Australia punishes Apple for refusing to replace iPhones stricken by ‘Error 53’

Simon Hill / Digital Trends

Australia’s federal court has ordered Apple to pay 9 million Australian dollars (roughly $6.6 million) for refusing to fix iPhones that had been bricked by the controversial “Error 53”.

A result of an update to iOS 9, Error 53 was widely feared by the iPhone community as it locked users out of their phones, turning the expensive device into little more than a stylish paperweight. The error only affected those who took their iPhones to a third-party repair store to fix a broken home button, and Apple has long claimed that the error was intended as a security measure, to stop Touch ID being bypassed or exploited by third parties.

Unfortunately, since third-party repair stores are not always privy to Apple’s specific repair instructions, any tampering with the Home button — even to repair it — would lead to Error 53 being triggered, and the iPhone getting locked. When a number of consumers took their locked iPhones to Apple for repair, they were told that their devices were no longer eligible for a refund or replace, as the device had been repaired by a third party. Unfortunately for Apple, that flies in the face of Australian consumer laws.

“If a product is faulty, customers are legally entitled to a repair or a replacement under the Australian Consumer Law, and sometimes even a refund,” said Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Commissioner Sarah Court. “The Court declared the mere fact that an iPhone or iPad had been repaired by someone other than Apple did not, and could not, result in the consumer guarantees ceasing to apply, or the consumer’s right to a remedy being extinguished.”

The fine came about as a result of a legal battle and investigation by the ACCC that began in April 2017. As part of the investigation, the ACCC contacted multiple Apple retailers within Australia, and were allegedly told that iPhones with the error would not be replaced. Apple eventually admitted that it had misled Australian consumers on the matter.

Apple has always resisted the use of third-party repair shops to fix its products, preferring that consumers come back to its certified repair shops for (expensive) fixes. However, as the smartphone industry matures, it has faced increasing pressure to open the books to its marvelous wonders, and many U.S. states are experimenting with right-to-repair bills similar to Australia’s, that would force technology giants to permit third-party repairs through easy access of instructions and parts.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Go viral faster with Project Rush, Adobe’s upcoming social-first video editor

Adobe

Adobe’s edit anywhere philosophy powering apps that work seamlessly across mobile and desktop is coming to video. Introduced during VidCon on Tuesday, June 19, Project Rush is a streamlined video editing program with identical features across the smartphone and desktop apps.

Project Rush contains touches of Lightroom CC’s cloud-based, cross-device compatibility and bits and pieces of Adobe Premiere Pro, its professional video editing software. It arranges all of this into an entirely new video editing platform, but Premiere Pro users shouldn’t feel threatened — Adobe says the app has Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition inspiration under the hood, but with a simplified user interface designed for YouTubers, vloggers, social sharers, and other online video users without the time or patience to learn those more advanced tools.

While Project Rush focuses on a largely different user base, Adobe says the interface is designed to be approachable to Premiere Pro users, while a 3-minute tutorial serves as a crash course for newbie editors. And while the upcoming video editor isn’t as full-featured as Premiere Pro, Adobe Head of Product Management Steve Forde stresses that Project Rush is not a toy.

A streamlined, newbie-friendly interface

Adobe

The app, whether on a mobile device or a desktop, opens directly to the project browser, which, thanks to the Creative Cloud, contains all the user projects no matter what device initiated the video. From there, users can choose an existing project or start a new video edit. From the start, Rush prompts users to select multiple video clips. Unlike Premiere Pro, Project Rush launches the video timeline by automatically arranging those clips in the order selected. Users can then rearrange and trim clips and add transitions. One-tap filters also give footage a new look without any complex color grading.

Many features are designed with automation in mind, including automatically recognizing audio clips and graphics and adding them as layers on the timeline. Auto ducking, a feature only recently introduced in Premiere Pro, is also included, which automatically adjusts the volume of music during portions of the video with speech.

While the audio controls pay homage to Adobe Audition, traces of the company’s motion graphics app After Effects are also scattered inside Project Rush. Pre-made templates for credits, for example, are built into the app or available through Adobe Stock. Users can also design their own templates inside After Effects and import them into Project Rush.

The user interface is designed to maintain simplicity across desktop and mobile. While a touch device will offer different gesture-based controls, the user interface and features are identical across devices.

Like Lightroom’s smart previews, Project Rush creates proxies of the actual video files, allowing editors to work faster than they could with the full resolution footage. Publishing the video in the full native resolution requires access to the full file on the device, so sharing a 4K video is best left to the desktop version of the app. 

Social-first video editing

Adobe

Project Rush’s focus on serving as a tool for online video creators is most apparent at export — the app gives a list of several online destinations and automatically adjusts the parameters to meet that particular network’s standards. Along with old favorites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook, Project Rush can also work with vertical video for Instagram Stories and Snapchat.

“Social video creation is the reason we created this product,” Forde said, “and [creators] aren’t creating just for YouTube or Facebook. They are creating for multiple platforms.”

