Archive | November, 2011

Mophie and Rocketfish (Best Buy) Issue External Battery Pack Recalls

Two recalls just crossed my inbox; these may be products that you all own, so please check: The first item is the Mophie iPod Touch Rechargeable External Battery Case (shown above); it’s being recalled due to a burn hazard. If you have one of these, check to see if your serial number  has the first five alphanumeric [...]

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The Gammatech’s U12C Durabook Review

It takes a certain type of laptop to stand up to certain jobs. Most laptops find comfort on a desk, in a padded bag, or possibly in the local coffee shop around the corner. Gammatech sent me a laptop suited perfectly for all those tasks and a whole lot more. Usually the worst that happens [...]

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Gamer Banned for Using ‘Inappropriate Language’ in Forum Tamer Than What Is in the Actual Game!

Early this year I wrote about two separate incidents of gamers being banned from playing games based on comments made in separately housed gaming forums – the first was about someone banned for upsetting a forum moderator by asking “Have you (Bioware) sold your souls to the EA devil?”. At the time EA claimed it [...]

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Smoke Like a Pro with the Peg Leg Porker BBQ Kit

I’ve loved pork for a long time – waaay before the hipsters made bacon worship popular. One of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday afternoon is to put a pork butt on the smoker first thing in the morning and watch college football all day while the meat soaks up the hickory goodness. Since [...]

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Tiny Homes for People Who Know That Less Can Be More

When I lived in San Angelo, I had a home that was almost 3,000 square feet including the garage apartment. My daughter and I were the only two people living there, and on more than one occasion I remarked that the only rooms we really needed were the kitchen, our bedrooms and my office – [...]

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Music Diary Notes: Elvis Costello Says ‘Don’t Buy My Record’

Given how accustomed we have become to pop music stars going anywhere and doing anything to practically beg us to buy their stuff, this announcement from ElvisCostello.com is certainly surprising. Here is the initial post from Elvis: “Let’s make things sparkling clear” We at www.elviscostello.com find ourselves unable to recommend “The Return Of The Spectacular [...]

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Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse Review

Mice seem to be ubiquitous.  Everyone has one.  Not many people even consider buying one that didn’t come with their computer while some are fanatical about the mice they use.  I tend to be one of the former.  As long as it has a scroll wheel I am usually happy, but now I have a new [...]

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Quick Look: Belkin Travel Router

This year Gear Diary’s CES base will be a suite at the MGM Grand. All of us will be bunking together which means we will be able to get even more writing done early in the morning or late at night. Of course that presumes we have the wireless connectivity to go online and post. [...]

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Holiday Gift Guide: Odds and Ends for the Still Undecided

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Here are a few more great gift ideas. Keep your iPad safe with the Kensington SecureBack™ Security Case with 2-Way Stand & ClickSafe Lock Anyone who owns an iPad will appreciate extra peace of mind for his or her beloved tablet’s security. Surprise the iPad aficionado on your [...]

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Amazon Releases First Kindle Fire Firmware Update

It has been two weeks since the Kindle Fire stormed on to the market, with loads of pre-orders fueling an extremely successful Holiday period for the product. I am still finishing up my review, and Dan has already sent his back … and last night Amazon released the first firmware update for the Fire. Here [...]

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Can’t Burn This – Fahrenheit 451 Released as a 50th Anniversary eBook!

I have always loved Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and introduced my kids to the book as well as the 1966 movie (free to stream on Netflix or Amazon with accounts). Now for the 50th anniversary of the classic novel, Bradbury has finally relented and allowed for an eBook release. From the LA Times: Simon & [...]

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A Reminder That Our Only Freedoms Are the Ones We Fight For

I doubt that anyone would seriously debate that we have lost significant freedoms in this country over the last decade, though it is generally presented with a caveat that what has changed was needed for enhanced security. Sometimes this is true, other times it is for the appearance of greater security, and other times it [...]

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Slacker Radio Now Playing on Sonos, Sonos Now Playing on Android Tablets

Have I mentioned how much I love my Sonos system? (I have? More than once? Oh, right.) I really do love it. Sonos lets me have my music in a variety of different rooms or in all my rooms and it lets me listen to my music collection, Pandora, RDIO and more. As of today [...]

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Twilight Versus Star Wars, Feminist Style

I’ll admit, I saw “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”. Mainly it was so I could laugh at how campy it was, but I think years of watching “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” have given me a soft spot for vampire tales as a whole. And yes, I’m 99% sure my women’s studies degree dug itself out [...]

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Twelve South Bass Jump 2 Portable Subwoofer for MacBook Review

The MacBook air isn’t designed to be an entertainment device. The anemic speakers on it make that point quite clearly. Sure, they work well enough, but I would be hard-pressed to call them anything more than functional. The speakers on the iMac are far better but even they still fall a bit short. That’s where [...]

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Swann HD PenCam Lets Dad Feel Like a Secret Agent

The Swann HD PenCam Mini 720p Video Camera and Recorder will let dad feel like a super agent man. The [...]

Live Score Tennis for iOS Ready for the 2013 French Open

For you tennis aficionados out there, the 2013 French Open is nearly upon us, and if you are gainfully employed [...]

Sony NEX-6 Smart Remote Control in 90 Seconds

I upgraded my camera to the Sony NEX-6 today, and I am already loving it. At $899 for the body [...]

Budd Coates Teaches ‘Running On Air’ – The Monday Mile

Running on Air

I remember being about 20 miles into my first marathon, and the pacer making a very big deal about breathing [...]

Kinivo BTX350 Digital Wireless Speaker Review

I’m a big fan of Bluetooth enabled, wireless speakers in this age of cell phones, tablets, and computers.  We’re always [...]

Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition Amazon Exclusive Deals

EA Sports, Amazon, and DirecTV have released details on great deals included in the upcoming limited-edition version of the Madden [...]