2010 | Gear Diary

Evernote Updated For iOS- Key New Features Make A Great App Even Better

As more and more apps get updated for iOS 4.0 the question of what it all means becomes increasingly important. We already know that Apple’s idea of “multitasking” and “backgrounding” is not the same as what we experience on a desktop. (ie, all the applications you are using continue to run even when they have been moved to the background or the dock.) No, Apple’s idea of multitasking involves allowing key FUNCTIONS to continue running in the background but not the apps themselves. If you want that you’ll have to jailbreak and get Backgrounder. Apple’s reasoning is well-known by now….

Reviews

The Artwizz Alustand Makes Your Laptop Bouncy??

Artwizz’s Alustand has some pretty good looks. It’s got that Macbook like metal and a crystal like plastic piece that connects both aluminum parts together. It looks like it might be sturdy, but in my opinion, it falls short. I love that you can collapse it down and stick it in your laptop bag. If you have a Apple Bluetooth keyboard, the whole package will go nicely in your bag. Both aluminum pieces nest and I am not exactly sure where the crystal piece can go, but it’s not difficult to find a spot in your bag. Unfortunately, when it…

Game Diary, Reviews

First Impressions: OnLive Gaming Service

I have written here and here and here about the OnLive gaming service, which was announced over a year ago as a way for gamers with relatively modest computer hardware to run the latest and greatest games in HD. The service was supposed to release on June 17th, but folks sporadically started gaining access on the 18th – which is when I got access to the service. I’ve had the chance to get some play time with the service and wanted to give you some first impressions. The service runs on most reasonably powered Macs or PCs without any issue….

News & Features

Sena Collega for iPad Takes iPad Slipcases to a Whole New Level – Review

I love Sena’s cases. Their Folio for iPad is by far my favorite iPad case thus far and I use it all the time. When I saw their new Collega appear on the site I was intrigued. Here was an iPad case that stood out a bit from the others I had seen. Since it was “on sale” during pre-release I jumped on it and put in my order. It arrived last week and I’ve been using it on and off since. Let’s take a look. From Sena– The Collega stands out with a compact all-in-one design and offers a…

Editorials

Do I Still Need a Flip Camcorder If I Have an iPhone 4?

We received this question from one of our readers… here are the answers from our editorial staff… Dear Gear Diary, Does iPhone 4 kill the flip? I’ve wanted something like that for a while but think the new iPhone might be as good or better. Signed, Flipping Out For The iPhone 4 Dear Flipping Out, Dan: I love my Flip Video Camera. I really do. But I do worry about their future… unless they make one significant change in a hurry. When the iPhone 3GS came out and had the ability to shoot video, I questioned how it might impact…

Reviews

You Can Run but You Can’t Hide- Find My iPhone, An iPhone App Quick Look

Apple’s update of MobileMe brings the new email look that has been in Beta to the masses. It is a huge improvement. It also coincides with the release of the Find My iPhone iPhone app. The app is universal so it works equally well on an iPad. (Perhaps it should be called Find My iOS Device???) Here’s a quick look at it in action. When you start the app it shows you all the devices on your MobileMe account. It can take a few seconds to locate the device and, obviously, those with a GPS chip (ie my iPhone or…

News & Features

Gear Diary Predicts that Thursday June 24th Is Going to be UGLY Due to iPhone Madness

In the Book of Amos you’ll find the famous quote– “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet…” Well we don’t fare much better. (One look at my stock purchases over the year proves that.) No, neither of us can see into the future… usually. But this time seeing the future is not difficult in the least. Hence we are not only writing this post in advance but we are publishing it early too. 600,000 iPhone Activations Crash AT&T Servers… Mayhem Ensues Published Thursday June 24th 5pm Today made Monday June 15th’s iPhone pre-order day…

News & Features

Urbanears Medis Earphones Stay Secure With New EarClick Technology

Now this is something different. Traditionally earphones either sit on your ear or in your ear. Those in your ear are held in place with a variety of different methods using everything from foam covers to flanged plastic (the Etymotic hf2 use this method) or they are molded to your ear the way the are. Well Urbanears has taken a different approach and it looks rather intriguing. The new Urbanear Medis come in 12 colors and use an entirely new method to stay put once placed in your ear. As Urbanears explains- What makes the Medis unique, apart from the…

News & Features

LapWorks iPad Recliner – Review

Since I’m using my iPad as a notebook replacement most of the time I need a good solution for holding it at the right angle for reading and writing on it using a Bluetooth keyboard. Judie knew I was looking for something that would fit the bill so when LapWorks sent her a review sample of their iPad Recliner she forwarded it to me to use and review. (Thanks Judie!) I’ve been using it in my home study for the last week and have gotten a good sense of its utility . Let’s take a look… From LapWorks- Well, now…

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Coming to iPad!

Game Diary, Reviews

The Netbook Gamer: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (2003, RPG)

I made a big deal in my Neverwinter Nights Netbook Gamer about how that game had reignited my love for role-playing games after nearly a decade away. But I also mention that there was a reason I picked up Neverwinter Nights in the first place – I was enjoying the recent Star Wars games and was really looking forward to the promise foretold in Knights of the Old Republic previews, but wanted to get a feel for the state of the RPG again to see if it was even worthwhile for me to give the upcoming Star Wars RPG a…

Events, Game Diary

Penny Arcade Sums Up E3 In Three Panels

Image Courtesy of TechShowNetwork I didn’t lead with the comic itself as it contains some language and phraseology that might offend some … so click on in to see the comic itself – or head to Penny-Arcade to check it out! I have written at some length about the Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony presentations, but in their most recent comic Penny-Arcade sums up the whole thing much more efficiently than I have seen anywhere: Um … yeah. What they said. Source: Penny-Arcade

Events

Southeast Linuxfest 2010: Building Strong and Lasting Connections

Friends gathered once again in South Carolina to learn about Linux and check out what is new in the Linux community. It is a time of learning as well as time of camaraderie and a over all great time if you are a fan of Linux and Open Source technologies. My trip to SELF started on Thursday as my new found friend, Ed Liddle and I headed down to my Mom’s house for a pitstop. Mom and Dad put together a great dinner of Smoked Pork Roast and Chicken and all the fixens and we rested up for the rest of the…

News & Features

HTC Android Devices Screenshotting Your Browsing?

