Reviews

Android Device Review: U.S. Cellular's HTC Desire

Android Device Review: U.S. Cellular’s HTC Desire

all photos by Kevin Mitchell reviewed the HTC Desire back in April, an Android 2.1 device which at the time was only available in the UK, Europe and Asia, but that’s since changed. US Cellular, a CDMA carrier, has released their branded US version. While in many ways it is basically the same device as the one Mitchell had, there are some differences worth noting. But first, we’ll start with the similarities. Some of the other phones we’ve seen released as both GSM and CDMA carrier branded versions can appear to be completely different model phones when placed side by…

iPad Case Review: Waterfield iPad Wallet

iPad Case Review: Waterfield iPad Wallet

I’m a huge fan of cases and bags from Waterfield. Their designs tend to be a bit different from all of the other look-alikes. The materials and construction is second to none. And they tend to bring out new products shortly after devices are announced and shipping. That is the case with their iPad offerings. Within a few weeks of the iPad shipping they had a good number of protective systems available for it. Since then, they have rolled out new items on a regular basis. One of the most recent is the iPad Wallet. The iPad while it is…

PC/XBOX360 Game Review: ArcaniA: Gothic 4

Game Diary, Reviews

PC/XBOX360 Game Review: ArcaniA: Gothic 4

If you read my ‘impressions’ of the demo version of ArcaniA, you know that even though I pre-ordered the game I had several hesitations about the potential for the game to be any good, and even more reservations about it being a ‘good Gothic game’. Having now completed the game as both a mage and a warrior, I’m ready to render my verdict on both counts … The Hype: Arcania is a Fantasy Action game set in a rich world that invites the player to explore all of its innumerable attractions and details. Different climate zones, abundant flora and fauna,…

One of a Kind Gear Diary Case-Mate Tough Do-It-Yourself Case for iPhone 4 Review

One of a Kind Gear Diary Case-Mate Tough Do-It-Yourself Case for iPhone 4 Review

A number of weeks ago Case–Mate invited me to create one of their do-it-yourself Tough cases for the iPhone 4. I played around with their online DIY case creator program and had a great time doing so. Eventually I settled on creating a case that used our site’s colors and had the Gear Diary logo on the back. After all, we recently passed 10 million unique visitors. I figured this was a great way to mark the occasion!! The next day I received notice that the case had shipped. I waited. And I waited. And I waited. The case didn’t…

MacBook Air Case- Waterfield's Suede Jacket Sleeve for 11" and 13" MacBook Air

MacBook Air Case- Waterfield’s Suede Jacket Sleeve for 11″ and 13″ MacBook Air

My MacBook Air finally arrived. (I HATE delayed gratification even if it is just a week!) It is awesome. Small, thin, light but speedy. I love it. Were this seven months ago I would be bringing it everywhere. Since we are AiP (After iPad), however, I don’t see it going everywhere with me but I DO see taking it to CES in January and on other work/site-related trips. For those occasions I want something that can protect my precious Air while not adding too much bulk and weight. Waterfield has a great option for doing just that- the Suede Jacket Sleeve for…

Review: Arctic K381 Slim Keyboard For Windows

Review: Arctic K381 Slim Keyboard For Windows

Our school finally recently replaced the teacher workstation computers with updated machines running Windows 7. One thing they did not replace was the old keyboards. I am not sure how old the keyboard I had was, but it was enormous. I remember a few years ago when keyboard seemed to have the bigger is better phase and this was a remnant from that era. The keyboard was so high that I had to use a wrist pad to raise my hands up to even use it. I was not a fan of the large spring-loaded keys either. (I know some…

2011 Toyota Sienna Is All About the 'Swagger'

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Toyota Sienna Is All About the ‘Swagger’

While minivans have reserved a place in automotive history for themselves they are rarely the first (or second or third) type vehicle most folks think about when dreaming of a new car. Not to mention the minivan segment has shrunk considerably over recent years in response to that line of thinking (and buying). Toyota is one of a handful of automakers that has remained loyal to the segment and has given its 2011 model Sienna a significant makeover, along with quite the marketing campaign. Dubbed the “Swagger Wagon” the new Sienna has been given life in primetime thanks to entertaining…

Music Diary Retrospective: In Memorium of T Lavitz, I Look at The Dregs 'Industry Standard' and More!

