J Mag, the magazine behind national Australian youth broadcaster Triple J, recommends popular Rushfaster products such as Booq iPod cases and J Fold messenger bags as perfect accessories to keep cool this summer. Thanks J Mag, we’re glad you like ‘em as much as we do!

J Fold messenger bags are the envy of New York City’s students, London’s urbanites and Sydney’s young professionals. J Fold bags are super 100% stylish and will give you years of pleasure as only leather can do. To protect your iPod this summer add a Booq iPod mini case. Booq Venom iPod mini cases are a great accessory for old-school iPod icon ‘iPod mini’. If you don’t have an iPod mini, check out the other iPod cases here.

It is very important to ensure that you pick the right laptop bag for you, here are 3 simple reasons:

1. Vanity: Just because you have a mobile computer it doesn’t mean that you have to look like a mobile geek.
2. Ergonomics: If you’re carrying the wrong type of bag for the job, you could injure your back and end up looking like quasi-modo.
3. Functionality: Make sure the laptop bag you are using meets your needs for protection and storage.

So, what do you need to consider:

1. Where Should You Shop For A Laptop Bag?
2. What Laptop Bag Style Do You Need?
3. Will Your Laptop Fit In The Laptop Bag?
4. Does It Look Like A Laptop Bag?
5. Does the Laptop Bag Have Adequate Laptop Protection?
6. Finally, What About The Price?

1. Where Should You Shop For A Laptop Bag?

To find the right laptop bag, the first thing is to make sure you’re looking in the right store. Here’s how you can tell if it is a good store:

• They should have a big range of laptop bags for you to choose from - this will save you a lot of time going from store to store.
• Their customer service staff should have good product knowledge of the laptop bags so they can offer opinions and suggestions to you.
• They should have an easy exchange and return policy so that you’re not at risk of being stuck with a bag you don’t like or have to pay a pricey restocking fee.

2. What Laptop Bag Style Do You Need?
(Laptop Backpack vs Shoulder Bag vs Rolling Laptop Bag)

Once you’ve found a good store, the second question to ask yourself is what will you be using the bag for and what will you be carrying in it. If you’re carrying just a laptop and some files, then a shoulder bag may suffice. If you go to the gym after work, you may consider a roomy backpack so that you can put your laptop, files, and gym gear into one bag. If you need to carry a laptop and lots of files and books, a trolley bag will help you ease the load off your shoulders.

3. Will Your Laptop Fit In The Laptop Bag?

One of the most important things about selecting the right laptop bag for you is to make sure your laptop will fit into the bag. Whether you’re buying it online or in a shop you will still need to know your laptop size.

Rushfaster has actually made it much easier for you in this case, you can simply select your laptop brand and model from our laptop bag search to list all the bags that fit your laptop. You also have the option of specifying the type of bag and a price range. You can then simply browse that list knowing that all of the bags you’re looking at will safely fit your laptop. If your laptop dimensions are not listed in the laptop bag search , simply measure your laptop and enter in the 3 dimensions (length, depth, height) on this laptop bag search page. It would be a huge hassle to do this in a shop.

Note: Screen sizes are measured diagonally across the screen as shown in the diagram. Although you can sometimes tell whether a laptop will fit in your bag by the screen size, it is not the best way to ensure your laptop will fit. The reason is because different brands make different sized laptops, even though their screen size is the same. The best way to ensure your laptop will fit is to know the three dimensions of your laptop and compare this to the laptop compartment of the bag.

4. Does It Look Like A Laptop Bag?

Let’s face it, if it looks like a laptop bag then you’re going to look like a geek. Or worse, you could look like a good target for muggers. In the interest of vanity and safety, don’t buy a laptop bag that looks like a laptop bag. This is why Rushfaster has laptop bags that look like stylish handbags, messenger bags and sports backpacks for you to choose from.

5. Does the Laptop Bag Have Adequate Laptop Protection?

It’s important that the laptop bag you have selected has a well padded laptop section that provides good protection for the laptop. Some good things to know about the protection is:

• Does the laptop section fully cover the laptop?
• Is the laptop section suspended off the base of the bag?
• Is there a latch at the top of the laptop section to prevent the laptop from inadvertently sliding out?

What you also need to consider is the exterior of the bag. For instance, if you ride a motorbike then you may want to consider getting a Boblbe-e or Axio hardpack because they have a hard shell and would most likely protect your contents more than a nylon bag in heavy rain and in the event of a fall.

