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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 5)

Welcome to part five of our on-going series where we tell you about the gear that we use on a daily basis. Today we have the favorite gear bags for one more Gadgeteer team member, Smythe. Let us know if you enjoy these types of posts.

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4)

Smythe Richbourg

Julie has been after us for a month or so now to declare a favorite gear bag and do an article about it. For me, this is a Sophie’s Choice type decision, because I like several bags equally for different reasons. Add that to the fact that I have almost as many bags as Julie does (about 20 that I can see from this chair with my office closet door open!), and it gets a bit tough. I’m prepared to live with this one, however; the Tom Bihn Medium Café Bag. I bought this bag a few years back with personal funds, and have used it as a fall-back ever since. Let me give you a tour.

We have reviewed Tom Bihn bags on this site before, but I’ve never had an actual review unit from them. I did review a few products from their canine product spin-off, Snookum Dog, a few years back. But I’ve been a fan since my first purchase, which was this bag. I found it searching for a daily driver bag for my iPad and various small bits of tech I need to carry, and I have yet to find one that can haul this much in such a small package. It’s a simple satchel in a vertical orientation (a sadly over-looked category by most bag makers) with a sewn-in strap and a large inner pocket. There are a few pen loops and loose stash pockets in the front wall of that large pocket, as well as a narrow zippered pocket on the outside front. An offset V flap covers both of these and seals with a plastic clip on an adjustable webbing strap.


On the back, a simple slash pocket and a 1″ webbing haul loop complete the feature set. At 12.2″ x 10.6″ x 2.9″ / 310 x 270 x 75 mm, it’s not really a behemoth, but it sure holds a lot. I’ve added the Freudian Slip, a vertical insert that adds pockets and sleeves to organize bag interiors. This is another Tom Bihn innovation that makes their kit unique. They have these for most of their bags, and the difference it makes is huge.


Perhaps my favorite feature of Tom Bihn bags is the “O” rings sewn into bag interiors in various places. I have a clear organizer bag that holds my inhaler, a tin of various NSAIDs, a nail file and clipper, and eye drops. There’s a clip on one corner, and when I attach it to the “O” ring on the rim of my Tom Bihn Café bag, it never gets lost in the abyss.

I usually carry my original-sized iPad in this, along with the day’s supplies (power adapter, headphones, batteries, shopping bag, screen cleaner, iPad adapters for USB, HDMI, and SDcards – the usual stuff). I just purchased the 10.7″ iPad Pro, replacing my iPad Air 2. The new one fits just as nicely, in my MoKo case. In a pinch, I can slide my LogiTech K811 keyboard into the rear slash pocket, even though it sticks out a bit. If I don’t need all that, just the organizer, iPad, and Slip will carry me anywhere easily.

If I have control over my day, the regular-sized iPad has been my go-to travel companion since the day I bought the original. The newest iPad Pro with the thinner bezel still fits in this bag easily, since it’s less than an inch larger on each edge.

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4)

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 5) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 3:49 pm.

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s iPhone X day and I’m not feeling left out (really, I mean it)

Today’s the day Apple fan boys and fan girls have been waiting for. It’s the day ordinary people can get their hands on the iPhone X. And when I say “ordinary”, I really mean you because I didn’t order one like I had originally planned after watching the Apple iPhone X unveiling event back in September.

But let me back up… This past summer I had a 3-month phonemance with an iPhone 7 Plus. Like most flings, the chemistry between us was good for awhile, but soon the initial attraction wore off and I found myself daydreaming about that cute little green Android. I ultimately had to sit down with the iPhone 7 Plus and have a talk that went something like this.

Me: “iPhone, you look really nice tonight, is that a new wallpaper?”
iPhone:
Me: “Look, I think you’ve been feeling this for awhile too… things just aren’t working out between us anymore.”
iPhone:
Me: “No, no, it’s me, not you. You’ve been great.”
iPhone:
Me: “You have a lot going for you, a great display, great apps, and great accessories. I’m just not feeling the spark between us anymore and I think it’s time to move on.”
iPhone:
Me: “iPhone, you’ll always have a place in my heart, but right now this isn’t our time.”

Whew, that was brutal. A few days later I traded the iPhone 7 Plus for an original Pixel XL and I haven’t looked back. Ok, maybe I did feel a few pangs of regret with the lead up to the iPhone X pre-order day, and the constant chatter about the iPhone X from fellow Gadgeteer writer Dave Rees. But none of the talk and online glam made me want to order one. I ordered the Pixel 2 XL instead and have been happily using it for the past 2 weeks.

Does that mean that I don’t want to get my hands on an iPhone X if only for a few fleeting moments of consensual fondling? No way. I’m The Gadgeteer after all and with that title comes a very high level of gadget curiosity. I will check one out. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

Those of you who are getting the iPhone X today, congrats! I hope you have a long and healthy phonemance. Let us know your first impressions in the comments below.

BTW, who else out there can’t seem to call the new iPhone the iPhone 10 instead of the iPhone “ex” all the time?

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s iPhone X day and I’m not feeling left out (really, I mean it) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 3, 2017 at 7:55 am.

