2012

Google Doodle Celebrates Bob Moog

Music Diary, News & Features

Google Doodle Celebrates Bob Moog

Today’s Google Doodle is a fully interactive synthesizer to celebrate the life of synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog. The sound of so many classic recordings from the 70s owes almost entirely to Moog and his crew from the small Trumansburg, New York manufacturing facility hand-wiring these innovative musical instruments. The ‘Moog Sound’ is not just due to analog circuitry, but more due to the limitations of the technology and some errors made in designing the circuits. I remember having to do most calculations by hand in undergraduate school, from electromagnetic waves to statistics and more … and certainly don’t miss those…

Is Kickstarter Limiting Hardware Projects Because of the Pebble's Unprecedented Success?

Crowdfunding, Editorials

Is Kickstarter Limiting Hardware Projects Because of the Pebble’s Unprecedented Success?

We love Kickstarter; Dan and I (along with others on the Gear Diary team) have backed many projects, and we are always on the look out for new ones. That is, of course, why we started Kickstart This! We love the way that Kickstarter helps inventors and artists get funding so that their products and projects will be available to the public. As anyone who has backed a project on Kickstarter likely knows, “every project is independently crafted, put to all-or-nothing funding,and supported by friends, fans, and the public in return for rewards.” While Kickstarter gives these projects a place…

"The Amazing Robots of Israel", a Live Video Feed

News & Features

“The Amazing Robots of Israel”, a Live Video Feed

There is something rather neat taking place at my synagogue tonight, and Judie and I thought it would be fun to share it with you all. Dr. Amir Shapiro, the Director of the Robotics Lab of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is joining us. Dr. Amir develops robots that benefit humans and improve the safety and security of not only Israel, but the world. He’ll be speaking for a while, and then he will be demonstrating some of his robots. That’s right, he’s bringing robots with him!! We’ll be streaming it over Ustream, and we invite you to watch. Assuming…

The New Sonos Sub Does Bass the Sonos Way

News & Features

The New Sonos Sub Does Bass the Sonos Way

Ever since I first heard a Sonos wireless music system I have been a fan. In fact, just 36 hours after receiving the review loaner unit, I ordered my own system. As I have written previously, my Sonos system is, by far, one of the best gear purchases I have ever made. Now Sonos is adding to their lineup and, in the process, adding some bass. As the release notes, “the Sonos SUB, a stunningly designed wireless subwoofer that takes the whole Sonos Wireless HiFi System one seismic step closer to the spine-curling, jaw-dropping, full body experience music was meant…

Nuance's Dragon Drive to Take on Distracted Driving

News & Features

Nuance’s Dragon Drive to Take on Distracted Driving

Last year Apple sought to bring “natural-language voice control” to the mobile market through the iPhone 4S’ Siri. While some have complained that Siri is too limited or simply doesn’t work well enough for them, there is no question that it is a taste of things to come. Now Nuance, the folks behind Dragon Dictation (and rumored to be behind Siri although neither Nuance nor Apple will confirm the fact) is bringing natural-language voice control to the car. The company just unveiled Dragon Drive!, Nuance’s “new automotive-grade natural-language voice platform created and designed specifically for the connected car. Dragon Drive!…

Is the 2012 Scion iQ the 'Smart' Choice?

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Is the 2012 Scion iQ the ‘Smart’ Choice?

Move over smart car, Scion is taking over the micro-subcompact car segment with its iQ. The new Scion iQ is being touted as the world’s smallest four-seater and adds yet another model to the funky spinoff division of Toyota. I had been looking forward to testing this new little urban go-kart. I find its design much more appealing than Daimler’s smartfortwo U.S. model and its onroad experience is light years ahead of the smart car. But I do have two requests for Scion in the iQ: First, please stop calling this a four-seater – it ain’t. A third occupant maybe…

Mary Halvorson Tops Her Critically Acclaimed Last Album with 'Bending Bridges'

