Reviews | Gear Diary

Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 Storage Array Review

If your drive goes south, without backup storage and some type of backup strategy, you could be in a world of hurt. Everyone here at Gear Diary knows what that means… We’ve had a couple of server issues over the past few years that have caused all of us some major pain. Enter the Elite-AL Pro Qz2. It’s a RAID drive system and backup device that will accommodate up to 8TB (yes… that’s 8 TERABYTES) of data in a single drive array. Let’s take a look and see how it does with both Windows and Mac systems. The Elite-AL Pro…

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Spb TV for Symbian S60 Review

A while ago, I ranted on a Symbian forum about what a piece of cr disappointment the Nokia N96 was, and how it’d put me off Nokia smartphones forever. Until a recent firmware update, the N96 was slow, buggy and practically unusable. It creaks so much, I’ve actually come to think of the squishy casing as a feature – use it as an expensive stress ball, and it’s entertaining; the built-in DVB-H TV tuner is essentially useless anyway. Given the vitriol, you can imagine that it’d take a lot to get me interested in using the N96 again. Spb TV…

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Innocase 360 case for BlackBerry 8900 reviewed

About three weeks ago I noticed that online case and accessory distributor Seidio was introducing a new Innocase 360 for the BlackBerry 8900. What’s unique about this case is that it includes a full keyboard cover which looks nearly identical to the BlackBerry keys. I thought the cover would be useful against wet weather and keeping stray debris away. After having spent a couple weeks using the case I can say that it indeed excels in protection while falling short in a couple other areas.

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Card Mystery Review

Are you a fan of magic tricks? I’ve always been fascinated by card tricks and while in the back of my mind I know there’s often a reasonable explanation for how most tricks are done there’s still a part of me that’s happier not knowing. Card Mystery from Sunphonia is a recently released application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will leave you wondering, “hey how’d they do that? ”

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Mobiola Snapshot for BlackBerry Review

Mobiola Snapshot is an application from Shape Services that gives BlackBerry users the ability to quickly take screen captures of applications running on their device. How well does it work? Is it worth trying out or even buying? Read on for the full review.

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GV Mobile – Update Makes It A “Must-Have” iPhone App

I would normally do a quick post over on whatsoniphone.com about an application update but this update for GV Mobile is so significant that it deserves an entire post in its own right. The application takes Google Voice and makes it a truly usable application/service on your iPhone or iPod touch. In fact, this app has now replaced the phone application at the bottom of my iPhone screen. Here’s why —

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Pogo iPhone/iPod Touch Stylus from Ten 1 Design

I know, I know, why would anyone need a stylus for their iPhone or iPod Touch? It’s designed to be finger friendly, right? Well there are a few reasons I can think of and I’ll bet, if you think about it, you’ll think of them too. Still not sure? Read on to find out and learn if the Pogo fits the bill!

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2 Games from Astraware Review

I’ve always been a big fan of Astraware. As a former Palm Pilot user I can remember playing Bejeweled on my IIIc. It’s been a long time since the days of Palm games and Astraware has come a long way since the introduction of Bejeweled. They’ve turned a blockbuster handheld game into a mega-gaming company with tons of popular titles. When Astraware asked if I’d be interested in reviewing a couple of their games for the iPhone and iPod Touch I jumped at the chance. Today I’ll be reviewing their latest game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Bubble Babble…

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Tap Tap Revenge Review: Dave Matthews Band

There’s no denying the popularity of the video console games Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Even my daughters, who range in age from 3-8, love to jam along to tunes on Rockband. Tapulous has carried over the fun that is playing a musical instrument to one of your favorite songs over to the iPhone with its game Tap Tap Revenge Dave Matthews Band. Tapulous decided to honor the release of a the band’s newest album with their latest version of the game. Tap Tap Revenge DMB showcases one of the U.S.A’s most popular bands, the Dave Matthews Band.

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Gogo iPhone 3G Cases Review

Do you want to keep the form factor of your iPhone 3G in tact but still protect the back from scratches and scuffs? Gogo makes high quality snap on back covers for the iPhone 3G. The have a variety of lines and styles to choose from. The best part about Gogo cases is they’re scratch proof. Weighing at 1 ounce and adding less than 1 mm of bulk to your iPhone, these cases keep the shape and feel of your iPhone. I was recently sent cases from their Mirror Series and from their Royal Series to review.

