Last week I reviewed Timbuk2’s new H.A.L. backpack. I like it a lot. I was impressed with the quality of the workmanship, the design itself, and the incredible utility of the backpack for anyone needing to carry a laptop and assorted other items. My one criticism of the backpack was that the area designed to hold the notebook, while convenient, or for no real fall protection. That’s where today’s review item comes in more than a bit handy.

The ColcaSac is a simple, rugged burlap sleeve that offers excellent protection for your MacBook Pro from the daily bumps and grinds of life. Let’s take a look.

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We have winners for the Neogreen products!

MikeKarr has won the water bottle sleeve and Melvynadam has won the laptop sleeve. Please email questionfear (at) gmail (dot) com with your addresses and your prizes will in the mail!

I had asked everyone who posted in the comments to share some green tips, so here are the highlights:

-Walk to work, around town, etc.

-Use solar powered flashlights.

-Bamboo flash drives

-Winning a neogreene sleeve.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas, and congrats to the winners.

We’re all familiar with neoprene laptop cases, phone slipcases, etc. The slightly rubbery feeling material is pretty much a permanent part of any self respecting geek’s arsenal. And anyone who has spent time around neoprene knows that it has a distinct chemical odor – kind of like new car smell for your computer.
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As many of you tech-loving ladies out there know, it can be very difficult at times to find a nice, feminine looking case for your gadgets.  I love clothes and accessories just as much as I love technology, and I hate putting a gadget in a boring case into a cute handbag.  I just don’t understand why tech accessories have to be boring!

When I saw the CaseCrown Alligator Slim Case, the first thing I noticed was that it was stylish looking and came in PINK…not just soft baby pink, but bright hot pink!  I knew I had to try it out. Continue Reading

CASECROWN is a southern California based company founded by self described gadget lovers.

They make some of the most affordable cases around, and they were kind enough to send me one of their Classic Slim Cases for laptops to review.

Here’s a quick overview of the case from the CASECROWN web site:

- Perfect Fit For Your Notebooks
- Premium Quality Shock-Absorbing Double Memory Foam Interior
- Water & Wear Resistant; Zipper Scratch-Free Exterior Material
- Light & Thin Compact Design
- Internal Supporting Bands To Secure Your Gadgets

How does this laptop case match up?  Read on to find out.

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Some people like shoes while others like jackets. Me… I’ve always had a thing for notebook cases. There is something about the combination of function and style that draws me to a new case when I see one. So when the opportunity to take a look at Rivet’s new Vertical Leather Bag came up I jumped. It looked nice and, perhaps more importantly, it looked DIFFERENT from the other bags available.

Let’s take a look…

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About a week ago I realized that I needed to get organized. My desk is a mess and my notebook bag… well let’s just say my cables have cables. It was so overstuffed and under-organized that I couldn’t find anything. I sent the following cry for help to the Gear Diary Team.

There are two different gear patterns for me these days when I leave the house. One has me only bringing my iPhone. Simple.
The other has me with way too much stuff- notebook, charger, iPhone, extra battery, pulsepen, bluetooth headset etc. So much little crap that throwing it loose into my bag is a mess. Any suggestions for keeping all my on-the-go semi organized?????

I got some excellent suggestions. Among them was this from Judie-

Can’t recommend the AcmeMade Courier bag enough…just sayin’!

Well, that was a pretty strong endorsement from someone for whom I have the greatest respect so I did the only reasonable thing- I looked at the AcmeMade site.

Long story short, although Judie reviewed the Courier just recently, ACME MADE was kind enough to send one to give a second opinion. What do I think?

Can’t recommend the AcmeMade Courier bag enough…just sayin’!

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I had the opportunity to review Noreve’s case for the MSI Wind here on this site, and one of the company’s cases for the iPhone 3G over on What’sOniPhone. As a result I have become a huge fan of their products.