However, Project Rush is currently just a sneak peek — Adobe hasn’t yet shared pricing or a release date, although it says the program will be out before the end of the year. It also clarified that Project Rush will be available both as a stand-alone app and as part of the Creative Cloud suite.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best free video-editing software
• This plug-in uses A.I. to create closed captions inside Premiere Pro
• Premiere Pro can now automatically match color using artificial intelligence
• The best video-editing software
• Lightroom CC gets synced presets on mobile and batch editing on desktop

Go viral faster with Project Rush, Adobe’s upcoming social-first video editor

Adobe

Adobe’s edit anywhere philosophy powering apps that work seamlessly across mobile and desktop is coming to video. Introduced during VidCon on Tuesday, June 19, Project Rush is a streamlined video editing program with identical features across the smartphone and desktop apps.

Project Rush contains touches of Lightroom CC’s cloud-based, cross-device compatibility and bits and pieces of Adobe Premiere Pro, its professional video editing software. It arranges all of this into an entirely new video editing platform, but Premiere Pro users shouldn’t feel threatened — Adobe says the app has Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition inspiration under the hood, but with a simplified user interface designed for YouTubers, vloggers, social sharers, and other online video users without the time or patience to learn those more advanced tools.

While Project Rush focuses on a largely different user base, Adobe says the interface is designed to be approachable to Premiere Pro users, while a 3-minute tutorial serves as a crash course for newbie editors. And while the upcoming video editor isn’t as full-featured as Premiere Pro, Adobe Head of Product Management Steve Forde stresses that Project Rush is not a toy.

A streamlined, newbie-friendly interface

Adobe

The app, whether on a mobile device or a desktop, opens directly to the project browser, which, thanks to the Creative Cloud, contains all the user projects no matter what device initiated the video. From there, users can choose an existing project or start a new video edit. From the start, Rush prompts users to select multiple video clips. Unlike Premiere Pro, Project Rush launches the video timeline by automatically arranging those clips in the order selected. Users can then rearrange and trim clips and add transitions. One-tap filters also give footage a new look without any complex color grading.

Many features are designed with automation in mind, including automatically recognizing audio clips and graphics and adding them as layers on the timeline. Auto ducking, a feature only recently introduced in Premiere Pro, is also included, which automatically adjusts the volume of music during portions of the video with speech.

While the audio controls pay homage to Adobe Audition, traces of the company’s motion graphics app After Effects are also scattered inside Project Rush. Pre-made templates for credits, for example, are built into the app or available through Adobe Stock. Users can also design their own templates inside After Effects and import them into Project Rush.

The user interface is designed to maintain simplicity across desktop and mobile. While a touch device will offer different gesture-based controls, the user interface and features are identical across devices.

Like Lightroom’s smart previews, Project Rush creates proxies of the actual video files, allowing editors to work faster than they could with the full resolution footage. Publishing the video in the full native resolution requires access to the full file on the device, so sharing a 4K video is best left to the desktop version of the app. 

Social-first video editing

Adobe

Project Rush’s focus on serving as a tool for online video creators is most apparent at export — the app gives a list of several online destinations and automatically adjusts the parameters to meet that particular network’s standards. Along with old favorites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook, Project Rush can also work with vertical video for Instagram Stories and Snapchat.

“Social video creation is the reason we created this product,” Forde said, “and [creators] aren’t creating just for YouTube or Facebook. They are creating for multiple platforms.”

However, Project Rush is currently just a sneak peek — Adobe hasn’t yet shared pricing or a release date, although it says the program will be out before the end of the year. It also clarified that Project Rush will be available both as a stand-alone app and as part of the Creative Cloud suite.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best free video-editing software
• This plug-in uses A.I. to create closed captions inside Premiere Pro
• Premiere Pro can now automatically match color using artificial intelligence
• The best video-editing software
• Lightroom CC gets synced presets on mobile and batch editing on desktop

Yahoo Mail revamps its mobile web experience, releases Android Go app

Yahoo has launched two new initiatives to help provide an enjoyable and efficient experience regardless of storage capacity, network speeds, or location. Users will now have access to a newly revamped Yahoo Mail mobile web experience, along with an optimized app for Android Go phones.

With the new mobile browser, users will have a variety of the same features as the Yahoo Mail app without having to take up storage by downloading another app. Upon logging in through your browser, you’re able to organize your inbox by swiping right to mark emails as read and left to delete. Other actions include deleting, forwarding, replying, and more, with the access toolbar made available once a message is open.

For further organization, there’s a sidebar menu where you can access all your folders and store important emails. When it comes to searching through emails, the addition of infinite scrolling allows you to scroll all the way to the bottom of your inbox rather than tapping “next” each time you want to see more.

As for composing emails, the autosuggest feature makes it easy to find emails rather than having to manually type them in or search for them. By typing in the first few letters, it will generate a list of email addresses you send emails to frequently.

