Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Shine a Light on It with iShuttr

Okay, we all know and recognize that the cameras built into our phones are not the best around. Could we do better with a dedicated point-and-shoot? Sure. How about a full-blown SLR? Yeah, of course, stupid question. But the reality is that we use the cameras that are included with our phones because they are convenient. We don’t have to carry extra crap with us; they’re just there, a constant, comforting presence. The best camera you have is the one you have with you. There, I said it. But, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be made better than they…

How to Do It Yourself!

Using Technology to Train for My First Triathlon

I am currently in the final weeks training for my first triathlon here in DC on June 19th. The race lengths are an 800m swim, 20k bike ride, and 7.5k run, mostly along the National Mall. (Here are more detailed maps of the swim, bike, and run routes.) What makes this race particularly challenging for me is that when I began my training on March 19th, it was four weeks after I had hernia surgery, I couldn’t jog for more than 60 seconds without getting out of breath, had never swam freestyle in my life and couldn’t hold my form…

Editorials

Adventures in Customer Service: Barnes and Noble

It’s been quite a while since Barnes and Noble made me happy, I’ll admit. My bias is simple: shortly after they bought out eReader and deployed their own version of the eReader app–basically just a slight modification of the existing eReader app, with a few quite-nice enhancements (progress bar with chapter markers; in-app access to wikipedia)–I was a happy camper. Not only could I easily side-load my existing library of eReader PDB books, but it was a sweet app with a familiar interface that I liked quite a bit more than the Kindle app. (iBooks didn’t exist as yet.) Then…

Reviews

Smart Cover Enhancer iPad 2 Case Review

When the iPad 2 came out I happily purchased the Smart Cover. Over time I’ve developed an appreciation for its screen protection and stand functionality, but I can’t accept having absolutely no protection for the back. So, I went shopping. My goal was to find something that would: be a perfect fit, protect the device, work nicely with the Smart Cover, and not add too much bulk or weight. Those requirements led me to XGear’s Smart Cover Enhancer, one of the many available back covers (more reviews forthcoming!). The Enhancer snaps on and grips the iPad securely: no gaps…

Gear Bits

Amazon Free App Reminder Does What It Says – Amazon Android App Store

Ever since it was launched, we have extolled the virtues of the Amazon Android App Store, as well as pointed out a few issues with it. Like it or not, Amazon’s Android App Store has been well-received by Android users, especially since they have a different paid application available for free every day. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get busy. So I don’t check the Amazon App Store every day. Which means I could miss out on such gems as Nuance’s FlexT9 keyboard for free. Well, an enterprising developer came up with a solution for those of…

Editorials

Yo, Apple: Time for a UI Redesign!

“Where is the Bluetooth menu, again?” Really, you all can blame Thomas for this. He tweeted: Apple – Please move the Bluetooth toggle from Settings > General to Settings (w/ Wifi, Personal Hotspot & Airplane Mode) where it belongs. I usually don’t kvetch–publicly, anyway!–about the choices that user interface (UI) and operating system (OS) software designers and engineers make in these areas, because it tends to be pretty subjected. Just because I want my Bluetooth toggle on top doesn’t mean everyone does, right? Just because the way Apple has laid out its Settings choices in iOS bugs the crap out…

Game Diary, Reviews

Knights Contract PlayStation 3 Game Review

This medieval action adventure features a dynamic duo who slice through challenging bosses and countless creatures to save the human race.

Music Diary, Reviews

ATunes Open Source Media Player Review

The trend toward strangely-capitalized programs is really annoying. The mediaplayer aTunes is trying to follow the iTunes naming model somewhat slavishly, so we’re stuck with that I suppose. Of course, that means sentences starting with the name of the program are either capitalized wrong or the word is capitalized wrong. Such choices! Installation was smooth and trouble-free, with a language selection dialog less impressive than Songbird, but sure to cover most use cases (darn, no Korean!). It also allows you to optionally install the source code for this GPL-licensed open source program, the only one in the set to do…

Music Diary, Reviews

Clementine Open Source Media Player Review

Clementine is a very clean-looking media player, inspired by the venerable Amarok player from Linux, and even using the Qt platform so it works in several flavors of Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. The installation is quick and simple, with no options presented to the user besides folder for the program. Unlike most media players, Clementine does not prompt the user for a music folder during the installation process. My 4000+ track test library was read and available in just over two minutes, although the program remained responsive during that time so I could do other things while waiting….

Music Diary, Reviews

Songbird Open Source Media Player Review

Although you’d barely know it from the mainstream media, there are other portable audio players besides the iPod and there are other media management programs besides iTunes. There are some great freeware and commercial alternatives to iTunes. This series will focus on three of the most full-featured open-source media programs available for Windows. All of them are also available for Mac OS X, and all but Songbird are available for several flavors of Linux besides. Let’s start with the most prominent, Songbird. Songbird started out in 2006 as a multi-platform program based on Mozilla’s XUL framework. After four years of…

News & Features

Giveacar.co.uk Helps You, uh, Walk off into the Sunset

We here at Gear Diary thought we’d make you aware of a way to rid yourself of technology; automotive technology, that is. Old, unwanted automotive technology, of course. (You don’t really think a site called GEAR DIARY is going to encourage you to dump your technology and go all monk-like, do you?) If you have a car you are not using (or which is no longer usable), but aren’t sure of how best to dispose of it, Giveacar.co.uk (oh, yeah, and you need to be in the UK, did I mention that?) will help you dispose of your old or…

