Articles by Gear Diary Staff

Reviews February 12, 2008

LOST: no more – The Navigon 2100 GPS REVIEW

The first time that I ever used a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit was back in 1996-97 while in Denver, Colorado. For $10.00 extra, I upgraded to the optional GPS feature in my Hertz rental car, which turned out to be a fun experience that got me from point A to B in a new city even if I missed the turns. Before GPS, I can recall exhibiting high frustration levels of being unable to find my way to a destination, especially at night. With bad eyesight, unmarked streets, winding roads and no sense of direction along with male pride,…

Reviews February 5, 2008

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Review: Creating The Pictures You Wish You Had Taken Yourself

About six years ago, when we were preparing for the birth of my first son, I went out and treated myself to a fancy new camcorder. This thing, a Sony, had the works. All of the latest and greatest…including a one megapixel camera (yeah, did I mention this was in late 2001?) I had big plans for that camera. I was going to document everything my son did from his first midnight poop, all the way through college. I would edit those photos and videos into short movies, slideshows, and albums, which I could share with friends and family. It…

Reviews February 5, 2008

The Vaja UMPC Case Review

I have a weakness for small leather goods. I love bags and pouches and cases more than your average bear. (Wow! It feels good to get that off my chest.) As a leather lover, I have long been aware of Vaja and the magnificent cases they make. My problem has always been that I never seem to have a phone that is popular enough with other people to make it worth Vaja’s while to create a custom case. (Check out their i-volution cases…they are to die for!)

Reviews February 4, 2008

The TasteBook CookBook Review

If you know nothing about me, then you don’t know the story of my book (Get Some Hairapy) and my adventure getting it published. I looked at so many options it would make your head spin. What I settled on was using a micro publisher (Infinity Publishers) who allowed me to create and design the book while using their quality press and network to print it. The result? A professional finished piece without the expense and hassle of having to print 1000 copies. TasteBook has taken that idea and made creating your own cookbook a possibility for anyone with basic…

Reviews February 2, 2008

E-TEN X650 Unboxing

I arrived home the other day, to a WONDERFUL surprise. E-TEN’s X650 arrived! I wasn’t even expecting it, and its here! The E-TEN X650 is the upgrade to E-TEN’s X600, value series GPS enabled Pocket PC Phone. Its running WM6 Professional, and has a VGA screen (the X600 did not). Without much further ado, here are the very cool pics… The box the X650 comes in is even smaller than the box for the X800. I was really surprised.

Reviews February 1, 2008

The Qosmio Is Here! Let’s Take A Look

What the heck is a Qosmio, you ask? Well, we will just have to open this giant black box I received to find out. Follow me past the link and we can take a much closer look at the contents of this mysterious box. Of course, Qosmio is the latest laptop computer from Toshiba. And this one is the Qosmio G45-AV690. Designed for high definition entertainment, it features an HD-DVD and includes ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner. We’ll have some fun playing with that. In this photo, the small, skinny iten in the foreground is the Qosmio laptop. The…

Reviews January 30, 2008

The AirDrive Hybrid Stereo Earphones Review: Shattering the Cone of Silence

I have reviewed a number of different higher end headphones, both here and at Just Another Mobile Monday. For the most part, these headphones have involved cramming a small speaker as deeply into your ear as possible, in order to a) block outside noise, and isolate you within the music; and b) get the music as close to your ear drum as possible. Given this background, you can imagine why I was a bit skeptical of the AirDrives. After so much time cramming things into my ear canals, it was strange to find earphones which instructed, “if the earphone blocks…

Reviews January 27, 2008

Levenger’s Editor’s Desk Review: Saving My Back One Word at a Time

I have been writing for most of my life. Short stories. False starts on novels. Three different newspapers and two radio stations. Heck, even as a lawyer, I spend most of my day writing and editing. And, of course, here at Gear Diary and Just Another Mobile Monday. And let me tell you, I have suffered for my art. I have spent countless hours hunched over my desk in positions that would probably make a chiropractor insane, editing documents from early in the day until late at night. I know this can’t be good. And the fine folks at Levenger’s,…

Reviews January 25, 2008

Make some music: The Fingertip Mini Cube Speaker REVIEW

Good things do come in small packages. I asked my LEGO friends Beetle and Maynard with their girlfriends Sunshine and Faith to check out the new Fingertip Mini Cube Speaker that Thomas at USB Fever sent from overseas. Beetle: “As sound technicians for the Best Little LEGO Band from Nashville, we got frustrated with the round speakers that came with our Apple Shuffle.” Sunshine: “Then Kerry and Judie from GearDiary told us about these speakers from USB Fever.” Maynard: “It was awesome! They carry all of these cool USB items that work for our lifestyle. And for only $2.99, they…

Reviews January 24, 2008

TrakAx Mobile Media Mixer for the Masses Review

When I first started using portable devices, way back in 2000, I thought they would be a fantastic vehicle for editing photos and creating slideshows and picture movies. They weren’t. At least not then. Fast forward to 2005, when I discovered Resco Photo Viewer. At last , a mobile photo editor which was comparable, in many ways, to my desktop. Now we were talking. But still, I could not find a way to mix my photos with music or video to . Well, now there is TrakAxe Mobile, which allows you to “create mixes in three easy steps.” Hit the…

