Gear Bits

No Scream Cream – Waxing Poetic (and Pain Free) in Jamaica

I’m on vacation in Jamaica with my wife, Elana, her brother Rob and Rob’s girlfriend, Alison. We had a casual breakfast in our villa this morning, after which Rob headed to the beach to read. I lingered a bit too long over my last cup of coffee and, as a result, had the opportunity to hear a FASCINATING conversation on shaving, electrolysis, and waxing. (It made me happier than ever to have been born male.) So why am I sharing this here on Gear Diary? Because Alison told Elana about the “best product ever” in this regard – Relax and…

Gear Bits

RokForm RokShield V3 for iPad mini First Look

We met with RokForm at CES 2013 and were impressed by the products they had in the pipeline. In particular I was taken with the wide array of products they planned to release during 2013 for the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini. The RokForm RokShield v3 Case Kit for iPad Mini was the real standout to my mind offering a terrific combination of style, function and protection. The case ships with an “easy-stick RMS” (remote mounting system and a 6 position KickStand for viewing, typing and browsing the web. The features of the case include Six-sided protection High impact polycarbonate…

Gear Bits, News & Features

40 Years Ago We Emerged From the Desert of Disconnect

The Jewish festival of Passover ended earlier this week and with it members of the Jewish community returned to eating leavened products known as chametz in Hebrew. (Most people I know end the holiday with the Jewish delicacy known as pizza.) According to tradition the Exodus from Egypt introduced a 40 year period when the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert. (Three cheers for living in an era of GPS!) Having spent a few weeks hiking and camping in the Sinai I can only begin to imagine what 40 years (were the story historically accurate) must have been like. I…

Gear Bits

NBC Promotes Smarter Passwords in “The More You Know” Spot

A few weeks ago, there was a lot of buzz about vulnerabilities in Apple’s security — and as a result, they rolled out two-step password verification — I tried to encourage my dad to enroll his Apple ID in it as well as my mom’s. I might as well have been speaking a foreign language, because he stared vacantly at me, shrugged, and said: “I’m sure it will be fine.” If he won’t listen to me about using smarter passwords for better password safety, then hopefully he was watching NBC, because tonight I saw a “The More You Know” PSA…

Editorials, Gear Bits, News & Features

Another Way iPhone Beats Android – Battery Life in the Dungeon!

We all know that it is an Apple & Samsung world – and pretty much everywhere I go I carry both my Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3. They are both excellent phones, and I highly recommend both of them to anyone looking for a phone – each has strengths and weaknesses, just like any other device. Don’t believe the hype whenever someone tells you one is ‘far superior’ to the other: it simply meets their personal needs better. Recently my work has required me to be at a remote manufacturing facility where there is no cell phone signal…

Editorials, Events, Gear Bits, News & Features

SXSWi New York Times Talk on Gated Content

In which Doug attends a talk by New York Times reporter David Carr (above) on gated content at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) One of the talks that I had really been looking forward to at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi)–as a contributor to an online site as I am–was David Carr’s talk, “Gates of Heaven, Gates of Hell”,on how media was adapting to the internet, and specifically about the NY Times’ experiences with pay walls, online advertising, and the like. If you’ve been online for a while and followed the business news regarding making online sites pay, you know…

Gear Bits

Apple Lightning Connector Broken Inside iPad Mini Port – Eeek!

Have you wondered how well the new Apple Lightning connector might hold up over time? I’ll admit not giving too much thought to it, because I chose to focus on the fact that I could plug the Apple Lightning Connector in from either side — a welcome new convenience from the old 30-pin. So far, I haven’t had any issues with my iPad mini or my iPhone 5, but when I came home from Mobile World Congress, I got a shock. Kev’s youngest daughter had plugged the Lightning connector into her iPad mini, and the tip of the charger had…

Gear Bits

Amazon Reminds Us Why It Is Such a Great Place to Shop

This weekend my son had a birthday party to attend, but forgot about actually getting a present until Thursday. While he had some ideas he really hadn’t decided, and with the crazy schedule each of us had it just wasn’t clear when he would get to go shopping. At dinner that night we started to talk, and by the end of the night Amazon reminded us why it is such a great place to shop. Let’s dig into the details! After some thinking and whittling the options, my son decided he wanted to get his friend a CD for a…

Billboard Joins the 21st Century and Starts Tracking YouTube View Data

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Billboard Joins the 21st Century by Tracking YouTube View Data

While the top videos on MTV and YouTube (recently at least) have generally also been on the pop charts, the amount of popularity from video outlets hasn’t always translated into chart position. So it is great news for breakout video artists this week as Billboard joins the 21st century and starts tracking YouTube view data as part of compiling its ‘Hot 100’ list of pop music. While for many tech-centric people this seems like a ‘no duh’ sort of decision, it wasn’t until 2012 that most of the popular videos on YouTube were commercially created rather than amateur ‘viral’ videos….

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Indie Game Anodyne Will Satisfy Your Old-School Zelda Nostalgia

Anodyne, a new downloadable title, is the closest you’ll to come to playing an SNES-era sequel to A Link To The Past. The game was developed by a team of just two developers, and (not to spoil the full review) is pretty damn good. At its core, the title stands as a magnificent tribute to Nintendo’s flagship adventure series. If you’ve got any latent nostalgia you’re looking to blow off, Anodyne was made for you. If you’ve got a PC, Mac, or Linux set-up (read: any computer), you can download this beautiful, stylistic work for a mere $10 USD. Even…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

Workout Indoors with BodyWeight Exercises – The Monday Mile

Last week I had a day where I planned to go out for a run, but the conditions were too icy, so I was home after about 2.5 miles to avoid possible injury. I already had myself warmed up and wanted to get in a workout, so I did the next best thing – an indoor bodyweight workout! Within a half-hour I had done a great workout that had me dripping with sweat and exhausted – and no equipment required! After years of everyone thinking you needed some expensive equipment to get a decent workout, folks are starting to realize…

Gear Bits

I’ve Got Super Bowl Rings on the Brain!

