Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Turn your Apple iDevice Into a Universal Remote with the RedEye Mini

As Joel Evans from the Mobile Gadgeteer explains, “when it comes to Apple and its proprietary dock connector, many developers have been left out in the cold when it comes to wanting to create the perfect add-on for the iPhone or iPod touch.” But of course, no enterprising inventor is going to let a proprietary dock get in their way when there is another perfectly good non-proprietary dock available on every Apple iPod, touch, iPhone and iPad. Hello RedEye Mini … the headphone jack! Ahhhhhh! So what’s a RedEye Mini? Simply put, “it’s a dongle that plugs into your iDevice’s headphone jack,…

News & Features

OtterBox Will Defend Your iPhone 4 From Reception Issues … Among Other Things

Some people’s devices never have to brave anything worse than a little bit of travel time as they are transported from the house to the car to the building their owner works in; other devices get put in precarious situations every day — whether it be from danger from dropping, crushing, or simply dust and grit damaging the finish. For those devices, OtterBox makes a line of ruggedized cases that not only protect, they also look quite good. Newest is the iPhone 4 Defender Series Case, and for $49.99 you’ll be able to breathe easy while hiking, camping, biking, or…

News & Features

Alexandra Knight May Have the Most Gorgeous iPad Case of All

Just in case you haven’t yet seen an iPad cover that was worthy of you and your favorite gadget, Alexandra Knight has one which is sure to please, in gorgeous alligator no less. Usually priced at $2995, you can get yours today only for $1595. There’s no doubt that Alexandra Knight’s wares are better made than just about anything you’ll find elsewhere, and I have long been a fan. But $1600 for an iPad cover, even if on sale? I won’t think less of you if you need a moment to think about it. Don’t take too long to decide…

News & Features

Substrata’s Wooden iPad Boxes are Closer to Reality

Substrata Creative Studios, the Portland Oregon based makers of fine wooden cabinets, countertops, furniture and cutting boards have been creating distinctive iPod touch and iPhone 3G/3GS cases for some time, but they have now upped their game with the introduction of the Substrata iPad Box (Hinged Lid). Each of these custom cases are made to order, with a shipping wait time of 2 – 3 weeks. These cases feature: • an integrated wood hinge with contrasting inlays • a micro suede lining of lid and base • wooden latches (with magnetic stops in the ‘open’ and ‘closed’ positions) • functions…

News & Features

Would You Eat a Canned Sandwich? How About Investing Your Retirement in Them?

How would you feel if you and a group of other investors had contributed a total of $145 million into what you thought were real estate investments, only to later find out that instead a huge portion of that money had been put into the development of “Candwiches” and other equally odd and questionable products? That’s exactly what happened to a group of investors in Utah after Travis L. Wright offered them returns of up to 24% on real estate investments. Obviously promised returns that high should have been their first clue that something was fishy, but evidently Utah investors are known to be näive…

Reviews

The NewerTechnology NuVue Clear and Privacy Shield iPad Screen Protectors Review

One of the best features of the new Apple iPad is its gorgeous screen which is meant to be constantly touched, pinched and flicked. As a result, the screen is often left exposed and vulnerable to scratches even when the iPad isn’t being used. Adding a protector just makes sense. I was recently sent two screen protector samples from NewerTechnology, the NuVue Clear and the NuVue Privacy Protector with Privacy Shield. Both install in exactly the same way, but each delivers a dramatically different experience. Each protector comes in a no-frills baggie without any of the more common screen protector accoutrements…

Reviews

The M-Edge Flip Jacket for Apple iPad Is Simple and Effective Protection

If you’ve got an iPad, some of the first things you probably considered after purchasing it were how to protect the screen from scratches and how to protect the device from bumps and dings. Here at Gear Diary we are having fun exploring all the options, and this latest — the M-Edge Flip Jacket for Apple iPad — will appeal to anyone who likes simple, clean lines and a no-nonsense stenographer’s flip-top notebook style. Constructed from black, Scotch-Guard treated canvas with smooth, tan leather trim, the Flip Jacket uses a 1/2″ strip of elastic to keep the case securely closed. The black canvas…

