Week of 20 April, 2008 - 00:00 to 26 April, 2008 - 23:59

"The Ristretto has an interior compartment padded at the front, back, and bottom with a flap on the top. The back side is padded with 1/4″ closed cell foam. There’s also a front compartment for pens papers and small adapters and accessories.

It’s a simple bag but it really does the trick. It’s on the minimalist side but it provides ample protection for the MacBook Air and there’s just enough room for the essentials." -- Read the entire review (with pictures) or see the Ristretto.

A beautiful and deeply moving book about love and survival in the shadow of Auschwitz. I finished reading it with tears in my eyes.
–Dale M. Brown, writer/editor, Time-Life Books.

I continually hold out hope that the next book I read will be one that stays with me forever -- a book that I must own because I'll find myself going back to the bookshelf time and again to find certain passages; a book that is so beautifully written that recalling certain scenes or passages involve all senses. From what I've read so far, Eyes are Watching, Ears are Listening is one of those books. (Read excerpts of the book here.) I've had the privilage to meet Eycke Strickland several times: she is an amazing person with an important and fascinating story to tell. For more information on Eyes are Watching, Ears are Listening, visit Eycke Strickland's Web site, or read the six five-star reviews of the book on Amazon.com.

Autographed copies of Eyes are Watching, Ears are Listening may be purchased directly from the author.

Also available at Amazon.com.

You, our customers, have told us that one of the things you love about our bags is the wide (and ever-changing) selection of colors and color combinations that they are available in -- Wasabi, Crimson, Plum, Sapphire, Olive, Cocoa, Pink, Storm, Kelly, Navy, and Cayenne, just to name a few.

Rich, deep, and vibrant colors are essential components of what we look for when we add a color to our palette or have a custom color (like Wasabi, Steel or Cayenne) made for us.

But what is equally important to us is where these fabrics are dyed and manufactured.

We don't want to see people in the towns where our fabrics are made living next to Wasabi rivers and Cayenne streams. Not cool.

We want to know that everyone -- from the people who dye and make the fabrics, to the TOM BIHN factory employees who cut and sew the fabrics, to you at home who touch these fabrics everyday -- is as safe as possible and not exposed to toxic dyes.

That's why we only use fabrics from countries where there are environmental and safety regulations to control dying and manufacture, like the U.S.A., Japan and Switzerland. (Environmental and safety regulations in some other countries either don't exist or are not enforced.)

According to Rob Bushway over at GottaBeMobile, our Ristretto vertical laptop bag fits the Dell Latitude XT:
"I only carried the Tom Bihn Ristretto Messenger bag all week. Along with the power adapter, some pouches for my wallet and cables, my phone, the extended battery, and the Latitude XT, I had everything I needed. It is amazing how much can fit in that small bag. Stay tuned for an InkShow on the Ristretto - it is a very, very nice bag and a great solution for the the Latitude XT."

And rabergnc has posted new feedback on the Ristretto in the TOM BIHN Forums:
"A couple of weeks with the Ristretto now and it still is my favorite bag for day-to-day use. It holds everything I need easily with room for more. " (Read rabergnc's entire post)

The Empire Builder briefcase is now shipping in all colors: Black/Black/Cayenne, Black/Black/Steel, Black/Black/Sapphire, Black/Steel/Steel, Black/Steel/Wasabi, and Black/Crimson/Steel.

Tom posts in our Forums:

"What I know so far:

Around 5 x 7 x 1.5" (as compared to the Small Cafe @ 7.5" x 11" x 3", so about 1/4 of the volume)

Made of 1000 denier Cordura® (lots of possible colors)

Removable, adjustable 5/8" webbing should strap

Zips shut

What I don't know:

Landscape or portrait orientation. This is important because the bag will be so small that, if it is a vertical bag, anything that falls to the bottom will be really hard to see/retrieve (like playing a game of "Operation - the goofy game for dopey doctors"). I prefer the aesthetic of a vertical bag but the utility of a horizontal bag. What do y'all think?"

-- Let Tom know what you think in the TOM BIHN Forums.