Gear Bits

Stream Diana Krall’s Upcoming ‘Glad Rag Doll’ for FREE on USAToday This Week!

Diana Krall is a Grammy winning, million selling jazz vocalist and pianist, whose singing and playing have earned her accolades and made her one of the top-selling artists in all of jazz and pop music. We recently saw her live with Paul McCartney, and she had a major role in his latest album, arranging, playing, and directing the band made up of musicians she has worked with for years. There is no denying her talent or her impact on pop and jazz over the last two decades. She is also a beautiful woman married to Elvis Costello and who has…


Wrapsol Ultra Screen and Back Protector for iPhone 5

Early reports suggest the iPhone 5 is having some issues with both the black and white coloring chipping off the sides and back. And with the device being so new, there haven’t been many options for protecting it. For that reason I have been treating mine with great care. I was thrilled when a Wrapsol front and back protector showed up today, and while I wish it also offered side protection, I’m glad to have it. I have not yet had the chance to put it on, but I thought we would take a quick look at what they have to…


iOS 6 Brings Loads of SIGNIFICANT App Updates

By now we all know the mantra – when there is a new iOS update, prepare for the onslaught of app updates. It used to be surprising … now it is expected. I have probably updated 100 apps on my iPad since last week. [Oh, and I should mention that I LOVE the in-place updating!] But while some updates are just bug fixes and iOS 6 compatibility, others bring entirely new functionality. Significant functionality. And the funny thing is that it is hard to know what changes are major or minor when you see a list of a dozen or…


Apparently People Aren’t Happy with the NFL Replacement Referees!

If you have checked your Facebook newsfeed on the last few Sundays or Monday Nights (or Thursday nights for that matter), chances are you have seen some significant rants about the ‘performance’ of the replacement referees brought in by the league while the normal officials are in contract talk lockout. The talk isn’t just the normal grousing you would expect when your favored team loses – I have seen friends complain when THEIR team won about the job done against the opposing team. And it extends to players and coaches as well – here are a few quotes: Packers coach…


Global Bacon Shortage Coming in 2013!

In this age of global shipping and corporate farming conglomerates, we like to think that dealing with seasons and shortages of anything is a thing of the past. But now the British National Pig Association issues a warning that I am sure is being met with great consternation at places like Epic Meal Time: New data shows the European Union pig herd is declining at a significant rate, and this is a trend that is being mirrored around the world. Pig farmers have been plunged into loss by high pig-feed costs, caused by the global failure of maize and soya…


Apple’s Ping to Cease Operation Sept 30 in Case You Care … Which You Don’t

I was too busy with actual work to get to see the Apple iPhone event this year, so when I heard that Ping was ceasing operations on September 30th through an email … I just assumed it was one of those Apple ‘shutdown in 7 days’ things like we got for iWork and MobileMe and so on. Turns out it was a link from Macworld , and cited a bunch of sources noting that if you head to Apple’s Ping site … well, you can’t because you get redirected. But if you click on Ping in iTunes, you get the…


The ’90s Live on … in My Attic

We have been cleaning out our attic, and found this piece of “once-cutting edge technology”. Yes, Sarah’s ruggedized CD player was her prized possession in the ’90’s…and while it was no doubt super-cool at the time, it’s amazing that we once carried these around happily. Even old school cassette players were less cumbersome! The next time a phone, or a rugged case, feels too big…just remember how big an old school portable CD player used to be…that will make your Otterbox Defender look downright svelte in comparison! We found some other cool stuff in our attic, including a Sega Genesis…


Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013, a Video Quick Look

I’m not big into killing things so hunting – not for me. That being said, I do like a good shooting game. (I mean, the Hit Man franchise?!?! Awesome!)  I got to see Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 the other night, and it is pretty amazing. The game has unbelievable graphics, a nice physical rifle to aim and shoot and the addition of heart rate monitors built into the gun itself. Activision’s Press Release puts it this way –“Prepare for a wildly exciting and heart-stopping hunt that challenges gamers like never before!” The impact of the heart rate monitoring is part…


The Kindle Fire HD, a Gear Diary Video Chat

iPad-junkies Mike and Dan both purchased the 16GB version of the 7″ Kindle Fire HD. Dan got his on release day, Mike the following Monday; unlike with the Google Nexus 7 there is no attempt to use ONLY the Kindle Fire as a ‘daily driver’. Following on with their Nexus 7 chat Dan and Mike jumped on video to talk about the Fire, the Amazon ecosystem and how two devoted iPad-users are finding the newest Android tablet. Let us know what you think about the Kindle Fire HD, and about our video!


iPhone 5 Plus AT&T MicroCell Equals… a Quiet Afternoon (and not in a good way) UPDATED

Meet my iPhone 5 lock screen. Now take a close look… See the ATT Microcell symbol at the top? No? Me either and that’s a problem. You see, I live in rural Texas where there is no AT&T cell reception without the help of a signal booster. Oh, no, sorry, I got that wrong. I live in SUBURBAN NEW JERSEY WHERE THERE IS NO AT&T RECEPTION WITHOUT THE HELP OF A MICROCELL. And guess what? The microcell doesn’t work with my new iPhone right now. And those two bars you see? That’s actually the best reception I’ve gotten, and that…


iOS Hit “Subway Surfers” Launches on Android

  Need a new game to waste all your time at work? Here you go. Meet Subway Surfers, a colorful, free-to-play, action game. The iOS version, developed by Kiloo Games, has garnered over 25 million players. Now it’s time for Android users to get in on the fun. Did I mention it’s free? At its core, Subway Surfers is an infinite-runner with a graffiti-inspired look and cartoon aesthetic. The gameplay revolves around switching between three train-tracks while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. You swipe the touch screen to jump, roll, and switch between tracks. It might sound boring, but like…


