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Hot Laptop Bags to Go

Diana Forbes

04/28/08 - 11:38 AM EDT
Here are a couple of laptop bags that should make traveling a little more stylish and a lot more organized. Gadget Grrl brings you two bags by Belkin that give your iPod special consideration. Also, if you want to know which airlines are charging more for miscellaneous items like an extra snack, check out the Web site below.

Laptop Bags

Ceylon Messenger Bag
$49.99
belkin.com

Two new ways to carry your laptop from Belkin are worth considering, especially now that the summer travelers will be onboard with you. What I like about the Ceylon Messenger Bag is the flap-over contains two magnets to ensure that the flap stays put. The inside pockets contain plenty of compartments and there is a zipper in the front so you can easily access one of the lower meshed pockets that could hold thumb drives and/or iPod accessories.

The baby soft padding inside is great for the lumps and bumps of turbulences. The color schemes are also different, not the usual black. I like the grey with light blue interior.

Slim Backpack
$49.99
belkin.com

If you are in need of a more rugged way to travel, the Slim Backpack is another possibility. There are plenty of compartments and rubberized, colored zipper tabs so you won't have to hunt around for them.

Slim comes with a separate removable pouch so you can easily remove power cords or other laptop accessories.

Of note here is a feature you won't see on most backpacks, a small opening up top in order to thread your iPod wire through. This way you don't have to carry it in your pocket. I also liked the thicker-than-usual shoulder straps with extra padding so they won't dig into your shoulders when the backpack is full. Sites to see:
Airfarewatchdog.com

Which airlines are charging for extra bags? That seems to be the trend, along with charging for exit row seats and anything over a bag of peanuts. At this site, you'll find all that and more, including info about special fares on all the airlines, including Southwest (LUV Quote - Cramer on LUV - Stock Picks).

Wikihow.com
This is actually a new spin-off from Wikipedia and I have used it a ton since discovering it. A random article brought me to "How to Rename a Desktop Icon on Mac OS X," very useful and something I've actually been wondering how to do.

How to play and score a game of tennis, how to make sushi, how to change spark plugs -- it's a virtual do-it-yourselfer's candyland.

If you know how to do anything that requires a specific skill set (like run a company, hire and fire employees), you can always contribute an article, but be sure to check out the writer's guidelines before submitting.