Laptops and Gear

News, reviews and articles about laptops and accessories.

booq Boa Slimcase XL and XL90 Laptop Bags

When I first saw the Boa Slimcase XL and Slimcase XL90 laptop cases on the booq website, I thought they looked very nice. But when they arrived and I saw them in person, they took me back a bit. They definitely qualify as two of the best constructed and engineered (non-leather) laptop cases I have ever seen.

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Spire Endo Courier Laptop Bag

We’ve reviewed a couple Spire backpacks here on The Gadgeteer, the last one being their Torq backpack. Their latest offering is a courier laptop bag (messenger bag) that comes in three sizes: Viro (for laptops up to 14.1″), Endo (for laptops up to 15.4″) and the Mojo (for laptops up to 17″). Available in Cosmic Green, Midnight Blue and Stealth Black, I was sent the medium sized Endo bag in Midnight Blue.

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Keyspan Presentation Remote Pro

In July, I completed a review of the Jasper Keynote presentation remote and although I found the device to have some beneficial features, it lacked the reliability that I want when giving presentations. So my quest for a presentation remote to add to my gadget arsenal has brought me to the Presentation Remote Pro from Keyspan. Let’s see how this one stacks up.

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UPEK Eikon Digital Privacy Manager

Paranoia seems to be the norm when it comes to security these days, especially computer security. I know that I have probably 30 password variations that I use for 50-80 different sites and systems, making password management essential. What if there was a different way?

One alternative is the use of a biometric security mechanism. Biometric, sounds like something from a spy movie but in fact it is just a technique to uniquely recognize individuals based on one or more intrinsic physical characteristics. Fingerprints & iris recognition are probably the ones that are most common.

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Skooba Design DIY Skin

I’ve always been the kind of person that doesn’t want something if everyone else has one just like it. I like to be different ;o) As such, I tend to seek out companies that offer custom products. Skooba Design (formerly RoadWired.com) has a new product that allows YOU the ability to customize it. It’s their D.I.Y. Skin laptop sleeve / tote. Available in four sizes, this skin comes in a blank canvas version that you can decorate with paints, markers, needlework etc.

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Proporta Protective Laptop Sleeve

For someone as dedicated to protecting my tech-toys as I am, I carry them around
in a VERY antiquated leather bag. Which provides little to no protection for
my Macbook. When I went from a 15" to 17" laptop, I had to abandon
my old Waterfield sleeve for something that was sized to fit my new laptop.
I considered buying another sleeve from Waterfield, but decided to try something
new in form and construction. So, I decided to try the Proporta
Protective Laptop Sleeve
.

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Samsill Microsoft Summit Laptop Backpack

If you saw the Ladies Madison Laptop Tote review, you knew there was a second review coming your way. Samsill graciously sent the tote and the Microsoft Summit Laptop Backpack for my use. For the last 3 months, everyone in the house has used the backpack. My husband and I tried it in multiple environments. He used it at school and for work. I used it to consolidate my purse, diaper bag, and independent contractor equipment into one bag. We split the time using the bag and carried it everywhere we went. Want to know how the Summit Laptop Backpack held up over these months? Keep reading the review!

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Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase Review

I love leather gear bags. Not the froo-froo kind though. I’m talking about the more rugged style of leather bags. The kind that Indiana Jones might appreciate if he was a real person. The kind of bag that might be able to tell stories if it could talk. The kind of bag that isn’t made on an assembly line, but in a more personal setting. Bags from the Saddleback Leather Company of Texas fit this criteria and according to owner Dave Munson, these are the kind of bags that your grandkids will fight over when you’re dead. Sounds good enough to me, let’s take a closer look…

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LappyMat Laptop Screen Protectors

Those of you who try their utmost to keep their electronics in nice/pristine/perfect
condition should consider a LappyMat
screen protector
for your laptop. They are designed to protect your laptop
screen from the keyboard while traveling. I grant you most laptop manufactures
engineer their laptops to avoid the keyboard touching or scratching the screen,
but things happen. The LappyMats are a reasonably priced accessory designed
to reduce that risk.

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LapWorks Laptop Desk Futura

I think laptop users are luckier than desktop users because they can move their computer easily and quickly from one location to another. One minute they can be surfing at their office desk and in a blink of an eye, they can be surfing while sitting in their Lazy Boy recliner. I’m going to tell you about an accessory that can enhance laptop in both places. It’s the Futura laptop stand / laptop desk from LapWorks.

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Power Support Crystal Film for the 17″ Macbook Pro

Last weekend I went a bit out of control and purchased a 17″ Macbook Pro replacing my three year old 15″ Powerbook. The screen of my old Powerbook has been somewhat marred by the iSkin keyboard cover I have used since day one. The marks on the screen are only noticeable when the screen is off, so I decided not to use an iSkin again. Having learned my lesson, I wanted true screen protection for the incredibly vivid screen. A few months ago MacWorld mentioned Power Support as having one of the best screen protectors out there. So, the day I bought my laptop I ordered Power Support’s Crystal Film for the 17" Macbook Pro.

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Toffee Leather Sleeve

It seems the more people spend on electronics, the more they are willing to spend to keep them in tip-top shape. For example, The Gadgeteer has tons of reviews of Vaja cases for high-end Palm or HP devices, but I doubt you’ll find a Vaja case for a Palm Z22 or Zire. The same goes for laptops; there are definitely plenty of choices in cases for higher-end laptops, like Apple’s MacBook series or the Thinkpad, but I don’t think there are any for a $500 Dell or Everex. In this review, I’ll take a look at a minimalist sleeve for a MacBook, the Toffee.

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Samsill Ladies Madison Laptop Tote

In June 2006, Samsill Corporation obtained an exclusive multi-year brand licensing agreement with Microsoft Corporation. Their task, as mentioned in their press release, is to “manufacture, market and sell a broad assortment of computer bags and business accessories leveraging the Microsoft brand.” To get the word out on their products, Samsill offered The Gadgeteer Team to review any of the new Microsoft Laptop Bags.

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Rocketfish Twister Wireless Laser Notebook Mouse

If you read my review of the Slim Mouse, this review might seem a bit familiar because both mice have a somewhat similar shape and design. The mouse that we’re going to focus on for this review is the Twister Laser Mouse from Rocketfish. It is hands down better than the Slim Mouse though. Keep reading to find out why.

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G4 Slim Mouse

Mice come in all shapes and sizes these days. They are available in corded and non-corded varieties, using Bluetooth and other wireless protocols. Some run on batteries, some don’t. But all mice share a couple of important features… They have Left and Right buttons (ok, some Mac mice have just 1…), and they move the cursor around on your display. Today I’m going to tell you about the Slim Mouse. This mouse has those important features mentioned above, all bundled into an extremely thin package. Power Positioning (2P) actually claims that this mouse is the world’s thinnest. Is that a good thing? Let’s find out.

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Spire Torq Backpack

Cory at Spire USA contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their latest product: The Torq – a laptop backpack. Although I currently use a backpack bag for all my camera gear – the Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack – and I only have one back, I thought I would give it a try. What could it hurt (aside from my back)?

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Kensington Wireless Ci70 Desktop Set and Ci75 Notebook Mouse

Kensington has just released their new Ci
Lifestyle collection of input devices for your Windows or Mac desktop and / or notebook that they sent me to test. They sent the Ci70 Wireless Desktop set that includes both a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse, and the Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse which is available in two colors. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

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