There are options for customization as well. The new mobile web browser offers a variety of new colors and themes — with light and dark backgrounds — to personalize your inbox. By adding the Yahoo Mail mobile browser to your home screen as an icon, it essentially begins to behave as an app without having to install anything. You can also opt in to receive notifications whenever you receive emails.

Its Android Go app was released for Android Go phones Google launched in May of last year. Google designed it specifically for devices with low memory for use in areas where spotty networks make it difficult to access the web. For Yahoo, releasing a Go app didn’t require straying too far away from its original Yahoo Mail app for Android since it was already lightweight.

“Our main Android app was really close to what the requirements for Go were … We really optimized it for the download footprint. You’re basically getting all of our core Android mail features, so you’re really not missing anything,” Joshua Jacobson, senior director of product management for Yahoo Mail, told Digital Trends.

When it comes to the RAM usage on devices, the Yahoo Mail Go app uses 50 megabytes with an install size below 10 megabytes. Jacobson said the team was able to optimize the graphics for lower-resolution screens, as well the language packs — since Go phones are more prominent in developing markets like India and Brazil.

The Go app supports multiple accounts, allowing users to set and save different themes for each. As with the main Yahoo Mail app, you’ll also see photos of each of the senders whenever they email you. Other features include autosuggest for contacts you email often, as well as tools like adding GIFs, stationary, and more. Users are also able to archive and delete emails straight from the notification.

For those with a smartphone running the Android Oreo (Go Edition) operating system, Yahoo Mail Go is currently available for download via the Google Play Store.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Newton axes the sent folder — and it makes for a better email experience
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• The 100 best Android apps of 2018 (May)
• Yahoo Mail is about to make RSVPing to an event a whole lot easier

AMD one-ups Intel with free Threadripper upgrade for 8086 competition winners

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Hot on the heels of Intel’s attempt to steal AMD’s thunder at Computex with its 28-core CPU announcement, AMD has responded in kind by offering a free CPU trade-in for the most powerful CPU it has on sale. Anyone who wins one of Intel’s “Anniversary Edition” Core i7-8086 CPUs in Intel’s sweepstakes has the chance to swap it with AMD for its Threadripper 1950X.

Intel’s latest competition offered 8,086 of its specially binned Core i7-8700K chips, rebranded as the Core i7-8086, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Intel debuting the world’s first x86 processor, the 8086. It’s a powerful chip and one that anyone who wins will be no doubt be delighted to own, but AMD’s offer for a straight swap to Threadripper could be hard to pass up. As much as the 8086 is a great CPU, the Threadripper 1950X is a whole other beast entirely.

“We appreciate the advancements they’ve helped drive with the x86 architecture over the last four decades,” AMD said in a statement. “But, we’re ready to take it from here. That’s why we’re giving 40 performance-hungry enthusiasts in the U.S. an opportunity to celebrate the next 40 years of high-performance computing by trading in their commemorative processor prize for our CPU that enables you to work, play, and create with heavy metal.”

Celebrating the past is neat, but here at AMD we are focused on the future and the next 40 years of high-performance computing. Exchange your prize for a Threadripper 1950X processor!

First 40 qualify. 18+ & 50 U.S./D.C. only. Learn more at: https://t.co/1Czuo4B4Zf pic.twitter.com/TSgImTwPeO

— AMD Ryzen (@AMDRyzen) June 18, 2018

With 16 cores and 32 threads, the 1950X is far more capable than the 8086 when it comes to multithreaded scenarios and it only falls a little behind in single threaded ones, too. While any Intel fan would need to buy a new motherboard to support the Threadripper chip, unless they were running one of the 300-series motherboards that supports Intel’s eighth-generation CPUs already, they’d need to upgrade for the 8086, too.

If you end up being one of the coveted 8,000-plus 8086 winners and fancy trading it in for a Threadripper CPU, you’ll need to be quick, as AMD is only offering 40 free upgrades. More details on how the trade-in will work will be released on June 25, though AMD suggests in its terms that you’ll need to send your Anniversary Edition CPU off to it, at which point you’ll receive the Threadripper CPU 4-6 weeks later.

This trade-in scheme is only applicable to the U.S. and to those ages 18 or over.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Plug-and-play high-torque electric motors for every wheel on self-driving cars

Elaphe Propulsion Technologies recently introduced modular platforms for autonomous vehicles. The Slovenia-based company has manufactured electric in-wheel propulsion systems since 2003.

Maroš Šefčovič, vice president of the European Commission’s Energy Union, praised Elaphe’s propulsion design platform for its simplicity, efficiency, and high-torque performance.  Šefčovič called the Elaphe design the “platform for the next generation of mobility.”

Elaphe’s 15-year focus on highly efficient, ultra-low weight, electromagnetic in-wheel motors led to two developments significant today: creative torque-vectoring solutions and a modular, plug-and-play platform for autonomous vehicles.

