A Cheaper Altenative to an Actual iPhone?

The good folks over at SortingWithStyle.com got in touch with me to share the new iPhone Sticky notes that they have, and I couldn’t help but smile at the concept.  I know there are plenty of people out there looking for a cheap iPhone, and this might be the cheapest iPhone you can find, if you are only looking for it to serve as a pad of sticky notes that is.

Pretty Good Coverage, but the Battery Might be Going.

If you take a close look you can see that the detail on these is pretty good, and in fact they even have a full 5 bars of reception, although I think the clock stopped working at some point.   All kidding aside, these sticky note pads that just look like an iPhone are pretty cool, and I’m sure would make a great gift for those Apple fanatics out there who are obsessed with their iPhones.  The pad itself comes with 50 iPhone shaped sticky notes where the “screen” is made up of about 15 ruled lines for your notes.  The back side of each of these is completely blank, and from some quick testing that I did, the stickyness of them seems to work quite well, unlike some othr really cheap sticky notes I’ve run across in the past.

This Notepad App Looks Pretty Cool

A quick writing sample on the iPhone sticky notes went well using my Sharpie Pen.  There was no feathering, and hardly any bleed through, although I don’t typically find bleed through to be an issue when writing on sticky notes since I never use the back of them.   Overall these are a fun item and I’d definitely recommend them as a cool office supply that will get some second looks from your co-workers.    Check out the other desk accessories from Sorting with Style if you are looking for some fun office supplies to keep work a little more interesting.

Also, I’m going to add a pack of these to the other giveaway I’ve got going on right now with the Vivo Pen review, so head over there to see how you can enter twice to win these and some pens. There will be two pen winners but since I only have one pack of the iPhone sticky notes, they will go to the first winner over there who claims their prize once the winners are announced on Sunday.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

The Pull-and-Pop Paper Clip Dispenser

Friend to Office Supply Geeks everywhere, and accomplished Inventor, Jared Joyce has come up with yet another great idea that will help organize your office supplies and make you the envy of  your office mates.  His “Pull-and-Pop” Paper Clip Dispenser brings organization to a situation that is usually an unwieldy mess.  With this latest invention, Jared has transformed the traditionally messy magnetic paper clip dispenser into a “one at a time” organized and visually appealing addition for your desk.

A specially designed magazine of paper clips (kind of like a sleeve of staples) feeds into the bottom of this unit, and dispenses paper clips on an as needed basis.  When you take the one that is presented, it triggers a mechanism to dispense your next clip.  I know I’ve never had the desire to even own a paper clip dispenser just because they usually look so messy, but this item totally eliminates the eyesore that I typically associate with paper clip dispensers, and it dos it in a way that just looks fantastic and professional.  My first glance at the photos above reminded me of something that I would see in a modern art museum because of how clean and simple the lines are, but on top of all of that, this paper clip dispenser really brings a new twist to a tired old product.

As with many of Jared’s other inventions, he is promoting this on the social product development site, Quirky.  If you like the looks of this product, head on over to the product page on quirky where you can give suggestions and feedback on each step of the product development process and in turn you can be rewarded with “influence” points that let you earn a percent of the product’s future revenue.  Once you have checked out this cool paper clip dispenser on Quirky.com, don’t forget to stop by Jared’s Twitter and Facebook pages as well.  Many thanks to Jared Joyce for sharing his great new products with us.  Hopefully each of you can help support him on Quirky with your votes and comments, and make this and his other product come to market.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

The Magnetic Dry Erase Board from Three by Three Seattle

I’m a big fan of the products that come from my friends over at Three by Three Seattle, they do a great job with their innovative and stylish designs of some really great quality office products.  In the past I’ve reviewed their Dry Erase Bamboo Entry Butler which I loved so much that I made it part of my Editors Choice Awards for last year, and this Magnetic Dry Erase Board is a similar product but with enough differences that it warrants taking a look at.  Also, big thanks to Gwen for sending this sample over to me for review.

Magnetic Dry Erase Board by Three by Three Seattle

This magnetic dry erase board from Three by Three Seattle measures 4″ x 11″ and is really thin, but not in a “cheap” way because it is very sturdy as well.  It is great to keep in an easy to reach place for quick lists or notes.  The board has two large magnets on the back that will help hold it on any large magnetic surface like a refrigerator, metal desk, or metal cubicle wall or cabinet.  It is kind of hard to see unless you click on the image above to see the larger version, but it also comes with three small (but very strong) circular magnets to hold messages to it.  Just to be clear, there are two magnetic components to this dry erase board, first is that the back of it has magnets for mounting purposes, and second is that the surface itself is metal and magnetized so you can stick stuff to the front of it.

