Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Rentobile Review: The Solution for Phone Freaks and Those Who Don't Like Contracts?

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Rentobile Review: The Solution for Phone Freaks and Those Who Don’t Like Contracts?

Imagine Christmas day coming every single month — except without all the hassle of going out dealing with crowds, carolers, fruitcake, eggnog and extended family staying over at your house for just a few days longer than your sanity can muster.  Just the goodies.  Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, if you are into the latest and greatest mobile phones — and you are tired of being bound by your wireless carrier’s contract determining when you can upgrade or swap out phones, then the service from Rentobile seems to come pretty close to becoming your very own monthly…

Monolingual: Delete unused language packs on your Mac.

How to Do It Yourself!

Monolingual: Delete unused language packs on your Mac.

I personally use only one language on my Mac computers, English.  Unless you’re multi-lingual or unless you’re like Judie and plan on taking up another language, chances are you only need one language on your computer as well. The Mac comes preinstalled with several language packs.  These packs includes fonts, and other things which all take up hard drive space. That’s where Monolingual comes in.  Monolingual is a free application (donations are accepted) which allows you to selectively remove any language pack from your Mac that you choose.

The Dead Arise: Nashville Zombie Walk

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The Dead Arise: Nashville Zombie Walk

After a solid week of rain in Middle Tennessee, the graves must have opened, as the undead arose to walk the streets of downtown Nashville. Tourists and natives called it the Nashville Zombie Walk of 2009. The flesh-eating mutants zombies staggered in from all directions, via train, plane and automobile.

How to enable, discover, and use Gmail keyboard shortcuts

How to Do It Yourself!

How to enable, discover, and use Gmail keyboard shortcuts

Gmail has enabled increased productivity for those who large amounts of email due to its unique interface (conversations, labels, to name two!). Not everyone uses keyboard shortcuts, but they can be a big time saver in processing email. Read on to learn more about keyboard shortcuts and how to quickly learn them. Keyboard shortcuts are very useful because they quickly allow you to navigate your inbox quickly. You can also do things like select many messages at once and archive them, delete them, and even mark them as spam. Keyboard shortcuts are disabled by default. To enable them, simply go into…

DivPro from NoJoke.com Review

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DivPro from NoJoke.com Review

A few weeks ago Judie asked the question “are you that guy?” She was posting about the NoJoke.com Shotgun KeyChain. Well NoJoke.com has another product, which although does have the ability to turn any can into a ready to shotgun chugger also has some really useful functions out on the golf course. The DivPro is 6 tools in 1; think of it as the Leatherman of the links.

OttoSkins Review

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OttoSkins Review

OttoSkins are protective decal skins which when applied to your electronic gadget provide protection from scrapes and scratches while offering you a personalized look. The skins are available in a variety of patterns and designs for a wide range of gadgets. From iPods to iPhones, netbooks, laptops and gaming consoles, there’s probably an OttoSkin for at least one device you own. Let’s take a look at a few of the skins OttoSkins was kind enough to send me to review.

Everyone needs a good time waster on their iPhone

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Everyone needs a good time waster on their iPhone

I own a ton of games for my iPhone and iPod Touch, but I always seem to be looking for new ones.  Lately I’ve been looking for inexpensive games that don’t take long to learn or play.  Ones that although seem simple are both challenging and more importantly addictive.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Madden 10 and Sandstorm but everyone needs a good time waster on their iPhone, too. Instead of taking tons of screen shots, I’ve decided to show you three of my favorite games of late on video. Remember, these games aren’t super graphically…

Convergence in Da-Club - Case-Mate Credit Card Case

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Convergence in Da-Club – Case-Mate Credit Card Case

Everyone knows I love convergence devices. From my iPhone to my clock radio to my dock/card reader. Why shouldn’t convergence carry over to iPhone cases? Case-Mate sure thinks it should. They’ve recently released a new case they’re calling the “ID/Credit Card Case.” This slim fitting case, which comes in a ton of colors acts as part case part wallet. How does the case do as both protector and card carrier?

GelaSkins Review

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GelaSkins Review

Many of us like to keep our overly expensive gadgets protected.  We always want them looking like they did when we first pulled them out of the box. There are several ways to do so. Cases are popular, as are clear protective skins. But GelaSkins are another way to not only keep your device pristine but also keep it looking stylish and personalized. GelaSkins are removable covers for protecting and customizing your portable devices. They feature stunning, photo-quality graphics ranging from fine art prints to contemporary urban images designed by the company’s growing family of artists from around the globe….

Aqua Jigsaw for iPhone OS Review

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Aqua Jigsaw for iPhone OS Review

Over the summer my family takes a long vacation at our home in the Outer Banks.  One of our favorite past times to do at the beach house is to all gather around the kitchen table with a large piece count jigsaw puzzle.  We usually get one going and then come back to it over the time we’re there and end up finishing a few during our stay. With Aqua Jigsaw from 99 Games, I don’t have to wait until next summer to continue the jigsaw puzzle tradition my family enjoys. I can keep it going right on my iPhone.

