A NYC studio reinterprets the perception of global time zones with a wristwatch that has its own travel-carry

Not all watches are meant to have intriguing complications. A minimalistic watch with a black and white interface, accompanied by a briefcase is proving that right. Designed to let you navigate the world with time to your advantage, The Time Traveler Watch in discussion is created by Nik Bentel, a design-forward studio in New York City.

Nik Bentel Studio is a goal-oriented team of designers that thrives on releasing limited-edition performative objects, often through collaborative efforts. The Time Traveler is a watch that journeys from the wrist to a briefcase, as you travel between countries, has been created in close collaboration with Trio of Time (TTT) Watches by Anicorn.

Designer: Nik Bentel Studio and TTT Watches

Time zone wall clocks found a pace after the global trade kicked off post-World War II. These clocks with a simple typeface, clean white aesthetics, and a straightforward design became a staple with travelers who trotted between time zones. The Time Traveler Watch revives this timeless design with a combination bag, creating a no-nonsense time-telling narrative for modern globe trotters.

Rethinking how modern-day watches perceive global time; the Time Traveler, as previously iterated, is a two-part time teller. One part is a 39mm diameter wristwatch paired with a removable leather strap. The design language is black, white, and straightforward. The second part is the briefcase that is wearable without the watch. Its true potential is however realized when the wristwatch is defragmented (the strap removed from the dial) and it is placed inside the designated section on the bag.

The bag with crossbody woven strap has interchangeable city plates – for London, New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong – made of chromed silver right below the watch slot. You can interchange the plates (that hold up to the bag using a magnet) to match the time zone your watch is following at a given point in time.

For the inquisitive, the Time Traveler has a stainless steel casing and a Japanese Miyota 2035 Quartz movement powers it. The straightforward dial is protected under mineral glass, and the watch itself is 50 meters water resistant. Aiming to simplify time telling in global locations, The Time Traveler intends to reinterpret the perception of global time zones, and I think it has pulled that off well. The watch is available for $349 right away!

The post A NYC studio reinterprets the perception of global time zones with a wristwatch that has its own travel-carry first appeared on Yanko Design.

How this gigantic briefcase lets you set up a tidy office desk anywhere

The recent pandemic really threw a wrench into the established machinery of the world, both office and school. Never mind how unprepared most people (especially bosses) were to bring their work home with them, many didn’t even have a spare table to use as a work desk. Sure, you could temporarily use any table, usually the dining table, as your home office, but the mess and cleanup that such an ad hoc system entails only adds to the stress of an already stressful situation. Although the world has largely gone back to normal, work-from-home arrangements have become just as normal, even if less available, so the need for a portable workstation hasn’t exactly gone away. Accordingly, there are quite a few products designed to address that need, but this rather sizable briefcase probably takes the cake in terms of versatility and oddity.

Designer: Worky

Taking work home is nothing new, of course. Attache cases and laptops were designed to make it possible to carry your work with you, but those still required that you have some sort of office setup to be productive. Yes, you could technically put some laptops on your lap, but not all work can actually be done on a computer. That’s not even considering how some people need not only other tools but also sources of inspiration to get them into a more productive and creative mood. If only you could actually bring your office desk anywhere with you, without actually bringing your office desk.

The Worky Home Office is a product that attempts to do exactly that, within some saner limits, of course. Not only can it hold your 15-inch laptop, it also has plenty of space for your important stationery. There’s even a built-in magnetic dry-erase board for notes, sticky notes, and photos. There’s also an LED strip around the edges of the top half to light up your face during video meetings, and a four-port power strip for charging your devices.

The idea is to have a miniature version of your office desk or at least some semblance of it, that you can quickly set up on any table without worrying about leaving a mess that you need to clean up afterward. Simply close the laptop (and put it back in the strap), close down the lid, and you’re good to go. Any space in your house can become your temporary office, including the bed and the couch.

Admittedly, the Worky Home Office isn’t exactly as portable as a laptop in a big bag, and some wouldn’t be caught dead using such a gargantuan contraption in public. Of course, it can hold and do a lot more than a regular bag or briefcase, and the heft and awkwardness are the figurative price you have to pay for that convenience. As for the literal price, the Home Office goes for $149.99, which is a serious investment for such a portable but quirky office desk.

The post How this gigantic briefcase lets you set up a tidy office desk anywhere first appeared on Yanko Design.

