Articles by Dan Cohen

iVOICE Baby-ai Review

Bluetooth headsets are commonplace these days — especially since most states have now made it illegal to drive while holding a cell phone. Bluetooth headsets that are both comfortable and sound great, however, are anything but commonplace. More often than not I get a new headset that looks promising, use it for a couple of days, and then discover that there’s something problematic. Perhaps it’s not as comfortable as I’d like, or it doesn’t sit securely enough in my ear when wearing it. Or it may sound great to me, but sound like I’m in a tunnel to the person…

Reviews

Tricking Out The MSI WindOSX – Part 2: Noreve Leather Case

I’ve now got MacOS X installed on an SSD drive in my MSI Wind. No moving parts means that it really is a device that can be thrown into a bag and taken anywhere. So what it needed was a good case to protect it from the bumps and bruises of daily life; boy did I find the right case! I’ve always been a fan of Noreve‘s leather cases. They use superb quality leather, they offer polished and professional styles, and they clearly employ excellent craftspeople. Best of all, it just so happens that they have a case designed especially…

How to Do It Yourself!

Tricking Out The MSI WindOSX – Adding an SSD

A little over a week ago I installed Mac OS Leopard on the MSI Wind I had picked up at Best Buy. I’m pleased to report that after a week of use, it is still going strong. I’m amazed at how well the Mac OS runs on the device; I am grateful to everyone who figured out how to get Mac OS X running perfectly on a Wind and were then kind enough to share their work. Well, I couldn’t leave well enough alone, and so I decided that I need to trick out the diminutive Mac just a bit….

Reviews

Griffin Clarififor iPhone 3G Review

I love my iPhone. I love Evernote. I love using the camera on the iPhone to snap pictures and send them to Evernote. I love the fact that when I send pictures taken on my iPhone to Evernote they are automatically scanned and completely searchable. I hate the fact that the iPhone’s camera take lousy close-ups of text. That’s why I was so excited to see that Griffin was releasing the Clarifi, a special case with the built-in lens that boosts the eye phones camera resolution. The good folks at Griffin were kind enough to send a review unit of…

How to Do It Yourself!

The Creation of a Hackintosh

(Note- This post is done in order to share my experience creating a Hackintosh. It is not intended to recommend or encourage similar hacks. Gear Diary neither recommends, nor takes any liability, if you choose to do the same.) I’ve been through the whole UMPC thing from the start. I had a TabletKiosk UMPC the day they were shipped. I had a Samsung Q1P, Q1Ultra, Q1Ultra Premium and a Sony UX 280P in rapid succession. I loved the whole UMPC concept but none of the machines ever fit the bill quite well enough for me. Each was either returned or,…

Reviews

Xlink Bluetooth Gateway BTTN Review

My wife and I have had multiple telephone lines since we were first married. Most of the time we had two lines, a “house phone” that was for personal use and a “work line” that I used professionally. That changed last year when I got rid of my “work line”. I was using my cell phone almost all the time and having to check messages on both lines became a pain. Moreover, I found myself using the landline less and less. As a result, for the last year or so when I am in front of my computer I use…

Reviews

Cronk – An iPhone Game Review

One of the things I enjoy most about being part of the Gear Diary team and whatsoniphone.com is the opportunity to get to know some the developers creating apps for the iPhone. Over-all I have found them to be a really interesting, nice and creative bunch. Best of all, as I have discovered more than once, many are committed to constantly improving their apps and are surprisingly receptive to end-user input. This is certainly the case with the game Cronk.

Reviews

Mophie Juice Pack Review: Keeps You Connected All Day

So here I am on vacation in Aruba. The sun is warm, the waves are a bit rough and the WiFi is horrid. Seriously, the WiFi here brings me back to the good old days of dial-up, and they weren’t such good old days. As a result of the anemic WiFi I have found myself using my iPod touch far more than the HP MiniNote 1000 I picked up prior to my trip. (it is, by the way, an awesome netbook!) The touch seems to work far better for me when checking email, keeping up with my RSS feeds, and…

Reviews

Epson WorkForce 600 Multi-Function Printer Review

The timing could not have been better. Our ancient multifunction printer had seen its last day, and we needed a good printer to replace it since I do much of my writing from my home study and my wife has recently started her own business. I was in the midst of doing the research as to which printer to buy when I was offered the opportunity to review the Epson Workforce 600. As luck would have it, the Workforce 600 was already on my shortlist. I’m glad I said “Yes” to reviewing the WorkForce 600, as this is definitely a…

Reviews

Tributaries PWRS-T8/T1 Power Strip Review

For the second time in 10 years our cabin in the Pennsylvania mountains was struck by lightning. And for the second time in 10 years walls had to be opened and the house rewired before it could be usable once again. Not fun at all. (And that is WITH a lightning box installed!) This time, unfortunately, it wasn’t just the wiring that suffered. The casualties were numerous. The stove has cooked its last omelet. The dishwasher has seen its last dirty dish.The washer and dryer have seen their last load of laundry. In all, the damage was both extensive and…

