Pad&Quill Messenger Bag review

Yesterday I realized that I have (yet another) problem that I wasn’t aware of, (another) hoarding problem. You see, I know I have an issue with notebooks, and also with pens. I collect gadgets, I have a huge collection of collectable statues and action figures. I have a problem with books, I buy them just to have them, But now I have to admit that I also collect bags. That's a big problem for me to admit. Mostly because I make fun of my mom and her bag collection.

My mom buys bags for reasons no one understands. She can buy one, and a week later buy a new one because the last one had something missing with it; One has too little pockets, the other too many, one is just too heavy, the other can't carry enough. She loves the patterns on this one bag, but a month later those are the worse, so she absolutly need that new bag she saw in the window.

I didn’t see myself has having this little addiction, but yesterday, while thinking about this review I realized that I have too many bags for my laptop and accessories. We are not talking about bags That were used until there was no choice but to set them free. These are great bags, that are perfectly fine. I can use any of them any day, And someties I do. It's just that I see a new bag and I really need it.

I looked in the closet and I found the blue, hard shell bag That I purchased in London some 8 years ago for my laptop and little else. I have a bag for my iPad, a notebook That I jave no idea where I got, but it's great. I have a big bag from Crmpler that I love because I can put everything I want into it. I got another one that my brother chose for me for my first MacBook Pro. I have more, so much more, and sometimes I even rotate between them and really use the others. NOW however, I think that I found a cure for my addictions - The Messanger Bag from Pad and Quill. It is a bag to end all bags. I hope.

THE LOOKS

Lets start from the superficioul, because it is a bag, and you will all see me carrying it, and I need you to envy me. Simply put, it's gourgeous. The bag is made from the kind of materials that will gain character the more it is used. The full grain american cowhide leather is tanned, and soft and smooth, the inside is covered with an orange twill woven waxed canvas that is nice to touch. I don't like orange normaly, but this one is nice and doesn't hurt the eyes. The strap is comfertable to put over your shoulder with a wide section to help balance the weight. The strap is connected with nicely designed metalic hooks that makes the bag a lot more reliable for the long run.

This is a bag that you will love to take out with you in public and, unless you have a problem, this might be the last bag you will ever need, and don't worry, just in case you do need to fix it, the people at Pad and Quill give 25 years gurentee on the leather. This bag is really a work of art, I love it, and I love the fact that the person who makes it also signs hers name on it. Mine was build by Margarita from Leon, Mexico.

WHAT'S INSIDE?

Ok, looks is important, but we buy bags to holds our precious belonging. So, what can this bag carry? Well, it's large enough to hold a macbook 15’’ in its dedicated pocket. I tried it and it does fir perfectly, but I carry a few other items that makes a bit of a challenge to easily put a 15 inched in or take it out. My Macbook Pro 13’’ retina (or the Macbook Air obviously) work far better. Easily slip it in and out, while your nag is full of other gadgetry goodness.

The bag has a dedicated pocket to hold the electric cable (as last) and it even fits with the extra bulkiness of the PlugBug World by [Twelve South] [http://www.twelvesouth.com/product/plugbug-world]. The second pocket fits an iPad mini with a case. That’s great, but I have an iPad Air, so I use the second pocket for my Notebook - "The Confidant” by [Baron Fig] [http://www.baronfig.com/shop] (a fantastic notebook I backed on kickstarter, I’ll put a review about it soon). I Put the iPad, with it’s [Zagg Folio Keyboard] [http://www.zagg.com/ipad-air-folio/8977] in the main pocket, along side a Muji pen case and a small bag that I use to hold all the extra cables, plugs, extra battery to charge my iPhone etc.

Last, there is a zipped pocket for my wallet, business cards and other small stuff I don't want to fall out of the bag when I leave it on the floor (at the office for example) They all fit nicely and the bag closes without a problem.

OVERALL SATISFACTION?

