Reviews

SGP Slim Armor Case for the iPhone 5 Video Review

SGP Slim Armor Case for the iPhone 5 Video Review

I’m a fan of SPIGEN SGP’s products. From the GLAS.t screen protector (read the review) to the Hardbook Case for the iPad mini (read the review) their products never fail to impress me. So when our contact at the company emailed me that a new case was on the way and he described it as his favorite “my favorite iPhone 5 case” I couldn’t help but be curious. Turns out it is one of my favorite cases thus far as well. Better still, it is a remarkable value. Let’s take a looks at the SGP Slim Armor for iPhone 5….

Baker's Math Kitchen Scale - KD8000 - Unleash Your Inner Alton Brown Again

Reviews, Yum Log

Baker’s Math Kitchen Scale – KD8000 – Unleash Your Inner Alton Brown Again

I’ve often said (including here on Gear Diary, I think), that in the kitchen you’re either an Alton or a Mario. “Altons” refer to Alton Brown, the Mr. Wizard of the Food Network who combines science and math with recipes to teach you how to cook and why precision is important. I’m an Alton. “Marios” are more like Mario Batali, cooks who throw in a dash of this and a sprinkle of that and never measure anything. My girlfriend is a Mario. Well, maybe she’s more of a Maria… These two archetypes can work well together in a kitchen, as…

Ibattz Mojo Hi5 Powerbank Case Review

Ibattz Mojo Hi5 Powerbank Case Review

My first reaction when I received the ibattz mojo Hi5 Powerbank Case was underwhelming. Here you have a plastic shell that you slap on your phone like most cases, and a separate battery pack that clips onto the plastic shell that needs to be plugged into your iPhone with a lightning cable. Here’s the rub: You have to provide your own lightning cable, plus, you have to carry said lightning cable around with you if you plan on using the battery pack to charge your phone. The fault here can not lie solely on ibattz, however. A lot of the…

Epson Expression Photo XP-850 Small-In-One Review

Epson Expression Photo XP-850 Small-In-One Review

We recently reviewed Epson’s Expression Premium XP-800 Small-in-One Printer. (Read the review.) I was impressed. Judie and I came back from Aruba having taken a huge number of pictures. Many of them can be seen in this post on “Amazing Aruba“. Some of them are so good that I wanted to print and frame them for my home and office. A good quality photo printer is quite handy for doing just that, and while I could have used the XP-800, this presented a perfect time to test out the XP-800’s big brother the XP-850. The Epson Expression Photo XP-850 Small-In-One…

Oberon Design iPad mini Cover Review

Oberon Design iPad mini Cover Review

I’ve been a fan of Oberon Design’s products for several years, and it seems to go without saying (at least in my home) that if you have a new iPad or Kindle, you’ll probably want an Oberon Design cover to go with it. Kev has the Celtic Hounds cover in wine on his iPad 3, and I have the Van Gogh Sky cover in sky blue on my Kindle touch. I have found that there is no better leather cover available if you want to keep your device a book-style case. I was sent the latest Oberon Design cover for…

Stay Connected to Family in 2013 with Sony's Camera and Microphone for Skype

Stay Connected to Family in 2013 with Sony’s Camera and Microphone for Skype

I’ve become increasingly enamored of video chatting. It is handy, convenient and it works well; it also saves gas and time. For example, I do most of my High Holy Day sermon writing with my friend Lawrence. We bounce ideas around, rip initial drafts apart, and share illustrations. In prior years we would get together two or three times and have marathon writing sessions together. This year we didn’t get together once; instead we used FaceTime and Skype. We didn’t need to travel, and we were able to “meet” far more times than we could have in the past. Similarly,…

Twelve South BookBook for iPad mini Review

Twelve South BookBook for iPad mini Review

We are huge fans of Twelve South’s products. The company has a relatively limited — but rapidly growing — portfolio, and their entire line is specifically designed with us Apple-fans in mind. A quick search on Gear Diary will reveal reviews of almost all of their lineup. One of the Twelve South offerings that has been among the biggest hit with us is the Twelve South BookBook line of MacBook and iOS device cases. The BookBook line looks and feels like a classically bound book, but it protects your precious device. I reviewed the first version of the BookBook for iPad, but…