New iPhone? It Deserves a Bodyguardz

If you got a new iPhone today you know it is Apple’s best iPhone ever. you also know you are going to take it with you everywhere you go. That means it needs, and deserves, good protection. One of our favorite ways to protect iPhone (and laptops. iPads and Kindles and… you get the idea) come from Bodyguardz. Judie and I love their Armor series, and their screen protectors are pretty great too. Better still, starting in October they will be offering tempered glass protectors. The company is already shipping a number of options for iPhone 5 protection. You can…


Cygnett WorkMate iPhone 5 Drop Test Review

When I met with Cygnett last night, the reps kept looking at their phones. Why? Because they were waiting for a colleague in Australia to shoot them a video of the first Cygnett iPhone 5 case drop test. They were also waiting to see a video of the first broken iPhone 5. You see, the iPhone 5 was already available in Australia, and they were shooting a drop test with a naked iPhone 5 and then again with one wrapped in the Cygnett WorkMate iPhone 5 case. They unpacked the first iPhone 5. Held it high… And let it go….


Love Music? Sony’s BDV-E390 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System with WiFi is Worth Checking Out

I love my speaker docks and enjoy using them. I love (LOVE) using my Sonos system too. But while the docks give awesome portability they often offer limited audio quality volume. And while the Sonos system give big sound, with each room costing a minimum of $299, it is a pricey proposition. Sony’s BDV-E390 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System with WiFi, on the other hand, offers big sound at an amazingly low price. The system offers five speakers, one subwoofer and one 3D disc player. The specs look like this… 1000W(167Wx5+165W)5.1ch 3D Blu-ray Disc™ Theater System Built-in Wi-Fi® to stream movies,…


Gear Diary’s Grumpy Old Man on Why He’s Getting the iPhone 5

Gear Diary’s own “Grumpy Old Man” (aka Mark Hager, aka my awesome father-in-law) is getting an iPhone 5. Thing is, Mark’s daughter (my wife Elana) and wife (Debbie) are both fine with the iPhone 4S, and THEY are far more likely to take advantage of the speed the iPhone 5 will offer. So why is Mark (a troglodyte) getting the iPhone 5? I ambushed him while he was grilling, and I asked…


“Walk this Way” in a Run Tee MC T-Shirt

A number of (many) years ago I needed to create a new email address. I initially thought about using rabbidanielmcohen@ but that seemed a bit long. At the time one of my “kids” (now well into her college career) had taken to calling me “Rabs”. It was kinda cute, and I ended up using the email address of rabbidmc@. It was some time before the first person told me that, at first, they thought my email address was rundmc but by that time too many people had, and were using, the address. It stuck. I guess that’s why an email…


Pocket Informant Saves My Day

Ever have just “one of those weeks”? I have been having one. Between several work commitments, service appointments at my home, and some family and friend obligations, it has been a week of juggling appointments and rearranging schedules. Unfortunately, this week also highlighted my biggest complaint about iOS: iCal. I can’t stand that my only options are list, day and month. The lack of integration with tasks is also a pain. A busy schedule only highlighted these limitations, and made me realize it was time to bite the bullet and find a better option. Luckily for me, the good folks…


Emergency Cell-Phone Lasts 10 Hours On A Single ‘AA’ Battery

Picture yourself stranded alone during a hurricane. The rain pelts the windows with oppressive vigor. A howling wind lifts lawn chairs off the patio. You reach into your pocket and grab your smart-phone. You’ve never been more desperate to check your twitter feed, but the battery’s already down to 5%. Four minutes later, that one tough level of Angry Birds: Space finally kills the phone. Out of nowhere, an enormous tree branch crashes through the living room window. You try to call for help, but you left your charger in the hotel room back in Atlanta. What’s the solution? XPAL…


Buying Local Matters, and Not Only When Talking About Food

There is a growing movement within “foodie circles” to buy  locally grown food. After all, food grown nearby not only supports small, local farms but, since it doesn’t require transporting it significant distances, it adds less pollutants into the environment too. But just as there is a benefit to buying locally when it comes to food, so too is there a case to be made for patronizing local businesses. Think about it, if local residents don’t patronize a business downtown who will? I recently purchased a new radio (I will be reviewing it soon), and it led me to think about my shopping…


Please Make it STOP! Trailer for the ‘Official Sequel’ to ‘A Christmas Story’

For ages now, a tradition in our family has been watching our DVD (and VHS before that) of ‘A Christmas Story’, the beloved 1983 story of Ralphie Parker based on semi-fictional recollections from Jean Shepard of his youth. It is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ movies that was not much of a hit at theaters but gained tremendously over time – much like the original (I say, only) ‘Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’. While I am not one to say something is going to ‘ruin my memories’, or that a crappy sequel or remake can destroy my…


For John Cage’s Centenary, Enjoy the ‘Prepared Piano’ App

If you have heard of John Cage, chances are it is in reference to either his piece “4’33” or his “Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano“. The CD recording of Prepared Piano I have is an out of print Denon release featuring Yuji Takahashi, but the Berman version is excellent as well. The brilliant “4?33?” speaks directly to the way Cage saw music in the world – the piece is for any instrument and is based on the I Ching and the concept of chance. The instrumentalist is not to play the instrument during the performance. I saw it performed…