I think I mentioned before, it's delightful to receive such feedback from customer:DateRatingCommentsArrived on TimeItem as DescribedCustomer ServiceRater Role1/30/125Incredible company to do business with. Their customer service is O.C.D. superior. I would do business with Pocomaru anytime. Product service A++++ Respond YesYesYesBuyer

From http://www.geekwire.com/2012/meet-solmate-case-charges-iphone-sun-shade#utm_source=GeekWire+Daily+Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=49616e040f-daily-digest-emailDoes your iPhone battery life get you down? Don’t worry. Two enterprising Seattle geeks believe they’ve solved that ongoing frustration with the SolMate, a innovative iPhone case whose razor-thin solar panel and 16-bit microcontroller circuit board provides a charge directly to the mobile device.Yes, the irony of the SolMate being developed in cloudy Seattle is not lost on us. But co-founders Adam Benzion, a 42-year-old former Microsoftie, and Jamie Wojcik, a 38-year-old former Texas Instruments engineer, aren’t letting the lack of sunlight stall their entrepreneurial dreams.“In direct sunlight we can provide a continuous charge for the iPhone,” boasts Benzion. But, he quickly points out, that continuous sunlight isn’t really a reality in most places in the world, including his home of Seattle.“Today, yes, you can actually completely do away with the grid charging. But you have to live in California or Florida, and make sure that your phone is exposed to the sunlight at least four our five hours a day. It is not super realistic for most people,” Benzion tells GeekWire. “But, technically, absolutely yes, if this device is in the sun a few hours a day, you don’t need to use a cable to charge.”(Apple notes that the iPhone works best from 32° to 95° F, and the ideal temperature for the device is 72° F).In direct sunlight, Benzion said it takes about five hours to go from a dead battery to a full charge on the iPhone. But the cool thing about the SolMate is that it also can charge in non-direct sunlight or the shade, something that Wojcik said is truly unique.Wojcik shows off the SolMate“Everyone that has done a mobile solar charger has to be in direct sunlight, and you have to have the planets align and the sun align exactly … to get any charge out of it,” Wojcik said. “Ours is different. We can charge in the shade, although you won’t get as good of charging, but you should be able to get at least your standby current in any light condition.”The company, which operates under the name of GreenSimian, plans to finish development on the SolMate this Spring and start shipping to customers by May. The solar-powered iPhone case will cost $99, with the company targeting lovers of industrial design and “the geeky crowd” who love gadgets, said Benzion.The entrepreneurial duo have already raised $28,453 toward a $30,000 goal on the startup funding site Kickstarter.The solar power panel used on the SolMateThe SolMate system includes a high-efficiency, custom-made solar panel that affixes to the back of the iPhone. A backup battery runs at the base of case to manage the power between the solar panel, the charger and the phone. An app provides details of the power usage, and the company notes that the case does not exacerbate the frustrating reception problems associated with the iPhone 4.Benzion doesn’t think the issue of short battery life will disappear anytime soon even as engineers at Apple, Samsung and other phone giants attack the problem. And even if it does go away, he said they’ve got other projects percolating.“We are trying to be a company that is almost like a next-generation Sharper Image, or something much cooler” said Benzion. “Building amazing products in small batches, and then moving on to the next ones.”Here’s the video pitch that chief technology officer Wojcik provided to Kickstarter in which he notes that they plan to develop a similar case for the iPad and the iPhone 5.