Editorials

Apple iTunes Will Not Take My Money but the Apple Store Will? It’s a Head-Scratcher For Sure

I ran into an issue the other day while using iTunes; I wanted to purchase a $50 gift card for a friend, but I couldn’t because the iTunes store said that I had “exceeded the maximum Gift certificate purchase amount for [my] account.” Confused, I took a look back at my recent purchases and found that I had only spent $200 in the past year on gift certificates, so what was the problem? I even changed my credit card, just in case it was an American Express limitation, but using Discover I ran into the same error message. Reading the message…

Reviews

Bust Bad Guys with IcePics (In Case of Emergency Pictures) for iPhone

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could just point your mobile phone’s camera at something or someone, press a single button, and without any further action on your part a picture — complete with GPS coördinates — would be snapped and instantly emailed to yourself, your spouse, a parent, your best friend, or … well, you get the idea. I can think of times where a feature such as this might be handy — like sharing the names and locations of newly discovered dive bars or hole in the wall restaurants with friends when you find them, or creating a travelogue of…

Reviews

How Spike Brand’s Doggy Style Shampoo, Microfibre Towel and Jerky Treats Saved the Day

Kevin and I recently returned from San Francisco to find that Daisy Duke, our Great Dane puppy, had managed to pick up what seemed like thousands of tiny little ticks while being boarded at her breeders. We all live in the country and we’re having an exceptionally hot early summer after an extremely wet spring which followed a rather mild winter (are you still with me?), so I’m really not surprised that ticks are currently enjoying a population explosion. Daisy is treated monthly with Frontline, and her breeder had just bathed her with insecticidal shampoo before we picked her up…

News & Features

Toshiba’s New Dual-Touch & Dual Screen libretto W100 Concept PC May Help You Forget the Microsoft Courier

While in San Francisco, fellow attendees of the Netshelter Publisher’s Summit were treated to a reception hosted by Toshiba. One of the things I most liked was their display set up in the room, representative of laptop models past and present — including a few of the libretto line. I always wanted a libretto … But the fun really began when I was clandestinely pulled into a side room and given a chance to see two of their latest, including the libretto Concept PC with Dual-Touch Screen Design. Calling it a concept PC that was actually being produced, albeit in limited quantities, what I saw…

News & Features

Growing Pains: Moving Time Again!

Apologies in advance, but we are about to change hosts, and you may notice some wonkiness with the site today as the move is made. Expect to see everything back up and running properly in the next 24 hours, or as soon as everything resolves. You’ll know if you are on the new host if you no longer see the “Old Host” notation in our footer. More on the WHY later …

Reviews

7Pipe Pro Review: A Pipe for the Self-Contained Medicinal Smoker

When I was first contacted by 7pipe about reviewing one of their products, I sent an email out to the Gear Diary team asking if any of them could use it; I asked if this might be a product they would be interested in. I’ll admit that I was a bit surprised when no one responded affirmatively. Because I thought the 7pipe to be an interesting piece of engineering, I figured I might as well take a look at it myself. I am not going to call this a full review, because I didn’t actually load the bowl and use…

Reviews

The OtterBox Nokia N900 Commuter Series Case Review

When phones with sliding top halves first appeared, they presented unique challenges for accessory manufacturers. I can just imagine that some of them must have been scratching their heads — wondering how they were going to protect both halves of these devices, yet allow the keyboards to remain functional. After years of watching some of the more offbeat solutions come and go — like clear plastic covering the keyboard and odd straps holding the leather bits in place — many case-makers seem to have settled for offering pouches that will hold the phones when they aren’t being used, but many…

