2013

We’ll Be Covering the Samsung GALAXY S4 Reveal Live This Evening

Despite what Apple might want you to believe Android has matured into an impressive mobile operating system and Samsung is on a roll. Over the past few weeks I’ve had a chance to spend some serious time with the Samsung GALAXY Note 2 and the Samsung GAXAXY Note 10.1 with Verizon 4G (that review is coming soon). I have to admit I’m impressed by what the current version of Android offers when paired with Samsung’s hardware. No, I’m still not a fan of the plastic bodies Samsung is opting to use but the actual experience of using their devices is…

Reviews

BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini Review

We loved meeting Ali Yildirim and his team from BeyzaCases during CES 2013. We love their gorgeous leather case and appreciate their advertising on Gear Diary. Their new offerings are the epitome of luxury and make using your various electronic devices even more pleasurable. You can read all about our time with Ali and his team here. We walked away from our time at the BeyzaCases booth with a number of their current products. One of the more unusual is the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini. Available in black, tan, brown and camel. Priced at more than $150 the…

Music Diary, News & Features

Fretlights Offers World’s Easiest Guitar to Play

For many people, playing a musical instrument is an unrealized wish. They wished they had taken something up in their youth, but fear it is now too late. But that is just not true – not only can you still pursue traditional lessons as an adult, there are specific methods for learning methods that maximize enjoyment with minimum time investment. And then there is the Fretlights system from Optek Music Systems, and what they are calling the ‘World’s Easiest Guitar to Play’. The system is simple – lights under the fretboard guide you to play the correct notes, helping you…

Game Diary, Reviews

Cognition Brings Chilling Adventure to iOS, Review and Giveaway!

If you are like myself or most other PC game fans, you track the ‘indie bundle’ sites regularly and grab all of the great games these creative developers publish. A couple of months ago I grabbed Cognition Episode 1 from IndieGameStand on the Mac, but never finished playing. Now it is available for the iPad, so before I could get a review code from the publisher I bought the game and played it. I say that Cognition brings chilling adventure to iOS, read on to find out why! Oh, and the publisher came through with a review code as well…

Editorials

Is Customer Service the Key to Killing Showrooming?

Moving requires Sarah and me to be good little consumers and spend money. It’s inevitable that there are household items that need to be purchased or upgraded, and we have countless lists of “to buy”. We’re trying hard to watch our bottom line, and yes, we’ve definitely engaged in what has been called “showrooming”, or checking out items in a store and then purchasing them online for less money. But there have been a few times when we’ve been impressed enough with the customer service we encountered that price became less important than having a smooth, easy transaction. When retailers…

News & Features

Merrell’s Four Fundamentals of Fitness with Tim Ferriss

Earlier this year I reviewed Merrell’s M-Connect line of shoes and was blown away by the comfortable but minimal fit. Merrell has really committed to making great minimalist footwear, and that commitment doesn’t end when you slap on the shoes. They want to know that you’re really getting good use out of your shoes, and enjoying yourself fully. That’s why they’ve teamed with Tim Ferriss, the self-proclaimed “human guinea pig” and author of The 4-Hour Work Week, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef to offer up the four fundamentals of fitness. Yes, Tim Ferriss apparently likes when things come…

Editorials, Events, Gear Bits, News & Features

SXSWi New York Times Talk on Gated Content

In which Doug attends a talk by New York Times reporter David Carr (above) on gated content at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) One of the talks that I had really been looking forward to at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi)–as a contributor to an online site as I am–was David Carr’s talk, “Gates of Heaven, Gates of Hell”,on how media was adapting to the internet, and specifically about the NY Times’ experiences with pay walls, online advertising, and the like. If you’ve been online for a while and followed the business news regarding making online sites pay, you know…

News & Features

Twelve South BookArc for iPad Now Works with iPad mini

The other day we were leaving the house and Elana said, “Aren’t you missing something?” “No, what?” I replied. “You mean you aren’t bringing your iPad mini with you?” It made me laugh but she is actually right. In the months since I got the iPad mini it is my most carried and used device, surpassing even my MacBook Pro with retina display and my iPhone 5. When I’m out it is the device I am most prone to grab if I am doing anything more than checking email on my iPhone. And if I am at home my iPad…

Reviews

Discovery Trekking’s Ultra-Fast Drying Towels

“Gear” comes in all different shapes and sizes and we do our best to cover as wide a range as possible here on Gear Diary. That’s why, in this review, we will be looking at… towels. Yes, this is a review of towels but, as you might expect, these aren’t just any towels. No, these are special Ultra-Fast Drying Towels from Discovery Trekking Outfitters. These Ultra-Fast Drying Towels come in different sizes and colors and their ability to all but vacuum water from wet skin surprised me- in a good way. (The claim in the previous sentence- mine not the…

Reviews

Zagg LEATHERskin for the Apple iPad Mini

I ordered a Zagg LEATHERskin for iPad mini last week. (It looked interesting and Zagg was offering a good deal on some headphones with any order I made that day. And… yes… we will be giving the headphones I got away in the near future!) If I look at the way Judie, Mike and I each protect our iPad minis I see three very different approaches. Judie doesn’t mind adding some weight and bulk to her iPad mini so long at the case she uses screams quality. That’s why she is happily using the Orbino miniPadova she purchased a few…