From http://dejiki.com/2011/08/coteetciel-laptop-messenger/  available hereI have grown out of Crumpler and Timbuk2 bags, which are too common and do not last as long as they did before – Plus these brands release bags in all sorts of bright colours that could become hard to wear sometimes – so that you have to always buy one in black, or feel pressured to buy a few of your favourite colours. I’ll just be honest here and say that none of the designs really “speak” to me anymore, plus I hate the amount of noisy Velcro on those bags. Dumping the Crumpler is an important phase of any youth’s rite of passage to adulthood. I’m sure the world-famous tea noir agrees with this statement.Hailing from France, COTEetCIEL (pronounced like “kote-a-seal”) is one of the rising makers of stylish lifestyle products for the “modern nomad”. As they have clearly put it: Practicality and a pure aesthetic colliding in innovative products for professionals on the move. A strong sense of aesthetics and functionality from Paper Rain (the designers of COTEetCIEL) can be both seen and felt in their COTEetCIEL products. Their other notable products include Diver Sleeves for MacBook Pro and some slim cases for iPhone.The Messenger bag is well-built and simple in design – with the use of purposed lines and recycled materials, in an ensemble of discreet colours. It has a dedicated laptop sleeve, the right amount of compartments at the right places and expandable to accommodate A3-sized articles. This is one of the rare messenger bags to make it on the pages of Bagaholicboy and if that is saying nothing about style to you, I don’t know what does.Flip open the flap and you get two zipper pockets, useful for stuffing with small gadgets and other necessities. The flap, when left unclipped, expands to a large, A3 sized compartment.Inside the main compartment is a hidden zipper pouch and slots for pens.Clips hold down the main flap and can be adjusted to keep the bag’s physical form very compact.The laptop sleeve compartment at the back is tailored to fit a 15″ MacBook Pro.Clips and zippers, which are a lot quieter to use, are found on COTEetCIEL bags – so you won’t get looks in a library trying to fish out your stationery. I have also found the dedicated laptop compartment to be very useful for dumping small items for quick retrieval later.The Messenger uses recycled PET canvas marketed as CetCycle (known as C&CCycle in 2011) which is rather impervious to most stains, dust or marks. Just a wipe with a damp cloth and it’s good to go. The shoulder strap is not the typical ballistic nylon found on messenger bags, also known as the “seat belt strap”. Instead, it is a thick fabric strap similar to the textile shoulder strap found on Louis Vuitton’s men’s collection and other good brands. This is quite important because the “seat belt strap” will eventually cause some section of shirts (especially around the shoulder) to wear off due to friction. Of course if you are the sort of person with camp t-shirts making up the bulk of your wardrobe, this is then not a matter of concern.Speaking about colours, the Messenger comes in Black, Black Melange, Grey Melange, Toffy Brown and Navy Melange. Take a look at the colours here. The Melange types are not flat colours, but a subtle, rock texture-like blend of tones, similar to what Mélange actually means. The bags I owned and featured here are in Black and Black Melange.Some stores stock a revised series of COTEetCIEL bags. As I have not seen any coverage about the 2011 editions, I’ll just share the info here.In 2011, Paper Rain has renamed the label, from COTEetCIEL to Côte&Ciel. This has been reflected in products manufactured in 2011. Do not be alarmed if you see the slightly different name on products.Similarly, the marketing term for the textile used for their bags have been changed from CetCycle to C&CCycle.Zippers have changed from the clunky and large sort to something flat and discreet. The zipper pull design is now a ring, instead of a tab. This design change makes the bag much quieter – that slightly annoying noise of metal tab rattling is no longer present. The label is no longer a piece of hard plastic (which gets scratched easily) but a suede-like fabric tag with (removable) rolled cardboard inside to retain the cylindrical look.There is also a new CetCanvas colour available : Green. It is similar to COTEetCIEL’s Urban Chic colour, but darker – like Filson’s green canvas. Definitely not the same shade as those cheap SAF backpacks. It is exclusive to the Rucksack line for now.

