Hasta La Gadget!

Plenty of laptop bags are stylish, but not many come with a security service. That’s where Booq stands out. Booq’s Taipan Shadow Laptop Messenger Bag is compact, lightweight and combines a messenger bag style with a professional look. And it features a security service called Terralinq. There’s an attachment with a unique code inside each bag. When you register the bag, the unique code is linked to your identity. If your bag is ever lost or stolen, Booq will be able to contact you and arrange for the return of your bag.

The 15.5- by 13- by 3.3 inch bag, which fits laptops of up to 15 inches, comes in charcoal (pictured) as well as black, violet and brown, and includes a water-resistant exterior fabric with a velcro top closure. Also included is an adjustable shoulder strap with a removable shoulder pad. The inside features a Nylex lining as well as a plush lined compartment for your laptop.

Just in time for launch day, iLuv announced a number of iPad cases, sleeves, and screen protectors last week in various shapes, sizes, and colors, designed to give new iPad owners an array of choices when it comes to protecting their precious new tablet.

Among the iLuv releases are a leather case that allows you to use your iPad while keeping it protected, a stylish buckle-top sleeve that will keep your iPad between layers of soft fabric while you carry it around, a series of clear and patterned polycarbonate cases and docks, and a series of clear and glare-free screen protectors that let you use your iPad freely without worrying about damaging the display.

They aren’t officially announced yet, but HP sneaked two printers onto its Web site today–the HP LaserJet Pro P1102w and HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn–in a stealth introduction. Both fall into the only monochrome laser printer category that (to me at least) is still intrinsically interesting: personal monochrome laser printers, AKA the sort of beasties you can find room for on your desk without too much trouble.

I’ve already had both printers in hand for a couple of weeks, run them through their paces, and written the reviews. We’re in the final throes of getting them ready to post. In the meantime, just to whet your appetite, I’ll mention that if you’re at all interested in getting a personal mono laser, these are very much worth taking a look at. If you remember when a personal mono laser printer meant a 4ppm speed…well, that was a long time ago. The category keeps getting faster and better, and these are a case (or would that be cases) in point.

We interrupt our nonstop iPad coverage to bring you news of the Toshiba Canvio, which lets you put up to 1TB of data in your pocket. It’s a stylish choice, coming in a range of five colors, and it’s smaller than a postcard. It also offers a set-it-and-forget-it option, so you never need to remember to back up your stuff.

In its press release, Toshiba has chosen to market the Canvio on fear: Americans worry more about losing their digital valuables than they do about losing a wallet or getting audited by the IRS. That may be true, but isn’t there enough fear in the world? Don’t back up because you’re scared; back up because you want to. This is your inspirational thought for the day.

Toshiba is offering the 500GB model for $119.99, the 640GB for $139.99, the 750GB for $159.99, and the 1TB for $199.99. The Toshiba Direct site is currently offering $10 in instant savings. Go for the terabyte and never be afraid again.

It doesn’t take a genius to cook up this marketing plan for Das
Keyboard. You make high-end keyboards, you hold the Ultimate Typing
Championship. This year at SXSW, Das
Keyboard brought the two finalists–Nate Bowen of NYC and Sean Wrona of
Ithaca, NY–to Austin Texas, and crowned a winner.  Both typists have
been clocked at 150 words per minute, but this contest wasn’t even
close.

The championship had two rounds, and Sean Wrona won the
first round easily, hitting an unbelievable163 words per minute. The
current world record is for typing 158 words per minute, according to
the Guinness Book of
World Records.

The second test included a mix of
unintelligible phrases and code that required multiple keyboard
commands. Despite the complex material, Wrona beat his opponent 125 to
72 words per minute. That is the round I captured on video below.

After
Wrona collected his $2,000 prize, I asked him if his fingers hurt. He
shrugged and said: “My fingers are fine, although it is kind of
uncomfortable on the wrists.”

You can test your typing skills at ultimatetypingchampionship.com,
but don’t expect to see my name on the finalist list. I still look at
the keys when I type.