Articles by Zek

Events, News & Features January 18, 2013

Etón Proves Nature Is Pretty Darn Good at Empowering Innovative Technology!

Hurricane Sandy knocked out power for much of New Jersey, and at our house we lost power for about a week. Unfortunately, it was the same week we were scheduled to move out, so we found ourselves doing all the last minute packing in the dark. Luckily we weren’t totally on our own, as my handy Etón emergency radio kept us happy with music, a flashlight, and the chance to top off a smartphone once in a while. Basically, it was the first thing we grabbed when the power went out and the very last item we packed. So I was…

Editorials, Health and Fitness January 17, 2013

LED Ice Cubes Signal It’s Time to Stop Drinking

There are many devices and tools that connect to your smartphone. Likewise, there are many fine apps that let you track your food, drink and activity. However, if you require LED ice cubes to alert you that you’re en route to a blackout, perhaps you need help, and not a text from your drink? If the novelty of such an item amuses you, though, don’t worry: it does exist. I’m trying to be fair here, but if I landed in the hospital after drinking too much, my response would emphatically not be to invent a complex ice cube that nagged…

Events, News & Features January 17, 2013

Gumdrop Put Their iPad Where Their Toughness Claims Were at CES!

Gumdrop is part of the growing set of case makers targeting people looking for a tough but attractive way to protect their iOS devices. Sure, their cases are attractive, come in multiple colors and styles, and cover all sorts of devices from iPhones to tablets. But what really makes Gumdrop stand out is their willingness to demo how tough their cases are with a solid softball-style underhand, as they did for me at CES: If you’re a butter-fingers (or regret that smartphones aren’t tough enough to handle a dramatic toss across a room), be sure to check out Gumdrop Cases!

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, Outdoors January 17, 2013

Minimal-ish Shoes Trickle Down to Target

One of the big knocks on minimal running shoes is that the prices are anything but minimal. Most of the big brand name shoes cost around $100 a pair, which can feel steep for a slab of rubber and some cloth for the upper. But like all trends in fashion, designs do eventually trickle down to cheaper names. Target’s C9 by Champion offers all sorts of great athletic wear at low prices, and they’ve expanded that to shoes that look suspiciously like the Reebok Realflex, a popular transitional/minimal shoe! Target is calling it the “Champion Premier” line, but the shoes…

Events, News & Features January 16, 2013

iSmartAlarm Puts Your iPhone in Charge of Security

One of the really cool parts of being at CES was the chance to check out accessories and products that are up and coming. Of those, there were more than a few that hooked into the ubiquitous iOS ecosystem. We carry our iPhones and iPads everywhere, and companies are taking them beyond just email and Angry Birds machines to a whole new level. In the case of iSmartAlarm, they’re looking to turn your iPhone or iPad into part of a home security system! We stopped by their booth at CES and they were kind enough to give us a quick…

Health and Fitness January 15, 2013

iHealth Brings Out Monitoring Tools for Your iBaby

My friends with kids all marvel at how instinctively their children grasp iOS. They seem to easily master the touch interface and love playing games. The folks at iBaby have a few ideas to get your child started early on integrating smartphones into their lives … even in utero! The HeartSense won’t be out for a few months, but the video monitors are available now. The price and features are in line with other video monitors, but being able to control and watch them on your iPhone brings the experience to a whole new level! It makes me wonder what’s…

Events, News & Features January 14, 2013

Cygnett Cases Shows off Their Booth at CES 2013

We love Cygnett Cases at Gear Diary. They offer a tremendous number of unique styles in a variety of price ranges, and it’s always a treat to see their newest designs. While at CES 2013, we were lucky enough to swing by their booth and get a tour of the highlights on deck for 2013! Some of the graffiti-inspired cases were especially cool looking. I like a case with a pop of color, and having that sort of unusual artwork really makes the cases stand out! You can browse all of Cygnett’s various offerings on their website. Let us know…

Events January 13, 2013

Luvvitt Booth Tour at CES 2013

You may not know the name Luvvitt, but you should. They make affordable, attractive iPhone, iPad, and Samsung cases, plus they’ve branched out into Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad and iPad Mini. I’ve used their Dolce back cover for my iPad 3, and even though I have tested other cases I always come back to the Luvvitt for its simplicity, durability, and style. So when I was walking the floor at CES and saw their booth, I had to stop by and learn more about them — and I am thrilled I did! Their cases are stylish and affordable, and…

Events, Health and Fitness January 12, 2013

Why Is Garmin the Gold Standard in GPS Watches?

My first day on the CES floor, I saw the Garmin booth. I bypassed the various dedicated GPS units, and headed right for the display of Forerunners in all their glory. Along the way, I was stopped by one of Garmin’s reps, and when I explained how excited I was to see their booth because “I love Garmin!”, he laughed and said “You must be a runner, people always say that because of the Forerunner.” We had a good laugh, and he showed off their various new watches. I was deeply in awe of how much smaller and sleeker each…

Events January 11, 2013

iStabilizer is the Gear Diary MVP of CES!

At CES this year, we tried our best to get as much video and photos from the booths and floor as possible. There's an overwhelming number of places to visit and products to see, and it's a long and tiring day. Not to mention, the booths are often crowded, schedules are tight, and there's only so much time to get a good shot or steady video. That's where Dan's purchase of the iStabilizer Monopod made our CES run that much smoother. iStabilizer is a simple monopod that extends out a few feet and fits the iPhone in its iStabilizer mount…

Editorials, Events January 11, 2013

Accessories at CES Illustrate Only Apple and Samsung Matter

I had the privilege of walking the CES floor and trying hard to cover as much as I could for Gear Diary this past week. It was, as you can imagine, absolutely geek heaven. I can’t even count how many smartphone accessories I saw this week, but one common thread stood out among the many mixed styles: if you want a nice case for your phone, buy an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy S3, or a Note 2. Otherwise, you probably won’t see much case love. Now, seeing iPhone cases everywhere isn’t a big surprise at all. But all week I…

Editorials, Events January 10, 2013

Where’s Barnes and Noble? Not Taking Advantage of CES!

