Here are some nifty items that help me at work. Maybe they can help you too.
Do you work for an agency that requires you to fax in an order sheet/worksheet at the end of the job? Or do you just need a quick copy of a short document? Use your smartphone's camera and a handy app for scanning/sending. My smartphone's OS is Android, and I use this app. The $4 is well spent. I just open the Document Scanner app, select the plus sign, select capture a new pic, snap a pic, and send to the appropriate email recipient. iPhone has similar apps, including a free one. (Thanks to MaryAnn and Barb for this tip.)
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Ever get stuck in a stuffy old conference room with no air conditioning? Or maybe you find yourself, as I did the other day, in a nice conference room deep inside a well-insulated new office in Southern California ... with the heater on! WTH. I was dying in there till I brought out this little baby.
It's the Thermaltake Mobile Fan, a portable mini-fan that's USB-powered: just plug it into a free slot on your laptop and pull out the desired length of cord. There's nothing pretty about this fan; I'll say that right upfront. But it works like gangbusters, without being too loud. So you can keep doing your job without losing your cool.
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Space issues are another concern. Do the attorneys spread out their exhibits so much, there's no room for your stuff at the conference table? Would you like your own little "tabletop" that's not too flimsy to work on? Get instant sturdy space with the InStand. I use the tall tripod, CR3, with the medium tray, CT4, for my laptop to sit on. Height can be adjusted, so I arrange the InStand to perch right over my steno machine, with the laptop in easy sight and reach while writing.
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Still not enough space? You could try the larger tray or get a SideKick combo. This is a clamp/tray package that hooks on to a tripod to create an additional surface to one side or the other of your laptop or steno machine. I hook it on to my tall tripod. Now I have two "tabletops" or trays perched around my steno machine. The upper tray always holds my laptop. The lower tray holds my portable fan when I need it and/or other items like reading glasses, phone, etc.
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How to hold all this stuff? I use the Compact Carrier, made by Pathfinder and sold by Stenograph with its foam insert. But I see that's no longer being offered for sale on their website. When my carrying case eventually gives out, I will look for a replacement that's as compact as possible. Not big on hoisting, my motto is: Multiple small bags are better than one big bag.
