Reviews | Gear Diary

HTC Touch Pro2 After Awhile

If you haven’t already, please read our Initial Thoughts on the HTC Touch Pro2. That’s where you’ll find a full gallery of Touch Pro2 pictures as well as our unboxing banter. So without further ado… Drew: The TP2 Rocks! I haven’t been this excited about a WM phone since the Advantage came out and then I was mollified for quite some time with the TyTN II. The gorgeous screen, super keyboard, and excellent phone/sound definitely make it a keeper if you are in the corporate world.

Reviews

Belkin Breaks iPhone Users out of Case Boredom with New Lineup Review

Just the other day I was discussing the state of the current lineup of iPhone cases with a fellow blogger. We were both remarking how disappointed we’d become with the current stock of cases available on the market. It just seems as if there hasn’t been anything new released for quite some time. Well Belkin has come to the rescue. I knew that Belkin was one of a select group of case manufacturers that had planned to launch an entire new line of cases in conjunction with the launch of the iPhone 3G S. I recently received 3 review samples…

Reviews

Planets Review for iPhone/Touch

Developer Description: Is that dot in the sky a star or a planet? Answer that question with this application. Discover when you can see your favorite planet, and where to look in the sky in relation to the stars. Provides lots of interesting information: location of the sun, moon, and planets in the sky maps of stars and constellations rise and set time of the sun, moon, and planets current and future moon phases 3D globe view of all planets and the moon facts sheet for each planet, including moon names The Low Down: Recently my family attended a star…

Reviews

Peggle for iPhone Review

Just a couple of weeks ago I highlighted the awesome $0.99 sale on Peggle at the iTunes App store. As I mentioned, the concept of Peggle is simple: you are presented with a board of pegs, some of which are orange. You have a ball shooter at the top center of the screen. The goal is to remove all of the orange pegs from the screen using the balls from your shooter. Since gravity and physics are the laws in the Peggle universe, you need to estimate the trajectory of bounces off other pegs if you hope to clear all…

Reviews

GenAudio: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???

One of the things I have noticed when I purchase or rent DVDs is that most of the focus is on the picture quality. How well does the screen on your HDTV recreate the theater experience. The thing is, when I go to the theater to see a movie, it is rarely the screen which leaves me on the edge of my seat. It is the sounds. The music, the effects. I mean, really. Think about the movie Jurassic Park for a minute. Was it the rippling water that gave you the thrill of an approaching T-Rex, are was it…

Reviews

Prowl – the way push e-mail on the iPhone should be

If there’s one thing that bugs me about the iPhone it’s the lack of proper notifications for new e-mail messages. Sure you get a little sound clip or a quick vibration when a new message arrives but that’s about it. If you happen to miss the alert you have to actually wake the phone up and slide the unlock slider to check your mail icon for any new badge alerts. Why there’s no default alert for mail like there is for text messages (you get a brief look at the subject/sender on the lock screen with SMS messages) I don’t…

Reviews

DecalGirl Dressed Up My Kindle DX

When we did the Kindle2 review, one of the few things that Dan, Doug and Kerry griped about was the device’s pasty white front. I didn’t really mind the slightly off-white color, but when I purchased the Kindle DX I decided it needed a bit of personalization. Since I don’t yet have a case for the oversized ereader, I thought it would be fun to give it dash of protective color; I purchased a DecalGirl skin.

Reviews

Rivet Now Hard Leather Pouch for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

The Rivet Hard Leather Pouch is made from a hard plastic shell that’s surrounded by a high quality leather exterior. The case has a vintage look to it that separates it from a traditional black or brown leather case.

Reviews

Altec Lansing expressionist PLUS Speakers Review

I was looking for a new speaker system to use in my kitchen with my laptop or mp3 player, when I came across the expressionist PLUS system from Altec Lansing. The Altec Lansing expressionist PLUS is a attractive speaker system that not only looks good, but sounds good as well.

Reviews

Instaviz Review

In a post comment last week Wayne referred to using a mindmapping application on his new iPhone. Fact is, mindmapping is a great way to brainstorm and organize your thoughts and the iPhone lends itself to this technique surprisingly well. On the iPhone my mindmapping app of choice is Instaviz. It is a powerful, yet easy to use app that can’t help but impress. Let’s take a look and, if you like what you see, you could win one of five copies we are giving away this week.