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Julie’s gadget diary – Thoughts after spending a week in paradise with a Pixel 2 XL, LG V30, and a Nextbook 2-in-1 laptop

We just returned home last night from a week on Sanibel Island, Florida where we vacation almost every year. This year I packed pretty light tech-wise. I only took 3 smartphones and a Windows 10 2-in-1 laptop. The phones were my new Pixel 2 XL, the LG V30 which I’m reviewing and a tiny Android smartphone called the Jelly which I’m also reviewing. For this trip, I left my 12″ MacBook at home so I could spend a full week using the Windows 10 Nextbook Flex 11a convertible laptop/tablet which I’m also reviewing.

When we checked into our condo, I tried to make a call only to notice that my Pixel 2 XL and no signal. My heart sunk because we had just switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and I was bracing for Jeanne to give me grief about the switch. So I grabbed the LG V30 which is on loan from Verizon Wireless and checked the signal on it and it only had one bar.

I don’t remember having issues with cellphone coverage other times that we’ve spent there on the island. But this time both the LG V30 on Verizon and my Pixel 2 XL on T-Mobile had really crappy coverage. Maybe it was due to Hurricane Irma, but we could barely get a signal in our condo. Luckily the condo had decent WiFi. When we were out and about on the island, the signal of both Verizon and T-Mobile was fine (for the most part).

During the week all the news about the Pixel 2 XL screen problems starting coming in and I read several articles, but honestly, I think the issues are blown out of proportion. I hadn’t noticed any of the issues until I read about them. The blue tint problem when you tilt the Pixel 2 XL screen is the only issue so far that is the most obvious to me. I can see the same issue on the LG V30 and very slightly on the original Pixel XL. But I don’t tilt my phones back and forth when I use them, I look directly at the screen. I feel like this is a non-issue (at least for me).

The issue with the non-vibrant colors is also a non-issue for me. I can understand if you were a Samsung phone user going to a Pixel 2 that you would notice a difference. But I had been using an original Pixel for a couple of weeks before getting my Pixel 2 XL and I didn’t notice any problems with the colors. When Google releases the 8.1 update to Oreo, which is supposed to have a toggle to fix the vibrancy issue, I’ll see if I can tell a difference. But for now, I’m fine with the colors.

I also haven’t noticed the “dirty screen” issue in low light or the burn-in issue with the virtual nav buttons at the bottom of the screen. Neither of those issues is obvious to my eyes, but I’ll definitely make sure to look into this issue as I work on my Pixel 2 XL review.

In my last gadget diary post, I mentioned that I had recently switched from an iPhone back to Android and from Verizon to T-Mobile and that I was even thinking of switching from a MacBook to a Windows laptop. But before I pulled the trigger on that switch, I wanted to do a trial run first so instead of taking my 12″ MacBook to Sanibel with me, I took the Nextbook Flex 11a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet with me. I figured it would be a good test to see if I could live with a Windows 10 device and a convertible device before committing to switching.

So how did it go using the Nextbook and Windows 10 all week? Let’s just say that I’m so glad to be back home on my little 12″ MacBook. The Nextbook (full review coming soon), packs a LOT of features into a very inexpensive laptop/tablet, but oh my goodness is it slow. At least it was at the condo and at the Fort Myer’s airport. I still need to use it here at home before passing my final judgment. But for now, I am glad to be home and back on my MacBook. So soooooo glad. I’m not looking forward to going back to work next week though. 😉

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Julie’s gadget diary – Thoughts after spending a week in paradise with a Pixel 2 XL, LG V30, and a Nextbook 2-in-1 laptop originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2017 at 10:41 am.

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4)

Welcome to part four of our on-going series where we tell you about the gear that we use on a daily basis. Today we have the favorite gear bags for four more of the Gadgeteer team including yours truly. Let us know if you enjoy these types of posts.

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)

Julie Strietelmeier

My favorite style of gear bag is a messenger bag and the brand that I’ve been carrying for years is Timbuk2. I’ve had four Timbuk2 bags and the one I’ve been carrying every day for 5 years or more is their custom laptop messenger.

The Timbuk2 bag has been on my favorite gear list for the entire time I’ve had it, so it’s not really news. So I thought I’d also talk about a surprising little bag that I decided to take with me on vacation this year.

This bag isn’t even a bag that you can buy by itself as far as I know. It came with a sample of a lap desk for a crowdfunding campaign. When I was packing for my trip, I knew I wanted to keep the tech at a minimum level so I wanted a smaller bag than I usually carry. I saw this one in my closet o’bags and was very pleased when it could hold all my gear without bulging or cutting off the circulation in my shoulder.

It even has a pass-through for a rolling luggage handle which is always appreciated when trying to maneuver multiple bags through the airport. Now I want to find a nicer version of this bag without the iMoov logo and with nicer internal pocket construction. This one has thin satin material which feels a little flimsy (cheap), but having said that, so far it’s not torn or frayed.

Raul Sanchez

My favorite gear bag is the Serbags Army Courier Messenger bag I reviewed four years ago.

