Matthew Olivolo July 17th, 2009

Youthful Sumo Cases round out Mobile Edge Collection

Mobile Edge, the industry leader in innovative and stylish laptop computer carrying cases and accessories has acquired the Sumo brand of carrying cases from HS International, LLC. Sumo, known for its young fashionable laptop case line that has been geared for the Apple MacBooks, will complement the existing Mobile Edge Collection of carrying cases.

“By acquiring Sumo, we continue to broaden our product offering as well as expand the laptop case category,” said G. David Cartwright, President and CEO, Mobile Edge. “The unique Sumo brand and original designs provide us an alternative product collection in fashion forward styles and colors that complement our current Mobile Edge assortment. We are very pleased with the initial reception we have received for the Sumo products from our resellers.”

The company is rapidly expanding the Sumo product line and has more than doubled the number of skus being offered. These products include a line of signature sleeves for notebook and netbook computers and a new line of products named the Sumo Lifestyle Collection. The Lifestyle Collection will include non-computer related totes, duffels and a unique range of collapsible storage cubes. Visit the redesigned website at www.sumocases.com or at www.mobileedge.com .

“A relationship with Mobile Edge gives us exceptional production depth and immediate access to top retailers currently buying Mobile Edge products,” said Jim Hart, co-founder and Managing Partner of HS International, LLC. “Plus, Mobile Edge brings a level of production expertise that an emerging brand could not acquire on its own; this alliance will set the foundation for our growth in the years to come.”

Mobile Edge continues to expand the laptop carrying case category by offering new, innovative and smart designs that fuse fashion trends with form and function, creating a brand that makes a positive statement about today’s mobile computing lifestyle.

• Industry News , Product Announcement
• Comments(0)

Matthew Olivolo July 10th, 2009

I was surfing the Internet for useful information for our valued customers when I came across this article regarding, what to look for when purchasing a new Laptop Bag from Earl Calvert of OnlyLaptopCarryingCases.com. There are a few important things to consider.

You have just purchased an expensive notebook computer. Now, it’s time to select a case for your computer when you are on the go. What do you look for when making a selection from all the laptop carrying cases on the market today?

Here are a few key things to consider when selecting that perfect laptop bag.

Your first consideration should be the protection of your investment. You have, no doubt, purchased your notebook because it allows you a high degree of mobility. You are not tied to a desktop PC. So when you are on the go, your notebook is exposed to lots of knocks and bumps.

Sometimes, these knocks and bumps are intense enough to cause serious damage either to the case or to the electronic components.
Therefore, you must determine whether the case you are thinking about is constructed of material that can protect your computer: Is there sufficient padding to withstand the blows it will inevitably take in a hustle and bustle world. Size is a factor here too. A case that is too small can expose your laptop to danger. Be sure your computer will fit comfortably into the case.

Your second consideration should focus on the extra storage required for your gear, files, and other digital equipment. If you act too hastily, you could be disappointed when you learn that you do not have room for your favorite mp3player when you have to travel. Think ahead about all the things you will potentially want to take with you in your computer bag.

Next, you will want to consider whether or not a particular carrying case is comfortable. Does the laptop backpack fit comfortably so you have freedom of movement or do the straps restrict your movement? Does the computer briefcase have a shoulder strap to free your hand? If the bag is not comfortable, you will tire easily from carrying a loaded case.

Finally, you need to consider the style that is best for you. Computer backpacks provide the most freedom while notebook briefcases look most professional. Portfolios provide good protection, but have limited space for extra gear or files. What about getting your laptop through airport security with little hassle? You won’t have to take your laptop out of a checkpoint-friendly bag.

If you consider these suggestions when deciding which laptop carrying case to buy, you are most likely to choose a case that meets your needs.

• Industry News , Travel Tips
• Comments(0)

Matthew Olivolo July 8th, 2009

That’s not a mistake in the headline. I checked it twice.

By Christopher Null, Yahoo Tech

1,200 laptops a week go missing at Los Angeles International Airport, and 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen nationally at airports every week. All told, that means that 624,000 laptops go missing in airports each year. You can talk about phishing scams and email viruses until you’re blue in the face, but numbers like that put those digital computer crimes to shame.

