2010

A Smartphone User’s Worst Nightmare…

(image courtesy Foxnomad) Warning: The image in this post may be very disturbing for iPhone owners everywhere. It’s a nightmare for any smartphone user, really. The devices are so powerful, yet so, so fragile… This is my coworker’s iPhone. I don’t know all the details, except that he dropped it while it was out of its bumper case. While neither of us are physicists, we theorized that had it had the bumper on it, the damage might have been less severe (or nonexistent). Luckily for him, the camera still works so he won’t need to run out and replace the…

News & Features

XtremeMac Reveals Tango TRX Bluetooth Audio Solution for iPod, iPhone and iPad

XtremeMac has just unveiled their new Tango TRX high-fidelity wireless audio system for iPod, iPhone and iPad. The Tango TRX offers – superior sound quality, wireless audio connectivity, sleek design and an exclusive app to create a unique and powerful listening experience. Using the latest Bluetooth technology for wirelessly streaming high quality audio the Tango TRX has two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer. But that is only part of the story… A free app from XtremeMac integrates with the unit to enhance both control and functionality. With the app you … can control music directly…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Reviews: Dogs & Cats Living Together Edition

Over the last few months I have done dozens of short CD reviews articles here, here and here. I continue to get great feedback about this ‘Quick Review’ format, so I plan to keep using it as a way to give a brief overview of a number of new releases all at once. Last time I changed things up a bit by looking at a couple of not-so-good releases. Fortunately I have some great stuff to review this time – but am changing things up again! Did you notice the title doesn’t say ‘Quickie Jazz CD Reviews’? That is because…

Reviews

USB Fever Compact Keyboard Review

If you spend time on the go, you’ve gotten used to laptop size keyboards and small trackpads. Personally, I’ve actually found that having the trackpad nearby as I’m typing to be more convenient than using a separate keyboard and mouse. So when I had the opportunity to review the USB Fever Compact Keyboard with Trackpad, I jumped at the chance. The keyboard is very light and solidly constructed. There are no creaking or awkward seams. I’ve used some wireless keyboards that are flimsy, which makes for poor typing on a lap or on the go, and so I’m extra picky…

News & Features

Child-in-the-Road Decal: Safety Enhancement or Recipe for Disaster?

This weekend on CNN, I saw a bit about a new safe driving initiative in Canada. The basis is to have an extended road decal that has a faux 3D appearance to look like a child chasing a ball into the road. The goal is to have you slow down in high-accident areas and hopefully reduce risks. But as the report indicates, my first concern is over the potential that the same drivers who are taking risks now will become desensitized to these decals and will end up mistakenly end up hitting an actual child at play. Check out the spot:…

News & Features

The Rubber Band Gatling Gun

Oh the damage you could do if you had a Rubber Band Gatling Gun from Gadgets & Gear! Not for children and not for the faint of heart, this aluminum beast of a rubber band shooter will set you back $499, but it will give you bragging rights the likes of which have never been seen! Each handmade Gatling Gun is made of CNC machined parts, and it weighs a hefty 20 pounds. It can shoot 100 rounds of rubber bands, and it comes with two pounds just to get you started. A mounted flashlight on the top should come…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe: Concept to Reality

all images by author The best-kept secret at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show was the unveiling of the CTS Coupe Concept from Cadillac. No pre-show hype or buildup surrounding this baby, all the drool during the reveal was real. And in less than three years this hot little number is rolling off production lines nearly unchanged from the original concept. The 2011 CTS Coupe arrived in August as the new focal point of the Cadillac product lineup and is offered in base (as if any Caddy could be called a base model) and supercharged V race trim. While based on…

Events

Ohio Linuxfest 2010: Here’s to the Hall Track

Another Ohio LinuxFest has come and gone. The friends of the penguin gathered at the Greater Columbus Convention Center for yet another year of great sessions, networking and lots of fun and merriment as friends meet to discuss what is new and interesting in Free and Open Source Software. This is my second year working the booth with fellow members of the Linux Link Tech Show, and this year was a special one as we celebrated the relaunch of our website and the recording of Episode 366 which marks the start of season two. In this show, we talked to…

eBooks, News & Features

Amazon Kindle Plays Rough

Looks like Amazon isn’t taking the iPad/Kindle rivalry lightly. In fact, they are actively playing it up in their latest commercial! Let’s look at where Amazon really came out swinging: •Showcasing how nice the Kindle is in daylight versus the iPad. •Having the kindle user be a hot girl, while the iPad user was a fairly average guy. •Implying the Kindle user was smarter and better with money-she knew her device worked well in the sun and was cheaper, while the iPad guy seemed clueless. This is a far cry from those earlier surreal fantasy style Kindle ads, and I…

News & Features

Maybe It’s Time to Revisit the DutchTub

Yesterday was a cold, damp day here in the northeast., and tomorrow looks like more of the same. This is the type weather that makes you want to do anything you can to warm up, which prompted my wife Elana to say, “This is when you want… no, you need a hot tub.” Of course, the problem is that the place where we would like to put it is nowhere near an electrical outlet. Luckily there is a solution. photo courtesy of BizIvy photo courtesy of Design Crack The DutchTub, which we first heard about year ago, is a self-contained hot…

Editorials

Backups and Recovery Are Your Friends: A Cautionary Tale!

