NOTCOT Exclusive!!! From our awesome friends at Hard Graft ~ they have been kind enough to share it with us first! Check out their latest bag, the 3Fold! It can play portfolio case, laptop case, AND overnighter... ready for the juicy details? (I'm loving this new one! So tempted by it!)

"3FOLD multi-use leather laptop bag - Three bags in one - the 3FOLD is a slim LAPTOP BAG, a sizable A2 PORTFOLIO BAG and a spacious OVERNIGHTER. Just switch to the configuration you need, this bag is as flexible as your lifestyle demands. The function of this bag speaks volumes. Clever hooks (traditionally used for heavy duty hiking boots) make varying between the different styles possible. The 3FOLD is handmade from a bespoke vegetable tanned Italian leather which is dyed through and hand finished in grey with a hint of teal. This is juxtaposed with a chestnut brown leather shoulder strap which can be used in all three configurations. The leathers are coloured with natural dyes which enhance the look over time and use. Each limited edition 3FOLD is individually numbered and carefully assembled by a family of leather artisans in the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy."

Take a peek at pics and specs on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - laptop - leather - shopping - technology

We all have soft spots for certain things ~ and Tord Boontje is certainly one of mine. Even when he goes from designs for moroso and artecnica to target... and now HP!!! And i will own up to the fact that i'm not a huge fan of overly designed laptops/netbooks ~ especially when they are designed to look more clutch like and girly than sleek sexy electronics... but i. want. this HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje! As a design object more than a netbook! Even when its obsolete, i want it to just stare at in all its fascinatingly layered HP Imprint 3D technology layering in imagery into the case resembling the floating layers of vectorized images much like vinyl stickering between layers of acrylic. So subtle, so mesmerizing, AND filled with endangered creatures tucked into the flora? And to top that off? Gorgeous site and fun tord boontje "spot the animals" type flash game and free wallpapers as well. *Swoon* ~ so take a look at screenshots and images on the next page!

p.s.
most annoying looping noises on their site though...

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Tags: art - gifts - laptop - netbooks - shopping - technology

Unboxing the Samsung Go! First impressions, i LOVE the way this netbook feels in my hands, i wish all of my laptops/etc had this kind of grippy/non-slip/ruggedized texture! They’d feel far less fragile, and so much more ready to face the world (or the inside of my purse?). Also, it totally screams “bar of soap” to me… something about the extruded oversized logo text that is a bit much… makes me think of dial or irish spring. Also exciting?

Did you know this little adorable netbook that is visually quite unlike any others… is designed by Naoto Fukasawa? Designboom highlighted this not nearly publicized enough fact! But for now ~ lets take a look at all those details ~ and the fun box too! Check it out on the next page…

CLICK HERE to see the full unboxing of "the Samsung GO"! ----->

This post is part of the new Netbook Resource Center sponsored by Samsung ~ i've reposted it here for you, because i'm far too excited about how fun the unbox is!

Tags: gifts - laptop - netbooks - shopping - technology

Does this laptop sleeve not scream NotCouture to you? I was so excited when i saw it! Incase teamed up with Honeyee and japanese uniform experiment.... to create this beautifully simple monochromatic uniform experiment sleeve... and you regulars definitely know how we love our safety pins over at NotCouture ~ especially clean vectorized ones! Honestly, i only wish they took it a little too far and made the zipper pulls safety pins with the majority of it dipped in clear rubber, so it looked like you had safety pin pulls! Or at least safety pin graphic on the pull? Also... love that it is lined with the awesome feeling, yet distracting named "faux fur" ~ which really feels far better than it sounds. Take a look at more pics on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - incase - laptop - shopping

Finding a nice laptop sleeve or bag has usually been no easy feat (granted, i'm extremely picky too!) ~ and there has certainly been a major trend towards designers making more and more gorgeous accessories as these devices have become core aspects of our everyday... but i must admit i'm a bit blown away to find Tumi, Mandarina Duck, Acme Made, Timbuk2, Built NY, Kenneth Cole, and more at DELL... and to have them have some really sweet exclusive
Designed For Dell products just kind of floored me tonight. How long has this been going on? Why didn't anyone tell me? Is it bad i feel weird to have Dell becoming a possible go to for slick bags? And even worse, because of some of these bags i'm getting more and more tempted to indulge in a little necessary black netbook as a new toy? (Justification? Ummm... cross browser checking machine?)

