backpacks
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Targus unveils a virus-killing keyboard light and antimicrobial backpack
Targus is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic by releasing an UV light for your keyboard, an antimicrobial backpack and other safer gear.
IRL: Living with the Cocoon Slim, a backpack made for gadget hoarders
When you run around town with a lot of technology, a good bag isn't just nice to have -- it's a necessity. In any one given day at Engadget, we might be attending a product launch, interviewing people or taking all those lovely sample shots you see around the site. A regular courier bag or rucksack will likely do the job, but do you really want all your work-essential kit rattling around in a cross-city spin cycle? No, us neither.
Incase Compact Backpack: Perfect for daily life with a 15-inch MacBook Pro
The Incase Compact Backpack (US$79.95) has been a surprisingly pleasant and functional addition to my commuting around the city with my 15-inch MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, my MacBook Pro doesn't fit in my beloved Jost leather satchel. So, previously, I'd sling the satchel over my shoulder and put my MacBook Pro in a padded sleeve for my odd excursions out of the house with it (clutching it tightly to my chest with both arms, shielding it from the potential harms of public transport in London). More recently, my work has required that I'm out and about a whole lot more, and with a few near drops and knocks, I quickly resolved to get a decent backpack. Specs and performance The Incase Compact Backpack is designed to be slim and, well ... compact. But it's in no way small. In fact, to me it's the ideal size. Small enough not to be overbearing, yet big enough to fit everything you need on a day trip. In terms of the exterior, the bag is made from durable nylon. The external dimensions are 18.5" x 11.75" x 4.3". The back and adjustable shoulder straps are well padded. They're also covered with a breathable mesh, making wearing the back really comfortable and easy to adjust. The front of the backpack has a zippered exterior pocket for small accessories, like a small notebook, keys, pens or headphones, etc. There's also a smaller zippered pocket down the right side of the backpack, near where the strap begins. It's perfect for keys or small items you may need to get at quickly. At the top of the bag, just ahead of the padded top-loading handle, is a dedicated zippered pouch with faux-fur lining for an iPhone or iPod, or something small that needs protection. Within the bag is a faux-fur lined laptop compartment with breathable side panels. It snugly fits my 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. The faux-fur is only on the back side of the backpack, while the front side of the laptop compartment is made of a padded nylon. It would have been nice if the faux-fur was on both sides of the compartment, but still, I feel confident my MacBook Pro is safe from bumps and drops. Attached to the front side of the laptop compartment is a further nylon pocket to house an iPad or even an iPad mini. It's not as snug a fit, and there's no faux-fur protection or padding against things within the bag, which is a little disappointing -- especially if you don't have a protective sleeve or case for your iPad -- but I guess most people will already have some kind of protection for their iPad, be it a sleeve, case or one of Apple's magnetic covers. Still, it's nice to have a dedicated place to slip my iPad into. On the front side of the inside of the backpack are three nylon pockets, one large and two smaller ones. These are more for cables, a power supply, SD cards, USB sticks, etc. The main pocket is big enough to fit my Mac's power supply or a bunch of smaller items.The smaller two pockets are perfect for SD cards, USB cables and the like. There are two dedicated pen holders, but they're not very deep, so maybe they're actually for USB sticks. Finally, there's an additional mesh pocket with an elastic rim. Once more, perfect for SD cards, USB sticks, or tiny accessories. The interior compartment of the bag is really quite spacious -- more deep than wide -- but even once I loaded my MacBook Pro and iPad in, and my accessories stuffed into the internal pockets, I could still easily fit my coat into the bottom, a bulky hard drive on top of that, and I had room to spare on top of that. Conclusion I really like the Incase Compact Backpack. While it doesn't have many frills (and is quite understated in appearances), it's solidly built and is very comfortable to wear. It's easy to use, too, and provides fantastic protection for my MacBook Pro and iPad (though I'd recommend an iPad sleeve, cover or case just to be on the safe side). There's ample additional storage for most day-to-day requirements, with practical pockets within as well as on the exterior of the bag. To top it all off, I found the $79.95 price tag to be very reasonable. If you're looking for a solid backpack for your MacBook Pro, I'd start by looking at the Incase Compact Backpack. It may be the only one you look at.
IRL: Spotify, Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 and Oakley's AP backpack 3.0
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. In this, our last edition of IRL before worldwide eat-Chinese-food-and-go-to-the-movies day, we're unpacking our gifts a few days early. Darren replaced his document scanner after his old one went to wherever it is that deceased scanners go, Joe finally settled on a gadget bag stylish enough to go with his skinny jeans and Brian's given himself the gift of a Spotify premium account. So how's it going, here in real life? Head past the break to find out.
IRL: Thule Crossover backpack, Technocel Battery Boost and upgrading from Firefox 3.6
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It's funny how eerily quiet things get after Thanksgiving weekend. Except for some tablet going on sale next week, lots of companies are saving their finest wares for CES, which kicks off just after the New Year. Until then, we'll keep on keeping with the stuff we already own. Mat finally realized a backpack that won't send your gadgets crashing to the floor is a worthy investment, Andy's settled on a cheapie portable charger and Darren's at last upgraded to Firefox 7.0 (he's so crazy!). Which backpack is slowly sweeping the staff? And what was Engadget's managing editor doing using FF 3.6? Find the answers to that and more just past the break.
Ralph Lauren's solar-panel backpack charges your phone in hours, your credit card in seconds
We here at Engadget are in favor of hitting the books from time to time, but we can't have lame gadget-less backpacks hurting our true techie rep. That's why we're excited to see Ralph Lauren outing its first solar-equipped knapsack as part of its RLX sports line. Four solar cells around back harness the sun's power to generate 3.45 watts -- completely juicing up an iPhone in a purported two-to-three hours, assuming you've got "proper sunlight orientation," of course. Like the optional orange hue (it also comes in black), the sun-sucking cells aren't particularly low profile -- but for $800 don't you want something, uh, recognizable? Still, if you simply must be that guy be sure to hit the source link and don't look back, but for everyone else, might we recommend a portable USB charger for a little less coin?
Bigger backpacks (and more) coming soon
Gaslaw asks on the forums whether backpacks will be bigger in Wrath of the Lich King, and (kind of surprisingly) Drysc says it's not beyond the realm of possibility.I guess it's not that surprising-- it does seem like we are carrying more stuff around lately, in terms of quest and rep items, if not just plain old extra gear sets. We've already had lots of ideas on how to fix things, from creating more keychain setups, to just plain coming up with more bag space. But fortunately, Drysc doesn't seem to have just bigger bags in mind-- he seems to have "better stuff in the works."What that could be, we have no idea. Pack mules? Dimensional suitcases (made, naturally, of sapient pearwood)? Finally, player housing? Drysc says we'll find out soon.
