Please Join Us In Wishing…
Please join us in wishing Judie and Kevin congratulations on their wedding this evening. We wish them many many years of happiness together!!!!!!
May 2010
Orbino – What a Difference a Year Makes!
Update 04/02/11: This post was originally published with the title “Orbino – Great Leather Items, Zero Customer Service.” You can read why this title has been updated by clicking here. When I go to a fine restaurant I expect good food and excellent service. After all you expect better service at a five star Manhattan eatery than you do at Red Lobster. The same goes for a luxury retail store. If you go to Neiman Marcus you expect better service than, say, Sears. The same goes for on-line vendors although you would not know it from my recent dealing with…
Bimmer not a bummer, just different drummer: BMW 335i coupe
Stop the presses. An automotive journalist has been discovered that does not love, love, love the BMW 3-series. What is this heresy? Refusing to drink the Kool-Aid? Next they will be telling us this global warming scare is not all it is cracked up to be and that American automakers will be profitable despite all of the new fuel economy standards around the bend. I was really looking forward to my week in this BMW 335i coupe. I figured all I would have to do is drive it a few days and I would be able to regurgitate every word…
On the 30th Anniversary of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, Relive the Original Trilogy …
… In 2 minutes … and in LEGOS! While for many May 4th is ‘Star Wars Day’ (because of the ‘May the fourth’ pun), for me it is a celebration that lands on the release dates of the original films. It might be hard for younger folks to get their mind around, but in 1977 seeing a film on the opening weekend wasn’t such a big deal as it is now. Sure you wanted to see cool movies soon after release for the usual social reasons, but my dozen or so viewings of the original Star Wars release were spread…
Sena Folio for Apple iPad Review
My search for the perfect iPad case came to an abrupt halt last week when I realized that, more than with any other device i have used, the “right” case for the iPad is going to depend on how you use the device and what you are doing with it at that moment. For example, if I am watching a movie on the iPad I want a case with an integrated stand. If I am on the go with it I want a case with built in screen protection while if I am leaving it on the coffee table I…
2010 MAZDA3 and MAZDASPEED3 leave you grinning
As I look at the new front fascia for the 2010 model year MAZDA3 I wonder if designers found a little inspiration from CGI artists working on the latest Alice in Wonderland movie. Perhaps the two parties share a favorite pub and the latter left some napkin sketches lying around as carelessly as an Apple employee? Grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat, the new MAZDA3s still embody that all familiar “zoom-zoom” marketing philosophy while offering value, quality and a truly nice driving experience for the segment. Love it or hate it though, Mazda says the new bold…
Skyfire Introduces Skyfire Rocket
Skyfire already turned smartphones on their sides when they created a browser that played flash video. Even on a tiny screen, being able to watch full episodes of tv shows and other flash based video is a big convenience when you are on the go. But if you don’t want to use Skyfire’s browser, or your device doesn’t support Skyfire, you’re stuck. Not for long, though, if Skyfire has anything to say about it. They are working on a product that will let manufacturers use the best parts of Skyfire, like the video capabilities, but overlayed on a device’s native…
J. Scott Campbell’s Disney Princesses Rated “R” Style
That being said, if Disney had used artist’s J. Scott Campbell’s drawings for the basis of their characters, then they probably could have tapped into a whole new market and made me happier too. At the very least, all those adults waiting in line around Disney’s parks, watching the movies etc. would be just a little more excited about having to do so. Of course then they wouldn’t have been appropriate for kids, but work with me here … this is just a fantasy. With three young girls, I’ve been subjected to countless viewings of the Disney Princess movies, been…
Dear Gear Diary: Windows Marketplace Issues
I received this email from a Gear Diary reader, and unfortunately, I don’t currently have a Windows Mobile phone. If anyone can help him out, please offer suggestions in the comments! Hi Carly, I always check out your posts on Gear Diary and find your perspective refreshing and honest. Since you are so involved with researching different techie toys and have a lot more background information than I, I was wondering if with your post on Mobile 6.0-6.1 Marketplace, if you found or encountered stories of this not loading and allowing one to buy apps. I have a T-Mobile Wing…
Feuer Wear: Gear Made From Recycled Fire Hose
As a firefighter, when I came across this company I was immediately intrigued. Feuer Wear produces a wide range of products all from recycled fire hose. Feuer is the German word for “fire.” Their line includes bags, belts and wallets. Each piece they produce has its individuality. The hoses used in production come from actual fire companies where they spent countless hours in service. Fire hose takes a beating. It’s soaked, dragged, run over, covered in soot and exposed to extreme heat and fire. Each hose is scrubbed clean and then cut to size. But each hose retains it own…
Flickpad: Fun Way To View Facebook Photos on iPad
Flickpad from Shacked Software is a really fun way to view photos from your Facebook friends on the iPad. The application takes full advantage of the iPad’s multitouch features to allow you to quickly browse through pictures from your friends in a way that’s extremely intuitive and actually a ton of fun. Once you load the app, and after you’ve entered your Facebook account information (only required once) it will show you all your unseen pictures from your Facebook contacts. By default the app loads all new pictures from the day you first launch it but you can move the…
2nd Opinion for iPhone/Touch App Review
I am not going to lie…many of the apps on my iPhone are used primarily for entertainment and wasting some spare time. Most of these time wasters are games, but every now and then a non-game entertainment app is discovered. 2nd Opinion is not considered a game, but can be just as addicting. If you like crowdsourcing or answering random questions, this will be quite entertaining. 2nd Opinion is a collection of user asked yes/no questions. The questions can be any subject and can include a photo. As more users download the app, the number of questions rises quickly so…
Fashion Blogging for All Ages!
