News & Features | Gear Diary

Dear Gear Diary: Windows Marketplace Issues

I received this email from a Gear Diary reader, and unfortunately, I don’t currently have a Windows Mobile phone. If anyone can help him out, please offer suggestions in the comments! Hi Carly, I always check out your posts on Gear Diary and find your perspective refreshing and honest. Since you are so involved with researching different techie toys and have a lot more background information than I, I was wondering if with your post on Mobile 6.0-6.1 Marketplace, if you found or encountered stories of this not loading and allowing one to buy apps. I have a T-Mobile Wing…

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Fashion Blogging for All Ages!

The internet is truly a place where anyone can have a voice…even if that voice is 14! Admittedly, I don’t follow the fashion world, but if you do, you may have heard of Tavi Gevinson, a 14-year-old fashion blogger. She’s so successful she was seated in a more prestigious seat than Anna Wintour (the inspiration for “The Devil Wears Prada”) at a fashion show! What’s extra crazy is that she started blogging about fashion at 11. And now she’s showered with free clothes and speaks at conferences, and the fashion industry cares deeply what she thinks. From the Economist profile…

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I Knew Automation Was A Problem In Many Fields But In Mine???

from USAToday There is no question that automation has had an impact on numerous industries and has been responsible for some significant job-loss or, at least, job-shifting. For example factories now need less people on the line but can output more product at an ever-increasing pace. Yes, the impact is everywhere but this is one place where I never expected to see an issue… CrunchGear has a post up about a wedding officiated by… a robot. That’s right, the couple didn’t need a priest, or a justice of the peace to tie the knot. Instead the wedding was witnessed by…

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Here Is The Best Argument Yet For Jailbreaking Your iPad… FullForce

Sure you can use the “PixelDoubling” of an iPhone app to blow it up and use it on the iPad if a dedicated iPad or universal version of your favorite app is not yet out. It gives you the FUNCTIONALITY you want but it doesn’t look all the good. Okay, let’s be serious. It looks lousy. PixelDoubling is better than nothing but it isn’t GOOD. But while we wait for apps like Documents To Go to release a new or updated version it is the best we can do. At least it was until now. If you are jailbroken you…

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ClintonFitch.com Reviews MLB At Bat 2010

Are you a baseball fan? Been looking at MLB At Bat 2010, but find that you’re just a little hesitant to pull the trigger on a $15 app that’s only good for one year? Well, you’re in luck. Our friend Clinton Fitch over at ClintonFitch.com has posted a thorough review of MLB At Bat 2010 for the iPhone. Clinton’s review covers the incredible amount of information to which the software allows the user access, including an abundance of statistics, live action scores, video highlights, and schedules. He also touches on the optional MLB.tv service, which offers streaming video for almost…

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SureFit Debuts “Auto Friends” Line of Products

I have a very large dog who loves car rides. He also enjoys rolling around in mud, swimming and refusing to sit still to be dried off, and of course, shedding the equivalent of 4 dogs worth of fur in an afternoon. So my backseat is constantly in a state of slight messiness. Then, of course, there was the time he ate a bag of mint Hershey’s kisses and decided they didn’t agree with his stomach as we were en route to the emergency vet. Trust me, the conversation you never, ever want to have with your partner is “Does…

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Bill Maher’s “Modest Proposal”- Let Steve Jobs Take A Crack At Fixing America

Bill Maher ended Real Time with a great bit on how we can’t seem to fix anything in America. He pointed out that a penny now costs two cents and a nickel costs nine cents, but a proposal to use some cheaper material could not even get the vending machine. Then he offered a solution… Apple. Yes, his suggestion was that we let Apple step in and reinvent America. Hey… it worked for the music player, the phone and now… the computer. Enjoy

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MacCase Ready To Jump Into The iPad Accessory Market

MacCase makes some gorgeous bags and cases for carrying your MacBook or other Apple products. They offers a line of sleeves that start at $39.95 and a Premium leather line that includes the Premium Leather Flight Jacket for all sizes of Apple Laptops with prices starting at $189.95. As you add the $20 backpack straps and a $30 shoulder pad the price increases to over $200. That’s a bit of an investment but then again, the case looks awesome and will likely outlive your next five notebooks. A while back the company recently began asking for input from potential customers…

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If You Need a Breathalyzer on Your Keyring, It Probably Means You Shouldn’t Be Driving (DUH!)

Judie: I have personally always thought that unless you were buying something like this as a joke, buying a breathalyzer — especially an $11.50 one for your keyring — means you are already going to be drinking too damn much, and someone else needs to drive. 😛 Carly: Agreed…plus Wired did an awesome article on these a month or two ago. Essentially the cheap ones vary so much they are useless. Now that would be a fun chat with a cop. “Honestly, Ocifer, my breathalyzer said I was ooooooookay….!” Judie: Right! I mean, I could see some sleaze at the…

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Need Help Finding The Right Father’s Day Gift For Your Music-loving Dad? How About These…

Does dad love music? Do you love dad? Well Father’s Day is coming up, and if dad likes to get his groove on here are a few items you might want to consider getting him (or yourself for that matter…) Dad’s not wicked (we hope), but these noise isolating ear-buds from Wicked Audio are… Wicked Audio’s Wicked Little Buds are Design-forward, noise isolating earbuds that provide an edgy look and great sound. They are available at: EmpireBrandsInc.com, Amazon.com, Fry’s Electronics, Airport Wireless, and other select international retailers MSRP: $29.99 If you music-loving dad has discovered the Internet, let him…

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American Foundation for the Blind Looks at Smartphone Accessibility

Smartphones have become nearly indispensable productivity tools. Businesses issue them to employees, and people use them constantly to keep up with their personal lives. But what do you if you are blind or visually impaired? Tiny keyboards and 3-4 inch screens aren’t always great if your eyesight is wonderful, let alone if you have vision issues. Luckily, the American Foundation for the Blind puts out an online magazine called AccessWorld, and several articles this month covered smartphones and visual impairment. For the corporate-types, they looked at an app called Oratio for Blackberries. This is what’s called a “screen reader”, or…

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Google and Verizon to Bring out the Ultimate Android Tablet?

