Targus 17” CityGear Chicago Laptop Backpack - Product Review

I've owned this backpack for at least five years.


Pros:

• Tough
• Can carry half the world
• Sits upright by itself. No leaning on anything else needed
• Pockets are well designed
• Well padded shoulder straps and good weight distribution

Cons:

• Big. Very big.
• Did I say it is big?
• Not the most professional looking item that one could carry.

Summary:

This is bar none my favorite bag. The zippers are starting to wear out and the water bottle mesh is starting to tear but this backpack has seen many miles. It has gone with me just about everywhere for at least five years. I'm talking cross country flights with children, boy scout camp outs and hikes, to work, to church, everywhere.

I've tried several different packs, briefcases, rolling bags, messenger bags, and so forth and have gone back to the Targus every time.

One of the best things is that it sits upright by itself so my water stays put and things are easy to get to. My former employer provided me with a similar Targus bag that was equally well made but it did not sit up by itself. I used my personal bag rather than use the employer provided one because I liked mine much better. If my Scottevest does not work out and this one wears out completely I'll probably buy another one.

Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 4

I've owned the Defender Case (www.otterbox.com) for almost a year as of this writing:
The good:

• Protects the phone well. I have dropped the iPhone multiple times with no damage to the phone. It has preserved my phone many times. The case lives up to its name.
• The part that the phone clips into securely holds the phone and also makes it easy to clip the phone in and to remove it.
• The belt clip comes with the case, which does not appear to be so with the other OtterBox iPhone 4 cases.
• The belt clip rotates 360 degrees. I haven't used this feature very much but it could come in handy for clipping it to a backpack.
• Good customer service. When the belt clip broke they sent me a new clip with no argument.

The bad:

• I caught the case on the seat getting into the car and the belt clip cracked then broke. However, OtterBox promptly sent me a new clip when I reported it to them.
• The case is big. That high level of protection comes a price of a much thicker phone.
• The screen protector, which is a sheet of plastic attached to the case, interferes a little with the viewing the screen. This is no worse than any other screen protector and it could be easily removed from the case with a little effort.
• The rubberized case is starting to split. Time to test OtterBox's customer service again.
• This is a strictly personal preference but OtterBox decided we all wanted to show off the fact that we have iPhones. They made a porthole in the back of the case that lets the shiny Apple logo on the back of the phone show through for everyone to see. It would have been cheaper for them and preferable to me to have had a solid black case and let everyone just wonder that brand the brick on my hip was.
• The rubber case grips very well. I it is great for setting your phone down on desk and having it stay there and it gives you a good grip on the phone when holding it. Unfortunately, the rubber cover also grips very tightly to lined pockets in clothing and bags that have phone pockets.

Summary:
I have been happy with the performance of the case. It has protected my phone well despite several hard drops onto the pavement. Three of the four corners of the hard inner shell have gouges in them from these drops. My complaints about the case are minor. When it broke, Otterbox replaced the broken part. My phone is as good as new without a scratch, dent, crack, or ding so the Defender Case has defended my phone well.

Scottevest Travel Vest - Take 2

The new vest arrived today. We'll see if I can let go of my old Targus backpack and all of the junk that is in it.

After a close inspection and a few minutes of wearing the vest my concerns are whether the zippers will hold up over the long haul, if the vest will be unbearably hot in the summer, and if loading it up heavily will cause the collar to become uncomfortable on my neck.

The vest is well designed and one of the best looking pieces of geek gear that I have. It is certainly preferable to a man bag and looks better than a backpack.

Scottevest Travel Vest

My Scottevest arrived today. (www.scottevest.com)

I'm hoping to use the vest to replace my Targus backpack. I have my doubts as to how well this will work but I want to give it a try.

I ordered the size it said to according to the size chart on the website but the vest was too snug so I ordered the next size up.

Medical Reimbursement Accounts

Want to pay for your medical bills with pretax money?

Just open up a medical reimbursement account. These can save money but I'm seriously wondering if mine is worth the days I've lost jumping through the hoops they set up.

If you decide to use one of these be ready to spend hours or maybe even days copying, printing, and mailing in forms to them. Be sure the forms are filled out exactly as they specify and that ALL of your claims have the proper documentation. Be sure to spend every dime before the time expires or you get fired, laid off, or quit your job. Otherwise, they keep your money.

Geox - "Shoes that breathe"... but they don't

Hoping for a cure for my lifelong sweaty feet I ordered two pair of Geox shoes. They are billed as shoes that breathe and seem to have a good idea for a design. However, they don't breathe. My feet are not any cooler in them than in any other pair of shoes. I didn't feel the airflow in them that I had hoped.

Another problem was that one pair of the shoes started coming apart in the insole. I sent the one pair back. The other pair stays for now but they are likely the last Geox shoe's I will buy.

Back to regular shoes, hot feet, and foot spray.

Hey, it is the 21st century. We've gone to the bottom of the ocean, to the moon, and have driven our robotic rovers on Mars. Can't somebody make a pair of shoes that can keep your feet cool?