Welcome to 2011!! Now that the Christmas festivities have passed,the time has come where we stop, take stock and reflect on the year gone by. A little self-improvment goes a long way, whether it’s trying to get a little bit healthier or fitter, or smartening up your appearance at work to try and score that big promotion. Well, we cant help ensure you go for that run each morning, or eat your 5-a-day, but we can provide some help and advice on a stunning new work bag or laptop case to help give you a professional edge.

Not sure which style is suitable for you and your laptop? Our laptop bag finder http://www.knomobags.com/uk/catalogsearch/advanced/ is a good place to start, or you can use the icons at the top of the webpage to choose by shape (or style), size of laptop, or by our latest collections. Otherwise, we would be happy to take your call and try to advise you on the best bag for your needs – simply call 0044 (0) 800 043 7924. Another great way to get advice on the right bag for you is by checking out our reviews page http://www.knomobags.com/uk/reviews/ to see what other people thought.

Check out some of our current favoruite’s:

         Rocha 15″ Brown: £100                      Mock Croc Sleeve: £40                  Saxby 15″ Courier:

                                       Rosa 15″ Tote: £155                         Portofino 15″ Bag: £235                Borough Sleeve: £45

Last week (25^th – 31^st October) marked the 14th Energy Saving Week, created to educate the nation in ways to save energy for the good of the environment, while also saving money! With an energy saving week pack available to help the masses understand what a difference we can all make in your community or at work, many different events were happening all over the UK to raise awareness for how important the plight of the planet is.

Here at knomo HQ we are always aware of saving energy (and money!) so we thought we would put together knomo’s top tips for reducing energy waste… 

 

1.  We are based in central London so we make the most of the transport system and leave our cars at home, but if you drive to work, modern cars use virtually no extra fuel when they are re-started, so make sure to turn off the engine if you’re going to be stationary for more than a minute or two.
2. Our office building is pretty old but when we re-developed it we made sure to insulate it wherever possible. Insulate your loft and your walls well or you wil be losing valuable heat!
3. We all love 4pm tea-time to get us through til the end of the day, but only boil as much water as you need when making a brew. (Have as many biscuits as you like though!)
4. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors. Brrrrr!
5. One that most people forget, even though its the easiest to do – always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
6. When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo.
7. Match the size of the cooking ring to the size of the saucepan to avoid heating air!
8. Run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads.
9. Even though it may be the office heating bill, the environment will appreciate you turning your central heating down by one degree and it could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent.
10. With so many printers, scanners, computers etc in most offices, we all need to be vigilant about wasting energy. Where possible, turn off appliances completely, use the power switch on the appliance itself or turn it off at the plug.

So there you have it, there really is no excuse for each and every one of us to start doing our bit when it comes to saving energy! For more info check out: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Easy-ways-to-stop-wasting-energy

No, not your waistline (we don’t pretend to be experts on that!) but rather, slimming down the contents of your suitcase. As well-seasoned travellers, we love to jet off somewhere exotic (or not so exotic depending upon the meeting!) with our knomo suitcase in hand, and packing well is essential for a stress-free trip. With the summer holidays coming up, if you struggle to know what to do and end up packing everything ‘just in case’, then check out our essential tips for suitcase success:

 1) Before you think about how many outfits to pack check the airline’s website for your weight allowance and how many pieces of luggage you’re permitted to take.

2) Know your destination and choose your clothes accordingly. There’s no point in taking 8 bikinis if you’re going on a city break and similarly research the culture; find out if you need to keep your arms/hair/ankles/all of the aforementioned covered when visiting certain destinations.

3) Whether you are a flat-packer or a roller (we like to use both methods) make sure you put your heavy items in the bottom so you don’t squish any delicate pieces. Socks are good rolled, and shirts/suits/dresses are best flat-packed for minimum creasing.

4) Protect your garments. Put all of your toiletries and shoes in plastic bags to avoid any spillages or dirt from shoes soiling your clothes.

5) Always clearly label your luggage inside and out so that if it gets lost you can be contacted, especially if the outside label becomes detached in transit. To retrieve your luggage ASAP, mark your luggage tag with your name and mobile number (not forgetting the country dialling code +44 for the UK). If you’re using a knomo bag then the handy tracker tag will help find your luggage’s whereabouts.