Reviews January 23, 2008

The Toshiba Satellite M205-S7452 REVIEW

Several year ago, one of my Sunday morning rituals was relaxing on the couch, kicking back with a cup of coffee and reviewing the big box circulars from Staples, Circuit City or Best Buy. I would flip through and fantasize about the expensive laptops pictured in the ads, thinking that one day in the far off future that prices have got to fall. Thankfully today, it’s not uncommon to find budget-based laptops starting at $499 and up. Fast forward to the holiday season of 07-08 and there are some good mid-priced mainstream models available including the Toshiba Satellite M205-S7452. Let’s…

Reviews January 21, 2008

I can hear you: The Sennheiser BW900 Bluetooth Wireless Office Headset REVIEW

In today’s mobile work world, many are escaping the cubicle world by working at home or at least telecommuting. Even stay at home moms (and dads) are able to conduct thriving cottage businesses thanks to eBay, biz dev or creative arts scenarios – the possibilities are endless, especially for entrepreneurs. Having worked at home for several years, having the necessary tools to conduct business is a must to connect with clients worldwide. Obviously Internet access, a powerful computer, and a mobile phone are just starters. A landline is necessary for a fax machine, plus alarm systems and DirecTV. The Sennheiser…

Reviews January 19, 2008

E-TEN X800 Unboxing

The E-TEN X800 is here!! As promised, here is the grand unboxing. I really enjoyed this, as the X800 seems to be a truly awesome device. I’ve owned a number of different E-TEN devices, the M500, the G500, the M700, and now the X800 (and soon to be X650). I was really concerned about this particular device, as the build quality of the previous three devices left a little to be desired. In fact, my daughter has been using the M700 for the past three months or so, and the device has got some serious problems now. It is constantly…

Reviews January 13, 2008

By land or sea: The OtterBox Apple iPhone Defender case REVIEW

The Apple iPhone is one amazing device. Yes, some naysayers will hem and haw about the lack of features, but on the flip side, 1.4 million people love the iPhone dearly. Of those 1.4 million humans who own the iPhone, they fall in three lifestyle categories: aquatic (water), terrestrial (land), or amphibious (water and land). If you’re in a cubicle, that’s can be considered a sub lifestyle / human category. Anyway, the folks at OtterBox cater to the aquatic and amphibious lifestyles with their unique line of rugged cases from iPods to laptops and specialty cases. Brand new is the…

Reviews January 11, 2008

Sandisk Sansa View Review: Could This Be Perfection in a Box?

I do not think I have anticipate writing any review as much as I have anticipated the Sandisk Sansa View. I first encountered the View last year when I discovered it on Sansa’s website. At that time, it looked significantly different than the entire line of Sansa players, bearing a large, wide screen and what appeared to be no visible control. I immediately began seeking a review unit, with no response. Shortly thereafter, the Sansa View was pulled by Sandisk and significantly reconfigured. The final release of the Sansa View bore a much closer resemblance to its predecessor, the Sansa…

How to Do It Yourself! January 8, 2008

How I turned the HTC Advantage into a laptop replacement

I’ve been quite the busy little Windows Mobile bee over the last couple of days. Inspired by Aura Mae’s comment that she used the HTC Advantage as something of a computer replacement, I set out to see whether I could achieve the same. Any boy, was I blown away by the results! The Advantage’s 5inch screen (which is the same size as some UMPCs) and VGA resolution means you can cram more into the screen – especially when you use the RealVGA utility to run it as its native 640 x 480 resolution. This, combined with a big helping of…

Reviews December 31, 2007

Lighten That Load: the Skooba Shuttle Backpack REVIEW

As a downtown worker, I have to make a daily jaunt of several long city blocks to my office. It’s not because I choose to walk, but rather, it’s because the expense of downtown parking. Thus, I carry the necessities of mobile computing on my back like a modern day beast of burden like everyone else I see whether it’s downtown, at the universities, or the tourists. Of course, all of the gadgets along with the related materials such as books and assorted odd and ends need to be compartmentalized in an orderly fashion, while keeping weight and comfort in…

Reviews December 31, 2007

The Navigon 7100 GPS Receiver Review

Have you ever driven fifty miles out of your way before realizing the map was upside down? Have you ever had to stop and make that embarrassing phone call when you got lost on the way to a friend’s house (or worse, a date or job interview)? Or the ultimate insult…have you ever had to stop at a seedy gas station or motel off the highway and ask for directions (yup, when you hit the cornfield, you have gone too far) Well, Navigon is putting an end to all of these and many other embarrassing situations. With the Navigon 7100…

Reviews December 30, 2007

Verizon Powered Palm Treo 755p Review

I have written reviews of just about every current Treo on the market. I looked at the Verizon Powered 700w on pocketnow.com, the Sprint Powered 700wx on pocketnow.com, and the Cingular (now AT&T) Powered Palm 750 here on Gear diary. I also wrote a couple of follow-up articles on the 700w on pocketnow (Good Night Sweet Treo…or Not, and Over the Air Synching Issues Investigation) that really stirred things up. However, problems are problems, and if they need to be resolved, I’m not necessarily going to hold back. I’ve been using the 755p for a little bit, and honestly, while…

Reviews December 17, 2007

A Look at the Vodafone Palm Treo 500v

A look at a device we don’t have here in the States, just yet! Pretty Box, don’t ya think?

Reviews December 11, 2007

ASUS Eee PC 8GB Unboxing

Somehow word of the ASUS Eee PC flew under my radar. I had no clue as to its existence until the first week of November (two weeks after the US launch) when a colleague at work informed me of this low cost ultra compact portable computer. After hearing the brief details and that the computer would come pre-installed with Linux, my reaction was WOW! That sounds way cool! I quickly searched for it on the internet when I got back to my office. After seeing the info on the ASUS and the EeeUser web sites, I just had to have…

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