July 2009

SplashMoney Personal Finance Manager for BlackBerry Smartphones Review

So fact of the matter is, I will never be confused with a CPA or give classes on money management. I have yet to look at my check book register since the lady at the bank wrote the beginning balance…that was almost 11 years ago when I was 18! Luckily I have a job that keeps a nice cushion in my bank account and I never really worry about balancing my account…hope my wife doesn’t read this :o) Having said that I have always wanted to carry my check book with me to keep tabs, I just hate the whole…


Tom Bihn Tristar Travel Bag Review

It’s not everyday I get a bag like this in the mail.  Tom Bihn makes, in my humble opinion, the best travel bags period.  The new Tristar bag is no exception! I say this as a Tom Bihn owner for quite some time.  I have taken the Tom Bihn Aeronaut with me to DC on my last flight, and I used the Western Flyer and the Aeronaut when my son and I went to camp.  The Aeronaut was kind of large to take on a school trip with my son to camp.  Well, next year I can just use the…


Lose That Beer Gut and Get Ript with This T-Shirt Girdle for Guys

While the advertising claims this is a “torso enhancing” undershirt – I say it’s not much more than a $58 t-shirt girdle (Crew or V-Neck available) for guys with a gut. The site claims this body-sculpting undershirt is designed to support your core – though I suspect it’s worn mostly by guy’s who think a Core is a single can of Coors. RipT via Book of Joe


How to force quit an application on the iPhone 3GS

If you’re using one of the new iPhone 3GS models you may have noticed it’s no longer possible to force quit an application by holding the home key down for 5 seconds. This worked on prior models but now holding the home key down will only bring up the voice control. Instead to force quit an application running on an iPhone 3GS press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. When the Quit/Cancel screen appears THEN you can hold the home key for 5 seconds and the application will force quit. When even that doesn’t work I’ve found the…


Rivet VERTICAL LEATHER BAG for Apple MacBook Pro 15″ Review

Some people like shoes while others like jackets. Me… I’ve always had a thing for notebook cases. There is something about the combination of function and style that draws me to a new case when I see one. So when the opportunity to take a look at Rivet’s new Vertical Leather Bag came up I jumped. It looked nice and, perhaps more importantly, it looked DIFFERENT from the other bags available. Let’s take a look…


R.I.P. – CompuServe 1969-2009

I have many fond memories of time spent on CompuServe in the late 1980s. For those of you not familiar with the service, CompuServe was like a mini-Internet before there was an Internet. CompuServe was the online place that the cool geeks hung out while AOL was for the neophytes unsure about the online world and wanting a graphical interface with training wheels. Sure the CompuServe online interface was crude (for a long time it was all text based) but there were discussion forums that seemed to attract only the most diehard enthusiasts thus ensuring the information exchanged was of…


2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid 1500 pickup

My relationship with the new fullsize GM hybrids continues to be a love/hate one. I love the fuel savings and cleaner emissions delivered by these “green beasts,” but I hate that consumers still cannot get an SUV for less than 50 grand. I also hate the acceleration/deceleration whine produced by the transmission/generator unit while operating in electric mode at low speeds, but then, this is the tradeoff for new technology. The good news is, these new trucks see a 40 percent fuel economy improvement in city driving thanks to GMs two-mode hybrid powertrain.


PhatWare’s WritePad Notes, Affairs, and Events Review

Phatware has been making handwriting recognition and note taking software for [what were called at the time] pocket PCs and smartphones since 1997.  I’ve used PhatPad on my Windows Mobile devices for quite a few years now, and it’s often one of the first things that I install when I get a new device.  When they announced their first products for the iPhone at the end of May, Phatware offered Gear Diary an opportunity to review their first three programs: WritePad Notes, WritePad Affairs, and WritePad Events.  All three programs feature PhatWare’s handwriting recognition software for the iPhone, WritePad.


Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds Review

It’s been a while since I reviewed the JayBird JB-200 Bluetooth headphones.  In that time, Jaybird has expanded their line from simply Bluetooth audio, and they have introduced two new sets of earbuds.  Today I am reviewing one of those, the Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds. These are like the Altec Lansing BackBeat Pros that I just reviewed; they are the in-ear style.  They are a little smaller than the BackBeat headphones, and they are not as noticeable as the BackBeat headphones when you wear them.  One other difference from the BackBeat Pro is that these have a microphone and a…


Brickyard by 2XL Headphones Review

You want to look like a DJ?  You don’t like the colors typical DJ style headphones come in?  Well, check out these headphones from 2XL. These are a classic design that has been around for a long time.  When I was little, these were the only kind of headphones available.  


Wild West Pinball for iPhone Review

How many of you miss those days of pumping quarter after quarter into a pinball machine chasing the high score?  Granted, I did come from the era of crazy new style pinball games, but many of my quarters skipped the video games and found a home in the pinball machines.  Wild West Pinball just became free to celebrate a new pinball game from OOO Gameprom. Once the game is loaded a nice 3D video provides a tour of the scoring and special areas.  Before playing you might check this out so you know where to aim or shots.  The graphics…