Reviews | Gear Diary

Vaja 4G Nano iVolution Grip Case with GoClip Review

I honestly think that Apple makes the best MP3 player on the market. I know there are a lot of people that would like to debate that point, but in my mind, and in my opinion, even though they didn’t release the first player, they were the first ones to get the experience right. They win; but again, that’s a personal opinion… Recently I bought my daughter a 4G (RED) Nano for Christmas. Her grandparents “bought” her a white and red Samsung Propel (she got a Visa gift card that we used to purchase the phone). It was a, uh-hem……

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The Rivet Clip System Review

It’s an issue that has been around since people first started carrying mobile devices: What’s the best way to carry your phone or MP3 player so that it will be easily accessible, less likely to be stolen, and less likely to be forgotten? An obvious answer might be to keep the device inside a case that attaches to the wearer’s belt, but some don’t want the hassle of a bulky case; they need something that offers a little bit more flexibility. With that in mind, say hello to the Rivet Clip System, specifically the Kingpin, Shift and GoClip.

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2009 Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid

My relationship with the new fullsize GM hybrid SUVs continues to be a love/hate one. I love the fuel savings and cleaner emissions delivered by these “green beasts,” but I hate that consumers still cannot get one for less than 50 grand.

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Clarion Mind Review: Media, Internet, and Directions All-In-One? Not Quite

For some time now, there has been a gap between PDA/phones and notebook computers, various form factors have been introduced to fill this void, but until the ASUS eeepc, none have been particularly successful. Of course, with the Asus, we were given the device which we now know as the netbook, and finally that gap began to close. Some devices, however, started at the other end of the spectrum, trying to fill the gap up from PDA/phones. Chief among them has been the Archos Internet Media Tablet and the iPod Touch. Well, now we have another newcomer to this gap-filling…

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Openmoko Neo Freerunner from SDG Systems Review

It’s been over a year since I have looked at anything from SDG Systems, but it is time to do so again. SDG is now working with Koolu on the Openmoko Neo Freerunner. Not only are they working with the standard Openmoko firmware, but they are also working on getting Google’s Android Operating System working on the Freerunner. I will touch on both operating systems in this review, but first let’s look at the hardware.

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An HP Mini 2140 Mini Post

I’ve been enjoying using the HP 2140 Mini Note. It’s small, light, and quite easy to use thanks to its near full size keyboard. My unit came with a three cell battery which allows the unit to maintain its low profile.

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AudioEngine 2 (A2) Premium Powered Desktop Speakers Review

My buddy Dimitri recently had the chance to review Audioengine’s A5 speakers over on WhatsOniPhone. He loved the big sound and excellent build. I’ve recently had a chance to take a look at the far smaller A2s; at about 1/3 the size of the A5s, the A2s are like the smaller sibling and while they don’t pack the SAME punch, they hold their own rather well. Let’s take a look…

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The Microsoft Arc Mouse Review

I have been a fan of the ever shrinking computer since I was in college. Laptops, netbooks, PDAs, my motto these days is small, compact, and light. The whole time, however, there has been one thing the gnawed at the back of my brain…probably due to the numerous hand cramps I have gotten over the years. There is just no good way to control the mouse. This started with the eraser tip controller, which worked well enough, if you don’t mind rubbing against a tiny rubber nub in the middle of your keyboard (which was also prone to accidental swipes). …

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Killer Pool for iPhone by SD Games

I’ve been looking at a number of iPhone games lately. Some of these games take excellent advantage of the iPhone hardware and some don’t. Some are excellent ports of web games or Windows Mobile games, and some are not. Killer Pool is a title unique to the iPhone, it’s not a port, so I would expect it to take good advantage of the iPhone hardware. Let’s take a look in more detail…

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Corinex Power Line Networking Transmitters/Receivers Review

Broadband networking. Its something that EVERYONE wants in their home…in every home across America… heck, in every home across the world. The biggest problem with getting broadband in your home is not necessarily availability (though that is an issue), but piping the signal though your home.

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HP2140- My First Hack

One of the things that has been most significant since I made the move to using Apple’s products almost exclusively, is the fact that I have become very spoiled. I now want and expect electronics that not only work well, but also have a high degree of polished aesthetics, so that when I use the devices, they not only function well; but they also look and feel great while I use them. This is certainly the case with my iPhone and iPod Touch which continually amaze me; to a slightly lesser, but no less profound degree, this is also the…

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AltusLumen PAD-L Review

Need a durable LED Light that has multiple uses? Need a light that is good for the environment? Then the AltusLumen‘s PAD-L may be the light for you.

