Design:
Both the sleeves for the MacBook and iPhone and tight fitting and offer a good amount of protection. Design wise they are both a fairly simple black toned thickly threaded fabric on the outside with a soft fleecy interior. The MacBook sleeve has a pocket on the front that adds both stylistically and practically, you won’t be fitting a car in there, but there is more than enough room for a few documents. The top of the iPhone sleeve is left open so you can easily slide the iPhone back in or out, and the MacBook sleeve has an envelope like seal over the top that prevents any dirt entering into your precious MacBook’s ports or disk drive. The design is truly where this product stands out with it’s rustic design providing a truly aesthetic solution to protecting your gadgets.

Environment:
The other hot thing about these sleeves is their environmental impact, or more accurately, there lack there of. The sleeves themselves are made purely of natural hemp and fleece, but their company is even more green. ColcaSac is a member of the “One Percent for the Planet” meaning that 1% of their annual sales are donated to environmental organisations. It is a breath of fresh air to see such a generous company that is so dedicated to both design and the envrionment.

Final Thoughts:
There really isn’t much to be said about sleeves. But, as far as sleeves go, these are mighty good ones. For guilt free good looks, the ColcaSac truly takes the crown.

Price: $15US (iPhone), $40US (MacBook)

Compatibility: iPhones, MacBooks (and Pros, all sizes)

Final Score: 9/10

Design:
As I mentioned earlier, the actual design of the case remains both simple and classy. The added feature of customisable shoulder straps allow it for multiple uses, which is a nice touch for those who need it for both business and personal use. The case has a large front flap that is secured by velcro, and when that is opened, you are greeted by three small front pockets (big enough for wallets, passports and of course iPhones) as well as a full length zipped pocket. On the flap itself there is a full length zipped pocket as well. The main pocket is secured by a reinforced fabric velcro flap, when this is opened, the pocket is separated into the laptop area (thickly padded and secured by a wetsuit like material) and the main pocket. It is easily big enough to fit two laptops in (I had a 15″ and 13″ in there, but I’ve no doubt it would take two 15 inchers. Overall, top marks for design.

Storage:
As discussed in the design section, there is certainly no shortage of space in the bag, but when it does start to get full, the bag does look very bulgy and becomes nearly impossible to comfortably walk with.

Build Quality:
Overall, the build quality of the bag is nearly flawless, top notch stitching that is both exceptionally strong and not to conspicuous and good quality materials make it a great bag, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the two metal looking latches on the side, that are in fact plastic. Although they are just really there for style, they would look a lot nicer if they were metal, and the plastic they are made of feels cheap and looks tacky.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, a great bag that is perfect for those on the move. Works well as both a business and personal product. Offers great protection and security, but is let down slightly by plasticky features.

Price: $110au RRP

Compatibility: Most laptops up to 15 inches

Available From: Most major retailers

Gallery:

Final Score: 9/10 – A great laptop bag for a reasonable price

Design: This is where the LA robe really does shine. On the front of the packaging it boasts “Designed in France” and those crazy French have certainly pulled it off this time. The coloured version is beautiful if not subtle, but the black, mocha and kiss versions show a slightly more subtle appeal without sacrificing overly on design. The zip handles are a testament to the overall design quality, with a slightly curved, ergonomic design merging beauty and practicality. Overall, this is definitely where the LA robe scores its highest marks.

Protection: The LA robe offers full 100% coverage, though only while the laptop is not in use; it cannot be used inside the case. It does have a strong foam padding that feels as though it would provide good protection in a drop, and certainly protect the device from any scratches, but there is room for the laptop to move while it is in the case, that is the case is not tight on the laptop, which lowers its overall level of protection.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the LA robe is a great choice for the fashion conscious who are looking to provide their laptop with good protection, but not making it indestructible. The looks are fantastic, but for those not looking for a flashy case, there are other much more subtle cases out there for less money.

Cost: $34.95 US

Available from: Apple Online and Brick and Mortar Stores Worldwide

Compatibility: 13″ or 15″ MacBook/MacBook Pro Models

Gallery:

Final Score: 8/10

Packaging: The V5 comes in a nice, thick cardboard box, the front a large picture of the webcam and the other sides some relevant specs. The box opens and closes using an nice magnetic catch. The actual V5 comes wrapped in a nice microfiber pouch, giving it a good amount of protection for travelling. Included is the V5, a carry pouch, a small microfiber cover, the three stands, an instruction manual and a CD with extra software for the Mac and PC.

Design: The V5 itself is gorgeous. It really is the iSight remade, with totally Apple-like aesthetics. It comes in either a chrome or anodised finish, with the anodised finish directed to the mac crowd thanks to its finish matching the current range of laptops and desktops. The USB cable is a bit generic and it would have been a nice touch to have the cable of higher quality to match the camera itself.

