Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 29: Express Stocks

I have to admit that I have never been one to dabble to deep in the stock market.  Most of my money is in IRAs or index based funds.  Plus, I rarely want to have the values too close, because looking at how much money I am constantly losing can get a bit depressing these days.  Nonetheless, for those of you who do like to have your net worth in the palm of your hand at all times, there is a fantastic app called Express Stocks.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 28: Word Ace

Let’s just get this out of the way quickly.  Word Ace is my new favorite game, and is the best game currently available for the Palm Pre.  OK…I know saying that any game is better than other games on the Palm Pre may not be much of a compliment…but this really is a fantastic game.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 27: Mileage Monitor

This is a pretty simple app, but one which could be quite useful to those folks who spend a lot of time in their cars, whether that means travelling long distances, or commuting into town each morning.  This app lets you use your Palm Pre to track how many miles you are getting per gallon of gas, and how much money you are spending on gas. To begin, just create a new account with the name of your car.  Enter the current odometer reading and you are good to go.  For the most accurate results, you should start with a…


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 26: Connect 4.

Yes…I do mean THAT Connect 4.  The one you loved as a kid.  sliding checkers into a plastic frame, trying to make four in a row.  This is one of my son’s favorite games, and I love the fact that he is so interested in a game from my own childhood.  And thanks to the folks at Hasbro and EA Games, you can now enjoy this classic game on your Palm Pre (10 times before you will have to pay for it).


BBScanner for BlackBerry Tour 9630 Review

Roger that…10-4! OK, so my wife and I can sit for hours and watch cop shows…The First 48, Crime 360, Cops, Lockup, etc…and when I say hours I really mean all day! We spend a lot of time in Columbus, Ohio and like to know whats going on, mainly where is that police cruiser headed running lights and sirens! I guess we are nosy like that, but BBScanner fuels our need for busy body information.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 25: Today Show

Let’s have a show of hands.  How many of you watch the Today Show in the morning.  It is pretty hard to miss, since it is about five hours long, yet I manage to do so since I leave the house before 6:00 each morning.  So, I rarely get to watch the show upon which this app is based.


Cyfi Wireless Sports Speaker Review

Imagine a speaker that can go anywhere, play anything, and do it all without wires.  Now, give it a fun shape and some wireless controls.  There you go, now you have the Cyfi, which is a fantastic portable wireless speaker.  This is exactly what I need for activities like camping, hiking, or even just sitting on the deck enjoying the day.  Sound good?  I thought it might.  let’s take a closer look.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 24: Match.com

I am pretty happily married, and have been since before dating sites like Match.com became all the rage.  So, needless to say, I do not have an account at Match.com or any other similar sites.  That being said, I can certainly see the value they might offer the modern connected single.  In fact, my sister-in-law met her husband that way. In the interest of making sure this series is complete, therefore, I wanted to mention this app and make sure that interested individuals know that they can access their Match.com accounts from anywhere using their Palm Pre.  That being said,…


iFrogz Wrapz Case for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

iFrogz has quickly become one of the leading accessory manufacturers for Apple’s iPhone.  From cases to headphones and charger and speakers their products are both functional and extremely stylish. I recently received one of their Wrapz cases for the iPhone 3G & 3GS to review. This silicone case comes in a variety of color choices and at a price of only $14.99 it’s worth a look. The Wrapz case is available in seven color variations:  (Thick Black, White, Royal Blue, Red Ruby, Gun Metal Grey, Pink Panther and Clear. I received the Clear version. Inside the case you’ll find iFrogz…


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 23: The New York Times

Ever since I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism, I have tried to keep track of which newspapers have the best writing.  Consistently near the top of that list has been The New York Times (for the record, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, CNN, and the AP Newswire round out my personal top five).  So, I was pretty excited to find the New York Times app on my Palm Pre.


