Articles by David Goodspeed

Lorex LIVE SENSE Gives Parents (and Grandparents) Peace of Mind

Photos: Author Having never been blessed with children of my own, I never quite got a grasp of everything new parents had to worry about nor how extensive their “to-do” list was … until last Christmas when we got word of the impending arrival of my wife’s first grandchild. Fast forward to July 26, and Baby J arrives in fine fashion. In no time I begin hearing “I can’t wait until we can start babysitting him over here.” What? The baby is coming here? “I’m not ready.” “The house isn’t ready.” “Where did the time go?” The very next day…

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

OnStar Testing New Family Link Vehicle Location Alert Program

It’s 10 P.M. Do you know where your children are? Soon parents may be able to answer a resounding “Yes” to this question thanks to a new program being tested by OnStar. OnStar has launched a pilot program called Family Link to explore ways subscribers can stay connected to their loved ones when driving OnStar-equipped vehicles and one highlight of that new service is Vehicle Locate where the subscriber can log on to the Family Link Web site to view a map with the vehicle’s exact location at any time. “Our subscribers have asked us for a solution to help…

Reviews

ThermaCELL Outdoor Lantern Review: Helps You Take Back the Outdoors

Vacation, staycation or no-cation, no matter what your outdoor plans are during the summer months it seems mosquitoes and other flying, biting pests always seem to find us. ThermaCELL wants to help you take back the outdoors. First introduced in 2000, ThermaCELL mosquito repellent works to discourage up to 98 percent of mosquitoes, black flies and “no-see-ums” by providing a 15×15-foot barrier around us in silent, odorless and portable fashion with no sprays, fogs or flames. Recently ThermaCELL sent me their latest outdoor lantern model to test. We have been busy working on our back deck and spend a lot…

Vehicles & Gear

Grinding Gears in the 2011 Subaru WRX STi

The ubiquitous star of the World Rally Championship circuit and edgy X-game competition has brought even more excitement and performance to the model you and I can call a daily driver. In 2008, Subaru redesigned and rebuilt the Impreza lineup. In 2009, the WRX team worked toward a goal termed “Kyo-Ka” (translated from Japanese as “strengthening”) to make the Impreza model even more appealing to factory tuner aficionados. For 2011 buyers now have a choice of two body styles for the first time ever with the STi logo on them. A “wide and low” four-door sedan model returns to accompany…

Vehicles & Gear

2011 Dodge Durango More Than Merely ‘Best Yet’

To say the 2011 Dodge Durango is the best yet is an understatement. Previous versions were a bit overweight and somewhat unrefined so improving the SUV would not take much. For this makeover Dodge engineers went above and beyond. Choosing to begin with a clean slate, they tapped an architecture already in the pipeline from the days of corporate partnership with Daimler. The new Durango, as with the latest Grand Cherokee from Jeep, rides on the platform designed for the next Mercedes-Benz M-Class crossovers and boy do they benefit from it. While retaining rear-wheel drive design the new platform sheds…

Vehicles & Gear

2011 Land Rover LR4 Proves ‘Disco’ is not Dead

DNA testing of the new Land Rover LR4 would reveal that there is still a good bit of Big Blue Oval pulsing through its veins. The brand’s latest mid-size SUV may receive corporate mail from an Indian postmark but development of the LR4 in current form began back when Dearborn, Michigan was a frequent destination for Land Rover hierarchy. The new LR4, as with its predecessor LR3, is a US-market designation. The platform is known globally (and previously here) as the Discovery Series, or Disco for short. And thanks to Ford, DISCO IS NOT DEAD! (Sorry, I have been waiting…

Vehicles & Gear

Chevy Camaro Convertible Hot As a Firecracker

This is my last Chevy Camaro review this year I promise. Maybe. Arriving just in time for the official launch of summer was this blazing redhot Victory Red Camaro Convertible. And as luck would have it we are celebrating the second hottest June ever right here in North Central Texas. Wonderful. What that means is that either I have to be an early riser or a night owl to enjoy some top-down driving in this gorgeous creature. That or I can just sit on my porch with a cold beverage and stare at her for a while. This vehicle arrived…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Jaguar XJL Hopes ‘The Road Goes On Forever’

Jaguar is celebrating 75 years of luxury automaking. Sure there have been some bumps in the road along the way, but they have also turned out some of the most sought-after road warriors in the industry. And have you seen Jaguar lately? Heralding their three quarters of a century is an all-new flagship XJ sedan lineup, with my driveway seeing the new XJL saloon recently. For 2011 the XJ has been given a new face, a new body and a new heart – all of which work in harmony to deliver one of the best Jags yet. My favorite time…

Reviews

Marshall Headphones: The Major

UPDATED: Since the introduction of the lower case “i” at the beginning of a device name it seems the sound reproduction world has been solely delivering tiny little chunks of plastic and other material to shove into your eardrum. For some however, we still need something more traditional, something that fits snugly over the ears, not in them. When searching for a new set of headphones I could use while working both in the field as well as here in my little makeshift production studio I received a press release from a PR firm extolling some cool new devices that…

Vehicles & Gear

Chevy Volt: A Week in the Life

I have written about the new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle before so I am not going to go into too much technical detail here. This time I am going to delve into the “electric lifestyle” that would surround a consumer who drives one of the new breed of vehicles home. It did not take me long to figure out a week with an electric vehicle was going to require some different thinking. In fact, when the vehicle was delivered, more than half the battery pack was already drained just going from warehouse to carwash to my driveway in the…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Lincoln MKX More Than a Fancy Ford

Across the board, Ford and Lincoln engineers have been working to stay at the front of the technological field in their vehicles and most of that emphasis has been in the implementation of MyFord and MyLincoln technology packaging recently. At the same time, much of the fleet has been getting minor (and in some cases, major) cosmetic surgery and powertrain upgrades. The 2011 Lincoln MKX midsize crossover we tested recently is an example of one of those getting a little of both. Outside we see the new “face” of Lincoln while inside the vehicle impresses both aesthetically and ergonomically. In…

Reviews

USBFever Wide Angle + (Macro) + Fish Eye + 2X + 8X + 12X Telephoto Lens Combo for iPhone 4G

The world of photography with the iPhone, or iPhoneography, is a growing phenomenon and photography related apps are emerging faster than most can keep up. Most of these apps do little for enhancing the initial photography experience in that none allow for optical manipulation of the scene, merely digital. Enter USBFever.com and their Wide Angle + (Macro) + Fish Eye + 2X + 8X + 12X Telephoto Lens Combo for iPhone 4G.