RDM+ for iPhone Review: BlackBerry Really Puts Your Computer on Your Phone

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RDM+ for iPhone Review: BlackBerry Really Puts Your Computer on Your Phone

You’re out of the office, get a call and the boss needs a quick change on a presentation.  You’re an IT admin, you’re enjoying some time out of the house for the weekend and you need to reboot a server —  while your laptop is back at home.  You want to show off a photo of the kids from vacation while you’re at a soccer game, but then you realize it’s back on your home computer.   What do all of these scenarios have in common?  Each situation used to require you to physically use the computer that is in the…

There is a case for that: The OtterBox Defender for iPhone 3G/3G S Review

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There is a case for that: The OtterBox Defender for iPhone 3G/3G S Review

Oh the joy of acquiring a new iPhone – it’s shiny, sexy, has tons of apps and full of user interface goodness until the unthinkable happens: It is that precise moment with joy turns into sorrow, followed by denial, anger, rage, resentment, depression and reality that $99, $199, or $299 just left your bank account. There is a case for those moments when the law of gravitational pull yanks the shiniest gadget (the iPhone) out of one’s hands. I am talking about the OtterBox Defender case for the iPhone.

Tattoo Mania for iPhone OS Review

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Tattoo Mania for iPhone OS Review

Handy Game’s Tattoo Mania puts you in the seat of a tattoo artist in charge of your very own tattoo shop. Every tattoo you paint on your customers earns you points.  The faster and more precise you are the more points you earn. But watch out.  Everyone has their own pain threshold and if you exceed it you might find your shop quickly out of business. Let’s take a look at the game.

CaseCrown 8.9" Alligator Slim Case

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CaseCrown 8.9″ Alligator Slim Case

As many of you tech-loving ladies out there know, it can be very difficult at times to find a nice, feminine looking case for your gadgets.  I love clothes and accessories just as much as I love technology, and I hate putting a gadget in a boring case into a cute handbag.  I just don’t understand why tech accessories have to be boring! When I saw the CaseCrown Alligator Slim Case, the first thing I noticed was that it was stylish looking and came in PINK…not just soft baby pink, but bright hot pink!  I knew I had to try…

Case-Mate Barely There Chrome for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

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Case-Mate Barely There Chrome for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

In addition to the Smooth Case Case-Mate recently sent me for review, they were also kind enough to include one of their Chrome Barely There Cases for the iPhone 3G/3G with a mirrored screen protector. With visions of 20″ chrome spinners on a tricked out car from some episode of Pimp My Ride I slapped the case on my iPhone 3GS and took it for a test drive. The version of the Chrome Barely There I was sent included a mirrored screen protector and sells for $24.99. A similar version of the case is available from Case-Mate without the mirrored…

Case-Mate Smooth for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

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Case-Mate Smooth for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

Slider cases have always been my favorite type of case for the iPhone. Silder cases are generally made up of two pieces. The phone slides into the two and they connect at some point, usually near the bottom. This allows the bottom piece to be easily removed so that your device can still be used with an accessory item requiring access to the dock connector, such as a cradle or external speaker. Case-Mate is not new to the iPhone accessory market. They’re already established themselves as one of the leaders. Their version of the slider case, the Smooth, is one…

Pzizz for iPhone/iPod Touch Review

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Pzizz for iPhone/iPod Touch Review

Feeling worn down, stressed out, or just not getting enough quality sleep?  Guess what — yep! — there’s an app for that. Pzizz (pronounced puh-zizz) may be just what you need.  In the most simple terms, Pzizz Relax is a power-nap app. Using the application religiously over the past two weeks I can say it is much more. The application is  new for the iPhone/iPod Touch, but it’s been around for quite some time for the  Mac/PC — and those earlier versions have been reviewed by Gear Diary as well as the original “Pzizz player” on the Gadgeteer. So, is an…

Rollip Makes Your Photos Look Like Polaroids

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Rollip Makes Your Photos Look Like Polaroids

OK, I am definitely a product of the 80’s & 90’s…nothing beats GI Joe (uh..the original!), Saved By the Bell, Alf (yeah that just happened), and Polaroid pictures! Unless you are able to track down one of these relics at a yard sale or flea market, what can you do?.

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 30: Yelp

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Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 30: Yelp

When I started this series, my hope had been to tackle all of the apps in the Palm Pre App Catalog before its official launch, later this month.  But the developers turned out to be too fast for me.  In the month since I started this series, the App Catalog has grown from 30 apps to 45, and is really starting to gain momentum.  So, a slight change of plans will see the series ending today, with an overview of 30 apps. As a finale to the series, I thought we would take a look at Yelp, the location based…

iFrogz Timbre Review

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iFrogz Timbre Review

iFrogz has quickly become one of the leaders in cutting edge accessories for Apple product, Mp3 players and other electronics devices. Their Ear Pollution line of headphones is one of the most popular headphone available on the market. iFrogz recently released a new item in the Ear Pollution line, the iFrogz Timbre. Available with or without an inline microphone the noise isolating ear buds are made with natural wood. I was recently sent a pair by iFrogz to review.  Do the Tibre’s perform as good as they look? Read on to find out.