The Smart Alec is now in-stock in all of the colors you love: Solid Black, Black/Crimson, Black/Steel, Black/Sage, and Black/Kiwi. If you’re interested in the Solid Black Smart Alec, order soon — we are already low on them.
Ready to ship: Bags for the 17″ MacBook Pro
We have over ten different bags to choose from for the 17″ MacBook Pro ready to ship. Read on for a list of the bags that will fit the new MacBook Pro and a brief description. Or, go straight to the 17″ MacBook Pro product category for a full listing of compatible products, complete with pictures.
The Empire Builder: Shipping Soon and One Color Sold Out
The Empire Builder briefcase will be in-stock and ready to ship by May 5th.
The Empire Builder briefcase is the result of three years of product development and 30 years of bag building experience. It is uniquely styled, superbly functional, and built to endure years of abuse.
If you’re interested in the Empire Builder, we suggest you order one now. Even when the Empire Builder is backordered it can sell out, and this time it has — in color combination Black/Steel/Steel. All other colors are available, but the Empire Builder is a popular bag and we will be sold out again soon.
Apple Surpised You Today; We’ll Surprise You Friday
Today, Apple introduced the 17″ MacBook Pro. On Friday, April 28th, we will introduce a new product available for pre-order in sizes specifically and only for the 17″ MacBook Pro, the 15.4″ MacBook Pro, and the 12″ Powerbook.
In some ways, the new product will be completely different from every other Tom Bihn product. And in other ways, it will be very similar to other products in our line. You’ll just have to wait and see…
Are you wondering which Brain Cell, Monolith, Mitre, or Soft Cell will fit the 17″ MacBook Pro you ordered? More on that tomorrow.
First Review of the Aeronaut by Imago Metrics
Imago Metrics has posted the first external review of the Aeronaut.
“The Tom Bihn Aeronaut takes on the challenge of offering an innovative -user and task focused carry-on bag that takes cues from the timeless cargo bags, but softens the typical ‘boxy’outlines with aerodynamic curves instead. As airlines strive to penalize customers with fines for oversized and overweight carry-on’s the Aeronaut is the best solution that combines maximum volume with durability, styling and user comfort. This is the Jenny Craig© of overhead compartment bags. In true Tom Bihn style- form and function are evenly matched. Ergonomic, flexible and user accommodating- the Aeronaut is sure to make your next journey a pleasure.” Read the full review.
Darcy recommends: Make It Count: What “organic” labels really mean
Sometimes it seems like the more good intentions I have for this planet and the people and animals on it, the more complicated my shopping becomes. In some ways, that’s good. I think more about the purchases I make and when I buy things that are organic, “Made in the U.S.A.”, sustainably harvested, animal-friendly, or recycled, they tend to be of a higher quality. In some ways, it’s harder and it takes more time, especially when you have to consider things like whether the organic fruit grown in Chile a better or worse buy than the non-organic fruit grown in the state where you live.
In the end, we can only do our best, and “Make it count: What “organic” labels really mean”, an article by the Editors of Consumer Reports, makes it easier for us to make the right choices when it comes to buying organic. It’s a simple guide with tips on buying organic; if the label says “Made with Organic Ingredients,” that means that 70% of the ingredients are organic; buying organic cherries and strawberries makes sense because those fruits tend to have higher concentrations of pesticides; and other excellent guidelines to help you make smart organic purchases.
Available for pre-order: Sizes 2 and 5 Horizontal Soft Cell
alt="Soft Cell" width="100" height="159">A padded sleeve for your laptop, the Soft Cell is designed to protect your laptop against scrapes and scratches. It is currently available in six Vertical sizes (5, 4, 4X, 3, 2, 2XL) to fit a wide range of laptops and now two Horizontal sizes (5 and 2) that are available for pre-order now with a shipping date of mid-May.
The Vertical Soft Cell is designed to slip inside our Brain Bag or Smart Alec backpacks, or most other backpacks. The Horizontal Soft Cell will slip inside our Empire Builder briefcase, or Super Ego or ID messenger bags, or most other messenger bags or briefcases.
Tips you can use to find faster airport security lines
The gate less traveled:
Tips and tools you can use to find faster airport security lines, an article by Conor Dougherty, originally published in the The Wall Street Journal, has some great tips and tools for the traveler who wants to avoid those long security lines. Registration may be required.
We recommend taking an Aeronaut maximum carry-on bag with you to improve any travel experience. The Aeronaut is available for pre-order now and will ship within the next two weeks. As you may recall, we decided to make five Aeronauts in the color Hunter Green to see how they looked — a couple of those are still available. If you’d like to order the Aeronaut in Hunter Green, email us.
Vote for Debbie: UPS Driver of the Month
You place an order through our Web site or over the phone. We receive your order and process it, package it, and make sure it’s ready for pickup. And that’s where Debbie comes in. She’s our UPS driver, the person who picks up the days shipments from our shipping center.
Did you choose 2nd or Next Day Air for your shipping method? Debbie’s the one who made sure it got to the airport on time. Did we sneak your last minute order in to be shipped that same day, even though it was past our shipping deadline? Debbie is the one who waited for us to finish packaging that order. If you’ve placed an order through us that was shipped UPS, chances are that the package went through Debbie’s hands.
Debbie is always smiling. She’s really funny and nice. Everyone on her route loves her. And we think she should be voted “UPS Driver of the Month”, a contest sponsored by Seattle’s KOMO 1000 radio. Each winning UPS driver will receive tickets to a Mariners baseball game.
You can vote for Debbie here. All you need to do is enter your name, address, a reason for nomination, and Debbie’s full name: Deborrah Morgan. You can then mail or fax your nomination, or submit it online (registration required.)
Vote for Debbie! She deserves it.
We haven’t forgotten UPS drivers Jamie, Jimmy, Andy, Will, who sometimes fill in for Debbie on her route, and Luis, “The Boss”. We really like you guys too! Everyone at the Port Angeles UPS hub rocks.
