2010 | Gear Diary

On Piracy and Copyrights: The Stupidity of Delay and Denial

The folks here at Gear Diary are in lots of different industries: financial, tech, rabbinical, teaching . . . me, I’m a technical writer. I write books and “topics” about technical topics for a living. Computer manuals, network system reference pages, instructions on how to install everything from giant Cisco routers to that teeny 2Wire modem some of you may be using in your houses. That’s my trade; it’s how I make my living. As such, I am a believer in copyright, and the rights of content creators to a reasonable and fair return on their work. These folks (and…

News & Features

Apple Launches the Magic Trackpad

At long last Apple has released a standalone trackpad that brings the MacBook Pro controller to your iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro but goes one better by almost doubling the size of the trackpad. As the Apple store notes- Magic Trackpad gives you a whole new way to control what’s on your Mac desktop computer. When you perform gestures, you actually interact with what’s on your screen. You feel closer to your content, and moving around feels completely natural. Swiping through pages on screen is just like flipping through pages in a magazine, and inertial scrolling senses the momentum…

Game Diary, Reviews

Din’s Curse (PC/Mac RPG, 2010) Review

I have consistently sung the praises of Soldak Entertainment since their first game released in 2007, which they have earned by consistently serving the RPG community with well-made, fun and interesting games. The most recent release from Stephen Peeler and crew is Din’s Curse – but let’s take a quick look at their earlier releases. The first Soldak game was Depths of Peril (DoP), which was interesting because it featured a dynamic game world. At the core was an action RPG, but DoP offered much more than a simple Diablo-esque experience. As a player you head up a faction charged…

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: 2 Of Dexim’s New Cases

Dexim is one of the leading manufacturers of accessories for a variety of mobile devices. The company has a wide range of products for the iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, HTC and now the iPad. The company recently launched several cases for the Apple iPad and they were nice enough to send along two of their new offerings for me to review. The Dexim Durable Protection Sleeve for the iPad is made from thermoplastic polyurethane. Also known as TPU this material is harder than straight silicone and offers a fit that’s tight and form-fitting. The Sleeve is available in either black…

How to Do It Yourself!

Photography in the iPhone era

Let’s finally get to it. Photography in the iPhone (smartphone) era. A couple of years ago I wrote a column of how I was choosing my 5mp Nokia cellphone camera over carrying my Nikon D-SLRs each and every day for my photography needs. In all honesty, I had been leaving my Nikons behind for several years in favor of a Canon SX-IS series point and shoot digital camera. Aside from sporting events, the Canon satisfied my image-making needs and I still carry a Canon with me at work and on most vehicle shoots for my reviews. But I am never…

Reviews

Arctic Sound P311 Stereo Bluetooth Headphone Review

The iPhone added stereo Bluetooth capability some time ago, but I have yet to try it. Finding quality with affordable prices can sometimes be difficult, so I never looked very far. There are times when wireless stereo headphones can come in pretty handy, so I was excited to test out the Arctic Sound P311 headphones. Most mornings I workout early in the morning long before the rest of the family wakes up. Speakers are not really an option to avoid waking the crew, so I always use headphones. Some of the exercises allow me to hold my iPhone in my…

Music Diary, News & Features

Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ Celebrates 20-Years of Poser ‘Gangsta’ Pretense

While it might seem incredible to some that it has been 20 years since the release of the hit hip-hop single Ice Ice Baby by rapper Rob Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice), look at that outfit … I … I really just don’t even know what to say. To celebrate the anniversary, here is the version I have always preferred: Jim Carrey before he hit it big doing a parody for the Wayan’s Brothers variety show In Living Color: It is interesting looking back and realizing that late the prior year when Vanilla Ice was unsigned, he had released it as…

News & Features

Gadget Review – The Joby Gorillatorch Flare

The other day I needed to make some adjustments behind my television. I needed both hands but I also need a light illuminating the right spot where the cable connections we. So I grabbed a small flashlight, stuck it between my teeth, and did what I needed to do. It dropped on the ground three times and… well you know what they say about the “right tool for the right job”?? This wasn’t it. Obviously there’s a better, more dentally-respectful way to do this and that comes in the form of… the Joby Gorillatorch Flare. I’ve been evaluating one of…

Reviews

Dynomighty Wallet Review

If you’re like me, you probably don’t give much thought to your wallet. It holds stuff, then slowly parts of it disintegrate, or it gets worn and uncomfortable to carry, so it’s time for a new one. Mine all look essentially the same; I tend to favor plain leather wallets with plenty of pockets to hold credit cards, business cards, discount cards, etc. Still, I’m always open to new ways to hold everything together, especially in a thinner package, so when Dynomighty offered the chance to review the Mighty Wallet I thought it would be fun! Dynomighty offers a great…

News & Features, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Ford Explorer: Back from the drawing board

Welcome to July 26, 2010, or what the folks in Dearborn, Michigan are calling “Ford Explorer Day.” Ford Motor Company has become known for segment-defining vehicles in its rich history. The Model T, the Model A, F-series pickup, the OG pony car Ford Mustang and a vehicle that began a new revolution when introduced in 1990, the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle. In recent years, Explorer (and nearly all SUVs) have fallen from their lofty perches in manufacturers lineups. SUV buyers were pulled into the segment due to attributes of these utilitarian workhorses. Haul the family, haul a trailer and…