A few weeks ago I made a really dumb mistake. One of those, “I have been a geek for far too long to forget this” kind of mistakes. The easy to avoid, harder to fix kind…what happened? Read on and find out. It all started during a discussion in the “back room” here at Gear Diary, regarding Linux on netbooks and whether the OS really matters anymore. Joel and Doug were arguing OS is less important these days, while Michael and I were of the opinion the learning curve and unfamiliar quirks would drive users into the loving arms of…

Editorials

Of Tootsie Pops and nanos…

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? According to this classic TV ad, it’s three. How many steps does it take to walk around the larger of the two lakes up here in Pennsylvania? Thanks to the a nifty but under-appreciated feature of the new iPod nano, I now know it is… … 4802. That’s how many of my steps it took while walking, according to the built-in pedometer on the nano. Sure the new nano is stripped down compared to its predecessor, but the more I use the diminutive music player the more I…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Jaguar XKR convertible

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Jaguar, a luxury British automobile company that saw life when William Lyons was seeking a name for a new sports car he had built. In 1935, the SS 100 became the world’s first Jaguar. Since then the brand has become synonymous with a blend of grace, elegance, power and agility.

News & Features

Acme Made Unveils New Sleeves and Covers for Kindle, NOOK and iPad

Acme Made makes some gorgeous bags and device accessories and have now rolled out a new line of cases and covers for the Kindle, the NOOK, the iPad and more that all… provide users with highly protective and well-designed solutions for the growing audience of compact eReader and tablet users seeking fashion-forward protection. Here’s a quick rundown and the company’s description of each. The Hardback Folio- The Acme Made Hardback Folio offers a perfect blend of style and protection with a book-like protective cover and a removable, custom-molded silicone skin. The outer cover is crafted with classic book linen, providing…

eBooks, Editorials

Kindle Is Headed to Best Buy, the New eBook Battleground

Just the other day I was commenting on how I didn’t see the Kindle heading to Best Buy for a head to head against the nook, but clearly, I was wrong. According to MobileRead, Amazon and Best Buy have announced that the big yellow tag will be stocking Kindles for the holidays, so whether you’re shopping for a B&N fan or an Amazon acolyte you’re all set. Unless, of course, you’re Sony. Why is this such bad news for Sony? There are a few reasons. One, look at Sony’s prices compared to the nook and the Kindle. You can buy…

News & Features

Friday Funnies… Finally, the Limitations of the iPad Become Clear…

I now officially use my iPad for pretty much everything. I use it for reading. I use it for writing. I use it for gaming. I use it for email. I use if for calls (via Skype or the Ooma app). I use it in place of my MacBook Pro most of the time. I even used it to lead services and preach during Rosh Hashanah services and it worked beautifully. (If I were Conservative or Orthodox using electronics on the holiday would not be an option but I’m not, so it was. Being able to flick the screen instead…

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

OnStar celebrating 15 years of driver assistance, safety

“You can always trust your car to the man who wears the (On)Star…” OK, I took a little poetic license with the catchy marketing tune from decades ago but full service gas stations where a driver can simply pull into and find directions or get a quick check under the hood have long disappeared from the American motoring landscape. Filling some of that void over the past 15 years has been OnStar, the driver assistance technology included in most (and now all) new GM vehicles driven off the lot.

Music Diary, Reviews

Vijay Iyer – Solo (2010) Jazz CD Review

I can hardly believe it has been nearly a year since I reviewed Vijay Iyer’s Historicity. I marked that recording high on my list of ‘best music of 2009’, so I was hotly anticipating his next release. I wasn’t alone in my praise – at his official site, the description calls it “one of the most acclaimed albums of the decade, Vijay Iyer’s debut on ACT Music is a trio album combining his searing originals with a surprising batch of covers.” As a result, the new release ‘Solo’ has gained plenty of attention already – but is it worth buying?…

Game Diary, Reviews

Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura (2001, RPG)

Imagine a world in which the mythical creatures of the middle age mythology – elves, orcs, etc – were real, and that magic existed. Now imagine it is the 1880’s and the industrial revolution in in full swing, but causing a conflict with the worlds of magic and knights of honor. That is the setting of Arcanum, and you are the hero. And that is the premise of the first game from Troika Studios. Troika Studios is worth mentioning alongside their games more than just about any other developer: the studio was formed by three people who left Interplay after…

News & Features, Travel

An Exclusive First Look at the Newest SCOTTEVEST Women’s Items: the Women’s Lightweight Vest and the Go2 Jacket

You know how you can see the most gorgeous ball gown on a hanger, and while you’re able to appreciate the materials used and the workmanship that went into the garment, there’s just no way to know how fabulous it could look until you finally put it on? That’s kind of how I felt when I opened a package containing prototypes of the two new Fall 2010 SCOTTEVEST women’s products — the Lightweight Vest (in a large) and the Go2 Jacket (in medium). I received a box containing both products in early July. I was told up front that the garments…

News & Features, Travel

An Exclusive Look at the SCOTTEVEST Fall 2010 Men’s Line; Much Ado About Something

I know that you all have been chomping at the bit to get more info on the upcoming SCOTTEVEST Men’s Fall coats, and guess what? In July I received a box full of them! I only had a few days to check them out and try them on, but that was long enough to know that this will not only be a very good fall season for women who have been waiting for their new SeV styles, but it will also be a very good SeV season for men as well. The designs that I received were just about finalized, but there…

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