Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

A Klout cluster of influence

Editorials

Has Klout Suckered You into Thinking You Are Important?

People are such competitive creatures, and bloggers can be some of the worst; Klout is a company that feeds that beast. Touting itself as “The Standard for Influence”, Klout measures the reach of everyone who is active in social media. What’s your Klout score? Should it even matter? Does it matter to you? Of course it does; you’re human! Klout preys upon people’s desire to feel or at least be perceived as influential or important, and it gives users a tangible score that can be used for comparison against others in their field (or in other non-related fields). Klout offers instant validation…

Come Explore King's Landing (Dubrovnik) During Game of Thrones Season 4 Filming

Travel

Come Explore King’s Landing (Dubrovnik) During Game of Thrones Season 4 Filming

Do you watch Game of Thrones on HBO? Kev and I love the books by Gorge R. R. Martin as well as the television series based on them, so an added bonus to our recent trip to Dubrovnik (arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world) was that we knew we might recognize some of the locations from the show. Are you a fan? Then this post is for you! Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a medieval walled city located on the coast of Croatia, and since season two it has been used for various locations in Game of…

Spectacular Even in Death - Jeweled Skeletons of the Catacomb Saints

Gear Bits

Spectacular Even in Death – Jeweled Skeletons of the Catacomb Saints

What do you do when you’ve got a catacomb full of purported martyrs’ skeletons, and you want to remind the faithful of the heavenly treasures awaiting them? You bedazzle those bones with jewels, and then display the results in shrines! And when skeptics question the skeletons’ provenance and the gaudy display, you hide them away until someone comes along and writes a book … This all goes back to 1578, when thousands of skeletons were found in the Roman catacombs; the remains were assumed to be early Christian martyrs, and so they were packed up and sent to “many Catholic churches…

How Many New iPhones Can We Expect to See in September?

Gear Bits

How Many New iPhones Can We Expect to See in September?

Mike Philbin just sent in a tip that on Amazon he “can see cases for upcoming iPhone 5C, but also mention of iPhone mini. The page also mentions that the case will not fit the iPhone 5S. We are going to see 3 new iPhones on September 10th?” Good question, Mike! One that I don’t have the answer for, but I suppose that at this point … anything is possible. =P What do you all think? Will there be a 5S (the more expensive and more highly specc’d iPhone 5 successor), a 5C (the “cheap” iPhone 5), and a smaller sized iPhone…

TheQ Camera Creates Instantly Shareable Photos

Gear Bits

TheQ Camera Creates Instantly Shareable Photos

It’s nearly impossible to take a picture any more without immediately thinking, “this needs to go on Facebook (or Tumblr, Twitter), so why not just get a camera that can take a great photo and immediately post it for you to the social network of your choice? Say “Cheese”, and preorder the $199 socially acceptable theQ Camera.   Every aspect of the pocket-sized camera can be controlled, from the social media settings through to the built-in photo filters. In addition to the one-button upload for social sharing, theQ users receive unlimited storage on their theQ LAB personal photo archive page. TheQ camera…

Enjoy an Aerial Tour the Arctic & Greenland from the Comfort of Your Home

Gear Bits

Enjoy an Aerial Tour the Arctic & Greenland from the Comfort of Your Home

I’ve always been fascinated by the Arctic and Antarctic, but touring either would take a lot of money, and it’s just so … cold! Enter IceBridge, a six-year NASA mission to survey the ice at both of Earth’s poles; they’ve released almost 4.5 minutes of icy aerial goodness. I’m still shivering at the thought, but now I’m even more intrigued. Find out more at the Operation IceBridge website; via Universe Today.

