Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Quick Tip: Change the name of your iPhone or iPod

I came across this picture over at Howard Forums and couldn’t help but laugh at what the person had named his/her iPhone and what happened when it was “syncing”  (look at the text at the top-middle 😉 ) Then I thought about it and wondered, how many people even know that the name of their iPhone or iPod can be changed?  Or how many of you, in the excitement of setting up your new device simply left the default name in the set up box when you first synced it with iTunes? If you’re tired of seeing your beloved device…


Bluebeards Original: Look Like a Pirate Minus the Itch

If you’ve ever tried to grow a beard you know the first few weeks are the toughest part.  Why?  It itches!  New hairs growing in on your face can be bothersome not only to you but to your family members as well.  I’ve let my beard grow before, sometime just out of laziness on the weekend, other times just for fun, but my family members often complain that it’s scratchy.  Especially when my daughters ask for a good-night kiss and my wife often catches me scratching and pawing at my scruffy face. I recently stumbled across Bluebeard Original, who makes…


Destinator 9 for iPhone Review

The iTunes App Store is filled with GPS applications.  Destinator 9 from Intrinsyc is the latest addition to the category. Destinator has been running on a variety of other mobile devices and GPS units for a while now and it’s achieved a large following. The iPhone version of the application brings a rich, featured filled GPS client complete with real time traffic updates, on-board maps, voice guided directions, extended POIs and more. I recently downloaded the free trial of Destinator 9 from the App Store and took it out on the road for a drive. Here are my thoughts.


V-MODA Remix Headphones Review

Image courtesy of V-MODA There’s some old saying the goes along the lines of “you’re only as good as the people around you.”  I feel the same way towards the relationship between my iPod or my iPhone and the headphones I use with each.  I may have the largest, most comprehensive music collection on the planet loaded on each of them but unless I’ve chosen a pair of headphones that allow me to listen to the music in decent quality what good is it? I’ve carried a pair of V-MODA Vibe Duo headphones religiously for the past year or so. …


Ringo Pro for Android Review

I have to be honest and admit that I’ve never really been one to play around with custom ringtones for individual contacts.   I just look at the screen to see who is calling and decide at that point whether or not to answer.  So when Electric Pocket recently asked Gear Diary if we would like to take a look at Ringo Pro for Android, I’ll have to admit that I was a little slow to raise my hand.  Now that I’ve had a little time to play around with it, I’m finding it a little fun.


Newsy App for Android Review: All the latest news right to your mobile

Newsy takes a different approach to delivering the latest news content over the net. Their unique method of  compiling the same news story from many different sources gives you all angles and aspects of each story through various news agencies. The site has an easy to use interface and it is simple to search out the story you are looking for. Overall the site is quite impressive, the news delivery is great and the site is free to subscribe to. Lets take a look at the mobile app offered through the Android Marketplace.


Be.ez LA robe 11.6″ Netbook Case Review

Be.ez (be easy), a French brand that designs stylish accessories for the mobile lifestyle, announced a new addition to their popular line of protection sleeves for netbooks – LA robe Netbook 11.6. This netbook sleeve is nicely made with a very thick shock absorbing material, and it’s available in 2 different colors — Black & White and Red Kiss. So, how good is this sleeve in doing its job, protecting your precious netbook? Read on to find out! Features:- Low Resilience Polyurethane (LRPu) Technology Robe protection Thickness 5MM Trendy, Unique Design Inner Lip for maximum protection Stand alone or in…


Poynt for iPhone OS Review

Back in June, Jason took at look at the Poynt application for the Blackberry OS.  He called it a “staple” on his Blackberry and one of the best applications available. Well Poynt is back, this time with a release for the iPhone OS.  The free application hit the iTunes App Store early last week, and I’ve had some time to play with the all-in-one location based search powerhouse. Has Poynt become a staple on my iPhone like it did on Jason’s Blackberry? Read on to find out.


The Case-Mate Hug Wireless Charging System Review

While at CES 2010 one of the products which excited me most was the wireless charging system Case-Mate unveiled for the iPhone 3G/3Gs called The “Hug.”  We at Gear Diary are huge fans of everything Case-Mate does both from their products to their customer service.  They are one of the companies that simply get it. While there are a few companies making wireless charging systems for the iPhone the ones I’ve seen are flat out unattractive.  What impressed both Dan and me about the Hug was the fact that it not only charged the iPhone wireless but it looked super…


Clear Coat Review: the Clear Choice for Maximum Protection

There are plenty of choices when it comes to screen and body protection for your electronic devices and I think I’ve tried them all.  Clear Coat might just be the best of the bunch. What is Clear Coat?  Here’s how the company describes it. Simply put, Clear-Coat is the only protection you’ll need for your devices. Forget those awkward, ugly cases! Clear-Coat keeps your device scratch-free without adding bulk or changing the look of your device. Clear-Coat is meticulously designed in-house, and then custom cut for every device. So an iPhone Clear-Coat fits the iPhone perfectly, and a Blackberry Clear-Coat…


PDAir Leather Case for Zune HD Review

It’s no secret that we here at Gear Diary have enjoyed PDAir cases for many of our devices.  You can see some of our past reviews here, here, and here.   Oh, and here, too.  PDAir recently released several leather cases for the Zune HD and offered Gear Diary a chance to review a sample.  The new Zune HD styles include flip type, book type, sleeve type, and both vertical and horizontal pouch types.  I was sent a horizontal pouch case for review.