Torque vectoring technology varies the amount of power between wheels in two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles. Originally used in race cars, torque vectoring helps acceleration and handling by improving traction. Electronic controllers in each wheel work in concert to apply power where it does the most good. Unless you are intentionally drifting a car, for example, the goal with torque vectoring is to keep the car under control, on the road, and traveling in the desired direction with the least tire slippage possible.

Electric cars such as Tesla’s Model S accelerate extraordinarily quickly because electric motors produce maximum torque from a standstill. Internal combustion engines (ICEs) need to rev up to reach maximum torque. Because there’s no wait for torque buildup with EVs, electric car designers can take greater advantage of torque-vectoring than with ICE-powered vehicles.

Elaphe builds electric motors in each wheel, complete with independent cooling systems. With four motors, near-instant torque is available for each wheel. Each wheel also has a standard disc or drum brake plus a power electronics unit.

A vehicle propulsion control unit can interface with an autonomous driving controller unit or get input from a human driver, depending on vehicle design. A combined power distribution and management module coordinates the power sent to the motor in each wheel.

Elaphe manufactures each of the components in its modular autonomous vehicle platform and also develops and provides components for other manufacturers. Elaphe’s future focus is to provide vehicle designers some or all of the parts for mobility platforms with which designers can create a wide range of transportation products. Elaphe’s direct-drive in-wheel motors are adaptable for automotive manufacturers who plan to build self-driving cars with new powertrain design concepts, rather than by adding newer components to traditional vehicles.

Editors’ Recommendations

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AT&T gives wireless customers free streaming TV, fueled by Time Warner purchase

On the heels of AT&T finalizing its $85.4 billion Time Warner purchase, AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson announced the launch of a new product called “AT&T Watch TV” in an interview with CNBC. AT&T wireless customers with unlimited data plans will get the streaming service for free. Everyone else will pay $15 per month.

The significance of “everyone else” is that it extends beyond AT&T wireless customers. Stephenson told CNBC AT&T’s unlimited wireless customers will get the new service at no charge, “or you can buy it for $15 a month on any platform.”

So if your wireless carrier is Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or any other company, for 15 bucks a month you’ll be able to stream AT&T Watch TV. No hard news yet on content, but don’t expect live Olympics or World Cup coverage.

Stephenson described AT&T Watch TV as a “very, very skinny bundle” of free television programming with no sports. He also said more information about the streaming service and launch details will be available this week. We’ll cycle back with updates.

With the acquisition of Time Warner, which is now called WarnerMedia, AT&T owns Warner Bros., HBO, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting System, including their respective existing media content catalogs. Drawing on those media properties could fill broadcast calendars with proven content.

AT&T Watch TV will make money from ad sales. The company intends to announce a serious of additional acquisitions in the next few weeks that will enable it to build its advertising platform.

Stephenson also said the company will pursue previously unforeseen opportunities to distribute “premium video.”

After federal Judge Richard Leon ruled against the government’s effort to stop AT&T’s merger with Time Warner last week, Stephenson told CNBC “the system worked.”

Going forward, AT&T intends to emulate Netflix and Amazon to deliver original programming to online subscribers.

“There’s going to be opportunities to distribute premium video like we never imagined,” Stephenson said. “The tech companies are just demonstrating that to us. So we want to participate in this.”

As Digital Trends wrote last week following the merger approval, the precedent for additional content and carrier deals raises questions.

With net neutrality gone, at least for now, carriers can give preference to their own content by slowing or throttling programming supplied by others. For example, AT&T wireless internet could favor HBO content over Netflix programming with faster streaming.

Carrier and content mergers could also make competition much harder for small content production companies.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Miss Windows 7? It might look like this if Microsoft released it today

While the latest version of Windows 10 may be your best bet for a modern, secure, and fast Windows experience today, that doesn’t mean we don’t occasionally miss its older versions. They had a certain charm and simplicity about them which isn’t necessarily present in Windows 10. What if it was though? That’s the question that YouTuber Avdan sought to answer with this Windows 7 2018 concept video.

“Almost 10 years ago, Microsoft announced Windows 7,” the video’s description reads. “Now it’s time to go back.”

And go back it does. The video showcases many of Windows 7’s most beloved features and gives them a 2018 makeover. There are transparencies and cleaner colors, as well as the introduction of a day and night mode with dynamic wallpapers, and a dark mode for low-light environments. And all of this is just a veneer for Windows 7’s classic start menu and window layout. Cortana even sneaks in, but it has a Windows 7 tint to its usual Start menu spot.

The Windows 7 concept has gone down rather well with fans of the classic operating system. They highlight how clean the reimagined OS is when compared with Windows 10’s very busy live tiles and file explorer navigation system. The fact that it maintains all of the most enjoyed features of Windows 10 whilst cutting out a lot of the clutter and promotional elements is something that a lot of Windows users would likely be interested in if given the chance.

