Reviews

Ultra-Comfy Chair Review: Sumo Lounge Omni Beanbag Chair

If you were a teen or pre-teen in the 1970’s, chances are you or one of your friends (or ALL of your friends) had a beanbag chair. The bags of the time were vinyl (or denim) bags filled with polystyrene pellets. Things have come quite a long way – the 1990’s saw a resurgence in the beanbag chair, and now it has been reinvented as the Sumo Omni. We first looked at the Sumo Lounge Omni in 2007, and the folks at Sumo were kind enough to send one my way for an updated review; let’s see how it holds…

Reviews

mSecure 3.0 Password Protection Review

I have been using the same password protection program for quite a few years. I’ve thought about switching on a number of occasions, but it’s always is too much of a hassle, or the software that interests me isn’t available on enough platforms. So when I was recently offered an opportunity to review mSeven Software’s mSecure 3.0 I was at least a little ambivalent about it. However, I figured it certainly wouldn’t hurt to review the software; I would just create some dummy data, load it on a test device, put it through its paces, do a brief write up,…

Reviews

Cygnett Second Skin II, FlexiGel, and Ripple Cases Review

Cygnett makes enough iPhone cases and styles to satisfy any taste. To kick off the launch of the 4S, they released three new cases, the Second Skin II, FlexiGel, and Ripple. All three are fairly low-profile cases that provide basic grip and coverage on the iPhone 4 and 4s. Cygnett was kind enough to send us one each to review, and I’ve spent time giving each of them a shot. There are some key differences in style and material, so let’s look first at what they have in common, and then what makes each one different. I have a clear…

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: modulR Anywhere Pack

“Where do you use your iPad?” That’s one of the key questions you need to answer before you can make the right choice with regard to what case you buy and what accessories you order. If, however, your answer to the question “Where do you use your iPad?” is something like “Everywhere!” or you simply don’t want to make a choice, there’s a great option for you. The modulR system lets you use you iPad on the go, at home, in the car and everywhere in between. It might not be the most refined iPad accessory/case you can find but…

Reviews

Mili Power Pack — iPhone 4 Gear Review

The best part about the iPhone is that you can do practically everything with it. Watch movies, listen to music, send emails, tweet, surf the web, and of course play “Angry Birds”. All this great stuff, though, can do a number on your battery. If you want to really stretch your battery life you need an external battery pack, and that’s where the Mili Power Pack comes in! Does it boost your battery, and is it worth the considerable bulk? Read on to find out! Here’s what the Mili promises: Innovative design: Mili Power Pack 4 is a rechargeable battery…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Is One Bad Pony Car

The Boss is back – and it is bad***. The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 is the most fun I have had in a pony car since, well, ever. I even like this new Ford more than my cherished ’69 Camaro with the solid lifter crate motor. Ford has brought its heritage forward four score as they re-release the Boss 302 on the newest Mustang platform. Originally released in 1969, the Boss 302 was the first of three Boss factory performance models and was intended to help Ford compete in SCCA racing. Fast forward to 2011 and the new Boss lives…

Reviews

Using a Touchscreen Device in the Cold? Thumbs Dogs Are for You!

BRRRRRRR!!!!! It’s cold out! (Okay, not so much since it is going to be 66 degrees and sunny today in NJ.) Still, we’ve already been hit with winter weather, and there is more to come in the next months. That’s a problem for any of us who use touchscreen devices. Sure, there are gloves that are designed to work with touchscreens, but they tend to be a bit pricy and the styles offered tend to be limited. Besides, most of us in the northeast already have more than a few pair of gloves around.Why buy more when you don’t have…

Reviews

Tablet Accessory Review: Skooba Tablet Messenger V3

When a company like Skooba (Gear Diary’s very first advertiser!) releases a new product, we take notice. Two years ago we reviewed the company’s Netbook Messenger bag. I liked it a lot and had this to say, In all I have found the Skooba NetBook Messenger to be a great bag for daily use. If you carry a netbook (or a MacBook without too many accessories) and want a bag that is small, light and easy to grab and go this is a great choice. It looks good, will likely put up with a good deal of use and abuse….

Reviews

QuickLook: Qmadix USB Dual Mobile Charging Hub 4.2amp

I like to be able to charge my iPhone and iPad on the go. After all, I constantly rely on both and, at least for now, iOS 5.0 is killing my battery life. That means I have wall chargers around my house, at the house and, of course, I always have a charger in my car. I’ve used a number of car chargers over the past few years and the new Qmadix USB Dual Mobile Charging Hub 4.2amp has me pretty impressed. From Qmadix: The Qmadix USB Twin Tablet Charging Kit 4.2 gives you maximum power on the go when charging…

Game Diary, Reviews

Star Fox 64 3D Nintendo 3DS Review

Nintendo updates their 1997 N64 game “Star Fox 64” on the Nintendo 3DS with a fun local, download play multiplayer mode complete with live stills and video from other players using the Nintendo 3DS inner camera.

