January 2011

2010 – The Year Music Went Pop and Rock Went Poof!

I had already started a post about the numbers showing just how badly live rock music did in 2010, and then analysts started tearing apart the top-selling music charts for the year and found some similar trends. I know, I know, rock is dead … long live rock! But given that the rock industry is very much powered by money, unlike the niche folk / jazz / classical markets which have gotten by on scant scraps for decades, these recent developments are a definite concern. In his article called Rock and Roll (1949-2011), Marc Myers says: According to an article…

News

The Internet Needs to Get a Sense of Humor … LOL

All over the internet yesterday there were mentions of Kanye West tweeting the above in reaction to Britney Spears new single “Hold It Against Me” holding the #1 spot on the pop charts this week. OK … now most normal people, regardless of their opinion of Kanye West (I think he is arrogant, self-important, self-absorbed and with way too high an opinion of his skills) should recognize this as a joke based on his now infamous rude upstaging of Taylor Swift at some generic awards show I can’t recall. Yet all over the place folks are getting their knickers in…

Gear Bits, Reviews

iMainGo Portable Speaker Systems More Than Just Portable

Portable Sound Labsis the company behind iMainGo, a portable external speaker kit for your portable device such as an iPhone or touch. They sent me a test unit quite some time ago ,and somehow it made its way into the back of the closet. Since that time they have released an updated iMainGo 2 and now the iMainGo X for more lifestyle integration. So, why my oversight? To be honest, I do not lead that portable of a lifestyle. Mine is more mobile – actually mostly mobile. When I am not test-driving new cars I am driving a fleet vehicle…

News

Extreme Fanboy (and Fangirl) Alert: Jedi Junkies Now on DVD!

I have written quite a bit about Star Wars, from games to movies to analysis of the prequels. And while I am a fan of the franchise, I would certainly not consider myself a fanboy. And certainly not an ‘extreme fanboy’. But I just got an email about the release of a DVD called ‘Jedi Junkies’, which chronicles some epic fans in their pursuits related to the film franchise. Here are some details: JEDI JUNKIES, the first documentary about extreme Star Wars fans, is now available on DVD effective TODAY, on Amazon. This fun, affectionate documentary profiles some of the…

News

The Real Crime of Wikileaks? Double Spaces Between Sentences!

A few weeks ago I saw a discussion online in a forum about whether you should use one space or two after a period before starting a new sentence. Apparently some folks felt very strongly that one was correct and two was wrong, while others felt very strongly that two was correct and two was wrong, and still others felt very strongly that the other two groups were getting seriously worked up over nothing. But in that same thread today someone pointed out an article at Slate that takes the issue to a whole new level. Here’s a fellow (Julian…

Events, News

CES Snippets- Yurbuds- Sound Great, Stay In

One of the great things about CES events such as Pepcom’s ShowStoppers is that you never know what you might discover at one booth or another. This was certainly the case this year when I stumbled upon YurBuds. Perhaps it should not be such a surprise since the earphones have been selling well at BestBuy in recent months. This graph shows just how well they have done… Still, when I first met YurBuds the year before they were simply molds that snapped over your existing earphones. They were kinda silly looking, weren’t all that comfortable and, at least in my…

Events, Gear Bits

Veruca Salt Had It Right!!!

Gear Diary, Today I was going through some of the pictures Francis took while we were at CES 2011 last week and I came upon one that captures the two words we “instant gratification-loving” tech bloggers like most…

News

PocketLabworks To Release iRiffPort Taking Mobile Guitar To The Next Level

I have several iPhone/iPad to guitar interface hardware products. All of them work well and allow players to use their IOS device to plug in a guitar and add effects. The products are awesome for practice, but the sound quality probably is not good enough for recording or true performances. PocketLabworks is planning on releasing some hardware designed to improve the audio quality while using an IOS device for the guitar. About iRiffPortTM 24 bit Digital Audio Guitar Interface for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad PocketAmp and PocketGK work with several adaptors listed on our website. However, iRiffPort offers the…

Events, News

CES Snippets- Ooma Updates Mobile Calling

My home telephone is now free thanks to Ooma, the company that advertises that you can buy their hardware once and get free calling for the life of the system. It is a bold promise and… It delivers. I switched to Ooma over two years ago when I bought one of their original systems, and have not looked back. Better still, for a few dollars a month you can subscribe to Ooma Premier and get a host of extra features — and get Ooma To Go for your handheld device. While we were are CES the Ooma booth was packed….

News

Sena Keyboard Folio Now Shipping

It was a good number of months ago that the market seemed to suddenly become flooded with various keyboard/cases for the iPad. It really was something to see. One there were none and the next there were tons of from which to choose. Many of my iPad-loving friends and colleagues immediately grabbed one… Or three. I waited. I waited because these cases were running north of $75 and I wanted to lay out my money for one that would not only work well but that I WANTED to carry. I was thrilled to see that Sena, one of my favorite…

News

Astrological Signs Hit Their 5,000 Year Recalculation

I always thought of astrology as a fairly fixed field of “study”. If you were born between certain dates, then you were born under a certain sign. As it turns out, astrology is heavily influenced by astronomy, and therefore as the earth spins the astrological calculations may need adjustments. The upshot: every 5,000 years or so your sign may need changing! I wonder if there’s an astrological version of the oil change sticker; “Every 5,000 years or 35,000,000 earth rotations, please recalculate Astrological chart” If you’re wondering if you are now under a new constellation, here’s the breakdown: NEW ZODIAC…

