Larry and Dan Serve Up Gear Chat #7
Dan and Larry take enough time away from their iPads to prepare Gear Chat #7- today’s topic… the iPad, iPhone OS 4.0 and assorted other goodies…
2010
How I Lost Over 6 lbs On The iPad Diet
One of the unexpected benefits of starting to use the iPad in place of my MacBook is that it has made me feel far lighter than ever before. No, I don’t mean “lighter” in a “techno-geeky I’m so happy to be using this magical device…” way. No, I mean lighter as in “using the iPad means I carry a lot less in my bag”. In fact I can now carry a far lighter bag now thanks to the iPad. I set out to figure how much weight I had “dropped” and even I am surprised. Here is a quick, rundown…
Vertu Constellation Ayxta Update! It’s Broken!
Vertu Constellation Ayxta If you noticed last week, we did an unboxing on the Vertu Constellation Ayxta. A gorgeous new flip phone that costs oodles and oodles.. Well this week its broken! I put one of my 3 SIMs in it to start using it and absorbing it into my daily repertoire. And then it started happening! I had synched the phone to my PC (Ok Mac Book Pro running Windows XP) and loaded my contacts and a few pertinent pics and was very excited to get started! I turned it on and the screen clock on the inside started…
So How DO You Actually Load Your Own Documents onto the iPad?
Having been one of the people in my social circle to have an iPad, I have been answering a lot of questions for others who don’t have an iPad, or that can’t be answered by playing with one directly. One of the most frequent questions I get is “How do you load PDFs (and other personal documents) onto the iPad?” If you look at the iPad by itself without a computer running iTunes, you can only explain this verbally. And it’s not the most intuitive process (in fact, not very Apple-like). So, rather than re-answer the same question multiple times,…
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (2003, RPG): The Netbook Gamer
The only thing better than playing a great game is getting a great deal on a great game. Heck, even a great deal on an average game is a pretty great thing! As I’ve said in the past, I came back to the RPG genre on the PC after a long absence in mid-2003, starting with Neverwinter Nights on the Mac and proceeding to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic on the day it was release, then starting to ‘backfill’ with games like Gothic 2 and Baldur’s Gate 2. By engaging many folks on forums in discussions I got…
The Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX Review
You can always get a laptop or a gearbag to handle your larger electronics, but what about the little things — the cables, cords, chargers, memory cards, flash drives, dongles, batteries, and miscellaneous doo-dads — all of the “stuff” that winds up getting lost or forgotten when you’re traveling? Say hello to a possible solution – the Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX, which features “over 15 intelligently organized, flexible spaces hold cords and cables, AC power blocks, adapters, batteries, USB drives, office supplies, even compact cameras and MP3 players.” Similar in style to a zippered binder, the Cable Stable DLX…
This Post Brought to You by the Camangi Webstation
The new Camangi Webstation software is much, much better than it used to be. It is faster and definitely more stable (though it does have some issues with coma-mode if left unused for a long period.) Anyhow, I couldn’t let Judie, Dan, Larry and the other Gear Diary members with iPads have ALL the fun…so I decided to write this post entirely on the Camangi Webstation. I downloaded the WordPress app for Android, and I’m banging away nicely on a full-size USB keyboard. It looks a bit silly, admittedly, but it’s working remarkably well. There is no lag between typing…
Old Jews Telling Jokes- Yet Another Reason To Be Thankful For HTML 5
Here’s another reason to be thankful that websites are moving over to HTML 5 and passing by Flash… Old Jews Telling Jokes. My Catholic “cousin” (my mother’s best friend growing up hence adopted “cousin”) and I have been talking quite a bit about Apple’s new products. Well, more accurately, I’ve been asking questions and he’s been telling me that because he works for Apple he’s not allowed to answer any of them. 🙂 Now that the iPad is released, however, we can chat about how amazing it is… So two nights ago we were exchanging e-mails and I was telling…
Neuros Link Review
Imagine being able to watch Hulu, Fancast, Youtube and many other streaming services on your TV. How about Boxee? Yes, that too. What if you don’t want to share your local video viewing? XBMC is on it too. What can do the things I am talking about? The Neuros Link, one of the latest products from Neuros Technology. Setup To setup the Link, you plug a HDMI cable into your HDTV, plug in the power, and then plug in the keymote’s dongle. If you do not have a HDTV, you can use it with a DVI or VGA monitor, although…
Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf … MMO Game?