A Clear Cylindrical Capsule for Carrying Live Fish

Because Japan takes its sushi and sashimi seriously, the Ma Corporation has developed the Katsugyo Bag, a clear cylindrical briefcase designed for transporting live fish that you caught or bought from the market to your home so you know you’re preparing a meal with the freshest fish possible. Me? I still miss the previously frozen fish sticks from the middle school cafeteria.

The Katsugyo Bag (roughly translated: ‘live fish’ bag), which is still in the prototype and development phase, includes a gauge for monitoring oxygen saturation, as well as what I believe to be a pump for keeping the water circulating through the device. It’s hard to tell from the photos, but the cylinder is actually split in half with water only in the clear front half, with some electronics in the rear. Honestly, it kind of looks like a homemade fish bomb to me.

Could you also use a Katsugyo Bag to take a pet fish for a walk around the neighborhood? I guess, but why would you want to separate your fish from its old pal the bubble-powered rum drinking pirate skeleton? The stories that guy can tell!

[via Sad and Useless]

The Unit Bag 2 proves that great backpack design doesn’t have to be expensive

It’s just common sense that if one product is better than another, chances are it’s more expensive too. Form and function are usually followed by a price… but there are instances where the opposite is true, where great products don’t demand the fee associated with better design. The Unit Bag 2 aims at being one of those instances.

The Unit Bag 2 is a compact-yet-spacious bag that’s waterproof, lightweight, well-padded and just costs $39. I’d normally reserve talking about the price of the bag for the end of the article, but given that we’ve seen bags cost ten times the amount (even on Kickstarter), the Unit Bag 2’s price is an important part of its feature-list. The bag, designed in two variants (one for work and another for travel), comes with a scratch-proof and waterproof exterior, and a well-padded and protected inner that’s designed to safeguard your belongings. A fleece-lined laptop sleeve goes the distance to prevent your machine from even the smallest of scratches. The backpack’s design comes optimized for maximum storage, with spacious and well-segregated interiors, as well as a variety of externally located pockets that allow you to stash quick-access items like cards or your AirPods case. Each backpack comes lined with waterproof SBS zippers that cover 3 of the bag’s 4 sides, allowing it to fully open out in a way that gives you access to every single one of the Unit Bag 2’s inner compartments… much like a suitcase.

The work and travel variants of the Unit Bag 2 weigh a mere 650 grams and 880 grams respectively, and come with 14 and 23 liters of storage. Both variants feature multiple modes of carrying, and can be worn as a backpack, a shoulder-bag or carried like a briefcase, allowing you to distribute your bag’s weight in any way. The ultra-slim bags come in an all-black design, making them truly visually versatile, with the exception of a small reflective strip that runs along the base of the bag, allowing you to be visible in low-light conditions. Designed for modern-day use, the bags even have an external USB hub that lets you plug and charge your phone from outside the bag.

This brings me back to one of the bag’s most interesting features. At $39, the bags are incredibly affordable, even by Kickstarter standards. We’ve covered tonnes of bags on YD, spanning everything from space-saving design to the use of innovative, protective materials, or even anti-theft features. It’s rare to see a backpack that encapsulates so much but still manages to cost about as much as one of Apple’s charging cables.

Designer: Updream Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $115 (66% off). Hurry, only 3/115 left!

Unit Bag 2 – The Ultimate Budget 3-way Hold Backpack

Funded by over 13,000 backers in Asia, the Unit Bag 2 has been re-engineered and upgraded to launch on Kickstarter. Designed for both the office and travel. Its slim enough to slide through the bustling metro, but spacious enough to store all your travel essentials.

Features

Integrated Strap Pocket

Air Mesh Cushions

Fully Opening Zipper System

Luggage Sleeve

8 Organizing Compartments

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $115 (66% off). Hurry, only 3/115 left!

Ring Security Briefcase, a Wedding Pillow Alternative


Here’s something different and unique for your wedding day! Instead of a typical wedding pillow for your ring bearer, have him walk down the aisle with a Wedding Ring Security Briefcase. How adorable would this be paired with a pair of sunglasses and a badge? Plus it makes a great keepsake for your official ring security officer.

The case measures a bit over 9″ by 6″ by 1.75″ so it’s big enough to fit your rings but small enough to be carried around by a small child (and big enough to not somehow get lost before it makes it’s way down the aisle!). Best of all it’s personalized with the name of your ring bearer printed directly onto the case. A lot of couples are looking for good alternative wedding ideas to make their special day different and more suited to their individual personalities, and this fits the bill perfectly.

