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Computer manufacturers save every dime they can on computer parts to maximize their profit.  Unfortunately, this often means we are stuck with crappy keyboards with our shiny new machine.   When IBM had a near monopoly and personal computers were high priced, well engineered devices they gave their users one of the best input devices to come with any machine--a IBM Model M keyboard.  I liked it so much that I kept an original hidden away from all the geeks at the office.

Now DAS Keyboard makes an updated mechanical keyboard that is a worthy successor--actually they make four models"

• DAS Keyboard Original Professional
• DAS Keyboard Model S Professional
• DAS Keyboard Model S Ultimate (the uber geek keyboard--the keys are plain black--no labels)
• DAS Keyboard Model S Professional Silent (with slightly more quiet keys)

They keyboard fit and finish is reminiscent of a fine musical instruments--the keys are surrounded by a polished black surface. Like the IBM keyboard the DAS keyboard uses its best-in-class mechanical gold-plated key switches provide a tactile and audio click. The company does have a sense of humor, it sells earplugs as a "peace offering" to your cube mates who are bothered by the clicking.

Although it may be a bit scary giving your credit card information to a company in Hong Kong, we have had good luck with Cellular Nationwide Network (http://cnn.cn/). They sell replacement parts for all kinds of phones -- and not just chargers, cases and adaptors. We've purchased a replacement casing, a replacement track ball (both for a Blackberry Pearl) and a charging port (for a Nokia). They also sell replacement screens -- and that is the actual LCD part, not just the clear plastic cover (which they also sell).

The SOLE Softec Shoe Inserts by NatureWorks replace the inserts that come with off-the-shelf sneakers. They improve comfort, balance, alignment and pressure distribution by giving extra arch support, and can help flat-footed people. Besides being Eco-friendly (they are made of corn and not petroleum) these inserts differ from others in that they can be heated in your kitchen oven so they will form to the shape of your foot. 

It was time to update my original Garmin GPS and I had two options. I could get a Garmin that read street names or, for the same price, a Garmin that has US and European maps. Since I had a vacation to Germany planned in the near future I opted for European maps that come with the Garmin 260.

Apparently there are "maps" and "Detailed" maps and the Garmin came with "detailed" maps, which appears to be true. All the tiny little streets (some only a block long) all seemed to be there in the various towns I checked.

• Works well in open areas, but not in narrow streets

Many of the streets in the 'Old' part of towns are very-very narrow (Just a few feet wide in some places). Although the buildings are not tall (mostly 2, 3 or 4 stories) there is not much clear sky and unfortunately that seems to be enough to block the satellites.

• Doesn't work well turning it on and off

Since I didn't want to approach the end of the day only to find my GPS was dead, I would only turn the GPS on until I had a clear shot to my next location. The problem with this is that because of the poor reception it sometimes took 10 min before it had a lock on the satellites. That is a long time waiting, or a long time heading in the wrong direction.

The Panasonic RP-HC30 noise cancelling earphones remove some of the persisten background noise from your environment.  The $40 RP-HC30 ear buds are not as good as $400 over-ear headphones, but they do work well and they easily fit in a pocket or carry-on. Where more expensive over-ear headphones block out virtually all airplane engine noise these ear buds mostly take the edge off of the droning of the engines.

When first using the RP-HC30 on a flight it was disappointing how little engine noise it seemed to block; seeming to old make the engine noise sound 'different'. After being removed thirty min into the flight it became obvious how much engine noise was actually being reduced. Although "Reducing outside noise by 75%" does not make an immediate difference, it makes a huge difference over time.

Structurally the device is well built and very compact. The oddly shaped ear buds fit nicely in the ear canal and offer excellent sound quality (including bass). There is virtually no hiss when noise reduction is enabled and even then it is only noticeable if there is no audio input.

Thanks to the compact size, decent sound quality and ability to make flights more pleasant, the Panasonic RP-HC30 Noise Canceling Ear Buds are now a permanent addition to the carry-on bag.