ULTIMATE WAY TO STORE, CATALOG AND INDEX DISCS

Just the other day I needed a CD to reinstall an application that died and spent a good half hour searching through my boxes of discs. Originally I had organized them by some obscure method which to this day I can't recall. I'm sure it was something clever but trying to find the disc that contained my desperately needed program made it painfully clear that I needed a better method of storing and organizing my ever growing collection of CDs and DVDs. And I think I found it.

First let me say that I love clever technology gadgets. And the CD Organizer from KDS is very clever. Envision a slim 20 inch tall blue and silver tower with an LCD display and several blue buttons on top. Along the front of the organizer are 75 thin motorized disc trays that slide in and out, each holding a single disc. There's also a corresponding indicator light next to each tray. The CD Organizer attaches to your Windows based computer via a USB connection. Just plug it in and run the included software to set things up.

The software is what makes the CD Organizer a breeze to use. Just insert most any CD or DVD you want to register into your computer's respective CD or DVD drive. The software will read, catalog and assign the disc to one of the 75 trays in the CD Organizer. The tray pops out and you drip in the disc. Continue to register your disc collection in the same manner until you've done them all and that's it. Now when you wish to locate a disc, simply run the disc finder application. You can search for any disc by its title, contents or any other method of indexing you select. To retrieve a disc, simply double-click on a title from a list shown on your screen and the corresponding tray glides out with the disc. To return a disc, double-click on the selection again and place the disc on the tray that pops out. It doesn't get much easier.

How many times have you lent someone one of your discs only to forget about it until you needed it? With the CD Organizer's "Lend a Disc" feature, you can lend out discs and the CD Organizer reminds you to whom you lent them and when they are due back. Very cool.

You can even find a disc without having to turn on your computer. The Organizer's LCD screen and keypad lets you search and locate a disc using its built-in intelligence.

The CD Organizer allows you to store and organize all of your CDs (Music, Video, DVDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, Game CDs and more). With the CD Organizer, no longer will you have to open and close jewel cases as you search through piles of unlabeled discs. $139.

Turn your iMac into an iLamp

Ok so I keep hearing the envious try and slam the iMac's great looks. My radio show co-host loves screaming the word "Cantaloupe" every time I mention the computer. But I think the iMac looks great and is easily one of the most innovative designs in a computer yet. But I just had to tell you about a little freeware program I stumbled upon. Entitled "iLamp," this tiny program turns your iMac into a lamp. Actually, it turns it into a DESIGNER lamp given the great looks of an iMac. Basically, all it does is make the iMac's brilliantly clear screen go completely white. The light given off combined with the way you can move and tilt the iMac's screen turns it into a really cool looking lamp! iLamp even lets you select a range of colors other than just white so you can turn the screen all red or blue to set the mood. So when you're not using your iMac to surf the Net, you can still use it to light your desk. Brings a whole new meaning to the word "Multifunction" doesn't it?