Spyderco Native Pocket Knife Review

Every year my family takes a week long vacation to visit my mother at her cabin in Maine.  We make it a habit of passing through Freeport, Maine on the way up to her house each year.  Freeport is not only is the home of L.L. Bean but it’s also the home to one of my favorite knife shops, the Freeport Knife Co. I am a collector of pocket knives and I carry one almost all the time either in my pants pocket or my turnout gear.  It’s a tool I end up using several times a day be it…


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 22: Shabbat Shalom

Tonight is Friday, which means it is the start of the Jewish holiday Shabbat, which is the Sabbath.  It begins at sundown on Friday and runs through sundown on Saturday.  Shabbat can be a very ritualistic holiday, with certain prayers and other activities which occur at specified times.  Of course, since nothing can ever be too easy, these times change based upon when sundown occurs.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 apps in 30 Days. Day 20: FlightView

It is like a shared ritual.  We have all been there.  Your friend, mother, mother-in-law, or another random visitor is coming into town for a visit.  Your job is to meet them at the airport.  Unless you live across the street from the airport, this requires an incredible feat of timing and coordination.  Otherwise, your friend ends up standing outside baggage claim for half an hour…or you are driving around the terminal in endless circles (don’t even think about pulling over to catch your breath).  What you need is some app which will give you the status of any flight. …


Gorillatorch: Coming to a Dark Room Near You

I am a huge fan of the Joby Gorillapod, a fantastically flexible mini tripod.  It is one of my favorite gadgets for my camera.  Well, now the good folks at Joby have brought the latest in the Gorilla line, the Gorillatorch.  This is an ultra-bright light, mounted atop the same three flexible legs as the Gorillapod.  At the end of those legs are magnetic feet, which allow you to position the light wherever you need it most.  This would be the perfect solution for workshops, autoshops, and even camping.  Hit the jump for the full press release.


Olympus E-P1 Digital Pen Review (Part 1)

This is the Olympus E-P1 , the digital camera that set a million tongues wagging when it was announced. The first Olympus camera to be based on the Micro Four-Thirds standard co-developed with Panasonic, the E-P1 is supposed to be able to capture close to professional DSLR (digital SLR) quality photographs, in a form-factor barely larger than a compact point and shoot camera. The E-P1 is also one of the smallest digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. I’m not a professional photographer, and my experience with digital cameras has thus far been limited to point and shoots, so bear in mind…


Speck’s Updated CandyShell iPhone Case Review

Speck Products has been making cases and protective products for a wide range of laptops, mp3 players, and smartphones since 2001.  Earlier this spring we took a look at one of Speck’s newest cases, the CandyShell for the iPhone 3G and 3GS.  The CandyShell is an interesting concept with a hard plastic outer shell that slides nicely into and out of pockets and a softer interior that is intended to provide cushioning in the event of a drop or hard bump. Speck recently updated the CandyShell line with five new color combinations: BubbleMaker Pink, BatWing Black, AquaBerry Blue, WaxStick White,…



Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 17: SplashID

We have taken a look at SplashID several times before.  This is one of the great apps coming out of SplashData, who seems to have now come full circle.  They started out developing for PalmOS, moved on to Windows Mobile, iPhone, Nokia, and even several desktop platforms.  Well, now they have come back to their roots with Palm and their WebOS.  This is SplashData’s second app on the Palm Pre, following Infopedia. Now, some of you may recall that last week I briefly mentioned how I had tested SplashID and found it to be terribly buggy.  Heck, it would not…



Track Your Trips in Real-Time with GPSed for iPhone

If you have the travel bug and enjoy sharing your adventures with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, etc., then GPSed is definitely for you.   If you are a hiker, runner, or biker and just want to track your journeys in real-time, then GPSed is for you. In fact, just about anyone needing to show their location via GPS, archive their trips, or keep a log of their where they’ve been on GoogleMaps will likely find something useful with the many features in Shape Services‘ GPSed.


Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 14: LinkedIn

I have to admit that I am not terribly interested in social networking.  Email is usually enough for me, though there are a few sites which I do find to be particularly enjoyable or useful.  One of those sites is LinkedIn, a social networking site for business connections.  As much as I enjoy LinkedIn however, I have always found their mobile versions to be a bit lacking.