Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Daniusoft Media Converter Ultimate Converter and Ripper Review

In case I haven’t bored you enough by mentioning it, I do a lot of travel. Three-four times per month, I fly between my family in Austin, and my job in Sunnyvale in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m not complaining–at least I’ve got a job!–but it does leave me with a lot of time on my own waiting. Waiting for planes to board, planes to get where they’re going, trains to arrive, trains to get where they’re going, etc. And so I spend a lot of time watching movies and TV shows on my iPhone and laptop. Which is…

Reviews

iAngle Review: Won’t Stand for Serving Just One Purpose

In the ever-expanding world of “i” accessories, there are plenty of single purpose items. Versed General seems to have said “pshaw!” to that and are offering up their iAngle for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s a stand! It’s an earbud accessory! It comes in black or white and it’s $9.99! One side of the iAngle works as an earbud wrapper, but turn it over and it will act as a stand, holding your iDevice at a good viewing angle. Versed General was nice enough to send us a black iAngle for review. I have to say, it’s just as…

Editorials

Tech Infrastructure and Monopolies

When I was a kid, phone design was still pretty much in its infancy–the “Princess” phone was pretty much the height of technology then. It wasn’t bolted to the wall! The dial lit up! It came in colors other than black or beige! Eventually, it even had buttons instead of a dial! In those prehistoric days, everything ran across copper, and 99% or more of the traffic was voice–ARPANET was just getting going, and all we primitive creatures did was make one-to-one phone calls. (The concept of a many-to-many phone call–a “party call”–was almost insanely exotic to me.) So worry…

Reviews

Mezzi LUXslim Laptop Case Review: Strong Enough for Everyday Protection, Classy Enough for 007

When it comes to protection for my gadgets, I spare no expense and tend to get a little OCD about it. It’s pretty common here on GearDiary to see reviews and postings about cases, screen protectors and bags for our gear. When Mezzi contacted us about reviewing an aluminum laptop case I was pretty excited. If I’m not using one of my many soft cases to transport my laptop then I’m using my Pelican hard plastic case to for maximum protection. The Pelican case is big and bulky, so I was excited to get my hands on a Mezzi LUXslim…

Editorials

Why is Apple’s iOS4 Crashing Microsoft Exchange Servers?

I’m going to be honest, I really could care less about Apple’s current antenna/signal reporting woes right now. Businesses and users who use their iPhone with a Microsoft Exchange server are facing a much bigger issue that, by and large, is not being covered. The problem? Apple’s iOS4 crashes Exchange servers. What’s worse is that the problem won’t just impact iPhone or iPod touch users. It will impact everyone using ActiveSync on those Exchange servers. That’s right folks, right now Apple’s iOS4 will impact service to every Windows Mobile, Palm webOS, Symbian, Android and iPhone/iPod touch, bringing businesses worldwide to…

News & Features

USBCELL Batteries Make You Wonder Why You Didn’t Think of This First

Do you remember those old rechargeable AA batteries that first emerged in the 1980s? You had to charge them overnight just so you could get about 2.4 hours of use in your Sony Walkman cassette player? Yeah, these aren’t those. USBCELL AA batteries are unique in that they have a built-in USB connector hidden under a cap at the + end of the battery. Open the cap, insert the battery into an open USB port on your computer, and let the charging begin! You’ll achieve a 90% charge in just 5 hours and – for use in a pinch –…

Reviews

Moshi Moshi 03 Review: Lets You Go Hands Free in Style

Back in April, I told you about the Native Union Moshi Moshi 01. The sleek and sophisticated handsfree unit allows the users to make and receive mobile calls while experiencing the ease of comfort of a landline base. Native Union is out with the next release in the Moshi Moshi line. The Moshi Moshi 03 draws from the original 01 unit but now adds Bluetooth into the fold. And it’s not your regular old Bluetooth stack either. The 03 uses a multipoint chip which allows two Bluetooth devices to be paired to it simultaneously. At home, I paired the…

Reviews

Chrome Soyuz Laptop Bag Review: Dare to be Different

Last week I reviewed the Chrome Vega Utility Bag. I’ve become a fan of it due to its versatility and functionality. I can not tell you the number of times I’ve purchased an expensive gear bag because I thought it “looked” cool only to find it didn’t hold all of my gear, or made retrieving said gear impossible etc. Chrome takes on a philosophy of function first. If an item isn’t needed on one of their bags they simply do not include it. This makes all of their bags extremely comfortable to wear and makes getting to your gear when…

Reviews

Read Along with Woody, Buzz and the Gang: Toy Story 3 for iPad Review

My kids finally are out of school. Believe it or not their last day was June 22nd. With all of the snow we got here on the East Coast this past winter, extra days had to be made up resulting in an additional week+ for them. What’s the first thing my kids wanted to do when they got home yesterday? See Toy Story 3. I obliged and we enjoyed the third offering from Pixar. When we got home I treated the girls to the Toy Story 3 application on my iPad. Disney had been kind enough to send me a copy…

Reviews

Chrome Vega Utility Bag: Little Messenger Packs Big Punch

Chrome recently reached out to see if I’d be interested in reviewing some of their bags. The company, which was founded in Boulder Colorado 14 years ago, makes stylish bags (among other items such as shoes and apparel) that are not only meant to perform at a high level but look really good while doing so. One look at the Chrome website, and I knew I wanted to review some of their stuff. The catalogue includes a wide range of bags, most of which are modeled after the “messenger” style, but they’ve got a few wild-cards too. The company, which…