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Retrospective: In Memorium of T Lavitz, I Look at The Dregs ‘Industry Standard’ and More!

A few weeks ago we learned that jazz keyboard player T Lavitz died unexpectedly in his sleep at the age of 54. Lavitz was best known for his time in the jazz-rock fusion group Dixie Dregs, but also released high-profile solo works, and he also formed groups such as the critically acclaimed Players, as well as Jazz is Dead which was an ensemble of veteran jazz players reinterpreting works of the Grateful Dead. Lavitz was one of the many talented artists to come out of the University of Miami’s ground-breaking jazz education program of the 1970’s (including most of the…

Catapult Madness for iPhone/Touch Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Catapult Madness for iPhone/Touch Review

A strange thing often happens with IOS games. Sometimes a simple, seemingly boring game can become completely addicting bringing joy, frustration and waste lots of time. I recently found Catapult Madness at the top of the games list and it was on sale for free so I thought I would give it a try. I was mildly amused at first, but kept wanting to extend the distance I threw the peasants so I kept playing. That mild amusement turned into straight addiction as I kept upgrading and getting further and further. The addition of GameCenter compatibility has created more of…

HoodieBuddie Review: Headphones With You 24/7

HoodieBuddie Review: Headphones With You 24/7

We all love our ScotteVest clothing here at Gear Diary. One of the coolest features of SeV wear is the ability to take a set of ear buds and wire them through the garment so they’re always there when you need them. The only issue is the fact that you then have to dedicate a set of headphones to this task – wiring them up each time you want to use them isn’t practical. Enter the HoodieBuddie. The HoodieBuddie looks like any old hooded sweatshirt. But it’s not. Using their patent-pending HB3T technology the HoodieBuddie contains a standard headphone jack…

JAVOedge Charcoal Flip Style Case for Amazon Kindle 3rd Generation Review

JAVOedge Charcoal Flip Style Case for Amazon Kindle 3rd Generation Review

I’m a big fan of the Amazon Kindle 3. It’s become a permanent fixture on my bedside table and I use it almost religiously each night before bed. Amazon’s current version of their e-reader is slim and small. So much so that I think a case actually compliments it. Like the iPod Touch I sometimes find when devices are too slim they become hard to use. While I haven’t tested a ton of Kindle 3 cases I have been using JAVOedge‘s newest offering over the last two weeks and have been quite pleased with the result. The Charcoal Flip Style…

Review: Duracell myGrid Charging Pad

Review: Duracell myGrid Charging Pad

Our world seems to become continually more mobile. With all of these mobile gadgets comes a need to charge and charge often. Unfortunately, devices have not adopted a standard for charger connectors so that leaves many of us with a ton of plugs throughout the house. We have a vase on the kitchen counter near a set of wall plugs that holds all of the various charging cords while keeping them hidden. Basically, I throw the rats next of wires in the vase so my wife does not kill me due to the mess. Duracell has released an interesting product…

iPad Acessory Review: Hard Candy's Candy Stylus and Pen

iPad Acessory Review: Hard Candy’s Candy Stylus and Pen

I loved working on a Tablet PC. The ability to “ink” on one– that is, create digital ink by using a stylus to write or draw on the screen– made taking notes quick and easy. I don’t mind the trade-offs I had to make once I moved to the iPad since it is lighter, runs longer, is silent, never gets warm and… it is Apple, but every now and then I miss “inking”. Fortunately more and more iPad apps are improving the experience of writing on the iPad’s screen. They are making the ink “flow” more smoothly and many are…

Gear Games Reviews: A Foursome of ‘Bite Sized’ Casual iPhone Games

Game Diary, Reviews

Gear Games Reviews: A Foursome of ‘Bite Sized’ Casual iPhone Games

BUT WHAT ABOUT VIDEO GAMES? So … where do iPhone games fall in regards to what you should do at a ‘dollar store’? That is always a tough call – $1 seems like so little, but pretty soon you find you’ve spent as much as a full-size game! And hopefully you have actually gotten many hours of gameplay from those dollar games, but just as likely you have played most for about five minutes and never touched them again. Anyway, for my next set of micro-reviews I am looking at four recently released $1 games – some are good, some…

