Japanese themed shopping list:

Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan ($11)
Tokyoflash Tibida ($164)
Kyoto 2 Tops Coffee Table ($412)

Verdict: Coffee Aficionados should buy ($150)
dolcegustostore.com

A few months back, I came across the Dolce Gusto single serve coffee maker during my research for a Nespresso machine. At the time, my intention was to purchase a Nespresso pod machine because I had heard good things about them. However, I became intrigued by the Dolce Gusto, because, unlike Nespresso which focuses on different flavors and variations of Espresso, the Dolce Gusto allows you to make a variety of different coffee drinks, hot or cold. It is worth noting that both Nespresso and Dolce Gusto are from the same parent company Nestle – you may have heard about them.

The #1 reason Dolce Gusto was more appealing to me was the choice of drinks I could make using the one machine. As of date, the capsules come in the following flavors:

• Caffe Lungo
• Cafee Lungo Decaf
• Cappuccino
• Cappuccino Ice
• Espresso
• Chococino
• Mocha
• Latte Macchiato (current favorite)

I was also attracted to the features of the machine which made it stand out from other pod machines:

The Good

• Manual control allows me to control the strength and flavor of the drink.
• Hot/Cold switch allows me to make iced cappuccino in the summer.
• The machine is itself well designed and attractive.
• Great variety of drinks and new flavors are introduced periodically.
• Machine itself as well as pods are competitively priced.

The Bad

• No filter in the water tank.
• Dolce Gusto is still relatively new to the market which is currently dominated by KCup-branded pods. Therefore, it’s harder to find the Dolce pods in store.

Usage Notes & Tips:

• You can use the machine to dispense yourself a cup of hot water to make tea! (Turn it on without inserting any pod).

If you like to experiment with your coffee and like to try new flavors, I recommend getting the Dolce Gusto over a Nespresso maker. Alternatively, you could purchase a Keurig coffee maker (KCup pods).

Heading off to Japan! Will be on the lookout for some cool stuff there and will review them on the blog when I get back. I do not speak one word of Japanese so it should be interesting. I have the Lingolook Japan iPhone app though, so I’m hoping everything goes well. Will continue to update the blog regularly though.

Verdict: Buy ($20)
amazon.com

We all know someone who knows someone who’s into poker these days. Unlike other books written by well-known pro players, Swayne’s Advanced Degree in Hold’em takes a course-like approach to teaching the skills required to actually make money playing Texas Hold’em. The book also contains assignments and questions to test whether the reader has acquired the necessary knowledge to proceed further.

The tone and content of the book is also very refreshing. Most of the book is devoted to Limit Hold’em but there is a chapter dedicated to adjustments when transitioning to No Limit. The author, a university professor, is very thorough. All chapters are filled with empirical data obtained through computer simulations. Moreover, unlike other books that pretend to reveal poker secrets that will make you rich very fast, this book approaches poker in a more disciplined way. The knowledge is provided to the user in an easy to read and easy to understand manner. The hard part is having the will and discipline to learn and put into practice all that knowledge. Highly recommended as a gift to anyone who’s seriously into Poker.

If you’re looking for some stuff to buy this weekend:

iFitness iPhone app ($1.99) (Review to come soon)
You’re not as good as you think you are ($9.95)
Crown skinless condoms (priceless) (Review to come soon)
Nike Air Royal Mid ($220)
Thinkpad X200 (Thanksgiving sale – ~$1000)

Verdict: Buy (~$600)
hermanmiller.com

The Herman Miller Mirra chair is a great alternative to the pricier Aeron. without sacrificing looks and comfort. Some (count me in) even find the Mirra more comfortable than the Aeron.

The basic version comes with non-adjustable arm rests and standard lumbar support, adjustable tilt control, and more importantly, customizable colors. Let me just say that even the wife, who absolutely did not want an ‘office chair’ for her desk, instantly loved it when a white Mirra chair arrived on the doorstep. The seat is made of mesh material and is very comfortable for long working hours.

Verdict: Buy ($80)
makr.com

Being sort of a minimalist, I’ve always looked for thin wallets. That’s until I heard of Makr. Handmade in the US, these wallets allow me to carry just the right amount of credit cards, as well as some folded cash. Before Makr, I tried the Slimmy from Koyono and was extremely disappointed. Slimmy doesn’t even come close in terms of quality and look. If you’re looking for a small wallet that does the job and looks great, I highly recommend the Angle wallet from Makr.

Verdict: Buy ($1197)
folbot.com

I ordered the Folbot Citibot last spring, after reading the lukewarm review on Wired. Two weeks later, I was picking up a large box at my local UPS store. Inside, a large backpack containing my kayak, nicely folded along with a note from the crew. One of the nicest things about purchasing a Folbot kayak is that you get the immediate feeling that you now belong to a family. The guys over at Charleston SC. not only love what they do, but stand 100% behind their product and are proud of their heritage as a company.

After reading the assembly instructions, it took me about 40 mins to assemble the citibot the first time, the hardest part for me was sliding the frame into the skin. Since then, I’ve improved to a mere 15 mins.

