2010

As 2010 Comes to an End We Ask: Was it a Good Year in Tech? And We Answer… Nope

As 2010 comes to an end we ask… Was it a good year in tech? And we answer… Nope Nope??? Nope! It was a great year in tech. That’s right. 2010 finally saw some of the key things we have been hoping for come to fruition. iPad Baby!! First and foremost 2010 gave us the iPad. The iPad wasn’t significant just because of what it did for Apple but because it finally showed that a tablet form factor can and will work… And be loved by consumers… if it  is done right. Think about it for a minute–the iPad is…


NOOKColor Morphs from Quiet Little eBook Reader to Killer Little Android Tablet

If you have been following along here at Gear Diary you probably have seen Carly’s review of the NOOKColor. The NOOKColor was noted as Barnes and Noble number one seller for the holiday season and it’s pretty easy to understand why. I am not really an eBook user and don’t often find myself reading too many books, but what I do enjoy is pretty much anything Android and the hardware that it runs on. So far you’ve seen what the $250 devices gets you, a full featured, beautiful color screen eBook reader powered by Android 2.1. It was not days…


ToonCamera for iPhone/Touch Review

The iPhone 4 has a really good camera and it shoots HD video.  I have come to be pretty dependent on the phone as a camera device as well as my only video device.  I have collected quite an array of camera and video apps.  In fact, I have started my third folder full of photography apps.  One problem with these apps is that they rarely qualify in price for the Blue Plate Special.  I recently came across ToonCamera which happens to be a simple, yet fun app for both video and photos.  Let’s take a look. ToonCamera is exactly…


State of the eBook: 2010’s Legacy and 2011’s Future

It has been far too long since the last “State of the eBook” column, but life has been busy lately. However, my New Year’s resolution is to get back on track, and it seemed like a good way to start would be with a retrospective on 2010 and a look to what we might see in 2011! State of the eBook world at the end of 2010 Winners Kindle: It’s impossible not to include the Kindle on this list. Amazon has hung onto their marketshare and expanded onto Mac OS X, Blackberries and Android devices. Not to mention their existing…


Welcome to the Death Spiral of Borders

It’s harsh but there’s no other way to put it. News broke this afternoon that Borders is delaying payments to vendors, and is concerned if their creditors do not help with a restructuring that they’re going to run into a “liquidity shortfall”. In other words, there’s no money in the bank to pay anyone. When you’re a person, it makes you a deadbeat. When you’re a large company, it makes you very, very nervous. According to the Wall Street Journal: The nation’s second-largest bookstore chain by revenue, behind Barnes & Noble Inc., said the delays were part of its efforts…


Review: Aluratek Bump AMS01F MP3/FM Radio Boombox

Aluratek has brought out a cool little boom box that might just come in handy on your next camping trip.  Aluratek sent me one so I could play with it and see what makes it tick. Initially when I opened the box, I was expecting their AWS01F which includes a wireless speaker as well.  However when I opened it, the instruction book indicated it was the AMS01F.  The only difference between the two packages is the wireless speaker.  Otherwise the rest of it is the same. The first thing you have to do is charge the radio up.  You simply…


Mobile Phone Accessory Review: the Oberon Design Cell Phone Sleeve

It’s not very often that I can get excited about a universally fitting mobile phone sleeve, mainly because most of the ones I’ve reviewed in the past were pretty utilitarian. But when I received an email from Oberon Design, the company responsible for some of my favorite Kindle2, Kindle DX and iPad cases ever, asking if I’d like to review their new cell phone sleeve, I was happy to oblige. Our cell phone sleeve is offered in twelve cropped versions of our most popular designs and accommodates many different smart phones and regular cell phones. As in the past, the…


Solar System for iPad Review

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the iPhone 4 version of The Elements, a book/media/textbook/app that describes and demonstrates the Periodic Table of the Elements (with pictures of examples that could be manipulated). I loved it. In fact, I ended up absorbed in it so much that it put me behind on other reviews, because I had to tell you all about it. Now the same development company, TouchPress (Get it? It’s on iOS, so you can “touch” and “press” the app, but it’s also a publishing company, so “press” has a…


iPad Accessory Review: EFO iPad Bluetooth Keyboard with Folding Case

One of my favorite gadgets of not only this year, but also all time is the iPad.  The hardware is elegant and the technology is amazing and cutting edge.  There are some limitations or concessions that must be made using the iPad instead of a conventional computer.  One of the main changes is the use of the software keyboard.  We have all learned to use software keyboards and I actually prefer them on a phone.  The iPad is somewhat different since it is able to be used for tasks commonly performed on a laptop or desktop computer.  Several options are…


2011 Volvo S60 AWD Best Yet

When looking back on the list of cars I have driven this year there are a few that resonate driving enjoyment and would be nameplates I would like to see in my own driveway permanently. One of the biggest surprises was a Volvo – yes, I said Volvo. The new S60 sedan, delivered to me in All-Wheel Drive form, stood out enough to best the likes of BMW 3-series’ and Infiniti G. And while delivering one of the best-looking products in quite a long time, safety does not take a back seat with the new model. As Volvo has slowly…


New iPad??? Read This!!!

The iPad-train just keeps on rolling. There’s no question it was the “hot gift” this season and as more and more people get their hands on the “wonder tablet” and discover all it can do the momentum will just continue to build. My own circle has seen numerous iPads make their appearance in recent weeks. My niece and nephew got one from their grandmother. (My nephew emailed this morning “Uncle Dan, we’re at the airport and I’m emailing you from my iPad using Dragon Dictation!!!” Love that!) Their grandmother (my mom) just asked me to pick one up for her….


