Dan Cohen | Gear Diary

iPad and iPhone App Update- Dropbox-Powered Elements 1.1

I’m using DropBox more and more these days, thanks to a recommendation from Thomas a number of months ago. One of the key apps on my iPad that makes Dropbox even more powerful is Elements. The universal app lets you use Dropbox as a note-taking application on any iOS device; it is a great way to take notes on the go and ALWAYS know exactly where to find them. When Larry first recommended the app to me, it was good… but extremely limited. You could make notes and do some minimal formatting, but that was it. Now Elements has been…

News & Features

Old Meets New as iPad Becomes Essential Tool for… Archeaology!

My background is in archaeology. Long before I became interested in theology or moved heavily into tech, I loved excavating. I worked on a dig on the Mediterranean Cost when I was 17 and spent two summers excavating the ruins of a major city in the Galilee. Yes, my favorite fictional character was and remains Indiana Jones. This is a Roman house we excavated during one of the dig seasons. (And yes, that is me… a long, long time ago.) During one of the summers were excavating in the Galilee, there was a second team of archaeologists digging in a…

eBooks, News & Features

Zinio Replaced Paper Magazines and Now… Catalogues!

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for the Zinio iPad app. It is a great way to browse, buy and read an ever growing variety of top magazines. I love always having a wide range of magazines with me. And I love the convenience of having an email show up weekly or monthly telling me that my new issue of RollingStone, Macworld or a new favorite, GreenSource, shows up. Well now Zinio has expanded their range of offerings to include three of Macy’s fall catalogues. It is a first for Zinio and a great new way to use Zinio….

Reviews

iPhone App Review- Doodle Cam

Back in the day when MTV was actually all about Music Videos (go figure) there were a few stand-out videos that had effects that, at the time, truly “wowed”! Fast forward a few years and you can now use your iPhone or current gen iPod touch to do exactly the same thing… and more! The app is Doodle Cam and it costs just $1.99. It comes from the same developer who recently released Vintage Video Maker, an app that makes your iPhone and iPod touch videos looks as if they are old movies. That app is fun. Doodle Cam is…

News & Features

You Wouldn’t Drink and Drive So Why Is Your Smartphone in Your Hand?

The other day I was driving home and was a bit distracted while driving. No, I wasn’t texting. Instead I was trying to look around to see how many of the drivers around me were either speaking, typing or otherwise distracted by using their smartphones. I was amazed, and horrified, to see the percentage of individuals who were doing just that. Then, last night, as I was about to turn off the TV after watching one of the new season premieres I saw an advance blurb for the 11 o’clock news. It said something to the effect of, “Yet another…

News & Features

Booq Introduces New, High-End Line of Gadget Bags

From the king Cobra case L, to the iPad specific Cobra courier XS, these four cases bring an unmatched elegance and style to the case and bag market Booq makes some of the most stylish and functional gadget bags I have had the pleasure to review. In recent months they have been expanding their line significantly and today they are taking things to an entirely new level. Today Booq will be announcing their new Cobra line of bags. The Cobra line brings a luxuriously fresh design and simply sharp look to booq’s already stellar line of iPad bags, skins, messengers,…

Reviews

Gear Gadget Review- The Violight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer

Fall is upon us. That means more time inside. That means coughing. That means flu. That means… we had all do our best to stay healthy. Obviously the best way to do that is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water. In addition, a new gadget can help. The VIOlight Cellphone Sanitizer uses UV light to quickly and safely kill 99.9% of bacteria and germs that might be living on your cellphone, earbuds and other small gadgets. It is battery operated, simple to use and silent. Best of all it is under $50. It is super simple to…

News & Features

Pad Brackets Lets You Hang Your iPad Anywhere That You Have a Wall…

As the iPad continues to find its way into more and more homes there are more and more uses being found for it. One of the more interesting iPad “accessories” I saw a few weeks back is a mounting kit that literally embeds an iPad in the wall so that it is flush with the sheet rock. It looked great but that strikes me as a bit obsessive… not to mention a whole lot of work to hang an iPad. And then there is the whole… “now how do I get the iPad out so I can use it elsewhere”-thing. Well…

Reviews

iPad Case Review: Acme Made Slick Case

Both Judie and I reviewed the Acme Made Courier laptop bag, and it remains one of our absolute favorite laptop bags. The bags are nicely designed, well made and have both stood up to some serious use (and abuse) since I did my “second opinion” post as a follow-up to Judie’s full review. Well Acme Made also offers a variety of cases for eBook readers and the iPad. Today we’ll take a look at the Slick Case for Apple iPad. Is it as stylish and well-made as the Courier? Read on to find out… From Acme Made: The perfect solution…

Reviews

Kindle Case Review- Waterfield’s Suede Jacket and Kindle Slip Case

I love Amazon’s new commercial for the Kindle 3. It’s funny, a bit on the harsh side, and absolutely true. The iPad is an amazing device and it has taken over so much of what I normally do. Unfortunately when you’re outside in the sun it’s all but useless. It’s hard to read and it overheats relatively quickly in direct sunlight. So if you live in a dark cold climate you have no problems. If you live anywhere on the planet Earth however you will encounter issues relatively quickly. Since I enjoy beach vacations it quickly became clear to me…