Fromhttp://www.carryology.com/2010/11/26/road-test-cote-et-ciel-rucksack-part-2/I just got back from a whirlwind trip in New York City where I traversed the city by foot, taxi, and subway, ate in some of the best restaurants, and cheered some 40,000 participants in the New York City marathon as they passed the 26 mile mark. With me on the trip from the West Coast was the Cote et Ciel Rucksack. If you recall from my preview, I was really stoked on the features of the pack when it arrived, but what I really wanted to see was how it would perform in the field. Click through to read the full review…HighlightsHardware - I will try not to reiterate too much from the preview, but I have to say that the hardware Cote et Ciel chose for the rucksack was top notch. You often don’t see an intersection of good design with real-world practicality but this is exactly what they were able to accomplish. For example, instead of the nylon webbing material that is found on 99% of all backpacks, they went with a durable but soft-to-the touch fabric for the straps. Due of their inherently smoother texture, they easily slide through the rings but were still grippy enough to lock securely.The buckles performed great and deserve another mention. They are a special pivot type I’ve never seen before and the extra ~50 degrees of movement it gives allows for a level of freedom you did not realize you needed until you’ve used the rucksack.The zippers are top notch with large pull-tabs, complete with curved sections and r0unded edges. They are large size coils, which were continually tested by my overzealous stuffing of the main compartment.The top handle is a welcomed addition and in my opinion, a must have for any daily-use backpack or messenger bag. Designs that omit this feature (presumably in the interest of aesthetics) are really hurting the user. The handle on the Cote et Ciel rucksack is thick and double stitched. It feels like it can support a ton.Design – It really is a great looking bag (and pretty original too). I have not seen anything like it. The lines are organic and not industrial looking but at the same time, it’s not a art-school project. It shows evidence of an eye towards usability.Durability – I was not friendly to this bag. I used it as my secondary carry-on which meant it was stuffed under the seat in front of me on both a regional jet and a commercial airliner. I also stuffed it to the brim (more on this later) and often stepped on the sides as I struggled to find a place for my feet in all too familiar cramped legroom of economy class [Ed note: This is one of the reasons why we avoid hardcase carry-ons!]. I also walked through rain and heavy wind with the bag on and it still looks brand new.Organization - I have a lot of stuff. I really mean it. A lot. I was glad for all the compartments in the bag. Let’s list them off – main compartment, long zippered bag in main, small zippered bag in main, laptop/iPad compartment, 4 webbed compartments, magazine/document sleeve, and another long zippered compartment running the width in the rear. I carried: scarf, gloves, pens, Moleskine, Doane Paper notepad, Canon Elph, Panasonic LX3, Canon SLR and 2 lens all in a camera bag, Microsoft Zune HD, USB flash drive, Kindle, 2 magazines, airline boarding passes, Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10, keys, and a handful of other miscellaneous items. Most of the smaller items were placed in the rear laptop section and their compartmentalization really kept things organized and easy to fetch.——LowlightsStraps - I know what you’re thinking. I just mentioned how awesome the straps were on top and now I am dissing them? Well hear me out, please. Because the pack is worn vertically, depending on what you are storing in the center compartment, the dual straps may not really be effective. I tried strapping down a fleece jacket and as soon as I turned the bag upright, it just slide through both straps and hunkered down on the bottom. I suspect anything heavier or more rigid than clothing would also make it past the grips. Perhaps one improvement could be thin rubberized lines applied to the bottom of the strap. This is a minor point since one could just avoid using the straps all together.Rear Panel - I suspected this would be an issue with my preview and in my use it’s definitely a problem. Due to a combination of the semi-rigid top area of the back straps plus a small stuff “hood” at the top of the rucksack, it is very cumbersome to open and close the rear panel. Since most of my things were stored in the rear, this meant struggling to open and close it half a dozen times during the cross-country flight. I actually dreaded each time I had to take out my Kindle or put away a pair of headphones. In practice, we are not talking about a huge amount of time lost (seconds), but it is fairly frustrating. When you reach for a bag and want to unzip it, you want one smooth motion, not to be interrupted by snags or awkward routing.Update: Cote et Ciel has reached out and let us know that the rear panel is being redesigned in the next release of the bag. Conclusion – If you couldn’t tell already, I am a fan of this bag. It comes from a Parisian design collective and they were able to produce something that is both visually appealing as well as performing well. The materials they chose are soft to the touch, yet durable and functional. It is great for weekend jaunts to your favorite spot up the coast or even short flights when you’re packing light. Or be like me and use it as both a carry-on and your city bag. The bag comes in a variety of subtle colors (makes matching easier) and two sizes to support the MBP 15″ or 17″.

