April 2012

50 Cent’s SMS Audio Releases STREET by 50 In-Ear Wired Headphones

It’s always interesting to see which celebrities will put their name on a particular product, but it’s even more interesting when a celebrity decides that rather than put his name on a product, he’ll just create his own company. That’s what 50 did; he is the CEO of SMS Audio, and every product they produce is designed so that his “fans [can] hear my music the way it was intended – the way it was mastered in the studio.” Well, then. – Professionally tuned 11mm driver – Crystal clear sound – Ergonomically designed- Apple® control mic with volume control – Reinforced…

How to Do It Yourself!

How to Get a Ham Radio License

After my last ham radio post, one of the first things I wanted to write about is how you can get your Amateur Radio License. Well, it’s not as difficult now as it used to be. When I last tested to get my General Class license, I had to be able to receive Morse Code at 13 words per minute. Not long ago, the FCC and agencies in other countries removed this as a requirement for any class of license, so now all you have to do is pass one to three theory exams depending on what class license you want to…

Gear Bits, News

SAS Brings Hardcore Statstical Graphing to the iPad with JMP Graph Builder

If you ask a statistician with an iPad what app they would love, chances are you would hear ‘a mobile version of R, Minitab or JMP’. We know the folks at R have wanted to do so, but their command-driven interface and GNU license are at odds with Apple policy. And while there is nothing forthcoming from Minitab (who don’t even have a Mac version), today we got a new and powerful tool for interactive data analysis on the iPad – JMP Graph Builder. Here is the basic description: Analysis on the go. Graphs at your fingertips. JMP Graph Builder…

News

GE Releases the X400 Digital Camera

GE’s X400 digital camera is now available. It brings power and performance at an incredibly affordable price that is below $130. It has a 2.7″ LCD screen, a 15X optical zoom, a 27mm wide-angle lens and offers an impressive 14 megapixels. The camera also offers over 20 unique shooting modes and a “high dynamic range, which adjusts light exposure for more detail in both light and dark scenes”. Optical image stabilization is also present, helping to reduce blur and get you the best pictures possible. As Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of marketing and product planning, notes, We have seen phenomenal…

Gear Bits, News

Nyan Cat Gets an ‘Adventure’ for Its First Birthday

Hard to believe that the meme that is Nyan Cat is only one year old today! It is a sign of the fast-moving times that these things go from nothing to everywhere to nothing again so quickly! Here are the basics from Wikipedia: Nyan Cat is the name of a YouTube video uploaded in April 2011, which became an Internet meme. The video merged a Japanese pop song with an animated cartoon cat with the body of a Pop-Tart, flying through space, and leaving a rainbow trail behind it. The video ranked at number 5 on the list of most…

Events

Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE Event

I had the pleasure tonight of attending Sprint’s EVO 4G launch, their newest flagship phone. It runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a huge 4.7in screen and all the usual bells and whistles we have come to expect from a high-end Android phone (1.5ghz Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, NFC, a 2000mAh battery!) But this phone is special. Not only does it have a 720p screen, it has Beats Audio and something called HD Voice, which I think has the potential to truly be a killer feature. What is it? And why did it blow me away beyond anything…

News

DropcamHD is the Smallest WiFi Camera on the Market

I have been thinking about setting up some sort of wireless camera at my house to help monitor my home’s security. There’s a new one that will let my wife and I check in on our house at any time, right from our phones. DropcamHD promises easy setup and loads of features that makes it a really cool option. DropcamHD has a cloud based DVR and many features that may make it nice not just for security, but for other uses like monitoring your baby’s room. Oh, and they also say that DropcamHD is the smallest camera of its type…

Gear Bits

The Cure for a Bad Day

I had a bad day today. Nothing terrible, but it started with a dog that popped out of nowhere to harass me during my run, continued with me nearly falling over trying to avoid the dog, followed up with severe traffic on my way to work, and of course, computer problems in the office. Plus my ankle is a bit sore from the dog incident. Poor Sarah has gotten the bulk of my complaints about today, and when I got home from work she presented me with this list from Buzzfeed, “Thirteen Simple Steps To Get You Through A Rough…

Music Diary, News

David Lynch’s “Crazy Clown Time” Music Video Breaks Out the (NSFW) Crazy!

I have always been a big fan of filmmaker David Lynch, from Eraserhead to Blue Velvet to Twin Peaks and beyond, his imaginative visual style and remarkable storytelling has always been compelling. Recently he released an album called Crazy Clown Time, and now we have a music video for the title track – directed by Lynch himself of course! It contains semi-blocked nudity and loads of bizarre imagery. Enjoy.

Gear Bits

Amateur Radio Is Both a Hobby and a Service

I am almost embarrassed that I had not mentioned this earlier, but there is a hobby that I have been involved with in some form or another for almost 20 years — Amateur Radio. Amateur Radio which is otherwise known as ‘ham radio’ has been around since before most of us were born. It has roots in the 19th century; experimentation with radio started in 1888 with the likes of Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi. I first learned of this wonderful and rewarding hobby from my grandfather, who originally held the very same call sign I have today, W3RAZ. The whole time I knew my…

Music Diary, News

PropellerHead Releases ‘Figure’ Music Making Tool for iOS!

If you have been making music on computers for any amount of time, you shoud definitely know the company name PropellerHead. They make software such as Rebirth, Traktor, Reason, Thor and many others that have amassed a huge following amongst musicians. They have already brought Rebirth to iOS … and now they are bringing Figure, a tool for ‘instant musical inspiration’. Here is the description: Create an addictive beat before the next bus stop or lay down a beefy bass line while waiting in line at the bank. Figure will have you making music within seconds yet is deep enough…

News

Amazon Instant Video Lands on the Playstation 3!

