[MobileRatty] tag: selective

Ten Back To School/Work Bags

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:27:59 +0000

In the spirit of the back-to-school season, this week we highlight a few products to help keep you organized and productive as you resume your routine.

A well-designed bag can protect your valuables, keep you organized and even relieve muscle pain. We are a bit obsessive over which bags we use, so it's only fitting to kick off the back-to-school season with our selection of backpacks and over-the-shoulder bags to transport all those books, clothes, pens, laptops and whatever else you carry around with you.

Patagonia Lightwire 25
Made of environmentally friendly recycled fabric, the Patagonia Lightwire 25 (pictured above) is versatile and lightweight. A fully padded computer sleeve, mp3 pocket and rear zippered flat storage section for files makes it a great fit for school or the office, but a roomy main compartment, sternum strap, water-bottle pocket and built-in safety whistle lends itself to daypack or weekend use. Having plenty of pockets is key, but the placement of them is most important—the Lightwire wins again here as each pocket is exactly where you want it. For those last days of summer, mesh shoulder straps wick moisture and dry quicky preventing unsightly sweat stains. Available for $120 from Patagonia.

Marimekko: Kuru and Reppu
These pint-sized bags are perfect for the first day of elementary school or those trying to relive it. The Kuro (above right) and Reppu (above left) are created by the Finnish textile company Marimekko, who recently released their Autumn/Winter line of bags and clothing. It's 100-percent cotton with two storage pockets. The playful polar bear design and cheetah print are the work of Finnish-born illustrators Klaus Haapaniemi and Teresa Moorhouse, respectively.

Crumpler Salary Sacrifice
Perhaps the best backpack of the group for laptop transport, the Crumpler Salary Sacrifice features a suspended laptop case within the main compartment to protect it from the worst of drops. Padded and removable, you can even take the laptop case out for use. Constructed of a water resistant shell and ripstop lining and little rain never hurt. Available for AU$230 from Crumpler.

Arcteryx Blade 13
The best aspect of the Arcteryx Blade series is its slim profile which is greatly beneficial when squeezing into crowded situations. Its also very comfortable to wear since extra weight in the bag is held close to the body. The downside is that it doesn't offer much room outside of your laptop and a few other essentials however this makes one more organized and selective. The side loading design makes it easily accessible when slung over one shoulder and a molded grab handle allows conversion to a briefcase style when in more formal settings. Available for $90, visit Arcteryx to find online retailers.

Movie Billboard Messenger Bag
A fresh approach to recycling, these bags reuse the mammoth posters from blockbuster movie billboards that get tossed almost daily when new films require promotion. The Chilean company ModuLab takes the posters and cuts them into one-of-a-kind vinyl messenger bags. They include a padded laptop sleeve and five interior pockets of various size. They cost $118 and can be purchased based on the particular film or dominant color.

Nikon x Porter Original Shoulder Bag
This camera bag joins a classic canvas and leather exterior with the modern conveniences of most contemporary photo cases. Handsome accents include leather buttonhole fasteners and brass snaps on the shoulder pad. The cushioned interior can be customized using five padded dividers (included). The Original Shoulder Bag is currently only available in Japan for the equivalent of $275.

VisVim Ballistic 20
Perhaps one of our favorites of all-time, the VisVim Ballsitic 20 Backpack is the perfect size without lending itself to over-loading. Made of Cordura Ballistic Nylon and rubber coated hardware it's durable, but the details are what set it apart. Super soft elk leather cover the bottom of the bag adding a luxurious touch. Waterproof RIRI zippers keep contents inside dry while zipper garages keep them from freezing shut. A convenient side zipper allows for easy access to the main compartment when slung over one shoulder and your computer is safe in a separate compartment with a laptop pocket. A fleece MP3 pocket keeps your device scratch free and also provides a cable exit. Two velcro pockets with rubberized pull tabs on either side of the pack are great for miscellaneous goods and a removable waist strap offers added stability when needed. A bit hard to find the VisVim Ballstic 20 is currently available from Bridge Footwear for $350. A bit steep but it's plenty worth it.

American Apparel Canvas School Bag
A simple no frills backpack, we like the American Apparel Canvas School Bag for the rainbow spectrum of colors to choose from. We especially like this Hunter Orange variety. A traditional design, the bag features one large space and a smaller compartment for your accessories. Available from American Apparel for $42.

Muji 3-way PC Bag
Like the name describes this Muji bag can be held three ways—as a briefcase, over your shoulder or like a backpack. In typical Muji fashion the bag features no branding, is minimally designed and is affordably priced at £25. Pick it up online at Muji.

