Articles by Judie Lipsett Stanford

Rolling Through the Bay is Scott Weaver’s Toothpick Masterpiece

Scott Weaver used 1000,000 toothpicks, about 30,000 hours and Elmer’s Glue to create a visually stunning 9′ tall masterpiece with five different “ping-pong tours” through the various San Francisco landmarks. I have used different brands of toothpicks depending on what I am building. I also have many friends and family members that collect toothpicks in their travels for me. For example, some of the trees in Golden Gate Park are made from toothpicks from Kenya, Morocco, Spain, West Germany and Italy. The heart inside the Palace of Fine Arts is made out of toothpicks people threw at our wedding. This…

News & Features

Look Like a Tool with the Ear Shaped Case for iPhone

Friends, Romans, Countrymen; len me your … If you can’t stand being in a room without having all eyes on you — for any reason — then this may be the case for you. Latest Buy is accepting pre-orders for this silicon rubber iPhone 4 case, and if you get one the puns and bad jokes are almost guaranteed to follow. $21.95, and it’s yours. Latest Buy’s Ear Shaped iPhone Case

Gear Bits

Uncommon Goods’ Face Mug Is Truly One of the Coolest Mugs Ever!

There’s not much to say, other than that owning this ceramic mug would be an absolute pleasure. Imagine the envious looks you would get in the office if this were sitting on your desk; imagine the fun you could have if you left this mug sitting on the break room counter, only to came back 10 minutes later to find different things sitting in between its lips. A stapler? Why not. Some rubber bands? Okay. Hey — not my sandwich! You can get your Face Mug at Uncommon Goods for $18. Order me one too, while you’re at it ……

Reviews

The SCOTTEVEST Women’s SeV Chloe Hoodie Review

SCOTTEVEST has long offered men’s hoodies, and although there were some styles that I liked more than others, there was no getting around the fact that they were and have always been cut for boxier bodies. Until now. Scott and Laura Jordan have just introduced the Women’s SeV Chloe Hoodie, which has obviously been made with a woman’s body in mind. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, there is a bit of tapering in the midsection; it’s not enough to squeeze you in two, and it’s not so much that it would make you look lumpy when carrying a few items in the…

News & Features

Veterans Day Is Every Day with the ElementCase Patriot Case

If you have a favorite soldier or if you’re just feeling patriotic, Element Case has an iPhone 4 / 4S cover that will have you seeing stars! Take a look at their limited edition $124.99 red, white and blue Patriot Case that first went on sale on 11/11/11, Veteran’s Day; they’ve created a series of 200, and 10% of the proceeds will go to the non-profit “Disabled American Veterans.” They hope to raise $10,000 for the group, and with your help, they’ll do it! ElementCase Patriot Case Learn more about the Disabled American Veterans at www.DAV.org.

News & Features

We’ll Be Trying Partial Feeds for Two Weeks

Hey all, I wanted to give you a heads up that we are going to be experimenting with partial feeds for two weeks. Obviously if you usually come to the Gear Diary site to read our articles, you won’t notice anything different. Those who read us on RSS will notice a “(read more here…)” tag at the bottom the now truncated posts. I don’t particularly like partial feeds, but I need to see if using them takes care of some of the anomalies that I’ve been noticing. Thank you for your patience while we try to figure this out, and…

News & Features

Beyzacase’s New iPad 2 “Downtown Series” Case Looks Organized and Streamlined

One of the things I don’t like about folio cases is that they can add a bunch of unnecessary bulk to an otherwise thin device. I mean, its great to be able to add ID or business cards along with other slips of paper into your folio, but such convenience usually comes with a thickness caveat. I spotted the new Beyzacases iPad 2 “Downtown Series” Case this morning, and thought it might be a good alternative to all of the more cumbersome folios we’ve seen. If these pictures have you thinking about gorgeous pebbled leather covering your iPad, then you are…

Gear Bits, Travel

A Quick Peek at the Aligata Nude Beauty Medium Travel Bag

It wasn’t too long ago that I reviewed the Aligata Nude Beauty Big Weekend Bag, and they have just sent their newest offering — the Nude Beauty Medium Travel Bag. I’ll have a full review up after I’ve had some time to actually USE the bag and change its color from the nearly white Nude Beauty to a natural honey patina. But in the meantime, I just had to tell you all about it because it is something that I know would be an appreciated holiday gift for your special someone … The interior sports a waterproof lining, a key fob,…

News & Features

Cdock Turns Your iPhone into a Fab Table or Bedside Clock

We’ve all seen docks that allow you to set your iPhone up as a bedside clock, but this one takes the concept to such lengths that it is worth a mention: the Cdock keeps your iPhone 4 or 4S charged while holding it so that you can glance over to get the time instead of fumbling to pick it up from your bedside table. There are different styles available, and when you add the Gorgy Timing Atomic Clock app (or any other favorite iPhone clock app), you’ll have one beautifully functional setup. The only downside that I can see is you…

Reviews

Android Phone Review: The HTC Rhyme

I like items that have their own personality and that aren’t similar to every one else’s, but lately it seems like all of the HTC Android phones that I have been posting about have been basically the same phone — albeit with different features or screen sizes. Has it seemed that way to you? Whether it’s been the Vivid, or the Rezound or all the EVO iterations, there are traits that most HTC Android phones seem to share: they are rectangular, they have four capacitive buttons on the bottom of the screen, there is a noticeable speaker grill at the top of the screen, they…

Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV metal detector

Outdoors, Editorials

How a $91 Metal Detector Saved the Day!

