Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

iPad Accessory Review: The Aligata Nude Beauty Leather Envelope

I’ve made no secret about how much I love the look of natural, undyed, full grain leather, and now Aligata has introduced yet another iPad accessory to satisfy my craving. With no velcro, clips or snaps, the Aligata Nude Beauty iPad Leather Envelope is simplicity defined. This case is nothing but gorgeous raw leather — and just because I love the look — contrasting yellow stitching. When natural leather is left untreated and undyed like the Nude Beauty cases from Aligata (and the Black Espresso and Nippon leathers, for that matter), they will show every nick, stain, mark, scar or water drop that occurs;…


iPhone Accessory Review: The Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4

Judie: Of all the iPhone 4 cases announced in the past few months, there were two which most interested me: the Miniot iWood 4 and the Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4. When the Element Vapor first arrived, I seriously felt that I had wasted my money ordering iWood, because the Vapor was that gorgeous, that nicely made. Everything about it screamed quality, from the machined aluminum its two pieces were composed of to the four little screws which had to be tightened as my iPhone was locked into the bumper-style case. I loved the way the Vapor added a…


iTiny Bluetooth Keyboard Makes Your iPhone a Mobile Word Cruncher

If you are writing anything longer than a tweet or SMS, then you know that the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard can cramp things up a bit. An external Bluetooth keyboard is a great solution, but carrying the 11″ x 5.25″ Apple BT keyboard seems contrary to the portable ideal. That’s where the  5″ x 2″  iTiny Keyboard looks like it could shine. The iTiny Keyboard allows you to enjoy responsive, feather light typing along with portability, and Bluetooth functionality everywhere you go. The sleek and slim design fits comfortably in your hand and allows for easy typing with its 49 soft…


Dalton Ghetti’s Amazing Pencil Art

I was forwarded an email from my cousin Dusty this morning, and in it there were incredible carvings which had been done in the tips of pencils — some involving the lead (graphite) of the pencil, and some involving the wood around the lead. The name of the artist wasn’t listed, nor was the original source, but a quick Google search revealed both. Dalton Ghetti, a carpenter who lives in Bridgeport, New York, has been making his “miniature masterpieces” for about 25 years. From the February 11, 2007 New York Times article about him: “You could see how he could…


The Vizit Mobile Network 10.4″ Touch Screen Photo Frame Review

The premise behind the Isabella Products Vizit 10.4″ Touch Screen Photo Frame is simple: You use it to “view and share photos with anyone, from anywhere, instantly over the mobile network.” The Vizit has a 10.4″ touchscreen and it can send or receive pictures over its 3G connection. Photos sent to the frame’s email address are stored in their original resolution at vizitme.com, scaled appropriately and sent to the frame for display. This eliminates the tedious task of swapping out memory cards, as well as makes it easier to keep photos updated via the cellular network. Since the Vizit experience is as…


This Sports Illustrated and HTC Contest Is Sure to Raise Eyebrows and Elicit Smiles

If you are an active social networker with accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc, and if you have a following that would appreciate seeing your complete coverage of everything that goes on at the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Photo Shoot, then you’ll want to pay attention to the following: HTC and Sports Illustrated have teamed up to sponsor the Behind the Tan Lines contest, where one (very) lucky individual will have the opportunity to cover the 2011 SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot. The winner will get to share their own unique interpretation of what goes on behind the tan lines by stepping into…


TwelveSouth’s BookBook Adds Some Unique Leathery Goodness to Your Apple iPad

Perhaps you’d like the iPad to blend in with your collection of fine vintage  books, or maybe you just miss the feel of a solid leather hardback binding when reading the classics; either way TwelveSouth has an intriguing new iPad case which should satisfy your leather-lust. Introducing the new BookBook, a handmade leather case available in one of two hardback colors: brown with a black spine (Black) or vibrant brown with a red spine (Red). No two covers are alike, and the cover can even function as a stand for landscape-oriented viewing. The hardback cover and spine provide impact protection,…


iPad Accessory Review: the River Garden Oberon Design iPad Cover

Of all the cases that I tried when I was using the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX, there was one brand that always stood out — not only because their Kindle covers were functional, but because they were also absolutely gorgeous. Of course I am talking about the cases made by  Oberon Design, the California based company which is well known for their leather folios and journals … and now for their eReader covers. When I eventually let go of both Kindles because Kevin and I had purchased iPads, I knew that as soon as an Oberon style iPad Cover was…


Android Device Review: the AT&T HTC Aria Mobile Phone

With all of the current buzz over Android phones with ~4″ screens like the Incredible, Xperia X10, Galaxy, Desire, and EVO 4G, it’s easy to forget that sometimes less can be more; sometimes less is actually more desirable. Take the HTC Aria for instance. Measuring a diminutive 4.1″ long x 2.3″ wide x 0.46″ thick and weighing 3.8 ounces with battery installed, the Aria is the perfect size to tuck into a smaller pocket or the smallest of evening bags. Its matte black plastic backside is covered in that wonderfully grippy material which rejects fingerprints and offers a bit a traction…


Just In Case You Missed It: Sprint & HTC Bring Froyo to the EVO 4G

If you’ve got a Sprint HTC EVO 4G, then today you have yet another reason to feel vastly superior to all other Android Device users … Today HTC marked yet another “first” in its long history of bringing innovation to the mobile arena. Ahead of the pack, Sprint has started to make available the latest version of the Android platform, version 2.2, otherwise known as Froyo, for HTC EVO 4G. Not only is HTC EVO 4G the first Froyo device with HTC’s Sense user experience, it’s also the first mass-market Froyo handset period. In addition to bringing a number of…


The WowWee Roboscooper Wants Wall-E’s Job

Show me a person who could watch the Pixar movie Wall-E without getting a little bit misty, and I’ll show you a person with a heart of stone. The premise was that Earth, long inhabited by wasteful humans was eventually rendered unusable, and there was a mass exodus to a fleet of spaceships provided for by the Buy N Large corporation, which the company that had sold the products which helped contribute to all of the waste on Earth in the first place. Are you with me? So Buy N Large tells the Earthlings that they will only be on the…


Love & Breakups in the Facebook Age

I love social media. I tweet. I run a website. I have a Facebook page. Gear Diary has two Facebook pages. But sometimes … sometimes it just goes too far. Sometimes people lose site of the public nature of these things … or maybe it is just that they don’t use good judgment. Regardless of the reasons, let me tell you a story… Two couples I know divorced earlier this year; ironically they were finalized on the same day, but in each case I had no idea that their marriages were even in trouble, that they had separated, or that they had been…


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,…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…