LeMacMan

PapiJump

2009-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

So I just found a neat little iPhone app called PapiJump and it's probably the most addicting game I've found thus far. You can check it out in the app store and I should have a full review up shortly. It's free, just be careful because it will usually end up eating a bit more of your time than you plan.

On a side note, I hit over 40,000 for the first time the othe day! It was rated A+++ and I was second in the past 100 plays. I'll post the screenshots with the review.

ExpoTV iPhone review

2009-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I just got my second review video for expoTV finished and I was pretty amazed at how fast they approved my video. Fo rthose of you who don't know about expoTV, it's basically a website that allows individuals to upload video reviews of themselves talking about various products. The site is pretty neat in that it will pay the creator a one time lump sum (usually $10 and under) plus $0.01 for every play the video receives. It may not seem like much but once content is posted on the site, it can stay there indefinitely.

The video that I uploaded is a quick (2 min.) review of my iPhone 3G. I believe I spent a total of ten minites to record and edit the video and the site accepted it within 2 days and put money in my paypal account!

iPhone software: Shazam

2009-01-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

I have heard of programs that listen to music that and spit out the names of the songs, artists, etc. but I had never really tried anything of the sort. The other day I was at the local Starbucks getting my normal coffee when a friend of mine suggested that I test out a program called Shazam. The program uses the iPhone’s built in microphone to record available audio in hopes of properly identifying music tracks. Although I do not have any real experience with this type of software, I do find Shazam to be quite powerful and user-friendly.

Not only will Shazam tell you the name of the song, but it also has a button to link to iTunes to preview and buy that song. You can also read album reviews and check out the biographies/discographies of the various artists. Want to check out a video related to the song? Shazam even provides a link to relevant YouTube videos.

If you like music, Shazam is pretty much an invaluable tool. You never need to wonder the name of a song again and the software makes it easy to find related songs that you may also like. Shazam is available as a free download in the App Store.

iPhone software: TapDenfense

2009-01-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Looking for something to occupy a little bit of your free time? Check out the free iPhone application TapDefense by TapJoy. I had a friend of mine show this application to me and at first, I didn’t really expect anything that was going to grab my attention. The game is very much like the flash game Vector Attack, but instead of vectors, there are creatures.

I’m not really a game aficionado, but I find myself returning to this game time and time again. In a recent update, new challenge levels were created on top of the standard game and they certainly shake things up. Instead of starting with a set amount of lives or money, you can now pick how you want the game to be set up. Want more starting money for an easier game? Select the Silver Platter challenge. Want a real challenge? Try Sudden Death. One life, one chance to succeed!

Check out TapDefense on the iPhone/iPod touck in the app store.

iPhone software: Topple

2009-01-15T18:29:00.000-08:00

The free iPhone app Topple puts a fun spin on trying to stack different shaped blocks. In the game, you are given a shaped block in which you must try to stack one after the other (like tetris), up to your Goal Line. You simply drag the block to the area where you would like it to be and release. If you want to rotate the piece, simply use two finger multi-touch to spin the block about its center. There is a gravity component built into the game so if you do not stack the blocks correctly, they will fall causing you to fail the level. In addition to gravity, you also have to deal with the actual position of your iPhone, as tilting it to either side will cause the blocks to begin to slide. There is a bonus line which is set higher than the level goal line, and if you are interested in getting the highest score possible you should aim for this line. You can check out the app, for free, in the app store.

My best tip for Topple: Stack quickly! You only have to make your tower as tall as the goal line for an instant to pass the level. It doesn’t have to be stable…

iPhone software: iSpeed

2009-01-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I was browsing around the App Store on my iPhone and I came across a neat little web app that shows you the speed at which you can pull data through the cell network (your bandwidth). It’s called iSpeed and it’s offered through a company called HelipadHouse.

I was curious to see just how fast I could pull data at my house (which is currently out in the country) and when I came across this free app, I couldn’t resist. Basically you only need to load the app and press “test”. Et voila! A few seconds later you are presented with your bandwidth number and now you know how fast you can pull data on your iPhone! With 3-4 bars of EDGE at my house (Unfortunately 3G does not reach my residence), I average around 200 Kbps. Browsing the web is decent, but it takes a few extra seconds to load data intensive things like YouTube video. If you are able to connect to the 3G you will see much quicker speeds, but the real fun is connecting to a Wifi network and comparing your numbers. I can get bursts up to and over 2000 Kbps!

