Reviews

The Aligata Nude Beauty Big Weekend Travel Bag Review

When I travel by plane, I use a virtually indestructible LuggageWorks rolling carry-on. It’s great for getting through airports and attaching my other bags to, and I never have to worry about it being damaged when gate-checked because it’s extremely durable and already ugly as sin. Did I mention that it’s also ridiculously heavy? LuggageWorks bags have a metal frame around their bottoms and backs which is part of why they last virtually forever, but it means that the 22″ version I have weighs 15 pounds when empty and can weigh 30+ pounds when fully packed. Although it is just fine for airport…

Game Diary, Reviews

L.A. Noire PlayStation 3 Game Review

Authentic chronicles, engaging investigations, and expertly captured characterizations combine into an impressive array in Rockstar’s L.A. Noire crime-themed action game.

Reviews

Review: Microsoft Releases Windows Phone Mac Connector Update on Mac App Store

Much has been written about how the biggest winner in two recent events – HP dumping webOS and the success of patent infringement cases against Android handset makers by Apple and Microsoft – is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. For me, one of the issues I have had with Windows Phone 7 is connectivity. You need the Zune desktop software to do pretty much anything. With my Android phone I can just plug it in and mount the drive – and since I have all of my music through iTunes (like ~78% of the world) anyway THAT requirement isn’t an issue….

Reviews

Satellite Navigation GPS Review: Navigon 40 Plus

The increasing reach of smartphones has called into question the usefulness of many dedicated devices, from music and video players, to compact cameras, and of course the ever-useful GPS. With GPS and turn-by-turn navigation almost standard equipment on Android devices, and the prevalence of iPhones, one could be forgiven for retiring their trusty nav and leaving their destination in the care of their phone. Realising this, several of the top navigation device companies have put their eggs in several baskets, with versions of their software and maps available for smartphones across the globe. A personal favourite of mine is Navigon’s…

Reviews

iOS-Enabled Gear Review: iHelicopter Remote Controlled Helicopter

A week before Griffin announced their new Help TC iOS remote-controlled helicopter, I saw the iHelicopter being advertised. For $59 I figured I would order one. It came yesterday and… well… it is fun. As the product page explains, The iHelicopter makes it possible to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a remote control for a RC Helicopter! Plug the transmitter in the audio jack, download the free controller App and you are ready to fly! The gyro in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be used to control the tilt of the iHelicopter. Tilt your iPhone…

Reviews

Tablet Accessory Review: Adonit Jot and Jot Pro Stylus

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad the tagline might well have been, “Stylus? Stylus? We don’t need no stink in’ stylus.” Yes, Apple’s goal with the iPad was a truly touch-friendly tablet. For the most part, they have succeeded. Still, there ARE times when you want to use a stylus and, thankfully, there are a host of options these days. I just got a close, hands on look at one of the newest options and it awesome. More accurately, THEY are since there are two versions. The Jot and the Jot Pro from Adonit are an unusual take on the…

Game Diary, Reviews

Drop7 Free by Zynga for iPhone/Touch/iPad

I recently noticed my wife enthralled with an iPhone game. That is kind of strange in itself. I didn’t ask what it was for a few evenings, but could tell it was some sort of puzzle game. When I finally inquired about what she was doing, she told me I had to download Drop7 Free. That was either a big mistake or a good thing depending on how you look at it. Now we both cannot put the game down. In fact, while trying to finish this paragraph, I have played the game twice! Let’s take a look at how…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Review: Nat Janoff – ‘Come Together Move Apart’ (2010, Jazz)

Nat Janoff – ‘Come Together Move Apart’ As I have said before, I have been thrilled and overwhelmed by how many great artists have contacted me as a result of my reviews here at Gear Diary. On the one hand it has meant discovering artists and music I would otherwise have missed … but on the other hand it becomes challenging to properly absorb all of the great music (I know, pity me right?). I still find myself discovering new things in recordings from last year, so it is great in many ways when the craziness of life and new…

Game Diary, Reviews

Gear Games Review: Everything You Need to Know About Madden 12 for iPhone/iPad in a Single Image

Late last night I spotted Madden 12 HD in the iTunes App Store, and like the impulsive fool I am … I bought it. I had planned to run through a full and thorough review of the game, but instead spent a few hours trying to be sure that I wasn’t actually still playing Madden 11! This afternoon I came across the review at TouchArcade … and it really sums things up perfectly. All they did was take their review from last year and make a few cross-outs and changes: ‘m kind of at a loss as to what to…

Reviews

Nook Touch Cover Review: Oberon Design Large and Small Sleeves

The Hype: For those that like to use their E Reader without a cover, we’ve designed the Oberon E Reader Sleeve with extreme portability in mind. Lighter and thinner than our E Reader Corner Cover, our sleeve fits easily into a purse, backpack or briefcase. Our sleeve is leather lined and our magnet closure ensures the security of your device. We designed our sleeve so that the magnetized strap is on the front of the cover and our signature Britannia pewter strap attachment is on the back to avoid any potential scratching of the E Reader screen. All of our…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Fiat’s New 500c Cabrio: Now THAT’S Italian!