I spent a great deal of time before and during CES checking out the exhibitor list and deciding what companies I wanted to visit. While I didn’t think they were doing anything special, I did note that Barnes and Noble was on the exhibitor list, and made a mental note to drop by and see what they had to say. Apparently, though, B&N is here in their traditional, not technological, capacity. They are here solely to sell Gary Shapiro’s “Ninja Innovation” title (Gary is head of CEA, the company behind CES). No display NOOKs. Not even a brochure. At CES….

Events January 9, 2013

Rap Pacs Bring Lightweight Protection From The Elements

Company: Rap Pacs Products on Display: Rap Pacs makes cases for the iPad, Kindle, NOOK and other 7in tablets, and various smartphones. Their cases are recycled yoga material with marine-grade plastic pouches to hold devices and provide some protection from the elements. What Caught Our Eye: The iPad and tablet cases were especially interesting, as they offer some protection from sand, water, and other potential dangers without being bulky or requiring the device to be sealed tighter than the Pentagon. While these are not intended to be ultra rugged, they did demo that you could drop an iPad and feel…

Events January 9, 2013

Boost Your Smartphone Volume With Smartsound Case

Company: SmartSound Case Products on Display: Cases for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note that have a kickstand that doubles as a channel to naturally amplify sounds without needing a separate powered speaker. Also includes a reflective flash ring for brighter photos. What Caught Our Eye: The cases were very light, and the combination of sound channel and kickstand makes the phones very stable while on display. It was too noisy to test the sound quality, but the build and style looked great!

Events, News & Features January 9, 2013

Golla Bags Can Outfit Your Mobile Arsenal!

Company: Golla Bags Products on Display: Golla is at CES with everything from simple phone pouches to device-specific form fitting cases. They also have an extensive line of larger bags, as well as camera pouches and even headphones. What Caught Our Eye: I love Golla bags, and have used their pouches for cameras and other small devices over the years. They are tough, extremely well made, and come in all sorts of cool designs. They have some great cases for the iPhone and iPad (shocking, I know) but they also have expanded their device specific lines to include Samsung, and…

Events January 8, 2013

Potty Training Help At CES!

Do you have a toddler who hates potty training and loves your iPad? Nickelodeon had a solution on display at CES… And don’t worry-there’s a protective cover over the iPad for any, uh, accidents.

Events, Health and Fitness January 8, 2013

United Healthcare Shows Their Techy Side

Company: United Healthcare Products on Display: Not everything UHC had was directed at consumers, but even the doctor-facing technology is a boon for the patients. They have ideas and systems for every aspect of the insurance and healthcare experience, from prescription drugs to estimated costs. What Caught Our Eye: One of the areas United Healthcare is focusing on is education for everyone, not just UHC customers. They’ve launched a website (UHCTV) with tons of original content to help people learn exercises, healthier eating techniques, and offers the chance for users to ask their experts questions about the various subjects….

Events January 8, 2013

Gaiam Gets In The Case Game

Company: Gaiam Yoga, working with Allsop Products on Display: Gaiam and Allsop have a line of yoga inspired iPhone and iPad cases and headphones coming out in late May/early June. What Caught Our Eye: The cases all uses Gaiam’s earthy style, with designs reminiscent of a yoga mat. Materials are recycled, wood, and other organic styles. Definitely the kind of case you could throw on your iPhone so it blends in at yoga class!

Events, Reviews January 6, 2013

Toshiba Portege Z930 Ultrabook First Impressions

I am off to CES in just a few short days, and had originally planned to bring my long-in-the-tooth-but-still-going-strong Chromebook as a laptop solution. Then Gear Diary was invited to review the Toshiba Portege Z930 Ultrabook. The result? I will be blogging with a great deal more power and features during the show! We’ll have a full review soon, but I wanted to make sure to share my first impressions, and not just the “OH WOW” I had when I pulled it out of the box! Let’s start with the hardware. This thing is beautiful. It’s not metal like a Macbook Air, but a brushed metallic looking plastic. It…

Reviews January 3, 2013

Letterpress Word Game for iOS

Type of app: Word game Platform/where to buy: iOS, universal for iPad and iPhone Developer: atebits Price: Free, $.99 upgrade for unlimited games and themes Major features: Use the jumbled letters to create words, and compete for credit for each tile used. Words cannot be reused, and once every tile is claimed, the person who has used more tiles wins. Challenge friends via iOS Game Center. Ease of use/Overall performance: This is a very fun game and a great alternative to word games like Words with Friends. It forces you to be creative, since you can’t reuse words and you…

eBooks December 31, 2012

Ways To Read More In 2013 On Any Budget!

I love books. I know I am slightly biased, being a former bookstore employee, but I like to think that most people like reading books. The hard part is finding books you want to read. Maybe you can’t find the right authors, or books have gotten too pricey, or you haven’t made the leap to ebooks yet…but don’t worry. No matter the obstacle, at Gear Diary we are here to help you make sure your 2013 reading list stays nice and full! Book Discovery: This is the hardest part. Maybe you have a local bookstore you can pop into…

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