I think its safe to safe that Dell has definitely embraced the "lifestyle" of mobile computing with all of this. And honestly, all these exclusive accessories are just making my late night shopaholic come out in full force wanting not only accessories, but perfectly sized laptops to stick in them as well. And as much as my hardware may say i love apple, Dell just earned major points in my book with these offerings. See my selection of the best of the Designed For Dell collection on the next page ~

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - laptop - netbooks - shopping - technology

I have a thing for messenger bags and a fascination with bags made of out unexpected recycled materials (i think it started with Freitag in high school) ~ and throughout the life of NOTCOT, we've looked at so many... from truck tarps to sea sails to parachutes to jackets and more... but when i spotted this at Springwise, i did a double, triple, quadruple take...

Zirkeltraining ~ is a german line of bags, wallets, laptop sleeves, etc made from recycled vintage 1950's gymnastics equipment... from pummel horses to floor mats to rescue nets... with some truck tarps thrown in as well... Their photography is also eery but captivating... and the whole thing fascinated me until someone mentioned how many crotches have been on 1950's pummel horse leather... but still... i had to share it with you... so see more pictures on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - bag - gifts - laptop - leather - messenger - recycled - shopping

TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ with where you would go if you could jet set anywhere! ENTER BY 12/15. WINNER: Rabbit in NC!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #27 ~ and it's a big one! Wejetset is ready to hook one reader up with the ultimate travel upgrade, and their founder Taj knows my tastes far too well, since he picked so many NOTCOT faves in this bundle... From the incredibly sleek, can't be missed, minimal Hideo Wakamatsu Wave (Red) Carry-on, to one of my favorite laptop sleeves, Incase Krink 15" Laptop Sleeve, to the Baxter Travel Kit from our favorite men's line, to the adorably understated Field Notes to doodle during your trip, and even STPL Socks, so that during the security line, even your socks are looking good! Clearly Wejetset does not mess around when outfitting you for your next jetsetting adventure... here's one way to go home for the holidays in style (and pampered comfort!)

So here's what you can win in this instant travel makeover of a bundle (over $500 of goods!)
+ Hideo Wave (Red)
+ Baxter Travel Kit
+ Incase Krink 15" Laptop Sleeve
+ Field Notes (3 pack)
+ STPL Socks (Grey & White - 2 pairs)

So are you ready? For a chance to win this, leave a comment about where you would go if you could jet set anywhere tomorrow! I know we could all use a vacation right about now!!!

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Tags: accessories - bag - beauty - fashion - gifts - giveaway - health - laptop - shopping - travel

Ahhhh, i couldn't resist. Our friends at Hard Graft (previously known as Working Class Heroes) have done it again, this time launching new products themed around my favorite design feature... the brown leather pockets! Above are my two favorites i'm curious to get my hands on... the Key Too (keeps your car key and your scratchier keys separated) and the and the Pocket Wallet (literally a pocket! with a space for your cards and your cash!)... additionally there is a new laptop sleeve (ready with sizes for all our new macbooks too!) and a mouse pad/pouch ~ to appreciate all the details, see the pics on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - laptop - leather - shopping - technology

Hi. So. I don't even know where to start right now, in a nutshell ~ who was i kidding (maybe pretty much myself) that i would be able to work during an the all day FM Conversational Marketing Summit that our Federated Media family is putting on? I think i've been running around since early this morning - all day through the summit, getting to know the advertising/marketing world, meeting the people behind the campaigns we love and admire, then drinks... then dinner... then... well finally home to linhchi's at like 12:30? Only to supposedly be up and do it again tomorrow? And be on a panel at 2?

