Android Gear

AT&T FinderCodes Electronics Lost & Found Kit Review – Lose (and Find) Yourself

FinderCodes is a QR-code based lost and found system that can be used with just about anything to which you can attach a sticker. The folks at FinderCodes — which is now a brand partner with AT&T, as you’ll notice from the logo on the box in the photo above — were kind enough to provide Gear Diary with a sample kit, which contained stickers and tags of several different sizes, as well as a set of instructions. The tags also came with a couple of small rings, so they can be easily attached to a set of keys or a…


The ChargeCard USB Charger for iPhone and Android Review

If you own a mobile phone, then you inevitably have needed to charge it when away from your desk or car. USB ports seem to be everywhere anymore, but not everyone wants to carry a loose Lightning or MicroUSB cable with them; the ChargeCard fits in your wallet or makeup bag, and it makes carrying an extra charger easy to do. Just stick it in and forget about it … until you need it. Originally a Kickstarter project started in July 2012, the ChargeCard raised almost $162K after asking for $50K. Obviously there were plenty of people other than me who…


The JOBY GripTight GorillaPod Stand Review

I’ve long been a fan of JOBY’s various products. They tend to be simple, effective and well made. In fact, the very first GorillaPod tripod I reviewed is still going strong! For the past year or so, I have keeps a JOBY GripTight Micro Stand on my keychain. Just last week a person I was with said, “I wish we had brought a tripod…” I reached in my pocket, pulled out the GripTight Micro Stand and said, “Here, try this…” It worked perfectly. That’s the beauty of JOBY’s products- they solve simple problems in a variety of ways. Now the…


Spigen SGP Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4 Review

Do you need Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? No. Are they worth the $9.99 price of admission to get three of Spigen SGP’s Aluminum Home Buttons for Samsung GALAXY S4? That depends. If you want to bring a bit of customization to your Samsung super-phone or prefer a Home Button with a bit more tactile feel the SGP Home Buttons might be a good choice for you. If, on the other hand, you don’t need to add bling to your S4-thing you may want to save the ten bucks. Here’s a look at what they offer….


Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4 Review – Puts Your S4 On a Diet

If you are looking for a case that will give a bit of scratch protection to your Samsung GALAXY S4 while adding as little bulk and weight as possible, then you will want to check out the Spigen SGP Ultra Fit for the Samsung GALAXY S4. On Amazon for under $10, this case is just about as minimalist a case as you are going to find. No, it is not for the accident-prone S4 owner but those who tend to be careful with their smartphones and want a bit of extra protection will likely be quite happy! As you can…


Eye-Fi Mobi Memory Card Review – Your Camera Wants One Now!

One of the big selling points of the Sony NEX-6 I recently purchased was the built-in WiFi that allows for wireless on-the-go transfers from the camera to an iOS device. (Yeah, I like the small size, awesome picture quality and interchangeable lenses too but this WiFi thing really caught my eye!) Fortunately you don’t need to go out and buy a new camera in order to get wireless on-the-go transfers of images from your camera to you mobile device. Eye-Fi’s new mobi SD card lets anyone add the functionality to just about any camera. And with an 8GB card running…


SETA Smartphone Stand Review

When I first set eyes on the SETA Smartphone Stand, I was initially underwhelmed.  Not knowing anything about the product before receiving the review sample, I saw the simple stand thought, “What’s the big deal?”  Then, I did my research and realized that this stand is more than just something to lean your smartphone against.  Once I peeled off the plastic protective cover and placed my phone on the pad, I was instantly impressed.  The SETA Smartphone Stand may be one of the best smartphone stands on the market.


Spigen SGP Crumena View Pouch for Samsung GALAXY S4 Allows You to See Clearly

One of the features that impressed me when I first say the Samsung GALAXY S4 at the Samsung Press conference announcing it was the smart screen functionality when combined with Samsung’s S Covers. The pairing of the special cover and the screen functionality allows S4 users to see key information without even opening the smartphone’s screen. It is a nice touch that adds a level of functionality and convenience that, while not necessary, sure is nice. Spigen SGP Crumena View Pouch also takes advantage of this functionality. As the name suggests it is a pouch and, thanks to THIS pairing…


Spigen SGP Ultra Thin Air Transparency Case for Samsung GALAXY S4 Review

If you are looking for simple protection for you Samsung GALAXY S4 smartphone that won’t add much bulk or weight to the device you will want to check out Spigen SGP’s Ultra Thin Air. The Ultra Thin Air is exactly what the name would suggest — a simple, super-thin, super-light snap on case that protects the back, sides and corners of the Samsung GALAXY S4. Here’s a video look… As you can see in the video, this is the Crystal Clear Transparency version of the Spigen SGP Ultra Thin Air Transparency for Samsung GALAXY S4. The case itself is made from…


WWDC iOS 7 Announcement from an Android User’s Point of View

  Even though I am not a regular iOS user, I still watched the 2013 WWDC keynote as much of the Gear Diary team did.  The blogosphere as a whole has had a lot to say about the similarities of some iOS features.  It’s undeniable that Apple has drawn from Android, WebOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 here, but unlike some Android users, I am not mad at all. In fact,  if I were Google, I would take it as a complement. Apple recognized that they didn’t have some of the features that Android did, and they figured out how to make…


ZAGG invisibleSHIELD for HTC One Review

The HTC One’s slick aluminium design looks great, but it doesn’t take much time in the real world to pick up scuffs and scratches if you go caseless. Enter the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD, a product designed to keep the slim profile, but not leave you completely unprotected. The ZAGG invisibleSHIELD Full Body for the HTC One is made up of two pieces of adhesive rubberised film, one each for the front and back. Included in the “kit” is a small spray bottle of distilled water, a squeegee and a microfibre cloth for getting your device clean. Straight up I decided not…


iStabilizer tabMount Holds Your Tablet Right

I’m a huge fan of the various products from iStabilizer. From their Flex smartphone holder to their Glass, to their Monopod, iStabilizer is one of those small companies whose products don’t grab a lot of attention, but they still stand out because they not only do their job, they do their job well. A few months ago iStabilizer went on Kickstarter to raise funds for their next offering — the iStabilizer tabMount. The iStabilizer tabMount was intended to be exactly what the name implies — a mount for your tablet.


