GoLightWeight

I tend to actually put my laptop in my lap. The heat generated by a laptop can be uncomfortable and I’m none too happy about having that kind of heat that close to certain bodyparts. To solve this problem, I bought one of those little usb powered pads with fans that slip under your laptop. It seemed great at first, but quickly proved un-practical. Sure, the fans are nice, but they also drain your battery faster. And the pad itself is kind of thick, heavy, and takes up too much room in a backpack.

While visiting my friend Ninja Dave, I learned a better way. He used a simple piece of corrugated plastic. His came by way of picking up a “For Sale” sign. What a brilliant light weight and inexpensive solution! However, I was only able to find the flat plastic signs myself, not the corrugated plastic. I was able to find a nice big sheet of corrugated plastic, and this is what I did:

Thanks again to Ninja Dave for the tip, Nino for painting, and Cat for the final action shot!

There are two decent Netbook sales happening Black Friday.

Thanks to Neotrobe for the heads up, on the Acer Aspire One on New Egg for $249.99.

And while exploring, I also ran across Dell’s Inspiron Mini 9 for $299.

I’m torn, myself. The Aspire is $50 cheaper, but the Inspiron comes with Ubuntu. Either way, the prices are good!

Thanks to Seth at Trek Light for passing along word of a special on their fabulous hammocks, here’s the scoop:

Save 30%!!

Usually a one day sale only, this year we’ve decided to go a step further and begin our Cyber Monday sale on Black Friday and give you 4 full days to take advantage of our big savings.

You no longer have to worry about sneaking in some online shopping when you’re back at work on Monday, just visit our site anytime between Friday November 28th to Monday December 1st, enter the coupon code CRZYSALE08 and you can save big!

Get your holiday shopping done early this year and enjoy the great savings!

The coupon cannot be combined with other offers and can only be used once per customer.

So this Friday, head on over to the Trek Light Store and pick up your hammock!

I recently posted a video about my Nokia N800. While it’s an amazing machine, sometimes it’s just too underpowered for my needs. Currently, my only alternative is to drag my Dell laptop around with me. I’ve long dreamed of something in the middle, and now it exists. It’s a new class of devices commonly referred to as Netbooks (or, at times, subnotebooks).

Over the years, we’ve seen an interesting trend where powerful computers are getting smaller and more portable while mobile devices (such as phones) are becoming more feature rich and powerful. The netbook craze is a wonderful step in that evolution.

So what can a netbook do for you? A lot more than a PDA but not as much as a full rig. Netbooks typically have limited storage space, particularly those using solid state technology (hard drives have moving parts). The screens are somewhat restricted as well. Most of the latest generation netbooks have 1024×600 screens. Many web designers work around the assumption that most users are running at a screen width of at least 1024 pixels. This means the current state of netbooks are riding right on the fine line of general usability.

Most netbooks deploy the relatively new Atom processor. This means they’re powerful enough for multimedia and most producitivity applications. To get even better performance, not to mention saving a lot of money, many netbooks offer a Linux operating system instead of the common (and bloated) MS Windows OS. One of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu, is currently working on a distribution targeted directly at netbook type devices. I’ve personally used Ubuntu as my primary operating system for nearly 3 years and love it. However, I’m also a general fan of open source – being that I’m an advocate for Intellectual Sustainability.

So what netbook should you buy? That’s a tough question. The Asus EEE really started it all. Since then we’ve seen the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9, HP Mini 1000, MSI Wind, Samsung NC10, Toshiba NB100, and just today Pac Bell announced their new netbook. If you want to do the research and start comparing features, there are many buyers guides on the Internet including this one and this one. In the end, you’ll want to find the feature set that best matches what you use your computer for.

Personally, I’m leaning towards the Acer. It has a good feature set and a good price point. The machine does run Linux, howerver it is a customized version from Acer. I would prefer a more standard distribution such as the Ubuntu machines. Dell provides Ubuntu on their Mini 9, but their pricing is a bit steeper than other options. My decision, at least for now, is to wait until next year to buy.

If you want one NOW, this weekend is your chance. Every physical world Microcenter is recieving 30 machines (20 MSI Winds and 10 Acer Aspire Ones) and they are on sale for $300. A viable, usable, and extremely lightweight and portable computing solution for just $300 is something worth smiling about.

Going light weight when you travel is a no-brainer. When our great great grandparents were packing equipment on the back of a mule, they knew there was a weight limit. However, it seems that our modern times have brought about a new concern in going light weight – our homes. For reasons ranging from a lower ecological impact to significantly reducing our costs of living, there’s a growing trend towards living light weight.

Part of this trend is the increase rise in the popularity of transforming furniture. This touches ground very close to the recent GLW post on Trumidei bedrooms. However, it’s even more impressive to see a complete apartment solution. You can find out more about it on Kenchikukagu’s website.

Thanks once again to Tree Hugger for the scoop.

Scott introduces us to the Nokia N800 Internet tablet and iGo keyboard. For more information, try these links:

N800s on Ebay
N800 on Wikipedia
Maemo on Wikipedia The Linux based OS running on the N800
N800 on Nokia’s Site
N810 WiMax on Nokia’s Site (Wimax support, keyboard, gps, and more)
iGo Folding Keyboard on Amazon

Tumidei has some fantastic solutions if you’re living in a small space. The products come by way of a  Tree Hugger post, giving credit to a post on Uncluttered, who finally credited simply stated. These space saving designs are stunning to look at. I’ve posted 3 of the images here. For more, check any of the posts listed above.

GoLightWeight.com is all about anything that’s lightweight. On my own adventures in life, I’ve often found myself working on the road. In fact, I’ve often blogged about my “mobile office“. As such, you’re likely to find many future GLW articles about mobile computing.

I recently found a terrific site called Digital Nomads. The site is a community hub for exactly the type of folks who tote around their mobile office, much the way I love to do. From their own about page:

Digital Nomads is a community site for individuals that work or play without regard for their physical location. It is a place where they can come together to read about other digital nomads, share ideas, tips and tricks, and best practices, and read the latest nomad-oriented news. Digital Nomads live a lifestyle where their laptop and other electronic devices create the center of their office and/or play-space.

If you’re one of us, you might want to head on over and get involved with Digital Nomads.

On an adventure to Mexico about a year ago, I stopped in the city of Merida. The city is often proclaimed as “the hammock city” by various hammock vendors. You see, hammocks are the way to sleep when you’re trekking across the Mayan routes.

Thus, I bought my first hammock in Merida. Since then, I’ve packed it on a few trips. Unfortunately, this amazing, hand-woven, hanging bed of happy consumes a ton of space in my pack. I’ve since stopped carrying it with me only because of weight and space.

Recently, I ran across a company called Trek Light and one of their key products: extremely lightweight hammocks. These hammocks are made from parachute nylon. The “single” measure 5′ by 10′, holds 400lbs, and adds a single pound in your pack. If you want a snuggle buddy, the “double” stretches 6.5′ wide. An additional aspect of this very smart design – the “bag” for the hammock is part of the hammock itself.

The products aren’t cheap. The single comes in at $54.95 and the double at $64.95. However, this seems to be the kind of backpacking item you only purchase once. After just a couple of trips with my traditional hammock, I would gladly put a few more bills on the table to gain back all that space in my pack, not to mention the weight.

Find out more (or order) from Trek Light’s website.

To kick off our site, Sassy takes us through a tour of the many uses for a sheet of Habotai silk. Make a shirt, backpack, skirt, hoodie, scarf, sling, and more.

PS : We will improve the quality of our audio next time!