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn: All Hat AND the Rodeo

Ram Truck Brand managers first rolled out their new Laramie Longhorn package at the State Fair of Texas just in time for the annual Red River Rivalry between UT and OU. They followed that with a victory at the Texas Truck Rodeo and a fold-out spread in this year’s SI Swimsuit Edition. Recently a Laramie Longhorn-laden Ram 3500 Heavy Duty dually landed in my driveway for a week for me to opine. First let me express my disappointment at Ram as there was no lovely leather leggings in the rear seat area as shown on pages 2 and 3. (Must…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Infiniti’s Endless Summer: 2011 G37 Convertible

Summer is calling and Infiniti is answering with its G Convertible model. Based on the stylish and sporty G Coupe, the new hardtop droptop adds a third dimension to driving pleasure from the automaker. They still have all the basics covered: Spirited 325hp VQ-Series 3.7-liter V-6 engine under the hood backed by choice of 7-speed automatic transmission or (as ours was equipped) a quick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox with short-throw shifter and commuter-friendly clutch. The G37 Convertible Sport 6MT (as our test model came to be known) adds sport-tuned steering, larger sport brakes and 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels with W-rated performance…

Reviews

Photography Gear Review: USBfever HDMI Adapters and Retractable Audio 3.5mm Jack AUX Auxiliary Cable

My pile of field production equipment is ever-growing. I am a “one-man-band” of sorts so I am constantly looking for gear and “doo-dads” to make production work easier. Recently I picked up a great set of headphones (which I will feature in a separate post), and I learned the Swann RC helicopter won’t lift my HDHero POV camera — so no aerial shots for right now. When I first began updating all of my camera gear, I remember receiving a note from USBFever.com announcing some HDMI to mini HDMI adapters and cables. I also remember saying to myself “What the…

News & Features

Skooba Design Adds Tenba Photo Bags to Portfolio

In response to many customer requests, Laptop bag manufacturer Skooba Design has partnered with the well-known Tenba brand to add photo/video carrying cases to Skooba’s product offering. Skooba will act as a reseller for the 35 year-old photo brand, which is a division of a separate company. The Skooba website is set up with quick links to match your lifestyle needs. One of four tabs – photographer, fashionista, road warrior and tech lover – will take you to a page with bags suited to fit your exact needs. I love this new offering of the Tenba bag lineup. I still…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV a Real ‘Stunner’

Prepare to be shocked. Sticker-shocked that is. Are you sitting down? I am about to give you the window sticker price of the new 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV I recently tested. Set your faces to stunned … 88 – and I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout no Benjamins either. 88 grand, 88 large, ochenta y ocho mil, 88 Grover Clevelands. The big Jag we just had wasn’t that much, and it gave massages. Yes, Cadillac’s biggest SUV is sporting quite the pricetag these days, although in its defense this was the Platinum edition. With the launch of Escalade over a decade ago…

News & Features

Camtrol Expands Camera Control

For more than a quarter-century I have been serious about photography and videography. And for more than a quarter-century I have discovered that one cannot have too many gadgets/accessories when being serious about photography/videography. A press release arrived at the GearDiary.com inbox that caught my eye recently. It is touting a new customizable free-shooting stabilizing platform called Camtrol. It looks like something straight out of a Transformers movie. It is designed to work with handheld digital video cameras as well as the new breed of HDSLR cameras. Basically it is an action grip attached to a wide base platform with…

Reviews

Review:Swann Flying High with New RC Indoor Helicopter Line

With Father’s Day right around the corner and fuel prices causing many to think perhaps of a “staycation” this summer, those looking for a different sort of gift should check out Swann and their new line of RC Indoor Helicopters. Many ask themselves, “Aren’t remote control helicopters difficult to fly?” Yes they are, or were. Swann, a company mostly dedicated to security devices, offers a break from the routine with this new line of rechargeable RC Indoor Helicopters. Within minutes of making my tester “flight ready” I was buzzing around the den and terrorizing the cat. Fun is had in…

Reviews

Moshi iVisor AG for iPhone4 Review: It Works!

When I first got my iPhone4, I chose a set of screen protectors for it that I was familiar with from using on my 3GS. One issue I had with both was how difficult it was to install totally bubble-free. Another issue is the glare and that sometimes my finger would not glide smoothly across the screen. Moshi has come to my rescue. Their new iVisor AG for the iPhone4 is a knockout. When I first received an email from the company handling PR for them I scoffed. Bubble-free, yeah right. First, I love the company name. Moshi. Don’t know…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Made For Summer Travel

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the luxury marque’s first foray into the world of hybrid technology. It goes without saying this technology is borrowed directly from the Ford Fusion Hybrid. What does need said is this is a very good package. Since first driving this hybrid powertrain arrangement in the Fusion a couple of years back I knew the engineers at Ford were on to something. Fuel economy figures (41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway) have continued to impress the automaker and consumers alike, especially in the wake of once-again-higher fuel prices. Wrapping the Fusion in Lincoln luxury was…

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