I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m kind of a sucker for cool stuff. I like nifty gadgets, quirky decoration pieces, nice clothes (and shoes!), good books, and fun games.

In this series of weekly posts, I share whatever currently has my fancy. Maybe some of it will catch yours as well! (Oh and in case you’re wondering, while I do participate in Amazon’s affiliate program, I’m not paid to promote anything.)

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS ANTHEM

It’s easy to forget how nice and easy most of us have it. This is a much-needed reminder.

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NOD

nod-ring

We’re used to gesture control on our phones, tablets, and laptops, but gesture control in a ring? Yup, that’s Nod.

With Nod, you control devices by simply moving your hands in the air. Check it out:

 

ROBINHOOD

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We’ve been conditioned to believe that it’s normal to pay a per-transaction fee when making stock trades, but Robinhood is turning that “tradition” on its head. With this slick, FREE app, you can trade stocks with zero fees.

No catches. No BS. (Here’s how they can do this, in case you’re wondering.)

 

CHEF’N PALM PEELER

chef-n-palm-peeler

Here’s yet another nifty little gadget from Chef’n (I found this company through their VeggiChop utensil, which I now use every day).

The Palm Peeler slides onto your finger, tucks into your palm, and peels anything you can get your hand on. It makes peeling way faster.

 

SLATE MOBILE AIRDESK

slate-mobile-airdesk

If you spend a lot of time on a laptop and want to be able to lounge and still work/play comfortably, get the Slate Mobile Airdesk. It promotes proper posture, the mousepad  and phone/tablet dock are great touches, and it keeps your laptop cool (no more frying your lap!).

 

BOOK OF THE WEEK:

BEYOND TRAINING

beyond-training-cover

In Beyond Training, personal trainer, holistic nutritionist, health expert, and all-around cool guy Ben Greenfield, shows you how to overcome common health-related training issues while optimizing your workouts so you can look, feel, and perform like a champion. 

This book is like a buffet of “biohacks.” Greenfield covers a wide variety of subjects like…

  • Improving endurance, mental performance, and workout recovery
  • The 25 most important blood and saliva biomarkers and how to test them
  • How to strengthen the immune system
  • 9 ways to fix a broken gut, create toxin-free life, and detox your body
  • Proven ways to enhance sleep, eliminate insomnia, and conquer jetlag
  • And more…

Whether you’re an exercise enthusiast or just looking to shed a few pounds, you’ll find plenty of helpful advice in Beyond Training.

 

TV SHOW OF THE WEEK:

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

star-wars-the-clone-wars-jedi-wallpaper

I’m a big fan of the original Star Wars movies and of the universe itself, but after the new trilogy, I thought Lucas had completely lost his touch for storytelling or simply didn’t care about the franchise anymore. Thus, when I heard about the Clone Wars series, I assumed the worst: a cartoon, meant primarily for children, with Lucas at the helm? No thanks.

But I was wrong. Completely wrong. Clone Wars is fantastically done. It’s far better than the New Trilogy, and actually makes me hopeful for Episode VII.

Yes, it’s a children’s show, but it has a lot going for it:

  • The episodic plots are quite entertaining–they’re varied, well designed, and perfectly paced
  • The over-arching plot advances steadily (you don’t have to trudge through long stretches where nothing of any greater importance happens)
  • The characters are simplistic yet developed enough for you to actually care what happens (this is no Game of Thrones, but the cast gets the job done)
  • It’s surprisingly adult in many ways: dark themes, character deaths, realistic consequences, and the slow-mounting tension that, as we know, will result in the complete collapse of the Republic

 

Regardless of your age, if you like the world of Star Wars at all, give Clone Wars a go. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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What do you think of this week’s picks? Have anything you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below!