January 2009

The Element LIQUID iPhone Case Review

When I was first contacted about reviewing the Element LIQUID Case, I was really quite excited. I have now been writing about iPhones for over a year and a half, and in that time I’ve written numerous case reviews. I still enjoy doing these reviews, but after a while cases start to look increasingly similar. But here was a case that was anything but the norm — how cool! In addition, here was a case that was not only unique, but it also offered customization and personalization the likes of which is rarely seen; I was anxious to receive the…


i2i Stream, Folding Portable Speakers & AudioWear Lanyard Style Earphones Review

Prior to this review I was not familiar with the relatively new company i2i and their range of products.  I’m certainly glad to have had the chance to change that. The company is best known for its flagship product, the Stream, so we’ll not only take a look at it, but two other solid offerings- the i2i Folding Portable Speakers and AudioWear Lanyard Style Earphones, as well. the three work together to create a nice, wireless system.


HTC Shift – Shifting OS from Vista to XP

While several members of the Gear Diary team have been loading up their netbooks with Mac OS X (and why wouldn’t you, it’s great!), I recently changed OSes on a device that highlighted the shortcomings of Windows Vista: the HTC Shift. I reviewed the Shift last year, and found it disappointing. With its low res screen, pokey keyboard and poor battery life, it was hard to recommend at its staggeringly high price tag. The worst thing though was the performance of Windows Vista. With its paltry 800Mhz processor, it just crawled along trying to run Microsoft’s bloated OS. It’s unfortunate…


Segway iBOT Wheelchair Spotted in the Wild!

One of the cooler things that we’ve spotted while here in Vegas was Michael Kaplan and his Segway iBOT. I’ve seen plenty of  “regular” Segways, but until yesterday had never seen the wheelchair version – other than in blog posts. After talking to Michael for just a bit, I was impressed by how positively the Segway iBOT has affected his life. How so? On top of being able to climb stairs with ease, he can also raise the seat to the height he was before – 5’8″ and look people in the eye…something I regularly take for granted from my…


The Netflix Player by Roku Review

I know it’s just the first week of 2009, but I suspect that when we are preparing to welcome 2010 in some 360 days, the Roku player that I purchased just over a week ago will be on my list of “favorite gadgets of 2009”.


Digital Innovations dvdDR Premier Cleaner Review

Digital Innovations sent me some accessories which may help keep those holiday gifts working like they did the day they were received.  I was sent an array of products; first, I will cover the dvdDr items. First up are the dvdDR Premier Disc Repair and Cleaning products.  Anyone who has had CDs, DVDs, Video Game Discs or BluRay Discs can attest that they will not read properly if they are gummed up with fingerprints or other foreign material like the goo from your son’s PB&J.  While the time tested – and probably not safe – breathing on the disc and…


Samsung Epix Review

I’ve been a Blackjack user (on and off) since May of 2007.  I absolutely love the form factor, 320×240 screen, QWERTY keyboard, and (nearly) one handed operation. I liked it so much, that I used it for well over 9 months, which for me, is an eternity. I change devices about every 7 months on average.  So how does the AT&T/Samsung Epix (sometimes called the Blackjack 3) stand up?  Let’s take a quick look and see… The Epix and the BJ 1 – The Epix has a bigger screen and slightly more compact keys


PDAir Leather Case for MSI Wind Review

As much as I love my MSI Wind, I am not a fan of the case that was included in the box.  Sure, it is functional.  It protects my Wind, and keep a relatively low profile.  But it is not exactly stylish.  So, I have been watching for an opportunity to upgrade to something a little nicer.  Fortunately for me, our friends over at PDAir were more than happy to oblige with an extremely nice brown leather case.  Hit the jump for all of my thoughts on this one.


The HP Mini 1140NR Vivienne Tam Edition Is Here!

This smoking hot little red laptop showed up today, and I figured I ought to share some photos before I got prints from my eager fingers all over it. Have a look at the HP Mini (1140NR) Vivienne Tam edition; possibly the most fashionable netbook ever…


iVOICE Baby-ai Review

Bluetooth headsets are commonplace these days — especially since most states have now made it illegal to drive while holding a cell phone. Bluetooth headsets that are both comfortable and sound great, however, are anything but commonplace. More often than not I get a new headset that looks promising, use it for a couple of days, and then discover that there’s something problematic. Perhaps it’s not as comfortable as I’d like, or it doesn’t sit securely enough in my ear when wearing it. Or it may sound great to me, but sound like I’m in a tunnel to the person…


Will Return clock keeps your visitors waiting forever

These Will Return signs are found just about everywhere. They’re favorites of small businesses who need to tell their customers that they’re in the back using the bathroom they’ve stepped out for a quick errand but will return. Here’s an actual clock that is disguised as one of those Will Return signs. Set the time 15 minutes ahead and watch visitors go crazy as they wait for your return. Great for times when you’re minding the store alone and need to use the toilet. Unsure about your return time? The Will Return clock keeps updating the time so you’re never…


Dual Booting the MSI Wind: Blowing in the Breeze, Part 3

This is an update to my earlier post regarding the Wind and OSX; and is just a quick update, kids…  It took a bit of doing, AND I gave up on trying to figure out how to create a bootable, Windows based USB stick. I pulled down 2 different tools, and neither could make the 8GB SanDisk Cruzer I have bootable. I’m guessing it was an issue with Vista Ultimate (running that on my MacBook Pro) and not the tools themselves; but with my Gateway desktop OFFICIALLY belly up, I had no other XP box to work from… I am…