I love this bag. I’ve been using it for almost a month, and it makes me happy. It holds everything I need when I go to work and back. It is elegant, unique and comfortable. For now, a competitor will have to try really hard for me to buy another bag and give this one up. I hope.

Price: $369 Shipment: UPS Satisfaction: 5/5

Mailbox for iOS, my email weapon of choice

Mailbox is coming to the desktop and that's a good reason to push this post that was sitting in my drafts folder for waaaaay too long.

The fact that we still use email is a bane for many. The truth is simple: you don't really need emails. For pure communication purposes you got your wide circle of acquaintance on Facebook, your closer friends on Whatsup (...basically Facebook extension now) and you can also use Google+. Twitter and other services. 

If you are a private person, there is only one reason to use an email and that reason is also quickly vanishing - registering to Web sites. However, if you are a professional, or semi professional, emails are still a tool you need. You can drop this tool and use other alternatives, but lets face it - the phone is still here, and so is the fax. Email is not going away, so we better find a good way to deal with it.

My weapon of Choice? Mailbox. and here is why

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There are three types of email:

• introductions 
• Information
• Tasks

Introductions are good emails, we like them, normally they lead to work and that is a good thing. An introduction email gets you information about a person that needs your services. this information should go (some will say immediately) to your contact details.

From this point there are 2 ways to go - either reply with an email, or move the conversation to a phone call, or a text message/messaging services of your choice. If you stay in the realm of emails what you want to do is send that email and clear the conversation from your inbox.

Sometimes you want to take the time before you answer, research the person, look for leads about the type of people they are. this is when an intro becomes a task, we'll get to that in a minute.

Information these emails contain tidbits of information. This can be a link to an article, or a paragraph someone copied or typed into the email's body. Information has nothing to do in an inbox. Information should go immediately to the place where you collect information; there are tons of services, tools, and apps that are there to help you collect information. USE THEM. My favorite tools are Instapaper for archiving articles (I tag them, collect them in folders and save them for a time where they become important), and Evernote for collecting anything else (again gathered in notebooks, with tags etc). These 2 tools are fantastic and I will get back to them in a later post.

Tasks now this here is the main problem with emails. Most of the emails we get are tasks. Even when they are not tasks (like introductions) they are in fact tasks. When you need to send an invoice, that is a task. When you need to answer a client, that is a task, when you need to decide if you want to go to a concert that a friend just told you about over email - that is a task. Most of our emails are tasks in disguise. And for this reason I love Mailbox.

The guys behind Mailbox made this into whole focus of the app. Mailbox allows you to treat emails as tasks and decide when to deal with each one.

Before I go into why this is a good thing, and how to work with the app, lets just see how easy it is to use it:

• Once an email arrives to your inbox, slide it to the left and you will be presented with options, all of them relate to when you want to deal with the email
• Tap the right timing for you and that’s it, the email is gone from the inbox and will appear again at the time you asked for it.

• Once you are done with an email, slide it to the right.
• If you slide it slightly it will go to archive (an ok decision I guess), if you slide it all the way through to the right it will delete the email (good)

SO WHY IS THIS A GOOD THING?

Tasks are good because they are actionable. An email is a piece of information that just sits there takes up space in your inbox, and in your brain. It nags at you, it demands attention. It can be an answer you have to give, or a real task you need to perform (write a research document). By turning emails into tasks, you can control them. You can ask your self the most basic question and answer it

The question is: what to I need to do with this email?

And when you phrase it that way you can do real work with that email. For example: Is this an email I need to answer? if so, can I do it now or do I need to research something? if I can't answer it now I should differ it to a later time when I can do the research and answer. - Slide to the left, choose when you want to see the email again (a time when you are free to do the research) and that is that

If the answer is "This email is a reference material" then we know that we need to save it to Instapaper, or Evernote and delete that email. No reason for it to sit there and annoy us.

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For me, Mailbox is an essential tool. It helps me become more efficient. I control my inbox. With Mailbox becoming part of Dropbox, the service became even better as I have a quick access to all my important work files. (It also made me believe even more in Dropbox. unlike Google who bought and then killed another great email tool named Sparrow).