The downside to it all though, as BetaNews suggests, is that it’s just a video. This isn’t some skin or Windows theme that can be loaded in and enjoyed right now. While it’s technically possible to create something like that with Rainmeter, it’s not something that’s readily available — though there is an option for a Windows 8 lookalike theme. MakeUseOf also has a great guide to making your Windows 10 install look like any of Windows more retro operating systems, though there are quite a few steps involved.

This isn’t the only imagined reskin of classic operating systems that Avdan has put together. Avdan recently debuted an idea of what a 2018 version of Windows 95 might look like, and its take on a 2018-edition of Windows XP went down very well, too.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Fix upcoming for Google Home, Chromecast bug that can tattle on your location

Your trusty Google Home speaker may not be all that trustworthy after all — at least, not for now. Security researcher Craig Young from the firm Tripwire has discovered a bug that allows both the Google Home and the Google Chromecast TV stick to share user location, which needless to say is less than ideal. Apparently, the bug works by exploiting a loophole, and results in cross-checking the wireless networks in the vicinity with Google’s exacting geolocation services.

But don’t worry — this vulnerability won’t be present for long. On Monday, June 18, security expert Brian Krebs reported that Google will fix the location privacy leak “in the coming weeks.” And not a moment too soon — exploiting the bug is apparently quite straightforward, and requires attackers to simply run a script in the background in order to collect location data on anyone with a Google Home or Chromecast installed on their local network. The attacker wouldn’t even need to be connected to your network; they would only need to send you a malicious link, and for you to keep that link open for about a minute while they triangulated your position.

“I’ve only tested this in three environments so far, but in each case the location corresponds to the right street address,” Young told Krebs. “The Wi-Fi based geolocation works by triangulating a position based on signal strengths to Wi-Fi access points with known locations based on reporting from people’s phones.” Although IP-based geolocation is only accurate to about three miles around the compromised device, the method that Young has discovered actually delivers location data to an accuracy of about 30 feet. Young has even produced a demo of the bug in action, which you can check out in the above video.

Krebs notes that Google only agreed to address the issue after he contacted them and informed the team that he would be publishing a piece about the problem. In fact, Young had previously made contact with Google, but the tech giant refused to issue a patch, noting that the geolocation feature was “intended behavior.” Clearly, Google has changed its tune, and now, the fix should go live in mid-July.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Home Mini review
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• Polk Assist is the audio company’s next step into the smart speaker market
• Google awards teenager $36,000 as part of its bug bounty program
• Here’s everything we saw at the action-packed Google I/O 2018 keynote

These are Android Central’s favorite laptop bags

Carry me away.

Everyone carries a bag of some sort of bag, from tiny leather shoulder bags to massive 40L rucksacks that can carry everything one needs for a week-long getaway.

Being a remote company, we’re always ready to work, either with a laptop, a tablet, or just a phone and a prayer.

The bag one wears is important: it speaks a lot about a person’s lifestyle, and about their priorities. Given that we spend a lot of time reviewing gadgets, it’s really important that we have the right bag to carry all of our gadgets, cameras, and other accessories.

So without further ado, here are the Bags of Android Central.

Hayato Huseman, Associate Editor

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L The bag that ended my bag addiction

What Hayato loves about this bag: Whenever I travel for work, I need to bring a few things that help me write, film, and edit videos. The Everyday Backpack has enough room to fit my 15-inch MacBook Pro, camera, and various accessories like spare batteries, an ND filter, a wireless mic kit, Bluetooth headphones, and even a portable slider. The side pockets expand out enough to hold my travel tripod, and there are plenty of hidden compartments to stow away keys, passports, or anything else.

What Hayato doesn’t love about this bag: The straps are pretty stiff and poorly padded, so if you tend to overstuff your bag, it’ll wear on your shoulders pretty quickly. There’s not much protecting your laptop from impact either, and while the bag’s side access design can be great, it also puts all of your things on display — expensive gadgets and dirty laundry alike.

The ideal user for this bag: Anyone can enjoy the Everyday Backpack, but it’s specially geared towards photographers. If you’re a frequent traveler who never goes anywhere without a camera and a spare lens or two, this bag is probably a good fit. If you need a bit more space, there’s also a larger 30L version available.

Price: $259.95

See at Amazon

Tom Westrick, Freelance Writer

Timbuk2 Uptown backpack All the space and compartments I need

What Tom loves about this bag: My favorite thing about this bag is how small it is when it’s relatively empty. Other bags I had were issued to me when I was in the Air Force, and they were gigantic and unwieldy even when they were completely empty. I can stuff this one to the brim with clothes, laptops, and other equipment and it all fits comfortably, but it shrinks back down when I just have one or two things inside. The most I’ve held inside has been six Dell Latitude 3330 laptops, and while my back didn’t enjoy that, this backpack held up with no issues.

