New Handmade by Miza

Look what we've got in the store...new laptop and tablet/iPad sleeves from Latvian designer Miza! The snugly, 100% wool sleeves will keep your electronics cozy and protected from scratches while looking awesome. Bonus: they're reversible! You're welcome.

>> SHOP Miza

>> SHOP MIZA

New Handmade by TechnoMud

So apparently I forgot to tell you all that we have new handmade in the shop from our newest designer, TechnoMud!

Myles, the guy behind TM, creates super sleek and sexy phone and tablet docks.  Made of ceramic, each dock has a space in the back for holding mail, office supplies, small notebooks, and even flowers. The cork padding keeps your gear in place and has a hole for your cords to run underneath and behind the dock.  I have one in my office and I've got to tell you, I feel so organized!  The docks are also perfect for nightstands and kitchens.  We've got three different sizes so your phones, iPads, e-readers, and mp3 players always have a place to go. Grab yours today!  Oh, and while you're picking up a dock, make sure to get an iCord or headphones from Cordinated.  Now you'll REALLY be in style!

This dock is perfect for holding flowers

My dock holding my Sharpie collection!

Tablet/e-reader dock

This dock is perfect for the kitchen...it can
display recipes from your tablet while holding
your cooking utensils in the back!

You'll definitely want new cords to go with your fancy stand!

>>SHOP TechnoMud and Cordinated

8 Questions With: Juli and Dan of Cordinated

***WARNING***  Reading this Q+A will cause you to feel lazy and unaccomplished, giving you a desire to finish all the projects on your list.  Proceed with caution!

Monday, we introduced you to Cordinated, the newest company to be added to our stable of amazing designers. Their yarn-wrapped cords give your electronics a big boost of color and turn them in to works of art.  What we didn't know at the time was just HOW amazing Cordinated is.  Creators Juli and Dan are quite possibly the busiest people in the world.  Don't believe me?  Read down a bit and see just how many projects Juli has going on.  I got tired just reading it all!  Thankfully, they still have time to make sure your headphones are wrapped in cozy sweaters and your iThings are never without their colorful cords.

We always ask the most important questions first. So, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?
We are a no mayo or miracle whip household.  (As a HUGE Miracle Whip lover, I'm a little hurt.  I'll try to soldier on!)

I know it's hard to play favorites, but what's your favorite room in your house and why? What room do you try to avoid?
My favorite room is my living room. It's the only one I feel I have successfully "decorated" The rest of my house I like to refer to as "flex-space"

We hear you've got a lot going on (grad school, work, Cordinate). What else do you have going on?
Here is the master list:

• Grad School
• Being a band called Ham Siobam
• Office Job
• Food Delivery Job
• Running Cordinated
• Slowly phasing out my vintage shop
• Freelance web work

Wow. You guys do EVERYTHING! How do you relax at the end of the day?
Watching Netflix keeps me sane. Even if it's 1 am and I just finished my work for the day. I always make sure to wind down with an episode of Mad Men. I've also been watching a cheesy teen drama called Make It Or Break It about 4 teen girls who are training to go to the olympics in gymnastics. It is fantastic(ly cheesy)!

We love your fun, colorful headphones and iphone cables. What else do you guys make?
We actually started by making our own guitar cables and have just recently expanded our line to headphones earbuds and iPod cables. We actually hand solder all of our instrument cables. This makes them last longer because we make them right, the cables you buy at the store for cheap usually break really quickly.

How did Cordinated get started? What inspired you?
I am a musician. And I love color. I am a bass player and all the equipment that comes with playing bass is designed to look very "rugged" or like a monster truck. I'm a girl, and I wanted to make at least a small piece of my gear look good. So I wrapped it in yarn! I had so much fun making it I thought others would enjoy it. And I'm still making them so something must have clicked. I am inspired by all musical gear that incorporates design as well as well designed electronics. I'm a bit of a tech geek.

