2013

Skooba Design Introduces New Mini Checkpoint-Friendly Bag for Subcompact Laptops

If you travel a great deal, then you know that small things can make a huge difference during a journey. For example, getting through security quickly can mean the difference between starting a trip stressed out or feeling relatively relaxed. That’s where Checkpoint-Friendly bags come in handy. These bags allow you to move through the security screening without having to go through the hassle of pulling your laptop out of your bag and laying it in a separate bin. And while remove-screen-replace may not SOUND like a big deal, each item with which you need to deal during the chaos…

Vehicles & Gear

2013 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4×4

No doubt model year 2013 was very good for the Ram 1500, as it collected enough hardware to fill the cargo box: Motor Trend Truck of the Year, North American Truck of the Year, AOL Truck of the Year, Four Wheeler Magazine Pickup Truck of the Year, Consumer Guide Best Buy, Decisive Magazine Urban Truck of the Year, Automobile Magazine All-Star and Ward’s 10Best Interiors, just to name a few. It all started one frigid January morning in downtown Detroit outside the North American International Auto Show in 2008. Anticipation was in the air (along with our frozen breath), as…

Gear Bits

Join Us In Wishing the Best to Stacey and Perry

Over the past few months, you have likely read posts by our two newest writers, Perry and Stacey. They love their gear and love to share that passion with others. We have been thrilled to welcome them to the site, and we have been enjoying their contributions to the Gear Diary community. Stacey and Perry also happen to be one of the newest married couples in America. That’s right, yesterday afternoon Perry and Stacey were married. The bride looked gorgeous, the groom looked handsome. So please join us in wishing Stacey and Perry the very best as they begin their life…

Gear Bits

Five Reasons Why the Samsung Galaxy S4 Is a Great Android Phone

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the newest incarnation of the most popular Android phone series in the world; it comes jam-packed with state of the art tricks and tweaks, and it is definitely the phone to choose if you want to experience things that might one day be standard on all mobile phones without waiting for that day to actually arrive. Mitchell recently reviewed the S4, and I have been using the US Verizon version for a little over a month. I have become so well acquainted with the S4 that even though I recently purchased an HTC One, I have found…

Editorials

Bing Thinks ‘Lesbian’ Is a Dirty Word

Update 07/09/13: Please see Microsoft’s Response Sarah and I were chatting this morning about parenting books, and we wondered what resources were out there for lesbian moms. So I pulled out my trusty Lumia, hit the search key, and typed in “Lesbian mom blogs”. Imagine my surprise when Bing informed me that “Your current Bing SafeSearch filters out results that might return adult content.” I had no idea same-sex moms were so risqué! So I set out to test the Bing SafeSearch filter (on moderate, FYI), and the results were shocking. Read on to find out more! (NOTE: All the…

News & Features

What a More Realistic Barbie Doll Might Look Like

Take a look at the modern Barbie doll that Nickolay Lamm of MyDeals.com created; she’s the one on the right, in case you couldn’t tell. It’s been said before that if a human being had Barbie’s proportions, she would be about 5’9″ tall with a 39″ bust, and an 18″ waist. That living doll would have 33″ hips, she’d wear a size 3 shoe, and she would weigh 110 pounds. Those measurements are not at all realistic if you are a human being rather than a product made of molded plastic body parts.

Reviews

Mr Reader Helps Ease Google Reader Withdrawal

I don’t require much in an RSS reader, I just want a list of new items, broken up into folders. No need for fancy animations, layouts that look like magazines, or silly flipping transitions. My favorite RSS reader pre-Google Reader shutdown was FeeddlerPro, and I was heartbroken to leave it behind. But the developer for FeeddlerPro isn’t supporting Feedly, and since that’s become the simplest platform to keep my computer, Windows Phone, and iPad in sync, I needed a new app — one that wasn’t the Feedly app, because I really hate the Feedly iPad app’s style over substance approach….

Reviews

Timbuk2 Aviator Travel Backpack Review – Your New Travel Companion

The Timbuk2 Aviator Travel Backpack is a serious backpack for people on the go. It has an MSRP of $179, and it is made with the fit, finish and design Timbuk2 is known for. This isn’t a travel backpack for someone looking for a simple casual bag, but rather it’s for someone who is planning on doing some serious trekking around the world — someone who needs a great and flexible way to both carry and protect their gear. Let’s take a look. The Timbuk2 Aviator Travel Backpack takes two different forms — a backpack and a carryon — and…

Reviews

V-MODA Faders Earplugs Review – Protect Your Hearing In Style

The other day I reviewed the ETY•Plugs HD earplugs. (Read the review.) What stands out to me, when thinking about this excellent approach to protecting one’s hearing, is the fact that the earplugs are based on the design Etymotic employs for their headphones. In other words, someone who finds Etymotic headphones comfortable will find the same to hold true with the ETY•Plugs HD earplugs. Turns out Etymotic isn’t the only company to leverage their headphones by offering a pair of earplugs that look and feel like something you might use to enjoy your audio; V-MODA had the same idea and…

Reviews

ZAGG Origin 2-in-1 Bluetooth System Review- Cool Gear or Total Gimmick?

