I’m a product junkie. If there’s a 12-step program to rid me of my interest in home office products, technology and furniture, no thanks. I love discovering the hottest new products to improve home office productivity. Visit Working Naked often as I share some of my favorite office products and others I discover at various design and office shows. Please note that I’m not paid to write about or endorse these products.

It’s rare to find a product that fits a few of the working styles I’ve described before on Working Naked. The Office Designs Desk Organizer from Ballard Designs is the exception. For the “Nit Picky” there’s the sleek, organized look of this desktop organizer and for the “Ima Mess” there are plenty of drawers and cubbies to corral clutter. This ready-to-be-filled wooden organizer comes in black and brown and works well in either a transitional or a traditional home office.

Leather Magazine Tote

I’m not a big fan of “pleather” or faux leather (maybe we should rename it “feather”) so when I see leather office accessories, I take notice. Not only is this tote from grandinroad (one of my favorite design catalogs) a functional addition to your home office, it’s the perfect home for magazines you’ve been meaning to read. The handle makes it easy to move the magazines to another room and the two front pockets give you even more storage space.

Always use protection

Enter the Tripp•Lite to the rescue. This UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system has six outlets that provide battery backup when you need it most. It also has an energy saving feature for peripherals you don’t use all the time (scanner, speakers and external drives). All you have to do is plug those devices into one of the 4 ECO outlets and the system will save energy by automatically turning off the ECO outlets when your computer is off or in standby mode.

Something that’s green and powerful. Maybe they should rename it the Hulk.

Frog-O-Sphere

The latest, have-to-have home office desk accessory is a frog. Actually, it’s two aquatic mini frogs, a snail (for cleaning), a bamboo plant (for oxygen), and Living Gravel™ (to convert waste). No joke. Think about this: you don’t have to walk, groom or train the frogs, which is more than I can say about my almost-trained puppy. They’re interesting to watch and, well, they’re working naked too. Brookstone sells them in-store only.

10-drawer organizer

Forget simple storage cabinets. There’s another option that’s loaded with storage space.

This 10-drawer tower has locking swivel casters, removable drawers, a chrome-finish frame and a top shelf. Multiple drawers can make it easier to store and organize supplies.

This 13″W x 15-1/2″D x 38-1/2″H cabinet is ideal for a home office closet or near a desk.

Brocade Desktop File

It’s time to dump that crappy plastic file holder and give your office a little class with this Brocade Desktop File. It’s made of stamped steel with a glossy white epoxy finish. I know, you’re probably wondering why this would make a hot list but if you look at what’s out there, you’ll find boring, plastic and mesh file holders. (Hello, my old, corporate office.) This holder can add some design interest and function to your home office. You can buy other accessories to match this file, but too much of a good thing is tacky and expected. Buy sparingly.

The Cocoon bag keeps you organized with style.

I love using any product with pockets, compartments, and anything else that makes it easy to organize my stuff. It’s not hard to find backpacks with different compartments but finding a functional laptop case that doesn’t resemble a diaper bag is a bit challenging.

The Cocoon bag is the exception. Each bag features a (patent pending) “GRID-IT!” elastic organization system that uses rubberized elastic bands to keep everything organized. In other words, it’s cool and functional. Best of all, these bags are TSA approved to be travel friendly as well. Maybe if my bag is friendly, the airport security crew will be too.

Yesterday I was checking out Z Gallerie, my new haunt for everything loft-related, and found file folders from Knock Knock. I’d file these under smart-ass and sassy. One set read, “More Crap, Other Crap and Total Crap.” Really? After seeing these, how could you ever go back to boring, manila file folders again?

The folders in another set, “To Do, To File and To Ponder,” list when you should do those three tasks. Guess what’s on my holiday gift list this year.

Knock Knock’s file folders aren’t the only products with attitude. Their sticky notes that read, “When pigs fly,” “Note to self,” and “Please: like me, finish, shut up or go away” are sure to get attention or at least a laugh.

Their sticky cubes are almost art. One is called “take a pill” and the other looks like a brick of cheese. No more excuses for having a boring office.

A few days ago I flew to LA to speak at the Power of Pink conference (an incredible event). Before I left, I had to figure out an easy way to pack my clothes, laptop and some hot new products to show during my sessions, into two bags.