I love this courier messenger bag. Since the day I received it I used it as a camera bag that I take with me on all my photo shoots and assignments. I received this bag at the end of January 2013 and I haven’t stopped using this as my main camera bag. I really like the ease and convenience when I need to grab a lens or flash, battery, or earplugs like when I am shooting concerts.

I can reach in this messenger bag without looking and grab what I need. I just like having a messenger bag at my side during my shoots. If I had worn a backpack it would take too long for me to grab a piece of equipment since I would have to take off the backpack, put it down in front of me, unzip the bag and find what I need. Obviously, I would miss a shot. With what I do, speed is a huge factor. This bag has taken a beating in the last 4 years. Even though it has some small signs of wear and tear, the bag is still going strong.

With the Serbags messenger bag, I can literally have my camera in one hand and have the other hand reaching into the bag and retrieving the equipment I need, all at the same time. It is very convenient to have the bag on my hip.

Elizabeth Rodriguez

I’ve had a couple of bags since I reviewed the Incase Reform backpack, but I keep going back to this to hold all of my gadgets! I work in the city now, so it can fit all of the stuff I pack into it, including my laptop, wallets, water bottle, notebook, and reading book. I love how sleek it looks in heather grey with yellow logo and black trim. The details such as zippers and straps have held up incredibly well. It’s been through rain, snow, sun, and keeps it shape. I’ve received many compliments, and it’s nice how gender neutral it is. Anyone can use it, and it will last for a long time!

Steve Holt

This is the last review that I did, and I have used this bag on a daily basis ever since. It is the Mr. Lentz leather briefcase. It looks awesome and it makes me look awesome.

The 2 pockets on the inside keep my pens, flash drives, cables, etc, from rolling around in the bottom of the bag. Also, the buckles are adjustable and allow me to tighten it up or loosen it depending on my needs. And did I mention that it makes me look good? 🙂 Ha!

Also read:
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 1)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 2)
The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 3)

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The Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear bags (part 4) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 23, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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7 Surprising things you probably didn’t know about Huawei

A glimpse into one of Huawei’s campuses in Beijing, China. This is the entrance to their technology showcase. Yes, it looks like something out of Star Trek.

Thanks to beautiful premium mobile devices like the Mate 10, P10 and Watch 2, Huawei has become a powerhouse with consumers overseas. Yet, the Chinese megacorp’s brand recognition and presence in the U.S. is still very much a work in progress.

I got to visit Huawei last week and the experience surprised me in several ways. Here are 7 things that I learned while visiting Huawei that totally surprised me.

  1. Despite being a relative newcomer in the U.S., Huawei is the no. 3 smartphone manufacturer globally – right after Samsung (no. 1) and Apple (no. 2).
  2. Huawei has built 1500 networks globally, and they provide global network service to a third of the world’s population.
  3. Think Apple’s new campus is spectacular? Huawei is building a new campus in Dongguan, China that looks like it may end up wiping the floor with Apple’s campus in many ways – and yet no one is talking about it – at least not yet. The campus is being designed to resemble multiple European cities, using a mixture of several European architectural styles ranging from Mediterranean to Gothic and everything in between. There is even a beautiful clock tower on campus. A special train is being built for employees to use to get there.
  4. Their phone manufacturing facilities and tech campuses are incredibly state of the art. When phone companies come to mind, a lot of us tend to picture a dimly lit, sketchy environment somewhere in China that packs in people in like sardines. Yes, I went there. It turns out that that’s the furthest possible from the truth for Huawei. I got to take a tour of Huawei’s factory and was blown away by the efficiency and the good working conditions there. Granted, I was on an escorted media tour, but I was still very impressed. Factory workers are encouraged to come up with suggestions and to be a part of the process. Huawei also told us that their phone manufacturing process actually takes fewer steps, and is more streamlined and efficient than the iPhone’s manufacturing process. After seeing just how high tech their “assembly line” is, I’m sure that that statement is true.
  5. Huawei encourages and promotes females in tech. I toured Huawei’s campuses in Shenzhen and Beijing, and in each city, I encountered many women working in different facets of the corporation, from executive level to software and engineering. Could there be more women working there? Sure. But it looks like Huawei is actively taking the steps to encourage more women to work in tech.
  6. Huawei is investing a ton of money in R&D. So much so that they have 16 R&D centers globally and 7000 R&D staff members. This R&D goes beyond just smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables. To that effect, they have developed tech for everything from super advanced conference video call systems for meeting rooms, to security systems that assist law enforcement when combatting terrorism, as well as comprehensive tech for building smarter cities.
  7. Huawei’s brand, Honor, is the no. 1 e-commerce phone brand in the USA and I highly recommend the brand if you’re looking for a great unlocked mid-range phone sans contract.

These 7 facts about Huawei are just the tip of the iceberg. One thing’s for sure, while so many other mobile manufacturers are struggling, this a mobile phone company to keep an eye for in 2017 and beyond.

Huawei’s retail store and service center in Shenzhen, China is very similar to what Apple and Microsoft stores are like here in the U.S.

 

This smart lamp designed by Huawei offers a glimpse into the future of smart cities

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7 Surprising things you probably didn’t know about Huawei originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 22, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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