Articles by Gear Diary Staff

You Just Bought a Brand-New Game Console--Time to Upgrade!

Editorials, Game Diary

You Just Bought a Brand-New Game Console–Time to Upgrade!

Image courtesy of PS4 Talk How it started, basically, is because I can’t keep my mouth shut when something bugs the crap out of me.  I complain.  And sometimes, when the topic is gear, I complain to Your Humble Gear Diary Team. So what’s the problem?  Maybe you’ve noticed that when you buy a new game console or device (or even game), the first thing the system does, before you even create your character or run through all the “Welcome!” windows, is . . . check for updates and then “suggest” that you update the system. This happened to me…

(Don’t) Hold the Phone: NTSB Secretary Nixes Support for Hands-free Ban

News & Features

(Don’t) Hold the Phone: NTSB Secretary Nixes Support for Hands-free Ban

A week ago Michael Anderson posted a thought-provoking article here about the National Transportation Safety Board showing data that tended to support the notion that hands-free cellular use was just as hazardous as using a handheld phone. That the NTSB was mulling a recommendation for total cell phone/hands free ban was dire news indeed, both for automakers who spend huge sums on developing hands-free car technology and for us as the driver/talkers. In an abrupt split from his department however, NTSB Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters on Wednesday: “The problem is not hands-free. That is not the big problem in America….

mGifts Organizes Your Last-Minute Shopping Frenzy

News & Features

mGifts Organizes Your Last-Minute Shopping Frenzy

Let’s say that you’re the type of individual who likes to wait until the last minute to do your holiday shopping (in other words, there’s a strong chance you’re a guy). Or maybe for you, it’s just not the holiday season unless you find yourself in a crowded shopping mall, just a few days before Christmas, surrounded by grouchy, inconsiderate fellow shoppers. In these situations, you need to be ready, organized, and have a plan. Otherwise, you’re sure to leave out a favorite aunt or niece, in which case you had better just slink into the background and hide behind…

Antenna + Roku HD + Netflix = $90 Savings Per Month

How to Do It Yourself!

Antenna + Roku HD + Netflix = $90 Savings Per Month

I hate bills.  I also hate paying for things I can get for free. I was at Thomas’ house last year just hanging out. We were watching a movie on his Roku box, and I realized that the little box was giving him everything that I watch on TV except for local channels. That was the beginning of my quest to get rid of my cable bill. At first I searched the web and found that all you need is an antenna to pick up local television stations. I could remember back to my childhood, and how we had an…

Where’s my “Made for Android?”

Editorials

Where’s my “Made for Android?”

My eldest son had a birthday recently, receiving numerous presents. This in and of itself is not unusual, but there was an aspect to one of those presents that triggered a revelation of sorts for me. Before I delve into that, let me preface it with a disclaimer: I currently own no Apple products. Zip. Nada. Zero. In the realm of cell phones, I’m partial to Android. I love the customizability of it, the screen widgets, and how I can choose to integrate it with my PCs. My son, not yet a cell phone user, owns an iPod. Consequently, towards…

iOS App Knowtilus Pro Review: Tabbed Web Browsing, text editing, and translation all in one!

Reviews

iOS App Knowtilus Pro Review: Tabbed Web Browsing, text editing, and translation all in one!

I’m always looking for ways to use Siri with new iOS applications to allow me to write on the go. But if I am going to pay for an application I want it to do more than one thing at a time. As I was reading through Dan’s article on using Elements to be able to sync dictated notes I thought I would download Elements. During my search I happened upon the iOS application Knowtilus Pro. Knowtilus is a web browser that has 3 tabs.  I usually don’t buy iOS applications that cost more than a few dollars but I…

GamerFood

Gear Bits

GamerFood

This holiday season product producers are caterings to gamers more than ever before. Now, the food industry has jumped into the ring with Gamer Food.

