MacBook

In the 21st century, appreciation for "that new-car smell" may finally have been usurped by a scent that's much better aligned with the zeitgeist — the scent of an Apple Macbook Pro. Scent marketer Air Aroma says its labs have captured the bouquet of a freshly unboxed MacBook, and now the fragrance is being used as ambient scent for an art exhibition in Australia. The notes are exactly what you might expect: "the smell of the plastic wrap covering the box, printed ink on the cardboard, the smell of paper and plastic components within the box, and of course the aluminum laptop which has come straight from the factory where it was assembled in China."

How does one even begin to make such a scent, though? With an actual laptop, of course. An unopened MacBook Pro was sent to Air Aroma's suppliers in France, and from there, the noses "used the scents they observed unboxing the new Apple computer to source fragrance samples." The scent isn't being mass produced as of now, but there are undoubtedly some gadget junkies who'd probably be more than happy to catch a whiff of this unconventional fragrance.

While Glee didn't take home the big prize as favorite network comedy at the People's Choice Awards last night, one of its stars gets a nod from us for being a gal who likes to play around with computers. Heather Morris was on the Late Show With David Letterman earlier this week, and shared that she likes to mess around on her MacBook, making her own short video clips.

As someone who also likes to teach herself how to master computer programs and gadgets, I salute you, Heather. Check out her endearing video (she sounds like she's hilarious in real life) below.

Seriously, where has the time gone!? It seems like only yesterday I was declaring my love for Fall colors when —boom — Winter shows up on my doorstep. Even if I'm not ready for the chilly and wet conditions, at least my laptop can be with the latest Incase lineup of MacBook accessories. More than just a color change (oh, but how luscious the colors are — taupe, auburn, and a deep blue), the Winter-ready laptop cases and bags come in a super durable cotton canvas that's been weather treated to keep those raindrops from soaking through your bag and gunking up your machine.

Fitting your 13- and 15-inch MacBooks, the Incase accessories range from $50 for a simple sleeve, to $130 for a sturdy backpack that fits all sizes of MacBooks. There's even a padded sling-style Field Bag ($70) made just for toting around your iPad!

You could wrap your iPad and MacBook in luxurious designer cases, but if you're more of an urban jungle-type, check out the latest addition to the Incase Arkitip artist collection by Jose Parla. Coming with some beautifully decayed designs, the 15-inch MacBook Sleeve ($180) has some true grit, while the iPad Book Jacket ($180) comes with a slightly softer feel. The iPhone 4 Slider Case ($50) reminds me of some doodles I drew in class back in grade school, but it's totally perfect for those who don't want a conventionally-designed case.

As if that's not enough, you can get some free desktop wallpapers for your MacBook, iPad, and iPhone in the same designs you see above. All of the cases are available to order now on Incase's website.

See more images of the cases when you read more.

There's a host of protective laptop sleeves available, but the one rocketing to the top of my wish list is this faux leather number from Incase. The Protective Sleeve Deluxe ($50) comes in classic black and white hues and is designed specifically for your 13 inch MacBook. It fits your laptop snugly and is fully lined with soft faux fur to keep your computer safe and scratch-free. There's also an exterior pocket for your computer's charger or other small accessories. The best feature, though, is the dedicated zipper providing easy access to the computer's power port, so you can charge your laptop without taking it out of the sleeve.

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member Sadie-80 from the Lovely Little Vignettes group:

These wall candle displays were made from the packing materials that came in my MacBook shipping box. It seemed like a waste to just toss them in the recycling. So a little craft paint and voilà! Add some poster sticker mounts and just place them anywhere on the wall that works for you.

Have you been doing any crafty projects lately? Be sure to post photos and instructions in the Art(ist)s & Craft(ster)s group!

Being a fan of Speck's Artsprojekt iPhone 3G and 3GS cases, as well as its new line of fabric-lined iPhone 4 cases, you should know that I'm ready to snatch up one (or more) of its new form-fitting fabric-wrapped hard shell cases for the 13-, and 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Coming in four stylized patterns — dark and light Tartan, Cookie Camo brown, and Spexy Hexy purple — you can rock these any time of year and still look on trend. Since the cases are of the hard shell variety, you get an extra layer of protection along with Speck's signature soft-touch finish. The cases will hit the virtual shelves this October for $70, which is still soon enough to make a statement when you head back to school!