In a world we live in today, technology has become a major role in our daily lives. Back in my childhood days, there was such thing as cell phones. If you carried a beeper, you were popular. Now a days, pretty much everyone from teenagers to seniors all carry mobile devices. So what happens when all your devices run out of battery. This happened to me where my iPhone, iPod, and iPad all went out of battery at the same time. My custom usb device sure came in handy. It had multiple usb outlets so I can charge my devices simultaneously. It was fabulous. For all the techies out there, these usb charges are a must have item.

     Boy, it's amazing how fast things change over the course of time. With technology becoming a bigger part of a person's daily life, things are changing at a faster rate than ever. I remember when I was going to school, the aggravation I would have because of all the textbooks, notebooks, and other school supplies that I would have to cram into my backpack. I would dread the extra weight on back as I would walk to school, or up the several flights of stairs once I was in the building. However, with all the new technology out there, the need for so many books is obsolete.

     With the advent of laptops, iPads, and the ever so popular USB drives, all the information a child would need throughout a school year can be kept on an electronic device that weighs less than a pound. No longer do children need to worry about bringing in pencils, pens, and notebook. Everything can be typed into a computer, saved on a USB drive, then taken home and plugged into a USB hub or any other custom USB device to be worked on at a later time. Thirty pounds of textbook information can now be downloaded onto an iPad, or any other e-reader, which is a fraction of the weight. I didn't even get to enjoy any of these luxuries until I was in college.

     Technology has come a long way for the younger generations. They have no more pencils, and no more books. They just have the teacher's dirty looks. 

The well-known Swiss Army knife has been in existence since the 1800s, so we've all seen one at one point in our lives.  The handy apparatus commonly features a knife and a variety of other tools, like screwdrivers and can openers.  But to keep up with the times, Swiss Army knife producer Victorinox is unveiling an updated model of its famous multitool.

According to Mashable, the newest version of the Swiss Army knife will include "a USB flash drive that holds 1 terabyte of data."  While knives with custom USB devices have been a part of the company's line of products for some time now, this edition will have exciting new features: "it connects to eSATA II/III as well as USB 2.0/3.0 with a single connector, it has a monochrome graphic display showing what’s on the drive and it supports 256 AES encryption." 

The Victorinox product will also tout impressive data transfer speeds.  Mashable reports that the device will be available by April 2012.

On Friday night, I had the privilege of getting together with Bari, Motivators' Sales Assistant, and our former morning receptionist, Jess.  Bari gave Jess and I a tour of her new apartment, and it's awesome!  I'm still living at home, so getting to see my friends' places is always an exciting occasion.

As I approach the one-year mark of my employment at Motivators, I'm realizing that I see promotional products all over the place.  Apparently Bari's house is no exception; one of the first things that stood out to me was the promotional magnetic memo board on her refrigerator.  Bari uses the promotional item for jotting down her shopping lists -- smart!

Coming across the memo board got me thinking:  I wonder how many promotional products we use daily without even realizing it.  For example, chances are the umbrella you keep in the back seat of your car in case of a shower is actually a promotional umbrella.  The flash drive you store your important files on is most likely a custom USB device you received from your university or employer.

Look around -- how many promotional products do you see?

We haven't seen them together since 500 Days of Summer, but we love when Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt collaborate.  They've got an irresistible chemistry that can't be denied.

To help us ring in the New Year, the dashing duo recorded a YouTube video covering a classic:  "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"  Check out the video below: 

 You can't help but be charmed by the actors/musicians!  And as if they weren't lovable enough, Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt also dressed the part; in the video, Deschanel dons a dazzling white gown and a tiara while Gordon-Levitt looks dapper in a suit. 

Want to set up an extra-romantic New Year's Eve?  Save the video onto your custom USB device and play it for your sweetheart before the ball drops!  Happy New Year, everyone!