September 8th - 2008

WIRED OFFICE: Cool gadgets for busy REALTORS®

REALTORS® are big users of the latest technology in their business whether it’s the newest cell phone, GPS, digital camera or laptop.

REALTORS® are big users of the latest technology in their business whether it’s the newest cell phone, GPS, digital camera or laptop. Each year new and significantly enhanced products hit the shelves with the potential to make you more productive, stay connected wherever you go or maybe just have some fun. If you are a gadget lover, check out these nifty tools for your car, your home and your office.
 
Solar charger
Keep your gadgets powered on the go with the Solio® Hybrid 1000. This charger boasts a powerful solar panel and battery in an incredibly compact and slender case, conveniently geared with a built-in rugged carabiner and cable. The Hybrid 1000 is simple to use – just clip on, plug in, and charge up! This universal charger can power virtually all your electronic devices and works with most common mobile phones, MP3 players, and GPS units… simply change the adaptor tip. $79.95 www.solio.com/charger.
 
Celebrity navtones
If you have a TOM TOM GPS navigation system in your car, you’re probably familiar with the generic woman’s voice telling you to turn left at the next light. Now you can download celebrity voices such as Mr. T, Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds or Kim Cattrall to name a few. A single celebrity voice will cost about $10 to download from www.navtones.com.
 
Digital compass
Most REALTORS® have already made the jump towards GPS navigation systems, but there are bound to be a few who have not yet taken that next step. Enter the Digital Talking Compass, a precursor to all things GPS. This digital compass mounts on your dashboard to help get you where you want to go! A clear human voice gives accurate readings. The large, easy-to-read, backlit display also gives the time, date, and temperature. Plus, it’s an alarm clock and chronograph. Mounting tape included. Uses three AA batteries (not included). $24.99. www.whateverworks.com.
 
Batterybooster
Don’t let a dead car battery leave you stranded on the road. With the Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster, you can jump-start your engine from inside your car—without jumper cables. Plug the battery booster directly into your vehicle’s 12-volt accessory outlet, and it’ll recharge your battery within minutes. The booster fits in your glove compartment for easy storage. $59.99. www.blackanddecker.com/simplestart.
 
Extendable tripod
Capture those hard-to-reach property photos with the help of a handheld extendable tripod. The Quik Pod, which mounts to your camera or camcorder, extends your photographic reach by about 18 inches. A built-in mirror helps you frame your shot. The attachment weighs less than 3.5 ounces and can be downsized to 7.5 inches for easy transport. The Quik Pod Pro Plus adds legs to the extendable tripod to transform it into a mini tabletop tripod. Starting at $24.95. www.quikpod.com.
 
Thriving office
When customers call, have your home office project the image of an established, successful company that is bustling with activity. Play the Thriving Office CD in the background to bring the sounds of an office to your home. The CD features two 39-minute tracks, “Busy” and “Very Busy,” and contains such sounds as ringing phones, typing keyboards, and mumbling voices. $12.95 for CD, $5.95 for shorter mp3 downloads. www.thrivingoffice.com.
 
Laser measure
Replace that old-fashioned tape measure with a handheld device that projects a laser beam across a room to record measurements. The RoboTape Laser Measure can compute square footage and cubic volume and take level measurements. Stores up to 50 measurements. Use it indoors, outdoors, in the dark, and in sunlight. $259. www.robotoolz.com.
 
Wi-Fi finder
Now you no longer need to boot up your notebook PC just to find out whether you are near a Hot Spot! IOGEAR's little Wi-Fi Finder is an RF wireless device that can capture Wi-Fi signals while avoiding interference from other devices such as 2.4GHz cordless telephones, microwave ovens and Bluetooth devices. Just turn it on and get online. $34.95. http://www.iogear.com/product/GWF001/.
 
Find more from the “what will they think of next?” department; check out the following sites:
 
www.thinkgeek.com
www.coolgadgetszone.com
www.gizmodo.com
www.coolgadgets.org
 
or simply type “cool gadgets” into your browser’s search engine.

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Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Senior Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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