The AppleSac

I'm generally pretty good about taking care of my belongings. I've gone to several lengths to protect my laptop. The top is covered with a protective sticker displaying Starry Night. Besides keeping the outside scratch and smudge free, it's attractive. However, when it comes to a laptop case I haven't done so well. Mine is currently calling a hideous tan laptop sleeve home. I haven't seen many better options out there until I saw the AppleSac. The sleek sleeve is made from 100% burlap and I absolutely love it!

(Found via PicoCool)

USB Drive: Studio Leung

Studio Leung's prototype for a series of USB flash drives that use a ruler-like resemblance to communicate their disk size. Simple and effective, I like it.

(Found via Pan Dan)

Double Bass Boombox Fiddle: David Ellis

David Ellis' Double Bass Boombox Fiddle is pretty much what it sounds like (no pun intended). As an artist who was "born into a family immersed in music," his work often mixes music with visual art. I love his fusion of classical instrument and modern technology.

(Found via Sheynk Dot Com)

GPS Mail Logger

I remember back in my days of using AOL they had a feature that allowed you to check the status of your sent mail. The Micro GPS Mail Logger is sort of like that.

"The Mail Logger is the only GPS Tracking Device specifically designed for tracking your mail. Simply mail it in an envelope and later review where your mail has been. Save time and money by evaluating your delivery service’s reliability and efficiency.

Yes, save money. After the initial $695 purchase, of course. I like the concept, it'd be nice to know where that rent check your landlord never received ended up. But sheesh, for nearly $700 I'm just not sure it's worth it. Can anyone think of a situation where this device would be pertinent?

(Found via Sheynk Dot Com)

Where on Earth is Waldo

Melanie Coles' project "Where on Earth is Waldo" is maybe one of the coolest Web 2.0 spin-offs I've seen yet. Melanie has hidden a giant Waldo somewhere on a rooftop in Vancouver with the hopes of it appearing on Google Earth.

"My addition of a Waldo figure to Google Earth, in a way subverts the whole earth into being part of my game; each rooftop or field then becomes a place where Waldo could be hiding."

Her blog mentions, excitedly, the prospects of others partaking in the game. She hopes others will not only play the game, but hide their own giant Waldo's in other parts of the world to keep the game going.

(Found via One Floor Up)

Personal Sountrack T-Shirt

Just like the movies, but real. The Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt lets you play the soundtrack to your life for all those around you to hear. The creative minds behind the product at ThinkGeek Labs explain:

"Features a working speaker embedded into the front of the shirt. When you push the appropriate button on the pocketable remote you get music or sound effects appropriate for any situation."

"After wearing and using the Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt for one week our test subjects reported that their lives were 143% more exciting than without the shirt... plus they got more dates and their friends commented on how much cooler they were. When we tried to take the shirts back after the testing period we were overwhelmed by the sound of melancholy background music and crying."

ThinkGeek clearly has a sense of humor, which is not surprising considering the original pitch of the Soundtrack T-Shirt was as an April Fool's joke. After a positive response, the Geeks went ahead with it.

(Found via Uncrate)

Cellphone Workshops by Teenagers for Adults

The Dutch company Bellendoejezo (roughly translated to "this is how you make the call") has organized cellphone workshops for adults that are taught by teens.

"While you may never be too old to learn, when it comes to gadgets, you can never be too young to teach. A Dutch initiative is taking advantage of kids’ innate cell phone proficiency by training them as ‘phone coaches’ and getting them to transfer their skills to older users."

While the program benefits adults through increased cellphone knowledge, it also strives to benefit the teens by boosting self-esteem and providing them with work experience.

(Found via Springwise)

Google Gmail Custom Time Feature: Happy April Fool's

In honor of April Fool's day, Google's Gmail users got punked. Google introduced their new gag-feature which allows Gmail users to send emails in the past by setting a 'custom time' on individual emails. The feature boasts its ability to allow you to be on time, all the time. One faux-commenter posts:

"I just got two tickets to Radiohead by being the 'first' to respond to a co-worker's 'first-come, first-serve' email. Someone else had already won them, but I told everyone to check their inboxes again."

Apparently Google takes the day very seriously. Not only have they had a consistent history of April Fool's pranks, but it's their 'birthday' as well. They launched on April 1, 2004. Pretty funny and sadly the only April Fool's prank I was subject too.

Sigh...if only.