News & Features

Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Backpack Now Available

Before CES 2013 I reviewed the Pelican ProGear S100 Elite Backpack. It is a serious backpack for people who need serious protection for their laptop, tablet and assorted gear in the go. Now the company has released their Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera backpack. The Pelican ProGear S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Backpack features the same basic design as the ProGear S130 Sport Elite but offers the addition of a protective divider pack for cameras in addition to the built-in watertight and crushproof case for laptops. If you bring your photographic lab with you on the go this backpack may…

Reviews

Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio Lets You Be Prepared

When Superstorm Sandy hit last fall we, like so many in our region, were left without power. For Elana and me that meant no heat, no light and no water. (Yes, we live in New Jersey and have well rather than communal water.) The outage also meant we had no way to recharge batteries. Thankfully I had anticipated this happening and prepared by charging all of my various external batteries. I do, however, wish I had had the Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio. The Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio is an all-purpose, rechargeable weather alert radio…

Reviews

Braven 570 Charges Your Smartphone and Ears On the Go

We met with Braven at CES 2013 (check out the post) and had a chance to see their new speakers. We watched as the Braven BRV-1 went for a swim and checked out the budget-priced Braven 570. Now we’ve got out hands on the Braven 570 for a hands-on review. Before we jump in though take a look at the BRV-1. If you’ve used one of Braven’s speakers or checked out our head-to-head match between the Braven 600 and the JawBone JamBox (read the post) you are already familiar with the design of the Braven 570. It is a rectangular…

Health and Fitness

Your Workout Is Where You Find It – The Monday Mile

I have talked about things that can keep you from working out, such as being sick, very cold or icy weather, or just ‘not feeling it’. But recently I have had to deal with another challenge to getting in my daily run – I have been traveling out of state to work on a major project at one of my company’s other locations. It is a large and important effort, and while it comes with high prestige and visibility it also has the downsides of taking me away from home and sticking me in the normal array of chain hotels….

Reviews

Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Add Bling to Your Phablet

Some smartphone accessories have a clear purpose and reason for existing. The purpose of other accessories is… less obvious. Case in point- the Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The Note 2 has a Home button and it works just fine on its own. Why then would one spend $10 to buy three different metal buttons to place over the stock Home button? Well, if you have a Verizon branded Samsung GALAXY Note 2 there is ugly and stupid Verizon branding right on the button. The Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 cover the…

Reviews

Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2 Provides Tasty Protection

So you’ve entered the land of phablets and bought yourself a Samsung GALAXY Note 2. You love carrying one device that serves as both (a freakin’ huge) smartphone and a (tiny tiny) tablet and you take it everywhere you go. That’s great but a device getting that much use and abuse needs t be protected. Fortunately Speck has you and your Note 2 covered with their Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2. It is a great way to add color while keeping your Note 2 safe and secure. The Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2 comes in two…

Events, News & Features

Audience earSmart Sets New Voice Quality Standard

I find myself using my smartphone less and less for voice calls and more and more for other types of electronic communication. I’m not nearly as bad as Judie, however, who rarely gets on the phone for actual calls. Still, there are times when we do need to use our smartphones as phones and having the best possible audio quality is important. While attending Mobile World Congress Judie saw the Audience earSmart ES325 Advanced Voice Processor. She was impressed. The earSmart is the first Advanced Voice Processor that has innovations such as the ability to have simultaneous three-microphone processing, optimization…

Editorials, Events

SXSW Interactive: First Fumbling Steps

South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi)–my first foray into trade show/events in a while I don’t go to many trade shows or other events. Gear Diary’s editors, such as Judie, Dan, or CarlyZ, are usually the ones who take on that burden/honor. It’s not that I don’t want to; I rarely have the opportunity. But Chevy is running a promotional event about their hybrid Volt during South by Southwest Interactive (i.e., SXSW Interactive), and as Judie is on vacation and our go-to superlative car guy David Goodspeed couldn’t make it, your humble news guy was asked to step into the breach….

Game Diary, Reviews

Tomb Raider Review for PlayStation 3

In Tomb Raider, adventuress/archeologist Lara Croft returns in her ninth video game…the first in four years. Was it worth the wait? Definitely. Developer Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix push current consoles to their limit with this impressive reboot. The Hype A Survivor is Born When the first ever Tomb Raider game launched in 1996 it was a revolution. Outstanding in terms of graphics, gameplay, and storyline, it changed the way that video games were played and developed forever. Fronting the games assault on the world was the central character, Lara Croft. Lara was also to have an incredible impact,…

News & Features, Outdoors

Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon Dual Lense Action Camera Gives You Eyes in the Back of Your Head

We’ve all seen those first-person action videos of guys and gals flying down the slopes, jumping out of planes, or slashing through the whitewater on their kayaks. These videos are entertaining and provide the viewer a peek at exactly how it would look if you were risking your own neck out there, without all the danger and adrenaline. The problem with these videos, however, is that you can only capture one angle on the action, unless the camera is behind held in hand. Oregon Scientific is looking to change this with their new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon camera, the world’s…

Reviews

Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones First Look

I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones for some time. Jabra describes the Revo Wireless Headphones as combining “amazing sound clarity with peerless build and durability”. The videos on the Jabra website show just how tough the headphones are, and a live demonstration at CES 2013 reinforced the message. Yes, the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones promise to be incredibly durable. If the sound quality is similarly impressive, then Jabra will likely have a hit on their hands. The bad news is that we don’t yet have a final price or release date on…

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