagate Technology…

Now every diva can easily back up and take her photos, music, videos, and documents everywhere she goes with the sleek Seagate® “FreeAgent™ Go” portable storage solution (available in many colors, one of which is… of course… PINK). The FreeAgent Go drive offers up to 500 GB of capacity, so you can comfortably store all your files (and we’re pretty sure your computer itself probably does not even have a hard drive that large in it yet). It includes easy-to-use software that lets you automatically back up your data, synchronize files, and encrypt important files and folders. Plus, it’s the world’s first portable hard drive with a convenient desktop dock accessory. Simply pop your drive into the FreeAgent dock whenever you want to access your files—no more fumbling for cables!

Pocket and carry your data with ease thanks to a sleek design—the thinnest portable storage solution on the market. Even the cable folds up compactly. In this case, size really does matter! And less is totally more (appealing, that is)!

Choose from a variety of colors to complement your style (did we mention PINK?).

Enjoy peace of mind with a 5-year limited warranty from the world leader in storage solutions.

You should be able to pick up one of these handy little devices from any BestBuy for between $100 and $200. Divas, this is totally worth the splurge - save your data… save your life!

For those of you who have seen the Blackberry smartphone craze and wondered if you should join in, September just may be your month! Blackberry is releasing it’s newest phone, the Blackberry Bold and it’s sure to sweep the market! Bold combines a stylish and elegant design with all of the features and functions we’ve all been waiting for in a smartphone. iPhone, you just may have met your match! Bold offers full PDA functionality (calendar, tasks, memos, contacts, etc.), but adds powerful email, faster web browsing, instant messaging, camera, built-in GPS, voice recording, and more! What’s the difference between this and the Blackberry Curve? Enhanced web experience (including wifi access), faster performance with the Bold’s 624-MHz processor, powerful document editing software (for MS Word and PowerPoint), and built-in Mobile Streaming (the ability to view online videos and listen to streaming music) all make this the power phone to get this year! Don’t be left in the dust - get organized in STYLE and GO BOLD.

Here’s a cool gadget I picked up last month and it is a lifesaver when taking notes in meetings, on the go, and away from the computer. It’s the Acecad DigiMemo Digital Notepad. Reviews on it are mixed, but for my needs, it’s an excellent Diva companion tool! It’s a digital notepad with a special pen which uses regular (refillable) paper pads for note taking. The cool thing is, it digitally records the notes you are taking so you can upload them, store them, and view them later on your computer! It even has handwriting recognition software, so you can convert your notes into a MS Word file, a .pdf file, and more! I must admit, I was a little freaked out when I first got it - wondering if I was going to ever learn to use it properly. But this Diva managed to go through the user guide (which was fairly painless as far as manuals are concerned), set up the software, go through the handwriting recognition exercises, and successfully created my own pages the first day! It can digitally manage several pages, and lets you add to older pages as long as they are still in memory. I picked up a 2GB memory card to add to the package, so my little tablet can manage oodles of pages of Diva thoughts. It will even read drawings you create, although I do not recommend using this tablet strictly as an artist’s companion. Highly recommended for the Diva on the go, however, and you should be able to pick one up for $150 to $170 from Wal-Mart, Shop.com, or from Amazon.com online. Where was this when I was in school?!

Oh my, it’s good to be a Diva in the 21st Century! Gadgets galore, and some of which help to keep us on track and on time! Everyone knows I LOVE (and hate) my Blackberry, because it helps to keep me so connected, but I’ve found a NEW obsession - my Garmin Nuvi GPS device. Yes, I’ve given in to the techno monster and believe it or not, it’s saved my Diva tushie on more than one occaision! Garmin Nuvi portable GPS devices run anywhere from $150 to $1,000, depending on the model you purchase. They offer touch-screen capability, are easy to learn and use, and offer clear directions and some pretty cool options. Even a basic model, like the 200 comes with pre-loaded maps of the US, is ready to use right out of the box, allows you to create a route, set “via” points, save favorite places, search local destinations by business name, search for destinations by category (closest ATM/bank, fast food, gas, shopping, etc.), automatically detects day/night to switch the look of the screen depending on time of day, offers several different map views (all with zoom in/out capability), comes with two different car icons for use when navigationg (sedan and truck), comes fully loaded with a TON of languages (I currently have mine set to French, and know a friend who will be tickled when we set hers to Danish), can be used in any vehicle, offers bike path and walking path routes, charges directly from your cigarette lighter adapter in your car, has a battery life of up to five hours of constant navigation, has a “detour” feature if you are stuck in traffic, has clear turn-by-turn voice prompts (with volume control and even mute function), fits easily in any Diva’s purse, and it even comes in… you guessed it: PINK! This mode is fairly inexpensive and the pink one is currently sold exclusively through BestBuy.com for $169.99. Some of the newest models (the 880, for example) offer full bluetooth compatibility with your mobile phone, voice recognition software, and more. But for my money, I’m sticking with my 200. It’s got everything a Diva needs to arrive “in style” wherever she goes!

Hands down winner for The Most Diva Laptop is clearly the Dell Inspiron in (what other color) PINK! This laptop is truly beautiful (look and feel) and a powerful tool for any Diva to add to her arsenal. As we speed into the second half of 2008, prices on Laptop computers have dramatically dropped. You can pick one of these puppies up for only $500 to $800 and look like a Pro wherever you go! Built-in wireless networking, 80GB to 250GB hard drives, high definition sound cards and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 video card all make this the laptop of any Diva’s (or Divo’s) dreams! They come in a variety of colors and are all equipped with Windows Vista out the door! It’s fast, reliable (goodness knows I toss mine around a lot), and a beautiful piece of art. They are a bit heavy, and I recommend you get a screen protector or privacy screen to keep down the glare on the glossy wide screen… but I must say, for a Diva who lives on the go, I’ve never been happier to take my work with me! You can pick yours out today by shopping online through the Dell website and you can have it in your hot little hands within a couple of weeks! So go ahead and splurge on a laptop that looks as fabulous as it performs. You’re worth it, and you know it!

Another must have for any Diva on the go! The Flip Ultra by Pure Digital is a lightweight, portable digital video camera that fits right in your purse (it’s only about 4″ high by 2″ wide)! So easy, anyone can learn to use it, and with attached USB connector, even the LEAST techno-savvy Diva can learn to point, shoot, and upload videos to her favorite YouTube channel! And it comes in a variety of Diva colors (including, of course, Diva PINK!). This camera will hold a full hour of video, includes a built-in microphone, a tripod mount, a soft case, a wriststrap, takes standard AA batteries, and even includes a cable and connector for viewing movies on your TV right from the Flip! You won’t be able to put yours down once you start filming! This is about the most fun a Diva can have while recording the precious (and scandalous) moments of her life. MSRP runs $129 to $179, and you can pick up yours today in your local Best Buy, Circuit City, K-Mart, Walmart, or Sears. You can also buy online from (another favorite online one-stop shop of mine) Amazon.com. Don’t be left in the dust, get your Flip on today!