Caribee College 40 Laptop Backpack
The College 40 is one of the more comprehensive laptop bags on the market. It features a padded laptop sleeve the fits up to a 17-inch screen with lockable zip housings and plenty of extra storage space for computer components. It also boats the X-Tend harness system with completely adjustable strap heights. The hip belt and sternum strap help distribute weight evenly and internal contoured aluminum stays provide full back support. The College 40 costs $80 through Rushfaster.

Tag Heuer Meridiist launch at Londons Selfridges sells out!

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:44:52 +0000

London’s Selfridges store sold out of TAG Heuer’s new line of luxury communication instruments in a single day, when pilot launched there. The £2650 phone apparently had people queueing round the store!

“It was incredible,” said Ian Broad, UK Sales Manager. “During peak times there were literally queues of customers waiting to see the TAG Heuer MERIDIIST. The corner where the tower display was situated was so full of people the corridor was completely blocked. Selfridges Wonder Room Floor Manager commented that he had never seen such enthusiasm and interest in a product in the Wonder Room on the first day of launch — from staff and customers alike. The Selfridges sales team was overwhelmed with backorders from customers.

“With such a successful jump start, the full MERIDIIST line will be progressively launched in 15 additional markets by year end 2008” said Steve Amstutz. “A very selective network of retail stores mainly made of exclusive watch and jewelry points of sales as well as TAG Heuer’s 60 mono-brand boutiques have been selected to provide the best service possible to TAG Heuer preferred customers. In addition of that, and for those who really want to secure one of the first Meridiist, TAG Heuer has set an online pre reservation website under http://meridiist-phone.com/”.

I’ve got to say - that’s impressive! Managing to shift all of the devices that were available (and you can bet there were more than a few), at £2650 a piece - sounds almost like it was selling itself…..

I am still trying to get a review device, and will post on it if/when it arrives - fingers crossed!

Ben

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Related Articles at IntoMobile:

Tag Heuer Meridiist launch at Londons Selfridges sells out!

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:44:52 +0000

I am still trying to get a review device, and will post on it if/when it arrives - fingers crossed!

Ben

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Related Articles at IntoMobile:

One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure: A Open Source Guys View on The Dash Express

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:36:03 +0000

I have had a few different GPS units over the years. My first was a Garmin GPS 12 which didn’t have any road maps or anything else; it was much more appropriate to use in the forest, but I used it everywhere and even hooked it to a laptop so I could get maps. It was a awesome device, but hobbled by older technology and Selective Availability when I used it.

My next unit was also a Garmin, the Garmin eMap to be precise. Now that SA was off, it was much more accurate, but it did not have WAAS or any other technology that could give me good fast fixes. The eMap was a great device, but the maps were not very detailed unless you spent a ton of money on memory and a Garmin CD. I loved it anyway.

Wayne sent me his Dash Express since he hated it. I was initially a little skeptical about the device, however after playing with it for the better part of a week I think I have found an almost ideal GPS device for me. With the Dash, you can do so much more than just navigation. It’s devices such as the Dash (and Apple’s own iPhone) that can bring location specific information to you whenever you need it and wherever you are. … [visit site to read more]

Do You Still Keep Photo Albums?

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:14:09 +0000

It used to be, you got your film rolls developed (and what came out was what you shot, no choosing what to print beforehand), and put your faves into your photo albums or frames. Then you kept them around, pulling them out when you wanted to reminisce over the plastic and paper pages filled with photographs.

Now, our photo-lives are completely different; we pick and choose which digital shots to keep and print, and are often more selective about printing because we know we can always access the photos electronically. Things do still get framed — but we have to decide, regular or digital frames.

And it seems to me that one old staple - the physical photo albums - have fallen by the wayside. Sure, you've got your Picasa and flickr "albums" online, but do you still pull out that old binder, and stick your photos inside? I sure don't, sadly, though I do still keep my childhood and school albums around.

What about you? Do you still keep physical albums, and if so, are you still making new ones?

Source

Grand Theft Auto On Nintendo DS? No Way!!

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:19:29 +0000

Sometimes a man is considered a man when he posses things that show how much manhood he has.

Take example on every gaming devices. There is something for someone in the likes of Nintendo DS and the Playstation Portable(PSP). I'm not trying to be picky or racy or selective but most of the games DS has in its arsenal are made for kids and to our female tribe. I think that the DS platform is generally acknowledged by personalities I've just mentioned.

Now, news that the another Grand Theft Auto franchise will soon be available on DS. Most of us are aware of the genre GTA carries in most of its games. I am also quite aware that there is a DS version of GTA earlier though I haven't played it but Rockstar continued to received alot of complains due to the natures its games.