Where do the laptops go? Exactly where you think: In their haste, fliers forget to put them back into their carry-on bag after they go through security checkpoint, where the rule for years has been that you have to remove your laptop completely from your luggage when you put it through the x-ray scanner.

Blame it on the harried and fragile mental state of the modern traveler, so rushed to get to his flight on time that key belongings are left behind. TSA often tries to alert passengers that they’ve left something behind — and it’s much more than just a bunch of laptops; wallets, belts, keys, and everything else is often forgotten — but that people rarely make it back once they’ve left the checkpoint.

Notes LA Weekly: “TSA screeners will page travelers by name when their identities are known. Still, [one] employee says, travelers will often later admit they heard their names on the public address system after leaving the security checkpoint — but somehow didn’t make the connection that they were being asked to recover lost items.” The story calls modern travelers universally “spaced-out.”

It’s a sobering statistic that only 33 percent of laptops left behind at security checkpoints are ever recovered, with just about half of those reunited with their owners before their flight takes off.

You aren’t without equipment in your arsenal to help recover a lost laptop. One pro suggests writing your name and phone number inside the battery compartment of your computer, where TSA agents are trained to look for identifying information. (Use a white china pencil for good results.) Another solution for the absent-minded is to try one of the new TSA-approved ScanFast by Mobile Edge, which let you leave your laptop inside your carry-on as it passes through the x-ray machine.

To read the full review click here.

• Industry News , Travel Tips
• Comments(0)

Matthew Olivolo July 6th, 2009

How to drive and yak on your cell phone … legally

By Lynn Greiner, IT Business

The Mobile Edge PowerSmart Headset only claims up to 6 hours talk time, or up to 150 hours standby, but it does have one more trick up its sleeve: an Ultra Power Save mode that lets it nap for up to 60 days.

The headset looks rather like a USB key, complete with cap and attached lanyard, until you give the cap a little twist and pull it off to reveal the earpiece (you get three sizes to choose from). To use the device, you bend it into an L-shape that makes it sit nicely when you insert the earpiece. It goes well into the ear, so outside noises are blocked. I found it fairly comfortable (it weighs just under 10 grams), and it did stay put.

Charging is through either an a/c adapter, or a USB adapter, both of which are in the box. A full charge takes about two hours, on par with the other units we tested.

Sound quality was very good. I was told, “you sound like you,” which is about as good as it gets on a cell phone. With noise and echo cancellation, there was no issue with background interference, and like its little sibling, it supports multi-point. Voice dial is supported through the phone’s capabilities.

Controls consist of a single multi-function button, plus volume up and down buttons. If the headset is straightened from its L shape, the keys are locked to prevent inadvertent button-presses. If the phone rings while it’s in its straight configuration, simple bending it into its L shape will answer the call.

Click here to read the full review.

• Product Reviews
• Comments(0)

Matthew Olivolo July 2nd, 2009

Hard to believe it’s already July, where has the time gone? Well, Mobile Edge would like to show off their patriotic side. Starting today through July 10th, enjoy a FREE Eco-Friendly Shopping Tote and FREE Shipping with any purchase over $50.00. Hurry, the offer ends soon so don’t wait. Have a fun filled Independence Day!!!

• Industry News , Promotions
• Comments(0)

Matthew Olivolo July 1st, 2009

On a recent blog post on Gizmodo, I found an interesting article about how the computer industry is shifting from Desktops to Laptops. This shift is not a gradual shift, but a drastic shift.

By John Herman, Gizmodo

Desktop PCs have been in decline for a decade, and countless people have said their piece about it. But new evidence suggests the desktop tower’s death spiral is underway—and we’re not too broken up about it.

I say this as a guy who was baptized into the tech world with a desktop; who still obsessively follows the latest PC components from Intel, Nvidia, ATI and the like; who has built, fixed or upgraded more towers than I care to remember; and who, until a few years ago, was an avid PC gamer. As someone who would be, by most measures, a desktop-PC kinda guy, I just can’t go on pretending there’s a future for them.

