Reviews | Gear Diary

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…

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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…

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Flight Control for iPhone and iPod Touch Review

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be an air traffic controller, without all the stress often associated with the frenetic position? Flight Control from Firemint puts you in the seat of air traffic controller responsible for landing planes at your own airport. Get each plane to its proper runaway without crashing into another plane and you earn points. The more points you earn, the harder the game becomes. Flight Control has been in the list of top 20 paid iTunes App Stores apps for weeks. It’s a highly addictive and very challenging game. Let’s take a look.

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Radius Atomic Bass Earphones for iPhone W/ Built-in Mic – Review

I’ve become spoiled. I have reviewed numerous excellent headsets over the past year and a half, and in the process I’ve got used to the high end sound of really good buds. It was in fact, the inability to use anything but the stock Apple earbuds that prompted me to return the new Shuffle I bought in exchange for a Nano. (Although as Larry pointed out, adapters that solve this issue are on the horizon.) As a result, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the Radius Atomic Bass Aluminum Earphones for iPhone W/ Built-in Mic that were sent…

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CoverBee Netbook Case Review

Netbook popularity continues to grow every day, but cute netbook cases are still pretty hard to come by. I love my tech toys, but I also love to accessorize them. I like cases that look fresh and feminine, something different than the traditional, boring flat black leather or neoprene. There is no reason that cases can’t be both functional and attractive! There are a few companies out there that understand the desire for a pretty laptop case, and CoverBee is one of them. CoverBee is a company from Holland that is dedicated to creating functional, fashionable cases for laptops of…

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VR+ Voice Recording App for BlackBerry & iPhone Review

ShapeServices has been very busy lately, releasing a wide variety of new and updated mobile applications. You may have read Adrian’s recent review of ShapeServices’ Mobiola xPlayer, or Wayne’s coverage of their popular all-in-one instant messenger, IM+. This week I’ve been using their VR+ voice recording application, which is available for BlackBerry and iPhone/iPod Touch. VR+ lets you create voice recordings — or even entire podcasts — on the go, and share the recordings via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Blogger.com.

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Colgate Wisp – brush and freshen your teeth while on the go

Have you ever been caught away from home and wished there was a way after a big meal that you could stop and brush your teeth before going into an important client meeting? I know it’s happened to me more than once. Now there’s a way that you can freshen your breath without carrying an entire toothbrush and toothpaste in your purse or briefcase. Colgate Wisp’s claim to be able to freshen your breath while wiping the crud off your teeth – all without the use of any water. How well do they work?

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iSkin USB Power Charger Review

The iSkin USB power charger is a convenient way to charge all of your USB powered electronic devices. From your iPod to your iPhone to anything in between (providing it’s a low powered USB device with an input power rating of 5 Volts) The charger has a glossy black and gray look and it folds away for easy storage.

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Griffin Reflect Mirrored Case for iPhone 3G Review

Do you have a white iPhone and are sometimes jealous of the black? Do you have a black iPhone and want to protect it while maintaining a little bit of its original look and style. The combination of black and chrome is undeniably a sexy one and the Griffin Reflect Mirrored case from Griffin Technology puts the two together in a sleek and functional case for the iPhone 3G.

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Speck Fitted Case for iPod Touch and iPod Nano – Review

The day I got my new MacBook I immediately put a Speck SeeThru hard shell on it. At $49.95 it was expensive, but having now used it for a number of months, it was worth every penny. The case is clear, doesn’t add much thickness or weight and offers amazing protection for my MacBook. It gives me piece of mind knowing that I don’t have to “baby” my… baby. And I’m not the only one. Judie has a SeeThru on her MacBook Air and, “NEVER takes it off.” I/WE highly recommend it! Speck was kind enough to send us some…

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Review: iSkin Pro Touch for Apple Keyboard & Mouse

Do you share a computer at work? Are you kids constantly spilling things around your home computer? Do you simply want to make sure your home or work station stays clean? Do you love the Mighty Mouse but wish it had some color to it? The iSkin Pro Touch is a heavy duty silicone skin, made for the Apple Mighty Mouse, and Apple keyboards, which comes in a variety of colors. The skin protects your Mighty Mouse and Keyboard from life’s dangers while providing the user with a nice feel. I was recently sent a Pro Touch for the Apple…

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Qstarz BT-Q1000X GPS / Data Logger Review

While most people use either a car style GPS, a handheld style GPS or a phone with integrated GPS, this is a device that’s a little different. Like the Visiontac VGPS-900, the Qstar BT-Q1000X is a data logger device primarily, but can be used as a navigation device via bluetooth or USB. A data logger GPS primary function is to log where you have been. It is not as concerned with presenting data during your trip, but it’s more for creating a travel log of the places you have been.

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Wi-Ex zBoost YX510 PCS-CEL Wireless Extender Review

I live as close to the middle of nowhere as possible, and that’s how I like it. For nearly as far as the eye can see my view consists of trees, hills…and more trees and hills. I can just make out the sound of the highway if I listen carefully, but there are days when I don’t even notice it anymore. Instead I enjoy the sounds of birds chirping, wind chimes, a visiting hummingbird’s wing thrum, and always a wind in the trees which sounds suspiciously like being at the ocean when I close my eyes. Our home in an…

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Facebook for Windows Mobile Review

I have a confession: I am not a big Facebook user. I know this can get me thrown out of being a late-term gen-Xer and/or banned from geekdom, but there it is. However, despite my best attempts, I can’t avoid using it entirely. Everyone I’ve ever met or ever will meet seems to have a Facebook profile, so I do my best to keep up on a semi-regular basis. I spend a great deal of time on my phone, so when Microsoft released a Facebook app for Windows Mobile I was very excited to review it. Will this make me…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Ach du lieber! Give me back my Fahrvergnügen!

Quite often I am asked “What happens when you get a vehicle you don’t like”? Well, here goes. It has been very rare that I could not find it in my heart to enjoy something about the wide array of vehicles I have tested over the years. Each one of them seems to “speak” to me in a different way. Some through their luxury – others their fun factor. Lately, many have shone through the technological advancements in the marketplace. And then Volkswagen sends me the Routan minivan.

Reviews

Mophie Juice Pack Air Review

If you’re a hardcore iPhone user chances are you struggle with battery life sometime during your daily life. You get too involved with a game, see an extraordinary amount of e-mails, do some serious web surfing and before you know it your battery level has dropped to dangerously low levels before dinner time. There are several external battery choices in the iPhone accessory market. Some clip to the bottom and just charge the phone, others are more like cases, some even have lights and lasers. Out of all of them the Mophie Juice Pack Air is arguably the most functional…