Reviews

The Vaja ivolution Top for Apple iPad Review

It’s no secret that I have long enjoyed the Argentinean company Vaja‘s leather products, so when my birthday rolled around this year the Gear Diary Editors knew just what to do — they gifted me with the new Vaja ivolution Top for Apple iPad in my choice of colors. I chose the girly and bright Violet exterior with Rosa interior … The ivolution Top appears to basically be a combination of Vaja’s slightly less expensive ivolution Grip case ($100) and a matching and completely detachable top cover. As has been noted countless times before by me and many others, Vaja’s…

News & Features

Lapworks iPad Recliner Brings LaZBoy Goodness to Your Workspace

The iPad simply begs to be held in a propped position, whether it’s being used as an extra computer monitor, as a cookbook in the kitchen, with a Bluetooth keyboard as an impromptu netbook replacement, or in any o dozens of other scenarios. Those who agree will want to pay attention to the latest offering from Lapworks … the iPad Recliner. What sets it apart from all the other iPad docks? The iPad Recliner is unique because it is one of the few iPad stands that has dozens of incline positions to choose from. The majority of the iPad stands…

News & Features

If You Need a Breathalyzer on Your Keyring, It Probably Means You Shouldn’t Be Driving (DUH!)

Judie: I have personally always thought that unless you were buying something like this as a joke, buying a breathalyzer — especially an $11.50 one for your keyring — means you are already going to be drinking too damn much, and someone else needs to drive. 😛 Carly: Agreed…plus Wired did an awesome article on these a month or two ago. Essentially the cheap ones vary so much they are useless. Now that would be a fun chat with a cop. “Honestly, Ocifer, my breathalyzer said I was ooooooookay….!” Judie: Right! I mean, I could see some sleaze at the…

Reviews

The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Review

Judie: Last year Julie Strietelmeier and I took a look at the Logitech Squeezebox Boom, both here and on The Gadgeteer, and our general consensus was that we both enjoyed using it. As a matter of fact, I liked using mine so much that I eventually sprung for a streaming Sirius subscription as well as a Pandora Premium membership. I wrote about the Logitech Squeezebox Radio when it was first announced, mentioning its compact size, a 2.4″ color display, Facebook connectivity, and a seven-day alarm clock. Although I put in a request for a review unit, I didn’t hear anything…

Reviews

The Newer Technology NuGuard Leather Hard Shell for iPad Review

One of the first things I did after getting my iPad was purchase a screen protector, but it wasn’t long after that before I started thinking about whether I might need a case or not. On the one hand, a case would mean better corner and screen protection in the event of a fall; on the other hand, it would also mean extra weight and bulk added to my otherwise almost perfectly sized device. I liked the idea of a protective layer between the back of my iPad and any surface that I might lay it upon, which is why…

Reviews

The Lexar USB JumpDrive Secure II Plus Review

Can you ever have enough memory? These days the answer always seems to be ‘no’. Whether for our computers, our smartphones, external backup drives, camcorders, cameras, digital music players, laptops, netbooks, digital picture frames, or any other device that is meant to hold data, the need for more memory continues to be never-ending. But we don’t just need more memory, we need ways to keep the stored data secure. Which brings us to the Lexar JumpDrive Secure II Plus, a USB flash drive available in denominations from 2GB all the way to 64GB which has built-in 256-bit AES encryption; I…

How to Do It Yourself!

Apple 3G iPad on EDGE Using a T-Mobile SIM? Here’s How

If you were grandfathered into a low-priced T-Mobile data plan (remember the $5.99/month deal?), if you don’t mind EDGE speeds, and if don’t want to pay an extra $30/month to use the AT&T iPad data plan, this DIY hack may be just what you have been looking for. Granted, you won’t be able to pop your T-Mo SIM back into your phone, but why let that stop you? iPadInsider has posted a DIY hack that they say will make your T-Mobile SIM work on your Apple iPad … DISCLAIMER: We have not tested this, so this information may be inaccurate…

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