News & Features

Duracell myGrid Makes Cordless Charging Easy, Simple and Fast

We have looked at a number of cordless charging systems over the last year or so, but now a heavyweight in the world of mobile-device power jumped into the field in a big way when they released their myGrid system. Duracell’s myGrid offers several different kits that let you simply set your device down and watch it charge up. With the myGrid… Cord clutter is a thing of the past. With myGrid, you can easily charge up to four mobile devices at the same time. Simply attach a Power Sleeve™ or Power Clip™ to each device and drop it onto myGrid…

Reviews

iPhone 4 Case Review- Dexim CYL Premium Silicone Case

Cases for the iPhone 4 have been rolling out in huge numbers. Regardless of your taste and aesthetic sensibilities there is now a case for you. Here’s a quick look at one of the newer ones. It comes from Dexim and is a new take on the traditional silicone skin. Is it the case for you? Read on to find out. The CYL Premium Silicone Case for iPhone 4 comes with the case itself, a screen protector, a squeege-card for applying the screen protector and a cleaning cloth. It comes from Dexim’s “Color Your Life Collection’ and is described on…

News & Features

Ooma Rolls Out Cheap iPhone VOiP Plan

Thanks to Ooma, my home phone system now costs me a grand total of $0.00 each month. I liked the original Ooma system quite a bit, and I LOVE the new Ooma Telo I reviewed early in the summer. One of the best new features of the Ooma system isn’t exactly part of the Ooma system. A few months ago the company rolled out an iPhone app. What makes this app so special isn’t that it runs in the background on iOS 4.0, although that DOES make it quite useful. No, what makes this iPhone app so special is that…

News & Features

XtremeMac Reveals Tango TRX Bluetooth Audio Solution for iPod, iPhone and iPad

XtremeMac has just unveiled their new Tango TRX high-fidelity wireless audio system for iPod, iPhone and iPad. The Tango TRX offers – superior sound quality, wireless audio connectivity, sleek design and an exclusive app to create a unique and powerful listening experience. Using the latest Bluetooth technology for wirelessly streaming high quality audio the Tango TRX has two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer. But that is only part of the story… A free app from XtremeMac integrates with the unit to enhance both control and functionality. With the app you … can control music directly…

News & Features

Maybe It’s Time to Revisit the DutchTub

Yesterday was a cold, damp day here in the northeast., and tomorrow looks like more of the same. This is the type weather that makes you want to do anything you can to warm up, which prompted my wife Elana to say, “This is when you want… no, you need a hot tub.” Of course, the problem is that the place where we would like to put it is nowhere near an electrical outlet. Luckily there is a solution. photo courtesy of BizIvy photo courtesy of Design Crack The DutchTub, which we first heard about year ago, is a self-contained hot…

Editorials

Of Tootsie Pops and nanos…

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? According to this classic TV ad, it’s three. How many steps does it take to walk around the larger of the two lakes up here in Pennsylvania? Thanks to the a nifty but under-appreciated feature of the new iPod nano, I now know it is… … 4802. That’s how many of my steps it took while walking, according to the built-in pedometer on the nano. Sure the new nano is stripped down compared to its predecessor, but the more I use the diminutive music player the more I…

News & Features

Acme Made Unveils New Sleeves and Covers for Kindle, NOOK and iPad

Acme Made makes some gorgeous bags and device accessories and have now rolled out a new line of cases and covers for the Kindle, the NOOK, the iPad and more that all… provide users with highly protective and well-designed solutions for the growing audience of compact eReader and tablet users seeking fashion-forward protection. Here’s a quick rundown and the company’s description of each. The Hardback Folio- The Acme Made Hardback Folio offers a perfect blend of style and protection with a book-like protective cover and a removable, custom-molded silicone skin. The outer cover is crafted with classic book linen, providing…

News & Features

Friday Funnies… Finally, the Limitations of the iPad Become Clear…

I now officially use my iPad for pretty much everything. I use it for reading. I use it for writing. I use it for gaming. I use it for email. I use if for calls (via Skype or the Ooma app). I use it in place of my MacBook Pro most of the time. I even used it to lead services and preach during Rosh Hashanah services and it worked beautifully. (If I were Conservative or Orthodox using electronics on the holiday would not be an option but I’m not, so it was. Being able to flick the screen instead…

News & Features

Want to Make a Facetime Call From an iPod touch to an iPhone? Then You Had Better…

Here’s a quick tip to all of you who are going to be getting a new iPod touch… if you want to make a Facetime call to someone using an iPhone they need to be running iOS 4.1. What that means right now is that Facetime from a touch to a jailbroken iPhone is… not going to happen. Let’s hope a solution is found… or Larry decides to relock his iPhone and update it to 4.1!

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: ElementCase Joule iPad Stand

Let’s get this out of the way right up front… at $129 ($139 for Black and Anodized Silver) the ElementCase Joule is an expensive stand for your iPad. It has a simple design, consists of just two pieces, and it serves one and only one purpose… it holds your iPad in either landscape or portrait. So is it worth the money? Read on to find out… From ElementCase: Introducing the new “Joule” work stand for your iPad. Its stable solid base has a simple, clean, and elegant design that enhances your iPad and makes it easier to use. Unlike most…

Editorials

Gear Chat #16- New iPods Coming… New Gear Chat Already Here…

Larry and Dan serve up Gear Chat 16… In this podcast we talked about Apple’s September 1 announcement hits and misses, the new Kindle, iPhone and iPad apps and a new iPhone case company that understands good customer service… Intro Music- Lean On Me- Sounds From the Ground Solarstone’s Chill Out Remix…

Articles by Dan Cohen