Move over MINI, we got the real Italian Job right here… Fiat is taking the ‘New World’ by storm and the hottest thing since the Vespa scooter has landed in America – the Fiat 500c Cabrio. The first “Nuova Cinquecento” debuted in the summer of 1957 as a cabriolet model and offered a distinctive canvas roof that opened right down the middle to the rear of the vehicle. Fast forward 54 years and Fiat builds on the brand’s spirit of building world-class small cars that ignite a “spirit of the times through simple design.” Sporting unique but modern Italian styling,…

Reviews

Nook Touch Cover Review: Oberon Design ‘Tree of Life’

I had written about my nifty new Nook Touch a couple of months ago, and it has really become my constant companion for ebook reading. My family got me a basic cover from Barnes & Noble that clips in the device and closes with a magnetic strip. It gets the job done, but not nearly as stylishly as the cover my wife and son have on their Nooks. So when I had the chance to check out the new covers specifically for the Nook Touch by Oberon Design, I jumped at the chance! Let’s see how the new cover in…

Reviews

iPad and iPad2 Accessory Review: Aligata Premium Leather Sleeve

Our friend Tom from Aligata leather goods has done a great job of expanding his line of leather cases for the iPhone, iPad and other assorted devices. We took a look at his first iPad case well over a year ago. We also reviewed his Leather Envelope for the iPad. After that it was his iPhone sleeve that we focused on. Then, back in March, we took a quick look at some of the items that would be expanding the Aligata line. This is the first of a few of the new Aligata items we’ll be looking at; the Premium…

Reviews

The Skooba Design Cable Stable Mini Review

Even with so many devices going toward the microUSB “standard”, I can’t help but travel with a minimum of three different types of cables — and sometimes more than that. My phone uses microUSB, my iPad has its own Apple connector, and my camera is miniUSB. When packing, I also need to bring along the battery chargers for my camera and MacBook Air, along with a few other miscellaneous doo-dads. You may recall that I reviewed the Skooba Design Cable Stable DLX early last year; while I have found it to be an excellent solution when I need to bring…

Reviews

Audio PlayerReview: The JLab Wave Waterproof mp3 Player

A few weeks ago we took a look at the Monster Cable iSport waterproof headphones. They are pricey but sound great and are, in fact, truly waterproof. They are machine washable!! If you don’t need the same level of audio quality but still want waterproof headphones JLab’s Wave headset is worth a look. While the Wave is not machine washable it IS waterproof and has the huge advantage of not requiring a separate mp3 player. You see, the Wave IS the mp3 player. It MAY look like a pair of in-ear headphones connected by a ridged neck wire but the…

Reviews

Seeing Greater Things for New FishEyes Smarter Rod and Reel with Underwater Video Camera

I have to admit that many items I review do not receive much thought after I post their story, but after spending a short time with this new FishEyes Rod and Reel With Underwater Video Camera I realized here was an item with much broader usage. Sure, this is a unique product that every father needs to bring along on a fishing trip with the kids to enhance their experience while you do your best Bill Dance or Jimmy Houston impression, but I began seeing other opportunities for FishEyes. While it really only looks in one direction (down) as I…

Game Diary, Reviews

Mac/PC Game Review: Din’s Curse: Demon War (PC/Mac RPG, 2011)

Nearly a year ago I reviewed Din’s Curse, praising it for offering loads of fun and tons of gameplay. I summed up as follows: Soldak has once again created a great RPG that encompasses many familiar things but brings us something new and challenging that lends itself to a fun and fresh gaming experience. The core of the game is wrapped around a dynamic world loaded with quests, and that in itself will be enough to keep you coming back for more. Now they are back with an expansion to Din’s Curse called ‘Demon War’. To put it simply, it…

Reviews

360 Panorama for iPhone/Touch/iPad2 (Splurge Edition)

Anyone who follows the Blue Plate Special knows I love camera apps. There are so many good apps for the iPhone camera it is difficult to keep up with them; I actually forget about some of mine since they fill three folders. There are several apps I have that make panoramic type photos or that stitch photos together, but I recently found a really cool panoramic app that allows you to share an actual interactive 360 degree view quickly and easily straight from your device, called 360 Panorama. Let’s take a look. You will not be disappointed and will love…

Reviews

Earbud Accessory Review: Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips

(Editorial note: Try as I might to get useful images of these products for some reason it just wasn’t happening. Therefore you will see mostly stock images in this review but they ARE representative of the actual products.) We’ve been looking at a lot of different earbud and headphone offerings lately. A number of them, like the YurBuds, the Monster Cable iSports, SkullCandy FIX earphones and the AblePlanet SI350 headphones are targeted toward use during active sports and exercise. We learned of two offerings from Burton Technology, Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips, that, while not audio products in and of themselves, seek to…

Reviews

The Stump Stand Review – Sometimes Simplicity Is Best

Sometimes the simplest accessories are the best accessories. That’s right, something it doesn’t need to be complicated for it to be remarkably useful. That’s the case with this new tablet/eReader stand The Stump. The Stump is what it claims to be – it is a stump of rubber. It looks like a tree trunk that’s been cut down at an angle. It’s simple. It’s not exciting. Best of all, it does the job. Here’s a quick look and a chance to win one. Truth be told, there isn’t a whole lot to say about this accessory. Let’s let the company explained…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Stylish New Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Lacks Finesse, but So Did All the Others At First

The Korean automakers have gotten into the hybrid game finally and the first models to market from Kia and Hyundai are on the shared midsize sedan platform of Sonata and Optima. Recently I spent some time with the former sporting what Hyundai has dubbed its Hybrid Blue Drive system. During the time I had the vehicle I was noticing some blogs reporting steering issues and a technical bulletin issued by the manufacturer addressing some torque-steer issues with certain Sonata and Optima sedans. I found this interesting as no sooner than I headed out the driveway I found myself pulling over…

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