New products: Snooze dock lets you catch extra Z's
- New Guitar Lab DVDs teach blues rhythms%2C jazz
- Kensington lock uses words instead of numbers
- iFi Systems Smart Tag can find nearby lost items
DON'T BE TOO ALARMED
You're probably not in the greatest mood when you're in a deep slumber and your morning alarm goes off. Maybe you just want to slap the alarm clock. You can do just that, thanks to the Snooze from Distil Union. The Snooze is an alarm dock — dock, not clock — that cradles your iPhone. The dock features a "fat" rubber snooze bar. So, if your phone alarm goes off and you want to catch some more Z's, you can just slap the rubber bar and sleep for pre-determined periods. It can also silence incoming phone calls. The Snooze features a non-slip bottom to prevent it from falling behind your nightstand. Compatible with the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5, the Snooze costs about $40.
LIKE THE GUITAR? TAKE YOUR PICK
Are you tired of trying to master Stairway to Heaven while practicing the guitar? Instead, maybe you'd like to practice some classic blues, jazz-blues and bass grooves. That's where three new DVD titles in the Guitar Lab line of instruction take the stage. Produced by eMedia Music Corp. in partnership with TrueFire, the titles are 50 Blues Rhythms You Must Know, 50 Jazz-Blues Licks You Must Know and 50 Bass Grooves You Must Know. For instance, the jazz-blues offering contains classics from guitarists such as like Kenny Burrell, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. The bass grooves are inspired by artists such as James Brown and Ray Charles. The DVDs will retail for about $25.
YOUR LAPTOP ON LOCKDOWN
This has probably happened to you: You're in a coffee shop or library, tapping away on your laptop. But you want to step away for a few moments to grab a drink or use the restroom and don't want to lug your computer with you and don't want to just leave your laptop unprotected. That's where the Kensington WordLock Portable Combination Laptop Lock comes in handy. Think of it as a bike lock for your computer. Basically, you plug in the lock into a port on the side of your computer. You can set the combination with a four-letter code. A self-coiling cable that extends to 6 feet lets you anchor the laptop to a desk or other fixed structure. Ready to stash it in your bag? It shrinks down to 3 inches. The WordLock costs about $28.
YOUR SEARCH IS OVER
Has your teenager ever lost a set of keys? (Hey, don't get us started!) And chances are you have misplaced something like a purse, backpack — whatever. Most of the time, you probably began a frantic search and/or tore out your hair. The "I Found It" Smart Tag from iFi Systems could bring an end to your rush-hour angst. The smart tag can be attached to any item you don't want to lose and then activated with an Android or Apple app. So, if you are within 30 feet of the item in question, you can use your smartphone to find it. The tag also can be programmed to send an alert if you and your phone move more than 30 feet away from the tagged item. If you don't locate your lost item in three minutes, the iFi Systems will send a Google map snapshot of the missing item's last known location to your e-mail address. The iPhone tag costs about $30, while the Android version is about $35.
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