Like many others, I joke with friends who regularly line up for the new edition of Madden NFL or NBA or NHL or whatever annual sports game they choose, that they are really just paying an annual subscription fee for roster updates and tweaks. Apparently EA Games was listening, and has released the dominant golf video game – Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf – as an online web browser-based game based on an annual subscription model. I have been playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf for many years across PC and (more recently) PSP, and was fortunate enough to participate…
Jetbook Lite Hardware Tour
I’ve been playing with a Jetbook Lite the last few weeks, and as I put together my full review, I thought I would start with a quick overview of the hardware. There are a few features of this particular ebook reader that make it stand out in a sea of eInk devices, and they were worth showcasing separately. First of all, unlike most ebook readers that use built-in rechargeable batteries, the Jetbook Lite uses plain AAs. Battery life is excellent (it’s still on full bars with the initial set of batteries), and it’s nice to know if you’re traveling you…
e.ez LA robe iPad Allure – Review
The iPad cases are starting to roll on and, as expected, they are coming in a few basic designs. Among the most popular thus far are the slip-cases or sleeves that offer full protection for the iPad when in transport but let you remove the iPad and use it naked (or protected by a clear skin) when you want to use it. Case in point- the be.ez LA robe iPad Allure. From the company- Don’t compromise with “net book-compatible” sleeves, LA robe iPad is adjusted to fit your iPad exactly, offering the best protection and style in the minimum volume…
Review of the Google Nexus One Car Dock Kit
I was very excited when I found out that the Google Nexus One Car Dock was available. As I mentioned during my review of the desktop dock, I thought that it was very well designed. In fact, I liked it enough that I bought another one for work. I was hoping that the car dock would be just as useful to me. I will make some comparisons with the TomTom car kit for the iPod Touch, which I currently use. Read on for my impressions of the car dock after its paces over the past couple of days. As soon…
Another Day, Another iPad
photo credit: powerbooktrance Okay, okay. I’m weak – I admit it! I lasted nearly a week before I finally caved in, went down to Best Buy, and picked up an iPad which I now have been playing with for about 12 hours. So of course, I now have a few observations and because the world hasn’t had nearly enough iPad opinion pieces, I’m going to share with you! First – the device and it’s potential really are amazing. Despite all the hype and the nonsense and even a few drawbacks, I’m really impressed with this thing. Although I’m…
Dead or Alive Paradise: PSP Game Review
When you hear a title like Dead or Alive, you naturally think about scantily clad women in bikinis prancing around an island giggling and … WHAT?!?! OK, so perhaps you would think of the famed fighting game franchise … but that isn’t what you get here. But let’s get to the real question: is the game any good? No it isn’t, in fact it is downright abysmal … but you can read on for more details.
2010 Toyota 4Runner the “Miley Cyrus” of SUVs
Photos courtesy of Toyota The State Fair of Texas hosted the world debut of the fifth-generation 4Runner midsize SUV this past fall. The event marked the 25th anniversary for 4Runner, and celebrating more than 1.5 million units sold since launch. “Backed by a quarter-century of heritage combined with the integration of the latest comfort, convenience and performance technologies, the all-new 4Runner has evolved into one of the most advanced mid-sized truck-based SUV’s on the market while at the same time staying true to its roots as a rugged and durable off-roader,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager…
eBook Competition Gets Fierce
The iPad has landed! But that’s far from the only bit of ebook news this week. Things are really heating up, so let’s dive right in! First, the Association of American Publishers released their estimates for 2009 book sales. The bad news is that overall book sales declined 1.8%…but the silver lining is that ebook sales GREW 176.6%!!! It’s very exciting stuff, but ebooks still aren’t big enough to carry the whole book industry. Overall book sales were $23.8 billion, and ebook sales only made up $313.2 million. It’s a start, but a small one. If you’re comparison shopping for…
Keyport Review: Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
The saga that is the Keyport key fob has finally come to a conclusion; and yes, it’s a successful conclusion at that. After months — years, actually — of waiting, several revisions, updated philosophy and updated direction, Keyport launched its brand new web site today, and most importantly is ready to begin accepting orders for their key fob. If you need some back story on what Keyport’s gone through over the last 3 years to get to where they are today, head here. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a select group of individuals who were included in…
Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD Red Review
We all love buying new gear. That’s why we’re here right? But when is the last time you bought an amazing gadget and made a donation to a worthy charity at the same time? The Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD Red headphones not only look and sound great (we’ll get to that in the review), but a portion of the profits from every pair of headphones sold goes directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. These headphones are made from a proprietary titanium coated driver technology ensures they preserve every “bit of the lush bass and…
Hard Candy Bubble Sleeve For iPad- Review
You are headed out for the day, and you want to bring your iPad with you. What you really want to do more than anything is throw it into your bag and not have to worry too much about it. The problem is the device is relatively delicate. Yeah, it is well-built and solid, but it is delicate nonetheless thanks to the large touch screen. That’s where Hard Candy’s Bubble Case comes in. Let’s take a look… From The Company- Bubbles on the Outside, Rubber on the Inside Hard Candy’s signature bubble design tangoed with the Hard Sleeve, and the…
Camangi…After the Update
Camangi sent the updated Webstation back today, and there are some good improvements. It also looks like some things haven’t changed at all. Nevertheless, the Camangi Webstation is one of the only Android tablets that has managed to appear in the USA, so the question is: If you didn’t buy an iPad, and you’re holding out for something Android-based, is the updated Camangi worth it? Let’s start with what didn’t happen. It didn’t get upgraded to a new version of Android, so it’s still stuck on 1.5. However, Camangi now claims that any future changes are user-upgradable. Hope the Webstation…