Gear Diary Staff | Gear Diary

CableJive Dock Stubz Review

CableJive is out with their newest offering, the Dock Stubz. The Dock Stubz is a pass-through charging adapter for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. The short, stubby adapter lets your charge and sync your iDevice while it’s safely inside any protective case. No more having to remove your iPhone from that OtterBox Defender when you want to plug into the Apple dock. It also includes special charger conversion which lets your device work with older speakers and docking stations. Say goodbye that annoying “this device is not compatible……” pop up message” that pops up when you try to use your…

Reviews

Samsung Vibrant on T-Mobile Review: After a Week Out of the Box

Samsung has been making phones for a long time, but until recently fell quite short of a worthy phone to run the Android OS. The Behold II and Moment never really took off in the eyes of the consumer and certainly not with developement. The Moment was not too bad, with some decent specs landing somewhere in between the G1 and Droid. Both have since pretty much been abandoned by the community, and for me Samsung was almost written off. With the US launch of the Galaxy S series, Samsung really was pushing hard to gain back some lost followers…

Editorials

Default Case: A “Case” Of Good Customer Service

A few of the iPhone case manufacturers could learn a thing or two from Default Case. Just a few days ago I told you about Default Case. The new iPhone case company has decided rather than spend a ton of money on advertising they’d instead offer up their entire line of cases for both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G/3Gs for only a penny (plus a small shipping fee.) I went ahead and ordered one. I mean at only a penny why not? My case arrived today and I couldn’t help but notice the similarity between it and a case…

Reviews

DryPaks Review: Protect Your Gear for That Last Summer Beach Fling

Alas, this weekend brings the end of Summer for those of us in the U.S. Like many others, I’m trying to cram in three days of beach fun into this Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, duty still often calls and I still need to be ‘connected’ for work even while trying to grab some relaxation with friends and family. Unlike last summer’s shenanigans, I made a point to take precautions and bring extra protection. See, last summer a good friend found their phone, iPod touch and digital camera claimed by the angry sea while boating (OK, maybe it was merely the…

Reviews

OtterBox Commuter iPhone 4 Case Review

OtterBox is probably best known for their highly protective case, the Defender. The Defender packs as much shock and impact defense for your iPhone 4 as any case on the market. However, all that protection doesn’t come without a price. The Defender can at times be bulky and because of this OtterBox realizes it’s not for everyone. It’s for this reason that, starting with the iPhone 3G/3Gs, the company began offering a slimmed down version of the Defender. The Commuter Series case offers the same level of quality that its big brother, the Defender, does, in a sleeker package. The…

Reviews

Gear vs Gear- Zagg Z-Buds, Apple’s In-Ear headphones, and Etymotic HF2 headphones

Pictured from left to right; Apples white In Ear Headphones (IEH), red Zagg Z-Buds, and the blue Etymotic HF2 buds. I’ve owned a pair of Zagg Z-Buds for about 1.5 years now and they had been my earbud of choice until I won two new sets of buds from Gear Diary last winter. (Thanks so much, Gear Diary!) Now that I’ve had several months to use them all, I’m prepared to give you all a brief review of all 3; Zagg Z-Buds, Apple’s In-Ear headphones (IEH), and Etymotic HF2 headphones. All of these were tested for the first half of…

Reviews

Victorinox Swiss Army Dive Master 500M Watch Review

Anyone who knows me personally knows that long before I struck up a love affair with gadgets my heart belonged to watches. As early as junior high school I had a fascination with time pieces and started a blossoming collection. Back then I could only afford Swatches and Casios, but as I grew older and as my income increased I began to acquire more valuable pieces including Rolex, Cartier, Panerai, and more. I’ve sold off most of them because in this economy it’s just too hard to hold onto so many valuable things, but I have never lost my addiction….

eBooks, Reviews

Amazon Kindle 3 Unboxing

Amazon‘s newest e-reader, the Kindle 3, just arrived on my door step. Rather than post a bunch of written text listing the specifications and what not I thought you’d enjoy a peak at the new device on video. Check out my quick unboxing and first impressions including a size comparison to the Kindle 2 from my YouTube channel below.

Reviews

Hershey’s Make Your Own Chocolate Bar

This week marked the last week of freedom for my kids before they head back to school for the 2010-2011 school year. I wanted to do something fun with them, and since my wife was busy at work we opted for a quick get away to Hershey Park. Hershey Park is an amusement style theme park located 2 hours west of Philadelphia, and it’s built entirely on and around the Hershey Chocolate company. One of the park’s newest attractions is located in its “Chocolate World” and it’s here where you can personally create your very own chocolate bar, watch it…

Editorials

Man Uses iPhone To Stop Thieves From Miles Away

Image courtesy of ABC News. The other day Gizmodo posted a story about how via an iPhone Photobomb, a user was able to track down a purse nabbing thief. ‘m not sure if the story below trumps that one but it’s cool nonetheless. Check out the video below! Vince Hunter, a Dallas resident, was on vacation hundreds of miles away in Connecticut. Vince had recently installed web cams throughout his home and using an iPhone application he was alerted via a text message that motion had been detected inside his house. He logged into the iPhone app and discovered that…

Reviews

OtterBox Commuter iPhone 4 Case Review

OtterBox’s flagship case, the Defender, provides an unparalleled level of protection. But not without a price. The Defender is considered by some to be big and sometimes even bulky. What isn’t up for argument however is OtterBox’s quality and the level of customer service they put behind every one of their cases. The company understands that the Defender isn’t for everyone and that’s why they’ve developed three levels of iPhone protection. The recently released Commuter Series case for the iPhone 4 is OtterBox’s mid-level protective case. While the Commuter doesn’t provide the same amount of shock and impact protection as…