Events

CES: Meeting with Timbuk2

At CES we met with one of our favorite gadget bag companies, Timbuk2. While with them, we got to see some of the bags and accessories they’ll be introducing this year. Not surprisingly, we were impressed with the continuing evolution and utility of their designs. We have reviewed several of Timbuk2’s bags over the years, and we were impressed anew by the design and quality of the bags being shown. Among the bags they will have coming out this year is the upcoming Command ($130, shown above). The Command won a CES Innovation award, and it is TSA-compliant so that…

Events, News

iGrill Wins 6th Annual Bluetooth SIG Best of CES 2011 Awards – Best New Product

I know most of you are stuck inside looking out at the snow. If you like to BBQ, your pit is probably frozen in a drift of snow right now. One thing great about living in Texas is the fact that I can BBQ almost anytime of the year. In fact, last night I grilled steaks and Brats. Maybe that is why Texas has the best BBQ! As a dedicated griller, the idea of joining two of my favorite hobbies, the barbecue pit and my IOS devices sounds like an amazing idea. The iGrill does just that, allowing all of…

Editorials, Events, How to Do It Yourself!

Surviving My First CES Experience: Learned Some New Rules of Engagement

As I sat in my hotel room waiting for my flight home, I had some time to reflect back on my first CES experience. CES for me was as amazing as I ever imagined it would be. More than anything though, it also prepared me for my trip back in 2012. I thought I might write something up that would give you an idea of what it was like and how to prepare yourself. Now that the show is open to the industry as well as the vendors, bloggers, and manufacturers, some simple preparation can maximize your time and coverage…

News

New Mobile App Transforms Guitar Players into a Rock Prodigy

I cannot describe how exciting it is to see the advancements for guitar players on IOS devices. Changes are coming so fast, they are difficult to keep up with. My good friend Travis has recently picked up the guitar and I am assisting in his learning. His iPhone is playing a vital role in his guitar education. Rock Prodigy is one of the newest methods of honing your skills. Using your actual guitar, the app will even score your playing making each song better knowing what mistakes were made. I hope to take a good look at the app very…

Game Diary, Reviews

Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge for iPhone/Touch Review

My good friend and combat hero, Travis and I were watching the Military Channel yesterday when we saw a commercial for a new version of the Cannon Challenge game. Before purchasing, we decided to download and play the older, free version of the game. Travis is a full iPhone and soon to be Mac convert so I like to send plenty of ideas for apps and games. Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge is the perfect game considering we were watching similar subject matter. Let’s take a quick look. Cannon Challenge allows players to take control of their very own NLOS cannon. …

Game Diary, Reviews

Wii Game Review: Hasbro Family Game Night 3

Over Thanksgiving my wife’s sister and her family visited, with kids in their early 20’s, nearly a decade older than ours. Yet when the eight of us sat around the kitchen table playing Apples to Apples, all differences disappeared and we had an absolute blast. So when we went to visit them for Christmas, I brought along the Wii version of Hasbro Family Game Night 3 to see if we could have a similar night of fun. The Hype: Hasbro Family Game Night 3 is a classic board game compilation for Wii that allows players both new and an experienced…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Reviews: All New Stuff Only!

Recently I have been mixing in reissues with new releases in these review articles … but this time around there is just way too much new stuff to step back in time. But don’t worry, I’ll be doing a separate look at some re-releases … and a separate look at some late 2010 pop & rock stuff … and also a focus article on a couple of truly superlative recent releases! Another thing – in the past I have tended to simply list the reviews randomly … but no more. You can be assured that if a CD is first…

News

Rumor: iOS 4.3 to Solve ‘Rotation Lock-Gate’?

About six weeks ago we had a GearChat on ‘Rotation LockGate’, which discussed the change Apple made in the behavior of the side switch from rotation lock to mute switch. I voiced my displeasure about the lack of ANY communication from Apple, and also the inefficiency of the ‘work-around’, saying: As for the difference in action, there are *FOUR* extra steps now: before you slid a switch and were done. Now: double tap home, slide at least one time to the left, tap the unlabeled orientation icon, and then click home again to get back to what you were doing….

News

Toe Salad, a Social and Review Site for Minimal Running!

It’s no secret that some of us at Gear Diary are big fans of shoes like Vibram Five Fingers. But VFFs are far from the only minimalist shoes available! These days it seems like every major running company has a minimal shoe in their lineup, and there are dozens of small shoemakers all trying to carve out a place in this new niche. Unfortunately, unless you’re lucky enough to live near a major city or a very progressive running store, you need to turn to the internet to figure out what shoe might work for your minimal running adventures. It…

Events, News

CES 2011- Livescribe Smartpens Strike the Right Note

The most wasteful time Judie and I spent at CES was the hour and a half we had at the Casio Press Conference. They really had nothing of substance to show us yet they made it out to be a huge deal.Yes, it wasted our time but, more than that, the hyperbole they used in their ridiculous attempt to make it look like there WAS something to share was insulting. (At least we got a post out of it…) 🙂 When I had a chance to meet with Jody Farrar and Andy Van Scaack, some of the representatives from Livescribe,…

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