News & Features

ZaReason’s ZaTab: A Tablet That Honors Your Freedom

Many tablet makers ship their Android tablets with locked bootloaders, and some don’t even provide an unlock utility for allowing the hacker types, like myself, to load custom ROMs like CyanogenMod. Well, my friends at ZaReason are now shipping the ZaTab, which not only has an unlocked bootloader, but will eventually ship with CyanogenMod 9 which is the latest version based on the Android Open Source Project, specifically Android 4.0.3. If you want to be a developer on the ZaTab, you can purchase one now with no OS on board. If you aren’t a developer, then you can put your order in,…

News & Features

Is the Armor Series for iPhone 4 and 4S Their Toughest Case Yet? OtterBox Says Yes!

OtterBox is set to deliver what appears to be their best-looking and most protective case, yet. Say hello to the new Armor Series for the iPhone 4 and 4S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5p6Aw5wceuA The features touted in their teaser video include that it has a “completely waterproof thermoplastic shell”, is “precision fit to .003″ accuracy”, and that your iPhone will be “locked down behind a medical stainless steel grade latch”. The case looks very slim, and the stainless steel latch is definitely eye-catching, but to hear them call it the toughest case they’ve ever built definitely gives me pause. I’ve been reviewing OtterBox…

News & Features

Appigo Releases Todo Exchange Tasks for iPhone

When the iPhone was first released, it was clear that the device was awesome but not meant for enterprise. Sure, you could surf the web, listen to music, make calls and much more, but the device was not for people doing serious work. Fast forward a few years, and all that has changed. There are now dozens and dozens of serious productivity apps for the iPhone and iPad, and the devices are finding their way into an increasing number of business settings. And beginning this morning there is a new business app available in the iTunes App Store. Best of…

News & Features

Help Wanted!

Have you always wanted to blog because it is easy, exciting and downright cool? Do you want tons of review items thrown at you, while you get rich writing about them? Do you love all things Mac and iOS? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then there is no reason to read any further. Seriously, stop reading, You see, blogging can be fun, and depending upon your writing skills it may easier for you than it might be for someone else, but it is serious work. And while it does have its moments, most of…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Check Out A Cool ‘Live Lip Dub’ Wedding Proposal

Photo courtesy of Alysha Beck and The Oregonian Way back in the stone ages when I proposed to my wife, cell phones were very rare and barely functional outside of cities (and only made ‘phone calls’), video recorders were bulky and tape based and left behind large rectangles no one ever saw again, and a ‘flash mob’ would call to mind a bunch of people with no clothes on. Oh, and my thoughts involved a romantic setting, relaxation and solitude for my proposal. But as noted at LaughingSquid, Portland, Oregon actor Isaac Lamb had some different ideas about how to…

Gear Bits, News & Features

How Common Is Your Birthday?

Here at Gear Diary we have just gone through a period where it seemed that two-thirds of us had our birthday within the same month. So when I saw a link to a NY Times article that compiled some data on the most common birthdays, I was intrigued. Turns out that the plethora of April birthdays at Gear Diary is an anomaly, with the greatest density of births coming in mid September to early October. If you follow the link to the Times, you will see a tabular listing of dates with ranking. So for example, my birthday on April…

Music Diary, News & Features

Asia Releases First Single from Upcoming XXX Album

I have followed the rock group Asia recently with some interest – because quite frankly I didn’t realize they had ever done much beyond their big hit debut and fizzled-out follow-up in the early 80s. But when I heard their last album ‘Omega’ my wish was that it was meant literally, as in their final entry. Because it was pretty dreary and mediocre. So when I heard that they were coming out with a 30th anniversary re-release of their excellent original album, I was not surprised – but I was pleased. However, when I also learned they were releasing a…

News & Features

Add a Swimming Pool Nearly Anywhere!

I rented a house on Lake Nasworthy, or “Lake Nasty Water” as the San Angelo locals call it, back in 1995. It was a cute blue two-bedroom bungalow with a huge great room in the back that looked out on the lake. I had a boathouse that held my Sea-Doo, and when the mood struck, I’d go for a ride. Living on the lake was great for everything … except swimming. The water was murky, there was at least a foot of muddy sludge at the bottom, and there were water moccasins in the shallow areas. Not that I would…

News & Features

SPIbelt Debuts a New Design for the “American Widow Project”

I love my SPIbelt. It is probably my most-used piece of running gear, and I recommend it enthusiastically to everyone I know. The folks at SPIbelt are constantly pumping out new designs and styles, and their latest ones give a portion of the profits to the American Widow Project. From SPIbelt: The American Widow Project Stars and Stripes SPIbelt™ and SPIband™ The American Widow Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. They emphasize healing through sharing stories, tears, and laughter. Military Widow to Military…

News & Features

Encourage a Child’s Creativity with the Kids Designer II Learning Graphics Tablet

If you’re the parent of a youngster under 10, as I am, chances are your child will invariably start experimenting with learning how to draw and later on learning to write. If you are as old as I am, you probably learned to draw on boring sheet planes of cellulose from dead trees with a yellow-orange cylinder containing an allotrope of carbon, though hearing it from my kids you’d think I was using reeds on wet clay tablets. How interactive stylus technology has progressed since then! Today, to assist in children’s intellectual and creative grow, peripherals designer Genius offers an…

News & Features

Quad Lock Mounting Deluxe System for iPhone 4S, Review and Giveaway

You need the right tool for the right job and the $69.95 Quad Lock Mounting Deluxe System for the iPhone 4 and 4S MIGHT be the right tool for YOU but it sure isn’t the right tool for ME. Here’s why and a chance to win the review sample. From Quadlock: The Quad Lock Deluxe Kit gives you everything you need to mount your iPhone just about anywhere. Mount your iPhone with the Quad Lock Bike Mount PRO while cycling and the Quad Lock Wall Mount in the home, office and car. The Deluxe Kit includes: 1 x Quad Lock…

