Liquid-Armor Invisible Nano-Coating Tech Screen Protector for Tablets and eReaders Review

all photos by Kevin Stanford Like many who ordered an iPhone 5 when they were first available, I didn’t have any kind of case, screen protector, or protective skin on hand when mine arrived. I did have a review sample of Dynaflo’s Liquid-Armor, however. Nano-coating tech? What’s that all about? I was ready to find out! Included in the package are one 0.33 ounce bottle of Liquid-Armor fluid, an 8″ x 8″ microfiber cloth, and a second, smaller (bonus) microfiber cloth The Dynaflo site says that the Liquid-Armor system – Provides scratch-resistant surface for normal wear and tear. – Screen…

Music Diary, Reviews

Emily Remler a Retrospective Look at Her Music

Last week would have been the 55th birthday of jazz guitarist Emily Remler … had she not died in 1990. To commemorate this great jazz guitarist and one of the pioneering female instrumentalists, I wanted to do a retrospective of her musical legacy. There are way too many tales of artists who have died too young … it is just sad how many times we see examples of talented people whose careers were cut short because of their own self-destructive choices. In the case of Emily Remler, she died of a heart attack … no doubt exacerbated by some substance…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2013 Nissan 370Z Coupe in Steamy, Hot Magma Red

Certain automotive formulas work for some automakers. Porsche has its 911, Ford has the Mustang, BMW (of course) the 3-Series and for Nissan it’s the Z. Build a good car that is fun to drive, back it with a loyal customer base and the model line is set for a long lifespan – 43 years in the case of the Nissan sport coupe. “Since the original 1970 Z was first introduced our goal has always been to keep the design moving forward. The changes for 2013, though subtle, go a long way in enhancing its dynamic appearance inside and out,”…

Reviews

The Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Review

all photos by Kevin Stanford It’s hard not to get excited when a new phone shows up for review, especially when one boasts all of the bells and whistles found in the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE. This particular Droid model was announced earlier this year at CTIA, and I have been using it off and on for the past month. What I’ve learned during this time is that while the Incredible has a slightly smaller build than most of the higher-end Android phones we’ve seen lately, you won’t be compromising too much with this device, and there’s much to…

Music Diary, News, Reviews

Hands-on Review of AmpliTube 2.5 (now 2.6!) and Amplitube Fender 1.2

IK Multimedia recently released major updates to their AmpliTube and AmpliTube Fender amplifier simulation apps for iOS devices, which I wrote about here. If you follow Gear Diary, then you know that aside from a quick blurb we seldom do a ‘deep dive’ on a ‘point release’ update … but this time there was a reason! Read on and see if the new AmpliTube is for you! The Hype: • Full MIDI Integration. This feature allows users to control AmpliTube Fender 1.2 via standard MIDI controllers using an iOS MIDI interface such as iRig MIDI. This allows to remotely switch…

Music Diary

Slacker Just Keeps Delivering the Goods

We do a fair amount of coverage on Slacker Radio at Gear Diary, and for me it is because I use the service all the time. In fact, apart from my own music collection, the second place I head for music is Slacker … before Spotify or other services. Over the summer they expanded their ‘Artist Showcase’ series with several additions, most recently adding Train: Slacker Radio is launching their 23rd Artist Showcase station, hosted by the award-winning and chart-topping band Train. “Save Me, San Francisco Radio” features songs hand-selected by the core of the band – Pat Monahan, Jimmy…

Editorials

iPhone 5 Event Rumors Makes Me Ask, Does Anyone Care About a New iPod Touch?

As Dan mentioned, Apple is rumored to be announcing several things this week, such as the iPhone 5, releasing iOS 6, and possibly the iPad Mini, new iPods, new iMacs, and who knows what else. We don’t ‘do rumors’ at Gear Diary, but of course we have heard stuff – as has everyone – and we only have a few days to find out what is real. So the question I am left asking is: who really cares about a new iPod Touch? Over the last couple of years the distinction between content creation and content consumption has become increasingly stark,…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, a Hands-On Driving Experience

As I mentioned the other day, I had the opportunity to take a trip with a couple of dozen bloggers out to Park City, Utah over the weekend to check out the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. I described the incredible experience staying at the Montage Deer Valley resort, the awesome treatment from the hotel staff and all of the folks at Hyundai, and some of the great diversions such as trips to Sundance and Utah Olympic Park, as well as my own trail runs. What I was NOT yet able to describe was the actual drive experience. Hyundai ran…

Health and Fitness

Does Organic Mean “More Nutritious”?

I am going to admit that while we eat a lot of fruits and veggies in my house, I can’t always bring myself to buy organic. I try to, but sometimes certain foods are just too expensive or unavailable in my area. Still, it’s always in the back of my head that it would be “better” if we bought more organic produce, but is it actually more nutritionally sound? According to a new study, it depends. There is no magic change that makes foods healthier when they are grown organic. NPR did an excellent job breaking this down into layman’s…

Reviews

Steadicam Smoothee Video Review

Some gear reviews require tons of pictures and text. Others don’t. This video look and review falls into the latter category. Why? Because the video we shot says pretty much everything that needs to be said about the Steadicam Smoothee. This is a gadget that lets you shoot video with your iPhone (or other small video devices so long as you have the proper mount) and get far smoother and better results than you would were you simply holding the phone. It works. It works well. I’m impressed. It took me a while to get fairly decent with the Steadicam…

Editorials

China Rebuttal of U.S. Human Rights Report is Fascinating – and Scary – Reading

And the bottom line is this – for the most part they are correct if not technically accurate. OK, let me step back for a second. This weekend I was away and traveled by air. As I was waiting for my final plane to load, I was watching CNN on a big screen, and in a ‘special report’ he was talking about the Chinese rebuttal to the US Human Rights report that was highly critical of China. The blurb was quick and due to airport noise I missed most of it, but it intrigued me enough to search it out…

Health and Fitness, News

Garmin Introduces the Entry-Level Forerunner 10 GPS Watch for Runners

When Carly and I went for our run at GearFest in July, something that came with each of us was our GPS watch. We compared and contrasted the features and results in a video here, but the bottom line is this: we both firmly believe that using a GPS watch has made us better runners. Two of the problems with GPS watches are that they are bulky and expensive. More recently watches have dropped below $200, which is the range both of our watches cost. But the bulky part has only somewhat diminished from the Garmin 305 days to current…

Editorials, Game Diary

When Compared to Zynga, Suddenly EA is the GOOD Guy!