DRACO HYDRA Aluminum Bumper -for Samsung Galaxy S4

Reviews

DRACOdesign HYDRA Ducati Aluminum Bumper for Samsung Galaxy S4 – Adds Sporty Good Looks and Protection

If you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy S4, and you want corner protection without covering up your phone more than absolutely necessary, then the $99.99 DRACO design HYDRA for S4 bumper case may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. It’s sleek, made of aluminum, and it manages to make the S4 look even hotter! As you may have guessed by looking at these pictures, the DRACOdesign HYDRA is an officially licensed Ducati product. Available in Meteor Black, Luxury Silver, and the Flare Red I was sent, the HYDRA is composed of aircraft grade aluminum that has been precision-machined in a 5…

The HTC One Mini Makes Its (Diminutive) Appearance

Gear Bits

The HTC One Mini Makes Its (Diminutive) Appearance

My phone du jour is an AT&T HTC One. I think that it is the perfect size, but there are some who wish it was just a bit more “mini”. Well, here you go — it’s the HTC One Mini, available exclusively from AT&T beginning August 23rd for $99.99 with a two-year contract. 

The Fail Button

Gear Bits

The Fail Button Perfectly Punctuates Failure

Experiencing more than your share of “brilliant” moments lately? Have you heard the classic trombone “wa – waaaa” in your head at least once? Then why not share the FAIL? Archie McPhee’s big blue FAIL button is perfect for those times when it all goes wrong. Of course, with this kind of luck yours won’t be handy when needed. =P $12.03 FAIL button via Archie McPhee’s Geyser of Awesome

DRACOdesign ONE Aluminum Bumper for HTC One - Sexy Curves for My Favorite Android

News, Reviews

DRACOdesign ONE Aluminum Bumper for HTC One – Sexy Curves for My Favorite Android

I absolutely love my HTC One. Unfortunately, it is not the most popular Android phone (even if I think it should be), so my case options have been limited to bulky, plastic, and ugly … until now. I recently received DRACOdesign’s gorgeous $79.99 ONE Aluminum Bumper, and it is now somewhat permanently attached to my phone. Here’s why … I’ve reviewed plenty of aluminum bumper cases over the years, but the majority of them were for various iPhone incarnations, and quite a few of those cases interfered with the iPhone’s antenna causing reception issues. Even so, I really like the…

eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

Events, News

eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

If you have been keeping up with Dan’s and my eBay posts and the massive contest connected to the products we’ve reviewed, then you know that eBay has been in the process of launching their now-live site, My Gadgets, where users can “easily catalog their tech collections and see the current value of each of their tech items.”  My Gadgets helps users organize and save all of their gadgets and tech items in a single location; the idea is to make it easy for users to “view the individual and collective values” of their items, “based on eBay’s unique data on current sales…

TOBAGO PEAR - desk organizer & tablet stand

Gear Bits

The Traktorfahrn Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand

This is the $79 Tobago pear – desk organizer & tablet stand by ETSY seller Traktorfahrn. It will hold your tablet and a few other desktop items, and it is made to work in several configurations. Evidently the maker discovered an unexpected benefit to the stand, too — the solid wood base “amplifies musik if  [the] speaker is facing [the] bottom.” Handcrafted in Dusseldorf Germany from pear wood, which has a beautiful reddish grain, the Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand measures 20 x 12 x 3 cm (7.9” x 4.7” x 1.2”), and it will fit the iPad2, iPad3, Samsung Tablet, ASUS Tablet as well…

Check Out Dan's Look at the Polk Audio LSi25 Speakers - Then Enter to Win Big with eBay

News

Check Out Dan’s Look at the Polk Audio LSi25 Speakers – Then Enter to Win Big with eBay

Dan loves his small wireless speakers, but the Polk Audio LSi25 Speakers may bring him back to component stereo systems. The speakers are pricey, and they require the addition of an independent amplifier, but in return they offer huge, impressive sound. Dan took a look for eBay as part of their huge My Gadgets Giveaway. As Dan points out in his post over on the eBay Influencer’s Blog, while you can get good sound from a small speaker, big, teeth-rattling, bone-shaking sound won’t come from something that can sit on a bookshelf. For that kind of sound, you’ll want something…

Element Case Atom S4 for the Samsung Galaxy S4

Reviews

Element Case Atom S4 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Review – Carbon Fiber Reinforced Protection