News & Features

Drink Like a Winner with a Gold Medal Bottle Opener

I am extremely excited for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Winter Olympics are ok, but summer is the best. Track and field, beach volleyball, swimming, beach volleyball, gymnastics, and did I mention beach volleyball? Now, I am not so excited as to celebrate with a themed party (full disclosure: we did that in college for the winter Olympics, and let’s just say it was sort of like “The Hangover” but with mystery IHOP receipts instead of casino ones). But if you do, you need to fully commit to it, and Gadgets and Gear has you covered with a medal-style bottle opener:…

News & Features

Sip a New Take on Water with Tyent’s UCE 9000 Turbo Water Ionizer

Our house in New Jersey is served by well water; in fact, the only “public” service we get is electricity. While we do get our water tested every few years we had concerns that, between tests, anything could happen. As a result we installed a Reverse Osmosis Filtration system. This gives us clean, safe, filtered drinking water. The RO system is nothing exciting, and it lives beneath the sink. The only hint of it is the special spout that sits next to the main faucet. Tyent’s new UCE water ionizer is another way to filter water. It, however, is…

News & Features

Zinio Interviews Judie! (And Dan!)

Zinio recently introduced their Zinio Magazine Minute. In it “Notable figures in magazine publishing and technology share their thoughts exclusively with Zinio. Explore their favorite articles, magazines, and find out what inspires them.” They reached out to Judie and me and interviewed us both. Judie’s interview is already live and I thought I would share it with you. (If you want to see it on the Zinio page click here.) Question: What recent article(s) on Zinio had the most impact on you? Answer: National Geographic, June 2011 – “Too young to wed, the secret world of child brides” Smithsonian Magazine,…

Music Diary, News & Features

Google Doodle Celebrates Bob Moog

Today’s Google Doodle is a fully interactive synthesizer to celebrate the life of synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog. The sound of so many classic recordings from the 70s owes almost entirely to Moog and his crew from the small Trumansburg, New York manufacturing facility hand-wiring these innovative musical instruments. The ‘Moog Sound’ is not just due to analog circuitry, but more due to the limitations of the technology and some errors made in designing the circuits. I remember having to do most calculations by hand in undergraduate school, from electromagnetic waves to statistics and more … and certainly don’t miss those…

News & Features

“The Amazing Robots of Israel”, a Live Video Feed

There is something rather neat taking place at my synagogue tonight, and Judie and I thought it would be fun to share it with you all. Dr. Amir Shapiro, the Director of the Robotics Lab of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is joining us. Dr. Amir develops robots that benefit humans and improve the safety and security of not only Israel, but the world. He’ll be speaking for a while, and then he will be demonstrating some of his robots. That’s right, he’s bringing robots with him!! We’ll be streaming it over Ustream, and we invite you to watch. Assuming…

News & Features

The New Sonos Sub Does Bass the Sonos Way

Ever since I first heard a Sonos wireless music system I have been a fan. In fact, just 36 hours after receiving the review loaner unit, I ordered my own system. As I have written previously, my Sonos system is, by far, one of the best gear purchases I have ever made. Now Sonos is adding to their lineup and, in the process, adding some bass. As the release notes, “the Sonos SUB, a stunningly designed wireless subwoofer that takes the whole Sonos Wireless HiFi System one seismic step closer to the spine-curling, jaw-dropping, full body experience music was meant…

Gear Bits, News & Features

Leap Motion Reveals the Leap 3-D Motion Control Device for Computers

The Leap is basically a small iPod sized USB peripheral that creates a 3D interaction space of 8 cubic feet through special included software. The Leap will retail for $69.99, and a limited number are currently available for pre-order at LeapMotion.com.

News & Features

Nuance’s Dragon Drive to Take on Distracted Driving

Last year Apple sought to bring “natural-language voice control” to the mobile market through the iPhone 4S’ Siri. While some have complained that Siri is too limited or simply doesn’t work well enough for them, there is no question that it is a taste of things to come. Now Nuance, the folks behind Dragon Dictation (and rumored to be behind Siri although neither Nuance nor Apple will confirm the fact) is bringing natural-language voice control to the car. The company just unveiled Dragon Drive!, Nuance’s “new automotive-grade natural-language voice platform created and designed specifically for the connected car. Dragon Drive!…

Music Diary, News & Features

RIP Donna Summer, Queen of Disco and More!

I remember way back at the beginning of High School the dances always seemed to conclude with one song – Last Dance by Donna Summer. It was just one of the iconic songs by the 5-time Grammy Award winning singer, who died yesterday at age 63 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Unlike some celebrities, she kept very private during her illness. For someone who bore the mantle of ‘Queen of Disco’, she refused to let that destroy her career or box her in. That was simply because she had the chops to go beyond ‘Disco Diva’. As noted at…

News & Features

Tweet It! for Windows Phone Now Free until Tomorrow Evening

Yesterday was Khamidov Timur’s birthday. No, no, not the 14th century Turkic Mongol conqueror, but the modern developer of a very nice Twitter app named Tweet It! for Windows Phone, and you, dear reader, get the gift! For the next 36 hours or so his Tweet It! app is free! From the developer: Simple, but Powerful! Fast and awesome UI! It’s all about “Tweet It!” Tweet endlessly. Tweet comfortably! Tweet like no-one else before! Even if there is no Internet connection you can use built in drafts so your tweets will never be lost. It’s “Faster Tweeting!” feature lets you…

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