The dry erase marker that comes with this is also magnetized and sticks to the board surface.  I prefer using my own dry erase markers, like the thin Expo retractable ones, although they don’t have a magnetic cap to stick the dry erase board like this one.  This is a great little dry erase board, and as with all the stuff from Three by Three the quality is outstanding, they are one of those companies that do “simple” and do it really well.

In addition to being available at Amazon, Three by Three also offers these for sale at their own webstore so check them out here where they also have a few different colors to pick from.  I would also suggest keeping tabs on Three by Three on Twitter and Facebook because I’ve seen them do some contests and its a great way to be on top of their new product releases too.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

Just looks like an ordinary Post-it notes dispenser, right? Well, not really.

This fairly innocuous looking box of Post-it Notes is part of the Post-it “grip” series that I’ve reviewed in the past they are the Post-it notes Grip Pop-up Dispenser.  Back in April of last year, I took a look at one of the other items in this line, which was the desk set of Post-it flags with the grip, which I thought was really cool and useful.

In addition to being in the fancy “grip” dispenser, these Post-it notes are also recycled, made up of 100% recycled paper, 30% of which is post-consumer.  The Post-it notes inside the dispenser are the accordion-style that are attached at alternating ends so they dispense properly.  Now the cool part is the part of the dispenser that you have not seen yet on the bottom of the box.

Post-it Notes Grip Pop-Up Dispenser Base with the Rubber Gripper

On the bottom of the dispenser you see there is a white rubber diaphragm, which is what makes the dispenser stick to any smooth, clean, flat surface.  Now when you have the need to grab a Post-it note, the grip dispenser box keeps it attached to your desk as you pull one out.  The cool thing about the Post-it grip stuff is that although they attach to a flat surface, they also slide on it without detaching, so you can quickly move the dispenser to different spots on your desk.  Overall this is a great little product, as are any of the Post-it products with the grip functionality.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

Sample Pack of Levenger 3x5 Index Cards

A few days ago I wrote about the new Moleskine Index Cards, and they got a lot of feedback, so I thought it would be a good time to share these 3″x5″ Levenger index cards while still had index cards on the mind.  This set of index cards is from Levenger’s sampler pack, so keep in mind they have plenty of other options too including customized ones that you can get your name, contact info, or anything else printed on.

Levenger 3x5 Index Card Samples

The sample pack of these 3″x5″ Levenger Index Cards come in a pack of 75, and you get 25 with straight ruled lines, 25 with grids, and 25 with large windows.  They are made from a nice sturdy grade of bright white card stock with the same light grey lines found on the Levenger Circa paper, personally I really like the light grey rule marks because they are so subtle.  I think these cards are made from a card stock that is just a shade lighter than the Moleskine version, but they are still pretty sturdy nonetheless.  Each index card has a 1″ margin at the top, with 1/8″ margins around the ruled, grid, and window formats.  Each of the three different formats are printed on both sides of each card, and there is no show through on any of the printing.

Levenger 3x5 Index Card Writing Samples

I did a few different writing samples on the 3 different formats, and all of the inks that I used performed pretty well.  The first one you see on the left is the ruled version written with a Sharpie Pen, which performed very well, there was no bleeding or feathering, and it wrote very smoothly.  In the center you have the gridded version of the index card written out with a Zebra Sharbo X gel ink, and this was probably my favorite one to write on the cards with.  On the left you have the window format which I wrote on with my Lamy Studio with EF nib and Private Reserve ink, which again wrote very nicely with no feathering or show through.  These Levenger index cards perform very well with a variety of writing tools, so they should definitely be a consideration if you are looking for some good index cards and not just some cheap low quality and mass-produced option.  As I said before, in addition to the plain index cards from Levenger, they also offer a bunch of options for customized index cards made with the same high quality card stock.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

The Moleskine StickNotes in their Handy Folder

Last week we took a look at the new Moleskine Index Cards that I saw back in May at the National Stationery Show, and this week we’ve got the Moleskine version sticky notes to review.  Just for the record as we go on here, they are called Moleskine StickNotes, and I didnt miss they “y” when I typed this, although it is very tempting to refer to them as sticky notes.  A quick note too, the photo above still has the removable Moleskine packaging on it with their logo and product info, that is just a paper slip that comes right off.

These Moleskine StickNotes are part of the new “Folio Tools” line from Moleskine that are geared towards the office professional.  Initially I was worried that I would not be happy with the paper on these sticky notes from Moleskine because in the past I have been disappointed with some of their journal paper.  In the case of the Moleskine StickNotes though, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the paper, with each of the pens I tried, there was no bleeding, feathering, or showthrough.  More importantly, unlike other sticky notes, you dont get that dead spot on the top where its really hard to write on them.  I’ve always assumed that this was due to the adhesive that gets left on the top portion of each sticky note, but whatever it is, Moleskine has found a way to avoid that issue.

