Now You Can Buy that Bag... On the Go.

I grew up wearing a uniform.

So, as a girl, your only way to showcase your personality was through your purse and your shoes, and at my school, it was all about the bag.

Many went for the true americana styles of Coach or Dooney, and of course there was the occasional Euro entry (which were harder to find because they were not available at the local mall).

Thank God for the Internet.

Now, if you want to make a decision on which bag to buy to go with your uniform, or to buy for a holiday gift, you can shop online catalogs, ask for opinions on twitter, and use interactive gift finders from your favorite retailer/brand (like Coach’s cool Facebook app), and find out what people are saying on Facebook.

Or, you can even buy a bag on a mobile site, as Dooney launched their mobile site today. So, if you see “that girl” with the perfect bag, you can buy it on the spot. [I’m loving the canvas bags,  db sport duck print & leather bags).

Another way to kill time while waiting in line…

   

RIP SkullCandy Headphones

In my previous posts on the subject, I have compared headphones to boyfriends. This metaphor lives on.

Crappy headphones are easy to come by. 

Great, even wonderful headphones tend to be few and far between [Bloggers Note: This also applies to boyfriends.]

For example, take the pink skullcandy TI’s that have recently passed (RIP). After these pink beauties moved on to that “better place” where many of our gadgets are sent, I realized something.

It’s time to buy a new pair and not feel guilty about it! So I rallied up the tech recessionista in myself and picked out a pair that won’t break the bank, and will allow you to still get your hair colored this month. 

The result? Zumreed Dream Color Headphones. $59.99. These < $100 babies fulfilled what I was really looking for: 

1) Size: I do not want to look like a martian, or a boy.

2) Color: I am a girl and would like them to at least be acceptable to wear in public.

3) Comfort: Please do not smash my head.

4) Sound: Please sound halfway decent and block out all the people around me.

With my new Zumreed Headphones

In the end, all of these things + additional points on the cool factor scale were added because they shipped from Japan. bonus. 

If you really don’t believe me… believe the pop stars from Japan… via the YouTube video below. 

Other Great Headphone options for Geek Chic: 

1) Zumreed Headphones in Gold & Silver via Urban Outfitters

2) Aerial 7 Headphones – Tank in Azzurro via Aerial7.

Which One? It's Almost as hard as deciding what to wear...

This post is part 1 of a multi-post series I will be writing on achieving Geek Chic.

I have a few laptop bags. Since my macbook pro travels with me frequently, I like to make sure that the bag matches my outfit.

There are a few fundamentals of Geek Chic, and having a functional yet well-designed bag to hold your hardware is at the top of the list (it’s kindof like how I feel about my mac – form meets functionality meets hotness).

Top Options:

1) Messenger Bags: Similar to the blue Patagonia bag in the photo, these heavy-duty styles will last through any LAN gaming marathon or just those crazy trips back and forth from the office.

2) Semi-Purse Styles: Pretty, and sometimes more functional than they look. When you pull your computer out of one of these babies, no one will see that coming. At least it’s less likely it will get stolen?

3) Your Mom’s Laptop Bag (negative): I understand that the rolling totes are functional- in the sense that they save your back/body parts… but if you’re going to go with the rolling option, try to get a clasy looking version. Stay away from the ugly backpack convertible looking ones too (discussed next)

4) Weird Laptop Backpacks from the Manufacturer: These are almost as bad as wearing your (large)nheadset to your skype date. Fail.

4) My Perfect Bag (Does it exist??): It’s hard to find a bag with the right kind of pockets. Some bags have a laptop slot built into them, but maybe it doesn’t fit your 15 or 17-inch macbook pro. fail. I would also like a bag that accounts for the fact that I have multiple cords, a VPN token, ipod, phone, headphones, etc. and would like to keep them all organized. OH and the bag should be cute, too.

I believe that my techyness is multi-dimensional. (Don’t worry, I’ll explain.)

While surfing the web (& choosing RSS feeds) I often find myself torn between straight-up true tech sites like engadget (my favorite) digg’s technology section, gizmodo, slashdot, lifehacker (basically Forbes top tech blogs).

But there’s another side. It’s more like the girly-girl in me that finds myself looking through the “geek chic” sites like GeekSugar and Shiny Shiny that are fun, shiny, filled with pictures, and pretty light on the techy side. Mainly, they feature photos of stars from MTV’s The Hills, Gossip Girl, Sex & the City and Paris Hilton (no surprise) clutching new iPhones, BBs, sidekicks, mp3 players, laptops and other electronic devices with simplified “how-to” guides and descriptions of said products.

My main question here is: are people really using these smart phones or just trying to look like the lc’s and lindsay lohans of the world? (although I do have to admit that I’m a little upset about hearing that john mayer has a blackberry bold.)

For example, check out GeekSugar’s “Top 10 BlackBerry Tips and Tricks,” with the best tip (in my opinion) to put your smart phone in a cup filled with uncooked rice overnight, which will absorb moisture. humm.

I do love GeekSugar’s section titled “Geeky or Geek Chic?” where you can put in your two cents if the (Swarovski) Crystal USB engagement ring from jflume is Geeky or Geek chic. You can also find some cool stuff via Shiny Shiny’s geek chic apparel section.

Mobile Magazine states, “no price has been attached to the Swarovski Crystal engagement ring USB flash drive, but the real price will be the potential for losing your bride to be over your uber-geekiness.” hahahahaha.

Regardless of how shallow some of the posts seem, there are a few hidden “gems” (haha) in these sites. Both are good resources for men who are looking to buy something for a techy girlfriend, coworker, or friend that is a girl (either way).

Looking for ideas? I’m a fan of:

• lacie “lego” external hard drives: amazing and stackable
• turntable ring: badass.
• headphones ring: double badass.
• desktop icon watch: a watch from MOMA that looks straight up like a widget. really cute.
  
• the pixel couch: don’t know how to find this thing but it’s being put into production by some italian company
• emotibles: add ons for your ipod earbuds
• budclicks (you can even use these to endorse your favorite candidate),
  
• charging station: home or office, has an integrated power strip (you could probably DIY if you wanted)
• tech organization cases: you can charge everything in the case at the same time!
• gorillapod compact camera portable tripod: