2011 | Gear Diary

On the Eve of iPad 2…

Posted January 29, 2010 So here we are on the eve of the iPad 2 release. The anticipation of the release of the iPad 2 prompted me to go back and look at some early posts we did on the iPad over a year ago. I hate to say it, but I think we largely nailed it early on. (OK, actually I don’t hate to say it… We pretty much nailed it early on! Yes, we knew this was going to be an amazing device from the moment El Jobso introduced it.) At the time of the initial announcement, we…

Reviews

iPod Touch 4th Generation Accessory Review: Infinity Carbon Texalium Silver Case

Judie recently reviewed the Infinity Carbon 2×2 Carbon Fiber Twill Case. She loves it. The review started with this: We spend a fair amount of time reviewing accessories here on Gear Diary because all of us enjoy using products that enhance our gear experience. When I buy a new smart phone or tablet, the first thing I generally do is order an anti-glare screen protector for it … and immediately afterward I start looking at cases. The screen protector serves two purposes: much as wide tape placed across a window will help strengthen it during hurricane, I’ve learned through experience…

How to Do It Yourself!, Vehicles & Gear

Long Playing Long Gone an In-Vehicle USB-powered Turntable

I read a story the other day about how automakers have finally axed putting cassette players in new vehicles. Lexus was the final brand to do so and that went away with the announcement of the SC430 being discontinued. As I look around my office area here at home I am reminded of other technology gone the way of the Dodo bird. Nearby sits an old 8-track tape and in the other room is a “stack of wax” as DJs of days gone by described them. LPs. Long-Playing Records. This past Christmas I bought a USB-powered turntable to turn some…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Mortal Kombat…the Joy is Back

Mortal Kombat continues a gory media revitalization campaign with a limited edition Mortal Kombat Fight Stick controller.

How to Do It Yourself!

How to Fix Ethernet Issues When Running Windows 7 On Your Mac Virtual Machine

I recently upgraded to a 27″ iMac [thanks to a spectacular deal from Dan], and the first thing I did was install VMWare Fusion so that I could run Windows when needed. Well, truth be told, there is only one time that I ever really need to run Windows, and that is when I run Microsoft Money. You see, after nearly three years of using OSX, I have yet to find a money management program that I like nearly as much as Money, Microsoft’s long in the tooth financial software. It’s not an ideal solution, but being able to run…

Music Diary

Pop Goes the Music Diary: ‘Covering’ Up Your Inadequacies

Until relatively recently, so-called ‘cover songs’ were a staple of every artist’s repertoire. Whether it was classical artists playing compositions of folks like Bach or Mozart or singers doing the ‘great American songbook’, historically artists have established themselves by working through the existing tradition. Not any longer – now the great songs of the past are merely another source of familiarity to be bought and sampled to give your new song a familiar tune to differentiate it from the other similar sounding club dreck. This came up as we were watching ‘Don’t forget the lyrics’ and the song Savin’ All…

Gear Bits

Hike the Appalachian Trail from Your Chair!

This is a super cool video if, like me, you’ve ever daydreamed about hiking the full Appalachian trail. However, since I have a job and lack the fitness to head out the door and cover 2,174 miles (unlike Dean Karnazes, who is currently running across the whole damn country!) Luckily, an intrepid through-hiker videotaped his experience, sped it up, added some fun music and created this video. If you’ve ever hiked the Appalachian and can identify any of the trails as they go by, be sure to share in the comments! Warning: If you’re sitting in your office while watching,…

News & Features, Travel

Aligata Leather Releases New Premium Leather Products to Protect Your Gear in Style

One of the best things about being involved in this blogging community is that you never know who you are going to meet along the way. That is certainly the case with our friend Tom from Aligata leather. Shortly after the iPad was released, I did a review of a number of iPad folio cases. Shortly thereafter we received an email from Tom. He told us he was designing a simple but premium leather folio for the iPad, and he wanted to know if we wanted to take a look. Shortly thereafter Judie and I received sample of them. We…

Gear Bits

Google’s Reaction to Android Exploits; Conspiracy Theory or Keeping Us Safe?

Original image courtesy of KnowYourCell If you were following mobile news over the weekend you probably saw some reports about Google remote killing some malicious apps that found their way to the market. While most were simply noting this because you may have been one of those affected users , others took some pretty hard jabs at Google for using an exploit of their own to remote into your phone and kill the apps. While this is not far off base, I think some people are taking it to an unnecessary level of conspiracy theory like ideas that Google is…

News & Features

Facebook to Enter Video Streaming

I admit, I’m not a big Facebook-er. I use it as a necessary evil, not a destination site. But it looks like the folks who brought us the “like” button are taking their insinuation into our lives a step farther; now they’re going to stream video too! According to the Wall Street Journal, Warner Brothers is floating a trial balloon in the form of of “The Dark Knight”. Rather than stream it through a subscription service like Netflix, you’ll be able to rent “The Dark Knight” on Facebook for 30 credits (or $3.00). While it’s only one movie, it’s enough…

News & Features

New 9/11 Footage from NYC Police Helicopter Released

For many, the images of the World Trade Center bring back the all-too-real horrors of the events of nearly a decade ago. I have personal connections to those lost in the attacks, as do many people I know in the New York / New England region. By now I had assumed everything was released, but apparently NIST had some video it was studying that was recently released under a Freedom of Information Act request. I read about this first on the Guardian this morning, who had a few reports including this clip and summary text: New York – New video…

Reviews

iPhone Headset and Case Review: Mogo Talk XD2 for iPhone 4

Just after CES we reviewed the Mogo Talk XD for iPhone 4. The Mogo Talk HD is an iPhone case plus Bluetooth headset in one. When I had first seen the product released I thought it was a bit silly, but after trying one for myself I was sold. The case is decent enough and the convenience of always having a good, comfortable BlueTooth headset around is fantastic. Well ID8Mobile, the company behind the product, has now released the Mogo Talk HD2 for iPhone 4 and we’ve got a quick look at one. . What’s in the Box: MoGo Talk…

Vehicles & Gear

Ford F-450 Super Duty Lets the Good Times Roll (and Roll and Roll)

Every time I write about pickup (trucks) I mention Texas being the No. 1 market in the world. And every time I write about Ford pickups I mention their market domination (Ford has led in pickup sales for 34 years straight now). And every year about this time, this top market is inundated with television and print advertising announcing some sort of “truck month” promotional campaign. And this year is no different. What is different is that fuel prices are skyrocketing at a record pace and may potentially threaten truck sales even while pickup manufacturers have been working to produce…

eBooks, Gear Bits

Andy Rooney Rants About eBooks

Apparently, Andy Rooney is not a fan of Kindles and NOOKs. His 60 Minutes rant this past week was all about ebooks. I really hate to say this about Andy Rooney, but he really missed the mark big time. He expressed surprise that paperbacks are being outsold by ebooks, and seemed wholly perplexed by the concept that an eBook reader holds 3,000+ titles. At one point he touches upon one of his books being free, though he doesn’t explain if he’s mad about piracy, or if it was some sort of “freebie” deal organized by his publisher. Sadly, the germ…

Editorials

Has Technology Made Us Obnoxious or ‘Fun’?

The roll of smartphone users is increasing exponentially, and perhaps not surprisingly the amount of people ignoring what used to be common courtesy has also increased. What I DO find intriguing is that it is extremely likely that many folks who complained about people speaking loudly on cell phones years ago are now doing exactly that themselves! From a Yahoo report of a Reuters survey: “The poll of 2,000 adults revealed that most U.S. adults wished people practised better mobile etiquette and found the lack of cellphone manners extremely annoying, even though about 20 percent admitted to poor etiquette themselves….

Reviews

iPhone Lens Review: 12x Zoom, Macro, Fish Eye Lenses From USB Fever

I am a firm believer in the idea that the best camera is the one you have in hand. With that said, I love my DSLR but often find myself taking more images with my iPhone 4. I have always been intrigued, with companies who offer add-on lenses for the phone. USB Fever recently gave me an opportunity to check out one of their lens kits. With all of the editing applications available, being able to use detachable lenses along with those solutions opens iPhone photography wide open. Let’s take a look at the lenses followed by some sample images….

News & Features

The Phosphor Appear Watch Combines Retro Bling with Cool Tech

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how a watch that “[miniaturizes] the “flip-dot” technology found in bus signs and train depots” works, because it just seems so fantastically futuristic and yet so retro at the same time. What I do know is that Phosphor, the company behind the intriguing eInk watches we previously reviewed, has just released a big, bold and more than a little bit blingy watch that appeals to me on several levels. I like watching the crystals flip over to show the time, the seconds, or nothing at all in these .gif’s, so I can…

Reviews

Review: Audio Transmitter Cable for iPhone/iPad/iPod

Both of our vehicles are a bit older and don’t come with the newest audio gadgets. When I travel, I usually plug into the aux jack of either my wife’s or my stereo to listen to my geek podcasts. Of course, while we drive, I use the opportunity to charge my iPhone. So, basically, I have a car charger plugged into the iPhone port in the bottom of the phone and an audio cord plugged into the headphone jack. The audio is great and the phone stays charged but there is a few problems with this set up. First, to…

eBooks

European Union Investigating eBook Pricing

It’s a safe bet that if you aren’t a publisher you’re not happy with the agency model. It did more than just change the nature of publisher/seller relations; it actively changed how booksellers could sell ebooks. Suddenly everyone had to fall in line with the exact same prices, and discounts were banned. Needless to say, this raised some regulatory eyebrows, and according to the Guardian UK, there’s been some old-fashioned office raiding over it! According to the article: The European commission has launched morning raids on several publishing houses suspected of fixing the prices of ebooks, as a huge battle for the…

Editorials

The Consequences of Distracted Driving

I got into a fender bender last night. Luckily no one was hurt, and as for the damage to my car (see above), well, that’s what insurance is for. In the aftermath, though, I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking on how easily I let myself get distracted while driving, not just yesterday but in general…and fortuitously, this afternoon I came across my old iPod shuffle. If you’re wondering how I went from distracted driving to iPod shuffle, it’s not that crazy a leap. I usually use my Droid for music in my car, either using the built-in music…

Gear Bits

Proven True! Lightning Doesn’t Strike the Same Place Twice

photo credit: Kuzeytac You know the old saying that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice? Well, now I have definitive proof that this is absolutely true. Yup, Lightning Does Not Strike The Same Place Twice! Years ago our house in the mountains suffered a direct lightning strike. How do I know that is the case? I know because it was the middle of the afternoon on Saturday and a huge storm front was coming through. Our golden retriever (she was still with us) and I were taking an afternoon siesta in the den; I LOVE afternoon naps when a…