Ring Security Briefcase, a Wedding Pillow Alternative
Check out our Craziest Gadgets Shop for unique gifts!

Designed by ex-aeronautical engineers, Mackenzie is no ordinary briefcase!

Inspired by aeronautical design, Charles Simon’s ‘Mackenzie’ briefcase has been crafted by hand, utilizing some of the world’s finest and most premium materials. Charles G Tremblay and Simon Maltais, ex-aeronautical engineers and the masterminds behind Charles Simon, created this wooden piece making sure to take the utmost care. The design excludes simplicity, with its straight lines taking us to the no-nonsense form factor that a briefcase exemplifies, removing all the unnecessary modern-day additions and mesmerizing us with its truly minimal structure.

To ensure a compact, lightweight and durable body, its structure has been created from carbon fiber and aluminum. The anodized aluminum forms the handle, whereas the carbon fiber makes up the rectangular shell. On the outside, Mackenzie has been adorned with Canadian cherrywood and high-quality leather. The Cherrywood, which might I add truly soothes the eyes is made from rescued timber, from logs that were submerged in Canada’s waterways over a hundred years ago. The leather meanwhile has been sourced from Carriat, a renowned French family-owned tannery that has been providing premium quality leather to brands such as Dior and Hermes for the past 92 years. The interiors of the briefcase have been lined with soft suede-like fabric linings from Alcantara. It has also been equipped with a combination lock, securing your precious belonging.

Available in a variety of colors, though my favorite has to be the beautiful blue which reminds me of ocean waves crashing on the shore on a bright summer day, Mackenzie is ‘made to order’ and what makes the entire experience even more special, is the fact the briefcase will be inscribed with a unique serial number and the owner’s name! I must admit Mackenzie is no ordinary briefcase. Handcrafted with attention to detail, with customization and personalization as the finishing touches, I expect to find it dangling from the fingertips of each every design connoisseur hurrying on their way to work!

Designer: Charles G Tremblay and Simon Maltais of Charles Simon

The Flypack has the Soul of a Briefcase and the Storage of a Backpack

Designed like a backpack but with the spirit of a briefcase, the Flypack is a travel-carry with a touch of professionalism. It sticks to a feature list that makes sense to its user and most importantly to its scenario. The Flypack comes with enough storage for a 48-hour business trip, holding everything from your work essentials to your personal essentials in its segregated storage.

Built with a custom-engineered fabric exterior that lends a firmness to the backpack, the Flypack isn’t a flimsy laptop bag that you stuff your clothes into. It comes with a luggage compartment that was designed to resemble the way you’d store luggage in a suitcase. Within the luggage compartment also lies a series of toiletry and accessory pouches to make travel easier. Adjacent to the luggage compartment is the storage compartment for all your work essentials. A padded laptop slot, individual pouches for your chargers, peripherals, cables, etc.

The Flypack’s pièce de résistance is its custom engineered fabric. The fabric is dust-proof, water-proof, and even slash-proof, offering a sort of durability that is often overlooked in travel bags. Leather accents give the bag its professional touch, and YKK zippers ensure that the bag’s performance exceeds expectations. The Flypack also comes with external quick-access storage for passports, wallets, eyewear, keys, and even magazines, offering RFID protection to your essentials wherever necessary. The Flypack, given its scenario-specific design, was made for easy traveling. The bag comes with shoulder-straps as well as a handle, allowing you to carry it any way you see fit. A concealable sling-strap also lets you hang it as a messenger, while a hidden luggage band lets you secure the bag to your wheeled luggage as you traverse through the airport. Each Flypack is protected by a 10-year warranty commitment by the company, promising to provide better storage than your trusty ol’ briefcase, and look more professional than your flimsy laptop bag, while lasting longer than the two of them combined!

Designer: Simon Cui

Click Here to Buy Now: $112 $199 (35% off).

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The Flypack is a 48-hours business travel briefcase with a modern advanced design. It has more than fifteen features and the bag can convert into three different styles (backpack, briefcase or travel bag) based on your needs.

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It is a bag that is designed for frequent travelers and adventurers.

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Fits everything you need: a 13″ to 17″ laptop, any sized iPad, electronics, books, all your cables, and everything you need for your day of work.

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Convert into a backpack anytime, anywhere for when you are tired of holding the bag.

When you travel, Flypack can easily be attached to your luggage and convert into a carry-on, it meets all the size requirements for any flight in the world.

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The luggage style compartment can fit enough for a day or two of supplies.

