Simplify your life via gadget consolidation

Elgan: Simplify your life via gadget consolidation

Save time, money and headaches by reducing the number of devices you use

Mike Elgan

May 2, 2009 (Computerworld) Giant corporate IT departments do it. And so can you.

Server consolidation, which is the process of reducing the number of physical servers used at a company without reducing the total number of theoretical servers (through virtualization), can boost efficiency.

Companies do consolidation because new projects tend to get new, dedicated hardware. Only later does the total waste become apparent.

We all do the same thing in our personal lives. Each new "project" -- TV upgrade, new cell phone, new music system -- involves dedicated hardware. Only later do you realize that you've got cables everywhere, five remote controls, too many devices to be charged, and clutter and complexity everywhere.

By consolidating gadgets, you can free up space in your home, save money and make your life easier.

If you read my blog yesterday, you'll know that I've recently become semi-nomadic, living in a smaller house but traveling abroad most of the time. This project got me thinking about all the efficiencies of gadget consolidation.

Here are all the things I consolidated, or plan to consolidate, and how:

PC and laptop: Until recently, I used my three-year-old desktop PC (which had dual 20-inch screens) while at home, and a laptop while traveling. But this week I sold the PC with one of the monitors and now use my laptop full time. This works nicely because my laptop has an 18-inch screen. While at home, I plug into the 20-inch LCD display I didn't sell, which gives me the same two-screen experience I used to enjoy on my desktop.

TV and laptop: OK, the truth is I still have a big flat-screen TV. But because I'll be away from home much of the time, I made sure my laptop has Blu-ray support and even a TV tuner so I can watch high-def movies and local TV wherever I go. I can also watch clips or entire TV shows on Hulu and other Web sites.

Cell phone and remote control: A remote control unit is just a battery-operated device that throws infrared light around the room. Any device designed to work with a remote will be controlled by anything that produces the right series of infrared flashes.

There are a gazillion ways to set this up, depending on what kind of phone and home entertainment system you have. Simply search Google for your brand of phone plus "TV remote," and you'll get links to several options. The goal is to use the gadget you're already carrying, rather than one or more dedicated remotes that clutter the room or get easily lost.

Land-line phone and cell phone: Over the next few days or weeks, Google plans to launch Google Voice, which is a single phone number you can give to people. The trick is that you can choose online which of your phones the call goes to. It can go to your land-line phone at work during the day, then to your cell phone -- or any of your cell phones -- at night and on weekends. The service unifies voice mail and transcribes messages for viewing online or via e-mail. Google Voice will simplify life for you, because it gives you more control over incoming voice calls, but also for anyone who calls.

TiVo and PC: There are lots of ways to use a PC to record TV shows for viewing either on a TV or on the PC itself. The leading DVR company, TiVo, offers several options, for example, on its Web site.

Digital camera and camcorder: The line between digital cameras and camcorders is blurring to the point of nonexistence. Take your pick. My Sony CRX HD camcorder takes better still photographs than most digital cameras. And my $400 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 digital camera takes breathtaking HD video at 30 fps. (It's waterproof and rugged, too.) There are so many cameras that "go both ways" that there is no longer any reason to have both -- or at least to carry both.

E-book reader and cell phone: I love my Kindle, but I'm stunned at how enjoyable the Kindle application (and other e-book reader applications) on the iPhone is. By using your cell phone as an e-book reader, you can save $400 and reduce the number of gadgets you have to carry around.

PC and sound system: By splurging on a high-end audio card and speaker systems, you can avoid a dedicated stereo altogether and still have great sound.

Cell phone and sound system: My laptop is my sound system when I'm on the road, but when I'm at home, I simply plug my iPhone into a PC sound system, launch Pandora (a kind of custom-radio app) and enjoy great-sounding music.

Satellite radio and cell phone: I've taken a lot of heat for my frequent predictions about the demise of satellite radio. But I still believe that satellite radio is not long for this world. Besides the intractable financial problems of Sirius XM Radio, the experience of listening to streaming audio from a cell phone is just too great for satellite radio to compete with. And it's free.

Cell phone and alarm clock: I got rid of my dedicated alarm clock a year ago and now just use my phone. It's easier, more flexible and more reliable -- and I can make the sound as annoying as I want to.

Cell phone and GPS: I bought a nice GPS about five years ago, and it cost me more than $1,000. Those days are gone. Now, a cell phone can replace most consumer GPS functions, such as turn-by-turn directions and finding businesses.

These are just a few examples of what's possible. If you have one of the leading smartphones, such as an iPhone, BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device, the number of applications that replace random gadgets, tools or other things is truly amazing. The larger point is that gadget consolidation is worth doing and offers a whole lot of benefits.

Big companies consolidate for very good reasons. Maybe you should, too.

Mike Elgan writes about technology and global tech culture. He blogs about the technology needs, desires and successes of mobile warriors in his Computerworld blog, The World Is My Office. Contact Mike at mike.elgan@elgan.com, follow him on Twitter or his blog, The Raw Feed.

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132473