Nothing about this video makes sense. It’s as if some gang of lawless costumed freaks from space took a teenage girl with her pet snake out to the desert to live on the lam. Or something like that. More »
Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we’ve got a slew of accessories — and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!
Sure, you may need ultraportables and such to get the bulk of your work done, but you also need a few add-ons to make tasks just a bit easier. In this installment of the back to school guide, we’ll offer a collection of accessories that will do just that. From extra batteries to external hard drives and peripherals, what you’ll find here should help you get through a day of back-to-back classes, without the need to worry about losing all those term papers if something goes wrong with the SSD. Of course, not all of these are meant to aid in serious, head-down studies. We also tackle a few options for keeping fit and iPad-powered study breaks, too. So head on past the break for the rundown on a gadget stash that’ll help you ease back into the flow of things this fall.
Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: accessories
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household, Peripherals, Wearables, Storage
Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I do not like the pleather look of the Ogio Rivet. It’s degrading. Childish. Cheap. But damn do I love this bag, which is actually made out of shiny black canvas.
We have reviewed a lot of bags at TechCrunch and it’s always been clear that Ogio knows the secret formula to a great bag. The Ogio Rivet is no different. It offers plenty of space throughout the well-made bag with enough smart storage pockets to secure everything from an iPad to the most delicate portable electronics (there’s a crush proof pocket).
The Rivet is rather large. It can hold up to a 17-inch notebook and so it swallows whole my 15-inch MacBook Pro. In fact unlike most messenger bags, there’s enough room in this bag to hold a notebook computer and a large DSLR — plus it does so with ease. The bag has a fleece-lined outer pocket labeled for a notebook, but the computer could also easily go inside the bag’s main compartment.
Ogio brags that the Rivet has a capacity of 1350 cubic inches. That’s huge while not being too big. Thankfully, like most Ogio bags, there are pockets strategically placed throughout to hold one’s accoutrements. A new crush-proof pocket rests under the top flap, offering a lot of extra protection for one lucky gadget.
I loaded up the Rivet and carried the bag around town for a few days. It performs admirably. I’ve used an Ogio Hip Hop messenger bag for nearly five years now. It’s my go-to bag. The Rivet has all the qualities I love — smart storage, comfortable strap — with additional space and new features like the crush-proof pocket. I just don’t like the pleather look.
To be clear the Rivet is not made out of pleather but canvas coated in what appears to be a very thin layer of rubber — like waxed canvas but not. The pleather look is deceiving. It feels great to the touch and the coating should make the bag water-resistant.
At $150 the Rivet is a touch pricey. But having used several Ogio bags over the years, I can attest to the brand’s quality. Recommended.
Bag Week is our yearly celebration of laptop bags. Being that they are, for the most part, quite boring, we don’t find it odd that most folks settle for janky bags they get free with their laptops. Therefore we’ve created Bag Week, a service for you proud men and women of the laptop carrying world. We’ll be talking about a panoply of travel and back-to-school sacks and if you have a favorite you’d like featured, drop us a line at tips@techcrunch.com with the subject line BAG WEEK. You can read all of our bag week coverage here
When it comes to outfitting your college dorm room there are obvious amenities you’ll need to bring with you. Like a computer, a TV, multiple gaming consoles, and at least a couple of changes of clothes. More »
I’m starting Bag Week off with two bags from one of my favorite manufacturers, Nomadic. This Japanese seller of quality bags makes their rucksacks out of rip-stop fabric and offers a certain stark, compact design that is as far from your typical JanSport as a kimono is from an Ed Hardy shirt.
Most of Nomadic’s bags are quite small and the the WT-18 Wise-Walker Toto is no exception. It is about 13 inches long and 11 inches wide but expands to snugly hold a 15-inch laptop. It has a side bottle pocket and a set of front pouches for phones, notebooks, and pens. A front padded pocket is perfect for smaller tablets and the entire bag expands to hold thicker books when necessary.
Designed as more of a tote than a messenger-style laptop bag, folks looking for something considerably smaller will definitely get a kick out of this. The build quality is excellent and the bag comes in beige, black, and gray with a light blue lining. It costs $90 but in my experience, Nomadics can take quite a beating and are worth the extra investment.
The second bag, the WL-25 Wise-Walker backpack aims more at the academic set. The $77 backpack comes in black, navy, and gray and has a large 17-inch main pocket and can hold a smaller laptop although they claim to fit up to 15-inchers in there.
The backpack is surprisingly strong and light and has a bright orange rip-stop lining. It has a set of pockets in a front zippered pouch for pens and notebooks and includes a long, springy keychain attachment.
Both of these bags are far lighter than most of us are used to and they’re quite small. If you’re looking for something more compact than the traditional tote or backpack and are OK with paying a bit more for quality, I’d highly recommend Nomadic. Folks who have a hard time finding smaller backpacks will definitely prefer these models even over similarly sized U.S. brands.
Nomadic is obviously a little pricier than most other bag manufacturers but I’m a fan of the quality and the sizing. Far too many bags are too big and sloppy to be of much use while walking or commuting by train or bike, which is why I definitely recommend looking at these two thin and light rucksacks.
