Some more Loopcase action
Jul0
Some late night and weekend time (the new fan heater makes it possible) in the workshop has resulted in some more Loopcase experiments and prototypes. Winter fun.
The first is a set of three custom bags for Sisu Software in Wellington and their Dell 5500 laptops. These have custom printed panels with their logo, are padded and have a bicycle inner tube reinforced corners. They came out really well and now I just need to find some time to make one for me.
While sitting at the sewing machine I had an epiphany about a new design using the “Loop” for a wallet from seatbelts (have been trying to find new seatbelt uses for a while). The photo shows prototype #2, I think #4 or #5 will be useful and #6 or #7 perfect :-)
Merle and I have also been tapping away at the Loopcase site – it almost has enough stuff in it to warrant a new theme I think…or at the very least a tidy up.
Laptop bag prototype – 95% recycled content
May0
I haven’t had much time recently to do as much on Loopcase as I’d like but I did manage to get a prototype laptop case made fro Tommi last week. It is for a Sony 13.1 inch Z-Series (VPCZ116GGB).
I really like having a separate case for the laptop/mouse/power adapter to my pack or other bag. Having a laptop in with my soup pot or tape measure and pliers I seem to carry around doesn’t feel right. So this format – a padded sleeve with front pocket for the peripherals works really well. You can always throw it in another bag if needs be.
Bunk beds from recycled materials
May0
Finally finished this project a few weeks ago – bunk beds for my ‘god’ children (what a strange phrase) Manu and Moana. These are constructed from old rimu timber bed frames and fittings and have ski slats. Lots of fun :-)
Loopcases on the way
Feb2
I have been fooling around designing clever ways to close bags with out using velcro (wears out to fast) or zips (sometimes slow and fiddly) for almost twenty years, well at least since the early days of Cactus and brainstorming with the estimable Mark Schafer. I have also been meaning to put some large advertising banners than came my way to good use.
The result is “Loopcase” – the intention being a range of recycled material camera cases and shoulder bags. That in itself isn’t particularly new or exciting, but the closure, finish and general um … je ne sais quis? May well be. I am especially stoked with the compact camera cases.
Staple Design now offering webhosting
Dec0
So…I have been running webservers in one way or another for ten years and I have decided it is time to take it to the next level.
I appreciated that what people want with their websites is…for it to work. With this in mind I am not out to confuse with high level server megaflops and a zillion features but rather to offer:
- Super stable and secure web hosting – hassle free
- New Zealand based servers which are faster for kiwis, unless you are internationally focused in which case a US server or European
- Great service, and an actual real person you can talk to
- Fair pricing, actually: a real bargain
- Help when you need it. Advice on improving your site and design/coding input if it is ever needed
I’ll make a zingy feature table sometime – but for now the plans look like this:
Staple 1: Basic – $95/YEAR
This plan gets you 20mb of diskspace, enough for a small static websites, and 1 email address with unlimited bandwidth.
Staple 2: Interactive Starter – $120/YEAR
For sites with scripting and database needs i.e wordpress, CMS driven sites etc. 100mb of diskspace with 1 MySQL database and 5 email addresses.
Staple 3: Interactive Medium – $180/YEAR
For sites with larger scripting and database needs i.e ecommerce and CMS driven sites etc. 500mb of diskspace with 5 MySQL databases and 15 email addresses.
Staple 4: Interactive Large – $250/YEAR
For sites running multiple database driven applications. 1500mb of diskspace with 10 MySQL databases and unlimited email addresses.
Please note:
Yes! You can get a server at Godaddy with a hell of a lot more of everything. You will not however be able to ring up a clever local web expert who can help you sort out your problems and give you sage advice on how you could make your website better, reduce your costs or increase your business productivity using the web.
Inkscape – 0.47 = PDF beauty.
Dec0
I would like nothing more than to make Ubuntu my main operating system. But for that to happen I need graphics and CAD programs, with this in mind I have been using Inkscape on and off over the last few years and keeping an eye on developments.
This week I loaded up the new version 0.47 and tested it out on a few small, odd tasks I had to do. Strangely these did not include drawing which is Inkscapes strength.
- Extracting pages from a PDF
I like to fill out forms on the computer as opposed to printing, hand writing, scanning and emailing. If you are lucky enough to have Illustrator or Indesign this is relatively easy. Inkscape now extracts single pages from a PDF, you can then lock that into a layer and type over the top – even place your pre-scanned signature. Inkscape performed this seamlessly. Excellent! - Outputting as PDF
I had a logo to output and my experience with PDF export in Inkscape has been sketchy in the past, crashing the application and strange clipping in some object fills. This time is was as fast and beautiful as I could have wanted. Again Excellent!
So… along with the excellent drawing main feature set Inkscape is an excellent PDF editor (at least for single pages).
No all I need is Google to put out a Linux edition of Sketchup. Please. Pretty please.
New website and blog in place
Jun0
Hmmm…been experimenting with Wordpress and like it so much that I have ported my nascent Blog to it. This is a testing post to see how it is going…
Clients
