April 2011

2011 Chevrolet Cruze a ‘Sound’ Choice

Last summer we got our first drives in the all-new Chevrolet Cruze. Recently we spent a week behind the wheel of a 2LT RS model with the new turbocharged 1.4-liter inline four-banger. (The base engine for American Cruze models is a 1.8-liter producing the same horsepower – 138 – and both are backed by six speed manual or automatic transmissions.) Our tester had the automatic gearbox connected to front drive underpinnings and we found the turbo 1.4 quite satisfactory in rural and urban driving conditions with minimal noise, vibration or harshness transferred to the passenger compartment. Despite being called a…


GD QuickRant: TSA Redefines Terrorism …

Image courtesy of IVCaffeine … To Include Being Unhappy With Their Unconstitutional Screening Practices. Over at CNN there is an article that highlights a recent move by the TSA to categorize profiling of those who are unhappy with the potential added security screening as ‘potential threats’. There is also a video report. Here are a couple of quotes: the TSA‘s crack behavior detection officers are now on the lookout for “anyone who displays arrogance or expresses contempt for the screening process.” Why? Because scientific anti-terror detection techniques have now apparently revealed that complaining about poor treatment from airport security indicates…


ArchPort YogiStash Flip Flops Sport a Light, a Bottle Opener, and It Can Carry More!

When you are at the beach, there are only so many places that you can tuck an ID card or some spare cash; keeping a bottle opener handy can be a chore as well …. but no more! Here to help is the ArchPort YogiStash, a flip-flop with a stash compartment just under the arch. Available in blue or gray and in sizes that will fit most men and women, the YogiStash retails for $54.95 — about on par with other popular flip-flops without all the extras. These look like the pair to bring when you are trekking around on…


Movie Ages

While quoting lines from movies is as old as the ‘talkies’ themselves, over the last few decades movies have become so ingrained in our cultural fabric that they have become part of our identity. My family uses lines from Airplane!, Star Wars, Monty Python and many, many more on a regular basis. So I thought this comic was really cool … and a bit scary. It is best if you read from top to bottom … especially if you are over 35! Source: xkcd


A Marriage Statistic

Note that the above chart is missing one key slice. In 2004, Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage. No World Wars or other disasters befell the state, but the Red Sox won the World Series! So remember, in the event of same-sex marriage, two people get married AND long-standing bad sports curses break. Win-win! (And that really is the most exciting thing that happens. As Dan loves pointing out, Sarah and I are just as boring as every other couple!) Via Good.is


Mobile Computing as It Was Meant to Be

  I can think of far worse work stations than this! Take one gorgeous spring day, an 11″ MacBook Air and Rain Design’s awesome laptop stand and you get one rather nice place to work. Elana has never raved about a computer as much as she does her 11″ MBA and being able to edit a business proposal for someone while looking out at the lake is pretty darn nice! I think THIS is what mobile computing was made for! 🙂 And speaking of mobile computing… Posted from my RIM Playbook!


Music Diary Songs of Note: Beastie Boys ‘Make Some Noise’

The Beastie Boys landed on the scene in the late 80’s with a massive boom, as their ‘Fight for your right’ became an MTV mainstay after it was released in late 1986 and the song remains fresh and popular today. The Beasties have scored loads of hits and stayed on top of the cross-over rap/rock game for the last 25 years with a fresh and light approach. In early May their latest effort – Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2 – will be released, marking their first new material in several years, and their first release since MCA underwent surgery for…


Gear Games Update: Playstation Network / Qriocity User Data Compromised

Yesterday I wrote about the ‘ongoing PSN outage saga’. Today things get worse. Sony has confirmed what all users feared – personal user and account information has been compromised and ‘may’ have been stolen. Here is the full text of a message I got and that every PSN and Qriocity member will get: Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer: We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have: Temporarily turned off…


Seriously, the White iPhone 4??? Who Cares!?

I know I’ll likely get flamed in the comments below but I don’t really care; not when it comes to the reason for this post at least. Why? Because seriously I’m in a total quandry about this and I would LOVE your help in understanding it. My question: WHO CARES ABOUT THE WHITE IPHONE???? Seriously. Who cares about an almost year-old design in a color that will show smudges and dirt better than just about anything other than smudges and dirt?? Who wants to pay full price or get locked into a 2-year contract when the device is now moving…


Randomly Tragic: 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Tragedy

Even after three years in New York I still keep up with the Boston Globe via their website, and today they have a short article that really caught my eye marking the 25th anniversary of the explosion that created the worst nuclear disaster in history – April 26, 1986. But what really struck me was the images: 34 images that show the ghost town of Pripyat in the shadow of the nuclear plant, as well as outlying areas. An area twice the size of New York state was contaminated, with a 19 mile exclusion zone set. From the article: On…


Apple is #1 in Global Handset Revenue

While there is a lot of talk about Android and how dominant a force it is in smartphones (hey, I love mine!), there is one thing people sometimes seem to forget: Android isn’t a phone. So while the Android OS is doing very well and some of the handset makers are also doing well, there is one company who makes a single phone on two carriers that is beating all of them – including the former #1 handset maker Nokia! That company is Apple. Here is some of the press release: Apple Inc. overtook Finland’s Nokia Corp. to claim the…


The Revolution is Televised … But Will it be Subsidized?