Adsense does work!

2009-01-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I decided to check my old Adsense account and to my great surprise, there was $46.00 waiting for me! This was particularly amazing because I had not touched the blog that I was running the AdSense on in almost a year! After thinking about it for a little while, I realized that the content I had previously created had not gone away. It simply sat on a server somewhere patiently waiting to be consumed by some curious soul!

Creating digital content

2009-01-13T11:42:00.001-08:00

Recently, I got back into creating digital content for the web after a long absence and I'm loving it. I get to spend my days creating content that I love and I get to converse with like-minded people on a regular basis. What could be better than doing something you love any time your heart desires between the time you wake up and the time you go to sleep?

Most recently, I have been working on my content management to ensure I am getting the position for myself on the web. Two new videos are now floating around the net, and I have just set up a new account to distribute my written content. It will be an exciting time and I am anxious to see how the new system works. Below is the latest video I added to my YouTube content:

Something to check out: iAlertU

2008-01-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

I found this software awhile back and while I can't say that I personally used it often, I can say I see how the software could benefit a traveling user. Though, the user would have to be pretty stupid to leave their investment at an unguarded public location.

Basically, the software sync's your Macbook and the wireless remote to enable a type of car alarm system on the computer. If the sudden motion sensor (SMS) inside the Macbook senses movement, the "alarm" goes off and snaps a picture, alerting others to the bandit that is about to make their getaway with your machine. By default iAlertU can either store the picture locally on the machine or email it to a user-specified email address, but a nifty LifeHacker article shows how to use certain Applescripts to automatically upload the photo via FTP to a server of your choice. The only problem I found with this software was that someone (when I was using it about a year ago) could hold down the power button and the computer would just power down, allowing an easy getaway. Enjoy!

iAlertU is available for free at slappingturtle.com.

The Apple Macbook Air Introduction

2008-01-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

This is the video from the Apple site on the Macbook Air.

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs comedy

2008-01-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

"its an iHouse"
"but theres no windows!"
"exactly!"

an instant classic...

Mac or PC rap video

2008-01-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

Hilarious video on the the biggest fight ever, Mac or PC?

Enable SSH between a Mac and an iphone/iPod Touch

2008-01-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

I found this video on YouTube not too long ago and I found it to be pretty informative and through. It's something I would do if I was a lucky iPhone/iPod Touch owner...

Initial thoughts on the Macbook Air

2008-01-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Apple has hit some home runs in its day, but I can't say that I am a firm believer in their latest Macbook installment, the Macbook Air.

The first thing that I, like many consumers, notice is price. Apple can set a premium for its hardware and rightfully so. It makes some of the coolest hardware out there and has brought many technological innovations to the table, but I just can't ignore the outrageous pricing of the Macbook Air. $1800 for the base (!) model?! And don't get me started on the "upgrade" to SSD memory. Who in their right mind would pay over a $1000 premium for solid state memory (with less space than the base hard drive) and slight processor improvements? I understand solid state disks are still in their infancy, but come on.

I will admit that I am amazed at the small form factor of the UMPC (ultra-mobile PC). At .76" at its thickest, it becomes the thinnest notebook to ever come off a production line and with only three pounds to kick around, it will surely not be a hassle to transport. I also give kudos to Apple for not including a disk drive. It is my firm belief that in the coming months they will be rapidly phased out by solid state media (like USB drives, or SD cards) with their limitation on storage capacity being their downfall. For example, I have a 4 gigabyte USB thumb drive that can carry only slightly less than a DVD, but yet I can throw it in my backpack and not worry about it until I need it.

I am glad to see computer designers incorporating solid state drives into their lineup, but right now they are downright too expensive for their general acceptance. Like all things tech, I am willing to bet that the prices will fall quickly while storage capacities go up. My initial verdict on the Macbook Air: wait until a revision comes out. Having the latest and greatest is always a plus, but I think I will hold out on this one.