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T-Mobile’s BlackBerry 8900 – why the lack of 3G may not matter as much as you think

Have you been pondering whether to purchase a BlackBerry 8900 or T-Mobile? Every review I’ve read says the lack of faster 3G data (the 8900 is EDGE only) is a deal killer. Nobody wants the pokey stuff now the blazing 3G speeds are available for about the same monthly fee. I agree in concept. Given a choice – faster cellular data is always better. Always. However before you write off T-Mobile’s 8900, let me give you my pitch about why I just bought an 8900 and why you should take a serious second look at this device.

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HP 2140 In The House

Chris and I have been having quite a good time tweaking our MSI Wind netbooks. Both of us have run Mac OSX and Chris, who’s been a bit more aggressive in his hacking, now has his device booting with three different operating systems. Why then, you might ask, is my MSI Wind now in the Philippines with one of my writers from What’s On iPhone? It’s a long story that reflects my technology — fickleness.

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PDair leather case for iPod Touch 2

This holiday season just like millions of households, the Schulz family made a contribution to Apple’s earnings with the purchase of two iPod Touch’s. The kids have loved these devices and one of the first things I HAD to do was get a case for each of them. My daughter chose the Otterbox Defender. My son wanted a flip top case so we went with the PDair leather case.

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USB Fever/iPDA Auto Charger/FM Transmitter for 5G iPod Review

Some of the best things about having an iPod is being able to play YOUR music just about anywhere, any time you want. If you’re the kind of person that has the music in them all the time, allowing it to resonate in your ears when you want or need it to is important (hence, the reason why you bought your iPod in the first place). Like many older cars, my 2001 Honda CRV doesn’t have any kind of a built-in MP3 connection. What I do have is a cassette deck and an AM/FM radio. As such, I’m left with…

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Glasi Hergiswil Pilsner Beer Glass Review

Hello, my name is Christopher, and I like beer. In fact, in my humble opinion, there is only ONE thing that I like about living in Chicago during the winter – my garage keeps my beer colder than my refrigerator. When they say in those beer commercials that the beverage is best served cold, come to my house between Thanksgiving and Tax Day. The beer here will be chilled to perfection, and likely, worth the trip into the Great White (Almost) North. When Gear Diary was recently approached by Terra Keramik and asked if we’d like to review their Glasi…

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Review: CastGrabber 1.0 Podcast Download Device for MP3 Players

Podcasting started around the time of the last election that George W. Bush won, in 2004. Now it seems to still be growing, although at a much slower rate. Up until now, you needed a computer to download the podcasts; now maybe you don’t, thanks to the CastGrabber.

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Review – Noreve Leather Sleeve For 13′ MacBook

I had the opportunity to review Noreve’s case for the MSI Wind here on this site, and one of the company’s cases for the iPhone 3G over on What’sOniPhone. As a result I have become a huge fan of their products. Today, I have the opportunity to review the Noreve leather sleeve for the MacBook and MacBook Air. At just over $75 (base price) the leather case falls in the mid range when it comes to price. Where does it fall with regard to quality and aesthetics? Let’s take a look —

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The NewerTech Voyager Q Review

Not long after Kevin and I began dating, his ancient Dell started wheezing. Rather quickly, he realized that his desktop was about to give up the ghost, and our main concern became getting data off the hard drives. Because neither of us had an easy way to access the information on those two internal 80GB drives, we ended up taking his box to a computer tech in San Angelo. We brought along an external hard drive (my Seagate 400GB), and instructed the tech to transfer the data to it if the computer could not be saved. Two weeks later, we…

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Logitech Squeezebox Boom Review

Back when Judie was a fixture The Gadgeteer, she and I would occasionally write dually reviews. This was a term we coined that basically consisted of a review where we would chat back and forth about the product in question. Today we’re going to revive that fun format, with a review of the Squeezebox Boom Network Music Player from Logitech. My comments will be in regular Black text, while Judie’s will be in Blue italics. I have a bit of experience with the Squeezebox as I had the opportunity to review the previous two versions of this device. The first…