When I first saw the ZAGG Origin 2-in-1 Bluetooth speaker I was intrigued. The Origin looks like a large gray plastic desktop speaker with the ZAGG name proudly displayed on the front. It is, in fact, a large gray plastic desktop speaker with the ZAGG name proudly displayed on the front. But that is only part of the story. Grab the middle portion of the large gray plastic desktop speaker’s back and the ZAGG Origin breaks into two pieces. You see, the ZAGG Origin is both a large desktop speaker and a small portable speaker. When the two pieces are together they…

Reviews, Yum Log

Tempour from Soiree Review – One Wine Tool to Rule Them All

As a food and drink writer, I get the opportunity to try out a lot of gadgets that purport to make my drinking life easier. Not that I don’t appreciate them, but the drawers of my liquor cabinet are full of things to cool my drinks, tools to aerate and decant wine, strainers, bottle stoppers, collars that fit around bottlenecks to prevent dripping and strainers to filter out the sediment in aged wines. It’s frankly getting to be a bit of a mess in there, and I usually just keep the drawer shut. So I was quite excited to hear…

Reviews

Griffin Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 Review

Let me start off this review by admitting that I am somewhat biased when it comes to iPhone cases. I carry my phone in my pocket at all times, I rarely drop my phone, and I rarely bring it near water. With that in mind, I’ve always leaned towards bumper-style cases that are small enough to protect my phone and do not to add too much bulk to my pocket. Still, I think I’ve found a great option for those who carry their phone in their pocket and also want great drop and water protection. The Griffin Survivor + Catalyst…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4 Review

Do you need Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? No. Are they worth the $9.99 price of admission to get three of Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? That depends. If you want to bring a bit of customization to your Samsung super-phone or prefer a Home Button with a bit more tactile feel the SGP Home Buttons might be a good choice for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t need to add bling to your S4-thing you may want to save the ten bucks. Here’s a look at what they offer….

Health and Fitness

RoadID Debuts Companion iPhone App

I am sure I sound like a broken record, but everyone who is even moderately active should have a Road ID product. These simple bracelets and tags let you keep emergency contact and health information on your wrist, shoe, or around your neck so that, if something were to happen to you and you are unable to communicate, first responders have information to help assist you. The products are inexpensive but offer an immeasurable value and, more importantly, safety. Road ID is now taking their protective ideas to a new level now with an iPhone app that offers its own safety-minded…

Reviews

Scosche RH1060 Bluetooth Headphones Review – Cut Cords Not Corners

We recently reviewed the Scosche RH1056md Headphones. I was impressed with the wired, over-the-ear headphones and thought them to be a decent value at under $150. Scosche was good enough to also send a pair of their RH1060 Wireless Bluetooth headphones for review. The RH1060 headphones look quite similar to the RH1056md sample we have been using; in fact, then you use them in wired mode they are pretty much the same. Comparing the specifications of the two headphones reveals that both have 40mm drivers and an impedance of 32?. The frequency response of the RH1056md headphones is slightly better,…

News & Features

Wilson Electronics’ 21st Century Tech Survival Kit

Wilson Electronics recently featured their electronic/technology products in a specially packaged “21st Century Survival Kit”. Gear Diary has tried Wilson Electronic products before, especially in emergency situations, and I recently tried out the six items in this well-chosen package – a great guide as you shape your own emergency tech kit. This 21st Century Survival Kit considers communication and sustenance ranging from minor snafus to major disasters to help yourself and others while communicating vital information to first responders. “We began thinking about what has changed in technology and society, and how that would affect what we would want to…

Reviews

Accell Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station Review

Surge protectors are not the most interesting of accessories. At the same time they are an important part of getting your gear up, running and protected. Most of the time power strips with surge protection come in a straight line of outlets, but that is not the case with the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station from Accell. It has a most unusual shape, and it is designed for today’s multi-device setups. Let’s take a look. First and foremost, the Powramid Power Center and USB Charging Station has room for six different plugs to connect at the same time….

News & Features

NHTSA Release New Traffic Safety Facebook Game

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants you to stay safe this holiday weekend and looks to reach a wide audience with their traffic safety messages through their new Memory-type game “Buzzed. Busted. Broke.” now on Facebook. Players choose a difficulty (easy, medium, or hard), then click panels on a board to match pairs and win. The game is a new twist on the familiar photo match game — except in this version, all the images are related to buzzed driving, which gets players thinking about possible scenarios involving alcohol intoxication and drunk driving. THe NHTSA collaborated with Play…

How to Do It Yourself!

How To Customize Your Pebble Watchface

Pebble has been in the news the past few days since they have signed a deal to be sold in Best Buy retail stores. The once almost impossible to obtain smart watch will be available to everyone. Early reviews of the product were mixed at best. I think people were underwhelmed by the functionality of the $150 watch. Basically, out of the box, it showed the current text message and acted as a caller id but as the product matures, several updates have made it a fun gadget. A recent update added an area in the Pebble app that makes…

Reviews

Lumia 928 Windows Phone Review – Slight Learning Curve Leads to High Rewards

About a month ago, I made the radical decision to move from my iPhone to Windows Phone. I’ve always liked Nokia products, and when the Lumia 928 came to Verizon the temptation was overwhelming, so I took the plunge. You can check out my first impressions here. Since this was such a radical change, and since Windows Phone has so many proponents and detractors all by itself, I’ve broken this review down into two sections: Windows Phone itself, and the Lumia Hardware. Windows Phone: Before I get into the phone itself, I think it’s worth spending some time initially on…

Reviews

Satechi LED Desk Lamp Review – See What You Are Working On

It has been some time since I felt the need for a task light while working at my desk or at our kitchen island. The reason for that is quite simple, my house was renovated by my father-in-law, and he has a thing about putting tons of lights in any room has designs and rebuilds. Still, there are times when I really could use some easily directed light. That was the reason I took an interest in the Satechi LED Desk Lamp. This didn’t look like any desk light I had ever used, and it is not. No, the Satechi…

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