Anything to Keep the Lights On!
The above is an actual offer Sarah received from Borders Rewards today. Apparently if you’re not buying books, maybe you’d care for a nice glass of Cabernet with a side of Borders Bucks?
Anything to Keep the Lights On!
Evouni Gadget Accessories Stylish and Chic
Gadget accessory company Evouni (I will leave the pronunciation up to you) sent GearDiary.com a few items recently, three of which made it into my hands.
AT&T Shows the Way (NOT!) – Adventures in Customer Service
I began this post as an opinion post but have decided to instead simply share my conversation with a representative from AT&T Mobile. By way of I production let me share a bit of background. My house gets next to no connectivity with AT&T. My wife’s Blackberry is a bit better than my iPhone but both leave much to be desired. At times the connectivity is passable but at other times it is non-existent. We have stayed with AT&T for a host of reasons, not the least of which has been the iPhone for the past few years. With the…
eBook Readers for Valentine’s Day
If you’re considering getting your loved one an ebook reader for V-Day, you’re in luck! The fine folks behind many popular ebook readers clearly think a book for Valentine’s Day is better when it comes in electronic form, and they’ve thrown together some sweet deals! B&N Rumors that NOOKcolors were off the shelves have been greatly exaggerated. B&N is touting it as the perfect Valentine’s day gift, and they’re offering 30% off select cases if you buy between now and V-Day. Looking to buy a NOOK WiFi or 3G instead? B&N is also offering 50% select Kate Spade cases for those…
Announcing the Winner of the Amplicom Alarm Clock
Congratulations to SLNew, the winner of the Amplicom Alarm Clock! His winning entry: I would love this for my father. At 84 his hearing is failing and he complains that standard alarm clocks don’t wake him any longer. Check your email for more details, and I hope your father enjoys the alarm clock! Remember, for everyone who didn’t win you can purchase your own Amplicom Alarm Clock here.
Roman Catholic Church Sanctioned Confession App Leaves Me Scratching My Head
I’m not a Catholic, however I can’t help but be fascinated by the church’s ~2000 year history. I’ve even attended a midnight mass or two on Christmas Eve with friends over the years, and I’ve got to tell you — for sheer pageantry, tradition and eye-candy, it is hard to beat a Roman Catholic service performed in a beautifully decorated cathedral complete with full portions spoken or sung in Latin; it’s really impressive. However there are rites and procedures expected by those practicing Catholicism that I don’t fully understand, and one of them is confession. From what I have observed…
#1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t)
Everyone seems to be freaking out about the recently revealed pricing for the upcoming Motorola XOOM tablet. On the surface that seems silly: the XOOM has a dual-core processor, a 1280×720 10.2 inch touch screen, two cameras (a 5MP rear camera with flash and a 2MP ‘webcam’), as well as the latest Android 3.0 operating system. On paper it seems like the XOOM completely blows away the iPad, but as we have learned with the fictitious Samsung Tab sales numbers, having better specs means little. An article at eWeek lists 10 reasons why the XOOM is overpriced, but there was…
2011 GMC Acadia Denali Brings the Bling
Glitz and glamour are no longer reserved for the Cadillac bunch. Denali packages have been offered on GMC Sierra pickups for years and bring a certain sparkle to the lineup. That sparkle is being spread. The “Professional Grade” division of General Motors has added the top-of-the-line Denali trim package to its Acadia crossover utility vehicle. Acadia is GMC’s larger-than-mid-sized CUV that is made for families who want the capacity of a big ute but not the heft usually associated with frame-based models such as the Yukon. The Acadia is unibody construction, powered by a slightly more fuel-efficient V-6 engine and…
GD Quickie: It’s Getting to be THAT Time of Year
I keep professional contacts with loads of folks in different industries all over the country, and after a couple of years of them being divided between ‘I’m happy to still have a job’ and ‘oh crap, I no longer have a job’ … this is the first year folks are starting to discuss raises. Having talked to several people in the last few weeks I have found a few basic themes: there are ~1% companies like Google who are saying ‘we had a great year – here, have some money’. Then there are the companies that are still struggling –…
Grammar R Us: Facebook Drama Battles!
In a text I sent yesterday I inadvertently used ‘here’ when I intended ‘hear’ … but of course, once it is gone you can’t edit it! Now we have a Facebook battle celebrating an even more epic battle: the use of ‘your’ versus ‘you’re’. Just in case you were wondering … Emma has it right, and we love her for her patience and diligence trying to help her friend. Source: Buzzfeed
iPad Accessory Review: Speck CandyShell Wrap
Speck’s CandyShell cases are among the company’s most popular and protective cases. The CandyShell style is available for a host of different devices including the iPad. The CandyShell does a great job of protecting the device’s back and sides but, because of its design, it does nothing to protect the screen. That change with the recently released CandyShell Wrap. The CandyShell Wrap has all the tasty goodness of the original CandyShell for iPad PLUS it adds in a removable cover that not only protects the iPad’s screen but also creates a stand that holds the iPad at the perfect angle…
PC Game Review: Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania
Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania was released just over six months after Majesty 2: Kingmaker and only a year since of the original Majesty 2, long enough for me to have played loads of games … but soon enough that playing the new expansion Battles of Ardania feels like returning home to see an old friend. The Hype: When there is peace in the kingdom, and nothing has happened in a month, any good King would itch for war. And even if not a full scale war, then at least for a skirmish; and if there is no skirmish, then…
Here is Every Password You Will Ever Need!