The Rolling Case File, part of the Peter Walsh [In] Place System, saved my back. It’s compact but has more storage space than you’d think. One of the outside pockets held my laptop—the case comes with foam pads—and the other pocket held my supplies. Inside is a built-in, letter-size file frame where I stored all my files and products with room to spare.

Imagine you’re making the 10-second commute to your home office holding your laptop, then suddenly you trip, fall, and land on your laptop. I don’t have to imagine it because I lived it.

Last week I figured out that a MacBook can break your fall, but you’ll crack your LCD screen as you land. The good news is that I had two backups of my data—one on a flash drive and the other on an external hard drive. The bad news is that until my laptop is fixed, I have to use the family PC and work in our family room. It’s not my favorite place to work.

ioSafe Solo external hard drive

Knowing that my data was backed up made me feel at bit better. The TechRepublic just did a review of an external hard drive called the ioSafe Solo 1/5 TB. A few of its features are:

*Fire and extreme heat protection includes being subject to 1,550° for up to 30 minutes
*Underwater submersion up to 10 feet for 3 days
*Holds up to water, humidity and fire.
*It’s under $400

The ioSafe won’t make you less clumsy—I’m open to anything that will—but it will make a damaged computer easier to handle while it’s being fixed.

Being an office supply aficionado—it sounds better than office supply addict—I’m rarely impressed by what I see in stores, catalogs and online. What’s been most disappointing is when a celebrity creates an office product or furniture line that’s no different from anything else out there. The new [In Place] System product line by best-selling author and organizational expert, Peter Walsh (he’s a regular on TLC’s Clean Sweep), is the exception. He’s created a practical and useful line of products and his Web site demonstrates how the products work. (It’s cool and worth checking out.)

I like several things about his new line. First are the design and function elements. Secondly, everything in Peter’s line of filing products (except for the Rolling File) is made of clear plastic…I mean sturdy plastic. The third thing I like is that his products are practical and useful. They do more than just sit there looking pretty.

Filing just became a bit more interesting.

Ban boring backups

Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker, among others, saved the galaxy so it only makes sense that they can save your data. These Star Wars Mimobot flash drives take the boring out of backing up and make transferring data more tolerable.

These hip, colorful and, well, adorable flash drives also include Princess Leia, golden boy C-3PO, and of course the bad boy of the galaxy, Darth Sidious. Too bad Chewbacca didn’t make the cut.

My family is addicted to any piece of technology that starts with an “i” including the iPhone, iPod, and the iTouch. Over the summer my younger son bought iHome speakers so he could blast his favorite downloaded tunes (especially the ones that annoy his older brother) from his iTouch. LifeWorks, creator of cool, sleek, stylish products, just introduced more products that are perfect for any iFamily. Two of my favorites are the iConnect Media Keyboard and the iStand Notebook Media Center.

iConnect Media Keyboard

The iConnect Media Keyboard takes a necessity, a keyboard, and adds a docking/synching function. Using iTunes, you can download photos, videos, music, applications and more. The two rotating USB 2.0 ports make it simple to connect a printer, camera, flash drive and a mouse to the keyboard. It’s not only a good product; it’s good for you too. OK, that may be a stretch but the rubberized wrist rest (try saying that three times fast!) is a nice ergonomic feature.

I’ve had my eye on the Madison Corkboard by Ballard Designs for a while. The distressed acanthus and scallop frame is hand carved from walnut. Sizes start at 28” x 24”. A friend of mine has one in her home office. Maybe I can talk her out of it.

There’s hardly anything The Container Store doesn’t carry when it comes to home offices. Their 15” x 15” linen bulletin boards are beautiful which means no more boring boards! Linen wouldn’t have been my first choice to cover a bulletin board—I’m thinking function not design—but after seeing the self-healing feature, I’ve changed my mind.

This 12” x 12″Square Dot Magnet Board from See Jane Work —they carry a variety of colorful products—is made from powder-coated or stainless steel. It comes with a set of magnets.

The Pulp bulletin board from Smart Furniture definitely falls into the “green” category. So you can help the environment and post your favorite pix and cards (if friends send you something other than e-cards) at the same time. This 12” x 12” board is made from stacked reprocessed paper and a recyclable paperboard frame.