Today, I have the opportunity to review the Noreve leather sleeve for the MacBook and MacBook Air. At just over $75  (base price) the leather case falls in the mid range when it comes to price. Where does it fall with regard to quality and aesthetics? Let’s take a look –
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For those times when you don’t want to carry a full sized laptop bag, Speck has introduced a simple and fasionable solution: the TuckPack Notebook Sleeve. Created to hold and protect up to a 13″ laptop, the TuckPack can be carried in a variety of ways: as a messenger style laptop bag with its included shoulder strap attached, as a folio when the strap is removed and the sleeve is tucked under the arm, or as a laptop sleeve when the strap is removed and the TuckPack is placed in a larger bag or backpack.

Available in either “speakeasy black pinstripe” or “coffeehouse brown plaid”, it should be pretty obvious which version I received…

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click to enlarge

Far be it from me to say anything to anyone about what they spend on their accessories, but doesn’t it seem silly to spend more for the case than you did for the laptop?  Just sayin’…

The MacBook Air is a beautiful piece of electronics. It is sleek, stylish and… well, just plain cool. But while its aluminum construction is certainly more durable than, say, the current (and soon to be phased out) version of the MacBook, without too much difficulty the Air can get pretty banged up and scuffed. Within a short period of time “beautiful” can become “beat up”.

And that is a problem on a device like the MBA.

On the one hand you want to protect it while on the other, while on the other you don’t want to lose the sleek beauty that drew you to the MBA in the first place.

That’s where Agent18’s amazing Shield comes in.

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If you’ve been patiently waiting for the Skooba Design Checkpoint Friendly laptop bags to appear, your wait will soon be over. We’ve just received word that Skooba Design is now taking pre-orders for their Checkthrough (checkpoint-friendly) bags, and the bags are scheduled to begin shipping in about 8 weeks. Here’s the latest…

Based on the e-mails, phone calls, retailer and consumer order requests we’ve received since the original announcement of the product–now well into the thousands–we will have our hands… and our sewing machines… full to make sure we produce enough to keep everyone happy through the holidays and beyond. So, we have set up the pre-order option as the best way to insure that those who want these bags can “lock them in.” We also are offering some incentives for early action (info on the order form).

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I tote two different laptops between locations these days, switching them out (or sometimes bringing both) depending upon what my needs will be once I’ve arrived. For the most part, I’ve been content to slip my MacBook Air into a bag, a sleeve, or the Agent 18 shell that Dan recently forwarded to me, but I hadn’t yet found a similar slim and protective MacBook Pro shell. Bear in mind, the type of transport I usually do involves grabbing my laptop, throwing it into my Louis Vuitton Alto tote (along with a couple days’ worth of clothing), and then driving to my destination (and back). This is what I do days when I am traveling as lightly as possible, and I don’t want to bring a full-sized laptop bag.

When I first saw the DecoCases EcoDesign Case for MacBook Pro, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the hard-shell aluminum cases I have long enjoyed on my PDAs. I’d never really thought about using something similar on a laptop, but I would soon have the opportunity to see if I’d like it…

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When I bought my MacBook Pro back in 2006, I was all over needing a case for it. I tried regular notebook cases, and those didn’t work for me. I tried a backpack case, and that seemed to work ok, but I couldn’t help but feel that my baby was still a bit on the naked side.  When Judie offered me the opportunity to review the Spire Edge 15 Laptop sleeve, I jumped at the chance. The last thing I wanted was another ding on my MBP (see the last picture, after the break)

Front of the Spire Edge 15 Computer Sleeve

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We’ve mentioned some of the bags that will comply with their “Checkthrough” regulations the past, and now the TSA has finally posted the official procedures for getting through their checkpoints without actually removing your laptop; of course all will hinge on consumers purchasing the proper type of bag…

TSA screens laptops to see if the electronics have been tampered with. TSOs know what the inside of a computer should look like, and can recognize irregularities. This is why they need an unobstructed view as the item moves through the X-ray machine.

Purchasing one of these bags will not guarantee that you can leave your laptop in your bag for screening. If a TSO finds that the bag does not present a clear and distinct image of the laptop separate from the rest of the bag, the laptop will have to be screened separately.

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