The State of the Industry
This is more than a hunch; a grim future is borne out by the numbers. A week ago, iSuppli issued a broad report on the state of the PC industry. The leading claim was predictable: The PC industry was experiencing lower-than-expected quarterly sales—down about 8% from the same time last year. This included laptops, and made sense, because the whole economy’s gone to hell, right? People aren’t buying computers.
Except that’s not quite what’s happening. In the same period, laptop shipments—already higher than desktop shipments on the whole—grew 10% over last year. Desktops were entirely to blame, dropping by an astounding 23%. That’s not decline—it’s free fall. (laptop accessories grow in unison with laptop sales)

Stephen Baker, an analyst for industry watchers NPD, shared with me a wider picture of how retail PC sales break down. The way he put it made measuring the rise and fall of sales percentages seem dumb—there really aren’t any sales to lose: “In US retail, 80% of sales are notebooks now,” he said. “Start throwing in stuff like iMacs and all-in-ones”—which share more hardware DNA with laptops and Netbooks than traditional desktops—”and it gets even higher.”

The Buyer’s Dilemma
To understand why this is happening doesn’t take anything more than a little empathy. Put yourself in the shoes of any number of potential consumers, be it kids, adults, techies, or luddites. In virtually any scenario, a laptop is the sensible buy.

Take my dad. Despite spending three decades in front of commercial jet instrument panels, his relationship with computers is, at best, strained. When he came to me a few months ago asking for advice about a laptop to replace his desktop, I assumed it was a just a whim, based on what he saw happening around him. It wasn’t, at all. As someone who uses a computer mostly for news, email, music, etc—like a significant part of the population—he was actually being intensely rational. A laptop would do everything he needs simply and wirelessly, with a negligible price difference from a functionally equivalent desktop. If he wants a monitor, keyboard and mouse, he can just attach them. Choosing a desktop PC wouldn’t just be a not-quite-as-good choice—it’d be a bad one.

There are tradeoffs

But these tradeoffs aren’t nearly as pronounced as they once were, nor are they as consequential. On account of the huge demand and sales volume, newer mobile processors have become a hotbed for innovation, now rivaling most any desktop processor, and mobile graphics engines—though still markedly inferior to dedicated desktop cards—have improved vastly in recent years, to a point where most consumers are more than satisfied.

And if you really look out for them, there are some amazing deals to be had on new notebooks. (Look at Acer’s 15-inch, 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM laptop with 1GB GeForce GT130 graphics card and Blu-ray for $750, and then try to build the equivalent in a desktop at the same price.)

The important takeaway here is that the performance sacrifice you make in owning laptop is minimal, and mitigated, or even outweighed, by its practical advantages. Want a bigger screen on your notebook? Hook it up your HDTV. Want more storage? Buy a cheap, stylish bus-powered external USB drive. Want to use your desktop on the toilet? Good freakin’ luck.

A Form Factor on Life Support
But no matter how irrational a choice the desktop tower is for the regular consumer, sales won’t hit zero anytime soon. As we’ve hinted, much of this can be explained by simple niche markets: Some businesses will always need powerful workstations; older folks will feel comfortable with a familiar form factor; some people will want a tower as a central file or media server; DIY types will insist on the economy and environmental benefit of desktop’s upgradeability; and a core contingent of diehard PC gamers, despite their drastically thinning ranks, will keep on building their LED-riddled, liquid-cooled megatowers until the day they die.

Baker sees another factor—less organic, more cynical—that’ll keep the numbers from bottoming too hard. “Desktops are a lot more profitable than notebooks for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that big shiny monitor, which has a nice margin attached to it. For the retailers, people tend to buy a lot more peripherals and accessories when they buy desktops than when they buy notebooks.” Even if the volumes are ultra-low and concept is bankrupt, retailers are going to keep bloated, price-inflated desktops and desktop accessories out there on the sales floor until they’ve drained every last dollar out of them.

To read the full article click here.

• Industry News
• Comments(0)