Reviews

Innopocket CF Formula Series Case for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

There are plenty of cases out there for the iPhone which bill themselves as being made from “carbon fiber.”  Few however are the real deal, and most are made from imitation plastic.  Such is not the case with the Innopocket CF Formula Series case for the iPhone 3G and 3Gs. The case, which comes in two color variations (Diamond Black & Exquisite Black) is made from 100% REAL carbon fiber. Race fans and car enthusiasts will appreciate the Formula series for its “dream car” material while others will simply enjoy the beauty of the carbon fiber pattern and smooth texture…


PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus Review

I used a mac exclusively for many years until I picked up my Toshiba netbook last summer. It was my first experience using a non-work issued PC since college, and while I knew to install a few free anti-virus and spyware utilities, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about security. Since then, I’ve started using my netbook far more than I expected; as a result, when Gear Diary was offered the chance to review PC Tools Spyware Doctor and Antivirus software, I jumped at the chance to test it out and see if there was something more I…


Sena Corsa For iPhone 3GS – Review

The first high-quality leather device cases that I used came from Sena Cases. At the time I was impressed by the quality of the leather, the impressive construction that included double or even triple stitched seams, and the overall design of the cases. The company took an approach that ensured cases would be stylish enough to be attractive yet conservative enough to be used anywhere and at any time. Most importantly, they did a great job of protecting whichever device I was looking to use with one of their cases. All this remains true. I was and am a big…


Darktide Tees, Historic and Gothic Inspired T-Shirts Review

I probably wear t-shirts more than any other piece of clothing I own.  It’s what I’m most comfortable in and it allows me to wear a wide variety of colors and designs.  T-shirts go with anything too and that makes planning my wardrobe all that much easier. Darktide Tees makes historic and gothich inspired t-shirts for both men and women.  The t-shirts are some of the best quality shirts I’ve come across.  They use a special digital transfer process to place images on ring-spun cotton shirts.  This results in a multi-colored, high quality image that both looks and feels amazing….


Divinity 2: Ego Draconis PC Game Review

I have already done a Netbook Gamer for Divine Divinity, declaring it one of my all-time favorite games, so it was only a matter of time before I’d find myself immersed in the sequel, which was released in early January. So does it deliver on all of my hopes and dreams for a follow-up? Read on and find out!


Arctic Sound E361 Earphone Review

Earphones have become a part of all of our gadget lives.  Most of our gear comes with earphones that are mediocre at best.  Third party replacement options can be overwhelming with prices ranging from tens of dollars to thousands.  I enjoy great sounding audio, but cannot justify spending over $100 on earphones that will be tossed in my gear bag and used everywhere.  Arctic Cooling has entered the sub $100 market with a complete lineup of Arctic Sound earphones.  I was provided with the E361 and E352 models, and the E352 review will be coming soon. The E361 earphones are…


Whoomp! Review: Boost Apple’s Ear Buds for Even Less

It’s not a big secret.  The ear buds Apple provides with all of its iPods & iPhones aren’t great.  Okay I was being kind, they suck!  They do a decent job of providing sound but they often fit poorly.  Apple used to provide the ear buds along with two sets of those foam covers which help keep the buds seated in your ear but they stopped doing so. While traveling last week I came across the Whoomp Ear Bud Enhancers by Comply. The Whoomps claim to better the fit of your iPod or iPhone ear buds along with offering a…


Unboxing the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel!

The Logitech G27 racing wheel is the follow up to Logitech’s wonderful G25 racing wheel that came out a few years back. It is developed mainly for the hardcore gamers who love to experience every bit of the game, and play it in true sense. It is designed to provide the best racing experience to the PlayStation gaming station users and PC gamers. Having used the G25 in the past, I would say I am a very happy owner of the fantastic G25 racing wheel made by Logitech. The G27 racing wheel from Logitech is everything a racing simulation fan…


Trexta Racing Series Case for iPhone Review: makes me go vroom vroom

Snap on back covers are a popular category in the over-crowded iPhone case market.  These simple to put on cases mostly protect the back of the iPhone and keep the phone’s profile slim. Trexta has been making accessories for wireless devices for over ten years but just recently began doing so for Apple devices. Their racing series case, which is made from genuine leather, is inspired by elements straight from the speedway. Since snap on back covers for the iPhone are available in so many variations it’s important that when companies release new versions they offer something different. Does the…


Free Word Warp for iPhone/Touch

I will admit it…I have become a word game junkie on my iPhone!!  It is a sad state of affairs, but lately, my spare time has been spent playing a number of word games.  The latest addiction is Free Word Warp.  If you have played the flash game text twist on your computer then Word Warp will seem familiar.  Lets take a quick look.


SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3: PSP Game Review

I have had a somewhat interesting history with the PSP SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo games. When the first one came out in late 2005, I was skeptical and rented it, and soon thereafter used it as an example in my ‘New Year Gaming Resolutions’ article earlier this year. Here is what I said: “The SOCOM Confirmation of the Coded Arms Games Principle – SOCOM is the type of game I don’t like too much – small single player but mostly multiplayer (see Star Wars Battlefront Principle). So I rented it. Halfway through I was thinking I should have…


Evil Islands (2001, RPG): The Netbook Gamer

If you are familiar with the PC RPG genre and think of games from Eastern European developers from early in the last decade, you will likely come up with thoughts of bug-ridden releases with loads of patches, poor translations, terrible dialogue, and overall sloppy games. Things have come a long way to the point of excellent games such as The Witcher and Drakensang and Divinity II, but it is still worth playing many of the earlier games because what they lack in polish they often make up for in original ideas and gameplay. Of course, sometimes they are junk. So…


Eos Converge Multi-room Wireless Audio System – Review

We live in a rather unusual house architecturally speaking. Built using post-and-beam construction, it may not look like a barn but it is built in the same manner. This means there are no joists or other type of space between one level and the next. The ceiling of the downstairs rooms is the floor of the upstairs rooms. Between one floor and another are just 6 inch thick boards. And every 8 feet there is a solid beam spanning the depth of the house. We love the house and its unusual look and feel. But during renovation it has posed…


PDair’s aluminum Zune HD case Review: offers solid protection at a great price

Image courtesy of Flickr We are no strangers to cases here at GearDiary. PDair has offered many cases in the past for us to take a look at, today we will take a look at the PDair aluminum case for the Zune HD. Over the past two weeks I had a chance to take the case out in the field during the Eastern Snowpocolypse and run it through some everyday situations. I am quite happy with the case so far, and plan on using the case to keep my Zune out of harms way. PDair makes a great aluminum cases…


Primo Bottom Loading Water Dispenser Review

We have all seen them and most use them daily.  The old office cooler.  The place where office rumors are spread and the big game or reality show is discussed.  There is something about that cool clean water that makes the day seem to go by faster.  What about having on in your home?  Some people might, but the main reason for not having one is that they are not exactly attractive.  For those who agree with this, Primo has released a new era of water coolers for the home.  The unit Primo allowed me to review has a stylish…


The JAVOEdge Kindle2 Cases Reviewed

JAVOedge has long been known for their PDA and phone cases, and more recently they have been making eReader cases. Today I’ve got a close look at their new Kindle 2 leather Croc cases, specifically the Book Style and Flip Style. These cases are available in red, black, blue and pink leather with a crocodile skin pattern; I was sent the red and black in Book Style and the blue in Flip Style; even though they open in completely different ways, both cases utilize a holster to maximize security and protection to the Kindle 2. I’ll admit up front that…


Overdrive Audiobooks Come to Android

If you are an audiobook fan, you know how pricey they can get. Audiobooks usually cost around $30-$40 in a bookstore, though many libraries have decent selections on-hand. The best case scenario is when your library supports Overdrive, a company that supplies digital media to libraries, schools, etc. Overdrive audiobooks usually come in WMA and MP3 flavors, but of course, they are all coated with special DRM. Even digital files have limited timeframes (usually 14 days), though at least they just expire, saving you the trouble of driving all the way to the library to return or renew them!


MacSpeech Scribe Review

I use a number of different voice to text transcription methods in my daily life. When I’m on my iMac or my MacBook Pro I use MacSpeech Dictate. It works quite well. When I’m on my iPhone I will either use Nuance’s Dragon Dictation application or Jott. Both of them work well and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. (Like the 30 second limits on speech before it needs to be transcribed.) Today a new method of transcription came online– MacSpeech Scribe– and I’ve begun to use it. What do I think? I am impressed by the accuracy of…


Samson Go Mic Compact USB Microphone – Review

For quite a while I used MacSpeech Dictate with the built-in microphones and both my iMac and my MacBook Pro. Recently, however, I began using a microphone whenever I dictate. While I find it a bit inconvenient to set up and use a microphone every time I want to dictate something, especially when using my MacBook Pro, the increased accuracy of the transcription more than makes up for the few seconds it takes to get ready. I have been using a number of different microphones but one of my current favorites is the Go Mic from Sampson. The microphone is…


Siri Assistant for iPhone Review

The iPhone has many applications to find restaurants, taxi cabs, movies or weather.  Each of these apps have a unique UI to find these places or events.  Siri has brought yet another interesting method of search and discovery. No more endless clicking on links and pages to get things done on the Internet. Delegate the work to Siri and relax while Siri takes care of it for you. Need a table for 2 at your favorite restaurant next Thursday? Just ask Siri. Need a taxi right now? Just ask Siri and with a single request the cab’s on its way….


The AT&T LG eXpo Windows Phone with Pico Projector Review

This is a joint review between Jason and Judie. Jason’s comments will be in black; Judie’s will be in blue italics. I recently got to spend a few days with the AT&T LG eXpo.  Quite honestly, the main attraction for wanting to use this Windows Mobile 6.5 packin’ phone is its ability to be used with a Pico Projector add-on for presentations, demos, or home movies.  As misfortune would have it,  the demo unit I was sent shipped without the Pico Projector.   Arggggghhhhh! : -( I received the LG eXpo a little over a month ago.  Just like Jason, I…