Biz Bits
The latest essential buys for business travelers
WMS 100 WifiAdapter
www.newsoftinc.com $279.95
Businesspeople can take PowerPoint presentations to the next level with NewSoft Inc.’s WMS100 wireless projector adapter. It’s the perfect solution to that tangled mess of wires. Just link the unit directly into the projector, and with a WiFi-ready laptop, and you’re all set—the presentation can be broadcast from anywhere in the room.
DataTraveler Mini—Migo Edition
www.kingston.com $15-$42
(price varies by memory capacity)
Developed by Kingston Technology Company Inc., the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products, this miniature, customizable and multifunctional USB Flash drive seamlessly transforms any PC into a personalized workspace. Available in three colors (red for the 512MB version, light blue for 1GB and light purple for 2GB), this teeny device is a colorful alternative to a traditional USB drive. Just attach it to a key chain and any files you might need are at your fingertips.
Davek Umbrella
www.davekny.com $95
Th is is the last umbrella you’ll ever have to buy. As long as the piece is registered aft er being purchased, David Kahng, a mechanical engineer with an MBA from Columbia University and CEO of the company, is so confident about the durability of the frame that he will repair or replace it indefinitely. If you lose you umbrella, another will be sent to you for just half the retail price.
Videogame Marketing and PR:
Vol. 1—Playing to Win (P3: Power Play Publishing) $17.95 $17.95.
If you’re the type whose thumbs are always sore from playing video games, you might want to put down the controllers and pick up Videogame Marketing and PR: Vol. 1—Playing to Win. Available this month, this insightful guide to marketing and promoting within the $13.5 billion videogame and computer industry might be right up your pixelated alley. The book includes expert advice, how tos, proven tips and more.
THE 5BEST US CITIES TO FIND WORK
Forbes measured the largest 100 metropolitan areas, as defined by the US Census Bureau, and ranked them using these guidelines: Unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living. Those that topped the list may come as a surprise.
With mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, and re-organizations happening more than ever before, the term “job security” is quickly becoming obsolete.
Save yourself from being blindsided with the informative book, I Didn’t See It Coming (Wiley, $24.95), written by three high-powered executive women who—you guessed it—didn’t see it coming. Nancy
C. Widmann was the first female president at CBS; Amy Dorn Kopelan was an executive at ABC for 20 years; and Dr. Elaine J. Eisenman spent more than 25 years consulting for Fortune 500 companies. If they weren’t safe, who is? Here’s a taste of wisdom from these still-successful professionals:
10 Red Flags and What They Really Mean
1 • A coach is brought in to help you with conflict resolution. Management is building a case.
2 • You are handed unattainable profit goals. Management is squeezing you out.
3 • You are reassigned from sales to operations. You’ve been taken off the fast track.
4 • Your boss will no longer approve any capital expenditures. You have lost power.
5 • You are not invited to the annual meeting. Management has no future plans for you.
6 • There are many closed-door meetings that you weren’t informed about.
You are no longer in the information loop.
7 • Attorneys are noticed on the executive floor. Your company is buying or selling.
8 • Pressure on you for short-term profits becomes extreme. The company is being pumped up for a sale.
9 • The company’s former adversaries are seen taking a meeting. Management shift in the wind.
10 • Colleagues change from “Let’s have dinner” to “How about a cup of coffee?” They’ve heard that you’ve lost power and are no longer worth the price of a steak.