News & Features

Intel’s Hands Free Research Lets Your Mind Do The Typing

Image courtesy of nairaland.com A few years ago OCZ introduced some technology that could potentially change gameplay as we know it with the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA). With this device you could use facial muscles and electronic signals from your brain to control movement and common keystrokes in games and could potentially free your hands for other functions. I never had a chance to actually try out the NIA, but from all the reviews I read and videos, it looks like a piece of hardware that a geek simply must have. Intel wants to build on that technology and take…

Reviews

Griffin Reveal Etch Graphite iPhone Case Review

The Griffin Reveal case for the iPhone 3G/3Gs was one of my favorites. The case, which combines a see-through, clear poly-carbonate back along with rubber guard rails has also quickly become one of my go-to cases for the iPhone 4. The Reveal for the iPhone 4 is currently available in both black & white and I reviewed the case here. If you’re not fan of the see-through back though Grfffin has added a new offering to the Reveal lineup. The Reveal Etch Graphite combines the same soft rubber rails found on the regular Reveal along with a carbon fiber looking…

Editorials

Facebook, Places and Privacy… a Few Thoughts

(via posterart.com) Facebook has entered into the next phase of its social network evolution with the addition of Facebook Places, a location-based social sharing feature. Facebook Places allows users to share with friends their current location, tag important places (“where I made my first text message”), and perhaps meet others who are near by. This feature leverages the current technology of “Check-Ins” by using the GPS location on the user’s phone. These location-based tools were previously only available on applications like Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite, Twitter and Yelp! But having Facebook enter this location-based app market raises potential privacy and safety…

Reviews

The MoviePeg for iPad Review

There are a lot of stands currently available for the iPad. Many of them however, are both expensive and hard to carry. A while back I told you about the MoviePeg for the iPhone. This compact and easy to carry stand is not only inexpensive but small enough to be toted around almost anywhere. The new iPad version is now available in two distinct colors, black and a very limited edition orange and priced at only $19.95 it’s the perfect stand for every iPad owner. The iPad version of the MoviePeg consists of two similar pieces. On the back of…

Editorials

Microsoft’s “PC vs. Mac” Site: What on Earth Are They Thinking?

Mac vs. PC ad still courtesy Chiat/Day One of the things that’s wonderful about writing for Gear Diary is the diverse mix of folks involved in the endeavor. You got your PC folks… you got your Appleheads… and you got your LINUX fans (well fan… Joel) and so on. We’ve got gaming folks; hard-core gadget nerds; exercise mavens; and gear heads (“petrol heads” to you “Top Gear” fans). You have folks who are into fashion and making sure their high-end handbag matches their Oberon iPad case, and people who get help from their partner when matching shirts with pants for…

Reviews

Cocoon Innovations GRID-IT! Organizer Review

A while back, I reviewed an excellent Cocoon Innovations netbook case with an integrated GRID-IT! Organizer, a feature that I really loved. However, I wished I could have one for bags I already owned because I really liked the way it kept all my items secured in one place. Now, my greatest wish has come true–an individual GRID-IT! organizer! The GRID-IT! is a unique, flexible organizer that basically allows you to secure the smallest of items, like pens or earbuds, or larger items, like phones or chargers, using a series of stretchy elastic straps in what they call an “object…

Reviews

Switch Easy Colors for iPhone 4 Review

Silicone Cases are very popular. Not only because they are generally in-expensive but because they also come in a ton of colors. In addition they make a great “throw-away” case. Everyone needs a “throw-away” case. What’s a “throw-away” case you ask? It’s a case that you always have on hand in case of emergency. One that’s usually cheap and therefore one that you really don’t care all that much about. Leave it in your gear bag or in your glove box. If you find your self in need of a case for your iPhone 4 it’ll be there waiting. Priced…

News & Features

Green Diary: Making You Feel Better About All That Energy Your Gadgets Are Sucking

It’s an interesting dilemma: the readers of this site tend to love their gadgets, but at the same time want to be respectful of the environment. All of our electronic tools, toys – whatever you want to call them – use resources in their manufacturing, may contain toxic materials that are harmful if not disposed of properly, and require energy to operate. If you’re like me, you mitigate some of your less environmentally friendly hobbies by making up for them in other ways (I use an electric lawnmower, for crying out loud). With an eye toward balancing our interest in…

Reviews

StarTech Standalone IDE/SATA Hard Drive Duplicator Review

As a Systems Administrator I spend of a lot of time building and distributing workstation images. After the initial build is completed and tested the worst part of it all (for me at least) is the distribution to all the machines that need it. There has been cases where I had a few hundred machines, and then sometimes it’s as little as 12-15. Either way, my favorite methods of imaging machines are the ones that are the most hands off. I’ve been through my share of software solutions that work very well, but the worst part is all the setup…

Reviews

Speck GeoMetric iPhone 4 Case Review

The Speck GeoMetric case for the iPhone is the first case I’ve come across with a textured, dimensional pattern which offers a very unique feel in your hand. Made from the ever-popular TPU (themorplastic polyurethane) the case soft and flexible but stays form fitting just enough the hug the lines of the iPhone perfectly. The GeoMetric is currently available in one color, what Speck calls “DeathRock Black.” Someday I’ll have to ask Speck who comes up with the interesting names they choose for their colors. Speck doesn’t include a screen shield with the GeoMetric. If you desire screen protection their…

Articles by Gear Diary Staff