Click to view slideshow.
Bag Week is our yearly celebration of laptop bags. Being that they are, for the most part, quite boring, we don’t find it odd that most folks settle for janky bags they get free with their laptops. Therefore we’ve created Bag Week, a service for you proud men and women of the laptop carrying world. We’ll be talking about a panoply of travel and back-to-school sacks and if you have a favorite you’d like featured, drop us a line at tips@techcrunch.com with the subject line BAG WEEK. You can read all of our bag week coverage here
Hey Dude, Here’s My Car
Parents, are you sending your kid to college with a car or a bike? Parking lots at schools can be intimidating.. Especially when the student rushes to get to class. Pull in a space, kill the engine, lock and go! And an hour later they are combing the lot saying “where did I park.” Bike racks can provide as much confusion. Prevent the inevitable with the GPS Homing Device keychain. Simply push a button when parking. The GPS unit marks the location and points them back to it while counting down the distance. And it is back lit for night use. You can set up to 3 different starting points to remember other locations. Don’t let any collegian take their wheels to school without a sure fire way to find their parking spot, just $79.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer.
Smart, Practical and Stylish
A durable bag is critical to college. You need to keep your stuff together, and know it is safe.Timbuk2 has been producing quality bags for years. They recently beefed up their popular Commute messenger bag, $109 – $119 on Amazon, to adapt to today’s needs for collegians and professionals everywhere. The exterior allows for quick access to a key pocket, and water bottle storage. The interior continues with separate file storage, ample book space, plenty of pen/pencil storage and more bottle storage. A faux fur lined pocket provides protection for phones and scratch prone items. The Commute 2.0 offers an external laptop compartment with separate space for a tablet or e-reader, both heavily padded. And if you fancy travel you will zip through TSA with the lie flat laptop section. As with Commute 1.0 the TPU flap keeps your gear dry in a drizzle and the shoulder strap is removable. A variety of colors are also available to suit you, or your collegian.
Ensure the Important Is Not Lost
Sending a student to college with important documents or jewelry can be nervewracking. Sure, you trust your kid. But Who knows what crazies are living in the dorm. Give you and your student some peace of mind with the Lock & Roll Portable Personal Safe. Lock & Roll is less than 6” tall and – as the name insinuates – has 2 wheels for easy maneuvering. Drop in the valuables, lock it up and roll it away, and know that things are secure. The Lock & Roll is available on Amazon for $71.81, a steal for the relief it will provide.
[ Keep Your Stuff Together copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we’re taking our audio with us — and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!
With all of the studying and on-campus traveling you’re about to delve into, sometimes adding a bit of music to your step can spice up those mundane times in your daily routine. That’s why we’ve rounded up a selection of portable speakers and headphones that’ll not only help you rock out whenever the mood strikes, but also go a step further by letting you take phone calls without skipping a beat. It may not be audiophile-grade gear in the official sense, but it won’t matter when you’re enjoying good sound just about anywhere your smartphone-connected life takes you.
Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: portable audio
Filed under: Wearables
Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: portable audio originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In an effort to keep the kids from going with all Apple everything, Microsoft has teamed up with a number of vendors to offer a new “Buy a PC, Get An Xbox” plan along with a $15 upgrade to Windows 8 when it lands later this year. Non-gamers get a $100 Staples gift card, which sounds like cold comfort.
Student buyers who spend $699 on a PC will get the Xbox and the upgrade if they supply a student ID. Given that many PC shoppers are holding off until Windows 8 is official, this seems like a good move. Grabbing an Xbox and an inexpensive upgrade ensures that the laptops now mouldering in inventory are sold while Microsoft gains another revenue stream thanks to game purchases and Xbox Live subscriptions. Buyers, in turn, get some state of the art hardware that’s Win8 ready when it’s time to move over.
Given that folks may find Windows 8 a cognitive burden and that first-gen versions of Windows OSes usually end up pretty rough, it’s probably a good move to stick with Win7 for at least a few more months after launch to see how the UX and bugs shakes out. However it seems like a great opportunity for an early adopting student to pick up a nice laptop at a fairly nice price and waste a bit of time on Skyrim between, during, and after class.
Hear those school bells in the distance? It’s hard to believe, but the start of the school year is just a few weeks away — and all week we’ve been rounding up some of our favorite eco-friendly back-to-school essentials. From green school supplies to sustainable backpacks, we’ve got all your back-to-school needs covered. And to top it off, we’re giving away a laptop-charging Voltaic solar-powered backpack (worth $389) stuffed with green school supplies for a total prize package worth over $500. If we could go back to school and live in any dorm, we’d probably choose Copenhagen’s Tietgenkollegiet dorm, a circular building with community kitchens, cafes, music rooms and a central courtyard. And if we could choose any gadget to take with us, it would have to be the P&P Office Waste Processor, which can transform a basket full of waste paper into fully-formed pencils.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Inhabitat’s week in green: solar powered toilet, pollution-fighting mural and the world’s largest rooftop wind farm originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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