Gear Bits

Time Gets Some Style With Tokyoflash’s Kisai Maru Wood

Tokyoflash is offering a very limited edition Kisai Maru Wood watch for $99 until Thursday September 19th. After that it will be $129. Kisai Maru Wood is “a combination of edges and circles”. It features an intuitive time display in mirrored LCD, framed by a custom designed natural wood case.


High Praise for Grand Theft Auto V Starts Rolling In

The highly-anticipated open world epic drops tomorrow, 9/17, but it has already received some mighty praise today.  With a video game as hyped and extremely controversial as GTA V, you might think that it may be hard to blow reviewers away, but you’d be wrong!  GTA V hits stores tomorrow for $59.99 on Xbox 360 and PS3. IGN has rated Grand Theft Auto V a 10 out of 10, and call it a “Masterpiece.”  The Verge calls GTA V the “best game in the series to date” in their highly praising review.  Joystiq gave the fifth installment in the Grand…


The Avalanche of 5S/5C Cases Cometh!

Did you preorder a new 5S or 5C? As always, all your favorite case companies are right there to make sure your new baby is properly coddled and swaddled … whether you’re looking for style or protection, the major players are happy to offer up the right accessory. Speck is quick to remind everyone on their website that many of their iPhone 5 cases will fit the 5S nicely, plus they have new cases just for the 5S coming soon as well. Case-Mate says the same thing, though some of the styles appear to be an acquired taste, including unusually…


The MagiCable Duo with Lightning Connector – a First World Problem Solved

My phone has a Lightning Connector for charging. My headset uses a microUSB connection for charging. My desk looks like a snake pit of cables. That’s where the MagiCable Duo with Lightning Connector comes in. This $29.99 cable features a unique 2-in-1 design and works with both Apple Lightning and Micro USB tips. Check it out. You can file this one under “Solutions to First World Problems”


Apple Throws Shade: “We Don’t Just Toss In Technology for Technology’s Sake”

Check out our thoughts on Apple’s new phones in today’s upcoming GD Newsletter. In the meantime, here’s a quote from Jony Ive in the iPhone 5S keynote video … “It’s not just rampant technology for technology sake. Every single component, every process has been considered and measured to make sure that it’s truly useful.” Now who could they be alluding to? (Here’s a hint.)


Are You a Fool to Major in Psychology?

Every fall high school seniors start looking at colleges to attend. Part of that is deciding what major to pursue. For many that is a practical matter of employability, for others more a pursuit of passion. But regardless of your motivation, there are clearly some majors destined to make more or less money than others. NPR broke it all down. It was interesting reading some of the comments … or perhaps sad, as many would conflate earnings to overall value to society, which seems like something no one would really believe at this point. You can get the complete report…


Who Wins in a Tech World When There Are No More Surprises?

Last week Apple made official the phones we knew they’d been planning to introduce. This came a week after Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 announcement, which a friend summed up as ‘exactly what we already knew’. No surprises from Moto X, HTC One, or Samsung Galaxy S4 either. All fantastic devices, but are we losing out because of spoiled surprises? Everyone made a huge deal about how the only surprise from the Apple announcement was the realization that the 5C was NOT the ‘low cost’ phone so many in the media had talked about, but instead the mid-range iPhone 5 replacement….


What’s Red, White or Black and Filled with Sound?

speeCup may look like a cup of coffee, but this cup is filled with sound. Available in red, white, or black the $129.95 speeCup is a Siri/S Voice enabled Bluetooth surround sound speaker with gesture control. 8” tall, it has a noise canceling microphone, top mounted controls and up to 20 hours of use per charge. Check it out.


Feed your Child’s Imagination with FarFaria’s Digital Library

FarFaria is a children’s book app for the iPad that has made reading to your children at bedtime easier than ever. FarFaria is packed with over 450 full-color children’s stories for kids aged 2-9.  FarFaria is free to download, and you can read one full book per day; a $3.99 monthly subscription will get you access to unlimited reading. Using an interactive story discovery experience, FarFaria allows children to browse the exciting, colorful world of many areas.  The areas inside the world of FarFaria include the Animal Kingdom, Adventure Island, Fairytale Forest, Classics Grove, Singalong City, and more.  As one…


13.56 Multifunctional NFC Wristband Hits Kickstarter Today

This is a pretty cool concept for all those NFC fanatics out there.  This wristband, designed by ThirteenFiftySix out of Spain, can control many functions of your smartphone including turning off your alarm, unlocking the phone, unlocking private folders, sharing your contact information, controlling your music, and more.  A £25 pledge will land you an NFC wristband of your own. Also, for a very limited time, the first 200 backers who choose the “Pay What You Wish” category can pay whatever they think is fair for the 13.56 NFC wristband.  This wristband seems to have unlimited possibilities since the NFC technology…


Businessweek Clarifies the Twitter IPO News So You’ll Sound Smarter Discussing It

Confused about the Twitter IPO? Don’t know an S-1 from a 5s? Trying to figure out how Twitter makes money? You’re not alone! Businessweek has a clear rundown on the broad details surrounding why Twitter waited to go public, why they’re filing confidentially, and when you can expect to get all the details on how the company makes money. We don’t know a whole lot beyond Twitter’s now-infamous tweet, but this article cuts through some of the conjecture and will make you sound smarter at this week’s quiz night.