Thoughts on the Mighty Mouse

2008-01-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a long time, an Apple product has disappointed me. Enter the Mighty Mouse.

Bluetooth, which translated to no usb dongle, was the major selling point for me. I predicted in one of my earlier videos that it would be relatively easy to crack the dongle or, worse, break the usb connector inside of the computer and guess what happened. One day, while typing a paper on while sitting on my bed, my Macbook slid off of my lap and landed on my comforter ever so gently. It didn't matter. Because of the length of the dongle, it cracked the connection (luckily only on the inside of the dongle itself) and the mouse was dead.

I thought the Mighty Mouse would follow in the footsteps of its Apple siblings, but it was not to be. To start, the scroll "ball" is tiny, and I mean TINY. I am about average in size, and I simply could not get used to manipulating the tiny ball with my seemingly gigantic hands.

My second complaint is the right click. Because of the use of the touch technology, I have become accustomed to being able to right-click and select actions from a drop down menu. You have this ability with the Mighty Mouse, but the touch sensitivity was a little quirky for me. A single plastic shell that sense right and left clicks? Not really for me.

Bluetooth was a major plus for me, but this mouse needs some ergonomics worked out in its next redesign (if there is one). For now, I will stick with cheap, mass-produced usb wireless mice. Hey, the connectors may get broken now and then, but they don't cost $69.00 (!) to replace.

Something to check out: Tekzilla

2008-01-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Patrick Norton and Jessica Corbin serve the tech community well with their relatively new video podcast, Tekzilla.

Packed full of tech information, Tekzilla offers great reviews, hacks, and how-tos on the latest technology, and even dwells on older or more budget-minded hardware (They built a desktop pc for under $500 in one of their latest episodes). If you ask me, they seem to have "borrowed" the general introductory theme from Diggnation (as Diggnation recently hit its 130th episode) but the theme serves both independent media producers well.

I like this show a lot, and they even offer a daily podcast to go along with their weekly longer episode. I am not a huge fan of the daily videos, but every now and then I find Patrick Norton discussing something that interests me. Check it out for some video entertainment on Revision3.

Something to check out: DIGGNATION

2008-01-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

If you don't know what Diggnation is, you are missing quite a bit. Brought to you by Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose, diggnation "covers some of the hottest user-submitted stories on the social news website Digg.com", providing about an hour of non-stop entertainment. Yearning for some hilarious high-def fun? Check out the video podcast on iTunes. I have a 22" Hanns-G monitor and the high-def download definitely shines on full screen mode.

The download will set you back about 700 megabytes (yeah, HD takes up ALOT of space) but it is well worth the space it takes up. Set your iTunes podcast settings to save only the latest two downloaded podcasts and you you're as good as gold.

*Kevin and Alex use quite a few choice words, so beware of who is around when watching.

Something to check out: Hak.5

2008-01-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

If you're into tech like I am, I would definitely recommend checking out the Hak.5 video podcast (which I use iTunes to access). The show will generally run 45 minutes in length and is packed full of tech info. What can you expect? Hacks, reviews, how-tos...what else could a geek ask for?

This show has been entertaining myself for quite some time now, and I enjoy every minute of it. Check it out if you have some time to kill. Who knows, you may just get hooked!

Hak.5 site

New iStat Pro released

2007-12-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

iStat Pro version 4.5 has just been released with some new features. According to iSlayer.com, these new features include:

* Updated network section with new details & controls for PPP/PPPoE connections
* Improved PPC temperature and fan support
* Improved Intel temperature support
* Improved S.M.A.R.T. drive temperature monitoring
* Fixed bugs with battery section and 10.5
* Clicking on a disc icon will now open the drive in finder
* New keyboard shortcuts (”g” - Update external IP, 1-8 - Change skin color)
* Added button to launch Activity Monitor
* Other various bug fixes
* Various UI tweaks

I originally found this software awhile back and was thrilled with all the data it provided me on my Macbook. It is free (which is always a big plus) and it has a huge feature list. It funs as a widget, allowing the user to see vast amounts of information in a moments notice. I would recommend it for anyone looking to keep an eye on their computer's stats.

