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More airport-friendly laptop bags

July 29th, 2008, 10:27 am by

Targus’ checkpoint-friendly laptop bag, the Zip-ThruTargus Inc. in Anaheim is the latest laptop bag company to jump into ‘Checkpoint-friendly’ bags, which are built to help speed travelers and their laptops through security inspection lines at the airport.

I mentioned last week, when rival Mobile Edge introduced their ScanFast bags, that the Transportation Security Administration issued a quest for bag manufacturers last March. This is apparently a very competitive industry. In five short months, at least a half-dozen companies have announced products.

Targus is the latest with its Zip-Thru bag, a derivative of its Corporate Traveler line. Similar to other checkpoint-friendly bags, the Targus’ 15.4-inch case unzips down the middle, leaving the laptop exposed for easy inspection — no more wasting the one-minute-or-so that it takes to unpack your laptop for TSA inspectors.

Targus’ checkpoint-friendly laptop bag, the Zip-Thru

The Zip-Thru case will be black and available in October for $99.99.

Separately, I also heard from  Briggs & Riley Travelware. But instead of a bag, it’s offering the SpeedThru sleeve. Options are either a sleeve replacement, the Retro-fit SpeedThru laptop sleeve for $39.99, or the stand-alone version for $89.99. Both will be available Aug. 15.

Related:

Posted in: Laptop bags • news • • • • • • • • | Comments Off

Review: Avoid luggage fees with this travel gadget

July 23rd, 2008, 9:07 am by

Balanzza’s digital luggage scaleThe Digital Luggage Scale from Balanzza could come in handy these days, when overweight luggage can set you back up to $125 per bag.

This lightweight but a tad bulky contraption weighs luggage when you’re on the go so you can get a heads up whether you’re close to the weight limit. Balanzza sent me one to try but it arrived just after my last vacation. So, I didn’t get to try it on the road. However, I took my half-unpacked bag and gave it a weigh.

The scale looks like a toy MP3 player with a bright green handle on top and a black strap on the bottom. Connect the lower strap to your suitcase’s handle and hold the scale with luggage attached in the air. Wait for the beep. Then check out the weight (choose between pounds or kilograms).

While the battery-operated scale offers weight to one decimal point, don’t expect atomic accuracy. The scale said my suitcase weighed anywhere between 17.5 pounds to 18 pounds. On a separate bath scale, the suitcase weighed 17.6 pounds.

The Balanzza scale is good for up to 100 pounds or 44 Kg. (And if you’re over that, you need to unpack!)

Handy? Yes. Especially if you’re traveling in my book-loving family. Accurate? Well, enough so. If accuracy is within a pound, that’s definitely close enough to know whether you are at risk for an overweight baggage fee. The scale is sold out at Balanzza’s store, but the site says it’s also available at edwardsluggage.com ($21.95), llbean.com ($24.95) and travelsmith.com ($24.95).

Note: Travelsmith also sells a non-digital scale for $9.95, while L.L.Bean sells a $35 digital one.

Balanzza’s digital luggage scale

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Posted in: Gadgetress reviews • Gadgets • news • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Save time at airport security with new laptop bag

July 22nd, 2008, 7:16 am by

Mobile Edge “Checkpoint friendly” laptop bagNot too long ago, the Transportation Security Administration asked laptop bag makers to make a case that didn’t need to be opened at an airport’s security checkpoint. The thinking was that this would speed up inspection lines. As a person who always brings a computer on all trips, a “checkpoint friendly” bag would sure be welcomed.

Mobile Edge, based in Anaheim, just unveiled its ScanFast lineup of three new “Checkpoint friendly” laptop bags (pictured at right). You do need to flip open the case to reveal a see-through slot for the laptop. But you don’t need to take the computer out of the bag.

That’s right — you keep your laptop in its bag. At the airport.

Tipp City, Ohio-based Aerovation claims to be the first one with a bag — the Checkpoint Friendly bag. Interestingly, Aerovation mentions that some customers have complained that they’ve still had to remove their laptops out of the bag. That, says the company, is due to uninformed TSA screeners, who should all be “up to speed by the middle of September.” Read the rest of this entry »

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2 iPods? JVC offers convenient charger

June 23rd, 2008, 7:53 am by

JVC may be one of the first companies to act on Apple’s insatiable thirst to frequently update the iPod and iPhone, causing consumers everywhere to rush out and buy the latest model. JVC’s new dual-iPod charger makes it more convenient to listen to two iPods or iPhones and charge them simultaneously.