Well you know me. I'm about to pass out (and sorry this post is a bit ramblier than usual, SO tired) ~ but i had to find SOMETHING to post and share with you! It just feels too wrong to be running around chatting with people who love our sites, and not post to do so! So, for anyone at the summit, yes, that was me... in the grass outside the cocktail reception, in that perfect sunset lighting, sprawled across the grass in a little black dress shooting pictures of our new macbook pro and macbook that dan and i might have ducked out of an afternoon session to run over to the marina to pick up. And while i am embarrassed to say that i have not actually booted either machine yet, and may not get to do the inaugural booting/transferring/notcot loading until AFTER tomorrow (how wrong is that?)... i did take a bunch of pics of the packaging and details in the grass in the presidio before getting back to "work" ~ meeting some incredibly insightful agency creatives, marketers, sales people that i've probably swapped far too much email with. So, take a peek at the pics on the next page, and more to come after i try to survive tomorrow...

For those at the CM Summit, come say hi at the 2pm panel i'm on? I'm so nervous! And for those not here ~ one of my biggest goals here as a publisher, is to get to know some of the people behind the ads and campaigns, and ultimately see what it will take to turn advertising on NOTCOT into as much fun as the content (really, we all know there's no excuse for ugly, useless creative) ~ and how we can convince advertisers to support what the readers want to see more of! (On one thing i can leak... sounds like a really exciting competition with Adobe for CS4 is in the works, so get those creative juices flowing! And it just shipped today! I totally spaced on getting a copy while i was at the apple store...) As readers, any and all ideas you have on what you'd love to see more of ~ please leave a comment and i'll do what i can to make it happen.

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Tags: advertising - apple - laptop - mac - me - notcot - packaging - unboxing

Our favorite felt/leather technology carriers, Working Class Heroes, has evolved and is now known as Hard Graft. And honestly, nothing has changed, other than their moniker, and the quality and designs are, if anything, better than ever! So i've got an exclusive sneak peak for you of the latest line (and quite possibly my favorite yet)... here's
The Dapper Collection!

I've always loved their leather pockets on felt, which my original laptop sleeve from them had, and now they've brought the motif back as the signature feature in
The Dapper Collection. Also, they've mastered the Kindle case (see pics of a prototype i've been playing with on the next page), and it has a pocket which perfectly fits the iPhone. Honestly, its the perfect little bundle to grab when you're off to read in the park or at the beach. They've also got an adorable iPhone case, which has a pocket for some cash/cards... and a revival of the laptop wallet with top buttons and a new larger pocket also perfect for iPhones! So check out more pics on the next page, and see the full collection for purchase at Hard Graft!

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Tags: accessories - felt - gifts - iphone - kindle - laptop - leather - shopping

Incase has done it again... waking me up to yet another giddiness inducing package. They always manage to put me in the best moods with their great packaging (from packaging of the product, to the silver penned notes to go with them!). I'm sure you've been seeing these new limited edition cases buzzing around the web all morning, but here's an unboxing and some close up pics of my own. And for those just catching up...

Incase has teamed up once again with Arkitip Magazine, and this time they've pulled in one or my favorite artists, Craig Costello aka "KRINK" aka "KR", the legendary creator of KRINK inks and markers and artist behind those awesome silver drippy mail boxes! So this new KRINK Sleeve is the first in the "Curate by Arkitip" series. First impression, was being smitten by the silver on black drippiness, so messy, yet so clean. Next thing to hit me... although it is an awesome art product, the quality is incredible, but then again what else would you expect from Incase? This would be such a fun case to carry into a formal meeting... if not just to see what the reactions are like! Anyhow, go see the many pics on the next page, as well as the video with behind the scenes on how this sleeve came to be.

p.s.
i know it sounds silly, but part of me is dying to spraypaint 'NOTCOT' on mine...

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Tags: accessories - art - incase - laptop - streetart - technology

It's noon on Friday, and this week has been so much design/dev/catch up ~ i somehow ended up staying up all night catching up on emails (i was a few hundred deep... now down to somewhere around 100! yay!), so about to crash, but wanted to first show you guys some exciting new fall launches coming from Belkin. I hope you don't mind, but i'll keep it brief, and give you lots of pics on the next page:

1. Fly Wire - this was one of the things i've been waiting for since CES, a super sleek simple way to mount a receiver to your flat panel TV, and have no wires showing when its wall mounted, while all your devices are connected elsewhere. Gorgeous design, awesome implementation!

2. Break Free - a great little magnetic break away jack for all our guitarists out there, or for those who trip on their cords!