The Gammatech's U12C Durabook Review

Reviews

The Gammatech’s U12C Durabook Review

It takes a certain type of laptop to stand up to certain jobs. Most laptops find comfort on a desk, in a padded bag, or possibly in the local coffee shop around the corner. Gammatech sent me a laptop suited perfectly for all those tasks and a whole lot more. Usually the worst that happens to most laptops is polished keys and touchpad, where your fingers have rubbed the finish off. Possibly it could fall victim of a flight off of your bed or the table after you happen to trip over your power cord. Luckily for those accident prone…

mSecure 3.0 Password Protection Review

Reviews

mSecure 3.0 Password Protection Review

I have been using the same password protection program for quite a few years. I’ve thought about switching on a number of occasions, but it’s always is too much of a hassle, or the software that interests me isn’t available on enough platforms. So when I was recently offered an opportunity to review mSeven Software’s mSecure 3.0 I was at least a little ambivalent about it. However, I figured it certainly wouldn’t hurt to review the software; I would just create some dummy data, load it on a test device, put it through its paces, do a brief write up,…

Star Fox 64 3D Nintendo 3DS Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Star Fox 64 3D Nintendo 3DS Review

Nintendo updates their 1997 N64 game “Star Fox 64” on the Nintendo 3DS with a fun local, download play multiplayer mode complete with live stills and video from other players using the Nintendo 3DS inner camera.

Stop Filling Out Medical Forms! NoMoreClipboard.com Is a Novel Solution for You to Maintain Your Health Records.

Gear Bits

Stop Filling Out Medical Forms! NoMoreClipboard.com Is a Novel Solution for You to Maintain Your Health Records.

  NoMoreClipboard.com A few years ago I started a Google Health account. I loved it. I had my entire medical history and medications in one place. Unfortunately Google Health is going away. So I started to search for a replacement. My criteria were as follows: Easy to use Can hold my medical record Can hold my current and past medications Can Print out a summary sheet of my medical history and medications Ability to add documentation from my medical providers Ability to give my medical providers limited access to my medical history Secure based off of Health Insurance Portability and…

Quick Impressions: Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Speeds

Gear Bits

Quick Impressions: Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Speeds

As a small town guy living in the Chicago area, there are a lot times when I get frustrated with the traffic, the density, and the general inconveniences that are necessarily associated with urban living. Then again, there are times like today, when I’m happy to be living in one of the larger metropolitan areas in the country because we tend to be among the first to get new technologies, such as AT&T’s new LTE network. At the moment, AT&T has two phones able to take advantage of the LTE network: the HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket….

A Day in the Life: Using a Bluetooth Headset as a Remote Recording Device for Lectures

How to Do It Yourself!

A Day in the Life: Using a Bluetooth Headset as a Remote Recording Device for Lectures

I have been teaching for the past few years and have found that recording my lectures is helpful for students that are sick or that need assistance due to attention deficit issues. Many of the programs to record lectures are costly, so I set out to see if I could use my MacBook and a Bluetooth headset to accomplish the task. I found that not only can I, but that it works remarkably well. The Bluetooth Device: The Bluetooth device I opted for is the Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Stereo Headset [affiliate link]. Not only is it a good headset, but…

T-Mobile Working Hard (At Apple Stores) To Fight Lack of iPhone

Gear Bits

T-Mobile Working Hard (At Apple Stores) To Fight Lack of iPhone

Poor T-Mobile. They are now the only major mobile carrier in the US not carrying the iPhone. With the release of the iPhone 4S, now AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have the iPhone 4 and 4S. Which leaves T-Mobile as the odd man out. But T-Mobile is trying to fight back. First, they issued a press release stating that they would love to carry the iPhone, but it is up to Apple. In the same press release, they explain reasons they feel their network is superior. Don’t get me wrong – I really love T-Mobile, as does Francis. Their “4G” network…

iOS 5 Tip: Am I Sending an iMessage or SMS (Text) Message?

Gear Bits

iOS 5 Tip: Am I Sending an iMessage or SMS (Text) Message?

There are several new features in Apple’s iOS 5. One of my favorites is the updated Messages application. Previously, Messages only allowed sending of SMS and MMS messages. As part of iOS 5, though, Messages can now send SMS and Text messages to phone numbers (as it always could), but can also send iMessages over a network connection, bypassing your text message plan. How do you tell which one you’re using? Well, turns out Apple made it easy to tell when you are sending each message type, visually. They use two visual cues: color and the message in the input…

Deus Ex: Human Revolution PlayStation 3 Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Deus Ex: Human Revolution PlayStation 3 Review

The Deus Ex game series continues with engaging themes involving modified, or “augmented” humans in a futuristic world, set in 2027, amid various international settings, amazing musical score, and “choose-your-own-adventure”-type decision making format.