SKTools Updated to 4.5.1.4!

SKTools, a popular system maintenance suite for Windows Mobile, has been updated to version 4.5.1.4. This update brings a new tool to SKTools, File Explorer. The newly implemented tool brings lots of functionality features such as Copy, Move, Rename and Delete as file operations, preview for certain file types, change attributes, create shortcuts, etc. Here’s the list of the latest changes: TuneUP!: added tweak “Enable/Disable Call Record menu item” (WM6.5+) “File Explorer”: set/clear file attributes for current item extendent tweaks definitions file format 4.4 -> 4.5 compatibility fixes I have been using SKTools for as long as I could remember,…


IM+ Lite for BlackBerry Review

An ongoing problem these days is simply how to keep up with everything and everyone? You’ve got email, Twitter, Facebook, Instant Messaging (or IM’ing as the kids simply abbreviate it these days).   Don’t forget SMS texting.  Unless you’re out on Mount Kilimanjaro you better get used to the expectation of being connected — and reachable — by at least ten different communication methods.   And they’ll all be used before you even get a phone call. With this onslaught of communication overload, how are you going to manage?  Are you going to ball up in the fetal position and cry yourself…


The Turbo Snake: Gear Diary’s Own Deal or Dud

One of the local Philadelphia news channels has a weekly segment called “Deal or Dud” where they put a product or service to the test to see if it actually lives up to its claims. A few weeks ago they featured the “Turbo Snake.” What is the Turbo Snake? Straight from the manufacturer: Introducing Turbo Snake™ – the quick & easy way to clear slow-moving or clogged drains! Simply glide Turbo Snake™ down the drain, twirl, then pull out – Turbo Snake’s™ specially designed head grabs & locks onto hair clogs to remove and free the drain instantly! It’s that…


Hookette with a Twist Purse Hook Review

Photo courtesy of The Purse Hook website Over the past few years, I have fallen in love with higher-end leather goods, specifically pretty (and functional!) purses and bags.  I’ve always been a bit of a purse girl, but I eventually realized that buying one or two nice leather bags a year makes much more sense for me than buying a lot of bags that fall apart on me within 3 to 6 months of carrying them every day.  I started collecting Coach bags one Christmas when I got a particularly nice bonus from work, and it all slid downhill from…


Dacha Works Module SmartCase for iPhone 3G and 3Gs Review

Often times case manufacturers work hard at creating cases that look great but in doing so sacrifice how the cases feels when held in your hand.  Ergonomics play a key role in keeping you comfortable while sitting at your desk, on your computer. The Module SmartCase from Dacha Works seeks to create the same level of comfort for your hand while it’s using your iPhone. Dacha Works claims the Module SmartCase is the first all-purpose iPhone case to proactively augment the iPhone form factor to greatly improve the user experience. How did it work out for me? Click on through…


Display Link USB 2.0 Review: Lets You Share Monitors and Support a Resolution Up To 2048×1152

Yesterday, I showed off the HP USB 2.0 Docking Station.  It’s great for easily connecting your computer to all those peripherals (printer, external monitor, etc).    Today, I’m taking a close look at the Display Link USB 2.0 display adapter.  So “What’s a display adapter?” you ask.   If you need to share your monitor through multiple displays, or you find yourself not needing a docking station but simply a way to put your netbook or laptop’s screen on a larger monitor, then I’d say the Display link adapter is for you.  What’s great about this little device is that it supports…


The Return of Dear Gear Diary…

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos Starting next month, we’ll be bringing the Dear Gear Diary series. Each week, we will be picking out an email or two sent in by our readers, and then posting them with our answers. With this series we hope that we will be able to help out with your gadget-related questions. We have a large group of writers with very different backgrounds, and we are confident that someone here will be able to help with just about any tech or gadget-use questions you all can throw at us. Are you trying to figure out what…


PDAir’s Aluminum Case Increases the Droid’s Geek Factor Review

After several years of mobile device designs trending toward smooth, curving lines and symmetrical shapes, the Motorola Droid stands out.  Sure, you’ll see lots of non-geeks carrying it, but from the angular design of the device itself to the style of the commercials Verizon developed to sell it, it’s clear that the Droid is intended to appeal to the technologically inclined. So, how does one take a geeky device like the Droid and amp the geek factor?  You slap a metal case on it, that’s how.


HP USB 2.0 Docking Station Review

One of the things I’ve usually taken for granted is how much of a difference a quality docking station makes in my daily computer use.  Sure, I have a laptop and (now) a netbook for my “regular” job.   Working with a netbook provides additional mobility with a lighter machine to lug around for the daily grind, but it can be a challenge during extended periods of time (read:  12-16 hours of work at times to meet deadlines).   A decent external monitor certainly helps, but needing to manually plug-in every peripheral item is an unnecessary task when you have a docking…


Case-Mate PWND Case for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

If we believe what Steve Jobs tells us (that argument’s meant for a whole different discussion) the Apple iPhone OS is an built to be one of the best operating systems for gaming.  Any look at the sheer abundance of games in the iTunes App Store and you might just have to agree. Do you do a lot of gaming on your iPhone 3G or 3Gs? If you answered yes, you’ll appreciate the Case-Mate PWND case.  It’s a silicone case that has severely reinforced corners which make it resemble a gaming console remote control.  When playing games that rely heavily…