Review: Philips CushionSpeaker Laptop Stand

Review: Philips CushionSpeaker Laptop Stand

So I am sitting in my recliner with my 13″ MacBook Pro in my lap. The laptop is a bit warm and the show I am watching sounds terrible through the stock speakers. My only choice to fix these problems is to dig out a laptop cooler then find some external speakers. How about having all of this in one cool product? Luckily, Philips brings the CushionSpeaker to combine comfort and sound into one device. Let’s take a look. The Philips CushionSpeaker combines a laptop stand with a USB speaker device to bring a stylish all in one product. The…

iPad Accessory Review: Pad Bracket iPad Mounting System

iPad Accessory Review: Pad Bracket iPad Mounting System

I recently purchased a treadmill so that I could continue running once the weather turn icy cold. I shopped around quite a bit and ended up with a rather high-end treadmill with all the bells and whistles. (Well, maybe not ALL but MOST of the bells and whistles.) Among the extra features are a built-in speaker system for your iPod or other media device that can get quite loud and sounds pretty good. It also has a built-in 7″ TV that can accept both cable and composite plugs. I used it yesterday for the first time with my Roku box…

AAXA P1 Jr. LCOS Pico Projector Review

AAXA P1 Jr. LCOS Pico Projector Review

I’ve been fascinated by the numerous pico projectors that have been released in the past few years. The idea of being able to connect your phone or media device to something just about the same size and throw the picture, slide or video playing on the former up on a wall by using the latter seemed… well, it seemed rather cool to me. It certainly intrigued my geekier side. So when AAXA released their AAXA P1 Jr. I took note. It claims to be the “world’s smallest LCOS pico projector with onboard MP4 player”. When they reached out and asked…

Home Gear Review: Larry G Checks Out The BottleMate

Home Gear Review: Larry G Checks Out The BottleMate

I drink a lot of microbrews. One of the challenges anyone who does often faces is the dilemma, “is it a twist-off or not”. The last thing you want to do on a hot summer afternoon is struggle to get the top off your ice cold beer. With the BottleMate there isn’t even a need to guess. The BottleMate is touted as the world’s best bottle opener. It claims to easily and effortless open bottles in a manner that will have your friends bowing in amazement. The BottleMate fits over the top of most bottles and in one swift motion…

iPhone/iPad Accessory Review: Mophie Juice Pack™ Powerstation

iPhone/iPad Accessory Review: Mophie Juice Pack™ Powerstation

I’m sitting in my parked 2003 Subaru Outback recording this review of the mophie juicepack powerstation using Dragon Dictation. Normally I don’t write reviews while sitting in a parked car but I’m making an exception this time since my car decided not to cooperate this afternoon. I was driving home from an appointment when the car began to buck. I barely had time to get the car pulled over to a side street before it all but died. I called AAA and I figured it would be a good time to catch up on some phone calls and maybe even…

Purse to Go Bag Organizer Review

Purse to Go Bag Organizer Review

It’s no secret that a few of us here at Gear Diary are bag fanatics. Judie’s collection puts mine to shame any day, as does Clinton’s. But for the past few years, I have been a purse fanatic. It’s been my other spendy item other than technology. I haven’t gone crazy; usually I only buy one nice bag a year, almost always from Coach, and maybe a few accessories. They have lasted so much longer than my previous cheapie purchases and I’ve been very happy with the investment. However, I have one problem–I love big bags. I love carrying a…

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Gear Diary’s 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide & Giveaway: Smart, Stylish, and Useful Gifts That Dad Will Love

Welcome to our 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide, where the goal is simple: help you find something Dad will actually use, enjoy, and maybe even brag about a little. This year’s picks cover the practical, the indulgent, the outdoorsy, the techy, the cozy, and the delicious, because fathers are not a monolith, despite what novelty grill aprons suggest. Whether you’re shopping for a golfer, traveler, cook, camper, audiophile, whiskey lover, or dad who simply deserves a better everyday upgrade, you’ll find plenty of thoughtful ideas here. Be sure to stick around for the giveaway at the end, too.

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