Bike Baron for iPhone Review

Bike Baron for iPhone Review

Even though I have very little free time during football season, everyone needs something to ease their mind and take a short break. As of late, I have enjoyed a few iPhone games that seem to follow the common theme of driving. There is not any particular reason every game I am currently playing involves driving, jumping and trying not to crash, but it has been bringing me some much needed relief and entertainment. My latest craze is Bike Baron. Let’s take a quick look. MASTER over 100 different tracks, beat more than 300 unbelievable challenges and learn the secrets…

Spigen SGP Linear Metal Crystal Case for iPhone 5 Review

Spigen SGP Linear Metal Crystal Case for iPhone 5 Review

Yesterday we took a look at the SPIGEN SGP Neo Hybrid EX Case for iPhone 5. (Read the review.) It is a nice bumper-style case that gets the job of protecting the iPhone 5 done without adding too much bulk or breaking the bank. Today we’re taking a look at another iPhone 5 case from Spigen SGP. The Linear Metal Crystal Case for the iPhone 5 has a different design approach than the Neo Hybrid EX but offers the same degree of protection and value we’ve come to expect from the company. Let’s take a look. I’m rather impressed with…

Just Mobile Gum Max Backup Battery Review

Events, Reviews

Just Mobile Gum Max Backup Battery Review

In the first post of this two-part series, we looked at the Just Mobile Gum Plus backup battery. (Read the review, here.) It provides 5200 mAh of battery life and lets you charge your iPhone a number of times. The Gum Plus is small and light enough for you to easily throw the battery into your gadget bag and carry it all the time. But what if you REALLY need extra battery life? What if you have an iPhone and an iPad you need to keep charged? What if you can’t be sure you’ll be near an outlet at all…

Heroes of Ruin Video Game Review on Nintendo 3DS

Game Diary, Reviews

Heroes of Ruin Video Game Review on Nintendo 3DS

This extensive adventure game puts the genre right in the palm of your hands with an engaging, action experience bolstered by a user-friendly, touch-controlled inventory system and consistent new downloadable content. This Nintendo 3DS exclusive game impresses with an in-depth role-playing game (RPG)/dungeon crawling experiences with a wide array of game modes and online options. The multiplayer and cooperative gameplay options encourage coordination and friendships as online connection expand the game beyond the in-depth “off-line” single-player mode. Up to three other players (friends or any worldwide participants) can jump in the “drop in and out” cooperative multiplayer with complete with…

SPIGEN SGP Neo Hybrid EX Case for iPhone 5 Review

SPIGEN SGP Neo Hybrid EX Case for iPhone 5 Review

You love the iPhone 5’s thin, sleek design. You love its refined look. You value the fact that it is even lighter than the iPhone 4S. All that being the case, why in the world would you want to add tons of extra weight and bulk to it? The short answer is, of course, you wouldn’t. Still, the iPhone 5 is a fairly delicate piece of electronics that needs to be protected. And as far too many of us have learned, the phone’s sides scratch far too easily. Enter the SPIGEN SGP Neo Hybrid EX Case for iPhone 5 and…

Just Mobile Gum Plus Back Up Battery Review

Just Mobile Gum Plus Back Up Battery Review

One of the main challenges for those of us who attend CES, is making sure our mobile devices stay charged. Year after year we find that, half way through the day, we are scrambling to find somewhere to plug in and repower. Not. This. Year. No, this year is going to be different; this year we are going to carry enough backup batteries to easily make it through the day. (Yeah, I know we said that last year but, this year, we mean it.) I reached out to our friends at Just Mobile, and asked if they might be willing…

BenchtopPRO Parts Washer Review - a Safe, Green Alternative

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

BenchtopPRO Parts Washer Review – a Safe, Green Alternative

Machines fascinate a great deal of us and many love to “get your hands dirty” by tinkering and performing our own repair and maintenance work. For decades this meant utilizing some form of hazardous fluid for cleaning and parts washing. ChemFree Corporation offers a safe and “green” alternative with its new BenchtopPRO bioremediating bench-top parts washing system that is designed for the home garage or small repair shop. The BenchtopPRO system utilizes a pH neutral mixture of emulsifiers and surfactants to offers a safe and healthy approach to parts cleaning. It contains none of the solvents mechanics have come to…