Last year chef Jamie Oliver made a big splash by heading into a small school district in West Virginia and looking at what the kids were being fed … and then tracking back to homes and seeing the source of the issues. While our own kids are not overweight, several of their friends are (and there are some kids – girls in particular – with fed issues of different types) so it was a great discussion. It turns out that the food choices our kids have might be somewhat better than those in the West Virginia school system shown, but…


Unruly Cables and Cords? Take Two Apple(cores) and Call Me In the Morning

Cords are a pain. Seriously. They are a royal pain. You got your headphone cords.  You got your sync cords. You got your power cords.  You got your… Never mind, you get the idea. The list goes on and on. Well here is one solution that is inexpensive, effective and a lot of fun too. The Applecore is a simple system for getting your cords in line. They come in small, medium and large so that headphones, sync and computer cables and power cords can all be effectively tamed. Better still they comes in a variety of colors. AND, and…


Review: Samson Meteor Mic

About two weeks ago Thomas mentioned a brand-new microphone that was about to be released, the Sampson Meteor Mic. He told me that it not only had a great look to it but that all reports indicated it worked beautifully. It was small, easily transportable thanks to its fold up design, and it looked pretty cool. Most importantly it apparently offered excellent sound quality. I told him I’d have to look into it. I was fortunate enough to have a review unit waiting for me just two days later. I’ve been using it ever since and have been incredibly impressed…


A Quick Chuckle from Elana’s Uncle

  You know those jokes that your Aunt Gertrude likes to send? The ones that come with 9000 other email addresses in the To: line since she doesn’t know how to use the BCC line and be respectful of others privacy? Well sometimes they are actually kinda funny. Like this one… Here is the proof that we have become too dependent on our computers: Question: Are you Male or female? To find out the answer, Look down… — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —…


HDSLR, Part 3: Enter the new Nikon D5100

In part two of this series on using DSLR cameras for capturing high-definition video I teased to the new D5100 camera coming from Nikon. It’s here … and my favorite little camera store here in Dallas had one. Now it’s mine. What drew me to the new unit is the variable-angle LCD monitor which will make shooting my own stand-ups a snap. And the introduction of full-time-servo autofocus (AF-F) to the HDSLR line when capturing video. The D5100 loses the additional memory card slot that the D7000 has and overall it is a smaller and lighter camera than the D7000….


The Cruel March of Technology

I tend to keep my Mac laptops for two ‘generations’, which allows me to extract maximum value from them in terms of return on investment before trading them in or selling them. At that point there is still solid performance and decent value remaining. When the iPad 2 launch was approaching, I decided to look at the possibility of trading in my 2008 Macbook Pro. Lately I have used Gazelle, as they give a reasonable value and their process is so quick and painless that it is worth taking a little bit less because of the time savings. But as…


Skooba Design Harmony 15″ Tote Review

My office is business formal attire, which means men wear suits and ties and women wear pantsuits/skirt suits. However, men have a leg up here, since men’s suits typically have pockets big enough to hold wallet, keys, etc. Women’s suits, not so much. Apparently, we’re only going to keep the world’s tiniest stick of gum in there. In any case, this means it’s always key to have a nice bag with you at all times. Do you opt for a small purse plus a briefcase, or do you find a bag that’s stylish enough for everyday carrying but roomy and…


iWatchz Straps Make Mom’s iPod Nano a Fashionable Watch

One of the coolest things about the 6th generation Apple iPod nano is how it can be attached to a strap, transforming it into a watch with benefits. Dan has covered many of the available straps here previously, but these by iWatchz look so fun and colorful that they are worth mentioning for anyone who is looking for a colorful Mother’s Day surprise, a gift for a grad, or simply a cool way to wear their own nano. iWatchz is introducing their new alligator print Timepiece Collection and the Carbon Collection, but I still think their colored rubber ones are…


Help Wanted: Gear Diary Contributors

We would like to add a few new Gear Diary Contributors… You don’t have to have prior writing experience, and you don’t have to have an English degree; the main requirements are that you have an outspoken passion for technology, that you be able to explain sometimes complicated concepts (or products) in language that everyone can understand, that you know how to use spell check, and that you be able to make a deadline. The hours are terrible, the pay is non-existent, and you would have to be absolutely crazy to submit to this torture. But the payoff (assuming that…


Take Off With the Jetlev R200 Flyer Jetpack

So tomorrow there are a number of us who will be excitedly pre-ordering the HTC Flyer Android Tablet. But that’s tomorrow, and it is a whole day away. In the meantime there is another flyer worth a look, although it costs a heck of a lot more. The Jetlev R200 Flyer is a Jetpack that makes personal flight a reality. The device uses pressurized water to levitate the pack and it’s “driver” and go vertical or horizontal. At close to 100K it is a luxury for people who live lives of super luxury but who knows, in a couple of…