Moleskine StickNotes Writing Sample Including a Fountain Pen

The Moleskine StickNotes come in a pack of 60, you get 20 large (3 1/4″ x 5 3/4″) ruled sticky notes, and 40 small (3 1/4″ x 2 1/2″) blank notes on a nice ivory colored paper with light grey lines.  They come in a black Moleskine card stock folder that makes it easier to keep in your bag or neatly tucked away somewhere.  I like this neat and easy storage solution because in the past I’ve found myself traveling to different offices for work and having a set of sticky notes in my bag would eliminate the need to scavenge around for a paper if I want to leave a note for someone.  The other nice thing about the Moleskine sticky notes if you want to carry them around is that the small flip open folder they come in will help protect the corners and edges from getting banged up and damaged on you.

I have worked with some people who use sticky notes to manage their work flow by having an ever shifting assembly line of notes with tasks on them, and I dont think that these would be ideal for that kind of use just due to the cost.  Personally I think these are much better suited for carrying with you in your bag or elsewhere so in those unique situation where you are away from  your normal stash of sticky notes, you have a high quality and easy to grab option.  These are definitely going to become a permanent fixture in my laptop bag, I may not use them every day, or even every week, but these are just one of those nicely done items that will be sure to come in handy on multiple occasions.  I have one small issue with these though which is that you are really getting 19 of each because the last sticky note in each stack is actually fully glued to the inside card stock cover and you cant really peel it off and stick it somewhere.  Anyway, I don’t think you will be disappointed with these nicely done Moleskine StickNotes, so check them out over on Amazon and give them a chance.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

Bamboo Dry Erase To Do Board from Three by Three Seattle

Last year I had the privilege of meeting the fine folks from Three by Three Seattle at the National Stationery show and I ended up reviewing their bamboo dry erase entry butler which I also  picked  as one of the top office supplies for 2009.  This year when I stopped by their booth at the National Stationery Show, I saw tons of new products that I’ve since been waiting to get my hands on to review.  Lucky for me, I just got a nice box full of stuff from them to review, so  you will be seeing some of it over the next few weeks.

The Bamboo Dry Erase To Do Board by Three by Three Seattle

The first item that I wanted to share with you is their Bamboo Dry Erase Desktop To Do Board, which is another of their great products made with a patented bamboo dry erase material. The Bamboo Dry Erase Desktop To Do board is a great green office supply because it eliminates the need for a notepad by your phone to take messages, or to write your to do list for the day.  Beyond just eliminating the need for you to continually write things on sheets of paper and throw them out, the board is made of bamboo, which is much more sustainable than your standard lumber because it grows much faster.  Personally I really love the look of bamboo, especially when it can replace the stark white blandness of standard white boards.

Bamboo Dry Erase Desk Top To Do from Three by Three Seattle

The Bamboo Dry Erase Desktop To Do Board comes in two pieces, a larger and smaller flat board with inter-locking slots.  The back of the board has a black foam covering that helps to give the edge a bit of a grip on your desk so it doesn’t slide as you put pressure on it to write.  Sliding the two pieces together was a little bit of a tight fit, so it isn’t something that you would want to take apart and put back together all the time, but this is probably good so it keeps a firm and steady stance while you write.

This product another big winner in my opinion from the great designers at Three by Three.  It looks GREAT, is incredibly functional, helps to reduce waste, keeps you organized, AND is made from sustainable materials.  All of that for about $13 is an incredible value that will help spruce up your desk area and make your office or cube mate jealous.  Check it out over at the Three by Three Seattle Shop and pick one up for yourself, I’m sure you will love it!

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

Moleskine Professional Memo Cards pack of 20

I first saw these Moleskine Professional Memo Cards (or simply Moleskine Index Cards is a more simple description) at the National Stationery Show earlier this year, and was recently able to get my hands on a pck of them.  These are one of the many new items from Moleskine that I referred to in my last newsletter (sign up for it here if you have not already) that I’ve got lined up to review.  I also decided that I should get going on my index card reviews when I recently read Brad’s nice gridded index card review over at the PenAddict the other day so I could mix it up from the usual pen and notebook reviews.

The Moleskine Professional Memo Cards in their Protective Folder

The Moleskine Professional Memo Cards come in a pack of 20, you get 10 of the Moleskine ruled index cards, and 10 of the Moleskine gridded index cards.  The cards measure 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ (sightly bigger than standard index cards) and are made from sturdy 200g ivory paper with pale gray lines.  Personally I think that the contrast of the ivory paper and light gray lines make a very visually appealing and easy on the eyes surface to write on, that is accented by the soft rounded corners of each index card.  They come in a black folder that is made of what feels like similar weight card stock as the index cards themselves, so don’t get your hopes up for something similar to the leather-like  Moleskine journal covers.