One of the best things about the Kindle Fire and Roku for me is the Amazon Instant Video service tied in with my Amazon Prime membership. I love all of the available movies and shows, and made frequent use of them. Now Amazon is extending the reach of the service – to the Playstation 3! Here are some details: Good news — Prime Instant Video is now available on PlayStation 3. Since launching a year ago, we’ve more than tripled our library, including titles such as Sons of Anarchy, Downton Abbey, Lost, Glee, 24, Deadliest Catch, SpongeBob SquarePants, Office Space,…

Reviews

Nokia Lumia 900 First Look

During the first part of this year, Judie and I spent a fair bit of time using the HTC Titan Windows Phone. We were both surprised by much we like the device and even more surprised by how much we like the operating system. As devoted iOS users, we both have iPads and iPhones; we had also tried Android numerous times and were always disappointed. That wasn’t the case with the HTC Titan running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. In the year since we had initially tried WP, the operating system has matured significantly and the selection of available applications had…

News, Travel

Skooba Design’s New Security Brief Laptop Bags Works for All Travelers

If you travel a lot… or even a little, then you will want to check out Skooba Design’s new Checkthrough Security Brief bags. The bags are the next generation in Skooba’s line of Checkpoint-Friendly bags. Checkpoint-Friendly bags, something Skooba helped introduce to the marketplace, comply with TSA requirements and let you send the bag through airport screening without having to first remove the laptop. As Skooba Design explains, Aside from the obvious convenience of not having to remove the laptop, Checkpoint-Friendly bags help prevent damage, and minimize the chances that the laptop will be one of the tens of thousands lost…

Reviews

Mapi Cases Orion Case for iPhone Review

There are many, many cases available for the iPhone. Plastic in every form, color, and style. Bumpers, wallet-style, simple covers, and cases with stands built-in. Sometimes you want something a bit more classy, and that’s where leather cases make a great option. But what if you could combine the look and feel of a leather case with the flexibility of a case with a built-in stand? That’s where Mapi Cases Orion case shines! Is this the ultimate case for entertaining and professional iPhone use? Read on to find out! At first glance, the Orion looks like a simple leather case…

Editorials

Does iOS Need a User Interface Overhaul?

I posed a question to my fellow staff at Gear Diary, asking all iPhone users why Apple hasn’t really changed their UI since 2007. As a non iPhone user, my questions stemmed from a post that Carly had put up about her finding her original iPhone, when she posted a side by side of the home screens. Original iPhone (left) iPhone 4S (right) As an Android user, I enjoy changing up my home screen or theme on a weekly basis. That might seem a little excessive to some, but with so many cool launcher options, icons, and tweaks, I feel like…

Gear Bits

Louis Vuitton’s 13″ Laptop Sleeve Makes Me Very Glad That I Have an 11″ Laptop

… because otherwise I might be tempted to start saving for one. I stumbled across this monogram beauty while checking out the Louis Vuitton site today. Measuring 13.78 wide x 10.24″ tall x 1.57″ thick, it would be just the thing to carry a 13″ MacBook Pro in style. Luckily, my 11″ MacBook Air would positively rattle around inside, so I can’t even remotely be tempted by the golden brass double zipper closure, the cushy foam-lined and microfiber covered interior, or that it is also available in classic Damier (for a wee bit more). It also doesn’t matter to me…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Ristretto (New Version) review

There are a few companies that consistently impress me with the design, functionality and quality of their laptop and iPad bags. Tom Bihn is one of them and, with the recent release of the updated Ristretto bag for iPad, 11″ MacBook air and 13″ MBA they have, yet again, proven why they are such a great company. For the past few months my “go to” bag has been the Skooba Design V.3 Tablet Messenger. It is a great bag that I continue to use and enjoy. It holds my devices in “landscape” and, as I note in the review,…

Vehicles & Gear

Spring is (Always) in the Air in 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Ah, spring is in the air and for many our thoughts are turned towards taking short (or long) weekend getaways as we welcome back warmer weather, higher pollen counts (and fuel prices) – and top-down driving. Here in the sunbelt states we are already enjoying our first sunburn of the season but for those of you not fortunate enough to be shedding woolen attire yet I invite you to “cheat” convertible season a bit in the new Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster. The 2012 model year is the third-generation of the cute little hard-top convertible that I affectionately refer to as a…

Editorials

Adventures in Stupid Advertising Plays, Nokia Lumia 900 Edition

Nokia has just rolled out a new campaign for its Lumia 900. I am personally a bit disappointed in the company. Here’s why – The Lumia 900 is a fantastic phone. It looks and feels great in the hand, the screen is beautiful, it is sleek and attractive, and it’s running an operating system that is fantastic. Seriously, Windows phone operating system is pretty terrific. Nokia could have rolled out a series of advertisements focusing on all of those aspects of the phone. They could even have stressed the Carl Zeiss optics on the camera. Seriously, this is an amazing…

Reviews

Element Case Vapor Dock review

Does your iPhone NEED a dock? The short answer is, “No. No, you don’t need a dock for your iPhone.” After all, you can simply attach the sync/charge cable to it and you will be good to go. From there, your iPhone will charge or sync and be ready to go when you are. It will also get buried under papers, be crushed under the box that just came and crash to the ground when you go to grab something on the other side of the table and hit it in the process. On second thought, maybe you DO need a…

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