Dan Cohen | Gear Diary

Pocket Informant HD for iPad- A Gear Diary Sneak Peak

A friend recently asked me if I knew anything about the status of the iPad version of Pocket Informant. Granted, his particular verbiage was a bit stronger than what I’ve represented here. He is one of many friends who relies on PI for the iPhone and who is anxiously awaiting the iPad version. I told him that I expected to see something soon, but that just as PI for the iPhone was slow to arrive but impressive when it did, it was clear to me that Alex and his team at WebIS are not going to release an iPad app…

Editorials

My iTunes Store Customer Service Interaction Was a Good One

I’ve done more than my share of complaining about Apple’s iTunes App approval process. And for good reason; they are, at times, far too heavy-handed and not nearly transparent enough. And I’ve done my share of complaining about Apple in general. And for good reason; while their products are awesome there are times when their secrecy and arrogance are over the top. So when I had an encounter with Apple’s iTunes Customer Service that was pleasant… and positive… I thought I owed it to them to share it. I got my iPhone 4 on Wednesday. I loaded all my apps…

News & Features

AG Findings Introduces Line of New Cases for the iPhone 4

AG Findings are rolling out a series of cases for the iPhone 4 that offer style and protection at a god price. Among their upcoming cases are… The iPhone 4 Beetle Case — As the company explains: Did you know beetles are the group of insects with the largest number of known species? Well AGF’s iPhone 4 Beetle Case offers a large variety of awesome colors. We are sure you won’t be disappointed with this amazing case. The Beetle Case Features: Superior impact protection A shock absorbing liner A lightweight design Access to all controls, parts, and cameras Details and…

News & Features

Ballistic Introduces the Ballistic HC (Hard Core) For iPhone 4

If you plan on bringing your iPhone 4 with you during serious activity you are going to need to give it some serious protection. Ballistic is looking to provide just tat with their new Ballistic HC. The Ballistic HC provides not one, not two, not three but four layers of protection. As the company explains… This Ballistic HC Case is a MUST HAVE for your brand new iPhone 4. Keep your iPhone 4 looking as good as the day you took it out of the box! Engineered with FOUR layers of protection AND a built-in screen protector, this case offers…

Editorials

Apple’s FaceTime Slight of Hand – It Isn’t About Video Chat

Two days into using Apple’s new FaceTime on the iPhone 4, and I’m coming to a realization… despite what Apple may say, FaceTime isn’t about video chat, it’s about Apple moving into yet another area of communications. Bear with me while I try to explain… With the arrival of over 600,000 new iPhone’s Apple has quickly introduced a brand-new communications system. Going by the name of FaceTime, it is the first implementation of mobile video chat that actually works. No let me correct that: it doesn’t merely “work”, it works really, really well! So long as you have a high-speed…

News & Features

iOS 4 Multitasking Introduces New Popup Notifications and More

One of the reasons Steve Jobs came for the late arrival of any form of Apple-supported multitasking was the battery hit that occurs when multiple apps are running even after the user has moved away from that particular screen. The result is that only in the 4th iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system has any form of multitasking emerged and even with it there are strict limitations. As Larry and I discussed in last weeks Gear Chat, there are only a certain number of functions that can run in the background and, even then, developers have to retool their apps…

Reviews

Gumdrop Moto Skin For iPhone 4 – Review

The iPhone 4 is out and despite the issues some are experiencing it is pretty amazing. The screen is gorgeous (so long as you avoided the ones with the yellowish issues), the speed is great, the battery life is impressive and the whole device just feels awesome in your hand. It is everything Apple promised it would be- with one glaring exception. Despite what Jobs said you WILL want to protect your new iPhone 4 with a case. The screen scratches, the glass shatters and that is just the initial reports. Yes, it is a great phone but in its…

News & Features

A Quick Test of Mobile Blogging From My IPhone 4

I’ve never been all that pleased with the various mobile blogging apps currently available for the iPhone. But with iOS 4 out and a new iPhone I thought I would give it a go once more. The image above is a screen capture from my iPhone. This picture is not…. It was just taken with the iPhone 4’s camera. The new version of the Blogpress app lets you directly upload and embed video via YouTube. How does it look? We’ll know soon enough.

News & Features

Atomic9 Bluetooth Speakerphone Wristband- Dick Tracy Would Love This! – Review

Let’s face it, technology has finally gotten to the point where some of the gadgets we lusted after in cartoons and science fiction programs as children are now becoming a reality. I mean, the iPhone does even more than a Star Trek communicator (well everything but communicate intergalactically but I’m sure that is coming). The iPad looks like one of the tablet information devices that were so common in scifi shows 30 years ago. And Dick Tracy’s 2-Way Wrist Radio (first introduced on January 13th, 1946 and then upgraded to a 2-Way Wrist TV in 1964) how cool was that?!?!?…

Editorials

Apple iPad Sales Top 3 Million Units- Surprised? Not!