Reviews

Android Phone Review: The HTC Rhyme

I like items that have their own personality and that aren’t similar to every one else’s, but lately it seems like all of the HTC Android phones that I have been posting about have been basically the same phone — albeit with different features or screen sizes. Has it seemed that way to you? Whether it’s been the Vivid, or the Rezound or all the EVO iterations, there are traits that most HTC Android phones seem to share: they are rectangular, they have four capacitive buttons on the bottom of the screen, there is a noticeable speaker grill at the top of the screen, they…

Reviews

Bluetooth Headset Review: Sound iD SIX

A few weeks ago we brought word that Sound iD was coming out with their newest Bluetooth headset the Sound iD SIX. We have reviewed the company’s previous headsets, so I was anxious to get my hands on the SIX. Unlike those headsets, they were entirely black, the SIX has an attractive carbon fiber look to it. So it looks nice, but how does it sound? From Sound ID: The power of EarPrint™ for iPhone®, Blackberry® & Android® smart phones. Patented VoiceMenu technology is Sound ID’s answer to Voice Recognition. Unlike voice recognition, Voice Menu is discrete in public and is…

Music Diary, Reviews

Comparison Review: Are You an ‘Idiot’ or a ‘Dummy’ Music Theorist?

It has been 20 years now since the first book to simultaneously insult and help us came along – DOS for Dummies. Though met with skepticism based on the title, the folks behind the ‘for Dummies’ book said that it was a term of endearment … and that rapidly advancing technology made many people FEEL like dummies! When given a chance, the book took off and the foundation was built for a new type of technology guides: ones built for everyday people! Soon after we saw a new series that has become nearly as popular through the years, called “The…

Reviews

Ribbz iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S Protective Case Review

Finding the perfect case to protect your Siri….err, your iPhone is usually an ongoing process. I always have a difficult list of features for my cases and seem to bounce from one to another. First of all, I will not use a case that adds a ridiculous amount of bulk to my iPhone. There are protective cases out there that do a wonderful job, but it can be like walking around with an old bag phone stuck in your pocket. Of course I want some sort of protection from the case as well as some style. There’s no use…

Music Diary, Reviews

Vinyl Re-Visions: Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces 1975 (Jazz, 1975)

Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces 1975 One of the downsides of being a fan of music that has a very small fanbase is that very often music simply goes out of print. Like many, I have always simply assumed that as the CD came into vogue and later digital releases, music would simply be re-released. And while I can understand physical releases going out of print, it seems to be my simplistic view that once a release is digitized it should just be added to a publisher’s catalog and stay there in perpetuity. Of course reality is never so simple, and…

Reviews

Binverse USENET Account Review

Perhaps showing my age, I was so engrained in USENET since nearly the very beginning of the service in the early 80’s that I stayed using it long after most folks had moved to web forums. That was until around 2003 or 2004, when I found that splitting my time between dwindling USENET activity and climbing web activity was just too much. Yet even then I still lamented the loss – it was (and still is) incredibly inefficient to seek information about a given subject sprawled across dozens of websites and blogs when a single – or few – USENET…

Reviews

Review: Mission Workshop Sanction Weatherproof Rucksack

Last week we took a look at two high-tech bags from Powerbag. The PowerBag Messenger and the PowerBag Backpack both pack 6000mAh batteries and an interior system of charging cables so you can keep your mobile electronics charged on the go. The Messenger will be coming to CES with me and the Backpack will be used by Kevin during the week. Between the two bags we are hoping to avoid our annual tradition of struggling to keep our phones and tablets charged during the grueling days in Las Vegas. But what if you want to carry lots of stuff, need…

Reviews

Review: BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S

I have always been a huge fan of minimalist iPhone and iPad cases. After all, why hide such sweet, beautiful pieces of metal and glass in large, bulky cases if you don’t have to? The operative word here is, of course, “cases”. While I have always liked minimalist cases, I’ve never been a huge fan of carrying my iPhone or iPad with nothing on it but a scratch protective skin. That changed earlier in the week when BodyGuardz was kind enough to send me their BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for the iPhone 4S and and the iPad 2. Both kits…

Reviews, Yum Log

iPad Accessory Review: Belkin Chef Stand and Wand

It comes as no surprise to anyone who lives on this planet that the iPad is finding its way into pretty much every aspect of our lives and certainly into pretty much every room of the house. Among the places where it can come in particularly handy is the kitchen. Thanks to the iPad, the days of needing a special under-cabinet television if you want to watch a show while cooking are gone. Similarly, the days of needing a separate music player/boombox are over. In fact, unless you are my purest, like my wife Elana, you don’t even need paper…

Reviews

Gear Bag Review: PowerBag Backpack

We took a look at the PowerBag Messenger the other day. It combines an incredibly well-designed, strongly constructed bag with the ability to recharge your devices on the go. On almost all counts it thoroughly impresses. And at under $140, it is not much more than a 6000mAh external battery would be on its own. That makes it a great deal in my opinion. The company makes a number of other designs and they were kind enough to also send a PowerBag backpack as well as the messenger. Since the power aspect of the backpack is the same as it…

Reviews

Review: Asus EeePad Transformer

The tech press has maligned Android tablets. There just hasn’t been one that has caught the up to the iPad according to many people. That may soon change with tablets like the one I have, the Asus’s EeePad Transformer. Hardware Much of the hardware on the Android tablet front has eerily similar specs. Like most Android tablets that have a version of Honeycomb, the Transformer has an Nvidia Tegra 2, 1 GB of ram, 16 or 32 GB of Flash (mine has 16), WiFi (B,G and N supported), Bluetooth V2.1+EDR, HDMI out, MicroSD Slot, a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a…

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