Technology & Gadget Blog

Three colourful mice, three colourful mice, see how they click, see how they click…
I can’t help but hum a little tune when I see these uber-stylish mice from Pat Says Now. Available in Cherry Blossom, Polka Dot, Louis XIV and a bunch of other styles (these are definitely my fave), they’re an easy way to jazz up your workspace without spending a lot of cash.

$35 each, available at SoHo Corner Store.

In the words of celeb stylist Rachel Zoe, “I die”. That is, when I first saw this incredible laptop sleeve from mister Marc Jacobs himself. It’s totally sassy in raspberry red and a fun animal print, and it dons stitched letters all over (plus, let’s not forget the designer’s signature black and gold-tone plaque on the front). Looks like I’ll be retiring my 2-month-old laptop bag, because this beauty is a winner.

$68 US, available at net-a-porter.com.

Oh, this is exciting.

If you know me at all, you know that I love my iPhone (love is perhaps too weak of a word). I also adore Chilewich, the company that makes fab vinyl textiles. Now Chilewich has gone the way of the Apple and has created a fab iPhone case. With Chilewich’s signature woven vinyl on the outside and a shatter-proof inner shell, this case is pretty darn close to perfection.

$45, apple.ca

Switchplates can often make a room go from pretty to pretty fugly, so when I spot a cool one, I’m all over it like white on rice. I adore this funky cubic switchplate that adds a fun dimensional aspect to boring electrical outlets.

$8 US, Design Glut on Supermarkethq.com.

Much like what you wear is a reflection of your style, so are your personal tech goods, in my opinion. You won’t catch me with an ugly laptop sleeve, iPhone case or mousepad. Which is why I L-O-V-E these wallpaper options for your PDA’s, by top designer Jonathan Adler.

Simply stunning and sized perfectly for 6 different smartphones (iPhone, Palm Pre, and an array of Blackberry’s), these wallpapers will guarantee you nods of approval from stylish techies and design lovers alike.

To view the whole collection, visit jonathanadler.com

I spotted these adorable (said in a French accent, btw) earbuds on our senior web editor Natalie Bahadur’s desk and I fell in love upon first sight. Mixing music, tech and glitzy style all in one? Doesn’t get much better than that folks. Here’s what Natalie had to say about them:

“I adore anything that’s got a touch of bling and these earphones from chicBuds are fantastic! They’re so girly and stylish and are adorned with Swarovski crystals, which instantly takes them from ordinary to extraordinary. But they’re not just about form; they’re big on function too. The earphone wires are rolled onto a retractable wheel (also adorned with crystals!) that keeps them from getting tangled. And as I’m sitting here listening to my iPod, I’m amazed at the sound quality. Crisp, clean, clear. Perfect.”

Check them out for yourself (chicbuds.com) — tons of colours and designs to pick from!

What’s not to love about this bag? Made of a crinkled goathide and topped off with 14 karat light gold plated hardware, Kate Spade’s Lincoln Road Dee bag is the perfect size to fit a netbook or 13″ laptop. Available in white, red, or black this bag brings sexiness into technology.

$475 US, katespade.com.

I’m a bit of a label snob when it comes to my electronics — I love displaying the logos on my Sony DSLR, Flip Mino camcorder, and especially my iPhone, iPod, Airport, and iMac (yeah that’s right, I just name-dropped).

Check out these seriously cool MacBook adhesives from iamhuman. With a sweet slogan selling “human individuality for non-human objects”, the company lets you jazz up your laptop while still displaying that sweet Apple logo. The graphic prints go for a cool $30 US and the wood grain one is $35 US.

Available at iamhumannow.com.

Remember the days when your computer router was an ugly old thing with unattractive antennas and a bland boxy shape? It’s an unfortunate computer staple that’s all to familiar to most of us. These days, one of those most important aspects of home technology is its attractiveness and ability to appear seamless with your home’s design.

Cisco Consumer Business Group that produces the Cisco by Linksys Group is changing the way we view the router, and it’s about time. I had the chance to talk to Linksys’ CBG’s Senior Executive Director of Worldwide Design & Experience, Chris Landry, about the sleek new design of home routers and why they took so darned long to get a makeover.

Tech Style: Chris, technology seems to be evolving at the speed of light. Why did it take so long for the home router to be redesigned?

Chris Landry: The thing is, when we started the redesign 2 years ago, we had 48% market share, so there wasn’t a huge push for us to change anything. We started to think, though, ‘Can you imagine what we could do with a good product like what we have, but with a better design?’. Essentially, it’s easy to get stuck if you’re doing well, but we realized that in today’s world, you can no longer present the same product for more than a few years.

TS: When you set out to redesign, what did you take into consideration?

CL: The biggest thing was eliminating the antennas. Some people actually liked them and perceived them as the only way a router could communicate wirelessly. There was a lot of resistance from our engineers about getting rid of them as well, but they eventually saw that the routers worked just as well, if not better, without them. Consumers also had a distaste for the clunky shape of the router, so we set out to make a product that was contemporary in shape and colour and also left a smaller footprint in your household.

TS: Why did you decide to stick with the standard black colour?

CL: We did a bunch of market research and results showed that most people associate high technology with dark colours. It was interesting to see that North American consumers prefer dark colours, whereas European consumers prefer lighter shades.

TS: So is this product mainly geared towards the North American consumer?

CL: No, not at all. We’re constantly creating demo products and trying new things for consumers worldwide. We’ve actually established design studios in California and Copenhagen, and we have international designers who can tap into what’s popular in the different markets.

TS: And finally, the price — does a sleeker model mean we have to shell out more hard-earned cash?

CL: Nope! The prices of our routers have stayed the same, and in some cases have gone down. They’re also easier to set up, so all in all, this is a better and more attractive product for the same price as before.

For more information on Linksys by Cisco routers, visit linksysbycisco.com

Cluttered desktop = icky (although my work desk is not exactly in tip top shape at the moment). Wires and cables create a disaster area on your desk, especially when you’re charging your phone, syncing your iPod and using an external hard drive all at once (want to win one a hard drive from Western Digital? Click here!).

Check out this super neat charging shelf that takes all of your wire woes away. Named the BackPack, you simply secure the little shelf to the back of your iMac then place plugged in accessories on top. You can wrap your wires up and place them on the shelf as well, so there’s no danglers hanging down. This is such a cool idea, and is pretty sleek so you can even attach two or three. So simple — why didn’t we think of this before?

BackPack $35, available at the Apple Store.