Tech Eye: Pandora's bag
For entertainment, what could be better than the tried and trusted village traditions of bare-knuckle boxing (with fist spikes always an interesting option) or a good old session of dwarf-tossing.
The same goes for gadgets. While all things wiry that go bleep in the night always set our pulses racing and alarm bells ringing (particularly when said gadget is attached to anti-theft devices), those simpler implements we've come to rely on since an early age will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Where would we be at the tender age of five if we didn't have our trusty switchblade to fight off the ravenous weasels Father used to lock us under the stairs with as a 'discipline device' (bless his stone cold heart)? If Uncle Recidivist TechEye hadn't given us a very special lock-picking gift for our eighth birthday, how would we have been able to spring him from 'inside' after those scandalous and thoroughly untrue witchcraft and incest charges were brought to bear? And, while e-mail, text messages and obscene video messages are all very well and good, nothing quite gets the fear across like good old-fashioned crayon and cut-out-letter hate mails.
The same is true when it comes to bags. Having tried and tested a host of carrying devices over the years we are a tough customer to please. One bag was doing fine until it split open mid-chase, leaving an entire night's thieved haul from the local slaughterhouse splattered across the village square. Another bag performed admirably until the unwanted brace of cats we were taking for a midnight dip in the village lake managed to claw their way to freedom.
Timbuk2 may have the answer with its original Messenger Bag. It's got a rugged ballistic nylon exterior, a waterproof liner, heavy-duty stitching and reflector tails to stop you being run over while fleeing the authorities down busy streets, which, as most movies show, is the best way to make a clean getaway. It also comes in a Laptop model, which has a built-in computer compartment to protect your digital payload. Get yours from timbuk2.com for around zł.310, or check the website for your nearest dealer.