From http://www.carryology.com/2010/10/28/road-test-cote-et-ciel-rucksack-part-1/Road Test | Cote et Ciel Rucksack | Part 1Heading to the Big Apple next week for a United Nations event and being the consummate planner, my mind was filled with worry. How should I pack? What should I bring? And, of course, how would I carry it all?I turned to my brethren at Carryology and Ando came back with a quick suggestion for a day/travel pack that would meet my needs. Enter the Côte et Ciel Rucksack from the Parisian fashion group, Paper Rain…The bag has an organic, almost alien-like appearance with naturally flowing contours. It comes in two sizes (fitting 15″ and 17″ Macbooks or equivalent) and 4 colors. I was sent the 15″ model in Grey Melange (thanks guys for providing this pack to us for review).Upon receiving the backpack, I knew I was in for a treat. The bag is made of CetCcycle which is from recycled PET bottles. I was surprised to read this in the literature because the bag is rugged yet soft at the same time. There is a heft to the bag thanks to the thickness of the fabric, but it manages to remain comfortably light.The compartment design is where this bag really sets itself a part. It sports a dual design with a rear area which places your laptop against your back, with a bevy of slots of pouches for magazines, MP3 player, headphones, and small accessories. The rear compartment is well designed, even sporting a storage flap to hold magazines snug and two elastic pieces on the side to make sure the back doesn’t open too wide.There’s already one detail that worries me. Having the laptop against your back is great for security (harder to have it stolen in crowds), however in my initial use, it has proven to be quite cumbersome to unzip the rear compartment because the shoulder straps get in the way. In an airport security line, one would likely have to place the bag on the ground and use two hands to open it up to withdraw the laptop. In fact, if you are looking for a bag for repeated retrieval and storage of items (metro pass, water bottle, camera), this design might pose a problem.On the front of the rucksack, after you unbuckle two latches and undo a single zipper that runs the length of the bag, you’re presented with a view not unlike one you’d be looking at when packing your weekender bag. The design geniuses figured out a way to combine a small duffel bag with a backpack. The inside is lined with a luxuriously soft material and even has two tie down quick-release straps to get those bulky sweaters under control. There’s an additional pouch perfect for toiletries or keeping underwear and socks separate from the main compartment.I have mentioned the clips a few times but haven’t given them the attention they deserve. I am sure you are all familiar with the standard clip mechanisms where you squeeze the sides and it comes out. They are found on nearly every pack these days. The clips on the Côte et Ciel rucksack are different. You squeeze the center and it releases. The cool part, however, is that they swivel. This means the bag has some freedom to stretch and lean to accommodate your goods.This post is meant to serve as an introduction to the bag. Watch this space for my full review after I return from my trip where I will have put the rucksack through it’s paces. I’ll go more in depth about how well it performed carrying various loads, how the hardware (zippers, clips) held up, and if any of my initial concerns were warranted.

From http://limitedhype.com/2010/03/detailed-cote-et-ciel-rucksack/available hereMarch 31st, 2010 For day to day travel in the city, a messenger, tote or even a canvas rucksack should serve you well, but when it comes to travel, a rucksack with some support and technical elements can go a long way when you’re en route. Backpacks tend to gradually phase themselves out as people tend to get older for fear of still looking like they’re headed to school but that’s not to say Porter, Duluth and Seil Marschall haven’t been doing some terrific things to cater to the older folk who can’t do without. While the aformentioned certainly look great, our shoulders, lower backs and wallets sometimes require something with a little bit more form and function.Our search eventually led us to the Côte et Ciel Rucksack which is more of a two-in-one backpack designed to house a Macbook and a ton of other peripherals in separate front and back compartments. The front, main compartment opens like a large duffle making it quick to load and unload whereas the rear, cleverly hidden with a concealed zipper, provides easy access to a soft cotton inner-lining for laptops. But if that won’t suffice in protecting your Mac, the exterior shell made from durable, water resistant CetCcycle (recycled PET bottles) certainly will.The chances are you’ll never be hard pressed to find a backpack. Or even a good, technical backpack at that. From a utilitarian perspective, one from Mountain Equipment Co-Op or L.L. Bean should, by all accounts, last you a lifetime. Though some days you may not always want to look like you just crushed the Elgin Hiking Trail in 45 flat. For all other occasions, we’re big believers in canvas with some leather a la Duluth, but for those prone to overfilling, over-packing and over organizing, Côte et Ciel is the truth.