Tonight I was reading an interesting article on The Boy Genius Report about a curious quirk with the HTC Sense UI on the DROID Incredible. As it turns out, to display those neat previews of websites in the UI the browser is taking screenshots of the site. Doesn’t sound so unsurprising does it? What is odd is the way that the phone is storing those screenshots for future reference. According to BGR, these screenshots are stored on the phone’s internal storage drive where they are easily viewed in any picture viewing application. What’s worse is they are NOT deleted if…

Reviews

M-EDGE Touring Jacket for iPad Review

For my final M-EDGE iPad case review I wanted to share a video from my YouTube channel. The M-EDGE Touring Jacket is a neoprene sleeve that’s lined with gray fleece. It fits the iPad just about perfectly. Not so tight that you feel as though you need a crow bar to get your iPad in or out and not so loose so that the iPad gets jostled around. Here’s what M-EDGE has to say about it: The M-Edge Touring Sleeve for the Apple iPad is the must-have accessory sleeve for the active iPad user. The Sleeve, made of durable and easy-to-clean neoprene,…

Editorials, Game Diary

My Summary of Sony’s E3 Presentation: Buy Our 3D TV’s, We Make a Better Wii-Mote, People Are Too Dumb for the PSP

I am honestly beginning to believe that hubris is so tightly ingrained in the Sony Corporate culture that ‘berate the customer day’ likely stands alongside ‘casual Friday’ as a regular occurrence. OK, perhaps that is a bit harsh, but what came out of the mouths of Sony at their E3 press event were definitely NOT the words of a company in DEAD LAST in every possible category of gaming for the last several years who should be looking to ingratiate themselves with the customers who had previously made them the biggest name in console gaming. How bad is it? Nearly…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

LaCrosse driving force behind modern Buick

With Buick being one of the four remaining cornerstones of the General Motors family, executives in the division find themselves in a difficult but familiar dilemma: Deliver competitive vehicles that attract new buyers while not alienating a loyal demographic. The new Buick LaCrosse is completely redesigned for 2010 and is built on global architecture at the Fairfax plant in Kansas City. It offers all-wheel-drive, a suite of advanced intelligent personal technologies and safety features and choice of (eventually) three engines. “The new LaCrosse builds on the success of Enclave as the next step in Buick’s renaissance and great attention to…

News & Features

Waterfield Unveils Two Ways To Protect Your iPhone 4

Just because you can’t get through Apple’s servers to order your new iPhone 4 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t and can’t make arrangements for it when (if??) it ever arrives. Fortunately Waterfield is rolling out some protection for the new iPhone. Right now there are two offerings but I suspect more will be on the way. The nice thing about both of Waterfield’s initial offerings is that they are slip case that protect the phone when it is in your bag or pocket but slide off the phone during use. In light of the iPhone 4’s sleek design I suspect a…

Editorials

Why Does AT&T’s Android Crippling Matter?

Android Central is reporting that the HTC Aria will be getting a bit of a lobotomy. You see, AT&T apparently hates the idea of sideloading apps. Sideloading means you can add apps that are not part of the regular Android marketplace through over the air download or via the USB cable on your computer. It’s for installing beta software, or software that’s only distributed through a developer’s site, and many of these are not as obscure as you’d think… Just to give you a few examples, I was away on a business trip last week. While I was there, I…

News & Features

If Dad Loves His Tech Case-mate Has Some Nice Gifts For Dad’s Day…

Suddenly all the dads in my life are going Apple. My father-in-law loves his iPad and my dad is using a new 21″ iMac and is taking my iPhone 3GS. (Well that is… if I can ever order the iPhone 4…) If dad has an iPad you might want to get him Case-mate’s iPad cases. The Walkabout has an MSRP of $79.99. It is “Made of high-end tan leather, any dad will be happy to tote his iPad around in this case.” Information and ordering here. The Express has an MSRP of $34.99. It is “created out of a black…

Reviews

Review: Pocket Radar

I have mentioned my coaching exploits many times. I just finished my twelfth season as the head girl’s fastpitch softball coach. We had the best regular season in school history staying undefeated until losing in the state playoffs. One thing that has really changed over those twelve years is pitching. High school pitching now is as good if not better as some college pitching when I started coaching. With the pitching rubber only 43 feet from the plate, the speed of the pitching is a huge issue in my line of work. Most teams own a radar gun to not…

Game Diary, Reviews

Shift for iPhone/Touch

Once again my weekly app store search has brought yet another game. This week’s choice combines subtle, simple graphics and a cool soundtrack with platform game play and puzzle strategy into a truly addictive and unique gaming experience. Shift utilizes simple, yet intuitive controls to guide the character through each level. The game usually costs $.99 but has been free the past couple of days. Shift’s graphics are extremely simple, yet work amazingly well. No fancy 3D rendering or colorful puzzles, just black and white. Much like Spy vs. Spy, the game is entirely in black and white which is…