Use: The three stands work fairly effectively, with the desktop and monitor stands doing a great job but the notebook clip feeling a bit dodgy; the spring is very strong and I felt very cautious putting it on my MacBook Pro.

Camera + Mic Quality: The still and video quality of the camera was great, and in an unscientific test, seemed to be much nicer and higher quality than the Apple inbuilt variety. It is capable of HD video capture which is a definite advantage over the inbuilt camera. The inbuilt mic however was not up to the quality of the webcam, and if you were using this for high quality videos you would need to invest in a standalone microphone to go along with the V5.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the design and video quality of the V5 are absolutely top notch, and while the audio quality doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by the video, it isn’t a deal breaker. The included stands are also good, though the notebook clip could be better, they all perform their respective jobs effectively. It is currently priced at $119 AU ($109 US) but Liquid Digital (the mothercompany of aGent) have informed me that the price will soon drop to just $99AU. For the money, this is definitely a great quality webcam and by far the most attractive one. For all aspiring YouTube stars and even just those looking for a higher quality camera for Video Conferencing this is without doubt a fantastic choice.

Gallery:

Price: $119 AU (Soon to be $99AU)

Compatibility: Macs and PCs with recent software and a USB port

Available from: agent.liquiddigital.com.au

Final Score: 7 out of 10 – A great webcam, but a few slight flaws and higher price tag than others let it down slightly.

Design: As mentioned above, the design is near flawless. Certainly, I have never used, or even seen, a more hardily constructed keyboard than this. The keys are set fairly close to the aluminium surface of the main body, though easily high enough to receive good amounts of tactile feedback and the satisfactory click and springiness of the keys. The power button is set into the side of the cylindrical tube that holds the keyboard up at a very comfortable and ergonomic angle, the same tube also houses the batteries. Probably the most obvious thing to note about the keyboards design is the size. It’s exactly the same size as the keyboard sink in the MacBook, but the thing that will hit you the most is the thickness of the device. It’s thin, almost paper thin. Overall, I honestly can’t fault Apple on the design of the keyboard.

Typing: Typing is really quite a personal thing. Keyboard taste varies from person to person but for me, the Apple keyboard (on all their laptops and standalone keyboards) is without doubt my favourite to use. It is however a very personal thing, and if you are used to, or need to use a specific ergonomic keyboard then this is probably not the device for you.

Battery Life: Having used the product for several weeks, the need to change the battery has not yet arisen, and by the looks of the battery monitor (still nearly full) it won’t for quite some time. In short, the battery life is great.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the Apple Wireless Keyboard is great. As it works over bluetooth, no adapters are needed (at least not for most of the latest macs) and response time is great. The design is flawless, but at $69US, you will be paying a slight premium over other bluetooth keyboards. The most important thing on a keyboard though is the typing, so what it comes down to is whether or not you like typing on it or not.

Price: $69 US

Avaiable from: Apple

Compatiblity: All Current Macs, most older models with bluetooth

Score: 9/10 – Highly Recomended

Design: Clearly, Griffin’s priority on this was design. And it shows through. The build quality is truly excellent and the construction material is nearly all aluminium to match almost the entire apple product line. When it is used, it works well, with the scrolling motion incredibly smooth and precise, giving the perfect amount of tactile feedback. The glowing blue light adds a touch of interest to the otherwise plain device, but its unevenly spread glow could certainly be improved. The small record like ridges circling the top of the knob are beautiful and the perfect depth. The clicking motion is incredibly precise though maybe a little tricky to click while the knob is still being turned. Overall, a great effort by Griffin’s design team on this one.

Function: To be brutally honest, there is so little function to this device it is hard to write a paragraph on. It seems that it was mostly simply a play thing of the design team, a way of proving their worth, with little function added on. It can perform two actions; circular motion and clicking. It’s great for showing off to friends by scrolling frame by frame in iMovie or QuickTime, and it is actually fairly useful for movie editing, but other than that, it seems to be focused on, well, volume control. Even though there are three great keys on your keyboard, dedicated to the job, the PowerMate does serve as a fun add on to control the volume, emulating the knobs found on big AV devices.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the PowerMate looks great, and does what it does great. Problem is, it doesn’t do that much. For those who do manage to find a function for the device, they will be far from disappointed, and at a reasonable price of $45 US, it is far from overpriced. Fill this one under ‘Great for some, entirely useless for most’.

Price: $45 US + Postage

Available from: www.griffintechnology.com

Compatible with: All PCs and Macs with a USB port

Final Score: 6 out of 10 (Recommended for some)