Earlier this year, I was left kind of shocked and dumbfounded when I found out that major fashion designers like Miuccia Prada, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, and Alber Elbaz hardly ever -- if at all -- used the internet.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm an absolute gadget junkie. When I travel, I have to dedicate an entire bag just for my electronics (MacBook, various portable hard drives, iPod, digital camera, digital video camera, GameBoy DS, chargers for all of the above).

But as much as I love gadgets, I hate gadgets that look like gadgets. You know what I'm talking about, cold, bland, corporate. What's worse, if you happen to have a lot of like minded friends, a night out can end in a game of "which BlackBerry is mine?" because they all look the same!

For me, geek chic is all about breaking the stereotype that geek = boring. This is where Skinit.com comes in. Skinit offers a way to both protect (from scratches and scuffs anyway) and add a touch of personality and pizazz to your cell phone, MP3 player or laptop. Most major brands and models are represented and each skin is custom cut for each device. You can even get a customized skin for your Guitar Hero guitar. Talk about geek chic!

Prices range from about $15 - $30 US and you can either design your own skin or use one of the hundreds of themed options. I've used Skinits skins in the past and they are not only easy to put on, when you do decide to take them off, they don't leave any residue on the device itself.

I just ordered two skins for my BlackBerry Curve, Gonzo from The Muppets and something pink to match the rubberized gel case I have already. If you don't want to lose your phone or iPod in the crowd, and want something geeky to match - check out Skinit.

It's funny -- I try to be a minimalist, but when it comes down to it, I'm surrounded by stuff. And I tend to cram a lot of this stuff in my purse, as long as there seems to be room. I mean, how could I possibly leave the house without six shades of lipgloss, gum, phone, iPod, wallet, a small clutch (in case I need to go somewhere and leave the bulky purse behind), checkbook, and more keys than there are doors in the world?

The only solution I can think of is to lose the big purse and simplify things by carrying this. The Violet May, London Blackberry purse holds a Blackberry/iPhone or an iPod (but not all, unfortch), and has a wallet to hold coins, notes, and credit cards.

Besides, when I finally realize that I still need all my crap, I can toss it into my gigantic purse and have the best of both worlds! And at just $390, I could get two ... in my mind.

Is it earrings? A bracelet? A purse?

Not at all. If celebrities are anything to go by, the coolest new accessory is a phone.

In particular, it's a Sidekick iD, T-Mobile's entry level edition of its Sidekick 3 -- a device that, according to the company, is a BlackBerry for the "young and hip." So hip, in fact, that Jenna Jameson, Kelly Monaco, Michelle Rodriguez and Taryn Manning all showed up on the red carpet at the product's launch party earlier this week.

For those of you interested in more than how it looks, you might be disappointed. While the iD is the same size and shape of the Sidekick 3, it has fewer features -- most notably, it's missing the camera. On the other hand, you can customize the look of your iD, and at only $99, it's considerably cheaper than the Sidekick 3.

Interested? You can get your own starting April 25th.

[via Gizmodo]