Great Gadgets: Neverlate 7-Day Alarm Clock

When you have the exact same schedule each working day, setting the alarm clock is relatively simple process. However, for many entrepreneurs and shift workers, this simply is not the case. You may have to get up at 8am one morning, but at 6am the next.

Since it can be such a pain re-setting your alarm clock each evening for the following morning, wouldn’t it be better if you could set several alarms ahead of time? That’s the exact idea behind the Neverlate 7-Day Alarm Clock. As its name implies, the goal here is to prevent you from ever being late for work (or anything else) again.

Unlike most other alarm clocks that may have just one or maybe two alarm settings, the Neverlate solution gives you seven different alarms. This way, you have one setting for each day of the week. This kind of system is great not only for the employed, but also for students with their erratic schedules.

Other features include the ability to set your snooze length (between 1 and 30 minutes) and the inclusion of a “nap” button, which automatically sets an alarm for between 1 and 120 minutes from the time you press it.

Find the Neverlate 7-Day Alarm Clock on ThinkGeek for $35.

Showcase Saturday: Black Stone Theme

Typically, you’ll find that most WordPress themes take on the typical blog layout. They will organize your posts in reverse chronological order, highlighting the most recent update and going backwards in time from there. This can suit some purposes, but may not be appropriate for others.

If you prefer more of a magazine-style layout that can simultaneously showcase multiple articles, you may want to consider something like the new Black Stone theme from DynamicWP.net. This is a two-column theme with multiple theme options.

Going to the download page, you’ll see that the articles are shown as a series of preview blocks in a grid pattern. This gives you an opportunity to show off a thumbnail image and a brief snippet of text. This gives the familiar appearance of a static site, but it can be dynamically populated with your most recent blog posts.

The theme is release under GPL License, so you can use and alter it to suit your needs as you see fit. It is a free download and you can find it available on DynamicWP.net. Based on the four votes cast so far, the Black Stone theme has a current rating of 9.8/10.

In the Sphere: Dating, Food, and Photos

How did your work week go? Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? In the meantime, let’s have a look at what the blogosphere had to offer us this week.

The Urban Muse makes her living through writing, but she wonders if writers should date other writers? They say that birds of a feather flock together, but it’s also true that opposites attract and variety is the spice of life. Do you date within your own industry?

Neil Patel has managed to find a great deal of success from a young age and this is partly because he knows how to listen. Check out his expansive list of business advice in three words. It’s amazing how much insight you can gain with just three short words.

Ed Lau is no stranger to the variety of food available in the Vancouver area, but he has only recently discovered the authentic Mexican cuisine in the city. He made a recent visit to Dona Cata on Victoria Drive and set his mouth on fire with the seemingly docile-looking green salsa. Smart.

Beyond Robson takes a moment to consider alternative forms of transportation. There is already a dedicated bike line on the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver and now they are proposing one on the Dunsmuir Viaduct too. Will this help with congestion? They say that it won’t take away any driving lanes for cars.

Tyler Ingram is a budding photographer with an ever-expanding portfolio. In one of his more recent collections, we get some terrific shots of urban wildlife, an affectionate aquatic companion, and some snowboarders catching some crazy air. Bring on the Olympics!

Marketing 101: The Implied Connection

Going through this week’s flyers, I noticed a common thread among many of the advertisements that arrived in my mailbox. This isn’t a new phenomenon, by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an interesting observation nonetheless.

Most people will know that Super Bowl XLIV is scheduled ot happen this Sunday in Florida, pitting the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts. This is a big deal and it’s easily one of the most expensive days for television advertising. What happened with the flyers is that they were trying to avoid paying the Super Bowl-related royalties.

Instead, nearly every flyer I saw featured some football-related motif, as well as references to things like the “Big Game” rather than to the “Super Bowl.” The relationship was very clear and very obvious, but there was no wording that involved the Super Bowl, the NFL, or other similar licensed content.

How do you feel about advertisements that use this implied connection rather than paying for the official licensing? I don’t mind it, but I do find it a little funny that they would try to do this.

WordPress Wednesday: DownloadCounter

Are you offering some kind of free download on your website or blog? Maybe you’re giving away a free e-book for marketing purposes and you want to know how many people have downloaded it thus far? The trouble is that Google Analytics may not supply this kind of information for you.

To overcome this mild shortcoming, you may want to consider the DownloadCounter WordPress plug-in. This plug-in will track the number of times a file has been downloaded from your site, giving you an accurate representation of how well that product is doing and how popular it has been.

This doesn’t work automatically with all files, of course, as you could be overwhelmed with the amount of stats available. Instead, this plug-in can automatically generate a special link and code that you then embed in your website. You can manage your chosen files through the administration page.

More information can be found on paran0id’s blog. The plug-in has not been updated since 2006, but it still seems to work for most current users. Here is the direct download link, which is also representative of the links the plug-in creates.

Business 101: Remember the Home Office Expenses

Whether you’re willing to accept it or not, it’s that time of year again. It’s typically in your best interest to deal with your income tax return sooner rather than later, but it’s also important to educate yourself about all the potential benefits and rules that you can use in your favor.

If you run your own small business out of your home and you have a room in your home that is dedicated to this purpose, you have a home office! Assuming that you keep all your receipts and you have everything properly organized, this can open up a world of tax write-offs and legitimate expenses.

In addition to things like stationery and web hosting, you can also legitimately write-off a portion of your home expenses as home office expenses. The best way to do this is based on your square footage. Let’s say that you have a 1000 square-foot condo and you have a 100 square-foot home office. Using this information, you can legitimately write off 10% of your mortgage interest, heating bills, and other similar expenses.

As always, since I am no accountant, you should check with your preferred tax professional if you have any questions or concerns. Better safe than sorry!