Apple just announced that it has sold over 3 million units in just 80 days. That is… remarkable. (It is almost as remarkable as Apple getting over 600,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4. And, no doubt, that number would be even higher if Apple hadn’t run out of the first run.) As Sir Stevo notes- People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives. We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month. So why is the iPad such…

News & Features

Phonesuit Introduces Their New PrimoCube Micro Battery

PhoneSuit has introduced their latest creation… The Primo Battery Cube for SmartPhones. The Primo Cube is small… really, really small. It is so small that it will fit in the palm of your hand. So small that it is just about 1.5 inches (40mm) in length and width. Yes it is small but it is large enough to offer integrated Micro-USB and Mini-USB connectors that support new and legacy mobile phone charging standards. The result is that the cube compatible with virtually all USB charged SmartPhones and Bluetooth devices. That includes BlackBerry, Android based, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia SmartPhones and…

News & Features

Vuzix Breaks Out New “Wrap Fashion Shades” Video Eyewear

Vusix has moved “video eyewear” forward yet again with their new Wrap Fashion Shades. The Fashion Shades offer an interchangeable collection features four different colors – red, blue, amber, and mirror – giving Wrap users several options when looking to personalize their video eyewear. The Wrap Fashion Shades cost $19.99 per pair or $49.95 for a 4-color pack. They snap on to all current models of the Vusix Wrap eyewear to add color and personalization. It is a far cry from the early versions of video eyewear that, for better or worse… …made you look like Star Trek’s Geordie La…

News & Features

Sena iPhone 4 Case Roundup

Sena is readying its line of cases for the new iPhone 4. Many of the designs are familiar to anyone who has previously used one of Sena’s cases. Others, like the Fondina, are a new approach to iPhone cases and play well off of the iPhone 4’s clean lines and sleek feel. All are sure to come with Sena’s great build-quality. Here’s a quick look at what is on the way… The Fondina This lateral style case offers an open design with light and rigid protective construction for durability and accessibility. Rigid protective lateral footprint with top access Open design…

News & Features

Evernote Updated For iOS- Key New Features Make A Great App Even Better

As more and more apps get updated for iOS 4.0 the question of what it all means becomes increasingly important. We already know that Apple’s idea of “multitasking” and “backgrounding” is not the same as what we experience on a desktop. (ie, all the applications you are using continue to run even when they have been moved to the background or the dock.) No, Apple’s idea of multitasking involves allowing key FUNCTIONS to continue running in the background but not the apps themselves. If you want that you’ll have to jailbreak and get Backgrounder. Apple’s reasoning is well-known by now….

News & Features

Sena Collega for iPad Takes iPad Slipcases to a Whole New Level – Review

I love Sena’s cases. Their Folio for iPad is by far my favorite iPad case thus far and I use it all the time. When I saw their new Collega appear on the site I was intrigued. Here was an iPad case that stood out a bit from the others I had seen. Since it was “on sale” during pre-release I jumped on it and put in my order. It arrived last week and I’ve been using it on and off since. Let’s take a look. From Sena– The Collega stands out with a compact all-in-one design and offers a…

Editorials

Do I Still Need a Flip Camcorder If I Have an iPhone 4?

We received this question from one of our readers… here are the answers from our editorial staff… Dear Gear Diary, Does iPhone 4 kill the flip? I’ve wanted something like that for a while but think the new iPhone might be as good or better. Signed, Flipping Out For The iPhone 4 Dear Flipping Out, Dan: I love my Flip Video Camera. I really do. But I do worry about their future… unless they make one significant change in a hurry. When the iPhone 3GS came out and had the ability to shoot video, I questioned how it might impact…

Reviews

You Can Run but You Can’t Hide- Find My iPhone, An iPhone App Quick Look

Apple’s update of MobileMe brings the new email look that has been in Beta to the masses. It is a huge improvement. It also coincides with the release of the Find My iPhone iPhone app. The app is universal so it works equally well on an iPad. (Perhaps it should be called Find My iOS Device???) Here’s a quick look at it in action. When you start the app it shows you all the devices on your MobileMe account. It can take a few seconds to locate the device and, obviously, those with a GPS chip (ie my iPhone or…

News & Features

Gear Diary Predicts that Thursday June 24th Is Going to be UGLY Due to iPhone Madness

In the Book of Amos you’ll find the famous quote– “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet…” Well we don’t fare much better. (One look at my stock purchases over the year proves that.) No, neither of us can see into the future… usually. But this time seeing the future is not difficult in the least. Hence we are not only writing this post in advance but we are publishing it early too. 600,000 iPhone Activations Crash AT&T Servers… Mayhem Ensues Published Thursday June 24th 5pm Today made Monday June 15th’s iPhone pre-order day…

News & Features

Urbanears Medis Earphones Stay Secure With New EarClick Technology

Now this is something different. Traditionally earphones either sit on your ear or in your ear. Those in your ear are held in place with a variety of different methods using everything from foam covers to flanged plastic (the Etymotic hf2 use this method) or they are molded to your ear the way the are. Well Urbanears has taken a different approach and it looks rather intriguing. The new Urbanear Medis come in 12 colors and use an entirely new method to stay put once placed in your ear. As Urbanears explains- What makes the Medis unique, apart from the…

News & Features

LapWorks iPad Recliner – Review

Since I’m using my iPad as a notebook replacement most of the time I need a good solution for holding it at the right angle for reading and writing on it using a Bluetooth keyboard. Judie knew I was looking for something that would fit the bill so when LapWorks sent her a review sample of their iPad Recliner she forwarded it to me to use and review. (Thanks Judie!) I’ve been using it in my home study for the last week and have gotten a good sense of its utility . Let’s take a look… From LapWorks- Well, now…

News & Features

Waterfield Unveils Two Ways To Protect Your iPhone 4

Just because you can’t get through Apple’s servers to order your new iPhone 4 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t and can’t make arrangements for it when (if??) it ever arrives. Fortunately Waterfield is rolling out some protection for the new iPhone. Right now there are two offerings but I suspect more will be on the way. The nice thing about both of Waterfield’s initial offerings is that they are slip case that protect the phone when it is in your bag or pocket but slide off the phone during use. In light of the iPhone 4’s sleek design I suspect a…

Articles by Dan Cohen