Another thing I love is that despite all the abuse I’ve put this bag through for the past year and a half, it still looks like the day I bought it. This bag has been by my side through pouring rain, on the floor of a moving van, and countless day trips, and it still looks brand new. And if something ever does go wrong, the bag has a lifetime warranty.

What Tom doesn’t love about this bag: I do wish the compartments were designed a little better. The two big compartments are great for just piling laptops into, but I wish there was a bit more organization available within those pockets. The bag also doesn’t stand up on its own, meaning it always has to lean against a wall or just lay flat on the ground.

The ideal user for this bag: While this isn’t as expensive as the Peak Design bag, $120 is still a hefty chunk of change. If you’re willing to invest in a durable bag for day trips, and you need something that can grow with the amount of stuff you’re carrying, this bag is for you.

Price: $120

See at Amazon

Marc Lagace, Gaming Editor

MATEIN Travel Laptop Backpack A great backpack when you’re on a tight budget

What Marc loves about this bag: Straight up, I bought this bag because it matched my grey gym bag and because it was among the cheapest options that was well-reviewed on Amazon.ca — and for just $30, it’s a heck of a deal. What I’ve come to love about it after using it is the plethora of zipper compartments and pockets for storing all my stuff, the built-in support for a portable battery pack that I actually make use of, and the overall look and feel of it. It’s comfortable to wear even when it’s jam-packed full of gear and compact enough to be stowed under an airplane seat for travel.

The branding for the Amazon.ca model is slightly different than the Amazon.com bag I’ve listed below, but it’s essentially the same look and style as the one I’m rocking.

What Marc doesn’t like about this bag: I’ve owned this backpack for just about a year and it’s held up fine… but I still can’t help but think of the old adage “you get what you pay for” and expect it to fail me at some point down the line. I’ve gone through a number of backpacks in my life — and gotten less use out of bags I’ve spent more money on — so there’s a side of me that still thinks this thing is going to let me down at some point. The surprising part is that it hasn’t, despite its “disposal” price point.

The ideal user for this bag: This is a great utilitarian bag for anyone who needs a functional backpack to store their laptop and other gear — whether you’re in University or work a job that has you travelling a lot. At just $30, frankly I don’t think you could find a better deal for a laptop backpack.

Price: $30 for grey / $36 for other color styles

See at Amazon

Ara Wagoner, Writer

ThinkGeek Handbag of Holding Darling, durable, and… Discontinued?!?

What Ara loves about this bag: Just like the Dungeons and Dragons item the bag is named for, the Handbag of Holding can fit an ungodly amount of things within its muted canvas covers. I can easily fit two Chromebooks, their chargers, their sleeves, a Bluetooth mouse, six Android phones, two portable batteries, six charging cables, my big noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones, my smaller backup Bluetooth headphones, my backup backup wired earbuds, a journal, some pens, two pill bottles, and four different kinds of snacks in the lavender-lined tote-com-messenger bag.

I have stuffed this thing to the gills before severe weather shifts and cross-country flights, but it still maintains its shape and stability whether light or heavy. Four metal feet help keep the bag stable even on shag carpet, and so long as you’ve packed the bag relatively evenly, it should stay upright.

While the Handbag of Holding comes with a detachable shoulder strap, I find it far easier to carry day-to-day via its sturdy, heavily reinforced tote straps. Carrying it as a tote allows me to better handle the weight and doesn’t snag my shoulder holster the way messenger bags and backpacks do.

What Ara doesn’t love about this bag: While the Handbag of holding can easily fit a laptop — or three — it lacks a dedicated laptop sleeve, so I bent and shoved a quilted Rapha House laptop sleeve into one side of the main compartment to fill the role. It’s also quite easy to lose items in all of the pouches and pocket dimensions of the Handbag of Holding; I’ve forgotten items in here for months a time. It’s like a TARDIS with tote straps: you can fit everything in here somewhere, but things disappear in its space every now and then.

The biggest downside to the Handbag of Holding right now is that you can’t buy one anymore.

The Handbag of Holding is currently discontinued, but we’ll pass along your resurrection request to the Overlords!

— ThinkGeek (@thinkgeek) June 6, 2018

There are other bags in the Bag of Holding line available at ThinkGeek right now, but all versions of the Handbag of Holding are Out of Stock forever. I can only hope that there’s a new, improved model on the way, but there’s really no way to know. If you’re interested in buying one, tell ThinkGeek to bring it back!

The ideal user for this bag: This is a bag for tech-savvy women who want one bag for light days and heavy-duty work trips, nerdy to its d20 core but sophisticated enough to pass as a business bag — especially if you spring for the vegan leather Deluxe Handbag of Holding. It’s highly adaptable so long as you pack it properly, and over a year into its use I am still genuinely surprised at how much I can fit in my Handbag of Holding at a moment’s notice.

