Biz Bits

On-the-go essentials for business travelers

Philips VOIP151 www.philips.com • $30 Keeping in touch has never been so easy. After a two-click installation, plug the phone into your laptop’s USB port, and make calls on Skype. It’s no wonder this travel companion won a 2008 CES Innovations award.
Iomega eGO Portable Hard Drive www.iomega.com • $161 Outdoorsy types will love this camouflage take on Iomega’s 250GB, USB-powered portable hard drive. Its curved chassis is covered with a grip band, helping it withstand drops of up to 60 inches. Carry up to 1 million photos, more than 4,625 hours of music or 375 hours of video.
Samsung Glyde www.samsungglyde.com • $250 This new, iPhone-esque multimedia, touch-screen phone—featuring a QWERTY keyboard that glides open—makes it simple to communicate with your office or loved ones. The Samsung device from Verizon Wireless comes with all of the features you’ve come to expect and love from such gadgets, including music and videos from V CAST. For the directionally challenged, VZ Navigator—which supplies audible and visual directions—will come in handy.
Vye Mini-V S41 www.vyeusa.com • $1,499 It may look like an oversized PDA, but this nift y device is more than capable of being an everyday computer. Featuring both a QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen, it runs on Windows Vista Premium (versus the simpler PDA versions of Windows).

PLAY @ WORK

Take a few small steps to make your workday more enjoyable.

Somehow, the idea was born that hard work and fun are mutually exclusive. Gini Graham Scott, author of Enjoy! 101 Little Ways to Add Fun to Your Work Every Day, has another take on the subject. The founder and director of Changemakers and Creative Communications & Research says that with a happier outlook and a few of the techniques she describes in her book, work can, in fact, be more fun. Here are five of the 101 small things you can do:

HAVE A BALL AT WORK
Bring in a soft ball, like a Nerf. You can bounce it against the wall or set up a basketball hoop in your office to unwind during breaks. Get a game of catch going or even set up a bowling lane—just make sure your coworkers want to play.

DRAW AND CRAFT YOUR WAY TO FUN
Doodling and sketching are a starting point for expressing creativity. Also try collecting pictures of coworkers for a collage, or turn a ruler into a magic wand and make everyone’s wishes come true.

ADD SOME HUMOROUS TOUCHES TO MEETINGS
Show up in a clown nose and choose a word that no one can say. If someone says the word—or says something disparaging—pass the clown nose onto them. This keeps meetings light and discourages negativity.

PUT ON AN ANNUAL HUMOROUS AWARDS PARTY
This can honor serious achievements like reaching sales goals, as well as funny superlatives like messiest desk. The prizes can be gag gifts, too. Just keep the jokes rolling so no one’s feelings are hurt.

ORGANIZE A GROUP OUTING
Whether you and your coworkers choose to go to a winery or sporting event, get lots of input before you start planning. You may want to plan some extra team-building activities, and it might become a regular occurrence.

THE CLOSING BELL
JACK GUINAN

I DON’T WANNA GROW UP!

While childhood hopes of becoming a movie star or playing in the NBA may have faded, some dream careers can still become a reality.

VIDEO GAME TESTER
Test games that are still in development to look for bugs.
Paycheck: $43,168*

SET DESIGNER
Determine the appropriate architectural and furnishing styles for theatrical productions. Paycheck: $40,214*

ZOOLOGIST
Work in all areas of animal life, studying creatures’ origins, behavior and relationships to the environment. Paycheck: $43,443*

DOLL MAKER
Generate innovative product concepts that incorporate fashion and kids’ lifestyle trends. Paycheck: $40,255*

FOOD SCIENTIST
Conduct research to discover new food sources, analyze food content and search for harmful additives. Paycheck: $49,337*

* Estimated salaries are collected from www.cbsalary.com and based on the US national average.