Mailbox is a treat for people who have to deal with emails.You should give it a try.

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WHAT KIND OF EMAILS YOU WANT SEND AS EMAILS AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO DELETE

Ok, now this is important. any correspondence that is contractual is an one you want to send as an email and you want to archive it . If, for any reason you find yourself in a situation where you need proof about how the deal was made, or about basic understandings, those emails are your proof.

For beginning entrepreneurs, this is also very important. If you spoke to your partners, or with a third party, make sure to get them to send you an email, or send one your self with a transcript of everything you talked about. Once in court, phone conversations are ok but not proof - emails are.

Kickstarter Roundup: Doug Jones and other treats

This week there are some great things on kickstarter, but these three made the cut easy enough: a short movie starring Doug Jones, a really well made gadget for your camera, and a book that will teach your kids to code. 

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Maxtone: iPhone your camera

A wireless remote that lets you control your DSLR camera through your iPhone (smartphone) + much more! Let's iPhone your Camera!

What is it?

This little gadget uses infra-red to control your camera. Just place it on your camera in front of the infra-red sensor and grab you iPhone. You can now take images and do many other things remotely.

The MaxStone uses low energy Bluetooth 4.0 to connect with your iPhone. When connected, the MaxStone allows you to use the intuitive and beautiful screen of the iPhone to take images from your camera. At the moment the MaxStone can do the following:

• Time-lapse Parameters: time interval between shutters [1 second to 24 hours], maximum number of pictures [9999], exposure time [1 second to 99 seconds; keep one duration or change gradually].
• Long power duration: can work for 6 to 12 months with one battery, emitting commands for more than 10 thousands times. You can use MaxStone to create works with long time span.
• Bulb: MaxStone offers bulb with two modes: automatically timed and hand operating.
• Remote controller for micro-video: used as remote controller for micro-video, MaxStone can work for Canon 5D, Sony NEX, and other widely used cameras. 
• Control the iPhone camera: use MacStone to shoot through the iPhone. Press the central button of MaxSoneto take photo, start or stop a video recording.
• Switch Mode: between taking photo and taking video (conducting in APP)
• Switch Cameras: switch between the two cameras on your mobile devices (e.g.: cameras in the front and back of iPhone, also conducting in APP)
• Control Flash: switch between different modes of the flashbulb (conducting in APP)
• Adjust focus: (conducting in APP)
• Alerting at any time: if the distance between your iPhone and MaxStone is long, your iPhone will tweet to remind you. 
• Finding your MaxStone: the “Radar” in APP can identify the distance between your iPhone and MaxStone; press the “TWEET” in APP, you can follow the sound by MaxStone and find it.
• Finding your iPhone: press the central button of MaxStone to command your iPhone to tweet, you can find you iPhone, following the sound. 
• Record the last position: If the alert by MaxStone is missed, the APP will record the last time and position of your belongings, which makes it more easily for you to find them.

Why do I like it?

I am not a professional photographer, but I love taking photos. I use the iPhone a lot to do it, but I also have my Sony a77 with me most of the times. At the moment, I the TriggerTrap solution which is great, but wired and this is where MaxStone got my attention: wireless control of my camera means I can do so many things and not be limited by the cable's length. 

From what I read, and the answers the team gave, it looks like the app is going to give the users a lot of power over their cameras. The fact that the team also added so many other features like finding your phone, or the MaxStone (that can be attached to your keys so two birds one ...maxstone, you get it) is something I appreciate because it's elegant. The Pledge stands on $115,659 at the moment (the goal was $50k) so this is going to happen with or without you. It will be a shame to miss on the rewards so go check it out.

Hello Ruby

Hello Ruby is a children’s book that teaches programming fundamentals through stories and kid-friendly activities.

What is it?