On Tuesday last week, my husband, Kevin, texted me to say that he had lost his wedding ring while working at the ranch. He’d been digging post holes to rebuild a section of fence that had been damaged during our April Fool’s Day fire, and while he was on his knees flinging the final few rocks from inside the hole, his platinum wedding band had flown off. The rock he threw hit a tree about 15 feet away, and he figured that the ring had taken a similar trajectory. Kev had already spent two hours searching, part of it on…

Gear Bits

A Must Read: A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

I’m not going to lie. I got teary as I read it.

Gear Bits

Give Your Old UGGs New Life with a Set of UGG Replacement Sheepskin Insoles

Let’s just go ahead and get it out of the way: UGGs are ugly. They make your feet look huge, and they are sloppy. I’ve been told that there is nothing worse than seeing a woman wearing a pair of UGGs with a skirt or a pair of shorts; Kev grew up in the San Diego area, and he has issues with those combos, evidently. So there are plenty of reasons to dislike them, but I think the biggest reason boils down to the fact that they are ugly.

News & Features

Rocking Accessories for Fall Cookouts and Tailgating

Fall is upon us, but there are still plenty of great days left for grilling while tailgating at the game or barbecuing at home! If you want to extend your summer and bring a little bit of head-banging to your grill, then look no further than the BBQ Guitar Spatula and the BBQ Rockin’ Fork available from GAMA-GO. Both the spatula and fork are full-size heavy stainless steel utensils, and they can be had for $20 each. As an aside, they will go perfectly with the Roast My Weenie grill tool that Wayne posted about some time ago. 😉

Reviews

iPhone 4 Gear Review: The Etón Mobius Rechargeable Battery Case with Solar Panel

Can you picture yourself out camping for a week? Your car is parked in a lot miles away, and you have been hiking for days. You’ve got everything you need in your backpack, and you’ve been eating those freeze-dried dinners that they sell at REI. Civilization is nowhere near, and you are looking forward to having a shower … in a few more days. You want to stay in touch with your family, but there are no chargers built into the side of the trees you’ve been passing, and your iPhone died yesterday. What do you do? Okay, I am…

News & Features

Rabito iPhone 4 Case is Cute and Functional

Have you seen these Rabit cases? I was following a link to another item, when I found these and had to share. Rabit is basically a simple shell-style case with two cute bunny ears sticking out of the top. While that’s different enough on its own, the makers took it one step further by adding a tail. This tail isn’t just for looks, either — it’s functional! Held on by a suction cup, the tail acts as a stand when it is attached. Of course you’ll likely end up losing the tail somewhere, or you might get tired of…

Editorials

Is the New Vertu Constellation Just a Gussied Up and Dumbed Down Nokia C7?

Vertu is now taking reservations for the newest Constellation, their first touch-screen model, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Nokia C7. Okay, the uncanny resemblance is actually an intentional resemblance, as I have it on direct authority from a Vertu rep that this is the phone the Constellation is “most like”. Now obviously it is nothing new for Vertu to offer a phone with many similarities to currently available Nokias (witness the Vertu Constellation Quest), but in my ownership experience there are always a few disparities between the Nokia version and the Vertu version, and it bothers me. Let’s start with the…

News & Features

Sprint Will Have the New HTC EVO Design 4G on October 23, and So Can You!

If you have been wondering when the next member of the EVO family would make itself known, the wait is over, as the fifth member of the HTC EVO family — the EVO Design 4G — is about to be available from Sprint. The HTC EVO Design 4G builds on the wildly popular EVO line, but brings you more in a sleek new package. The first EVO family member touting World Phone capabilities, the HTC EVO Design 4G builds on many of the “must-have” features of its predecessors, including a 1.2Ghz processor and large 4” qHD touchscreen display, while sporting a…

Gear Bits

Lining Up for the iPhone 4S, Australian Style!

Rather than lie in bed lazily this morning (or tomorrow morning, for those of us in the United States), Mitchell has been waiting patiently in line at a local Apple Store along with a crowd of other hopeful iPhone 4S owners. The irony of photographing the Apple launch on the EVO 3D. I should have brought the Galaxy S II! 😛 In an email with the subject line, “I’m a nerd,” Mitchell let me know how his morning was going. Well of course you’re a nerd, Mitchell! But there’s no shame in it, and you’re in good company! After all, I’m the…

Reviews

iPad 2 Case Review: Beyzacases Executive II

Finding the perfect iPad 2 case can begin to seem as impossible as finding a golden pearl in a sea of clams, but if you keep looking then you may find your oyster. I’ve watched Dan go through one iPad case after another; every once in a while he’ll find one that he truly likes, but there was ultimately always an issue: “this one makes the iPad too fat”, “this one makes the iPad too heavy”, “this one doesn’t close the way I’d like it to, but I like the materials”. It’s all very “The Three Bears”, isn’t it? And…

Reviews

Convenient Gadgets’ Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet Review

If you drink a lot of mass-produced cold beverages that come in bottles with twist caps, then you probably don’t often need a bottle opener. Similarly, if you drink a lot of beverages that come in aluminum cans, then you might have a bottle opener … located somewhere in your junk drawer. But if you like to drink bottled-beverages that don’t easily twist open, or if you regularly run into twist-caps that don’t seem to loosen easily, then you no doubt keep several bottle openers placed around your kitchen and back patio … and you have probably had moments when you have not been…

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