More on SSD

2007-12-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

I thought I could elaborate a little more on the benefits of SSDs (I am a big fan, can you tell?). There are quite a few more benefits than I brought to light in a previous post, so let's go:

1) Power consumption. When you're on the go, battery life is critical. The last thing you want to see when in the middle of a project is a flashing "battery low" symbol. There are no moving parts to a solid state drive, so that electricity is conserved and while SSDs are not going to double your battery life, they do have the ability to add about 10% to 15%. This equates to about a half hour increase, depending on usage.

2) Failures. There is a very general rule that the more moving parts an object has, the higher the chance of failure will be. With a total count of moving parts equal to zero, SSDs are less prone to failure due to mechanical problems when compared to standard hard drives. As an added benefit to the lack of moving parts, SSDs can withstand an amazingly high accelerations in accidental falls.

3) Noise. Again, because there are no moving parts, there is nothing that has the ability to vibrate. Without vibration, there can be no sound (thank you, Physics 101). A lot of noise that a desktop generates is from the head of the hard drive moving back and forth to read/write data. With a SSD in place of the traditional hard drive, the only noise that a desktop computer would propagate would be the noise from its fans that keep the inside of the case cool.

I cannot stress how much I believe in the underlying technology in solid state media. If it were up to me, I would go out and buy a new "disk" for my desktop right now. The problem is that SSDs cost about $8/GB as compared to $0.25/GB for mechanical hard drives. Being a college student also doesn't help, but hey, maybe someday.

Macbook Pro with SSD

2007-12-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have been toying around with the idea of a laptop with some solid state storage for quite some time now and recently I came across a video posted on YouTube of a hacked Macbook Pro with a 64 GB SSD swapped in. This got me thinking about an old research project I did on solid state media.

I like solid state media for two main reasons, although there are numerous others to supplement. My number one reason is the decreased read/write times. Normal hard drives can adequately open programs and perform required tasks with mediocre speed on a desktop machine. This is due to the fact that it is common to see drives that spin at about 7200 rpm. Now, step into the mobile world of computing and it is far more common to see disks that spin at 5400 rpm or less (the underlying reason being the greater power consumption) and you can see where having the new quad core processor or 4 gigabytes of RAM can get hung up.

Solid state media has no moving parts. Unlike traditional hard drives which have a platter of disks that rotate and a read/write head that needs to pivot to retrieve and store data, SSDs need only electricity to perform their required functions. Right now though, it is not very economical to purchase these SSDs, as their cost per GB is extremely high in comparison to their mechanical counterparts. As the cost continues to fall, I'm sure more manufacturers will take head and start implementing this technology into their products.

This subject interests me greatly and I am sure I will have many follow up posts to continue the discussion.

Problems with Vista: Zune Horror

2007-12-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

Recently I broke down and convinced myself that I needed an mp3 player. Not that I wanted one, but that I needed one. Where I go to school, practically in the middle of nowhere, we have intercollegiate swim meet bus rides that can be more than three hours. Thats three hours where I am basically stuck on a bus with nothing to do except watch whatever movie that is chosen by someone else, so I decided I would be better off (much happier) if I could watch/listen to media that I chose. Enter the Microsoft ( ! ) Zune.

I found the Zune by chance on the daily deal site Woot.com. It was refurbished but came with a one year warranty for $85.00 shipped. I found it too hard to pass up, so I bought one. Turns out, I had placed my order after they had run out of stock so they forced (?) me to wait an extra day. After a few days went by, I was sent an email from their Customer Service department stating the details about what had happened and also that I would be receiving a complementary travel pack for the pain they had caused me. Lucky me, or so I thought at the time.

The first problem occurred when I placed the CD into my relatively new computer's disk drive. The software was out of date so it said I needed to install updates. Ok, no problem. So I clicked OK and the software began its task of retrieving a newer form of itself. Halfway through the install my CPU usage dropped and it did not seem as if anything was happening so I canceled the install and tried again. Same luck, the software came to a point and then quit again. I consulted a few online forums that said I should download the software directly from the Zune site, and like a good computer user I followed suit.