3. Laptop Cool Strip - fun idea for getting your laptop some room to cool, while also having space to let cables not get crushed under the laptop.

See larger pics of all of these on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - guitar - hddvd - laptop - shopping - technology - tv

Back in October of 2005, I wrote about Anthro's new eNook, a thin, wall mounted laptop/charging hideaway... it was a brilliant idea, but with a $399 price tag, it was a bit steep to prioritize over buying a proper desk or chair... Well today i noticed that three years later Ikea has jumped on the design (oh ikea, *shakes head*), and in standard Ikea fashion, they moved the decimal point to $39. Far more tempting isn't it? And while i don't condone copying... at that price it is tempting to organize tech charging into a hidden box on the wall... See further comparison imagery below!

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Tags: furniture - laptop - technology

Incase sent over a MacBook Pro Hardshell case in Plum a few weeks ago (i spaced, and the pics of this review got momentarily lost in the pending MT posts, apologies!) ~ if you recall, it was in that gorgeous press kit! So below you can check out pics of it in person (and how nicely my NOTCOT sticker subtly shows through!) as well as images and info from the catalog of this *coming soon* case. Currently only the Incase Hardshell cases for Macbooks are available on their site. Additionally there is a video walkthrough from Incase on how to properly put one on! See all the details below.

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Tags: apple - laptop - mac - technology

Flipping through the 2008 Incase catalog, these new Nylon Messenger Bags jumped out at me, and upon reading the details (see the catalog pages after the jump) i had to post it out of curiosity and intrigue. In two sizes (medium and large), both have a sleek yet textured look, weather resistant nylon and waterproofed lining, exterior weatherproof pocket and headphone port, topographic print lining, and i like how the edge goes up and around the clips... as well as a mysterious "plush faux-fur lining" (i wonder what that looks/feels like) to protect your goods. In the large model, there is even a removable notebook sleeve, removable hipsack (fanny pack?), interior bike pump tie down, and an "abrasion resistant skateboard attachment with molded skate bumpers". See more details and images after the jump!

It isn't easy finding a good subtle, rugged, stylish, black messenger bag. I've got quite the stash of them (from chrome to ordning & reda to random leather ones to timbuk2 to patagonia...), but it's been a while one has even really caught my attention.

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Tags: bag - fashion - incase - laptop - messenger - technology

Incase: A better experience through good design. The UPS and FedEx guys always seem to make my day. Today it was the delivery of the Incase press kit that has my love of packaging design gushing. With a tagline like "a better experience through good design", you would think it would be hard to live up to... but apparently not, from the time i sliced the tape open on the box they continued to surprise me with impressively high quality new products for 2008, incredible attention to detail in the catalog/boxes/design, extremely efficient use of space, and ultimately the whole press kit experience was like a designer's babuska doll of surprises. So come unbox it with me in the photos after the jump! And more to come on the incredible macbook pro hardshell case soon...

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Tags: incase - iphone - ipod - laptop - mac - packaging

Sneak peeks from the latest from the Working Class Heroes which will be available Feb 4th... introducing the Unfold laptop bag. This new "premium cognac leather"/"washed slate cotton canvas" combo will be perfectly filled with a 17" macbook pro, but when using a smaller laptop (macbook air?), it takes a cue from the trendy Foley and Corinna style city totes you can easily have it folded in half to more of a messenger bag proportion. With "comfy handles and a reinforced shoulder strap, the bag is also padded with a protective layer to keep whatever you carry safe". Its interior is a soft cotton lining with small leather logo. See more images of the Unfold after the jump!

Seem familiar? Working Class Heroes has been previously seen on NOTCOT and the gift guide due to my obsession with their brilliantly designed grey wool felt and leather laptop sleeves i have two of.

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Tags: bag - fashion - gifts - laptop - leather - shopping - technology

We all want it. We have to. Right? And i do have a soft spot for manilla envelopes... Does anyone else think of air jordans when they hear macbook air though? The naming on this stuff kills me. Also the user experience of their whole keynote/macworld expo is apparently quite possibly the worst user experience ever... But for now. It looks pretty cute, and the music video for the song in the ad is quite possibly the cutest thing i've been woken up with... see it below! I would love to have her box on the water... and as far as packaging goes, i'm going to be sad if i open the box for this and it's not in a manilla envelope... oh and apparently it's completely sealed, has no ram slots, no battery replacement, its just like a ginormous ipod... i mean small laptop. same diff - only 2 gigs ram... no ethernet port...