The citibot consists of an aluminium frame which is assembled by ‘clipping’ foldable tubes of aluminium together. Once assembled, the frame is slipped into the boat skin – 35 oz. Hypalon hull fabric and urethane coated polyester deck. The foldable seat goes in and finally, the skin is made taunt by inflating two sponsons. The fully assembled kayak weighs a mere 24lbs.

Folbot on Flickr

Over the summer, I’ve maximized the use of my citibot, taking it into as many different bodies of water as I could. I even took it as far as Banff, Alberta and paddled in some of the rivers there. Usually though, I stuck to nearby lakes and reservoirs, and limited my outings to 2-3 hrs at a time. I definitely enjoyed paddling all summer and, as I’m packing my kayak away for the winter, I am definitely looking forward to next year.

The Bad

• I sometimes wish the standard paddles that come with the citibot were a bit lighter but can’t really complain for the price.
• The backpack straps could be better designed. They tend to detach when not in use.

A better paddle

The Good

• Excellent entry level kayak for recreational paddling. Stable, Maneuverable. Paddles straight.
• Being able to pack multiple citibots into my trunk
• Being able to store my kayak inside a closet
• Being able to carry it with one hand and a case of beer in the other.
• Lifetime product warranty, great customer support. Heck you have a problem? send a tweet to the CEO directly.

Usage Notes & Tips:

• The optional foot braces come in handy for long(er) journeys.
• Consider purchasing Vibram Five-Finger shoes to paddle with, or barefoot is another alternative.
• The Wired review is definitely wrong with respect to the velcros and plastic clips being poor structural choices. After an entire summer of heavy use, I haven’t noticed any unusual wear on the clips/velcros and to the kayak itself.
• Subscribe to the Folbot newsletter. There are occasional sales that you may take advantage of.

Verdict: Buy ($599)

The Dyson Canister is very close to being a perfect manual vacuum cleaner. Certainly the best I’ve ever purchased and used. I currently own the now-defunct DC 21, purchased about 2 years ago. Dyson now produces updated versions of this product with the DC 22, DC 23 (pictured) which are even better than mine.

Dyson history

Cyclonic separation

If you’re in the market for a vacuum cleaner or you’re fed up with the one you currently own, you just cannot go wrong with a Dyson. They will not clog and do not lose suction. They are bagless and use a process called cyclonic separation to collect dust and dirt particles from vacuumed air. They initially cost more than their counterparts but if you’re looking for a quality vacuum cleaner, it’s very hard to find something better at the moment.

Now that I’ve convinced you that Dyson is the way to go, you have the choice of purchasing an upright or a canister. The canister has several advantages over the upright:

1. Lower profile. Makes vacuuming under beds and couches easy.
2. More maneuverable. Makes vacuuming stairs easy.

Having owned both uprights and canisters, I sincerely think canisters are easier to use and get the job done faster. They are also easier to carry up and down the stairs, and from room to room.

The Bad
Price. Dyson is at the high end of the price spectrum when it comes to vacuums, making them inaccessible to budget buyers.

The Good
Besides price, there’s not much to complain about. My machine works as well right now as the day I bought it, about two years ago. It hasn’t visibly lost any suction.

People taking pictures of their Dyson

Usage Notes & Tips:

• From time to time, use the Zorb carpet maintenance powder, sold by Dyson, to clean your carpets. In my experience, Zorb actually serves two purposes. It keeps your carpet clean and cleans your Dyson at the same time. Over time the dust receptacle of the vacuum gets dirtier. Unless you clean it with soap & water after each use, which I doubt anyone does, the receptacle is susceptible to odors. Using Zorb from time to time really helps keep your Dyson clean.

• Get the motorhead accessory for carpet or the hardwood accessory if your floors are mostly hardwood. The online store has a whole bunch of accessories that’ll fit your need.

Verdict: Not for everyone ($129)

The Pantone Huey Pro is a small device which allows you to color-calibrate computer monitors. If you do a lot of photo printing, or are a print/online designer and you don’t already own one or something similar, get up and get one now. Everyone else can probably skip this one.

Why would you want to color calibrate your monitor, you ask?

1. It brings you one step closer to reliably get your prints to match what you see on the screen.
2. If you work with dual monitors (especially if they’re of different brands), color calibration ensures colors are rendered consistently across all monitors.
3. If you do a lot of photography work on your computer, a properly color-calibrated monitor ensures you’re seeing color accurate pictures.
4. It allows your monitor to be the ‘best it can be’

In my case, the main reason I purchased the huey PRO was to calibrate a 24” Dell monitor (2407WFP) attached to a mac mini running Snow Leopard that’s sitting in my home office. Next to the mini, there’s also a 24” iMac and I’ve always noticed a significant color rendering difference between the two; the Dell being the worse one. Here’s a short video of the calibration process:

After calibration, I’m happy to report that the colors on the Dell 2407WFP look much much better. Calibration of the iMac yielded marginal improvements (as expected). In the end, both screens are now rendering colors to my satisfaction.

Usage Notes & Tips:

• Read the Advanced Help Section of the huey PRO user guide
• Color calibrating your screen will not automatically make your prints match what you see on screen. It will however bring you one step closer.
• The huey PRO has a light sensor which allows it to adjust screen brightness depending on ambient light. I turned this feature Off as in my experience, in most cases, it overcompensates and makes the screen too bright.

Recommendation: Buy if you are a digital photography enthusiast.