Reviews

Reviews December 18, 2008

Griffin Clarififor iPhone 3G Review

I love my iPhone. I love Evernote. I love using the camera on the iPhone to snap pictures and send them to Evernote. I love the fact that when I send pictures taken on my iPhone to Evernote they are automatically scanned and completely searchable. I hate the fact that the iPhone’s camera take lousy close-ups of text. That’s why I was so excited to see that Griffin was releasing the Clarifi, a special case with the built-in lens that boosts the eye phones camera resolution. The good folks at Griffin were kind enough to send a review unit of…

Reviews December 15, 2008

Kuru Footwear Review

I am a avid walker and hiker. Sometimes I will choose to walk when I would normally drive, even if I have to take a empty backpack along to carry my purchases. Because I walk a lot, I always buy good shoes, which is why I jumped at a chance to check out these interesting shoes. Kuru Footwear gets its name from Kuru, Finland, which is an outdoor destination in Finland known for eco-tourism, environmental conservation, and many other outdoor pursuits. The company was started by a group of young and passionate lovers of the outdoors who wanted to make…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear December 12, 2008

Lexus IS F: Fast, Fun, Fierce!

“Military Intelligence” seems to have been the poster child for oxymoron for as long as I can remember. Since entering automotive journalism prior to the end of the last millennium I have had extreme difficulty using the words “Lexus” and “performance” to describe each other as well. Not anymore. Seriously … stop laughing. While Lexus has been giving the European luxury sedan segment fits for the past couple of decades, they have won many battles but fell short of winning the war. This may change things. Toyota’s luxury division has unleashed a new weapon – codename “F” – in hopes…

Reviews December 11, 2008

SuperTalent Mini PCIe SSD Drives Review

I am a huge fan of netbooks. The very first netbook, the Eee PC 701 started a frenzy of designs that even brought Dell and Lenovo into the netbook fold. One minor problem with the SSD based netbooks like the original Eee PC 701/702 and the 900/901 is that you may not have as much on-board storage as you might like. The 702 tops out at 8 GB, and that’s the model I have. While I didn’t necessarily want a lot more space, it did change how I used the little netbook; I basically dedicated the on-board storage only for…

Reviews December 10, 2008

Xlink Bluetooth Gateway BTTN Review

My wife and I have had multiple telephone lines since we were first married. Most of the time we had two lines, a “house phone” that was for personal use and a “work line” that I used professionally. That changed last year when I got rid of my “work line”. I was using my cell phone almost all the time and having to check messages on both lines became a pain. Moreover, I found myself using the landline less and less. As a result, for the last year or so when I am in front of my computer I use…

Reviews December 10, 2008

Audéo PFE (Perfect Fit Earphones) from Phonak

We review a lot of personal audio equipment here at Gear Diary, and I’ve reviewed a number of different earphone packages over the years. The Audéo PFE from Phonak are a little different than many earphone products I’ve reviewed because they have the interesting distinction of being developed by Phonak, a company that specializes in making equipment for people who are hearing impared. The claim is that the Audéo PFE provide wonderful clear sound and a “perfect fit”. Read on to see how they stood up to my expectations.

Reviews December 9, 2008

Visiontac VGPS-900 Multifunction GPS Data Logger Review

Have you ever wanted to see the exact route you had taken when driving to your relatives for the Holidays? Or have you ever had your speed demon of a teenager get a ticket? During a vacation have you ever wanted to Geotag your pictures? Well if so, then the Visiontac VGPS-900 may be just the device for you. The VGPS-900 is about the size of a zippo lighter, but thinner. The front of the device is dominated by the Point of Interest button followed by three light-up LED indicators. There’s a indicator for the log, one for GPS status…

Reviews December 8, 2008

Palm Centro: A Wise First Smartphone Choice For Those With Tiny Fingers

Sprint recently introduced two new colors to their lineup of Centro by Palm smarphones. These new colors, olive green and vibrant rose, don’t add any new features however they create a different look to the phone which may attract someone whose criteria in phone selection is color. The question I had when Sprint asked us to take a look at the phone is not whether a power user would like the phone (I think the answer is no). Rather I was curious to know if the Centro would be a good phone for your wife, kids or significant other to…

Reviews December 4, 2008

The Altec Lansing inMotion MAX Portable Speaker for iPhone and iPod Review

I’ve covered iPod stereo docks in the past, but this is one of the first I’ve seen that claims to combine a clear and powerful speaker system with a rechargeable battery for true portability. I went into this review with a bit of skepticism; I guess I just wasn’t expecting much from a battery driven speaker system. It would be up to the Altec Lansing inMotion MAX Portable Speaker for iPhone and iPod to either impress me or prove that my skepticism was warranted; read on to see what happened… Wander around the house, and take your music with you….

Reviews December 1, 2008

Cronk – An iPhone Game Review

One of the things I enjoy most about being part of the Gear Diary team and whatsoniphone.com is the opportunity to get to know some the developers creating apps for the iPhone. Over-all I have found them to be a really interesting, nice and creative bunch. Best of all, as I have discovered more than once, many are committed to constantly improving their apps and are surprisingly receptive to end-user input. This is certainly the case with the game Cronk.

