Week of 4 November, 2007 - 00:00 to 11 November, 2007 - 00:59

"The bag stays on my shoulder, and I can hold it in one hand to put on my shoulder, unless I'm carrying my laptop. I was a little worried about the open top, because I tend to throw stuff in the bag, and I don't want things to fall out when the bag falls over (like in the car). It hasn't been a problem, though--I just throw loose stuff in the zippered pocket and zip it up. I use a small zippered pouch from Queen Bee as a wallet, and I clip it to the key strap (see bottom right photo below). It's easy to find when I need it, and it would be tricky to steal without me feeling it--good for travelling. Sometimes I forget to tuck it back into the bag, and then I feel like an idiot, but at least it's color coordinated." Read the full review at ...and another thing!

Main Entry: Western Flyer
Idea origin: Tom's brain/a conversation with a customer
Dates: Idea conceived Summer 07. First prototype September 07. Pre-order in November 07. Ships early-late December 07.

1) The Western Flyer is a new, smaller-sized carry-on bag made out of the same materials as our Aeronaut maximum carry-on (1050 denier ballistic nylon, Japanese-made Dyneema ripstop) though it features a different layout, pocket and organizational configuration, and offers a unique third method of carrying/wearing: a sling strap similar to the one that our Buzz sling bag has.

Local designer creates knitting’s "it" bag

Tom Bihn’s carry-all delivers bells, whistles and plenty of room

Medium Cafe Bag: 8 liters (475 cu. in.)

Small Cafe Bag: 6 liters (350 cu. in.)

A: You've been using the bag for awhile now. What about it stands out in your mind.

J: It's very well made. I've accidentally trashed a lot of bags just taking them back and forth to work (ed. note: this is true!) and the Ego seems like it's bullet-proof. With another bag, it would rip or tear when I'd throw a few tools in it, I don't worry about that with this bag.

A: Knowing the price ($130) do you feel it's worth it?

J: When you first showed me the prices on these bags I was kind of shocked, actually. I'm not used to paying more than $40 or so for a bag because I knew I'd have to replace it in a year or so. Now that I've used them I can understand the cost. You're really paying for some impressive quality. This is not a bag you turn over in a year.

Read the full review at DailyGadget or check out the Ego.

Our Brain Cell laptop case has gained a reputation for offering the best protection one can get for their laptop short of using a heavy metal briefcase. The Brain Cell cradles laptops in 8mm thick soft foam padding, suspends them in a 4mm hard corrugated plastic insert that protects from the front, back, and bottom, and protects them the sides by dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam, providing the ultimate in laptop protection.

And now that protection is even better. All Brain Cells, Horizontal and Vertical, now have an new fifth layer of protection: 12mm thick premium memory foam, manufactured to our specifications in the U.S.A. The layer of memory foam is fixed to the corrugated plastic floor of the Brain Cell, separating the bottom of the foam sling from the corrugated plastic shell. The memory foam acts as an extra layer of cushion as well as an effective shock absorber.

The Brain Cell is manufactured by our highly skilled Seattle factory crew. Components of the Brain Cell, from the 500 denier Cordura to the premium memory foam, are manufactured to our specifications in the United States.

The Brain Cell. $60. Vertical or Horizontal. Available in 11 different sizes to fit a wide range of laptops. Multiple colors. Ships immediately.