Gear Bits

The Hunger Games, Hit or Hype?

image courtesy THG – The Hunger Games Blog at http://thg-thehungergames.blogspot.com/ It seems that everywhere you turn people are talking about the release of the feature film The Hunger Games this week. Here at Gear Diary, we are the same way and we have been burning up the wires talking about it too! Some have read the books, some not. Some think it’s all hype, some not. In the end, we decided to share with you our thoughts going into the release of this high-profile film! Read on…

Gear Bits, Music Diary, News & Features

Korg Introduces New microKEY Controllers

Last week at the Musikmesse fair in Frankfurt Germany (the largest music fair in the world) there were a number of announcements of cool technology. While many things were already shown at NAMM, there are a few things I will highlight. The first is that Korg has expanded the microKEY series of USB-powered MIDI controllers with two new models (25-key and 61-key in addition to the 37-key) and an expansion to the software suite included with the top-end model. Here are some details: Compact USB Powered MIDI Controllers For added flexibility and control, the microKEY 37- and 61-key models both…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Draw Something Is an Evil Time-Waster That I Can’t Stop Playing

You would think that with a name like DrawSomething, you would need artistic talent to play. But that is simply not so. All you need to get addicted to this evil, rotten game is one friend who will play you, a sense of humor, and a bit of patience. I first found out about this game last week while I was getting my nails done. Tracy, my nail tech, said she was playing and was addicted. I’d never heard of it, so I downloaded the free version and said I would check it out later. I put it off for a…

Gear Bits

The Hunger Games Gear Summary

The Hunger Games fan can find plenty of related gear including a special cookbook, games, watch, bags, water bottles, shirts, posters, knee socks, nail polish, phone skins, in-ear buds, pins, bracelets, trivia, music and mockingjay mp3 download.

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Spin Lists the 30 Most Hated Bands!

Everyone has a list of bands or artists they find over-rated or annoying … but there are also a few that transcend that to be truly HATED. There are a number of reasons – pulling away someone from another group, too much media attention, getting awards or album sales by ripping off others, and countless others. Spin magazine compiled a list of hated bands, and you can head here to check it all out. But you might not want to … because they have spread it out with only TWO bands per page! That’s right – they spread 30 bands…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Adult TV Ads Poke Fun at Adult Movie Tropes!

You don’t even have to be a fan of adult movies to know about some of the clichéd plots – a pizza delivery guy comes to the door, and a beautiful woman answers and the next thing you know … well … Anyway, over at AdWeek they have a look at commercials made for the Canadian Adult station ‘Amour’. The spots cannot (obviously) use X-rated content, but still need to lure customers to check out the station. Here is the run-down: Doing ads for adult-television networks—not an easy job. You can’t use the channel’s content, for one thing. Yet Amour,…

Gear Bits

A Week with the iPad 3

The iPad 3 came out a week ago. A quick rundown of iPad users on the site shows that all four editors have the new iPad, and Chris Gavula does too. We have no doubt there will be a few more grabbing one in the weeks to come. Why? Because even though the improvements to the iPad are perhaps technically incremental, we’ve found that they add up to a device which has no equal. Not yet, anyway. Here’s why … Dan: I was worried that the iPad 3 would be too heavy and thick, but I’m not finding that to be the…

Gear Bits

Keep Your Beer Cool and Your Tunes Loud with the Marshall Fridge

This Marshall Fridge is pretty amazing. It looks like an Marshall amp, but it hides something tastier than great tunes. Yeah, it holds a few six packs or anything else that you might need to keep cold — although beer is much more fun than milk. As the description on Werd notes, You’re never going to play guitar like Stevie Ray Vaughn or Slash but if you shred 6-packs like they shred six strings, the Marshall Fridge will be the perfect addition to your pad. It looks like the iconic Marshall stack amp but it’s really a 4.4 cubic foot…

Gear Bits

Businessweek Looks at Absurd Slogan Trademarks

I love Bloomberg Businessweek because they have a sense of humor. They cover serious subjects, and then they run with the fun stuff but with a straight face. Hence their very amusing analysis of which catchphrases are trademarked and therefore off-limits (hint: apparently). Seriously. Check out their sample of what phrases have been legally protected: Barbarian Group: “It’s gonna be awesome” Great Clips: “It’s gonna be great” Amscan Holdings: “Who you gonna be?” Bank of New York Mellon: “We should talk” Physicians Mutual Insurance: “Maybe we should talk” STG Marketing: “Who’s got your stuff?” General Mills (GIS): “How do you…

Gear Bits

I’m the 3,500,001st Person to Watch this iPad Video

So maybe I’m the last person to see this video, but it’s still funny. Not so funny, is when your mother in law has to tell you about something having to do with the iPad. Regardless, if you have not seen this video you can be the 3,500,002nd person to watch it. It’s worth the 30 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v0FVm_H_D18

Gear Bits

News Flash – You Can Use Up Your Data Plan Faster on Your iPad With 4G Speeds!

