Joel McLaughlin | Gear Diary

Linux Netbook Review: ZaReason Teo Pro Netbook

It has been a while since I looked at ZaReason’s Terra HD Netbook. I liked that one, but the integrated Intel graphics still held it back from those netbooks that are now shipping Nvidia Ion or Ion 2 cards for graphics. Today I am checking out one of ZaReason’s smaller netbooks, the Teo Pro. The Teo Pro is yet another netbook running Ubuntu Linux and equipped with the venerable Atom N450. In fact, spec wise the Teo Pro is almost identical to the Terra HD except that the Teo Pro has a 10.1 inch 1024×600 LCD and one less USB…

Reviews

Review: Sporty MP3 Player Stereo Headphones + FM Radio

I saw these headphones from miniinthebox.com come up a while back. They caught my eye, so I had them send me a set to see if they were as good of an idea as I thought they were. Let’s take a look and see what I thought was so compelling about them. What makes these semi-cool is that they are regular wired headphones as well as a wireless mp3 player once you detach the cable and insert a MicroSD card. Think Apple Shuffle but without a wire. They also have a FM radio built into them and when you have…

News & Features

Could This Be the Computer for Your Grandma?

A lot has been said about the iPad and how suitable it could be for people who have never used a computer. Way back during the late 90’s there were many companies attempting to make an appliance computer. That is, a computer that doesn’t require the overhead of a Windows PC, Linux PC or a Mac. Netpliance tried and utterly failed with the iOpener, which was a darling of the hacker community back when a 180 MHz computer was considered acceptable. Other than the iPad and Google’s Chromebooks, others have also tried at bringing the appliance computer to reality; Telikin…

News & Features

The Space Shuttle: A Retrospective

For most of my life I have lived watching the space shuttle program from afar. As a youth, I thought I would have the opportunity to fly on the shuttle. Of course that didn’t happen but I still will miss the shuttle in many ways. Take a walk through my childhood memories of the Space Transportation System. STS-1, the very first shuttle mission was a huge memory for me. When it launched on April 12, 1981, I remember getting out of bed early so we could see the launch together. The memory of seeing this launch on TV with my family is…

News & Features

Wakemate May Help You Wake up Feeling More Refreshed

Wakemate looks like an interesting device that promises to help you get a better night’s rest. Wakemate 2, works with software that runs on iOS, Blackberry and Android devices. To use it, you just set the 20 minute window that you want to wake up in and slip the band on. The band will then keep track of your movements and trigger the alarm to wake you at just the right time; it promises to help you feel more refreshed. They have also included a way for you to report your activities, like going to the gym and how…

Reviews

Blue Microphone Yeti Pro Review

Blue Microphone has consistently impressed me with their line up of microphones. From consumer USB microphones to professional units that plug into existing sound systems, the company puts out quality devices. This time, Blue Microphone took my favorite USB offering, the Yeti, and added a professional twist thanks to an option that now lets you plug it into professional audio equipment. Yeti Pro on Left, Yeti on Right As you can see, the new Yeti Pro looks almost the same as the original with two exceptions. The first is a very obvious color and texture change that yields a textured…

News & Features

The Next Innovation in Photography Could be Just Around the Corner Thanks to Lytro.

Image from Lytro Digital photography seems to be stagnating a little. Yeah there is High Dynamic Range photography, but that requires either an iPhone or some photo editing skills that are above the skills of most people. Other than that, little has changed other than megapixel ratings. Lytro aims to change that soon with their new light field camera. What makes Lytro’s camera so special? Well imaging taking a picture and not being concerned about having to actually focus? That sounds like it may make for a bad picture. So when do you focus? You focus after. That’s right I…

Reviews

Review: emWave 2 Portable Stress Relief Device

A while back I tried the emWave Desktop software for stress relief. There were and are still many things that I did not like about the emWave Desktop, but my major discouraging issue with the product was that I had to be tethered to a computer during the session. Jim from HeartMath send me the new emWave 2 Portable Stress Relief Device, which alleviates my biggest pet peeve. Will it help me to be more diligent about using the device? Maybe. Did it enhance my prayer and meditation, and did it really work? Let’s find out. The emWave 2 is…

News & Features

How Does Blue Improve a Yeti? You make him a Pro!

A year and a half ago I was able to review the Blue Yeti with Larry. I love the Blue Yeti and use it every Wednesday when I record the Linux Link Tech Show as well as the occasional episode of Hacker Public Radio. It’s almost a perfect product. However, there’s one thing missing that makes the Yeti less of a perfect device for a professional. That is an XLR output. Blue has changed that Yeti of a Microphone and made him a pro by adding a XLR output on the bottom allowing you to plug the Yeti Pro into…

Reviews

The CleanDr LCD/Plasma Screen Cleaning Kit and More Review

It’s been a while since I have heard from Digital Innovations. They have since released many updates to their cleaning products I have previously reviewed so they sent me a box of goodies to share here on Gear Diary. Let’s see if they are any better than the 2009 versions. First up is their 2 new products made for cleaning both high-definition TV’s as well as LCD’s of all types from desktops to laptops, along with a product line for mobile devices. Both of these are similar, but the mobile device screen cleaner is sized smaller. They both do an…

Gear Bits

Speed Painting Jack Sparrow

We all know Photoshop is a great product. While I may be partial to the open source program called the Gimp, Photoshop is still the king of editing programs. When you really know your stuff, you can do some pretty amazing things with Photoshop. A co-worker and teacher of mine, Gene Strickland, has done something pretty amazing, and he’s posted it on YouTube for all to see. The above video is Gene painting Captain Jack Sparrow. The results are fantastic! The video has been greatly speeded up so you can see him paint the picture in what seems like mere minutes….