Music Diary, Reviews

Mary Halvorson Tops Her Critically Acclaimed Last Album with ‘Bending Bridges’

Mary Halvorson Quintet – ‘Bending Bridges’ In late 2010 Mary Halvorson released Saturn Sings, her second recording as a leader and first with her quintet. Building on the acclaimed trio debut ‘Dragon’s Head’, Saturn Sings was immediately acclaimed and landed on Top 10 lists across the world of jazz critics. I found it a stunningly original and creative work, saying “she soars with unique and original compositions and improvisational techniques that are tremendously fresh and challenging and listenable all at once. This is absolutely one of my favorite recordings of 2010.” Now, just a few months after releasing a set…

A Second Opinion on the LifeProof Case

Reviews

A Second Opinion on the LifeProof Case

At the start of the year, Dan reviewed the LifeProof iPhone case. He loved it. I have had one for a few months, and on paper it is the ideal case for me. But I don’t have the unconditional love for it that Dan did. So will the pros outweigh the cons? Read on for my take, though if you haven’t yet read Dan’s review i suggest you head there for a quick overview of the fundamentals of the case first. As I said, on paper this is the case for me. I run, in all-weather conditions, so having my…

SPIGEN SGP HTC One X Crumena Leather Pouch Series Review

Reviews

SPIGEN SGP HTC One X Crumena Leather Pouch Series Review

The HTC One X is a beast… and I mean that in only the best way. It is big, it is beautiful, and it has a fantastic screen. The body of the phone is polycarbonate which means the white color goes completely through it. That, in turn, means scratches won’t be quite so apparent. The screen is made from Corning Gorilla Glass. THAT means the screen won’t easily scratch. In other words, the HTC One X is a tough phone. Despite being so tough, however, you ARE going to want to protect the device. One great option is SGP’s Crumena…

ElementCase Design Studio Customized iPhone Cases Review

Reviews

ElementCase Design Studio Customized iPhone Cases Review

Let’s be clear, ElementCase’s offerings aren’t for everyone. No, if you don’t like superb industrial design the products in ElementCase’s line-up aren’t for you. And if you are cheap, ElementCase’s offerings aren’t for you. And if you like iPhone cases that don’t draw attention, ElementCase’s design are CERTAINLY not for you. But if you like great industrial designs that turn heads, and you don’t mind paying for it, the various products in ElementCase’s lineup are just the thing. The company recently rolled out their “Design Studio”; let’s take a closer look. The Design Studio lets you design a customized iPhone case…

Tracking Fresh Seafood with Track Your Fish on MyGulfWild.com

Gear Bits

Tracking Fresh Seafood with Track Your Fish on MyGulfWild.com

Red Snapper photo courtesy of myGulfWild.com I love Red Snapper, but if the truth be known, I haven’t always put a lot of thought into where the fish came from when I was about to eat it; I probably should have been a little more careful. But now I have a new appreciation for not only where my Snapper comes from, but for the people who catch it and the process involved. I recently purchased two whole Gulf Red Snappers from HEB, a grocery store in nearby San Angelo. I noticed that the Red Snapper in the seafood case had…

iWOW-U Universal Audio Adapter Review

Reviews

iWOW-U Universal Audio Adapter Review

Back in April we took a look at SRS’ MyTunes Pro app for iPhone, iPod touch and MyTunes Pro HD for the iPad. The apps do wonders to transform the music coming from your iOS device. The app is free to try and just $10 to unlock the full features. It works well, but itbhas two main limitations. First, it only uses the music in the native music app. That’s an issue for someone like me who is increasingly using Spotify or Rdio as my main source for music. Second, whenever you change your music library the app has to rebuild…

Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor Review

Reviews

Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor Review

Two years ago we installed a wireless security system in our home as part of a review. (Read it here.) One element of the system is a remote camera that lets you keep an eye on one part of your home when you are away. But what if you want to have a remote camera but don’t want to install an entire system? And what if you don’t want to pay a monthly fee? That’s where Stem Innovation’s iZON Remote Room Monitor comes in. It is small, relatively inexpensive and there is no monthly fee! The company describes it this…

Elevation Dock, the Best Dock for iPhone; Kickstart This!