I think it is accurate to say that I have shown Electronic Arts VERY little kindness in my posts about them. I think they are greedy, petty, and petulant megalomaniacs as a corporate personality, and have a well-established history of buying properties, destroying studios, and running game franchises into the ground while extracting maximum financial gain from the ashes of former greatness. That said, they are not always wrong. They have stood up for marriage equality, have corrected many of the worker issues to the point where they are now a good place to work, and they put out loads…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

Hyundai Takes Us up the Mountain to Discover the New Santa Fe!

If you really want people to experience a new SUV, what is the best way? How about taking them up a mountainous location at about 8500 feet elevation! And if you are looking to engage with media beyond the typical automotive press, what better way than to bring in people heavily engaged in social media such as Chip Chick, GeekDad and of course, Gear Diary! That is exactly what Hyundai did to introduce their new 2013 Santa Fe. After a week of normal work with the traditional automotive press, they brought in nearly two dozen bloggers whose sites range from…

Game Diary, Reviews

Madden NFL 13 Review for PlayStation 3

Electronic Arts expands their annual U.S. pro football video game with several new features while raising the replay value to new levels in their latest football simulation game Madden NFL 13. The Hype Developed around the powerful, all-new Infinity game engine, Madden NFL 13 delivers a more engrossing, complete and realistic gridiron experience than any game before it. Key game features include: graphical presentation reminiscent of national television broadcasts, gameplay improvements such as a new pass-ready system, improved play action, and the all-new read and react defensive AI system, Madden social/play functionality, multiplayer support online and offline, and the ability…

Vehicles & Gear

Stop-start Technology Making Its Way to American-Market Vehicles

Imagine this: You pull up to a stop light in rush-hour traffic and BAM – your engine stops. For many drivers this is a huge fear, but for others, this is the new normal. Regarding the latter, this is the new stop-start technology that is finding its way into new vehicles. This technology has been in vehicles overseas and is now working its way into vehicles sold in North America. “Engine stop-start isn’t a brand new technology, but the latest systems benefit from significant advances made in the last few years,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s Director of Automotive Engineering and…

Editorials

Washington DC Police Chief Issues Reasonable Citizen Cell-Camera Guidelines

If you keep an eye on the news, you probably have heard that the ubiquity of smartphones with capable video cameras in recent years has drastically changed how we view many things. Go to a concert and you will see hundreds (if not thousands) of people videotaping the proceedings; no longer are the aisles at school functions filled with bulky tripods for large camcorders; and if there is an arrest or other criminal activity in progress in a public location you can be sure there is video rolling. Technology has advanced a great deal from 20 years ago and the…

Editorials, News, Travel

Full Body Scans, the TSA and the Law: The Legal Maneuvers Continue

I used to travel a lot — basically once a week. I had a job in California, but my family lives in Austin. (it was 2008–I took whatever I could find.) So I spent a lot of time in airports, eating, pulling luggage, searching for power outlets, unlacing and relacing my shoes, and getting scanned. Over that period, airports were transitioning from X-Ray-only to those “strip you naked” full-body scanners. To say that I am dubious about these devices, their use, the lack of privacy, and so on would be a massive understatement. The makers of the most popular machines…

News

iPhone 4 Cases Get Patriotic With Griffin’s New “Nations” Lineup

July 4th is long gone, but before you put away your flags and USA-themed partyware, check out Griffin Technology’s latest case line for iPhone 4 / 4S. Arriving just in time for the 2012 Olympics, this protective gear will keep your smartphone looking festive and patriotic. As a company known for their innovations in the world of electronic accessories, Griffin builds sturdy, well-designed cases to keep your i-baby safe from harm. “The Nations Cases are not only festive, but they deflect everyday bumps and scratches, without hindering your access to the Multi-Touch display, controls and connectors,” said Todd Word, Sales…

Reviews, Travel

Skooba Design Laptop Weekender V.3 Review (Spoiler- You Want This!)

Hi, my name is Dan and I am the poster child for Over-packers Anonymous. It’s true. I have a packing problem. When I go anywhere I fill whatever bags I am bringing to overflowing and then I add a bit more. And that holds true for my cloths, my electronics and my incidentals. The result? When I went to Aruba last December I brought three times as much as I needed. When I went to Vegas for CES I brought twice as much as I needed. And when I went to Dearborn for GoFurther with Ford last month I had…

News, Reviews

Hands-On Video Review of Google Nexus 7 and My ‘7-Day Nexus Challenge’

By now, anyone who tracks mobile technology has heard something about the ASUS-made Google Nexus 7. We’ve already heard it alternately described as a ‘Kindle Fire Killer’, an ‘iPad Killer’, or “just another 7″ tablet to toss on the pile”. Let’s take a quick look at the Nexus 7, and the challenge I am undertaking! The Hype: For a limited time, includes $25 of credit to spend in the Play store, as well as some great free content like your own copy of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. THIN, LIGHT AND PORTABLE: Nexus 7 is a no compromise Android tablet that’s designed to…

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