Gear Bits

Pebble Steel Is Now Shipping

I really love my Pebble watch. Since I never turn on my phone’s sounds, that little wrist buzz has become my way of knowing when I have a notification or a call. While some people do not prefer the styling of the first generation, the Pebble Steel looks amazing. The newly designed Pebble Steel begins shipping today for $249.




Say Hello to Microsoft OneDrive

If you’ve been going crazy wondering how Microsoft has chosen to rebrand their SkyDrive service then you can rest easily today. The new name is OneDrive. You may recall Microsoft lost a trademark suit back in June 2013 with BSkyB. Until now nobody knew exactly how Microsoft would handle this. Looks as if renaming is how they’re handling it. Now you know. For current users of either SkyDrive or SkyDrive Pro, you’re all set. The service will continue to operate as you expect and all of your content will be available on OneDrive and OneDrive for Business respectively as the…


Lighten Your Hunting Pack with the Lansky BowSharp

Being a bow hunter means carrying tons of gear and small gadgets. I have to hike about half a mile or so to my hunting spot, so weight and space is a big issue. Lansky BowSharp saves space and lightens my load by combining a broadhead sharpener and wrench with a bow tool kit for only $16.99.


You’ll Never Clean the Litter Box with These Feline Stickers

Who needs cat videos when you can stick these feline stickers anywhere you want? Forget nine lives, since you get 11 different stickers per pack. I like the one with the butterflies. Purrrfect for your cat lover. But ouch — at $151 plus $17 for shipping for the set, it’s you who is being declawed.  Order now. Or not.  




Say “Cheese”, Then Check Out the Zoom Q4 Handy Video Recorder

If you are looking to shoot video AND capture great audio you’ll want to check out the Zoom Q4 Handy Video Recorder. “The camera for creators where high-definition video meets high-definition audio”, the $299.99 camera Is a fully featured camera for people who demand quality image ANDF sound. Here’s a look at the camera… on camera.  


With the Zoom iQ5 Your iOS Never Sounded So Good

The iPhone 5S shoots amazing video. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for audio. That’s where the Zoom iQ5 comes in. For under $100, the iQ5 plugs into any iOS device with a Lightning connector and captures impressively accurate audio. Using the free app makes it even better. Check out all the features and see it on video. The Zoom iQ5 comes in either black or white. The product tag line says it all- “Now your videos can sound as good as they look”. I hope it is true since this would be the ideal iOS accessory for shooting future…


iSwimband Is Wearable Tech That Can Save Lives

iSwimband is a simple device with a lofty purpose. It’s a simple band that connects via Bluetooth to a companion app, and its sole purpose is to monitor how long someone is underwater, or if a non-swimmer is in the water. While you might think your own two eyes are enough, you’re wrong, and that’s why iSwimband matters.


Spotify Predicts Major Grammy Winners Based on Listener Data

This weekend the Grammy Awards present the music side of insular industry self-celebration and back-patting. Trying to figure out who wins in the post-Esperanza Spalding years is as much about who the industry needs to ‘reward’ as anything else. But the folks at Spotify have used data gleaned from their streaming service over the last year to make predictions!


What’s Up with Zinio? They’ve Gone Missing from the Apple App Store

I’ve been having issues with Zinio crashing while reading articles on my iPad for several months, and I’ve been patiently waiting for a fix. Last night, after Zinio had crashed yet again, I got a popup saying that the Zinio server I was connected to wasn’t the current server, and that I should remove the Zinio app and reinstall.


M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro announced at NAMM 2014

If you were to ask my younger son about his most elusive piece of affordable technology, it would be the M-Audio Trigger Finger from 2005. The popular controller was used by all of his favorite music producers but was discontinued. Now it is back and better than ever with the M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro announced at NAMM 2014! Here is what M-Audio is saying: Trigger Finger Pro is a fully encompassed performance instrument and software control station in the form of a portable, 16-pad (4×4 configured) instrument with onboard sequencing. Nearly a decade ago, M-Audio revolutionized the industry by introducing…


Darth Vader to Stormtroopers, “I’ll Do the Choreography from Now On”

  Dancing Stormtroopers? This needs a good caption. “Twerkus interruptuss?” “You know you are in trouble when Darth Vader has to step in.” “Moves like Chewie?” “Use some taste Luke…” “Where’s Princess Leah when you need her?” “I don’t think I will ever be able to look at a Stormtrooper the same way again.” Via Elite Daily


Schlitterbahn’s Verruckt – Would You Ride a 17 Story Waterslide?

I love roller coasters, but have never been as enthused about waterslides. There’s something comforting (false or not) about being securely strapped in, as opposed to a thin bathing suit being my only protection against plummeting straight down. Needless to say, I won’tt be riding the Verrückt at Schlitterbahn Kansas City … will you? Watch the video and share below!



How Do You Feel About Feedly ‘Hijacking’ Shared Links?

The other day Dan shared a video on the Gear Diary ‘back channel’ that is really amazing. It shows a music video in French with the singer slowly being photoshopped over the course of a song. It is an amazing video – but what I didn’t know at first was it came from The Verge, because the link said ‘Feedly’.


Game Trading Site Goozex Seems to Be Gone for Good

I’ve loved video game trading site Goozex for more than 7 years since it launched in 2006. Initially it grew quickly as an alternative to paltry trade-ins handed out by GameStop or the cumbersome trade mechanics of early trade-site GameTZ. Goozex acted as middleman on millions of trades, but industry shifts doomed trading and now Goozex appears closed for good.


Keyport Slide Ice Introduced to Reinvented Keychain Lineup

I hate having a pocketful of keys! Between work and home, I seem to have several pounds of them with me daily. The Keyport Slide 2.0 reinvented the keychain, allowing users to carry up to six keys or inserts at one tim,e keeping them neat and easy to use; their newly introduced Ice Keyport can be purchased for $29.


Are You Experiencing Nokia Lumia 928 Earpiece Volume Problems?

I really like my Nokia Lumia 928, but it has a hardware bug that’s giving me more than a bit of a wandering eye. There’s an issue with the earpiece affecting at least some users where the sound cuts out during calls. Speakerphone, Bluetooth, and the headphones all work fine — just the earpiece fails. Worst of all, it comes and goes!