Tag Archives for cool

Gear review | The Clip by LittleBonsai

This is actually my boyfriend Andrew’s latest EDC acquisition, but he let me check it out so I could do a write-up. The Clip is essentially a multitool keychain that works as a money clip, bottle opener, earphone holder, and yes, keychain. It’s made by LittleBonsai, a new company that held a Kickstarter fundraiser for the Clip. I like that they make environmental sustainability a priority, too.

First impressions: this is a pretty sleek little keychain. I’m always amazed by great engineering–making a tiny item so versatile and useful. I also thought the packaging was simple and well-designed, which aligns with their sustainability mission.

The clip is made out of stainless steel and feels both light and durable. I’m a big fan of titanium so I would love a titanium version, but the stainless steel works well. I don’t wear jeans very often so I would probably clip it to my bag or maybe to the band of my skirts, and on LittleBonsai’s website there is a picture of someone wearing it on their pants while jogging, which is pretty clever since I hate bringing bags with me to the gym. This would also be useful while travelling, since the clip holds tight around material but not so much that it will tear through pockets (which some knife clips are known to do).

Summary:

For just $15, this is a nicely designed keychain multitool and great for those who don’t like to carry a lot of things in their pockets.

Mirror’s Edge

As one of my New Year’s resolutions, I’ve been trying to wrap up some loose ends–namely, I have a ton of unread books and unplayed video games that I’m on a mission to complete. I set a goal on Goodreads to read 100 books this year, and I’m pretty behind… I’m only at four, one of which is a reread!

In terms of video games, I’ve been trying to stop dedicating all of my gaming time to Skyrim, as difficult as that is, because there are so many other amazing games that I want to play. This includes Mirror’s Edge, a game that’s been out since 2009, and one that I’ve never given a fair playthrough.

For those who haven’t played it, Mirror’s Edge is a game set in a shiny dystopian city. The player takes on the role of Faith, who is part of a network of “runners”–people who transmit messages under the radar of a totalitarian government. Apparently the gamemakers were inspired by ideas in Firefly and Serenity. Who knew?!

The game play is parkour-based, where you have to treat the city like an obstacle course, and run and jump your way through missions.

Now that I’ve finally conquered it, it’s by far on of my all time favorite games. But I won’t lie–at times, this game is really, really hard. I swear I had to do some things more than 100 times before I could move on. Some parts almost had me in tears (including the trains, and the “assassin,” and various wall runs…).

Despite the immense challenges, completing it was incredibly satisfying, and if anything the game is stunningly gorgeous. It’s honestly breathtaking. I kind of want to play through it again just to get a better look. But that also sounds slightly tortuous, so I’m moving on to other games before I give it another go.

Not sure if I should finish playing Half-Life 2 next (which was my New Year’s Resolution last year!) or get into Deus Ex: Human Revolution (which I got for $10 on Steam this weekend!)

If you want to be friends on Steam, add me! My username is Arcadie.