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 a cartoon. One cozy afternoon, the two girls were chatting, when they got to sketching their dream designer handbag. A surprising idea popped up – “How amazing it would be if a two-dimensional hand-drawn illustration could come to life as a real bag!” They explored every possibility, rendering fantasy handbags in perspective, and giving birth to JumpFromPaper™. Cartoon-like outlines and bright and cheerful colors add a brisk yet funky flavor. And despite the slim appearance, each JumpFromPaper™ bag has a roomy interior to accommodate personal belongings and even a laptop. This is one of my favorites, the “Cheese” camera bag …   Think [...]

This morning it was raining here in New Jersey. At first it was just a trickle, then a full downpour, then back to a drizzly wetness. As I have said many times, I run with my iPhone for safety reasons, and while everyday sweat doesn’t worry me, riding along in a wet pocket for over an hour doesn’t seem like the best environment for delicate electronics. Luckily, there’s a wet weather solution that works with the case of your choice, the smartphone of your choice, and it fits anyone’s budget. What is this miracle product? As you probably guessed from the lead graphic, it’s a plain plastic sandwich bag. I prefer the kind that lock (for freshness!) but if you don’t mind living dangerously the fold over style work well too. At Amazon you can grab a box of 125 for $5.89 (or get a larger quantity if that’s not enough of them), which breaks down to $0.04 per baggy. Even the cheapest knockoff case makers can’t get that low! While having your phone in a bag does decrease the touchscreen sensitivity, you can easily work the screen through it, and the bags are really tough! I usually toss them [...]

Mark of the Unicorn had one huge announcement that I already covered, the note that the upcoming Digital Performer 8 would support Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X. But now we learn that MOTU is also introducing a new version of the well-received MicroBook audio interface. MicroBook was released in 2010 and was straightforward in design – 1/4″ inputs and outputs giving you a 4-in/2-out audio interface for your computer that delivered excellent sound quality and performance. So hwo did MOTU up their game for the new version? It is now a 4-in/6-out, giving you mich more recording flexibility. It also has an enhanced USB 2 connection, and rather than a microphone adapter full XLR cabling is supported. The MicroBook II now features 96khz recording. The interface now has a rugged looking black interface with more direct control and feedback … and best of all it carries the same $269 price! Here are some details from the press release: The MicroBook II comes in a compact, rugged cast metal case suitable for on-the-go recording, personal studio tracking, laptop-based DJ-ing, and many other recording and playback activities. At only 5.5 x 3.5 x 1.25 inches, the bus-powered MicroBook II [...]

I’m a big fan of audiobooks for long drives. Sarah and I usually head to the library a few days before a road trip and stock up on something we will both enjoy hearing, and on rare occasions we splurge for a download from Audible.com. In general, though, we tend to find it’s faster and cheaper to borrow the CDs from the library than deal with a digital audiobook. Despite the format being perfect for the digital age, costs are still high and digital library borrowing is still a complete mess. That’s where Simply Audiobooks thinks they have a plan with their new Audiobooks.com streaming service. Their blog sums up the program pretty well: Our Audiobooks.com office is full of excitement today. We set out to create a faster and easier way for people to access audio books and have that today with the official launch the world’s first cloud-based service for audio books. If you’re a member of the Audiobooks.com community, you’ve already been enjoying the added benefits that come with listening from the cloud, but we’re sure some of you are still wondering what all the hype is about. Our app was developed using HTML5, a language mobile devices love. You can listen to [...]

It is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since ‘Ebony and Ivory’ ruled the airwaves in an unlikely but perfect pairing of two mega-stars … but in just a couple of weeks we will have a new chance to hear the two on a single from McCartney’s upcoming (and oddly titled) “Kisses On The Bottom”. The song is called “Only Our Hearts”. The release of McCartney’s new album, Kisses On The Bottom, sees them reunited on one track, “Only Our Hearts,” one of two McCartney compositions on the album, which is, for the most part, a collection of standards McCartney grew up listening to as a kid. “Stevie came along to the studio in LA and he listened to the track for about 10 minutes and he totally got it,” McCartney said. “He just went to the mic and within 20 minutes had nailed this dynamite solo. When you listen you just think, ‘How do you come up with that?’ But it’s just because he is a genius, that’s why’.” Wonder joined McCartney at LA’s Capitol Studios to record the track. Kisses On The Bottom, which also features Eric Clapton and Diana Krall and her band, is [...]

