Gear Bags

JumpFromPaper Makes Real Life Feel Like a Cartoon with Seriously Ridiculous Bags

I loved the way “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) and “Cool World” (1992) mixed cartoon elements into a real-world backdrop. I enjoyed the same effect as a kid, watching older Disney movies such as Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Song of the South. There’s just something quirky and irresistible about imagining a world where cartoons can come to life; anything can happen! Evidently the minds behind JumpFromPaper feel the same. Created by Taipei-based design duo, Chay Su and Rika Lin, JumpFromPaper is a bag company that has produced a line of travel, camera, laptop and general gear bags which look like props from…

News

Jill-e Designs Shows Off Stylish E-GO Leather Tablet Tote for iPad 2

You may not be able to deny that Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter movie series has style, but you too can be stylish sporting Jill-e Designs’s new E-GO Leather Tablet Tote for the iPad 2. You can be a technophile, but there’s no excuse not to look spiffy as well! The E-GO Leather Tablet Tote features: Top quality, weather-resistant, all leather construction Adjustable leather strap to carry cross-body or on shoulder Messenger bag styling with secure snap enclosure Protective padded interior with stylish fabric lining Protective pocket for tablet or e-reader Additional interior space for notepad, wallet, glasses and…

Events, News

New Alienware Gaming Laptop Cases Unveiled by Mobile Edge

Even if you don’t have one of those super-powerful Alienware M18x, M17x, M14x, or M11x gaming laptops, you can still carry your all of your gear in style. Mobile Edge has released two new Alienware branded bags, the Orion Messenger and the Tactical Backpack … For the M11x, there are two durable cases offered. The sleek M11x Neoprene Sleeve has easy access carrying handles and an outside zippered compartment for accessories. The semi-rigid M11x Portfolio is ideal for travel with a unique design that allows you to use the laptop while still inside the case. The all new M14x has three case options which…

Reviews

Disassemble Your Tech Gear with the iFixit Pro Tech Base Toolkit

I have a confession to make. I love to take things apart. Back when I was a kid I had a super-sweet Milton Bradley Star Bird toy, an early electronic noisemaker with revving engines and laser blasts. In the course of kid play, something inside broke loose and rattled around, driving me nuts. Spaceships off to do ground assault ought not to have a broken piece giving away their stealth attack so I, being young and adventuresome, decided to put my Star Bird in space dock (Dad’s table vice grip) and haul out a trusty Sears Philips screwdriver and effect…

Gear Bits

Mobile Edge Has Got Your Back If You Are Worried About Privacy

Are you feeling a bit spooked by all the recent stories about how our mobile phones are transmitting our GPS data, who we are talking to, and other possibly sensitive information? Here is one solution that might help: buy a bag that has a wireless security shield. What that means is that when your phone is placed in the pocket — even if it is turned on and otherwise fully functioning, no data, calls or GPS will be able to come or go. Wireless Security Shield™ In an effort to help provide ultimate security for your Bluetooth enabled Cell phone…

Reviews

Tablet Accessory Review: Skooba Tablet Messenger V3

When a company like Skooba (Gear Diary’s very first advertiser!) releases a new product, we take notice. Two years ago we reviewed the company’s Netbook Messenger bag. I liked it a lot and had this to say, In all I have found the Skooba NetBook Messenger to be a great bag for daily use. If you carry a netbook (or a MacBook without too many accessories) and want a bag that is small, light and easy to grab and go this is a great choice. It looks good, will likely put up with a good deal of use and abuse….

Reviews

Review: Mission Workshop Sanction Weatherproof Rucksack

Last week we took a look at two high-tech bags from Powerbag. The PowerBag Messenger and the PowerBag Backpack both pack 6000mAh batteries and an interior system of charging cables so you can keep your mobile electronics charged on the go. The Messenger will be coming to CES with me and the Backpack will be used by Kevin during the week. Between the two bags we are hoping to avoid our annual tradition of struggling to keep our phones and tablets charged during the grueling days in Las Vegas. But what if you want to carry lots of stuff, need…

Reviews

Gear Bag Review: PowerBag Backpack

We took a look at the PowerBag Messenger the other day. It combines an incredibly well-designed, strongly constructed bag with the ability to recharge your devices on the go. On almost all counts it thoroughly impresses. And at under $140, it is not much more than a 6000mAh external battery would be on its own. That makes it a great deal in my opinion. The company makes a number of other designs and they were kind enough to also send a PowerBag backpack as well as the messenger. Since the power aspect of the backpack is the same as it…

Reviews

The Skooba Design Cable Stable Mini Review

Even with so many devices going toward the microUSB “standard”, I can’t help but travel with a minimum of three different types of cables — and sometimes more than that. My phone uses microUSB, my iPad has its own Apple connector, and my camera is miniUSB. When packing, I also need to bring along the battery chargers for my camera and MacBook Air, along with a few other miscellaneous doo-dads. You may recall that I reviewed the Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX early last year; while I have found it to be an excellent solution when I need to bring…

Reviews

Review: AViiQ Portable Charging Station

The promise of converged devices like the iPhone was, among other things, the ability to travel light. Instead of needing to bring a phone, an address book, a music player, a note pad, a camera, etc., smartphones promised to replace all of that and be the only thing you needed to bring with you. Funny but, at least for many of us, that hasn’t happened. Sure, my iPhone DOES replace all those aforementioned items, but along with my iPhone I now carry an iPad, a Bluetooth headset and, at times, a second phone. And in order to keep them all…