6. Finally, What About The Price?

The thing about price is that at the end of the day you get what you pay for. A good stylish bag with good laptop protection is obviously going to cost more than a standard issue bag with some padding in it. It would be worth paying a bit extra to ensure that you get a nice bag that you look forward to carrying and also has good protection for your laptop. You’ll also want to know what sort of warranty is covered by the price and if you’re shopping online, find out the delivery costs. Some online stores may appear to be cheaper but once you go through the checkout process, you might get a nasty surprise with the delivery fee and credit card surcharges. Rushfaster has free delivery on all orders over $50 and no extra fees or charges.

There you go, 6 simple tips you can follow to finding the right laptop bag. If you have more questions just give us a buzz on 1800 065 665 or send us an email.

Yeah we know we’ve added a lot of Mandarina Duck this week… But can you blame us!?!! We’re so in love with Mandarina Duck bags that we can’t stop. The new batch of bags just added include 12 new styles of wallet from the ‘File’ and ‘Workbag’ ranges, a few new handbags from the ‘Sweet’ line and a few other bags here and there.

Mandarina Duck wallets now start from $85.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve just launched Mandarina Duck MD20 on Rushfaster. The MD20 range of handbags is one of the biggest success stories in the history of Mandarina Duck.

Mixing fresh colours, european design and non-standard materials, MD20 sets itself apart from other bags. Their specially developed fabric ‘Mitrix’ is an iridescent fabric made by combining three different coloured threads to create a truely unique style.

Take a look at Mandarina Duck MD20 Handbags

I hate cables, it’s such a battle to keep them tidy. The sooner we can get everything onto wireless technology the better but in the mean time I guess I’ll just have to put up with them. The good news is that even though I can’t get rid of the cables, I can put them in their place.

Who would have thought that such a simple contraption as a Cable Turtle could make such a difference. Once I discovered these little things I went crazy with them… Kowabunga! I turtled everything.

I was going to take a photo of everything I used it for around the office and house but it would just take me too long, so here’s a list of some of the things I’ve used it for..

- My mouse cord (that was the first thing!)
- Voip headset cable
- Laptop power cable
- Laptop extension power cable
- Monitor cables
- Electric toothbrush power cable
- Hair dryer cable
- iPod earphones
- Digital camera data cable
- Nokia mobile phone data cable

If you take a look at the picture above (the ‘before’ photo), you’ll see some of the cables that I have to deal with. I actually tried to arrange them neatly so that you know I’m not just dramatising the situation. I have to carry some of those items in a bag and usually when I take them out I have to untangle them - pain.

Now if you look at the picture below (the ‘after’ photo) you’ll know why I love these things so much.

See the Cable Turtles

Just to demonstrate how easy they are to use:

And finally here is a quick guide to what size Cable Turtles you need for different types of cables:

Finally someone has released a high quality neoprene laptop sleeve and better yet, it’s got style.

The Look:
When I first saw the Built NY Laptop sleeve I didn’t actually immediately think of a laptop sleeve. It didn’t have a conventional blocky shape like other laptop sleeves and it had an hourglass shape and shark like gills on the two sides! It was very interesting so I took a closer look and I was further impressed when I found that there were pragmatic reasons for the design and it wasn’t just a way to make it look interesting.

Built NY laptop sleeves are available in blue, black and multi-stripe.

The Built NY laptop sleeve has convenient dual zipper access. The zip has large plastic teeth, this means that my laptop won’t get scratched on the way in or out of the laptop sleeve. Large teeth also means that the zip is stronger and at the end of the day, it gives the sleeve a nice finish.

The inside of the laptop sleeve has a soft fleece lining - I have yet to see another neoprene laptop sleeve with fleece lining or any sort of lining for that matter.

The Wear:
This Built NY laptop sleeve acts like a laptop glove. The shark gills pull the side of the laptop sleeve towards the center, so when I inserted my laptop, it actually hugged it. So I can also use it with a smaller laptop because it will hug it nicely anyway! Now that explains the shark gills and the hourglass shape.

The laptop sleeve has visible zig-zag stitching with high quality thread along its perimeter to reinforce the straight stitching. Again it’s pragmatic but adds to the overall aesthetics of the laptop sleeve.