Reviews

Jaybird Endorphin Rush Earbuds Review

A couple of days ago I reviewed the Jaybird Tiger Eyes earbuds, which include a microphone and are designed primarily for mobile phone users. But what if you aren’t looking for earbuds to use with a mobile phone? Enter the Endorphin Rush earbuds from Jaybird. These earbuds have the same titanium drivers that the Tiger Eyes, which promise similar true to life sound. The Endorphin Rush sound exactly the same as the Tiger Eyes. They sounded a little tinny, but were more than adequate for use when working out. The thing that the Jaybird line of products is known for is…

Reviews

Gear Diary Reviews the Palm Pre

First impressions are important – and the Palm Pre makes a great first impression. It’s small, light and fits nicely in the palm of your hand. The screen is bright and easy to read in nearly all lighting conditions. Data downloads on the Sprint network were fast and my Gmail account delivered email nearly instantly – at least as fast (or faster) than either of my BlackBerry devices. So why was I left with the feeling that the looks of the Palm Pre faded quickly once I began to peer beneath the surface of Palm’s new flagship phone?

Reviews

First Look: AT&T Navigator for iPhone

Now that iPhone/iPod Touch OS 3.0 is out, we are seeing a number of navigation apps appear. Add to that mix AT&T Navigator, from Telenav – a title that also appears on a variety of handsets (with GPS support) out there. Dan and I will be taking an in-depth look at this product in a review very soon, but here are a few first impressions we had:

Reviews

SplashMoney Personal Finance Manager for BlackBerry Smartphones Review

So fact of the matter is, I will never be confused with a CPA or give classes on money management. I have yet to look at my check book register since the lady at the bank wrote the beginning balance…that was almost 11 years ago when I was 18! Luckily I have a job that keeps a nice cushion in my bank account and I never really worry about balancing my account…hope my wife doesn’t read this :o) Having said that I have always wanted to carry my check book with me to keep tabs, I just hate the whole…

Reviews

Tom Bihn Tristar Travel Bag Review

It’s not everyday I get a bag like this in the mail. Tom Bihn makes, in my humble opinion, the best travel bags period. The new Tristar bag is no exception! I say this as a Tom Bihn owner for quite some time. I have taken the Tom Bihn Aeronaut with me to DC on my last flight, and I used the Western Flyer and the Aeronaut when my son and I went to camp. The Aeronaut was kind of large to take on a school trip with my son to camp. Well, next year I can just use the…

Reviews

Rivet VERTICAL LEATHER BAG for Apple MacBook Pro 15″ Review

Some people like shoes while others like jackets. Me… I’ve always had a thing for notebook cases. There is something about the combination of function and style that draws me to a new case when I see one. So when the opportunity to take a look at Rivet’s new Vertical Leather Bag came up I jumped. It looked nice and, perhaps more importantly, it looked DIFFERENT from the other bags available. Let’s take a look…

Reviews

PhatWare’s WritePad Notes, Affairs, and Events Review

Phatware has been making handwriting recognition and note taking software for [what were called at the time] pocket PCs and smartphones since 1997. I’ve used PhatPad on my Windows Mobile devices for quite a few years now, and it’s often one of the first things that I install when I get a new device. When they announced their first products for the iPhone at the end of May, Phatware offered Gear Diary an opportunity to review their first three programs: WritePad Notes, WritePad Affairs, and WritePad Events. All three programs feature PhatWare’s handwriting recognition software for the iPhone, WritePad.

Reviews

Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds Review

It’s been a while since I reviewed the JayBird JB-200 Bluetooth headphones. In that time, Jaybird has expanded their line from simply Bluetooth audio, and they have introduced two new sets of earbuds. Today I am reviewing one of those, the Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds. These are like the Altec Lansing BackBeat Pros that I just reviewed; they are the in-ear style. They are a little smaller than the BackBeat headphones, and they are not as noticeable as the BackBeat headphones when you wear them. One other difference from the BackBeat Pro is that these have a microphone and a…

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Brickyard by 2XL Headphones Review

You want to look like a DJ? You don’t like the colors typical DJ style headphones come in? Well, check out these headphones from 2XL. These are a classic design that has been around for a long time. When I was little, these were the only kind of headphones available.

Game Diary, Reviews

Wild West Pinball for iPhone Review

How many of you miss those days of pumping quarter after quarter into a pinball machine chasing the high score? Granted, I did come from the era of crazy new style pinball games, but many of my quarters skipped the video games and found a home in the pinball machines. Wild West Pinball just became free to celebrate a new pinball game from OOO Gameprom. Once the game is loaded a nice 3D video provides a tour of the scoring and special areas. Before playing you might check this out so you know where to aim or shots. The graphics…

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EasyBloom Plant Sensor Review – Help Your Plants Thrive!

I do not have a green thumb, but through much trial and error over the years I have compiled a list of plants I can keep alive. I have also learned that there are some, that when I see them seemingly thriving and beckoning to me at the store…no matter how good they look, I should just keep on walking. When dealing with indoor plants, I know that I do best with ones that can handle diffused light and weekly watering; since I love blooming flowers, I tend to buy orchids. Outdoor plants must be able to handle direct sun,…