Again, no luck. The software completely downloads and then locks up. Upon further Googling, I find that there is an issue with Vista compatibility in the Zune's firmware. Big deal? No, but not too amusing.

I take the Zune over to a friend's dorm, update the firmware to the latest version (on Windows XP) and return, only to find that the Zune is still incompatible with Vista because the software will still not install. The computer will recognize the Zune and prompt for a download but even after I give it the go ahead, it locks up.

If a company is going to make an mp3 player to stand up to the all-mighty iPod, it better make sure it has the support needed to allow its use. The original Zune, the one I purchased, is not that old and my computer is essentially brand new. I understand Vista has its quirks but if it is incompatible with other Microsoft products, how does that make me want to stick with their brand name? I am willing to bet I could take (probably) any generation of iPod and plug it into a brand new Mac and have it work without fuss. If there were updates that needed to be installed, they would install after I tell them to. I do not think Microsoft is a bad company, they just need to get their game together and stamp out the little issues like this.

MacTheRipper

2007-12-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite pieces of software for the Mac OS is MacTheRipper. This free DVD ripping (extracting) tool not only allows for full feature extracts (rips with full menu usability, etc.), but will also find and remove any kind of region code or copy protection with ease. Oh, and did I mention you can fast forward through almost every part of a movie? No more FBI warnings for everyone!

What does this mean for the end user? You can now make back up copies of all of your movies to other disks for damage protection. I know on more than one occasion I have found a DVD lying around and thought to myself "Hey, I haven't seen this in awhile, maybe I'll watch this later." only to throw it in a DVD player and have it skip when the action seems to be getting good. (Why is it hard-copy media always acts up like this during the good parts? Who cares if it starts skipping during the credits...)

Thinking about it, hard copies may not be the thing you can enjoy most about this software. Remember, I said that you can rip the DVD media directly to your hard drive. If you have a laptop computer, or even a descent sized personal media player (read: iPod), you have the ability to take the the DVD with you where ever you go in full digital form.

There are two downfalls to MacTheRipper which, although I regard them as small and rather insignificant, others may find to be sticking points. The first is that the raw extraction files are HUGE. If you are going to rip a full length DVD with everything included on the disk, you can expect the files to consume in between six and seven GIGABYTES. On a desktop, this probably is not too much of a problem due to the massive storage capabilities of 3.5" drives but throw in a laptop as the primary target and you will be out of space in no time. Any descent desktop will come with at least 400-500 gigabytes and expansion capabilities but if you are looking to back up every DVD you own in full quality, you can plan on spending some extra cash on storage. An external hard drive for a laptop would be a necessity.

The second downfall is that MacTheRipper (currently) does not have the ability to re-encode the files it extracts into other formats. This feature would be useful if you plan on playing the video at a lower resolution (iPod, Zune) and would also greatly reduce the size of the files. I can routinely shrink a 6 gigabyte file down to about a half gig for playback on a Zune.

All in all, MacTheRipper is a definite download. It's free, it works great, and it can save you some time and money if you ruin an original DVD disk. MacTheRipper HD anyone?

Google Adsense

2007-12-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

So I finally figured out how to link my Google Adsense account to my blog yesterday after about two hours of fussing with some HTML code. Turns out, the site where I had found the HTML information was out of date and all I need to do was add a simple layout element in the editor...

Anyways, I decided to link my Adsense account with the blog for the sole purpose of helping to pay for the hardware and software I do my reviews on. Hardware (especially that from Apple) can be quite expensive and once you factor in all the extras (such as a wireless keyboard, mouse, etc.) you can end up with a rather hefty investment on your hands. A hefty investment that is difficult to come by as a full time student.

I decided to keep it simple, only placing the small bar under the top title and a small rectangle under my information (which I probably need to update...) to the right. I am not sure how much revenue it can generate for me, but being in college, any little bit helps. Cheers!

I'm Back!

2007-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since I last did a review and I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Though I don't have the Mac hardware I once did, I will still be able to do the reviews, testing out new hardware and software thanks to a kind friend.

