Judie posted on these über-cool JumpFromPaper bags the other day. As she wrote,

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!

The bags are the creation of design duo, Chay Su and Rika Lin. They have produced a line of travel, camera, laptop and general gear bags which look like props from a cartoon. They look amazing, but the question remained… were they real? Would they look as cool in real life?

You judge!!… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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 …

 … Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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 keys
• Spacious, easy access front pocket

I have no doubt that there will be a ton of laptop bag and device case announcements to come out of CES, and at some point they may all start to look the same if there aren’t any differentiating features. Fortunately there are some companies with products that are already standing out; HEX is one of them.  A 2012 CES Design & Innovations Award Honoree, Hex has just announced a new 12-piece Fleet Collection. Some of the more notable are the Tote for 15” MacBook Pro and for me, especially — the Cross-Body for iPad and 11” MacBook Air.

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 include the M14x Neoprene sleeve, the Orion Messenger Bag and Orion Backpack. Both the

One of my all-time favorite Tom Lehrer songs is Be Prepared. (You can hear it here.) Unfortunately despite our best efforts we weren’t prepared to keep our devices running all day at CES last year. This year, however, that’s not going to happen. No, this year Judie is bringing the Yoobao Power Bank 11,200 mAh Battery Review we reviewed a few months ago and I am likely going to bring the PowerBag Messenger that we reviewed here. That isn’t enough however so we will bring a few more external batteries along for the ride.

As I was trying to figure out which external batteries to bring I realized a few things about… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

 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 repairs. I was successful, and so launched my interest in taking gizmos apart. More recently, with… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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

I’ve been seriously considering just bringing my iPad and a Bluetooth keyboard with me when I head out on vacation next Sunday and this has me pretty much convinced that that’s just what I’ll be doing.

Pelican has just announced the availability of their new i1075 HardBack™ case for the iPad and iPad 2. The i1075 is part of the new HardBack™ Protector series of cases from Pelican so we will be seeing more styles for various devices in the coming months.

The i1075 HardBack™ case for the iPad and iPad 2 is

watertight, crush proof, and dust

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there a lover of leather in your life? If so, here are five gifts with which you can’t go wrong.

The Orbino Padova 2 Crocodile iPad 2 Case: Yeah, at $689.00 this iPad 2 case is a splurge but it is handcrafted from Crocodile and is a stunner. Judie has one and loves it. Here’s a video of the case. Gorgeous isn’t it? If that is too rich for you, then you can go with a Padova for iPad 2 made from standard leather. It costs $209.00 and is also a gorgeous case you or a loved one will use proudly… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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.

Two years later netbook’s run is over and done. Now it is a tablet world… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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 to make sure it won’t get damaged if it rains and don’t need… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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 is with the messenger bag, I thought we might take a look at the backpack on… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Skooba Design makes some amazing bags and gear accessories. They are all well-built and amazingly functional. In fact, once you start using one, you quickly realize that Skooba’s bags were designed by people who actually carry and USE mobile devices. This level of thought and functionality is seen in pretty much every aspect of the bags including the location of pockets, the size and the placement of zippered areas.

The company sent us word that their new fall lineup of laptop and tablet cases is on the way and they look great. The new V.3 Collection includes two laptop bags, an iPad/tablet messenger, and a new version of Skooba’s Superbungee shoulder strap. At the same… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I’ll tell you right up front:  I always have mixed feelings about these kinds of products.  Alarms, surveillance, locks, codes, keys; I just wish we lived in a world where we didn’t need this kind of stuff, don’t you?  And no, though I’m the official old fart of GD, even I don’t remember a time when we could just leave our front doors unlocked.  Ah, the downsides of the modern world!

My feelings aside, that doesn’t change the fact that bags like this have a lot of fans, and can be durn useful in a number of–well, let’s just say “iffy situations”.  If you’re concerned about said situations, you could do a lot worse than to… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...