Reviews

White Leather iPad Case Review: Classic Apple

White is the quintessential Apple color. Both my iPhone 3G and 3Gs are white and I’ve owned a bunch of white iPods too. White accessories just make me think Apple so it was with a certain amount of nostalgia that I began to test the iPad Leather Flip Case – White from GearZap.com. Let’s face it, we all can’t afford $200+ Vaja leather cases for our iPads. For many the expense of the iPad alone just about breaks the bank. But you still need something to protect your invest and why shouldn’t it be something that looks good while doing…

Health and Fitness

C25K: Larry Is too Cool for School

Week of 6 of the C25K program is in the books. Only three more weeks to go. Here’s how this week’s workouts looked: Larry: If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed the lack of Tweets related to the C25K program this week. No it wasn’t a Twitter failure. Judie: And if you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed the same lack of Tweets; that was not a Twitter failure, either. Larry: I was all set to follow this week’s plan until I ran until my old marathon training buddy at my neighborhood’s swimming pool over…

Reviews

M-EDGE Touring Jacket for iPad Review

For my final M-EDGE iPad case review I wanted to share a video from my YouTube channel. The M-EDGE Touring Jacket is a neoprene sleeve that’s lined with gray fleece. It fits the iPad just about perfectly. Not so tight that you feel as though you need a crow bar to get your iPad in or out and not so loose so that the iPad gets jostled around. Here’s what M-EDGE has to say about it: The M-Edge Touring Sleeve for the Apple iPad is the must-have accessory sleeve for the active iPad user. The Sleeve, made of durable and easy-to-clean neoprene,…

Reviews

Nixon Newton Satisfies My Inner-Geek Review

I’ve always wanted a Tokyo Flash watch but just haven’t pulled the trigger and ordered one. Partly because their designs are so intricate I’m worried I won’t be able to figure them out and partly because I’m a person that doesn’t like waiting. I need that immediate satisfaction. So when I stumbled upon the Nixon Newton while shopping at my local mall the other day I snatched one up. The Newton features a two-hand quartz movement with an LED light and rotating disc. No numbers on this watch. You’ll actually have to think about the time when you glance at…

Editorials

Is the Dream of Being a Mobile Worker Really a Nightmare?

[image via MidCo Systems ] My friends frequently give me a hard time over my obsession with mobile technology. Like the rest of the Gear Diary team — and very likely the majority of the site’s readers — I do my best to not only stay up to date but to get a lot of hands on use with various technological gear that help to untether me from the confinement of a desk. To me that’s the real point of it all: the freedom to go do what you want, when you want and still be able to take care…

News & Features

C25K Week 5: Get Your Drink On

Larry: Week 5 done! Only four more weeks to go before Judie and I are officially 5K runners. Judie: W00t! Larry: This week the workout schedule got a little different, and we were both in for a little shock when we took a look at the schedule. Instead of like previous weeks where each of the three weekly workouts were exactly the same, during week 6 all three were different. The shocker came when we both realized that we’d go from running for eight minutes to running twenty. Judie: Larry likes to check in with me every Monday and see…

Reviews

Feuerwear Jack Vertical Messenger Bag Review

Earlier this month I had a chance to review one of the most unique bags I’ve come across, the Feuerwear Scott Laptop bag, which is made from recycled fire hose. Feuerwear was also kind enough to send along one of their Jack Vertical bags after I mentioned that I thought it would be the perfect fit for the Apple iPad. I prefer vertical style bags to the more traditional horizontal briefcase or messenger style. Vertical bags just seem easier to carry and they’re more of an “eye-catcher.” The Jack is no exception. Since each Jack bag is handmade, you’ll select…

News & Features

Design Custom Jewelry Online with GemKitty

Ever wanted to design your own jewelry but don’t know where to start? Well, you no longer need to pore over the aisles at the craft store–just jump online at gemkitty.com and design your own earrings! Next week GemKitty is introducing their custom earring platform that allows users to customize a pair of earrings with five different styles, two quality metals, and over seventy real semi-precious gemstones. I was able to preview the site and it’s super easy to use–just a few clicks allows you to set your style, select from sterling silver or 14K gold filled findings, and choose…

Reviews

M-EDGE Platform Jacket for iPad Review

Dan was kind enough to send me a few M-EDGE cases for the iPad to review. A few weeks ago I took a look at the Executive Jacket. Up next is their Platform Jacket. Made from authentic leather and available in three colors (Black, Purple and Red) the Platform Jacket is a flip up style case that is best suited for users who use their iPads predominately in the portrait position. The case uses a tab closure style and the strap continues all along the back creating a handle which you can slide your hand under. This allows you to…

Editorials

iPhone 4: As Far As The iPhone Can Go?

When iPhone 4 was announced I’ll admit it, I was giddy. Apple’s newest creation looks to be almost as revolutionary as the first iPhone they released. Jammed packed into arguably the sleekest, most stylish handset on the market, are a ton of features. Some of the highlights that really stand out? Multitasking Orientation Lock Video Calling Gyroscope iMovie Only 9.3MM thin Glass Front and Back 960×640 Screen Better Battery 5 MP Camera with LED Flash HD Video A4 Chip Portrait Lock iPhone 4 looks to have almost every feature I could ask for in a mobile device. And to top…

News & Features

Aluratek Drops a Brick (For Your iPhone, That Is)

When I think of a brick, I either think of the actual structural element from which buildings are constructed, or I think of any electronic device that seems unnecessarily large and cumbersome. Now, Aluratek wants us to reimagine the word as an audio component. Aluratek is releasing their latest product, the Brick Speaker Dock for iPhone/iPod this week. Aluratek boasts that the Brick offers high-quality sound at an affordable price. It will work with the iPod Touch, iPhone, and any iPod model with a click wheel. As it includes a 3.5mm auxiliary input, the Brick can also be used with other mp3 players. …

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