News & Features

B-Squares Makes Solar Power Flexible

Kickstarter allows some really cool projects to become reality by giving startups the opportunity to be funded by small, individual commitments of support. (I know a few of us on the site have helped fund some projects and took great satisfaction in being part of something new. It also doesn’t hurt that sometimes the funding also yields an early units of whatever is being created. ) One project that I really hope becomes reality is B-Square’s Modular Solar Powered electrics. B-squares are solar power cells that have magnetic connectors at each corner for connecting one solar panel to another. Since there…

Reviews

Review: Belkin Conserve Insight

With the economy in the state it is in we are trying to conserve what we spend anyway we can. Whether we are turning the thermostat down, turning off lights or buying compact fluorescent bulbs that use less electricity, we are all trying to save what we can on our electric bill. All of this got me wondering: how much power your laptop really uses? How about my TV? Do compact fluorescent bulbs really save any money over standard incandescent bulbs? With Belkin’s new Conserve Insight finding the answers was simple. The device is simple and easy to use. All you…

Reviews

Review: Belkin Conserve Valet

As time goes on I seem to gain more and more devices that charge off of a USB port. My phone, my iPod, Bluetooth Headphones, Kindle and even the Zi8 that I recently reviewed all charge off of a USB port. So it just makes sense to start to see devices like the Super Travel A/C USB Wall Charger I reviewed a while back. That’s fine for travel and works well. However, it sure would be nice to actually have a place to manage the cables as well as to hold the devices as they charge. That’s why I was…

News & Features

Review: Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Cisco may have shuttered the doors on the Flip camera, but there are many other cameras out there that are still available that are as good or better than the venerable Flip. Today I am going to take a look at the Kodak Zi8, which I recently purchased with a gift card I received from Judie for my birthday [Aww, that’s awesome! ~ Judie]. I’ve always wanted a dedicated video camera, and my old Aiptek died long ago. The Zi8 was high on my list for many reasons, and even though it’s not the latest and greatest, I thought I…

News & Features

Earth Day Gadget: Belkin Conserve Valet

Earth Day is coming up! What better way to support mother earth than to save a bit of power when charging your devices? At least that is what Belkin must have been thinking when they released the new Belkin Conserve Valet. The Conserve Valet is a 4 port charging station that has a unique ability. It detects when an attached USB device is charged up and when detected, it shuts down the power to the port. This helps us conserve at least a little bit of power; it also lets you manage those many cords with some built-in cord management….

Reviews

System 76 Gazelle Professional Ubuntu Laptop Review

Even though I work in a technology field, not often do I get a chance to look at brand new technology right after it comes out. It is even rarer that companies choose to ship laptops with only Linux on them. Companies like Zareason and System 76 are making it easier and easier to get a system that runs Linux 100 percent with every single piece of the hardware working from day one. When System 76 offered to send a loaner of their brand new Gazelle Professional based on Intel’s new Sandy Bridge chipset, well I jumped at the chance!…

Reviews

Olympus LS-7 Linear PCM Recorder Review

I am unique in how I started blogging. I started audio blogging or podcasting far before I started writing gadget reviews and posts here on Gear Diary. So, the first thing I always seem to look at when doing gadget reviews is a way to capture audio no matter where I go. My first mobile recorder of sorts was a Belkin Tune Talk, which is an adapter that plugged in to the bottom of an iPod, followed by the Griffin iTalk Pro and the Blue Mikey. All of these had issues. First, there is battery life. The hard drive on…

Reviews

Review: CrashPlan+ Online Data Backup and Storage

With the recent earthquake, tsunami and issues with the nuclear plants in Japan, the one thing we should all seriously take a look at is a way to back up all that digital media we have accumulated since switching our precious memories to a digital form. There are some parents that never have taken a picture of their children without a digital camera. That means no shoe boxes full of pictures to burn or get wet. Instead, you need to worry about your system and when, not if, your system decides to have hard disk failure or some other problem that causes…

Reviews, Yum Log

Big Cat Coffee’s Purr-fect Pack Review

We’ve covered Keurig with at least 3 different device reviews. I loved it and Wayne was pleased enough to dump his drip coffee maker. Judie didn’t have the same luck with the Mini. We know that Keurig machines are pretty popular and those who have the higher end Keurigs seem to have a better experience. But the devices are only part of the equation. What about a source for the K-Cups? The problem is my local grocery store only carries a small fraction of the available coffees and no tea and very rarely will they have Hot Chocolate. Bed, Bath…

Gear Bits

GD Quickie: Sansa Fuze+ Firmware Update Makes the Fuze+ Usable!

A while back I reviewed the Sansa Fuze+ from Sandisk. Back then, the way the player was locked would wreak havoc with it. You would lock it and then the heat of your body would unlock it even when it wasn’t moving all that much in my pocket. Well, Sandisk has released an update to their firmware that changes the lock function and moves it from holding the play button in to lock to pressing in the power button on the top. To unlock, you just tap the power button which takes a lot more effort to do and now it is…

Articles by Joel McLaughlin