September 2012

Carry Speed DS-Slim Camera Sling Strap with D-1 Wide Platform Ballhead Review

Now that I have finally figured out a good approach to capturing audio when using my Canon T3i to shoot video, I absolutely love the camera. Sure, I’m still a novice, but I am learning and, in the process, I am having a blast. The more I shoot with it however, the more I find myself needing specific accessories to improve the experience of using the camera. Case in point- while I love my camera, I absolutely HATE the Canon shoulder strap that comes with it. The strap feels cheesy, isn’t comfortable when hanging on my next and it connects to…

Health and Fitness, Outdoors

The New Garmin ForeRunner 10 Prepares for the Wineglass Marathon!

I had posted about the Garmin ForeRunner 10 announcement previously, and we were expecting a review sample but had been notified that they were still waiting for stock before shipping. While acknowledging the message and thanking them for the update, I mentioned that it was too bad it wouldn’t arrive in time for the Wineglass Marathon I am running this weekend, but since I would be running a half-marathon in a month it was no big deal. Justin at Garmin got back to me quickly, saying that he would have one in my hands by Friday (yesterday) … just in time…

Game Diary, Reviews

Bad Piggies for iPhone Review

Type of app: iOS for iPhone Platform/where to buy: iTunes, App Store Developer: Rovio Entertainment LTD. Description (from the App Store): The Bad Piggies are after the eggs again — but as usual, nothing is going according to plan! Can you create the ultimate flying machine and steer them safely to their destination? Those tricky pigs have a few objects they can use, but they need your help to turn these into the perfect transportation! With more than 60 levels, and free updates coming up, you have hours and hours of pig-crashing, exploding, and flying fun! Get three stars on every level to unlock…

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Check Out This Cool Video of Roy Clark and Joe Pass Playing the Music of Hank Williams!

When I think of Roy Clark, I think first of Hee Haw, but also know that he is an amazing guitarist. Joe Pass is recognized as one of the all time greatest guitarists. In 1994, just before Pass died, the two teamed up to record a selection of music by Country legend Hank Williams. The results were a jazzy-country mix that showed off the great songs, and highlighted two excellent guitarists who played very well together and a rhythm section who could handle the cool stylistic mix. Check out the video! And if you let it play to the end…

Reviews

Monster Inspiration Active Noise-Canceling Headphones Review

What would it take to get you to spend $350 on a set of headphones? I’ve been asking myself that very question over the last two weeks, and I think I may finally have an answer. The question wouldn’t have even come up if I hadn’t been sent Monster’s newest Inspiration headphones, which — as you may have guessed — retail for that exact amount. all photos by Kevin Stanford I approached the package unwrapping with some trepidation … what if I liked them? Granted, these were sent to me as a review sample that I would be allowed to…

Gear Bits

Beer Goes Political

I love beer. Personally, my go-to choices are anything Sam Adams and Guinness. But really, if it’s not Budweiser or Coors, I will happily drink it. And while I have had many political conversations OVER beer, I have never politicized beer…but leave it to analysts to put together a graphic overlaying democrats/republicans/voting involvement and beer choice. Of course, this isn’t 100% accurate. After all, as I said above, I love Guinness and Sam Adams, which indicates I have a split political personality. The whole analysis is pretty neat, so be sure to check out the full article at National Journal….

News

iPhone 5 Plus NeatCloud Plus NeatMobile Helps Keep You Organized

As I work harder and harder to get away from using paper, I’m finding that a number of digital solutions are key to the process. For example, my iPad now lets me gather and read not only all my books but also many of the PDFs that I use. In fact, as Carly mentioned in a post last year, I use my iPad as my prayerbook when leading services. It’s convenient, it forces me to think through all of the specific cues beforehand (not that I wouldn’t anyway), and it’s easier on my damaged hands and wrists. This was the…

News

Skooba Design Offers New Products for Camera, Laptops and Cables; Pre-Order Now, Reviews Are Coming Soon!