Today’s Gear Deal has Lenovo offering a 12% stackable coupon on ALL ThinkPad X220 laptops. Yes, you read that right, ALL ThinkPad X220 laptops. As our Gear Sponsor’s Deal Page explains, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X220 sets the standard for business ultraportable laptops. Weighing in at 3 lbs, the X220 can be equipped with a powerful Core i7 processor and still offer all day battery life. The 12.5″ display is available with a premium IPS version, offering great viewing angles and image quality. Combine the extended 9-cell battery with the optional slice battery and you’ll get a massive 23 hours of runtime. Here’s what the deals look like: The base Core i3 ThinkPad X220 deal: $1,445 – $546 off – 12% off Coupon Code (Expires February 1) = $791.12 + FREE shipping. The Core i5 ThinkPad X220 deal: $1,495 – $546 off – 12% off Coupon Code (Expires February 1) = $835.12 + FREE shipping. The Core i7 ThinkPad X220 deal: $1,740 – $546 off – 12% off Coupon Code (Expires February 1) = $1,050.72 + FREE shipping. Check them all out here. Gear Deal: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 12.5″ Intel 2nd Gen Core i3/i5/i7 Laptop via LogicBUY

My thumb drives are functional and dull, to tell you the truth.  I use Corsairs, the ones that are hardened against the X-Ray scanners they use at the airport.  I had a cheap flash drive and, sure enough, it got zeroed out on one my b’zillion airport trips, so I went to a Corsair.  But it’s not exactly cute or attractive; it looks like one of those cylinders you put waterproof matches in when you go camping. But not everyone is under quite as much necessity to go with function over form.  And even I, were I less paranoid about data loss, would consider a drive that looked like Unagi Nigiri sushi, or a figure from Lord of the Rings, or something.  And if you’re in that boat, maybe Mimoco has something you’d be interested in: Mimoco (www.mimoco.com), makers of the MIMOBOT® and MIMOMICRO™ lines of designer USB flash drives and card readers unveils the latest slant on their collection of character-based memory devices – the Legends of MIMOBOT Series featuring icons, geniuses, and stars of the human race. So whaddya think?  Interested?  Surf on over and check them out.  The prices vary based on the amount of memory, of [...]

Last year we were amazed at iTar concept that promised to turn your iPad into a guitar. While that product has yet to ship, in the fall the concept was made reality by the cool and innovative Misa Kitara Synth Guitar – which is a fully digital instrument that utilizes the iPad as a core part of the instrument. So naturally there was a line forming to This year at NAMM we had not one, not two but THREE eerily similar new iPad-based guitar instruments. None have strings, all stick the iPad in the string area, and are functionally fairly similar. Here we go! ION Audio Announces the iPad-Based Guitar Apprentice ION Audio has a reputation of making lower priced consumer electronics including musical instruments, acting as maker in some cases and distributor in others. Guitar Apprentice is Core MIDI compatible – so it should work with dozens of iPad music apps, including GarageBand. Features: Full-scale guitar body with strap pegs Fitted iPad holder with 30-pin dock connector Lighted fretboard and free guitar-teaching app* teach you basic guitar skills App includes built-in effects: distortion, reverb, flanger delay and more* Built-in speaker with volume control – play anywhere! Access to iPad [...]

For the last few days Good Old Games has been teasing a new publisher coming to the classic games service. Many thought it would be Eidos and the older Thief games would be offered up. Instead, we get Square Enix and the first two games offered up are Deus: Ex Game of the Year Edition and Hitman: Codename 47, the former for $9.99 and the latter for $5.99. Here is the release: GOG.com is proud to announce that Square Enix is the newest heavyweight addition to our ever-growing GOG.com catalog of great games. SquareEnix is one of the biggest publishers of the modern gaming world with almost 30-years of experience and famous releases for every single existing gaming system. Deus: Ex Game of the Year Edition and Hitman: Codename 47 are the first titles we’re releasing from Square Enix, and they’re available today for $9.99 and $5.99 respectively. Both games were originally released by Eidos in 2000, but not a single drop of greatness has been lost since then. Deus Ex is a magnificent blend of remarkable storytelling, RPG customization, and action-packed shooting. With all GOG.com’s heart we recommend Deus Ex for $9.99 as one of the most captivating and [...]