I heard a story about Super Bowl Rings the other day … one about the time that Robert Kraft (the New England Patriot’s owner) met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and somehow or another Kraft wound up unintentionally giving Putin the Super Bowl Ring he was wearing! Evidently Kraft had removed his ring to better show it to Putin, and the Russian president took his handing it over to mean that Kraft was giving it to him. Kraft evidently decided on the spot that letting Putin keep his ring (one of three that the Patriots have won) was the right thing to do, but I can only…

Game Diary, Gear Bits, News & Features

Get Ready for the Next Chapter with the Star Trek Into Darkness App for iOS or Android

Are you excited for the Star Trek: Into Darkness film opening on May 17th of this year? The teaser trailers have been intriguing and suggested an intensity beyond what the first ‘reboot’ showed us a few years ago. To help fans get ready, a new app for the movie is available for iOS or Android, boasting interactivity with content and a constant release of new material as the movie gets closer to release. In fact, the first ‘surprise’ will unlock during the second quarter of the ‘big game’ (since they can’t say Super Bowl) on Sunday February 3rd. Here are…

Gear Bits

Everything You Need to Know About Electrostatic Discharge in One Funny Video

Having worked with electronics through instruments companies or the semiconductor industry most of my professional career, I am keenly aware of the potential impact of a minor static shock on electronics. Static is more technically called ‘electrostatic discharge’ or ESD. From my very first job I was introduced to the concept of grounding straps, anti-stat mats, and on and on. For a great reference on the topic, check out this old magazine article on the impact of ESD on electronics. When I was learning, there were documents on the impact that talked about the technical impacts of how current and…

Gear Bits

Activating and Using Parental Controls in iOS

It never ceases to amaze me how easily small children can grasp how to use an iPhone or iPad. This past weekend I watched my 18 month old nephew play with an iPhone, and he already knew how to flip through pictures (and stop and admire the ones of himself, of course.) But all this computer savvy from young kids means parents need to be careful that their kids aren’t accidentally buying apps. Or, you know, browsing the NSFW videos on Vine. A few minutes with the Restrictions options in iOS can save quite a few headaches later! First, head…

Gear Bits, News & Features

PowerCup Car Charger Handles Your Devices on the Road

As our mobile environments are becoming more and more connected these days we struggle to accommodate the plethora of devices some of us carry with us and even use while on the road or stuck in traffic. Enter the PowerCup Car Charger and Tablet holder from USBFever.com. Here is a device that anchors in a center console cupholder and expands power functionality inside the vehicle by offering two cigarette lighter-style sockets and two 5V USB ports for charging mobile devices. A short flexible stalk leads to an expandable holder for your Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. Of course, neither…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Apple Introduces 128GB iPad 4, Pricing as You Would Expect

For the past couple of years everyone has wondered when Apple would come out with a 128GB iPhone or iPad, and last fall I think that many were genuinely surprised that the iPad 4 didn’t up the capacity. Well, now we have our answer … and it comes in the form of the 128GB iPad 4. The announcement came today, and the new version of the iPad 4 is going to be available starting Tuesday, February 5. According to a press release from Apple, the main focus is a sort of ‘Pro’ version of the iPad for the Enterprise –…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Apple Releases iOS 6.1 with iTunes Match Song Downloads and More

Have you ever just wanted to download ONE song from an album on iTunes Match so you can listen on the go? It simply didn’t happen … until now! Today Apple released iOS 6.1 with a number of improvements (and likely even more unannounced improvements). These include support for 36 additional LTE carriers for iPhone (23 for iPad), individual song downloads, Siri interaction with Fandango, and more. One unstated improvement in iOS 6.1 is found in Passbook. Previously, when you started the app for the first time an introduction was displayed. You were then sent to the iTunes App Store…

Gear Bits, How to Do It Yourself!

How to Listen to Text on Your iOS Device

Remember the commercial that went something like “Reading is fundamental”? It is but there are some times when it is far better to listen to an email or a document than read it. I had done this via an iOS app but then I learned that iPhones, iPads and iPod touches have the capability built right into the operating system as part of Apple’s commitment to accessibility for those who are impaired for any reason. In this case the functionality is perfect for those whose sight is poor but it work just fine, for example, when I want to listen…

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Check Out Three Excellent Rare John Coltrane Live Performances

One of the amazing things for me about YouTube and Facebook is how folks on Facebook will recommend a YouTube video or site with an embedded video that leads you to something even greater. That happened this morning, as a Facebook friend recommended checking out a stellar John Coltrane version of ‘My Favorite Things’, which I did … but then it led me to this site that had an even BETTER find: a collection of three televised concerts of John Coltrane from the 1960s. Coltrane rose to fame as a saxophone sideman for Miles Davis’ legendary ‘first great quintet’. His…

Gear Bits, How to Do It Yourself!

How to Maximize iOS Notes App

I have a confession to make. Despite an Evernote account, and a Catch.com account, being a dedicated Todo and Pocket Informant user … I use Apple’s Notes App more than almost any other piece of software on my devices. Sometimes, when you’re taking notes, you don’t want lots of bells and whistles, you just want to take notes. There’s a reason the pen and paper have endured, and that’s the simplicity of pen to paper. No sync, no cloud, no tag this and categorize that. Notes is the closest to that sort of simplicity, and I use it for just…

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