Linda Liukas created Ruby to teach herself coding and turned this into a project on kickstarter. the ideas is to create a story that through it (with the help of a workbook), your kids can learn a lot about coding and about coding culture. 

The project will help to fund the book and workbook with stretch goals that will add more tools for parents to help their kids, and learn about coding themselves.

The activity book teaches kids early programming skills. It’s designed to be enjoyed by a kid alone, but can also be worked through with an adult. And best of all - the workbook is designed to be doodled, wrecked and drawn all over. 

• The foundational knowledge structures, like sequences, variables, patterns, loops, lists, conditionals, operators and events. Taught through exercises of dot-to-dot, pairs, odd-one-out, all from Ruby's world.
  
• A sprinkle of software culture, by teaching them to abstract and modularise, work iteratively and incrementally as well as encouraging them to reuse and remix work.
  
• Creativity and DIY attitude. Tons of doodles, logic puzzles and even a foldable miniature laptop that allows the kid to peek inside a computer. 

Why do I like it?

I feel as if this is self evident. Coding is part of our culture today. Applications are the major tools we use. Knowing how to code, and understand programming logic is a basic component, in my view, of being a citizen of the future.

there are many new, cool tools to teach coding. There are tons of great games out there, Like lightbot, that do it well. A book, especially a children book in a mother, great way to reach children and work with them. I also feel that this book and workbook will help adults to learn about these topics as well.

Kiss the Devil in the Dark

The new film from the creators of "An Evening with My Comatose Mother," starring Doug Jones, Dameon Clarke and Amrita Acharia.

What is it?

A dark fantasy short film, starring Doug Jones (Abe from Hellboy, The various creatures in Pan's Labyrinth and more) and a cast of well known and loved actresses and actors.

From the project page:

KISS THE DEVIL IN THE DARK is a dark fantasy film set in a mythical Victorian-era world. This is a story of magic, demons, love, lust, friendship, betrayal and hell. Desperate to save his dying wife, the powerful sorcerer Marcus makes a deal with the demon Dagon to save her soul. Dagon, however, has more in mind for Marcus than just a simple exchanging of souls. With seemingly no other choice, Marcus accepts, thus catapulting him into a series of events that will reveal to all involved the very meaning of betrayal. 

The movie is ready, the money this project asks for is for the post production.

Why do I like it?

After two horror films I looked for something else to recommend, so I figured a fantasy movie would be cool. It's not my fault that it's a DARK fantasy movie.

I love it because it looks incredible and the production value looks really high. The actors previous body of works speaks volume for them. What's not to like? The goal here is 20k, the pledge stand at $8,011 and there are 28 days at the time of publishing this post.

Kickstarter weekly roundup, Sounds Great

Every week I try to bring you the best projects I find on Kickstarter. This week I'm having a real problem narrowing down the list. Kickstarter has high and low tides and we are entering a high one now.

Note: I don't back every project that I recommend. I wish I could, but I can't. maybe I should create a kickstarter to get funds so I'll be able to back more projects...

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HiddenRadio2

The simplest most advanced wireless Multi Speaker for iPhone, iPad + Android ever in compact form. Touch the cap to elevate your sound!

As the name suggests, this is the second version of this product. The first one was born on Kickstarter (Goal: $125k, Pledge $938,771) and received well enough reviews. Some backers complained about sound quality, charging issues and pairing issues, but overall it looks like these are not the majority.

We can deduce that people like this product because this new version was backed within 4.5 hours (Goal: $90k, Pledge so far $425,344), and they have 25 more days to go at the time of this post being written.

What is it?

A blutooth speaker that can pair with your mobile device (iOS and Android) and be used to listen to music, podcasts, movies, and also to take calls. The design is compact and beautiful and the mechanism that reveals the speakers looks like it works really nice.

Why do I like it?