Moleskine Professional Memo Cards Writing Samples

Writing on these Moleskine Index Cards proved to be a pretty nice experience.  All of the pens I used including one fountain pen (my Lamy Studio with Extra Fine Nib and Sailor Blue Black Ink)  wrote very nicely, there was no bleeding, feathering, or show through.  I will however say that as you can tell from the writing sample on the gridded index card above, the dry time on these is not ideal, especially if you are a left handed writer.  Unfortunately these Moleskine Index Cards are not cheap, but if price is not an issue, they are quite nice to write on.  I’ve found their products to be a bit hit or miss before, but the quality of these definitely impress me as compared to some of their other products I’ve written on in the past.  Also just keep in mind that these index cards are slightly larger than the standard ones you might be used to that measure in about 1/2″ shorter in length and width.  Like I said before, I’ve got plenty more of their products coming up for review, so be sure to check back over the next few weeks for them.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

The Mini Business Card File Cabinet

The Mini Business Card File Cabinet from ThinkGeek.com actually made me laugh when I saw it because I thought is was such a good idea.  It seems like such a simple, yet creative solution for storing business cards.  I feel bad because I know this will be a pretty short review, but again, I just loved the idea and wanted to share this here with you.

The Mini Business Card File Cabinet Open

At only about 6 1/2″ tall, the mini business card file cabinet has two sliding drawers that hold a total of 500 business cards.  The mini business card file cabinet comes with cardboard dividers that break the alphabet down too two letter sub-divisions to help alphabetized your cards for you.  The drawers slide in and out pretty easily, and he top drawer even has a little digital clock.  This is a great little item to keep on your desk, the biggest difference between this and a real file cabinet is that this one is made entirely of plastic.  I can tell you though with a semi-full top drawer pulled out, it never gave the feeling of wanting to tip over from being top-heavy.  The only thing I might change about this is to add some rubber feet to it just to make sure it doesn’t slide across your desk when you are opening or closing it, although I guess it would be pretty cool if it was made of metal too.

If you are looking for a cool solution for storing your business cards, the Mini Business Card File Cabinet is definitely something unique that will stand out from all the other business card holders that probably litter your office.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

Organizing Cables with the Cable Monkey Cable Organizer

Yet another of my impulsive purchases from ThinkGeek.com was this cable organization tool called the Cable Monkey.  For the most part I like to focus on “cool” office supplies, and although this one rates up there as being cool, I think it might be my first entrant in the “cute” office supplies that I’ve reviewed here.

Cable Organizing Cable Monkey and His (or Her) Crazy Arms

So if you are looking for a fun way to help organize cables, the cable monkey is a pretty cool option.  It  has an arm span of 8.5″ and the body is about 1 1/4″ tall, while the whole thing measures at .2″ thick.  The rubbery body of this cable organization primate has a wiry shaft that runs through the center from finger tip to finger tip.  Basically its a big twist-tie that has a decorative monkey covering.

The Cable Organizing Cable Monkey Hugging a Power Cord

Here you can see that I used my cable monkey cable organization primate to latch around the power pack for my laptop.  The reason I tried it on the power pack is that I had an old laptop where the rubber strap that came with the power supply ALWAYS came detached, so I wanted to try to see if this could reach around an entire battery pack in addition to the cord which has been wrapped around it.  As you can see, the 8 1/2″ arm span did reach around the entire power supply to hold everything together.

Cable Organizing Cable Monkey Arms Tied

Hopefully nobody from PETA is reading this because this is the part where it gets ugly.  If you look at the above picture you can see what I actually had to do to the little paws to get the cable monkey cable organization tool to work as intended.  I grabbed the little paws and twisted them around each other to ensure a firm grip on my laptop battery pack.  With what looked like a firm grip, I gave a few tugs and pulls at the whole thing, and it appeared to have a pretty strong hold on the whole thing.  I now felt confident that as pictured above, the whole thing could now be tossed in my laptop bag with no worries of coming unwrapped causing me to find a spaghetti of wires next time I opened up my laptop bag.

Now don’t let my only example here sell the cable monkey short, because there are clearly a bunch of other ways that you can use this cable organization tool, such as bundling up the mess of wires that live behind or under most of our desks.  He seems pretty bendy, if in fact that is a word, and it does seem to have a good deal of durability.  One thing that I want to reiterate is that the wire only travels through the arms, so you can’t position the head or legs if you had that in mind.  I think the “cute” factor alone makes this guy worth the $4.99 that it will cost you from ThinkGeek, and it will certainly be a conversation starter for you at the office if you have this guy latched onto your cables somewhere, not to mention the fact that it actually does a good job at the cable organization that it was designed for.  Go ahead and check it out at ThinkGeek with all the other good office supplies that they have while you are hopefully enjoying a day out of the office today after the 4th of July.

© 2010, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.