You don’t need a separate toiletry bag anymore, the Flypack has waterproof compartments to hold your washing supplies.

Carry your favorite magazine or book with you.

Put your favorite sunglasses, earbuds and pocket clip into this special compartment.

The Hyperlight Performance material used for the bag are exclusive and is 100% waterproof. The material is strong enough to withstand knifing.

Flypack is crafted from signature Matte Black Hyperlight.

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Click Here To Buy Now: $112 $199 (35% off).

How to find the best laptop bag

As with any tech accessory, when it comes to laptop bags, one is largely spoiled for choice: From colored Cordura backpacks and canvas messengers to leather briefcases, there is a plethora of options when it comes to style, size and features. Try to...

A Creative’s Take on Redesigning Modern Luggage

If a product doesn’t satisfy a consumer’s needs, the consumer doesn’t buy the product again. If a product doesn’t satisfy a designer’s needs, the designer takes it as a challenge to redesign the product to be the best version of itself. Tired of how flawed his luggage was, Dr. Ken Nah set out to redesign the travel necessities to a limit where nothing could defeat them. Bad weather, bad handling, bad circumstances, there’s no defeating the SHAPL, because it was designed to be lightweight yet spacious, waterproof, incredibly durable, come with top-notch security measures, proximity tracking, and customizability that makes the luggage your be-all-end-all travel pick.

Available in three sizes, the SHAPL comes in a backpack format and two sizes of suitcases. The backpack packs a spacious design with a dedicated laptop compartment (which can hold even 17″ laptops) and roomy interiors with enough segregation to pack all your belongings in their own special areas for easy access (including a special power-bank pocket that lets you plug your phone directly into the bank stashed in your backpack). For your valuables, the backpack comes with its own anti-theft compartment that’s virtually impossible to access by others when you’re wearing the backpack. The SHAPL backpack features a durable, water-resistant outer fabric and employs water-resistant zippers to keep your electronics and belongings safe from inclement weather. A special luggage strap allows you to fasten the backpack to your wheel-in luggage, while a Bluetooth tracker lets you know if your bag ever leaves the tracking radius of your smartphone.

If the SHAPL backpack was built to provide the perfect cabin-baggage experience, its larger suitcases make for perhaps the most streamlined experience in check-in luggage design. Made from incredibly tough polycarbonate, the SHAPL is virtually indestructible and features a handle that’s practically unbreakable and wheels designed by Hinomoto, known for their ability to withstand pretty much any sort of stress. Armed with double-coil zippers that are tough to break into, the SHAPL’s larger bags also pack a TSA lock and Bluetooth tracking to make sure that your bag’s contents are safe and sound. What’s more, the bag also comes with its own set of alphanumeric stickers that let you personalize your luggage to make it not only functionally, but also visually stand out from the rest.

Literally crossing every pain-point of conventional luggage off its list, the SHAPL isn’t just a functionally superior luggage set. With its tracking abilities and rather innovative customization package, it’s YOUR functionally superior luggage that was designed with a user experience that makes it a blind pick for any sort of traveling you have in mind. Beware, never cross a designer!

Designer: Dr. Ken Nah

Click here to Buy Now: $49.00 $59.00 (16% off)

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Click here to Buy Now: $49.00 $59.00 (16% off)

These Briefcase Arcade Machines Let You Tote a Personal Arcade Everywhere

For those of you who have been following Technabob over the years, you know I love classic arcade games. I’ve even go so far as to have a custom-fabricated “Basement Invaders” arcade machine built for my man cave. But as awesome as that is, sometimes it would be nice to play the classics on the road. Fortunately, thanks to Jason Fernandez and his JFCADE arcade briefcases, it’s totally possible.

Jason takes old-school hard-sided briefcases, and kits them out with a full arcade emulator system. Each one is powered by a Raspberry Pi 3B processor and has a built-in arcade joystick (with a removable handle for travel), arcade quality backlit buttons, and an LCD screen built into the lid. There are also speakers inside, as well as a rechargeable battery pack, so you can really play anywhere without wires.

Since each system is made from a recycled briefcase, complete with dents, dings, and scratches, they’re all one-of-a-kind and have unique character. I know I’d love to have one of these, so I can get my Donkey Kong on before sitting down to work for the day. I also like the idea of showing up to a business meeting with one of these, and setting up at the end of the conference table to play some Dig-Dug or Bubble Bobble.

If you like these as much as I do, you can buy your very own over at JFCADE’s Etsy shop for $1300.