“James Bond valued something not just for its appearance but also for its utility. The Cadet has that combination of looks and brains that would make Bond smile and raise an eyebrow. It couples those attributes with the strength and durability to shine at an embassy party or speed safely through a car chase.

It is truly an excellent choice for my applications. It is big enough to carry what I need. A laptop, an iPad and all the supporting accessories fit into the bag in a nicely comported way. It flies through a TSA screening with the panache of a man with multiple passports.”

“It also makes a perfect portable tray for stuff that can’t go through security at the airport. Unload your pockets into the travel tray and then pull the flap over the top and pull the drawstring. Every thing is secure and goes through the X ray to be recovered on the other side. Then you can just pop the whole thing into the pocket of your luggage to reassemble everything when you are safely at your gate.”

Read the full review at Restless Tech.

Above: the Tri-Star and Horizontal Freudian Slip.

See the Beers & Beans Tom Bihn Luggage Review set on Flickr.

Left: a 2002 Brain Bag in Sapphire. Right: a 2011 Brain Bag in Black.

Posted by retrophisch on Flickr. See also: the Brain Bag.

“I love tech. I love my dog. I really love things that allow me to use tech in relation to other things in my life, like my dog, Jack. Tom Bihn, a premier bag maker in Seattle, has a great specialty bag called the Citizen Canine which can help you keep all your “dog stuff” in one place. I was sent the black version with the Steel grid interior to test.”

Read the full review at the Gadgeteer. See also: the Citizen Canine.

We think you’ll want to listen to the entire show if you haven’t already (other topics include evolution of MacWorld|iWorld, the evolution and future of cameras and camera makers, Super Bowl winners that make John sick, the inevitable Facebook IPO, and Apple factories), but if you want to go straight to the discussion of the Ristretto, jump to about 51:18 in the broadcast. Listen here.

And just for Dan: here’s a photo of the Ristretto empty of stuff except for a 13″ MacBook Pro.

“So useful it’s hard to describe. Especially when your grocery run includes walking, stairs, subways in all or various forms.”

Another great photo iPhone photo taken by Jon ‘Geo’ Camp.

“The absolute best part of the [Smart Alec] bag is how the pockets open, because it’s very easy to stand the bag up on the ground and pull out my iPad from the main compartment. I don’t have to futz about with balancing the bag and trying to get my iPad out as I have had to with most shoulder bags. Set the backpack down, unzip, and pull the iPad out — all while the bag is standing upright on its own.

I can do that one handed.”

Read the full Brooks Review: Smart Alec (Part III) See also: the Smart Alec