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iPopperz Review: Headphone or Fashion Accessory?

iPopperz are an earbud/ ear-canal headphone with added decoration. That sounds like a negative comment, but it’s not as they do not detract from the other. I have been using the headphones I was supplied with for a week on my PC for music, my laptop for Skype and on my Zune for music.

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Picsmatch Facial Recognition Software Review

You know that itch you get when you buy a new digital camera, the type of itch that makes you capture everything from kids to office supplies, at least I hope other people do that too :o) My wife is one of the smartest people I know, but I couldn’t count the times when I get a scream from the computer room, with her trying to manage all of our digital photos or asking me how to find certain pictures…that’s where Picsmatch facial recognition program comes to the rescue!

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Bug Catcher Vacuum Review – a Nifty Device

Spring is here, and along with the rains and milder days have come droves of moths, gnats, flies, mosquitoes, june bugs, mayflies, scorpions, spiders and every other weird bug that will scramble in when someone accidentally leaves the screen door open for longer than a second. I live in the country so I might have a few more bugs on my list than you would, but I know that you “city dwellers” have to deal with some of the same. I was recently on the Home Improvements website looking for some heat register deflectors and recycling bins, and I saw…

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Little Tool That Packs a Big Punch

I’ve been using the Leatherman Skeletool CX for the last year or so. It goes with me everywhere I go. I thought it was light weighing in at a mere 5 ounces. Now Leatherman has one-upped themselves again with the release of the Freestyle CX. This little knife/tool hybrid is packing one heck of a material list. To start, the Leatherman Freestyle CX features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance, making it great for those adventures that really put your gear to the test. Next the premium 154CM knife blade holds its edge three-times as long as traditional stainless…

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VAIO P Review: Tiny and Mighty

When Sony told me they had a VAIO P ready to send out to me, I was more excited about it than any other device I’ve tested in a while. Having converted to the netbook faithful with an HP Mini 1000 a few months ago, I was looking forward to trying out Sony’s attempt. The design really does trump every other netbook on the market and is extremely reminiscent of their PictureBook series of ultra ultraportables from a few years ago. It is thinner than my Mini 1000, not to mention less wide and deep. It doesn’t even make it…

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Waterfield Travel Case for Kindle Review

I love Waterfield’s cases. They are well built, have nice style and, most importantly, are super functional. I use one of their cases with my MacBook, and have one for my HP2140. Fortunately for all Kindle fans, they offer a nice selection of cases for the Kindle 1, Kindle 2 and will have some for the Kindle DX shortly after it is released this summer. I’ve used the Waterfield Travel Case for a while now and find it to be “typical Waterfield”. That’s a good thing. Let’s take a look.

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Key-Port Unboxing: The Journey Continues

Earlier this week, I wrote a Gear Diary entry about my experience over the last two years with KeyPort. I mentioned in the article that I had asked Key-Port to return my keys to me, and later that day, I heard from a Key-Port representative who assured me they’d send them back. I heard from a few “doubters,” including our own Wayne Schulz, who, jokingly, I think, wondered if I’d really ever see my keys again, and if I did get them back, what condition would they be in.

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First Impressions of the HTC Touch Diamond2

One of the more exciting announcements to come from Mobile World Congress was that HTC would be releasing the Touch Diamond2 and TouchPro2 as followups to their preceding namesakes. Neither is technically available in the US – not just yet anyway, but as luck would have it, HTC was kind enough to loan me a European version of the Diamond2.

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iSkin Revo 2 for iPhone 3G Review

The iSkin Revo was one of the most popular cases for the first generation iPhone. How does the Revo 2 for the iPhone 3G measure up? There’s no denying the Revo 2 is jammed packed with features. It offers several layers of protection and comes in a variety of color combinations.

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Audible for BlackBerry Review

Audible is an online audio bookstore. You can download audio books to burn to a CD or transfer to your favorite MP3 player (or Smartphone) of choice. Audible just released their BlackBerry application. So, how is it? It is a total exercise in frustration…

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Dome Skin Skins For iPods and iPhones – Review

I don’t like clear invisible skin protection on my devices. I know a lot of people swear by them. I know they provide excellent protection. Unfortunately, I’m just not a fan. I don’t particularly like the way they look, and I definitely don’t like the way they feel. It’s a shame because there’s no question that they gave the best consistent protection to delicate electronic devices like the iPhone. As a result, I tend to use larger, heavier cases; it’s okay but it’s not as nice or as delicate of a solution. That’s why I was interested to learn about…