Bodyguardz Armor for 7th Generation iPod nano Review

Bodyguardz Armor for 7th Generation iPod nano Review

I love my iPhone and iPad, but I also wanted something small and convenient that simply played music. The 7th Generation iPod nano fit the bill perfectly and, thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth, it is more flexible as a musical source than ever. And while this is one small, tough little music player, it does need protection. I opted for the thinnest, lightest option possible; I bought Bodyguardz Armor, and it is all the protection I need. Here’s a quick look. We’ve written extensively about the Bodyguardz Armor series. It is my default scratch protection on everything from my…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Review

Director and Sir Peter Jackson returns again for the beginning epic adventure in The Hobbit film trilogy – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which leads into The Lord of the Rings film trilogy – one of the best, most complete film series in history winning 17 Academy Awards. Set in Middle-earth, Jackson uses camera shots full of depth and detail, especially when filming the elf characters, which compensates for their small sizes. Enhanced special effects and film speeds (a photo-realistic 48 frames per second) get high commendations for accurate details in the special effects such as realistically constructed creatures and…

Kanex DoubleUp Dual USB Charger Review

Kanex DoubleUp Dual USB Charger Review

Two years ago, I left for CES carrying my iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy Tab. I thought I was packing efficiently because instead of bringing each device’s USB wall charger, I brought a single wall charger that had dual USB ports. So of course it was on that trip, when I needed my gear the most, that I found out that just because a charger plugs into the wall and has two USB ports, it won’t necessarily be powerful enough to charge even one of your devices — especially when one of them is a tablet. To add insult to…

Spigen SGP iPad Mini Hardbook Case Review

Spigen SGP iPad Mini Hardbook Case Review

My iPad mini goes pretty much everywhere with me these days. And while it is true that I had my 9.7″ iPad with me much of the time previously, thanks to its smaller size and reduced weight I don’t think I have left the iPad mini behind a single time since it arrived. Yeah, I like it that much. That, however, means the iPad mini is seeing a lot of use. And THAT means it is more important than ever to keep my tablet well-protected. Thusfar I’ve been using the Bodyguardz Sentinel as my go-to case. (Read the review.) It…

iLuv ReF Deep Base On-Ear Headphones Review

iLuv ReF Deep Base On-Ear Headphones Review

Billy Crystal famously said “It’s better to look good than to feel good”, and it was a terrific SNL bit that still makes me smile. Of course the statement is simply wrong. Looks are important, but they are secondary to feeling and functioning well. As my grandmother famously NEVER said, “So long as you have your health, everything will be fine.” (She never said it because she was far too negative a person to have made such a positive comment. That, however is an entirely different story.) This also applies to such items as headphones, which have now become fashion statements…

Just Mobile HeadStand Review

Just Mobile HeadStand Review

So you’ve got a pair of big, beautiful, great sounding headphones like the SMS STREET by 50 DJ over-the-ear headphones I reviewed last month. Sure, you could store them in the included football-shaped case,heretofore referred to as the “fbcase”, but that quickly becomes pain if you use them on a regular basis. I mean, do you really want to have to unzip the “fbcase”, remove the headphones and attach the cord each and every time you want to listen to music without disturbing the other people in the house? And that doesn’t take into account having to disconnect the cord,…

Belkin Charge + Sync Dock with Audio Port for iPhone 5 Review

Belkin Charge + Sync Dock with Audio Port for iPhone 5 Review

Belkin was quick from the gate in offering accessories for the iPhone 5. As you know, the iPhone 5 didn’t just get a longer screen, but it also got a new dock connector and a relocated 3.5 mm headphone jack. As a result, accessories designed to work with the dock connector of the iPhone in its earlier iterations no longer functioned unless you added an adapter. Belkin quickly released a number of cables, and now they have released a dock for the iPhone 5 and the iPod touch. The company was kind enough to send one for review, so let’s…

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