Drawing on the same design cues we’ve seen in recent products, Skooba Design has just announced three new upcoming ways to carry, protect and organize your gear. It will, of course, come as no small surprise that we are looking forward to getting our hands on each. So what HAS Skooba rolled out? There’s the Photo/Tablet Traveler V.3. I’ve been doing a series of camera bag and case reviews and this looks like a great solution for carrying a lot of gear even when you want to travel light. Think of it as the amazing Laptop Weekender we’ve reviewed shrunk…

Health and Fitness

Is It More Expensive to Eat Better?

We have been pounding the drum of eating better for your health for a while here at Gear Diary. But Dan brought up an interesting point last week, one that gets tossed around as an excuse often: is it really cheaper to eat processed food options over fresh food you prepare yourself? I decided to do some comparison shopping this weekend, buying food for a typical day and comparing the prices for a pre-made, processed substitute meal. The results were …. read on to find out! Here was my “fresh” menu: Breakfast: Two eggs ($.22), one slice Canadian bacon($.36), and…

Music Diary, Reviews

Vinyl Re-Visions Looks at Steve Reich’s Different Trains (Classical, 1988)

Steve Reich – Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint There are a few pieces of music that absolutely stop me in my tracks; that no matter my mood or intent, if these come on I will listen without fail or interruption. One is Miles Davis’ song Bitches Brew from the album of the same name … another is Steve Reich’s composition Different Trains. This music is amazing on a number of levels that I will describe later, but it also has an emotional pull, as it integrates Reich’s experience as a Jew in America with family in Europe and his thoughts…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Ultra Thin Air iPhone 5 Case Video Review

I am a fan of Spigen SGP’s products. Their Glas.t screen protector was the first tempered glass protection I tried and I have an early sample on my iPhone 5 as I write this. They have some great cases on the way for the iPhone 5 too and I got my hands on a pre-release Ultra Thin Air for Apple’s latest phone. I love it! Here’s a video look… And here’s what the company has to say. SPIGEN SGP iPhone 5 case Ultra Thin Air Series is a hard case made of polycarbonate material. The durable, lightweight, and non-toxic qualities…

Reviews

New Potato TuneLink Home Wireless Streamer Review

Back in the spring of 2011, we reviewed New Potato’s TuneLink Auto Direct Connect Audio Solution for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (Read the review, here.) At the time it was the perfect solution for me since I didn’t have Bluetooth in my car; the TuneLink easily added streaming to it. I’ve since leased a car with all the bells and whistles and, as a result, I don’t need an after-market streaming solution. If you car doesn’t have Bluetooth you should check it out. It is simple to set up, it works great, and I really enjoyed my time using…

Reviews

Us + U Swivel ProFolio for iPad 2 and 3 Review

We reviewed the Us+U Simple Swivel for iPad 2 and 3 some months ago. (Read the review.) I concluded the review with this: I didn’t think I would be all too impressed by the Simple swivel. I was, I am, and I can strongly recommend it to anyone who needs to use their iPad while standing and/or walking around. No, it will not give you screen protection, but it will protect the rest of the device and hold on to you so you don’t hold onto it. Well how about this!? We have one of their other cases in hand…

Music Diary, News

FL Studio Mobile 2 Video Preview

If you are looking for the best and most robust music studio app for the iPad, you have likely considered GarageBand, NanoStudio, and FL Studio. FL Studio Mobile offers a downscaled version of the popular PC electronic music-focused package – and while almost everyone loved the original, the lack of integrated sampling and limited editing and complete absence of a quality synthesizer were glaring omissions. With the upcoming 2.0 release (free for existing owners) Image Line looks to address these issues and more! As part of this they have released a couple of preview videos to show off new functionality….

eBooks

Why Did the NOOK HD Get Such a Quiet Announcement?