Reviews

The Linksys E4200 Max Performance WiFi-N Router Review

A few months ago Linksys announced their new E4200 Wireless N router. Linksys was kind enough to send out a review unit, which I have been using for a few weeks. The dual band router sports both a 2.4 and 5 GHz radio setup and a six-pack of internal antennas to maximize wireless coverage and throughput. Wireless N is pretty much the standard these days, and as you all know the force behind WiFi N is the need for streaming media. With all the new web connected TV’s and streaming media services, the last thing you want is your router…

News & Features

Award Winning “Ring” Mouse Now Available in North America

Coming to you straight out of Taiwan, a small country off the southeast coast of China, the most innovative mouse available in the mainstream tech world is now available in North America. Crafted to fit snugly around your fingers, the newest entry to the remote control family is activated solely by your thumb, providing a uniquely flexible take on computer peripherals. Created and manufactured by the aptly named Genius corporation, the mouse is meant to come as a pint-sized revolutionary, a wireless liberator fighting off genuine banality and discomfort. Really though, it’s just a ring-shaped mouse. As the recipient of…

Gear Bits

Is Intermittent WiFi on iOS 4.3.3 an Issue?

Two things happened on the same day a couple of weeks ago: 1) I bought an iPad 2 and, 2) Apple released a firmware upgrade for iOS. Unfortunately, the latter all but enfeebled the former. Like a good little Apple fangirl, I upgraded to iOS 4.3.3 on both my new iPad 2 and on my original iPad. Within a few hours I noticed a problem: the WiFi kept dropping its signal on both devices. Here’s how it seemed to go: I’m using the WiFi and it suddenly hesitates, ultimately grinding to a halt and up comes that dreaded “no connection”…

Reviews

Jabra CLIPPER Headset Bluetooth Stereo Headset Review

In the world of Bluetooth (BT) headsets, the choices and options are wide and varied. Quite a contrast from the early days when Motorola was the first and only BT headset that was widely available nearly 9 years ago. In my position, employees often ask for advice about BT headsets and BT ear pieces. When the CLIPPER was announced by Jabra, I placed an order for one to see what I thought of it. I was so pleased with the headset that I continued to use it long after my opinion had been formed. In this review, I will highlight…

Editorials, Gear Bits

Chromebooks Market Niche Still Mystifies

I’m not sure I understand the Chromebook pricing model. Acer is introducing an 11.6″ Chromebook [Ars Technica] in June, with wifi-only for $350. Samsung’s 12″ model will come with 3G wireless in addition to wifi, and cost $500. I could buy a Gateway dual-core Windows 7 11.6″ netbook today for $330 [Amazon]. The Gateway has 160 GB of hard drive space; the Chromebooks are limited to a much smaller amount of SSD space (16 GB). So, where’s the market for a notebook computer which costs as much as (or more than) a notebook with a known OS? Don’t get me…

Editorials

It May be an iPad World, but What of the Original Tablet PC?

Defining Our Terms The mention of the word “tablet” to most people today would conjure up an image of an iPad or a similar looking product. What they may not know is that the tablet has already been in existence for roughly a decade. The original tablet PC was Microsoft’s vision of a mobile computer that maximized productivity. It was a laptop with a swivel screen that allowed you to write on it. The term used for it describes it well, they called it a convertible-tablet PC. I believe they had some good ideas and it can be seen in…

News & Features, Reviews

Retro Camera Android App Review

I recently noticed an influx of funky old-timey photos on Facebook. After asking around, it appears that most people I know are using Retro Camera. According to Urbian (the developer), the app lets you take “delicious old-school pics your friends will drool over” and it delivers an “off-the-hip analog look.” Now, in general I consider myself to be pretty cool, but I am a far cry from a hipster. I own neither over-sized 1980s glasses nor a t-shirt depicting three wolves howling at the moon. Regardless, I felt compelled to give it a try. I installed it on my Droid…

eBooks, How to Do It Yourself!

How To View Free Books and Blogs on the Kindle

Now that the ad-supported Kindle with Special Offers (aka the Kindeal) is out, sales are apparently through the roof again. With that in mind, it seems a good time to bring up the question on many (some?) people’s minds – how do I get free stuff on the Kindle? Books There are a truly remarkable number of free digital books on the internet, legally. Everything eventually goes out of copyright and becomes public domain (and there’s a huge discussion following from that statement we’ll not get into today). Project Gutenberg is likely the oldest of the many free-text archives on…

Editorials, Events

BlackBerry World 2011: Is RIM Knocking It Out of the Park or Lobbing Soft Balls?

[image via Yahoo News] This week’s BlackBerry World Conference is meant to show off the latest and greatest BlackBerry products and software offerings — as well as give a sneak peek into what RIM, the makers of the popular BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablet — have planned. Unlike many prior years (where the conference was branded as the Wireless Enterprise Symposium, or WES for short), there is a sense that RIM is struggling with the challenge of reinventing its brand and platform. Recent announcements such as the new crop of BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook updates are…to be blunt, falling…

News & Features

Geocachers: A Secret Society Stalking Your Streets

There’s a secret society stalking your streets, peering behind bushes and rummaging through parks. They work in the dead of night, or boldly move at high noon. These stealthy denizens are known to leave suspicious packages around public parks and quiet neighborhoods, and yet nobody tries to stop them. Using the latest in GPS and smartphone technology, they track hundreds of locations in nearly ever county of the USA. Their secret stashes are tracked on cryptic websites, and they’ve even made inroads into Canada and Europe. Their nefarious websites include listings for thousands of mobile treasures or “hitchhikers” which are shuffled from…

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