With music being at the root of Cordinated, I have to ask, what tunes get you moving and grooving while you work?
Recently I have been listening to a lot of St. Vincent. I love new music that sounds different than anything I have ever heard before. I value artists that break the mold and are genre defying. I also like music you can dance to, but is not technically described as "dance music". I'm a sucker for an upbeat and I tend to lean towards songs that are arranged well.

Close your eyes and make believe you no longer have a plate full of activities. (Crazy, I know!) What would be next on your list?
Oh! I started a project before I started grad school and I've been itching to finish it. I'm repainting some old shelves I had as a kid and turning them into side tables. I wish I could finish them because I have so many books for school that I could store in them when I'm finished instead of having them clutter my desk.

I also would love to do some music based visual art. I've had this idea to map out the arrangements of songs I like graphically and see what shape they take. That would be my next shop if Cordinated somehow got put on hold. It would be more "fine-art". No one is allowed to steal that idea!  (You heard it here first folks.  I'd better not see this idea anywhere on the market...idea stealers are NOT cool!)

Another thing I've wanted to do is have more live shows in my "flex-space" I think I'd make a pretty good booking agent and it would be fun to have friends come over more often to listen to some tunes.

I also want to travel more and get a dog.

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Didn't I tell you they're crazy busy?!  Before you feel the need to finish all your to-do's, grab your own iCords, headphones, and earbuds at the Apartment 528 store.

>>Shop Cordinated

Handmade Designer of the Month: Cordinated

Today we're welcoming our newest designer, Cordinated!

We've been stalking Cordinated for over a year now.  We fell in love with their brightly wrapped cords and knew we just HAD to have them for Apartment 528.  Now our dream has finally come true!

Cordinated was started by Juli and Dan, two musicians tired of the standard boring black cables in their Chicago apartment.  Their solution?  Juli started wrapping their cables in yarn while Dan, an engineer, soldered the connections for better quality.  Thankfully they were smart enough to realize that others were looking for the same colorful designs and thus, Cordinated was born.  Lucky for us, they've also expanded from music cables to include extras like headphones, earbuds, and iCord cables (compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad) for those of us who like to listen to music in style!

Stop by the store now to grab your own iCords available now in a variety of colors, or to pre-order earbuds and headphones for shipping on October 31st.  Gift a cord or keep a pair for yourself!

SHOP Cordinated

Keep Your Computer Protected Part 1: The Backup Plan

Now you have your security alarm to deter criminals and your renter's insurance just in case.  The next thing we'll talk about is your computer.  Computers are usually one of the worst things that could be stolen.  Not necessarily because of their monetary value, but because of all the info they hold.  Your music library, your vacation pictures, your private info, work, etc., are all stored on your computer.  If your laptop's stolen and you have to buy a new one, it usually takes a few weeks before you get the new computer just how you like it with all your programs, preferences, and folders.

It's even worse if you don't have a backup of your old laptop's info.  Thankfully, you can easily backup your computer with an external hard drive which is easy to use and affordable...check out NewEgg.com for prices starting at $30 for 80gb of storage.  Some external drives come with their own backup software that syncs to your computer, or you can go to your computer's backup center and do everything from there.  You can choose which folders/files you want to update and even schedule automatic updates so that, for example, every Sunday at 3am your computer will sync up to your external drive.

While external drives are handy for backing up your new computer in the case of a theft, they won't help much if there's a flood or fire and they're destroyed right along with your computer.  Plus you have the added pain of having to remember to connect the drive to back everything up, something I'm horrible at!  That's why online backup services are perfect.  There are both free and paid online options that take the hassle out of keeping your info protected.  Once you sign up, your info is synced to a secure server where it's stored until you need to access it.  Most online backup services have options that allow you to share files with others (good for work situations) or even sync multiple computers.  There are tons more features available and I'm still figuring this all out myself so you should check out reviews from sites like MacWorld.com or PCMag.com.

If you already use an online service leave a comment below letting us know which one you recommend.  What's your favorite backup option?