If you need protection for your Samsung Galaxy S4, and you like the look of Carbon Fiber, then the Atom S4 by Element Case may be just what you’ve been looking for. At $59.95, it comes loaded with features including reinforced corners, Element’s Sound Boost System, and an ergonomic design. One of the Samsung Galaxy S4’s biggest flaws is that it doesn’t have the type of solid construction that inspires confidence. Sure, it’s great that the S4 is a thin and light phone — svelte, even — but the device is so slippery that it almost seems to be looking for…

Element Case Eclipse S4 for the Samsung Galaxy S4

Reviews

Element Case Eclipse S4 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Review – The Case I Would Use If I Owned a Samsung Galaxy S4

If you have been looking for serious protection that doesn’t add a lot of bulk to your Samsung Galaxy S4, then you need look no further than the $79.95 anodized aluminum, carbon fiber, and TPU Eclipse S4 made by Element Case. It even includes a kickstand and sound boost system! The Eclipse is composed of two pieces; an anodized CNC machined aluminum bezel and a TPU main body. The back of the case has an aerospace-grade carbon fiber insert in its middle. I’m not sure that it adds any extra protection in this location, but it certainly breaks up the otherwise monochrome…

Check Out Dan's eBay Review of the Onkyo TX-NR609 A/V Receiver and Then Enter to Win Big!

News

Check Out Dan’s eBay Review of the Onkyo TX-NR609 A/V Receiver and Then Enter to Win Big!

The other day, Dan brought word about my reviews of the Samsung GALAXY S4 and the Barnes & Noble NOOK Simple Touch with Glow Light. Both reviews were written as part of the eBay Influencers program and are currently live on eBay’s Digital Digest. You can read the S4 review here and the Nook review here. Dan is also part of the eBay Influencers program, and he just published a review of the Onkyo TX-NR609 A/V Receiver. If you are a regular Gear Diary reader, then you know that Dan has covered — and continues to cover — numerous portable…

Nokia Lumia 1020 5MP

Gear Bits

Photos Taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020 Are Amazing!

Gear Diary reader, David Min, recently purchased the brand new super camera smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020. Because I haven’t yet got mine (yes, I am planning on buying one, too), he sent in some comparison photos so we could see the difference between the Lumia 1020 on High Resolution, the Nokia Lumia at 5MP, and the iPhone 5. All I can tell you is that after seeing these photos, I have no doubt that I will be buying this phone! All photos are thumbnails; if you click on them they will open and enlarge in a new window. Of…

Traveling with the Nokia Lumia 928 - Good Enough to Be My Only Camera?

News

Traveling with the Nokia Lumia 928 – Good Enough to Be My Only Camera?

Before leaving on our recent trip to NYC, I was given the opportunity to try out a Nokia Lumia 928. I wasn’t expected to review the phone — Carly had already thoroughly done that. Rather, the idea was that I see how well the Lumia 928 could do as my primary camera while traveling, and to see whether I liked it better than some of the other phones I had also brought along on the trip. Ordinarily when traveling I’ll bring either my Canon G11 or 5D; on this trip I brought nothing but a bag-full of phones. Although I…

Vertu Ferrari Ti Limited Edition - Inspired by the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Gear Bits

Vertu Ferrari Ti Limited Edition – Inspired by the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

I have owned four different Vertu phones over the past decade, and while I can’t quite bring myself to spring for another one (yet) — I’m not gonna lie — I miss owning one. There is something to their saying that “Nothing will ever feel the same”. Vertu phones are handmade of the finest metals, ceramics, and leathers, and they are basically works of art that also happen to be rock solid phones. The concierge feature is a big part of why they cost so much, but the odd thing is that even though I had access to the service…

Miniot's New iPad Mini Cover is Woodlicious!

Gear Bits

Miniot’s New iPad Mini Cover is Woodlicious!

I have made no secret about how much I loved my Miniot Mk2 wood iPad cover, but I had to set it to the side when I moved to the iPad mini. Of course, I knew that the day would come when Miniot created the mini version, and sure enough — that day is here — and now I have a decision to make. Prices start at €59, and all it would take is a few moments spent on the site placing my order … and a few weeks of waiting. I have to admit that as tempted as I…