New Products: Slim backpack carries its weight

You like to travel light, but you still have a lot of stuff: laptop, smartphone, documents for work. With a contoured form, the Cobra squeeze from booq looks like a slimmed-down backpack but nonetheless has 13 compartments, including an exterior pocket for your phone and a padded interior slot for a laptop. The backpack’s gray fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles and cotton, giving it an eco-friendly appeal. Priced at $195, the water-repellent bag includes air-mesh back padding and a leather handle.

Wireless headphones with a twist

Are you the kind of person who loves to use headphones, but thinks the accompanying wires are a nuisance? Wireless, of course, is the way to go. One lightweight option from Kinivo features Bluetooth headphones with a thin headband and compact ear cushions. Bigger than earbuds but not nearly as bulky as many headphones, the BTH240 model provides a comfy fit while streaming audio from a connected Bluetooth device. When you’re done, the headphones can be folded up and stashed in a pocket or small bag. Priced at just $25, the headphones include a built-in noise canceling microphone and a rechargeable battery that provides 10 hours of active audio.

Case handles water and more

Even if you don’t plan to clamber over a rock jetty at the beach this summer, chances are you’ll have your iPhone with you as you do something that could make your device vulnerable to a sudden drop or a plunge into the water. And you don’t want to be one of those people who winds up muttering, “I wish I’d had a case for my phone.” The iPhone 6 Plus case from Catalyst gives you some vital protection. The rugged waterproof case can withstand water depths up to 16.4 feet and drops up to 6.6 feet. An integrated film lets you use the phone while it’s safe inside its case, and a hard-coated optical lens lets you snap pictures and capture video while underwater. Cases for the iPhone 4 and 5 models cost $65, cases for the iPhone 6 are $70 and cases for the iPhone 6 Plus are $75.

Stand gives laptops a lift

You do a tremendous amount of work with your laptop, probably at a desk or a favorite table. Finding a way to do so in an ergonomically correct way and free up the clutter at your workstation can be a challenge. That’s where the Laptop Stand from Grovemade comes into the picture. Priced at just under $120, the stand raises your screen, improving ergonomics while also providing a place to stash stuff underneath. Made from sheets of maple or walnut veneer, the stand has a leather-lined steel stop to keep your laptop from sliding out of position.

Source: USA Today