Price: When it was in stock, the Handbag of Holding ran from $50 for the standard canvas model to over $100 for some of the vegan leather models, but it’s priceless now. If you still want a Bag of Holding, there is a slightly smaller satchel-style Con Survival Edition available for $35, as well as a Convertible Fast Travel Bag of Holding that can switch from a messenger bag to a backpack and can everything for your weekend trip into a carry-on bag that will fit easily under your seat for a neat $30.

See at ThinkGeek

Harish Jonnalagadda, Regional Editor

Xiaomi Mi Travel Backpack Enough pockets to store all my gear

What Harish loves about this bag: I picked up the Mi Travel Backpack for the amount of space it offers. The bag doesn’t look huge at first glance, but it fits all my gear with ease, and has space left over for a change of clothes — which comes in handy for overnight travel.

There’s a padded section that comfortably slots in a 15-inch MacBook, and you get a sleeve for a tablet as well. I particularly like the fact that it has more than enough compartments, which makes it convenient to store the plethora of accessories I carry around.

The shoulder straps and the back are adequately padded, and it’s comfortable to wear with a full loadout of gear. I’ve been using the bag for close to a year now, and it has held up very well to the usual wear and tear.

What I don’t love about this bag: The one quibble I have with the Mi Travel bag is that it doesn’t have a water bottle holder. There are lined pockets on either side of the bag, and the compact size means there’s no room to store a water bottle.

The ideal user for this bag: What I like about the Mi Travel Backpack is that there’s no branding anywhere, and it looks like a regular bag. If you want an affordable bag to store all your gear, then this is the one to get.

Price: $55

See at GearBest

Joe Maring, News Editor

Ibagbar Vintage Canvas Backpack Cheap, boring, effective

What Joe loves about this bag: I initially picked up this Ibagbar backpack to get me through my last semester of college at the beginning of the year, but even after I graduated in May, it’s served me well for packing up my things and heading out to the nearest Starbucks to scope out news for the day.

What I love the most about this backpack is how it looks. It’s not flashy and isn’t as modern-looking as the famous Peak Design Everyday Carry, but I’m a sucker for this vintage aesthetic. It’s clean, simple, and the fabric it’s made out of has held up nicely after about 6 months of regular use.

Something else I’m a fan of is the interior. The main compartment is great for housing headphones and notebooks while a sectioned off area at the very back holds by Pixelbook like a glove. There are also two small pockets near the front that work great for stowing away a charging cable and AC adapter.

Lastly, it’s hard to argue with that price. $26.99 is a steal considering the quality and function this bag offers, and for a cheapskate like me, that’s what got me to pull the trigger on buying it in the first place.

What Joe doesn’t love about this bag: As well as this backpack has served me, I do have on minor complaint. Although I usually don’t carry a ton of stuff with me, I do wish this bag offered a better way to organize my belongings. The two zippered areas on the front work well in conjunction with the main part of the bag, but the lack of any extra compartments in these make it hard to sort smaller gadgets and gizmos.

The ideal user for this bag: If all you need is an affordable, simple backpack for lugging around a laptop, notebook, headphones, and more, Ibagbar has a great solution here for doing just that. The bag’s stylish, is comfortable to wear, and does a good job at holding all your junk. Plus, for under 30 bucks, it offers a tremendous value proposition for the budget-savvy out there.

Price: $26.99

See at Amazon

Daniel Bader, Managing Editor

Booq Pack Pro The most comfortable traveler’s bag

What Daniel loves about the Pack Pro: The Booq Pack Pro is, according to the company that makes it, “a tank,” and that couldn’t be more accurate. I’ve taken this backpack to half a dozen countries, subjected it to every abuse imaginable — trade shows are not bag-friendly — and it still looks new. Like, brand new.

What I love is how versatile this bag is. There’s a place for everything inside the spacious interior, with a number of obvious and hidden compartments ready to stow the most valuable of possessions. Behind it, a dedicated padded laptop sleeve can carry up to a 17-inch MacBook Pro or larger Surface Book 2, and there’s even a tertiary tablet/ebook reader compartment around back.

The exterior is made of 1680 denier ballistic nylon, and the zippers are fully waterproof. I don’t think I could damage them even if I wanted to.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the shoulder straps are supremely comfortable; I wore the Pack Pro for upwards of 6-hours straight walking around CES this past January, and my back was perfectly fine. (My feet on the other hand…)

What Daniel doesn’t like about the Pack Pro: For all of its benefits, the Pack Pro is for a certain kind of traveler; this isn’t a weekend getaway bag (too small) or a hiker’s bag (too heavy). It’s for people who travel on airplanes and subject their stuff to the hardships of travel. It’s also not designed for camera equipment, as the single main pocket is a little tight for the average DSLR.

It’s also expensive, at $249, and may be a bit overkill for the average city slicker. It’s also a little plain-looking, opting for sparse branding and only a single color, black.

The ideal user for this bag: The average traveler doesn’t need a bag like this. Instead, the Pack Pro is for the workhorse, someone who stuffs backpacks under airplane seats and into trade show corners. It’s for people with valuables they don’t want crushed or broken.