Jimmy Fallon Spoofs “Breaking Bad”

Are you watching this season of “Breaking Bad”? If not, you’re missing out on some great television. But if you are all caught up, and you need something to brighten your life before the resolution to last Sunday’s cliffhanger, check out this cameo-filled spoof called “Joking Bad” from Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Warning: Multi-season spoilers are spoofed. Via Slate


Element Case Atom S4 Case Giveaway

As promised in the Gear Diary Newsletter, we are giving away awesome review sample cases. First up is the Element Case Atom S4 Judie recently reviewed. It has an MSRP of $54.95. Read the review, leave a comment then tweet the URL and “@geardiary @dmcohen @elementCASE”. We will announce the winner tomorrow night when we launch the next case giveaway.


Download GRID2 Demolition Derby Mode for Free

Codemasters rocks the game racing world again with a free Demolition Derby Mode download for GRID 2. It’s available for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3 versions of the game … and it is very cheap compared to the Mono edition. Enjoy GRID 2 Demolition Derby mode in  single-player, split-screen, and in up to twelve player online races.This mode features the Jupiter Eagle Ray Mk 5 Demo Derby car and the Detroit Demolition Derby Stadium with two track setups. Players can create crossover jumps for extra excitement. The Xbox version (via Xbox Live) and PC version (via Steam) debuted last week while the PS3 version…


Phonebloks – Groundbreaking Smartphone Idea, Pipe Dream, or Both?

Phonebloks is a conceptual solution to a very real problem.  Electronic waste is a big concern, as today’s electronics are not built to last.  Phonebloks is a concept that uses interchangeable “bloks” that can be switched out when it either fails or you’re in the mood for an upgrade.  But can this seemingly simple idea really be produced? With this design, you can theoretically just swap in and out any number of components from the camera, processor, gyroscope, memory, WiFi, even the screen and replace them wherever you’d like on the base.  Sounds like an incredibly simple way to fully…


KMI Launches QuNeo Rogue Indiegogo Campaign!

I loved the KMI QuNeo, so I am excited for the QuNeo Rogue. The Rogue is a new Indiegogo project for an integrated wireless connection kit and long lasting battery for QuNeo that allows you to leave your cables behind! With 12 hours of battery and a 50-200 meter wireless range, QuNeo Rogue have you ready to groove! A few details: • Rogue is an accessory for the QuNeo that supplies long-lasting battery power and an incredibly robust wireless connection to a computer. • Rogue attaches quickly and easily to the bottom of your QuNeo with low-profile velcro. • Battery…


Spectacular Even in Death – Jeweled Skeletons of the Catacomb Saints

What do you do when you’ve got a catacomb full of purported martyrs’ skeletons, and you want to remind the faithful of the heavenly treasures awaiting them? You bedazzle those bones with jewels, and then display the results in shrines! And when skeptics question the skeletons’ provenance and the gaudy display, you hide them away until someone comes along and writes a book … This all goes back to 1578, when thousands of skeletons were found in the Roman catacombs; the remains were assumed to be early Christian martyrs, and so they were packed up and sent to “many Catholic churches…


PUC Bringings MIDI-Over-WiFi Project to Indiegogo

You want to make music with your iPad but being tethered to your keyboard is dragging you down, despair no longer – PUC has arrived! PUC connects to MIDI gear with a cable, then to your iOS device wirelessly. Once connected, apps don’t know the difference! Head to Indiegogo to support this project with a special $69 level ending 9/11!


For ‘909 Day’, Rebirth on Sale for $9 for 9 Days!

Roland’s TR-909 is a synthesizer classic, and one of the driving sounds in the current electronic and techno genres. Propellerhead’s 1996 Rebirth software models two Roland TB-303 synthesizers, a TR-808, and a TR-909 all at once, and was released on iPad in 2010. For the next 9 days it is on sale for $9 to celebrate 909 day! Here is Mumbance showing off some of the amazing power of the TR-909 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCxiPKrdXkI


Check Out the Trailer for Godfire: Rise of Prometheus? from Vivid Games!

Games like Infinity Blade offer gorgeous graphics, but the lack of control over movement limits possibilities and immersion. Godfire: Rise of Prometheus takes gorgeous graphics and advanced gameplay and a story set in Greek Mythology and look to set mobile gaming with an iOS and Android release in early 2014! Today they released a great-looking pre-Alpha video. Check out the trailer and follow the game on Facebook or Twitter!