News

Hex Launches New Collection of Tech-Friendly Bags and Cases

The seemingly everlasting style conundrum – fashion vs. function, might finally have a solution. According to Hex, makers of those stylish iPod Nano watchbands, you can have your cake and eat it too. Having recently released a brand-new Fall/ Winter bag collection, the Oxnard, California-based trend-setters are banking on the dual appeal of fashion and function. Currently available for pre-order, the tech-friendly bags feature a versatile combination of pockets, padded pouches, compartment separations, organizers and adjustable straps. If you’ve been hunting for a more fashionable way to carry your laptop or iPad, this seems like a pretty straightforward solution. Hex,…

News

Skooba Design Adds Tenba Photo Bags to Portfolio

In response to many customer requests, Laptop bag manufacturer Skooba Design has partnered with the well-known Tenba brand to add photo/video carrying cases to Skooba’s product offering. Skooba will act as a reseller for the 35 year-old photo brand, which is a division of a separate company. The Skooba website is set up with quick links to match your lifestyle needs. One of four tabs – photographer, fashionista, road warrior and tech lover – will take you to a page with bags suited to fit your exact needs. I love this new offering of the Tenba bag lineup. I still…

Reviews

Review: Lowepro Compuday Photo 250 Backpack

I love gear bags, especially backpacks. The great thing about a gear bag is that I can carry more of my stuff. I have a backpack for my DSLR as well as a backpack for my MacBook and all of the items that go with it. Just the other day we took a short family trip and my wife was amused that I had to carry two backpacks with me. She asked why I did not just find one that could fit all of my stuff I was taking. Well, lucky for me, I was able to review the Compuday…

Reviews

Skooba Design Harmony 15″ Tote Review

My office is business formal attire, which means men wear suits and ties and women wear pantsuits/skirt suits. However, men have a leg up here, since men’s suits typically have pockets big enough to hold wallet, keys, etc. Women’s suits, not so much. Apparently, we’re only going to keep the world’s tiniest stick of gum in there. In any case, this means it’s always key to have a nice bag with you at all times. Do you opt for a small purse plus a briefcase, or do you find a bag that’s stylish enough for everyday carrying but roomy and…

Reviews

FitPac NEO Review

There are very few times that an accessory can be polarizing and generate major debate, yet the FitPac NEO generated quite the discussion when I showed it to some friends. Reactions ranged from “Why would you use this?” to “Oh, I could totally see this being helpful for x, y, z”. You’ll have to read a bit further to see what Sarah had to say about it, but first let’s look at what the FitPac NEO is and why it may be a bit of an acquired taste. The company describes themselves and their products as: FitPac Lifestyle Accessories, a…

News, Travel

Aligata Leather Releases New Premium Leather Products to Protect Your Gear in Style

One of the best things about being involved in this blogging community is that you never know who you are going to meet along the way. That is certainly the case with our friend Tom from Aligata leather. Shortly after the iPad was released, I did a review of a number of iPad folio cases. Shortly thereafter we received an email from Tom. He told us he was designing a simple but premium leather folio for the iPad, and he wanted to know if we wanted to take a look. Shortly thereafter Judie and I received sample of them. We…

News

WaterField Introduces the Muzetto Man Bag; Call Me Useful, Just Don’t Call Me a Murse

When I got my iPad one of the first high-end bags for carrying that I got to review was the Waterfield Muzetto. I had wanted one ever since I had read Judie’s review of the laptop version of the bag. Her conclusion at the time: I have always been a fan of Vertical bags, in fact one of my favorite purses is the Louis Vuitton Musette, which this bag’s style greatly resembles. I really enjoyed carrying the Muzetto when I traveled to Seattle, and perhaps even more than that — I enjoyed all the comments I got from the other…

Events

CES: Meeting with Timbuk2

At CES we met with one of our favorite gadget bag companies, Timbuk2. While with them, we got to see some of the bags and accessories they’ll be introducing this year. Not surprisingly, we were impressed with the continuing evolution and utility of their designs. We have reviewed several of Timbuk2’s bags over the years, and we were impressed anew by the design and quality of the bags being shown. Among the bags they will have coming out this year is the upcoming Command ($130, shown above). The Command won a CES Innovation award, and it is TSA-compliant so that…

Reviews

Review: Mobile Edge Sumo Messenger Bag

We’ve been looking for a good bag for my wife’s new laptop. Her new laptop would not fit into her old bag since she was using a netbook. When Mobile Edge’s Sumo Messenger Bag came up for review, I jumped at the chance. Will my wife be happy with this new bag? I was sent the Sumo Messenger bag in red. Chalk up one point for Mobile Edge picking a color my wife likes with red being a favorite! This bag has a ton of pockets on it. On the exterior there is one on the flap. two on the…

News

Speck Product’s A-Line Bag for Netbooks May Be the Best Looking Gear Bag Yet!

This is going to sound jaded and awful, but I am going to say it anyway: One of the absolute best things about being a product reviewer is that sometimes companies surprise you with packages containing items you didn’t know existed and you certainly didn’t expect to receive … and that you can’t wait to try out. But on the other hand, one of the absolute worst things about being a product reviewer is that sometimes companies surprise you with packages containing items you didn’t know existed and you certainly didn’t expect to receive … and you don’t necessarily even…

Reviews

Purse to Go Bag Organizer Review

It’s no secret that a few of us here at Gear Diary are bag fanatics. Judie’s collection puts mine to shame any day, as does Clinton’s. But for the past few years, I have been a purse fanatic. It’s been my other spendy item other than technology. I haven’t gone crazy; usually I only buy one nice bag a year, almost always from Coach, and maybe a few accessories. They have lasted so much longer than my previous cheapie purchases and I’ve been very happy with the investment. However, I have one problem–I love big bags. I love carrying a…

« 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 12 »