A lot of people are going to a laptop only computing experience.  There are even some that are going to a netbook only experience as a netbook is all they need.  Sometimes, however, it is nice to have a screen that is bigger than what a netbook can provide.  The same can be said about the touchpad and the keyboard.  Wouldn’t it be nice to plop your laptop or netbook down and have it attached to a 24 inch LCD?  That’s where this dock comes in. Continue Reading

A-DATA recently announced the release of a waterproof and shock resistant hard drive.  The sh93 Incorporates rubber and plastic along with special cushion materials that allow it to withstand a 1M waterproof test for 30 minutes and military standard MIL-STD-810F drop test.

The SH93 comes in two colors : racing car yellow and chili pepper red. With capacity up to 640GB, it is designed for users to conveniently carry around massive documents without the fear of damaging files stored in the drive in the incident of accidental drop or water spills.

I’m quite familiar putting hard drives to the “test” and took the A-DATA with me to the firehouse to see if it really does stand up.

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I’ve never heard of Bolt Bags before, but they have brought out a new line of bags specifically for the netbook crowd.  They have enough room for your power cord, a mouse and a few other things that you might need when on the go with your netbook along.  One of the Bolt Bag styles that reminds me of a bowling ball bag, hence the name Bowler Bag; it’s available in Black or Olive.  The Chic Bag is available in Dark Teal.  All three are available on Amazon for $24.00

I recently jumped back into the world of netbooks. Mostly I wanted something on which to use Windows 7. So I tried a number of them running the new OS and settle on the Toshiba NB205. A bit of surgery and the diminutive machine now has 2GB of RAM and an SSD drive. It runs rather well and gets 8-9 hours on a single charge. Now if only I had a way to easily carry it since my other bags are designed for much larger notebooks…

Thankfully Skooba has me covered with a new line of bags especially designed for netbooks. The Netbook Messenger Bag has 20 pockets, holds netbooks with up to 10 inch screens and weighs just 24 ounces. At 14×12 x 3 inches in size it is large enough to carry what you need but small enough to travel lightly.

The MSRP of the bag is just $49.95. Details and more images can be found on the Skooba website. The full Press Release follows.

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If you have a netbook then you know it can be a pain at times to use, thanks to the smaller keyboard and display.  Kensington has released two new docking stations that use DisplayLink technology to add a VGA or DVI monitor to your netbook and more.  The only thing you’ll have to connect to your netbook is a single USB cable, instead of connecting a monitor cable and some USB cables.

The K33926US supports driverless install, where the K33930US will require the installation of a driver.  Prices will be $129.99 for the K33930US model that supports the Mac and Windows, and $149.99 for the K33926US which is Windows only.  The K33926US is now available, and the the K3390US is available for preorder through Kensington.

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

Buying a laptop case has always been a challenge for a very simple reason: very few laptops share the same external dimensions. This is a problem that goes back to my first two portables – the Compaq LTE and Mac Portable, which were vastly different in size and configuration. As a result, many of us who have depended on laptops for years have an odd collection of ill-fitting bags scattered in our storage areas. Some were included with laptops, others we bought to fit whatever laptop seemed like it would be the center of our lives for years to some. Some bags – specifically backpack and messenger bags – can serve a variety of uses, but when dealing with smaller laptops, having the perfect fit and the smallest footprint possible is critical. Casecrown looks to serve the newest class of portables – netbooks – with perfect fit bags that look great, provide the best possible protection and also the smallest size.

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As a huge fan of Tom Bihn, I read and follow the company blog.  Doing that, I pick up interesting tidbits…tidbits like the picture above.  This is of the Synapse backpack that Tom is currently working on.  It’s specifically for netbooks, as it is a very small bag measuring in at 15 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and only 7.9 inches thick.

The current estimate on when it will be shipping is around the late September to October time frame.  No word on price.  Head on over to Tom Bihn’s forums to chat about the Synapse!

Just as the right side dish can make or break the meal, the right accessory can take a good device and make it even better. Something as simple as a case or an external battery can be the difference between a nice device and a truly great one; between a device that is usable and one that is a pleasure. Accessories have the power to remedy shortcomings, increase usability and, in some cases, save the day or a trip to the repair shop.

This post is the first in a series of device accessory posts that begin with the question…

You Want Fries With That?

Today we’ll take a look at a few netbook accessories from our friends at Kensington.

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The Cocoon Innovations netbook case is pretty much my ideal netbook travel case.  It’s durable, shock absorbent, airport friendly, comfortable, and it features a unique organizational system that I have never seen before in another bag.  There are a few key things I wish I could tweak a little bit, but otherwise I was very impressed by the Cocoon netbook case.

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Netbook popularity continues to grow every day, but cute netbook cases are still pretty hard to come by.  I love my tech toys, but I also love to accessorize them.  I like cases that look fresh and feminine, something different than the traditional, boring flat black leather or neoprene.  There is no reason that cases can’t be both functional and attractive!

There are a few companies out there that understand the desire for a pretty laptop case, and CoverBee is one of them.  CoverBee is a company from Holland that is dedicated to creating functional, fashionable cases for laptops of all sizes.

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Netbooks are all the rage, but protecting a netbook as you carry it isn’t always easy thanks to their small size.  Regular laptop cases are too large for most netbooks, and most sleeves that come with netbooks (if they are even included!) are cheap and provide very little by way of protection. The end result…  it’s difficult to just throw your netbook in a bag.

All this makes a sleeve or case that offers real protection an essential purchase when buying a netbook.  Uniea sent me their latest Universal Case for 10.2 inch netbooks; let’s take a look.

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Do you still have a few hard to shop for people on your holiday list? If they’re a user of a small netbook such as ASUS, Dell, MSI and MacBook Air then you might want to look at these wool felt mini laptop sleeves. Since most netbook users don’t want to fatten up their baby with a heavy case, these felt sleeves make a perfect accessory. Each is handmade in wool felt (charcoal grey and cottage red colors available). Black corduroy lines the interior. Cost is $49 and shipping to USA locations is free.

Adeline Wool Felt Mini Laptop Sleeve