The internet is truly a place where anyone can have a voice…even if that voice is 14! Admittedly, I don’t follow the fashion world, but if you do, you may have heard of Tavi Gevinson, a 14-year-old fashion blogger. She’s so successful she was seated in a more prestigious seat than Anna Wintour (the inspiration for “The Devil Wears Prada”) at a fashion show! What’s extra crazy is that she started blogging about fashion at 11. And now she’s showered with free clothes and speaks at conferences, and the fashion industry cares deeply what she thinks. From the Economist profile…
OnStar Googles Volt
Photo courtesy GM While I don’t mean this as negative criticism of a recent press release, I do find the meat behind the message a bit premature for the masses and limited in range and use. And I thank them (sort of) for the revelation it led to. OnStar is announcing they will be at the Google I/O conference this week to debut and demonstrate new functionalities planned for an app that works with the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Version 1.0 of the app will be released alongside the Volt this fall. And the app will apparently only work on Android…
I Knew Automation Was A Problem In Many Fields But In Mine???
from USAToday There is no question that automation has had an impact on numerous industries and has been responsible for some significant job-loss or, at least, job-shifting. For example factories now need less people on the line but can output more product at an ever-increasing pace. Yes, the impact is everywhere but this is one place where I never expected to see an issue… CrunchGear has a post up about a wedding officiated by… a robot. That’s right, the couple didn’t need a priest, or a justice of the peace to tie the knot. Instead the wedding was witnessed by…
Here Is The Best Argument Yet For Jailbreaking Your iPad… FullForce
Sure you can use the “PixelDoubling” of an iPhone app to blow it up and use it on the iPad if a dedicated iPad or universal version of your favorite app is not yet out. It gives you the FUNCTIONALITY you want but it doesn’t look all the good. Okay, let’s be serious. It looks lousy. PixelDoubling is better than nothing but it isn’t GOOD. But while we wait for apps like Documents To Go to release a new or updated version it is the best we can do. At least it was until now. If you are jailbroken you…
ClintonFitch.com Reviews MLB At Bat 2010
Are you a baseball fan? Been looking at MLB At Bat 2010, but find that you’re just a little hesitant to pull the trigger on a $15 app that’s only good for one year? Well, you’re in luck. Our friend Clinton Fitch over at ClintonFitch.com has posted a thorough review of MLB At Bat 2010 for the iPhone. Clinton’s review covers the incredible amount of information to which the software allows the user access, including an abundance of statistics, live action scores, video highlights, and schedules. He also touches on the optional MLB.tv service, which offers streaming video for almost…
Navigon 6300 Sat Nav Review
Navigon’s latest entry into the increasingly crowded sat-nav market looks to be a cracker with a 4.3” display, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a sleek design that makes it easy to hide away when not in use. In my two week test of the Navigon 6300, it really impressed! Out of the box you get everything you need to get up and running in the car. A very secure windshield mount is fully adjustable to achieve the best viewing angle, no matter what car you are mounting it in, and the power adaptor has a sufficiently long cord should your lighter…
Speck Fitted For iPad – iPad Case Review
One of the things I have come to understand and appreciate is that there is no “right” case for the iPad. There are a variety of cases available for it to be sure but none of them is “the right case”. Rather, with the iPad perhaps more than with any other device, the appropriate case depends upon how you’re using the device at a particular moment. Let me explain what I mean. If you are going to be using the device on the go and will be throwing it into a briefcase it makes sense to have a case that is…
MyPadMedia Strikes Back
I bet you thought my skeptical post about MyPadMedia would be the end of it. You’d be wrong. First, a bit of background. I did email MyPadMedia asking for information on how their service worked, and I received back a pitch to receive commissions if I became an affiliate. Still no explanation of exactly what your $49.99 will buy. Apparently, though, MyPadMedia did not like my post. Specifically, they requested the following to Judie: Geardiary.com, My name is Jonathan Crawford and I am the owner of myPadMedia.com I demand that you remove you article entitled “Buyer beware-MyPadMedia” immediately. Not only…
Drakensang the Dark Eye PC Game Review
Games from European PC developers and publishers often have an uphill struggle to begin with: they lack the entrenched network of marketing and promotion, often struggle to get a community base built up of native speakers on popular game forums, and of course are strapped with an image of lacking polish and suffering from poor language translations. As a result they often fail to gain shelf-space at major retailers, making it even harder for them to gain new fans. So you are forgiven if you have never heard of this game, let alone knew that it has been out for…