(Image courtesy Laptop Mag) Looks like Verizon’s love affair with Android isn’t ending so fast. Boy Genius Report says that Google is teaming up with Verizon to bring out an Android tablet. Personally, I think this is awesome news, and Google needs this tablet out ASAP. There are a few reasons why this has the potential to be a huge win for Google. For starters, it helps slow the dilution of the Android tablet market. If you think the phones are fractured, just look at the tablets. There’s a veritable army of current and rumored tablets, from Archos to MSI…

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WB Offers DVD for Blu-Ray Movie Trades for as Low as $4.95 Per Movie!

Have you made the switch to Blu-Ray movies at home? If so you probably still have a load of DVDs lying around. Sure they still look great upscaled on your Blu-Ray player … but not as good as a true HD Blu-Ray movie. Well, if you were thinking about upgrading your library but the high cost was holding you back, WB has a new option for you to consider: DVD2Blu! This program currently features >90 movies from the WB catalog, and has you send in the disc only and then get back a brand new Blu-Ray copy of the same…

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Rumor: Apple to Make Mobile Me Free?

As is true for many Mac users, I remember not-so-fondly back in 2002 when the nifty and free iTools became the very similar but not-even-close-to-free .Mac … and then later got renamed to Mobile Me. While many users find the tools useful and therefore subscribe, there is nearly constant discussion about the pricing model and comparisons about the services offered compared to free or inexpensive alternatives. Many folks hope that Apple will price the service more competitively, or perhaps even make it free. According to MacDailyNews, that day might be approaching: We have received a tip that we cannot confirm,…

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Aligata iPad Cases- Nice Leather, No Logo

Last night I posted a piece entitled A Tale of Three iPad Cases. It addressed my great experience with Owl Studios and Sena Cases and my less than great interactions with a third company. This morning I received an email from Tom at Aligata iPad cases. Tom told me about his all leather cases that are made from “… genuine bovine leather, natural grain. Very classy and durable as hell.” They look good and are currently on sale for $59.90 at http://aligata.com/ Tom went on to explain his pre-order policy. Turns out he too charges in full for his cases…

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Betty White- “Facebook is a huge waste of time” (But It Did Get Her On SNL!!)

No doubt this is all over the net but… it is Betty White, it is Sunday morning and.. laughing is good. If you have been living under a rock here’s what happened. A Facebook campaign to get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live built up enough steam that SNL actually invited her to host. At 88 1/2 White is still wicked funny and and comedic timing that is unparalleled. She used the monologue to thank Facebook for making it possible for her to host… and then promptly cut Facebook down to size for being a huge waste of time. Best…

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iSkin’s CERULEAN Line of Bluetooth Accessories Perfect For Use With Apple’s iPad

The iPad makes you want to use Bluetooth more than ever. The reason is simple. Like the iPhone and the iPod touch it is great for carrying a lot of music, podcasts or audiobooks on the go. Like the iPhone and the iPod touch its capacity is amazing. Unlike the iPhone and iPod touch, however, you can’t easily stick the device in a speaker dock or plug in headphones and put it in your pocket. Because of its size Bluetooth MAKES SENSE with the iPad in ways it never did before. Imagine this. You walk into your office, tap the…

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Need Something Small for Amazon Super Saver Shipping? Try This!

Have you ever been shopping at Amazon.com, have exactly what you need, but then realize that it you could only find something for $4 you would get free shipping? I know I have … and typically end up over-spending as a result! But now with FillerItem.com all you need to do is figure out how much you need to add to make free shipping, enter that amount into the search box, and you will get a rather massive list of possible items. For example, I was looking at the excellent Picross 3D, which is $19.96, meaning I needed $5.04 in…

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850 Meter Beaver Dam 20 Years in the Making!

When most of us think of a beaver dam, the image above comes to mind. But CBC News brings us the story of what is reportedly the world’s biggest beaver dam – 850 meters long (~2800 feet!). Check out the satellite image from Google Earth: Image courtesy of FreshBrainz Apparently the massive dam was first found in 2007, but has gotten even larger than before, and the ease with which it is found on Google Earth is stunning. Researchers estimate that the dam has been under construction for 20 years! “[Beavers] are one of the few species that really leave…

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Patrick Jordan Leads Daughter Down the Slippery Slope…

Parents today… as if it wasn’t bad enough that my sister was letting my niece and nephew get iPod touches next week for their 9th birthdays (yes, I got a few emails telling me that 9 is too young) Patrick Jordan from Just Another iPhone Blog and Just Another iPad Blog is leading his 7-year-old daughter down the path toward iDelinquency. As he explains it in his post My 7 Year Old Jailbreaker’s Demand: I Want Folders! My 7 year old daughter has been asking me for months when we could jailbreak her iPod Touch. I did not want to…

eBooks, News & Features

Take Wikipedia with You Offline

My mother is a high school history teacher, and if you breathe the word Wikipedia to her she will give you an earful about students and plagiarizing. And about how peer-edited history articles are rife with errors. So if she got an eyeful of this service I think her head would explode. Yes, now you can save yourself the trouble of cutting and pasting into word, printing out your paper, and finding a nice plastic sheet for a report you’ve lifted from Wikipedia. Instead, for the starting price of $8.90, AND they’ll ship within two days! Tongue in cheek jokes…