Someone at Gear Diary recently had one of their personal accounts hacked, which should be yet another reminder to everyone that you never know when or why one of your accounts might get compromised. Last year I had an issue with my Facebook account, and several years ago my Steam account got hijacked. It can happen to anyone, anytime … but the passwords you use can help keep you more secure. Last week there was a interesting infograph about the 20 top passwords of all time. Here is a snip from the graph: Amusingly this week there was an article…
GD Quickie: Pay No Attention to the ’60 Minutes’ On Your Flip Mino HD
I love my Flip Mino HD, I really do. Since getting it I have used it extensively, capturing tons of our kids’ activities and so on easily and without any fuss. There are no accessible settings – you just record and use the digital zoom. But until last week I never really pushed it. Sure I have had it run out of time on me, but that is after capturing a bunch of different clips, usually during the holiday school concert season. But last week both of my kids had lead roles in the middle school play. Based on last…
Real Page Numbers Coming to the Kindle!
It’s the biggest complaint about ebooks, and Amazon’s Kindle in particular; page numbers go wonky when you convert a book to e-form! It makes it difficult to track between paper and ebook form (say, for a class or a book club), plus it’s just an easy target when you want a reason to complain about ebook flaws. 😉 Not anymore! According to the Kindle Blog: – Real Page Numbers – Our customers have told us they want real page numbers that match the page numbers in print books so they can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others…
Review- Altec Lansing inMotion Air Speaker System
I had the opportunity to spend some time at Altec Lansing’s headquarters in Milford Pennsylvania the other day. They were kind enough to let me see the inner workings of the company and to visit some of their sound labs. While I can’t go into detail on much of what I actually saw I can tell you that I came away from the visit more than a bit impressed. The company puts so much care, concern and expertise into their products; and it shows. Perhaps the best way to summarize the difference between the company and some of their many…
Music Diary Quickie: The Music of Super Bowl XLV!
Generally there are two reasons to watch the Super Bowl: the game and the commercials. But some folks look forward to the half-time show as well. But there is even more music, and last night we had two pre-game songs including America the Beautiful as well as the National Anthem. Was any of it tolerable? Here is my quick take. Lea Michele sings America the Beautiful Gleeks know her well as the talented but full-of-herself Rachel, but she is also becoming known for her ‘diva’ like behavior in real life, such as when she snubbed a fan who just happens…
Paperback and eBook Price Differences!
Generally speaking, I tend to buy eBooks over paper books. I like reading on my Kindle, and since I am usually reading more than one book at once it saves me the trouble of juggling several books on my nightstand or gear bag. My only major exception is if the book is not available in eBook form. I did trip across another reason to buy the paperback version over an eBook this week, though… That’s a screenshot of the listing for the Kindle edition of Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food”. Note that Amazon makes sure to tell you this…
SCOTTEVEST Women’s Trench Review
When done correctly, a woman’s trench coat is the perfect jacket. A trench keeps its wearer warm, but it isn’t too heavy; trench coats are belted, so the woman wearing one gains an instant hourglass figure — whether she has one or not! The right trench coat can add instant sophistication to even the most basic outfit; but best of all, a well-cut trench coat can hide a multitude of figure flaws while taking an outfit from day to night. Scott Jordan let us know last October that SCOTTEVEST would be coming out with a women’s trench coat, and the…
New Mac Switcher? There’s an App for That!
Switching to a Mac is exciting and fun, but if you’re coming from Windows it can be quite intimidating. Luckily, the enterprising developers at It’s About Time have a handy app to make that easier for you. Normally it’s $24.95, or bundled as part of a $99 Parallels deal, but right now in the Mac App Store, it’s at the bargain bin price of just $0.99! At that price, even if you’re not a total mac newbie you may want to see if there are any new tricks you don’t already know! Check out the video demo, and then let…
Star Wars: Frames for the True Fans
Possibly just in time for Valentine’s day, but definitely in time for graduation or late spring and summer birthdays, comes the ultimate gift for any Star Wars aficionado: Star Wars: Frames. Imagine if you will, George Lucas sitting in his office with every Star Wars movie at his disposal. Imagine him sorting through millions of individual frames as he picks and chooses his favorites; every battle, every character’s emotion, every iconic scene laid out in front of him. The result of his selection process would ultimately become Star Wars: Frames, an 1,138 copies limited edition. Each set comes in an…