UPDATED 1.15.8 at 12:50: We have hands on pics of the MacBook Air ~ detail shots added after the jump!

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Tags: gifts - laptop - mac - shopping - technology

Working Class Heroes ~ this Viennese duo, Monie & James ~ have me giddy over their gorgeously functional grey felt and brown leather combinations... from laptop wallets to passport cases, moleskine pouches to glasses cases. I mentioned these in a roundup where i had mentioned finding these on .org and ordering two laptop wallets! Well they arrived in LA while i've been in SF the last few weeks... and they were the first thing i headed for when i got home. First impression? Beautiful presentation, all hand tied with red/white ribbon, and the products are even nicer in person than online ~ and they were even nice enough to add one of their keyholders as well.

I purchased their Girls Only Laptop Wallet as well as the Laptop Wallet Tidy ~ and actually i ordered two simply because i couldn't decide if i wanted it to horizontal or vertical, and at such a reasonable 49$ pricetag ~ no reason not to get both for use in various bags. The three things about these that impress me most are... 1. no zippers! (i'm extremely particular about avoiding zippers in my laptop cases, because i had some macbooks get very sliced up on the sides from quick ins and outs... and also no velcro! so its silent) 2. the simplicity of the styles using a nice heavy "3mm grey german felt" combined with adorable graphic branding imprinted leather accents ~ as well nice cotton herringbone reinforcements 3. the genius of having laptop sleeves where you can easily PUSH the laptop out. Honestly, i've gone through MANY laptops, laptop sleeves, and laptop bags ~ and its been a long time since i've gotten excited about one... but these have surpassed my expectations in both form and function.

MANY pictures below, both from their site of their line, as well as some quick snapshots of mine when i just got home. Having these to play with may actually get me off my laptop a bit more since i need to close it to slip it into the laptop wallets!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - laptop - mac - shopping - technology

Remember building periscopes as a kid? Either to pretend you had a submarine... or to spy around the corner at neighbors and siblings... that excitement of tracking down empty paper towel rolls (or emptying paper towel rolls) and finding some mirrors... of chaining together complex structures of mirrors and cardboard tubes just to see how far you could push it? If not, go do it, you were deprived. If so, keep reading.

Well take that "technology" and apply it to these silly fixed direction webcams (particularly on the mac laptops) with with two mirrors and a mount.... *poof* you can now record whats on the *other* side of the laptop. This is precisely what ecamm has done with their Huckleberry... and they've smartly packaged it with their iGlasses software (the one that lets you tweak your ichat videos to your hearts content)... unfortunately neither the design (although simple), packaging, or their web page leave much to be desired.

Now to take that one step further - according to Gizmodo, "Ken and Greg Aspeslagh [the ecamm guys] claim that they created the application at the C-4 Developer Conference's Iron Coder Live this weekend, winning first prize." And thus video chat on iPhone is now possible... Read more about it on the ecamm-ers blog Mac Daddy World.

Tags: camera - gifts - laptop - shopping - technology

Another CES highlight - getting to see the 100$ "One Laptop per Child" machine over at the AMD booth. We've been hearing about it for a while all over the internet, but to actually play with it, it was impressive to say the least... and i am a big believer in saving the future one laptop per kid at a time...

(excerpt from their faq) What is the $100 Laptop, really?
The proposed $100 machine will be a Linux-based, with a dual-mode display—both a full-color, transmissive DVD mode, and a second display option that is black and white reflective and sunlight-readable at 3× the resolution. The laptop will have a 500MHz processor and 128MB of DRAM, with 500MB of Flash memory; it will not have a hard disk, but it will have four USB ports. The laptops will have wireless broadband that, among other things, allows them to work as a mesh network; each laptop will be able to talk to its nearest neighbors, creating an ad hoc, local area network. The laptops will use innovative power (including wind-up) and will be able to do most everything except store huge amounts of data.

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Tags: charity - gifts - laptop - shopping - technology