JVC’s JVC NX-PN7 dual iPod charger

The new JVC NX-PN7  also plays the two iPods through the docking station’s speaker. JVC adds an AM/FM tuner and clock to the dock. There’s also a video output so it can be connected to a TV. But if you don’t have a second iPod, there is an analog audio input to connect other portable  music devices.

Time saver? Yes. It’ll keep two pods charged and ready to go. But at $149.95, it’s overpriced for the budget-minded gadget lover. Ah well. There’s also this home-made dual iPod charger.

JVC’s JVC NX-PN7 dual iPod charger

Posted in: iPhone • iPods • • • • • | Comments Off

Anaheim one of the nation’s top for mobile banking?

June 12th, 2008, 4:21 pm by

Bank of America offers mobile bankingAccording to Bank of America, Anaheim comes in at No. 10 for residents who bank with their cell phone. Huh?

Here’s the list:

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Washington, DC
4. Dallas, TX
5. New York, NY
6. Houston, TX
7. Phoenix, AZ
8. Boston, MA
9. Miami, FL
10. Anaheim, CA

The reporter in me scratched my head and wondered outloud to the Bank of America media person, “What about Irvine, or Huntington Beach?”

She got back to me and just as I suspected, Anaheim includes these cities and, well, all of Orange County. I’m not sure why Anaheim was chosen to represent Orange County.

The bank wouldn’t give me the number of users per “city,” but did say that 1 million people are now using Bank of America’s mobile banking service to check balances, pay bills, transfer funds, view transactions and find ATMs and banks. Comparably, 25 million million of its customers bank online on their home computer.

So what are customers actually doing and who are they?

  • 80 percent review transactions
  • 40 percent transfer funds or pay bills.
  • 67 percent are under 35 years old
  • 80 percent are under 45 years old.

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | Comments Off

Review: Toshiba’s always-on USB goes ZZZZ

June 11th, 2008, 3:19 am by

Toshiba’s Sleep & Charge USB technologyWhen I first learned of Toshiba’s USB Sleep & Charge technology, I perked up.

I get pitched on new computers all the time — but these days, I only care if I spot something different.Toshiba’s newish USB technology charges gadgets all the time — even when the computer is in sleep mode or turned off.

Since I often use my laptop’s USB ports to charge a cell phone, iPod or other small gadget, this means no more waking up to find my phone battery still dead because my computer took a snooze.

The Irvine computer company offered to send me a shiny new Satellite U405 to test out. It had three such USB ports. Before I even opened the box, my Toshiba contact mentioned that I would need to turn on this feature since Sleep & Charge is disabled by default. That should have been a warning.

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Complain out loud and get a company’s attention

May 28th, 2008, 9:29 am by

Complain out loud at GetSatisfaction.comSpotted: GetSatisfaction.com is a site that takes your complaints on everything.

Anyone can respond and help one another, as is the case with most sites out there. But the twist to the site: Users may get a response from the company at issue.

The year-old site based in San Francisco allows registered users to complain for free about any company, product or service. It’s up to the company to respond. But if you see a complaint you can relate to, you can ‘follow it’ so you get notified if there is a response.

Lots of tech companies on here, such as Paypal, PBWiki and Twitter. It even has one for itself. I find it odd that Twitter is on here since you’d think Twittarians could resolve their own issues easily in Twitterdom. But apparently, it works.

But just because a company is on here doesn’t mean you’ll find quick resolution. For eBay, there are two employees “listening.” But a post I just started following hasn’t been answered nor received a response in 5 months.

And after exploring the site for an hour, there isn’t as much feedback available as one would think based on the professional look and feel of GetSatisfaction. But it never hurts to try.

Related stories on GetSatisfaction:

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Get free shipping from Sears … for $79

April 28th, 2008, 5:45 am by

Sears introduces ‘free shipping’ for $79Sears just started offering ShipVantage, its ‘free shipping’ deal that costs $79 a year. (How do companies get away with this?) The annual fee gives users free ground shipping on “mailable” orders. That means no free delivery on refrigerators, TVs or other items that don’t go through the regular post office.

Since Sears constantly has some sort of free shipping deal (spotted: free shipping on jewelry orders $99+), think of this as a way to order a hammer at any time and get it shipped free. For faster delivery though, Sears charges more: Two-day delivery is $0.99 per item, while overnight delivery is $3.99 per item. And, of course, only mailable items only are included with ShipVantage. The service also applies items from K-mart.com.

Nice try Sears, but it’s difficult to say something good when there are services like Amazon.com’s Prime, which also cost $79 a year. Differences end there. Since many items already ship free on Amazon with a $25 minimum purchase, Prime has to be much more tantalizing. It offers 2-day shipping for free, and $3.99 for overnight deliveries — no minimum purchase and no per-item charge.

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