Crowdfunding

Elevation Dock, the Best Dock for iPhone; Kickstart This!

I love the idea of having a set, stable place to drop my iPhone and charge it. The Element Case Vapor Dock (reviewed here) is a great dock. But it could be better. I mean, imagine something as solid and gorgeous as the Vapor Dock but also lets you dock and undock your iPhone in a millisecond. That’s what the Elevation Dock promises and… with luck… will soon deliver. Project Title: Elevation Dock: The Best Dock For iPhone Status: Funded Closing Date for Funding: Saturday, February 11, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: If you…

RIP Donna Summer, Queen of Disco and More!

Music Diary, News & Features

RIP Donna Summer, Queen of Disco and More!

I remember way back at the beginning of High School the dances always seemed to conclude with one song – Last Dance by Donna Summer. It was just one of the iconic songs by the 5-time Grammy Award winning singer, who died yesterday at age 63 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Unlike some celebrities, she kept very private during her illness. For someone who bore the mantle of ‘Queen of Disco’, she refused to let that destroy her career or box her in. That was simply because she had the chops to go beyond ‘Disco Diva’. As noted at…

Me on a Windows Phone? The "Hot" Place Must Have Frozen Over (sort of)!

Editorials

Me on a Windows Phone? The “Hot” Place Must Have Frozen Over (sort of)!

  I’ve been considering something for a while now.  Something that, for me, was almost unthinkable even a short time ago.  But now I want to mix things up a bit and try something new. So after some internal debate, I’ve decided to try a new smartphone platform.  Although the Android platform never offered anything that I found to be compelling in terms of end-user experience, Windows Phone has intrigued me since it’s debut with its completely different user interface paradigm.  So I decided that I would follow Judie and Dan’s positive forays into the Windows Phone world, and I’d…

The Brave New World of Music DRM

Gear Bits, Music Diary

The Brave New World of Music DRM

We all know the law of conservation of matter, in which it only changes forms. Well, apparently that rule applies to music DRM – just when we thought it was going away someone reminds us that it is still there … just in different form. As the graphic above shows, some of the biggest sources of non-owned music – YouTube, Spotify, Rhapsody, etc – all have exclusive DRM that restricts use. Even on iTunes there is DRM wrapped around almost everything except music. It is easy to say ‘well, Spotify and similar services HAVE to use DRM to protect their…

SolMate, iPhone's Hottest Solar, Inductive and Battery Case, Kickstart This!

Crowdfunding

SolMate, iPhone’s Hottest Solar, Inductive and Battery Case, Kickstart This!

Not all Kickstarter Projects are winners. And not all Kickstarter creatives have the integrity we want and expect. This is one example of a Kickstarter Project that looked great, had tons of promise but went sour… sour enough that I would NEVER AGAIN back a project offered by the folks who brought this forth. Project Title: SolMate: iPhone’s Hottest Solar, Inductive and Battery Case Status: Funded (Then Cancelled. See below.) Closing Date for Funding: Thursday February 23, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: Introducing SolMate®, an aluminum-cut, silicon-dioxide, glass-covered iPhone-casing that is capable of charging…

Modern Family Reimagined as Horror!

Gear Bits

Modern Family Reimagined as Horror!

The ABC sitcom “Modern Family” is a sweet, funny look at what it means to be a family today. Each character has a mix of unique and stereotypical traits, and the kids are no exception. Alex, the middle child of one family, is the brainy daughter, and she often plays the straight man/outsider to the wackier elements of the show. One fan took those clips and reinterpreted them in a decidedly non-comedic way. What if Alex wasn’t just the brainy, put-upon middle child, but the brainy, put-upon, sociopath middle child? Fans of the show will know many of the out-of-context…