Reviews November 30, 2008

Skooba Checkthrough Bag Review

Ever since 9/11, air travelers have been forced to take their shoes off, take their laptops out of bags, and…well you know the drill. Now the TSA has worked on developing a standard for letting us keep our laptop in its bag as we go through through the checkpoint. I got to take a look at Skooba Design‘s version, called the Skooba Checkthrough. The bag is actually a lot smaller than it looks and a lot larger than it looks. I know; how can it be both? Well when all zipped up, it’s a little thinner than the backpack I…

Reviews November 26, 2008

Mophie Juice Pack Review: Keeps You Connected All Day

So here I am on vacation in Aruba. The sun is warm, the waves are a bit rough and the WiFi is horrid. Seriously, the WiFi here brings me back to the good old days of dial-up, and they weren’t such good old days. As a result of the anemic WiFi I have found myself using my iPod touch far more than the HP MiniNote 1000 I picked up prior to my trip. (it is, by the way, an awesome netbook!) The touch seems to work far better for me when checking email, keeping up with my RSS feeds, and…

Reviews November 24, 2008

Motorola Krave ZN4 on Verizon Wireless Review

We all know that Apple changed the game when it came to cell phones. The iPhone’s interface is second to none currently; everyone and their brother is now trying to out do Apple. Motorola has come up with a really interesting take on a touchscreen interface that has a lot of influence from Verizon.

Reviews November 21, 2008

Super Talent Pico Gold Thumb Drive (8GB) Review

They say good things come in small packages. Well, after checking out the Super Talent Pico Thumb Drive, I am here to tell you that it is not so much good things, but great things that come in small packages. As in great big things. Like the 8GB of storage found in this tiny, 31.3 mm (yes that is millimeter) drive. How can this be? Read on to find out!

Reviews November 20, 2008

Epson WorkForce 600 Multi-Function Printer Review

The timing could not have been better. Our ancient multifunction printer had seen its last day, and we needed a good printer to replace it since I do much of my writing from my home study and my wife has recently started her own business. I was in the midst of doing the research as to which printer to buy when I was offered the opportunity to review the Epson Workforce 600. As luck would have it, the Workforce 600 was already on my shortlist. I’m glad I said “Yes” to reviewing the WorkForce 600, as this is definitely a…

Reviews November 18, 2008

Tributaries PWRS-T8/T1 Power Strip Review

For the second time in 10 years our cabin in the Pennsylvania mountains was struck by lightning. And for the second time in 10 years walls had to be opened and the house rewired before it could be usable once again. Not fun at all. (And that is WITH a lightning box installed!) This time, unfortunately, it wasn’t just the wiring that suffered. The casualties were numerous. The stove has cooked its last omelet. The dishwasher has seen its last dirty dish.The washer and dryer have seen their last load of laundry. In all, the damage was both extensive and…

Reviews November 18, 2008

Verizon BlackBerry Storm Video Review

Jason D. O’Grady of The Apple Core posted up a nice video of the soon to be released BlackBerry Storm (11/21 release date via Verizon) which is Research In Motion’s eagerly anticipated entry into the world of touch screen devices. I’m still in the “wait and see” camp on this device. I’m concerned about a lack of innovative touch applications and think most early purchasers will buy on impulse not realizing there’s no App Store (yet) and a real lack of applications. To get a sense of my definition of “lack of innovative applications” compare FaceBook for BlackBerry to FaceBook…

Reviews November 16, 2008

Devotec Solar Charger Review

If there’s one thing that I know about all of the mobile electronics I’ve got, its that power is a problem. I’ve got more device holders and power cords in my car than I know what to do with, AND I have so many that I had to get a goo-jam that increased the number of power sockets in my car from 1 to 3. Yeah…I’ve got gadgets. Now about powering them…yeah, that’s a problem too. Over the past year or so, I’ve bumped into problems where I’ve run out of power at the most inconvenient times and places. So…

Reviews November 16, 2008

Seattle Sling by Camera Armor Review

More and more people are carrying Digital SLR or Single Lense Reflex cameras as their main camera, even for taking family pictures. However, these are still very pricey cameras. Sometimes the accessories themselves can cost more than the camera body. That’s why if you have a DSLR, camcorder or other small piece of electronic equipment, you need to run – don’t walk, to the web and order yourself a Seattle Sling.

Reviews November 16, 2008

USBFever Foldable Multi Notebook Stand Review

Have you ever wanted to use your laptop but couldn’t stand how hot it is when sitting on your lap? How about using a notebook in bed? The USBFever Foldable Multi Notebook Stand may be just the thing you need for those two situations and more. I was sent the black version of the Multi Notebook Stand. The Multi Notebook Stand is very adjustable and will work for almost any notebook, except maybe desktop replacement notebooks. You can also adjust it to lie flat, so you can use it to support a projector or act as a dinner tray.

Reviews November 15, 2008

Unboxing the HTC Touch Pro (Sprint Edition)

[Note: This is a joint article being written by Doug, Lauren, and Sue. Doug’s comments will appear in normal typeface, Lauren’s in bold, and Sue’s will be italicized. We are also simultaneously posting it on both JAMM and Gear Diary.] Doug: I had a nice surprise in the mail the other day when I tore open a Fed Ex envelope to find the HTC Touch Pro. By coincidence, as you may have noticed, Lauren and Sue (for you Gear Diary readers, they are both contributors at JAMM) both also picked up the HTC Touch Pro earlier this month. So, we…

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