Mobile speakers are not new obviously, but this one gives me a few things I'm looking for:

• Compact and great looking Design (in form and factor)
• High Sound Quality 
• Easy pairing with my iPhone
• The ability to sync it around the house while I move from room to room
• The ability to take it with me to lectures when I need to play Music/Videos
• additional smart functionalities (smart as in clever, not "connected to the web and thus called smart like every other device coming out from CES for the past 3 years")

Some other speakers give many of these functions but cost a lot, or they are cheap but give only some of the functionality. Anyways, I'm in and I think you should back it as well.

Push: Your wallet at a touch

The ultimate iPhone protective case with a secure and hidden wallet at the at the touch of a button. iPhone 5S, 5C, 5.

iPhone covers are a million, if not a billion, dollar industry and as the years progressed we saw companies trying to do more with those cases. Some just make the case more durable and protective (to the extent of making your phone look like a tank or a stealth bomber), others create a battery pack that also works as a cover (like the really well designed Mophies). Yet other try to add simpler functionalities, like adding a wallet to your iPhone.

What is it?

So Push is basically a smart and compact wallet that allow you to store your credit cards with your phone, and with a simple push, to take out the credit card that you need (or grab some cash).

Why I like it?

They really gave some thought to the way people use their phones and wallets. The whole design is great and looks like it was created to be used with a phone, while keeping the basic functionality of the wallet - protecting your money and make it easier to carry around.

Theu already blow through their goal ($15l, Pledge so far $46,287) and unlocked the Android stretch goal. In a nut shell:

• Looks and feels good
• really protects your cards
• Keeps your cards safe from prying eyes
• easy to use
• also, protects your phone (bonus?)

This party will end in 5 days, so if you are looking for something like this, go and grab it.

Murder Mill

Bloody, brutal, psychological terror is our goal. With your help, we can make "MURDER MILL" an unstoppable force of horror.

What is it?

Well, the synopsis reads: Four teens break into a local abandoned mill for a night of partying. They get more than they bargained for when they discover the truth behind the legend of "Murder Mill" and its connection to the recent town suicides.

Why I like it?

I love horror, and I love the short form. Kickstarter is a great place for ideas to come to fruition and these types of projects have good potential. I like the simplicity of the location and from what Im reading and seeing on the project page, these guys know what they are doing.

The goal ($1500) was past and (pledge $1,576 so far) and they do have 20 more days. They aren't asking for much and for that some you will probably get a good piece of content and also propel the idea of the "new patrons of the art". Kickstarter and sites like it are a situated correctly to reshape the way we look at and treat the arts.

The Day of The Doctor, initial thoughts

50 years in the making, and all I know about The Doctor is everything that happned from the relaunch.
I watched a few old stories, I read enough about the Doctor’s main enemies, history of the Time Lords etc, but I can’t say I know eveything there is to know and I’m a bit sad. I’m a bit sad not because I didn’t enjoy this evening’s episdoe, I’m sad because it was a beautifuly crafted story that had so many Easter eggs, references and inner jokes, that I now find myself thinking about watching all the shows, and reading EVERYTHING so I can return to The Day of The Doctor and enjoy all of it.
So, having written all of that I will say now that I loved the story. This was Moffat at his best - creating a wonderful new mythology based on an already rich mythology, tying all sorts of little details together, crossing streams, untangling old plot-lines and reassembling all of them into something new and fresh.
At the end of the day, nothing changed, and everything changed. The Doctor we knew from 2005, the dark history, the time war, all of it is now seen in new light. The burden of the things that was done is there, the old plot-lines make sense because only one Doctor knows the truth and it is the Doctor that should know it - the oldest of them all.
I loved the episode because John Hurt did a fantastic job as a Doctor, putting even the lovely David in his place. I loved it because I’m missed David and I loved it because the next Doctor, the one we will meet soon enough has a new goal, a new story to tell and it will dictate not only the coming season (or few), but perhaps the next decades.
There is so much to write, but I will let others, those who know more about the show, to write those other posts. As for myself I will just say thank you, to all those visionaries, writers, producers, actresses and actors who made this, The Day of The Doctor event something that I could experience.
Here’s for 50 more.