We already know that Dan is a heavy data user – AT&T has him nationally ranked, after all! Today Dan mentioned that in the first week with the new iPad he has already exceeded 2GB of usage. My usage has been much lower, but I am surrounded by WiFi much of the time – but the 4G service has been indispensable, as has the WiFi hotspot! But Dan isn’t alone – there have been several articles about people suddenly finding themselves going over their 2GB data limit and having to pay an extra $10 per GB of data. In the…

Gear Bits

2012 Appy Award Winners Yields List of New Apps to Try!

Last night a special judge panel choose their favorite apps from qualified finalists at the 2012 Appy Awards ceremony in San Fransisco, California.

Gear Bits

Fitbit Adds an Android App

I picked up a Fitbit while at CES, and it has been my constant step-tracking companion ever since. Well, I take it back … after I washed and dried the original Fitbit that I was given at a press show (which effectively killed it), I went a few days without one until the replacement I purchased could arrive, but I digress. Fitbit is a great motivator, because it shows you in no uncertain terms whether you have been moving enough to meet your daily goals, and whether you have done it with enough intensity to make a real difference. The Fitbit device will show you…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Bodyguardz mykase Turns my iPhone into a Gear Diary Phone

Back in January we posted a look at Bodyguardz new mykase for iPhone 4S. The case allows you to protect your iPhone while changing the look to fit your mood thanks to an innovative swappable back plate. Here’s the video look at it in action. Well the mykase is even more customizable than that. You see, the company now allows you to purchase one-of-a-kind custom back plates that you can make yourself right on their website. The customization engine is easy to use and walks you through the process step by step. You can upload a favorite image, adjust it to…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Muppets Costume Pack Launches for Disney Universe

The Muppets continue to expand the Disney Universe game experience with a downloadable character pack available on PlayStation Network and XBox Live.

Gear Bits, Music Diary

The Doors Release New Video for L.A. Woman 40th Anniversary

No, you didn’t misread … the Doors, whose lead singer died more than 40 years ago, have released a new music video. No, it isn’t a reforming of the band with some American Idol alum or anything like that. According to the info for the video: Professional skateboarders Kenny Anderson, Alex Olson, and Braydon Szafranski take viewers on a “Doors-centric” skateboarding tour of Los Angeles. If you head to their Facebook page you get this description: The Doors are thrilled to premiere a brand new video for “L.A. Woman!” The video was directed by two-time Emmy® nominee Matt Goodman and…

eBooks, Gear Bits

Does B&N Have an International Strategy?

B&N confuses me greatly. There are moments when it appears they have a master plan, with a clear strategy and vision, such as the release of the NOOK Simple Touch. Then they completely ignore the international markets, only to hold a “Hey, we’re…here…but not” meeting like they did this week in London. Techcrunch had some insight into B&N’s bizarre non-event: In packed room of app makers, Barnes & Noble’s director of developer relations, Claudia Romanini, took the audience through some of the basics of developing apps for the Nook tablet. In attendance, a lot of Android developers. We caught up…

Gear Bits

AMG Viella 12 Redefines the Classic Turntable

Do you still have a vinyl collection that you just can’t part with? If so, then you’ll be glad that you held on to it, as AMG may have just released the ultimate turntable, the AMG Viella 12 “V12”. Werner Roeschlau, designer and driving force behind AMG, works with his son and other master machinists at their bespoke multi-story Bavarian factory located north of Munich. All machining is done in house, combining the latest Computer Aided Design and CNC machines with “classic analog” tools including custom lathes and drill presses. Their factory has been manufacturing key, precision parts for some…

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Today Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Randy Rhoads

There are so many tales of artists lost too young, but way too many of them are more cautionary tales of self-destruction and failing to heed the constant pleas and attempts of others to save them – such as almost the entire ’27 club’. Those are tragic in their own right, but there are also losses of artists through disease or accidents. I always think of the young loss of Scott LaFaro in 1961, or the infamous ‘Day the Music Died’ plane crash … but today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Ozzy Osborne guitarist Randy Rhoads in…

Gear Bits

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Trailers are Full of Undead Awesomeness!

I remember when my kids bought ‘Pride & Prejudice and Zombies’ by Seth Grahame-Smith in 2009, I assumed it would be just a silly little parody with no depth or sense of quality … boy was I ever wrong! The great story from Jane Austen was respectfully handled and transformed into story of love and manners – and zombie killing on the English countryside. There have been numerous others since then that have varied in quality … but the next one to really capture everyone’s imagination was another book by Seth Grahame-Smith, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Now the book is…

Gear Bits

How Real People Will Deal With Windows 8

Have you tried out the Windows 8 ‘Consumer Preview’? I skipped it as I have enough other stuff going on, but have heard generally good things from the tech press and other tech-centric friends. And perhaps that is the issue – everyone I know who has played with the so-called ‘consumer release’ isn’t really a consumer. The results of having people who are too skilled evaluate a product are that your end result is designed for those people. That is the thesis of a video that accompanies an article about the importance (or lack thereof) of Windows 8: After playing…

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