Price: $249

See at Amazon

Quentyn Kennemer, Freelance Writer

Thule Crossover 32L Backpack Tons of space, Tons of Durability

What Quentyn loves about this bag: Being one of the last holdouts to the messenger bag craze, I knew my options for a great tech backpack were slim. Thankfully, Thule’s Crossover 32L backpack fits my needs almost perfectly. Seeing as I have a glutton of camera equipment, a massive 17-inch gaming laptop, a smaller work laptop, a tablet, headphones, a portable battery pack, and my phone with me (and all the associated cables I need) on any given trip, the biggest thing I need is massive capacity.

And yes, the Crossover can hold all of that, and then some. It’s not just the sheer size of the thing, though. The innards are expertly crafted with multiple compartments, some of which are elevated by aluminum to ensure no one area of the bag becomes unusable.

There’s also a healthy amount of padding to protect all your stuff, including a crush-proof compartment to protect your phone or other small valuables. And while I’m no textile materials expert, I can say that the Crossover has held up far longer than any other ordinary bag I’ve owned. I haven’t seen a single rip or tear in the two years I’ve owned it. Oh, and it also looks really, really nice.

What Quentyn doesn’t love about this bag: I do wish the crush-proof compartment was a bit bigger. I’m the kind of guy who loves big headphones with massive drivers, and I’d love to be able to take them with me without having to bring a dedicated carrying case.

I’d have loved it more with a built-in roller for when my back needs a break, especially considering it can reach the size of a small carry-on when filled to the brim.

The ideal user for this bag: If you have tons of stuff you have to carry around on a regular basis or if your equipment is just more bulky than most ordinary bags can handle, this is for you. If you have a bad back, however, then you’ll want to look for something with wheels on it.

Price: $129

See at Amazon

Andrew Martonik, Executive Editor

Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L Just enough space for what you need

What Andrew loves about the Everyday Sling: I enjoy the security of having necessary gear (think laptop, battery, cables, camera) everywhere I go, and I understand that that means I also have to deal with that gear — typically in a bag. Size, comfort, flexibility (physically and conceptually) and style are all factors when choosing one. I’ve tried a lot of different bags for this sort of “daily essentials” set of stuff I carry, and for this duty I love the the Peak Design Everyday Sling — particularly, the larger 10L size.

What I love about the Everyday Sling is that it isn’t a large multi-purpose oriented messenger bag — it’s small, structured and doesn’t have a ton of expandability. It’s just the right size for the things I need to carry every day, and nothing more.

To that point, the Everyday Sling snugly holds my 13-inch MacBook Pro, plus a small camera, a backup phone and a few extra accessories like cables and batteries. And that’s it. The movable divider system inside lets you tightly organize items to keep them from crashing around as you move, and small zipper areas on the inside and outside hold onto smaller items. There’s a tiny bit of expandability with the outside pouch, but not much.

It’s a small thing, but I love how the top of the bag both zips closed and hinges away from you — as compared to almost all messengers that hinge toward you. This makes it incredibly simple to pull the Sling around to your front, zip it open and have quick access to everything. And the full zipper gives the inside water resistance from all angles, unlike the fold-and-clip style open bags.

If you’ve ever seen or used a Peak Design product, you know the kind of fantastic quality you’ll get with the Everyday Sling. Zipper are firm and close snugly. The fabrics are extremely tough and well-stitched. It feels like you could pull a truck with the metal clasps. The fabric on the back provides just a little grip to keep it from sliding on your back. And there are two side mounting points for Peak Design’s Capture camera clip system, which I love to use.

What Andrew doesn’t love about the Everyday Sling: The main downside to this bag is the strap, which really isn’t as wide or comfortable as I’d like it to be, and doesn’t really compare well to my Timbuk2 messenger bag. To be fair to the Everyday Sling this isn’t intended to be a carry-everything-everywhere messenger, and is built for lighter duties, but the strap still disappoints in its padding. It also has the habit of loosening ever-so-slightly, but consistently, over time and needs shortened back up to the proper length.

Being compact and light cuts both ways, and that makes the Everyday Sling a poor choice for people who need to carry a lot with them. One of the biggest upsides for me is how small the Sling is because it means it won’t ever get too heavy, but that’s a big restriction for a lot of people. It can barely fit a 13-inch MacBook Pro, so larger laptop users are instantly ruled out.

The ideal user for this bag: If you’ve tried to find a small, compact bag to carry the essentials and nothing more, the Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L is for you. It’s built out of fantastic materials that won’t let you down, and is filled with genius little design touches that make it functional and practical for any sort of profession or adventure. The Everyday Sling isn’t for long trips or heavy gear, but if you don’t need that much space this bag is great.

Price: $149

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite bag?

Everyone needs to carry stuff, and whether that container is big, small, expensive or cheap-and-cheerful, we’d love to know what you carry with you on the go!