Barnes and Noble have been busy this week. First they quietly announce NOOK Video, surprising everyone, and then quietly, in the dead of night, they announced the NOOK HD and NOOK HD+, two extremely well specc’d competitors to the Kindle Fire HD and Fire HD 8.9″. In fact, the hands on reports of the hardware and software indicate both devices are just as good, if not better than, the Fire HD and Nexus 7. So why bury the announcement in the middle of the night, with no fanfare? The only explanation I can think of is NewCo (the NOOK/B&N…

News

ElementCase Sector 5 Case for iPhone 5 Is… Gorgeous

I absolutely love ElementCase’s iPhone case offerings. The cases look awesome. The cases feel awesome. And the cases always get attention. And the new Sector5 Case for the iPhone 5 is no exception. The rugged, industrial design is eye-catching and, even from the pictures, it is clear this is one tough case. Here’s what the company has to say, After a year of development and a huge launch of the Sector 4 FE, the iPhone 5 finally arrived and we were able to add final touches and begin production of the new Sector 5. The Sector 5’s super thin multi-link perimeter…

Music Diary, News

IK Multimedia Introduces DJ Rig for iPad!

When DJ Rig released back in March, aside from some early bugs that were quickly squashed, my biggest wish was for an iPad version. It was one of those things that was immediately obvious once you touched the software. IK Multimedia agreed and stated they were working on it – but like the rest of their stuff they wanted to get it right and not just ‘upsize’. Well, now DJ Rig for iPad is ready and available! Here is some of the press release highlighting features: Professional DJing for the first time on iPad • Familiar double Deck configuration with…

Reviews

Liquid-Armor Invisible Nano-Coating Tech Screen Protector for Tablets and eReaders Review

all photos by Kevin Stanford Like many who ordered an iPhone 5 when they were first available, I didn’t have any kind of case, screen protector, or protective skin on hand when mine arrived. I did have a review sample of Dynaflo’s Liquid-Armor, however. Nano-coating tech? What’s that all about? I was ready to find out! Included in the package are one 0.33 ounce bottle of Liquid-Armor fluid, an 8″ x 8″ microfiber cloth, and a second, smaller (bonus) microfiber cloth The Dynaflo site says that the Liquid-Armor system – Provides scratch-resistant surface for normal wear and tear. – Screen…

News

Your Mobile Devices are a Germ Haven, So It’s ionSwipes to the Rescue!

One of the most useful sensory and interactive instruments in the human body are our hands and fingers. They help us easily manipulate our mobile devices, allowing us to communicate and plug into the virtual world around us. Ironically, hands and fingers are a double-edged sword, for in addition to allowing us to communicate virtually via our various electronic devices, they quietly and efficiently spread germs via physical handling of these devices. Germs. That catch-all layman word covering bacteria, viruses, protozoa and some fungi. The stuff that gives Howie Mandel heebie-jeebies. In fiction, the cooties that annihilated wayard Martians,…

eBooks, Game Diary, Reviews

Thumbelina Magic Story for iPad Review

Type of app: Interactive Story Book Platform/where to buy: iPad (Universal); available in the App Store Developer: Oleksandr Pogrebniak Description: A miniature red-headed girl has suddenly appeared from a flower. Her enchanting beauty sways many hearts along her travels. She took a trip on a leaf of a water lily, flew on the back of a swallow, and made friends with the tiniest beings. Colorful montages reflect both joy and sadness within these interactive pages of this app. Thumbelina joins an unusual music performance, singing songs of joy to sunshine and summer flowers. A new friend’s charm vanishes, and is…

Reviews

Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue Special Edition Review for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS

Finding Nemo fans can experience their favorite fish in 3D in theaters and in the palm of their hands on the Nintendo 3DS with regular viewing and comparable gameplay on the Nintendo DS. The Hype Inspired by the beloved original Disney•Pixar animated film “Finding Nemo” returning to the big screen—for the first time ever in thrilling Disney Digital 3D™, the Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue Special Edition video game puts the journey of a lifetime in your hands as you help Nemo and his friends find their way home. Enjoy more than 30 engaging action-oriented mini-games, with your…

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