Is it Hot in Here or Is it Me?

Temperature and humidity are important in meeting rooms, and not just because you've got all those laptops and rear-screen projectors running. A room that's too warm, too cold, too humid, or too dry will affect attendees' ability to function. Don't believe the thermostat in the conference room? Get a second opinion. With the new Perception II room monitor, you'll know right away — with precision — what's going on with the climate in your meeting.

Temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity are shown simultaneously on an easy-to-read display. Measuring 5 1/4 inches by 5 7/8 inches by 3 inches, the small device comes with many sophisticated features, from the ability to remember daily high and low temperatures and humidity to a barometric alarm that can be set to go off if there are dramatic changes in atmospheric pressure (assuming you want to be the first one in the room to notice that a hurricane is imminent).

The Perception II runs on AC power (plug included) with battery backup. If you are a weather junkie, you can port it to a PC or Macintosh and use Weatherlink software (not included) to create graphs, calculate totals and averages, and analyze trends. The device is available from many dealers on the Web, including weatherwarehouse.com where it sells for $119.95. For more information, call the manufacturer, Davis Instruments, in Hayward, Calif., at (510) 732-9229.