Reviews

The Alphasmart NEO Review: The Ultimate Draft Writing Tool

Alphasmart NEO Portable Electronic Keyboard It has a full-size keyboard so it is definitely not pocketable and a sports a 5.75″ x 1.5″ Mono Liquid Crystal display which shows a “generous” 2 to 6 lines of type. It has a whopping 512K memory. It runs on 3 AA batteries. It has no ability to connect to the internet. Finally, to get “all this,” you’ll have to pay a little more than half the price of a bargain Netbook. No, you haven’t just accidentally stumbled on a review from the Gear Diary Archives. This amazing little piece of retro tech is…

eBooks, Reviews

The Elements, by Theodore Gray Review: Adapted for the iPhone 4 by TouchPress

I spend a lot of time on my own. My family is in Austin, but I work in Sunnyvale, leaving me with a two-week period where I’m, in essence, a bachelor who doesn’t date. So when I’m in Sunnyvale, I revert to my true nerd state, spending extra time at work, obsessing over work-related details, making a nuisance of myself to workmates, writing posts for Gear Diary, and chatting incessantly about gadgets and tech. By the time I get back to my room, I’m usually so beat that I just flop down on my bed (after inhaling some food), and…

Editorials

Use Your Cell Cam, Go to Jail

Photo courtesy of ABC News© We don’t talk much about politics here at Gear Diary. It’s not our thing. We’re geeks and nerds here, not PoliSci majors. We like to talk about the positive side of tech. But every once in a while, tech news and politics do bleed into each other. One of the classics is Net Neutrality, of course. Gizmodo being raided by the police for purchasing an allegedly stolen device. Early in my career, encryption software being treated as equivalent to a munition was a hot topic. You get the idea. Since 9/11, a lot of the…

Music Diary, News & Features

Wolfgang’s Vault and Sonos Get Close…

Although I don’t own a Sonos system, it’s something that I’ve considered purchasing several times in the past. Sonos’ wireless, multi-room music system keeps getting more tempting, too, by adding new features, including streaming services and an iPhone app. Wolfgang’s Vault, on the other hand, I’ve been using for a while. (In fact, you can find a couple of Gear Diary posts about it here and here.) Drawing from the archives of the late Bill Graham, Wolfgang’s Vault contains decades of concert recordings from artists including Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Elton John, Led Zeppelin,…

Reviews

Speck SeeThru SATIN for iPad Review: It’s Smooth As Silk

I’ve been finding myself using the “snap-on-back-cover” style of case with my iPad more and more lately. I prefer the ease at which this style case allows me access to the iPad’s screen. There’s no cover to peel back and no annoying tab to push out of the way. The Speck SeeThru SATIN case has quickly become one of my favorite cases from this genre. The SATIN is made from a soft, grippy material. If you’re familiar with the See-Thru SATIN for the iPhone 3Gs, imagine it, just on a much larger scale. It’s fairly light-weight at 9.0 ounces and…

Editorials, Music Diary

The Democratization of Music in an iTunes Era

Say what you will about iTunes and the electronic age’s impact on music and the music industry but one thing is clear — they have been great about is giving talented people exposure long before they might come to the attention of agents, scouts and record labels. That’s the case with Applegirl, who caught the world’s attention with her rendition of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face performed with nothing more than a number of iPhones. Over three million views later she has a contract with a record company. Pretty neat. Then there is Ben, one of my students and an aspiring musician….

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: TwelveSouth Compass Mobile Stand for iPad

Here is an early draft of the email I sent to Apple accessory-maker TwelveSouth yesterday after opening their new Compass Mobile Stand for the Apple iPad. My name is Dan Cohen and I am one of Gear Diary’s Editors. I just bought a Compass and will be reviewing soon. It is by far one of, if not the, best accessories I have bought/received for my iPad. Beautifully built, thoughtfully designed and a great price-point. Well done. Dan Cohen Sent from my iPhone It kinda says it all… but why not read the rest of this review anyway? From TwelveSouth: Compass…

Editorials

Love & Breakups in the Facebook Age

I love social media. I tweet. I run a website. I have a Facebook page. Gear Diary has two Facebook pages. But sometimes … sometimes it just goes too far. Sometimes people lose site of the public nature of these things … or maybe it is just that they don’t use good judgment. Regardless of the reasons, let me tell you a story… Two couples I know divorced earlier this year; ironically they were finalized on the same day, but in each case I had no idea that their marriages were even in trouble, that they had separated, or that they had been…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2010 Nissan Titan in Heavy Metal Chrome

The more things change, the more some things seem to stay the same. Take Nissan’s Titan fullsize pickup. When first introduced it bowed with the highest power in the half-ton segment nearly eight years ago and was one of the first to offer more than four gears in an automatic. As we approach the arrival of the 2011 model vehicles on the lot, Titan has fallen nearly to the back of the pack. It is still a robust truck but Nissan has been putting most of its attention of late into the smaller spectrum of the lineup leaving the fullsize…

Reviews

Android App Review: B&N’s nook

Amazon, Kobo, and Borders have all weighed in with their ebook apps for Android, and now it’s B&N’s turn. They’ve rebranded all their reader apps to “nook”, and finally they’ve released the nook app for Android. Right from the start, the nook app and I didn’t get off on the right foot. It almost froze the marketplace trying to download! As it turns out, it’s because the file is a whopping 17.69 megabytes! For reference, I have two games on my Droid (Replica Island and HSN Shootout) that are fairly graphic-intense. They clock in at 5.40mb and 13.47mb, respectively. The…

Editorials, Game Diary

New Dragon Age Patch Breaks DLC, the Solution? Patience!

There is nothing worse than starting up a game and getting an error message like the one above – you have done everything right, installed everything, logged into the account, even played before using all of this content. But now, you log in and cannot start the game, and are told that you are not authorized to use the content and that the owner of the content needs to log in. ARRGH! After doing all of the usual stuff – logging in and out of my in-game account, restarting the game, checking my online profile and so on … I…