How to Enjoy (or At Least Survive) Mondays

Ever wondered why Friday is such a magical day? Why you can go to sleep on Thursday night unusually happy? Why Fridays in general seem to be better days at work? Eight more hours, and it's officially the weekend.

For two days, you don't have to drive to the same office, sit at the same desk and do the same job you do for (at least) eight hours a day, five days a week. The crazier part is that I actually LOVE my job and I still feel this abnormal delight on that last day of the work week. I can't imagine how glorious 5:00 PM on a Friday afternoon must be to people who really dislike their jobs.

And Mondays. Oh Mondays. After only two days of freedom, why is it always so difficult to somehow find the will to roll out of bed and get to work? Why is it always so tempting to call in and fake a cold or say you ate some bad sushi the night before? Again, I actually enjoy coming to work most days. Can't imagine how dreadful Mondays are when you can't stand your job.

To avoid having a case of the Mondays, I like to make my desk as cheery of a place as possible.
I keep several things that make me feel happier to sit at my desk in general. Since I unfortunately sit under the air conditioning vent, I have a designated Snuggie (yes, a Snuggie) that I use whenever it gets chilly. I also keep my drawers well stocked with snacks.

My Koala Pal is connected to my computer and sits on my desk to keep me company. He's my little buddy and companion at work, not making a peep when I don't feel like listening. But the moment I give him the okay and he'll play my favorite office music, and look cute doing it!

The newest addition to my desk is the TECHnamouse Precision USB Optical Mouse! This light blue mouse is designed for gamers, but looks great on my desk at work. Aside from being extremely comfortable and easy to use, the bright blue and silver paint job and distinct design gives it a unique feel! The most fun I have using it is after lunch, when I sit in my office with the lights turned off for an hour or two. That is when the glowing blue LED light is most visible and most entertaining to use!

The way I see it, I sit at this same desk in this same office for at least 40 hours a week. Why not make it a more pleasant and comfortable environment? At the very least, it will make Mondays a lot easier to make it through.

-Jinni

Having it All: Using Your Smartphone Without Worrying About a Dead Battery

Do you remember a time before smartphones? I know it's difficult to imagine life before your smartphone, but there was a time before you could Check-In on Facebook, find good restaurants in your area on Yelp, and play Words with Friends with your cousin who lives on the other side of the country.
Before upgrading to the iPhone, I had a hot pink Motorola RAZR. And even after texting all day, every day (T9!) I could easily go at least a day and a half without having to charge my phone. For the most part, this is not the case anymore. In fact, I'm lucky if I make it to the end of the work day without having to charge my phone.

A co-worker of mine with the same problem (let's face it, if you have a smartphone, you probably have the same issue) came up with a great solution! During the day, he uses the ReVIVE Series Uni-Charger to charge his spare smartphone battery. Once his phone's battery is drained, he switches the batteries, giving him battery life until the next morning!

I thought this was a very creative way to keep your phone alive and well, especially since AC and DC chargers aren't always available.

Unfortunately for us iPhone owners, we don't have the option of switching out batteries. But using an enerG4 from Accessory Power is a great alternative!

The enerG4 iPhone 4/4S Extended Battery Case provides your iPhone with a nice boost in battery life, providing 40 extra hours of music listening, 13 hours of talking on the phone, and 10 hours of video and web browsing!

The ON/OFF switch on the case lets you decide when you're ready for an extra power boost, and will allow you to charge both your iPhone and the enerG4's batteries without removing the case! In addition, the case is also very protective, keeping my iPhone safe and sound.

My co-workers also like the fact that it's black and unisex. Although I do miss the good ol' days of the hot pink RAZR!

But don't worry, I had my enerG4 bejeweled.

-Jinni

How to Kill (and Not Kill) a DSLR Camera

On a recent camping trip, my friends and I decided to go on a hike and get in touch with Mother Nature. After packing a few backpacks with water bottles and healthy snacks, I noticed my friend, Drew, wrapping his digital SLR camera around his neck. Drew is pretty big on photography, so I knew he would bring his camera along. But what I found odd was that all he brought was the camera with its strap - no camera bag or sleeve to make sure his camera was safe.

"It'll be fine," he said.

We were having a blast while on our hike, until we reached a small creek that had to be crossed to continue. There were plenty of rocks that we could use as stepping stones, and one by one we safely and dryly crossed over to the other side.

That is until it was Drew's turn. While hopping from one rock to another, Drew lost his balance and fell, his camera crashing into another rock before landing in the water. After attempting to save his camera, we declared it as a lost cause.

A few weeks later, Drew came over to my house to show off his brand new DSLR camera. After witnessing his last camera's demise, my first reaction was "What kind of case did you get for it?"
"Oh I don't need one. It'll be fine."

Where had I heard that before...?

I showed Drew my USA Gear Deluxe dSLR Zoom Bag while explaining that after experiencing what he had, he of all people should realize the importance of a camera bag. Had his camera been in my Deluxe dSLR bag, his camera would have been well protected against crashing into the rock AND being submerged in water.

"It's too big for my taste," he said.

Well, good thing that Accessory Genie's sister site Bags-Cases.com carries a variety of camera bags and cases to accommodate every photographer's needs! We carry camera bags designed to comfortably and securely hold your dSLR camera and its accessories, without adding extra bulk.

Whether you're looking for a messenger bag, shoulder bag, or backpack, our bags and cases will protect your dSLR camera against drops and falls, rocks and water.

In the end, Drew decided to go with the USA Gear dSLR Camera Zoom Holster. Since then, he has slipped and fallen over a fair share of stones and puddles. But his camera has stayed safe and sound!

 Can't say the same for Drew, though.

-Jinni

Steve Jobs: A True Leader in Our Tech Universe

I think everyone has key moments in their lives that they can vividly recall, and maybe even relive in a sense. I still remember exactly how my morning went on September 11, 2001, where I initially thought a building was on fire until I saw a plane crash into the World Trade Center.
I perfectly remember the day my dad had a quadruple by-pass surgery, down to what I was wearing, to the relief that washed over me when I received the phone call saying he was going to be okay.

I remember sitting in my truck in the process of moving from one apartment to another when I noticed an obnoxious amount of Michael Jackson songs being played on every radio station I could find, until a DJ announced that he had passed away.

And I believe that October 5, 2011 will be one of those days. I was sitting at my desk working the afternoon away when I heard a co-worker walk over to another person's desk, saying "I think Apple just confirmed that Steve Jobs is dead."

What?! That was the only response I could bring myself to have. For whatever reason, I couldn't wrap my head around it. "Another hoax," I thought to myself. It had to be. But just to make sure, I went to Mashable's website where I was confronted with the headline "Steve Jobs Has Died."

Now, whether you're an Android fan or an Apple fan, you have to admit that Steve Jobs was a brilliant visionary who had the dedication and brilliance it took to make Apple the innovative company it is today.

At the very least, I feel that many of us look at Steve Jobs as a man of inspiration. It takes courage and strength to dream up and create something that no one else has thought of, that no one else may think will be a success, and to turn it into something that will have an impact on the world.

Steve Jobs once said "Design is not just what it looks like. Design is how it works." He believed in his products and did what he had to make others see his vision. And because of that vision, we have extraordinary products and services that many of us believe we can't live without.

At Accessory Genie, we strive to build our business around this concept. We want to see our customers happy with our products, and look forward to new items we'll bring to the table. We know that it's easier said than done, but with leaders like Steve Jobs to draw inspiration from it's made our jobs a little easier to bear. 

RIP Steve Jobs. And thank you.

-Jinni