I plan on posting at least once a day, but I will still be limited time-wise due to the demands of college. Speaking of college, I'm off to work on a Programming Assignment. Bon Voyage!

iPhone

2007-05-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

So i have been thinking about saving for the rather costly iPhone for awhile now and I think I've finally come to the decision that I will give it a try when it comes out this summer. I absolutely love my Macbook and the ability to sync with my email, address book, calendar, etc. is just wonderful. This is not to say that the iPhone is a disappointment in some ways, most notably for me:

High price (US $499 for the 4 Gig? No worries, I thought the same about the Macbook, but I love it.)
Operates on a slower network (No 3G support)
Storage is way below that of a regular iPod ( Not too bad, considering I don't need 20,000 songs on my phone.)
Only available to Cingular customers (I currently have Verizon and am very happy with service.)

All in all, I think in the end I will be happy with my new piece of hardware. I like the implementation of the touchscreen as opposed to the thumb keyboard that comes on other phones. So far my Mac hardware has proven to be far superior to my other PC components, and I look to the iPhone to continue this trend.

Apple's iPhone

2 new GB of RAM for the Macbook

2007-05-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

So my 2 gigs of RAM from Newegg came in the other day and I immediately went about disassembling the Macbook in order to get to the actual RAM housing. First, you have to use some kind of coin or rounded object (I used one of those smashed pennies that you get from a theme park) to turn a dial on the lower portion of the Macbook's case to pop open the battery bay. After removing the battery, there is an extremely thin metal "bar" that has three tiny, and I mean TINY screws that you must remove to get to the RAM inside. (I tried to use a little screwdriver from a glasses repairing kit, but I could not get enough grip on the small handle to budge them.) The actual RAM is easy to remove and install, as there is a small lever for each slot (2) that pushes that RAM out. Pressing the new RAM into place scared me a little bit, as I had to push a little harder than I would like to get the pieces into place, but the reassembly was not very difficult (with the right screwdriver) and I was up and running in no time.
After I booted up the system I went to "About This Mac" to make sure the RAM was being recognized and thankfully, it was. I had seen a video on YouTube of a Macbook starting all of the applications in its Dock at once and I wanted to try. Here is the list of all the programs that I began to execute as a test for the new RAM:

Apple Mail
Xcode
Google Earth
iChat
ITunes
FireFox
Address book
iPhoto
iMovie HD
iDVD
Garageband
iWeb
iCal
System Preferences
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Entourage
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
DVD Player
MacTheRipper
Burn
SpeedTools Utilities

Even though I had these 22 programs running, the CPU was only working at 70% of its capabilities! I was simply amazed! I had never, in my life seen that many major programs run at the same time, and yet the Macbook's 2 GHZ CPU still had room to breathe, and the RAM was not completely maxed out either! I believe I still had around another 100 MBs of usable RAM for other processes. Insane!

Great bag for Apple Macbook

2007-05-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

So I just wanted to elaborate a little more for those who have been following my YouTube video postings. The bag from Booq is not just good, it's great! I have had the bag for a few months now and this is by far the best bag for computer equipment that I have ever owned, hands down. It has pockets for CDs, documents, and of course the iPod. It eve has rubberized slits that allow for a pass through of the headphone cable so that you can listen to your music without worrying about whether your headphone cable will get snagged on a zipper.
When you look at the actual computer compartment, you'll notice thick foam padding that surrounds your investment, providing complete protection from shocks and minor drops. Your laptop fits snug inside and does not slide around. Also, there does not appear to be any way for the inside to accidentally scratch your laptop's casing, which is pretty nice when you consider all the time and money you have invested into your technology.
The front flap is magnetized and it is not some weak magnet that may allow your bag to flap open when you are walking or even jogging to that appointment you may be late for. Inside the flap, there are two other pockets that are presumably made for a cell/smart phone, and some disks, like a few DVD's or some music CD's. Also, there are three pen holders conviently located here, which have come in handy in situations where I need a pen to quickly jot something down. Remember: The frontal flap is magnetized so a quick pull will give you access to the inner contents.
I really do enjoy using this bag, and there always seems to be a pocket that I stumble across every now and then that comes in handy at just the right time. Booq solidly designed this bag and I look forward to seeing how long it will last. For now, it does its job and then some, which is always nice to find in a new purchase.