Not your average time manager

I can’t give you more hours in the day but consider this a way to make those hours a little more interesting. This unusual but stylish clock is designed to sit on the edge of a shelf. The bottom half of the clock—the top is made of powder-coated steel—is missing but the aluminum hands rotate fully. You wouldn’t expect a typical clock from the Museum of Modern Art would you?

Cloudy with a chance of jeans

You can check the Weather Channel for the latest weather update or you can find out the weather from the fashion-forward, Weather Boy Wireless Weather station. The Weather Boy, available through Day-Timer, not only provides both indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity, he changes outfits to reflect the weather—15 outfits in all. This battery operated, mini weather station that sits on your desk or mounts on your wall has an LED backlight, an adjustable alarm setting and provides the date and time which is synchronized with the Atomic Clock.

Lights, video, action!

After missing prime shots of my family, friends and interesting home offices, I started carrying a small digital camera with me everywhere.

There are times though when I’d rather shoot a video than take still photos. Now I can do that with the Flip Video from Pure Digital. This small, lightweight, 5.6 megapixal video camera slips into my purse and best of all, it’s easy to use.

The video quality is good and you can even upload captured video to YouTube and AOL Video. It has an instant playback and delete feature, allows you to watch your videos instantly on TV and holds 60 minutes of video. I wouldn’t put it in the high-end digital camera category but for the price (it retails between $115.99-$179), it’s ideal for a small office/home office situation.

Stylish storage

I use clear containers to store my home office supplies. It’s easy to see what’s inside and I don’t have to label every container. But I store them in my office closet because they’re ugly. The storage boxes I store on my bookcase, though, are the perfect combination of design and function. They add color to my office and they store plenty of supplies. This collection of “document boxes” from See Jane Work —they always have the latest home office products—are covered in heavy-weight matte paper and feature bright colors and patterns. Beauty and function are always a good combination…especially in an office product.

Computing for a cause

My first computer, a hand-me-down from my dad, was an IBM with a hard drive the size of a two-drawer file cabinet. After that, I converted to Apple and I’ve been a Mac user ever since. Normally I don’t get excited about PCs but the line of Dell Studio laptops featuring designs by West African artists, caught my attention.

I was drawn to this laptop from a style point of view rather than the technical side. My H.O.T. (home office technology) guy, Alan, can address that. The best way to describe the Dell Studio laptop is “art meets technology.” These colorful laptops feature designs by various West African artists. Best of all, Dell contributes $20 from each sale to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Customizable designs are also available through Dell’s Design Studio.

Function meets style with this 7-Drawer cabinet

Finding storage space in a home office can be frustrating, tricky and – in some cases – impossible. The key is to think vertically, especially when floor space is limited.

The 7-Bin Storage Tower from The Container Store is the perfect example of vertical storage. Each of its seven drawers is big enough to hold papers, supplies and junk (what my younger son likes to refer to as treasures).

Made of steel, the Italian-designed storage powerhouse resembles something you’d see at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art in New York). It measures 15″ x 10-3/8″ x 39″ h and has a scratch-resistant, epoxy finish.

ePad travel laptop desk

A few years ago, one of my neighbors used to work by his pool but one of his complaints was that his laptop was hard to balance and it was too hot to keep in his lap. His solution was to place a book under his laptop while he worked. When I started using my laptop away from my office, I knew the book option wouldn’t work (mostly because it didn’t sound appealing or comfortable). I was checking out Brookstone and saw the ePad travel laptop desk. Of the other laptop desks I had seen, this one was the least bookish. The ePad is compact and easy to pack when I travel. It comes in red and blue (I have the blue one) and when my sons aren’t borrowing it so they can write when they’re in the car, it gets plenty of use.

Finally, an assistant who won’t talk back

The Hubman

Seems like I could never find enough USB ports. Then I found this little guy, The Hubman, on uncommongoods.com.

You might say The Hubman is portly: his AC-powered limbs are four USB 2.0 hi-speed ports, compatible with all USB devices. His heart? An LED indicator that displays his port status. He’s nifty and compact – and I couldn’t help but be charmed by his cute smile.