The Laptop Protection:
The Built NY laptop sleeves are made of 5mm Wetsuit Grade Neoprene. Please note that the neoprene grade is a very important factor when selecting a neoprene sleeve, not all neoprene laptop sleeves available in the market are of the same quality. Most of the other neoprene sleeves use a cheaper, thinner and non-wetsuit grade neoprene material - which means the laptop gets less protection and that’s why you pay less for them. But if you think about it, the whole reason for getting a laptop sleeve is to protect your laptop - so why skimp on the quality of the sleeve, I wouldn’t.

I could definitely feel the quality of the Built NY laptop sleeve with my PowerBook inside, there is a BIG difference from other neoprene laptop sleeves. That’s why Rushfaster recommends the Built NY neoprene laptop sleeve as one of the best available.

This is an all time favourite from Rushfaster. I’ve had an All The King’s Men Midi Laptop Messenger Bag for about 2 years now and I’m still loving it, so I think it deserves a review from me. So here we go:

The Look:
The thing that makes this bag such a funky laptop bag and super stylish messenger bag, is the genuine airplane seatbelt that is used as the shoulder strap. It’s totally ingenious. I actually use this bag equally as a messenger bag and a laptop bag because it rocks! Everyone who has seen me with the ATKM has said that it’s a cool messenger bag - which is great because I love the attention

The airplane buckle is actually fastened with a screw underneath to stop it from being released. The reason for this is to stop touchy people from lifting up the flap and unbuckling your shoulder strap - as you can imagine this could be disastrous if you had a laptop inside the bag. If you really want to be able to unbuckle it then you can remove the screw at anytime, which is fine if you’re not using it as a laptop bag.

The other thing you will notice about the ATKM is that the rest of the bag has a very minimal and timeless look, it’s not full of pockets or fancy dangly bits. It has one pocket for your power pack and a laptop compartment. The laptop compartment has a padded divider which is velcro adjustable. This lets you adjust the section to hug your laptop snugly and also acts as a divider for your folders and files.

The Wear:
The ATKM has a slim design which means that there isn’t lots of room. When I put my laptop in the bag there is only room left for another folder and notepad. There is a small external pocket for the power pack which is handy. When I’m not using it with the laptop there is plenty of room for books and folders - I use the external pocket for my wallet and iPod.

As much as I loved the seatbelt strap, I didn’t think that it looked very comfortable. But after trying it on, it actually felt pretty good. Obviously padding would improve it but if you are anything like me, then you’d be more than happy to sacrifice a bit of comfort in the name of style!

The exterior of the bag is made from Superdux 300 Polyester/Cotton 300 gsm Canvas - mouthful. Basically it’s a pretty sturdy material that is water resistant and it’s true because I have been caught in the rain with it.

The Laptop Protection:
The ATKM laptop messenger bag has a good 5mm padding all around, protecting my PowerBook laptop from bumps and scratches. Having said that I am always careful when carrying my laptop around, no matter which bag I’m using. All laptop bags have different levels of protection, this laptop bag is perfectly suited for going to the office or walking around town but not riding a motor cycle. If I know that I have to remove my laptop out of the laptop bag for any reason ie. at the airport, then I usually put my laptop into a laptop sleeve. I would recommend a Built NY neoprene laptop sleeve or a Booq Vyper laptop sleeve . This means that my precious laptop doesn’t have to touch the crappy trays they use for the security check.

By the way, I have the ATKM Midi which I use for my Apple Powerbook 15, it also fits the Apple MacBook Pro 15. There are two other sizes available for the Apple MacBook 13 inch and Apple MacBook Pro 17. And of course they fit a variety of PC laptops.

Every season db clay hand silk-screen 200 wallets with their signature print - each time altering the colour pallet. This season db clay have produced a really nice wallet in three different shades of green. Along with the special print, these wallets also feature grass green thread, matt black gaffers tape lining and are all signed and numbered by Alex Steckly. There are only 200 of these wallets in the world and Australia has about 15 of them.

db clay Ms Frey Green

Can you believe it’s Christmas already?! We thought you might like to browse our gift recommendations for him and for her.

A big thanks to The Sunday Herald Sun for their excellent laptop bag article. They had heaps of bags to choose from and we made it into most of the categories. Being a Victorian publication, it took us a while to find a copy in Sydney but it was well worth it!