Source

Mobiles Maybe Good For Concentration, Study Suggests

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:13:22 +0000

It’s a relatively age-old question: do cell phones cause brain cancer and other bad things? Well, it seems no conclusive link has been found. But some white coats did find that EEG patterns in the gray matter slow down during cell phone usage:

Although no studies have shown a correlation between cell phone use and brain damage, the International Journal of Neuroscience published a study that found a slower EEG brain wave pattern during cell phone use. This difference in brain activity was subtle - within the normal range - but may reflect a different state of awareness. In fact, they also discovered that frequent cell phone users performed better in selective attention tasks. It’s possible that talking on the phone in the midst of the bustling world’s distractions requires a level of concentration that effectively works as cognitive training of attention.

Hmmm… if mobiles require a bit more concentration, then isn’t it possible that hands-free devices may actually be useless, at least in terms of keeping a driver’s attention squarely on the road? In any case, the most reasonable advice available now is to minimize your contact with mobiles. For instance, instead of keeping the phone to you ear while it connects, it’s always possible to wait for the screen to indicate that the call has gone through before sticking your head to the ear piece.

Mobiles Maybe Good For Concentration, Study Suggests

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:13:22 +0000

Although no studies have shown a correlation between cell phone use and brain damage, the International Journal of Neuroscience published a study that found a slower EEG brain wave pattern during cell phone use. This difference in brain activity was subtle - within the normal range - but may reflect a different state of awareness. In fact, they also discovered that frequent cell phone users performed better in selective attention tasks. It’s possible that talking on the phone in the midst of the bustling world’s distractions requires a level of concentration that effectively works as cognitive training of attention.

"Smart Bomb" Nanoparticles Show Promise for Chemo Delivery

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:20:00 +0000

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine are reporting on their efforts to embed chemotherapy drugs within tumor targeting nanoparticles.

From the abstract in PNAS:

We designed an ανβ3-targeted nanoparticle (NP) encapsulating the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin (Dox) for targeted drug delivery to the ανβ3-expressing tumor vasculature. We observed real-time targeting of this NP to tumor vessels and noted selective apoptosis in regions of the ανβ3-expressing tumor vasculature. In clinically relevant pancreatic and renal cell orthotopic models of spontaneous metastasis, targeted delivery of Dox produced an antimetastatic effect. In fact, ανβ3-mediated delivery of this drug to the tumor vasculature resulted in a 15-fold increase in antimetastatic activity without producing drug-associated weight loss as observed with systemic administration of the free drug.

Press release: "Smart Bomb" Nanoparticle Strategy Impacts Metastasis...

Abstract in PNAS...

Genetic Silencing Technology Improves With Help From Quantum Dots

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:54:09 +0000

At the University of Washington and Emory University, scientists have developed a new technique that allows for faster selective silencing of particular genes. At the heart of the method, which is designed for selective regulation of protein production, are specially engineered multifunctional nanoparticles composed of short-interfering RNA (siRNA) and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), all enclosed by a proton-absorbing polymeric coating (aka proton sponge).

Each quantum dot was surrounded by a proton sponge that carried a positive charge. Without any quantum dots attached, the siRNA's negative charge would prevent it from penetrating a cell's wall. With the quantum-dot chaperone, the more weakly charged siRNA complex crosses the cellular wall, escapes from the endosome (a fatty bubble that surrounds incoming material) and accumulates in the cellular fluid, where it can do its work disrupting protein manufacture.

Key to the newly published approach is that researchers can adjust the chemical makeup of the quantum dot's proton-sponge coating, allowing the scientists to precisely control how tightly the dots attach to the siRNA.

Quantum dots were dramatically better than existing techniques at stopping gene activity. In experiments, a cell's production of a test protein dropped to 2 percent when siRNA was delivered with quantum dots. By contrast, the test protein was produced at 13 percent to 51 percent of normal levels when the siRNA was delivered with one of three commercial reagents, or reaction-causing substances, now commonly used in laboratories.

Central to the finding is that fluorescent quantum dots allow scientists to watch the siRNA's movements. Previous siRNA trackers gave off light for less than a minute, while quantum dots, developed for imaging, emit light for hours at a time. In the experiments the authors were able to watch the process for many hours to track the gene-silencer's path.

The new approach is also five to 10 times less toxic to the cell than existing chemicals, meaning the quantum dot chaperones are less likely to harm cells. The ideal delivery vehicle would have no effect; the only biological change would be siRNA blocking cells' production of an unwanted protein.

The exact reason that the quantum dots were more effective than previous techniques is, however, still a mystery.

University of Washington press release: Gene silencer and quantum dots reduce protein production to a whisper ...

Abstract: Proton-Sponge Coated Quantum Dots for siRNA Delivery and Intracellular Imaging J. Am. Chem. Soc., ASAP Article, 10.1021/ja800086u