Knomo ipad sleeve

1. Protect your screen

One of the most amazing things about the iPad is its hugely desirable large screen, meaning a screen-protector is a must for this product. You could get away without one for the iPhone, but for the iPad, its much larger screen will scratch a lot more easily. Knomo suggests you grab a quality screen protector to help protect your device when you are on the move (Proporta do a good one).

 

2. Purchase an iPad cover/case

The iPad is not a cheap piece of kit so it goes without saying that a protective case is essential to prevent any scratches appearing. A good sleeve or cover will also serve as extra padding when you and your iPad are on the move. Whether you pick a sleeve or a cover, make sure it is of a high quality, looks stylish, is easy to carry and protects your pride and joy well.

Check out our first ipad cover here…

 

3. Think about the bag you carry it in

Getting a protective sleeve and screen cover will help keep your iPad newer for longer, but its no good if you pack it away in any old tatty bag with no protection! Make sure your bag has a laptop compartment or even a special iPad compartment so it is given even more protection from the other items in your bag.

 

Broken Ipad

4. Don’t leave it unattended

Keep your iPad safe. Although keping a hawk’s eye on your iPad at all times is not desperately practical (although we at knomo are going to give it a go- thats how precious ours is to us!), keeping it close at hand will prevent it being stolen. Never bring it out unless you are going to use it. Otherwise, keep it hidden from others. This gadget is so amazing that we would recommend that you don’t even trust your family with it- yes you heard us, trust nobody!  Its your iPad and its for your eyes (and hands) only.

But if you do want to show it off to the sorry populace that don’t have one, then by all means do, but remember to warn them “if you drop it, you pay”.

 

5. Keep your iPad clean

Children, as a rule, must touch shiny new things. Unfortunately Apple do not have an app for scaring children away, and therefore, the iPad is guaranteed to attract fingerprints.  But even if you keep all children at a 1m distance from you and your iPad, the touchscreen facility will also guarantee that the iPad will eventually have fingerprints all over it. The marks will be only be visible, however, when the screen is off, when you are using any app with a dark background or you switch the main power off. To keep your iPad clean:

-Never use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol, ammonia or abrasives to clean the iPad screen.

-Use microfiber cloth and wipe in large, smooth strokes. If that doesn’t work well enough, add some moisture with a puff of breath and rub a bit longer without pressure.

-Caution: Don’t get any liquid near the edges and don’t apply pressure to the screen.

Well Christmas is over and we are all looking forward to an exciting New Year – 2010 looks set to be the year that we come through the economic recession, wise up to climate change, and shake things up with a general election. In addition to all that change, there are some seriously cool new trends that are set to transform life as we know it . Here’s our top ten for 2010…

1) Video killed the camera star…

The next decade will be “video, video, video”, declares Zoe Lazarus, trend analyst at Lowe Worldwide. Prepare to do everything via moving image.

2) Intelligent shopping

In addition to your favourite websites knowing your shape, preferred brands and, of course, credit-card number, sites will have virtual fitting rooms (using webcams and motion sensors) and will post your image to Facebook for friends’ opinions. And with a smartphone and the ShopSavvy app, scan an item’s bar code to find cheaper versions.

3) People power

Already in prototype, forget Manolos, the best shoes will harvest energy as you walk, generating electrical power for charging your pods and mobs. Read more

So you have got the swanky laptop bag (courtesy of knomo of course!) and your new MacBook Pro fits ever so snugly in it, but how to turn it on? And where is the ‘any’ key? If, like us and millions of others, sometimes all things gadgety can get a bit too confusing, fret not, help is at hand!

A frankly genius new company has come on the scene to help you with all your woes. Gadget helpline, is exactly that, a helpline to help with all your technology questions and problems. It costs £17.94 to join for 6 months and their helpline is based in the UK so that all your queries are handled from the same technical standpoint. Simply register online then call with your reference number. Now, what does this button do?

For more info, go to www.gadgethelpline.comor ring 08444 994600.