Reviews

Case-mate Vroom for iPhone 3G Review

A while back the good folks over at Case-mate were kind enough to send me one of their Vroom cases for the iPhone 3G. To be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed upon opening. Its description explains why. “Kick it into high gear with this new tire-tread pattern iPhone 3G case” “Hooray,” I thought to myself “an iPhone case that looks like a car tire. What could be more exciting.” Fact is, I ask you find myself using it quite often now. Here’s why…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Review

I’ve got a thing for notebook bags and over the years I have collected quite a few. This was, however, my first experience with a Tom Bihn bag and boy am I impressed. This is among the first of the new, TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) approved notebook bags that do not require removal of the device while winding your way through the security checkpoint gauntlet. The new TSA rules allow a notebook to remain in its case as long as there is an unobstructed view for the x-ray machine. That means there can be nothing blocking the notebook and that…

Reviews

Waterfield’s Suede Jacket Sleeve for MacBook Review

So you got your new MacBook (gorgeous isn’t it?) and you really want to carry it with you everywhere. You could throw it into a large, super protective notebook case. The problem is, but that would just weigh you down after Apple was kind enough to shave half a pound from it. You could carry it in a highly protective laptop sleeve, such as the one that I use from Waterfield. It works great and offers a fair amount of protection. But what if you want to carry a work briefcase and don’t feel like having two different cases? What…

Reviews

Waterfield iPod Suede Jacket Review

Apple got it right with the second generation iPod Touch. The device is sleek, thin and feels great in the hand. It works fantastically well as a touchscreen iPod, as a video and gaming device and as a mobile internet device. The addition of a physical volume control was much needed and, even though the speaker is a bit on the weak and tinny side, it is a great addition to the device. Sure, I wish Apple had added GPS and Bluetooth, but that doesn’t keep me from being extremely happy with this slick device. The new iPod Touch does…

Reviews

Review: The Agent18 MacBook Air Shield

The MacBook Air is a beautiful piece of electronics. It is sleek, stylish and… well, just plain cool. But while its aluminum construction is certainly more durable than, say, the current (and soon to be phased out) version of the MacBook, without too much difficulty the Air can get pretty banged up and scuffed. Within a short period of time “beautiful” can become “beat up”. And that is a problem on a device like the MBA. On the one hand you want to protect it while on the other, while on the other you don’t want to lose the sleek…

Reviews

Revolabs xTag Wireless Microphone Review

I’ve been using voice recognition software for a number of years. Back in my Windows days I used Dragon NaturallySpeaking Speaking. I started with Version 8 and the accuracy improved through my use of Version 9.5. (Version 10 has just been released and it promises to be even better!) When I made the move to Mac a little bit over a year ago I went searching for voice recognition software. I found and purchased iListen from MacSpeech. It worked well enough but was a far cry from the power and accuracy of Dragon. A few months ago MacSpeech updated iListen,…

Reviews

Review- CellRanger Redux From “Signal-Challenged” NJ

I used to love watching late night commercials. You know the ones where the product was too good to be true at a too low to believe price. “It dices, it slices and it will stay sharp for one thousand years or your money back! Order now and we’ll throw in five more sets at no additional cost. All this for the low price of just $7.99” or “The Weblo Cooker makes a five course meal in just three minutes! That’s right, from freezer to table in minutes AND the meal will rival the finest restaurant. Best of all is…

Reviews

Ice Red’s Shine and Sirocco Notebook Bags Review

For the last month or so both my wife, Elana, and I have both been using MacBook Pros almost exclusively. What amazing machines they are. As strong as their aluminum cases are, however, they are still delicate electronic devices that require gentle handling and a good case for transport. New notebooks… new search for the right bags. For the last couple of weeks we’ve both been using bags by Ice Red. Read on for our thoughts…

Reviews

Review – iPWR Mobile Power For iPhone and iPod Touch

[This is a joint review between Dan and Doug. Dan’s comments are in normal font and Doug’s are in bold italics.] I’m liking a whole lot about the iPhone 3G I picked up the other day. It feels good in my hand and, even though it is a bit thicker, the curved sides make it feel smaller and lighter. I am liking the 3g speed a lot more than I expected. While home and work have WiFi, the 3G speeds make a much bigger difference than I expected when I am out and about. I’m pleasantly surprised how common 3G…

Reviews

Review: Myvu Crystal 701 Personal Media Viewer

Even though the screen is small, I enjoy watching video on my iPhone and iPod Touch. No, it will never match the experience of watching a movie on a 50 inch hi-definition LCD, but it is more than merely functional- it is a pleasant experience. I’ve had my eye on Myvu’s various offerings for some time, watching carefully as each new one was released. I have wondered if they really worked. And, assuming they did work, wondered whether the experience of watching video through Myvu would be that much better than viewing on my iPhone. So, when the opportunity to…

Reviews

Review- Cygnett’s GroovePowerPack and GrooveSafari: Complete Accessory Pack for iPod

The number of Apple-branded media devices in my house has grown significantly over the past year. With the number of devices now floating around my abode it is always helpful to have an array of available connectivity, charging and docking options. (This became even more important when upgrading the devices to the new 2.0 firmware since it significantly downgraded their battery life.) Problem is, those accessories can add up quickly. Enter Cygnett’s GroovePowerPack and GrooveSafari. The GroovePowerPack has every connectivity option you might want for your iPod or iPod Touch. It includes- Each piece of the GroovePack is simply styled…

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