Toddy Screensters Clean Your Screen with Character

If you own any device with a touchscreen, then you know all too well how quickly and easily they get dirt and grease and all sorts of crud all over them. I tend to have a small microfiber wipe with me in my car and my laptop bag at all times, and a couple of my jackets have them on the inside pockets. But for those looking to wipe their screens with a bit more ‘character’ than a simple square microfiber wipe, Toddy introduced Screensters. They sent me a couple to try out, so let’s take a look!


Waterfield SFBags Has Your Samsung GALAXY S4 Covered!

Whenever I get a new device I always jumped over to the Waterfield SF bag website to see what the company might have to protect it. Waterfield cases, pouches and bags are high-quality, well designed accessories that promise to protect your device for its life and beyond. I can honestly say that I have used/currently use a Waterfield product with every device I own. And while I don’t have a Samsung GALAXY S4 (yet…) I know many of you do and if you are looking for a stylish way to protect the new Samsung super phone you’ll want to check…


Magnet Stick-On Periscope Lense for iPhone and Camera Phones Surfaces

    The good folks at USBFever work very hard to bring plenty of the most unusual peripherals and accessories for iPhones and other smartphones to the market. From the most simple and functional to the rather esoteric offbeat tech, USBFever has got you covered! Take camera lens add-ons for cell phones. Some of you might think, “What else is there, more zoom to the telescopic lenses?” No, you’d be wrong there. The latest to swim into view is in fact the curious Magnet Stick-On Periscope Lens for the iPhone and Camera Phones. Maybe you are tired of having to…


Rokform Rokshield v3 and v3 Suction Mount for iPhone 5 Review

Some weeks ago, I had the opportunity to review the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 (read the review). The case itself offers nice protection, but that wasn’t what stood out for me. No, what stood out when I reviewed the case at the time was the numerous possibilities a case like this afforded any iPhone user. Why is that so? Simple, the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is more a system than it is a case. The Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is a hard case, but it also ships with a rubber bumper that wraps around it…


Pebble E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android Review

Back in early May of 2012, Dan posted an article about both Judie and him supporting the Pebble e-Paper Watch Kickstarter project. The project became noteworthy in that it became one of the most heavily supported Kickstarter projects in Kickstarter history. Initially hoping to raise $100,000, it meet that goal two hours after going live. In less than a week it raised nearly $5 million dollars — talk about interest in a project! While the concept of smartwatches was not new, the notion of a dual Android/iOS notification smartwatch that could support 3rd party applications and be extremely customizable was very intriguing…


Divoom OnBeat X1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

To be honest, most of my gaming — whether PC, Mac, DS, PSP, iOS or Android — is done either with headphones or with the device muted. There are a couple of reasons for this: first to allow for ‘gaming anywhere’; the second because ever since playing games such as Thief in the late 90s, I have appreciated directional sound and the nuances of quality headphones. But sometimes when playing a shooter what I really want is a nice booming rattle – but that won’t happen with an iPad. Now Divoom introduces the OnBeat X1 and promises the ‘ultimate gaming…


MiPow Boom Bluetooth Speaker Review

We posted our review of the MiPow Boom mini the other day. (Read it.) The speaker is tiny but the sound is anything but tinny. I’m impressed by the sound such a small speaker is able to pump out and I still can’t believe that, after using the speaker pretty continually since we got here to Jamaica, I still have not had to charge it. There is no question in my mind that MiPow’s battery rating is more than a bit conservative. The company also sent me the first ever review sample of the MiPow Boom. This speaker, the larger…


The Scosche boomBOTTLE Is a Ruggedized Portable Speaker for Tunes on the Go

We’ve reviewed a host of different Bluetooth speakers but never one quite like this. The Scosche boomBOTTLE is a new mobile speaker that is ideal for streaming music while biking, hiking, camping and more. The boomBOTTLE not only has a unique design, but it has the features to match. A durable non-slip, shock absorbing TPU exterior is strong enough to withstand drops or vibrations caused from rough terrain, which makes it perfect for biking. An IP4X rated weatherproof construction means you can use the boomBOTTLE even when it is wet outside. The boomBOTTLE even features sealed dustproof speaker grills. The…


Slickwraps Add Colorful Skins to Your New Pebble Watch

The other day I received my Kickstarter Pebble Watch in the mail, and I was excited as you might imagine. However, as I began to use it, I quickly noticed how well the device face ergonomics might lend itself to skinning and screen protection. As it turns out, Slickwraps.com has released attractive skins to do just that with their Wraps for the Pebble Watch. Now Pebble Watch owners can choose one of 38 skins to customize their Pebbles the way they want. The skins boast an accurate Pebble face template, and cover not only the periphery around the watch face but…