CES, a Scottevest No Baggage Challenge 4 Charity and the Haiti Plunge

Yes, Larry and I are headed to CES on Monday as part of a Scottevest No Baggage Challenge for Charity. We discuss how this came about on the next Gear Chat Podcast but I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about who this NBC for Charity will benefit since, after all, this is a Charity Challenge. As part of the Challenge Scott Jordan, founder and CEO of Scottevest will be making a donation. You all are invited to step in and help as well. All the money raised will support The Haiti Plunge and help build a road…


iPad Accessory Review: Revena’s ELEMENTS AXIS Mounting System and iPad Accessories

When I first caught wind of Revena’s ELEMENTS AXIS system for the iPad I was intrigued. Rather than having a case, a stand, a wall-mount and a car mount the system gives you all of them in a totally integrated package. You get one shell/case and then can use the iPad on a desk, on a wall or in the car. It looked neat and I was thrilled when the company sent one out for review. You can buy each piece separately or buy a packaged system; so let’s take a look at each piece of the system and the…


MacBook Accessory Review- Rain Design mStand for MacBook

For the last few years I’ve had a large iMac sitting on my home desk. It’s been my main computer since shortly after I got my first iPhone. Initially I had a 20 inch iMac but eventually I upgraded to a 27 inch dual core iMac with eight gigabytes of RAM. It was an impressive computer to say the least. The screen was big and beautiful and although it wasn’t one of the new quad-core versions of the all-in-one computer it had plenty of speed. The 1 TB hard drive didn’t hurt either. Yes, it did make a bit of…


Review: emWave Desktop

Christmas time can be an incredibly stressful time of year. Some of the reasons for this stree may be seeing family you haven’t seen in a year.  Or perhaps facing a long drive with a car full of kids.  Or even the stress of finding the perfect gift for that hard to buy for loved one.  We all need a way to de-stress.  Emwave sent me their desktop software to test.  Will it help? HeartMath’s emWave Desktop is a desktop version of the portable heart math tool.  Heart Math or heart coherence is a technique that many have proclaimed helps reduce stress…


Gear Chat #19: The Gear Diary CES Edition of the Scottevest No Baggage Challenge for Charity

Larry and Dan are headed to CES on Monday along with Judie, Kevin and Francis. We, however, are going as part of a Scottevest No Baggage Challenge for Charity. In this Gear Chat we’ll discuss how this came about. This IS a No Baggage Challenge for Charity, and donations will be going to the Haiti Plunge. As part of the Challenge, Scott Jordan, founder and CEO of Scottevest will be making a donation, and we’d like to invite you all to step in and help as well. All the money raised will support The Haiti Plunge and help build a…


BottomsUP Beer Might Be the Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Seen

A company called GrinOn Industries has created one of the coolest beverage accessories I’ve ever seen.  They’ve designed and fabricated what they call the “Bottoms Up Draft Beer Dispensing System.”  The  proprietary Bottoms Up Dispensing System is the fastest dispensing system in the world and fills at a rate of up to nine times that of traditional beer taps. The system isn’t only a marvel to watch but it’s pretty cost-effective too.  The company claims because of its super fast delivery speed (videos on their web site show them pouring off up to 56 beers in a minute) that it…


CuffLink iPhone Wrist Band Takes the iPod on Your Wrist Too Far

Some of the iPod Nano 6G watch bands look pretty cool. The TikTok and the LunaTik, both Kickstarter projects, have seen a tremendous amount of support and more importantly capital to begin production. However, this iPhone band is just taking things a little too far. Over at Kickstarter the band, named the CuffLink, is in need of backers.  The designer is looking to raise $10,000 of capital so she can begun production. The CuffLink will retail for $34.95 and come in a variety of colors. Here’s what it’s designer has to say about it. Hi, I’m Zenda Snyder and thanks…


Gear Gadget Review: Veebeam Set-Top Box Lets You Stream Content from Computer to TV

Imagine if you could simply tap a button and both the audio and the video loaded on your laptop or desktop could be sent to your large HDTV? Sure, Apple’s AirPlay has brought us partly there. In fact, just the other night I wanted to watch a movie I had rented on my iPad and decided to view it on my large Samsung TV instead. I started the movie on my iPad, tapped the AirPlay button and, within a few seconds, it was being streamed from my iPad to my Apple TV to my HDTV. It works seamlessly. The only…


iPad Accessory Review: Revena’s ELEMENTS EXECUTIVE FOLIO Plus

Since I got my iPad last spring I have increasingly moved toward working in a “paperless mode”. In fact, a few days ago I needed to write something down with a pen and it took me a good few minutes to find one to use. I am not, of course, in the majority. I know that most of the people who have iPads are not using them to displace pen and paper or reading “dead tree” books and magazines. For most people the iPad is another layer on top of the way they’ve worked previously. That’s where a case such…


Samsung Galaxy Tab Case Review: Snap-On Protective Leather Case

When I’m at home I prefer to use my Galaxy Tab in the sleekest, slimmest, most lightweight form I can manage. However, I’m also a realist. With three small girls around and a dog my Tab needs some sort of protection. I keep an anti-fingerprint screen shield on the front and have been using the Snap-On Protective Leather Case on the back. This case comes in two leather color variations. The tan color I’m personally using as well as black. I choose the tan color, which reminds me of a baseball glove, because it’s just different. I’ve got so many…