LAS VEGAS, CES 2012 – Taking a cue from their cutting-edge Command Messenger laptop bag, Timbuk2 have taken their popular, almost decade-old Commute Messenger and finally given it a major overhaul.

I don’t often come across outfits as passionate about their stuff as the people at Timbuk2. I spent a good chunk of time with Jenny Carroll, their marketing director, talking about the evolution of their bags and how they’ve updated not only the Commute Messenger (now suffixed with “2.0”), but the Command Messenger they just released a year or so ago in response to customer feedback.

Back to the Commute Messenger 2.0. The biggest change is the TSA-compliant zip-out laptop compartment, borrowed from the Command Messenger, a feature that allows a laptop to pass through security at airports without being taken out of the bag.

But there are other changes, many of which were borrowed from the Command: The lining of the laptop compartment is now made from Crater Foam — an extremely light foam sheet punched full of holes, which T2 says allows for better cooling if the laptop is placed in the compartment still hot (which in turn should, theoretically, improve battery life); side flaps that fold under the lid when closed to keep out itinerant weather (the bag’s front flap is already waterproof); some additional organizer pockets, including a Napoleon pocket; a luggage pass through at the back; and a grab handle.

The Commute Messenger 2.0 is $110 and available now at places where there be bags for sale.