A few years ago I was on a plane that almost went down. The person next to me had spent the flight trying to convince me why I was wrong in my “choice” of religions, and when the wingtip almost hit the ground he looked at me and with all seriousness said, “At least I know where I’m going when I crash.” Some might have found his comment and attitude offensive. Others might have nodded in agreement. I saw it as proof of what is strong about this country. This is America, and he is entitled to his beliefs; my co-passenger was entitled to believe that I was wrong, and it mattered not that he was convinced that I would have been on the way to Hell had the plane crashed. That’s what is great about America — you can think another person is entirely wrong, and you can even say so. They in turn can choose whether to argue with you or to simply ignore you. I smiled at him, said I was glad he was so secure, but that I was even more glad the plane had landed safely. Here’s the thing: Had the pilot gotten on the intercom and [...]

Carly is loving the Case-Mate Phantom. Judie stole the first Case-Mate DIY iPhone case with the words “I’m on a Deadline” and is still using it (although her iPhone isn’t seeing much use right now). The bottom line is this, when it comes to cases for the iPhone 4S Case-Mate has a great lineup this year. Here’s a video look at some of them and then more detailed descriptions of each.

We’ve come a long way since Thomas published his amazing post How To View PDF Files on an iPad. Now you can’t just view them but you can edit and manipulate them too. There are a few options in the iTunes App Store for editing PDFs and a new one was just announced. PDF Forms lets you sign a document, add text, highlight text, surround text and images and more. This was just going to be a news post until I actually tried the app.

Bodyguardz has come up with a great way to change-up and/or customize your iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S case in seconds. The mykase line offers a base case in black or white as well as interchangeable back plates that can reflect your mood or dress. They’ll even be rolling out an easy-to-use engine for making your own customized back plate. It is pretty ingenious and definitely worth a look.

I wrote yesterday about my first impressions of the Case-Mate Phantom for the iPhone 4s, and I pointed out that it was new and therefore in the “new accessory honeymoon phase”. Last night I discovered a potential issue, but luckily for me, the legacy of the original iPhone came to the rescue! See, the original iPhone had a very recessed headphone jack. It fit normal 3.5in headphones, but only if they had a very slim plug design. Anything not supermodel-skinny didn’t fit. Of course accessory manufacturers stepped right up, and when I had my original iPhone I used a $10 Belkin adapter to connect my tiny headphone port to my normal size headphones. So how did the original iPhone’s accessory help me out last night? I hopped in my car to drive to a meeting, all excited to crank Pandora and rock out along the Garden State Parkway. Unfortunately, the auxiliary cord to my car stereo was too fat for the Phantom case’s headset port. As soon as I realized that, I started digging around in my center console. At the bottom, underneath a nest of chargers for phones I haven’t used in years, was that cheap Belkin headset adapter [...]

Yeah, Wikipedia is awesome.  I can’t even begin to image what historical figures would have thought about it–all that information literally at your fingertips?  Updated and checked constantly by hundreds or thousands of people, all over the world?  I mean, mind-bending.  But it does have its drawbacks.  For one thing, it’s spotty; how many times have you see “This Wikipedia article on [whatever] is a stub”?  How many times have you read an article and thought, “Man, that doesn’t seem right”?  How many times had you wished for more pictures or audio files or interactivity? When it comes to famous figures of the world, those are some of the things the new iTunes app Biography aims to do: Every century had eminent people who amazed the society with their talents, inventions and discoveries. They made the world we live in today. Do you know them all? Biography, interactive history book, takes you on a journey with world’s most influential people. Biographies of philosophers, scientists, physicians, religious leaders, political leaders, artists and the world’s greatest composers are now available at your fingertips. Speaking for myself, I’m glad to see this–another example of someone trying to take the idea of the eBook [...]