iPod and Touch Devices

Libratone Zipp AirPlay Speaker Review

Reviews

Libratone Zipp AirPlay Speaker Review

Last week I offered a first look and video of the Libratone Zipp. The airplay speaker fuses European aesthetics with Cupertinian technology. The round speaker works fine at home, but it also runs on battery power so you can take it on the go. Libratone, who already offered two different speakers designed for home use has now made a speaker that is ready to, as they put it, “Leave the House”. From Libratone: Share your music anywhere, anytime! Libratone Zipp is an easy-to-use, wireless sound system wrapped in changeable Italian wool. Stream your favourite tunes with PlayDirect™ and AirPlay technology, directly…

xPrintServer Home Edition Review

Reviews

xPrintServer Home Edition Review

At long last, I have my entire staff using iPads. In addition, after months of planning we have finally set up our school’s iPads for use with the interactive Bar Mitzvah training program I have created. More and more I expect we will see the staff and school iPad being used for a host of different purposes. One of my colleagues did, however, raise a question the other day. “How,” she asked, “do we print from these things if we need to?” It is an EXCELLENT question and, as luck would have it, I had just received a review sample…

Check Out the New Apple iPod Commercial 'Bounce'

Music Diary, News

Check Out the New Apple iPod Commercial ‘Bounce’

Apple’s latest ad is for their now-shipping updated iPod line, which has the simple description: Every iPod now in color. The commercial is about the cool and colorful iPod new line-up and offers seamless transitions between the Touch, Nano and Shuffle accompanied by a funky song. It is a positive, good-feeling commercial. Some things (good and bad) not mentioned in the video: + The 5th gen iPod Touch is the most ‘iPhone-like’ version yet. – The iPod Touch STILL doesn’t contain a GPS + The Nano is incredibly small and has a 2.5″ screen – But you have to load the Nano…

My Journey to the Dark Side...er, Apple is Complete

Editorials

My Journey to the Dark Side…er, Apple is Complete

A long time ago, in a service provider far, far away, I had joined the ranks of mobile phone users, sporting a Motorola Razr V3m back when it was de rigueur for mobile types. For a time I was content, and as technology evolved I migrated my mobile phones, ever searching for the trifecta of ease of use, reliability and variety of peripherals. Here is a representation of all the major phones I’ve owned and heavily used over the past seven years or so. Certainly a lot less than some Gear Diary members or readers out there, but a variety nonetheless….

Five Ways the iPhone 5 Event Disappointed, and One Sign It Started the 'Great Apple Decline'

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear

Five Ways the iPhone 5 Event Disappointed, and One Sign It Started the ‘Great Apple Decline’

So we have lived through yet another iPhone announcement, the first one conducted by Tim Cook and out of the ‘shadow of Steve Jobs’. The conclusions? Some pretty sweet looking iPhone hardware, promising stuff for iOS 6, iCloud and iTunes, and a welcome refresh for the iPod line. But if you look around at tech websites there is much gnashing of teeth and hand-wringing amongst the Apple fan-sites, sneering derision from Android fan-sites, and hopes of a market share beyond 5% from the Windows Phone faithful who were just happy to see the Nokia Lumia 920 in spec line-ups with…

Join Us for the Apple iPhone 5 Press Event!

Events

Join Us for the Apple iPhone 5 Press Event!

Are you ready to see the end of all the rumors and speculation regarding the newest iPhone? We are, too! Let’s get something straight, although we do our best not to report on rumors, it doesn’t mean we don’t read them. We have, and we’ve gotten more and more excited. Sure it does seem like pretty much everything that needs to be known about the new iPhone has already been leaked, but that doesn’t guarantee the rumors are correct and, even if they are, it doesn’t make us any less excited for the announcements and that One more thing…! And…

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

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,…

iPhone 4 Cases Get Patriotic With Griffin's New "Nations" Lineup

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…

Apple's WWDC News As It Comes In From the Keynote Talk

News

Apple’s WWDC News As It Comes In From the Keynote Talk

12:50 EST: We’ll be following the news as it rolls in from the WWDC Keynote. Join us for a conversation in the comments below… So the question of the hours as we are five minutes out… why ONE announcement are you most hoping for? And we are off- Tim Cook is up on stage… no, wait, Siri is doing the intro. (Cute…) “I am excited about the new Samsung, not the phone, the refrigerator.” ( hahaha eh) Now Cook is on stage. 23rd WWDC, sold out in under 2 hours. App Store: 400 million accounts (equals 400 million examples of…

Join the Conversation During and After Apple's WWDC Tomorrow

News

Join the Conversation During and After Apple’s WWDC Tomorrow

Apple’s WWDC 2012 kicks off tomorrow, and the keynote begins at 1pm EST. While we wish we were there, we’re going to do the next best thing —  follow a number of the feeds simultaneously, and offer you the highlights on the day’s doings with a touch of colorful commentary and a full team conversation in the comments section. Of course, the rumors are flying but, as always, until the news is actually announced, it is nothing but rumor. One rumor that does seem likely to come true is that iOS 6 won’t support the original iPad. The rumor certainly…

iPad-mini? iPod touch HD? iPhablet? A Gear Chat

News

iPad-mini? iPod touch HD? iPhablet? A Gear Chat

The new… iPod Phablet I blame Francis. After all, he got the ball rolling when he asked the team:   Apple 5″ device, how likely are we thinking? I still have my bets on a smaller iPad, but not sure about 5″.       Carly jumped in with: Unless they bump the iPod touch to 5in to differentiate it.       Chris then said: I could see them doing that to the iPod touch possible, but not the iPhone.       I (Dan) then commented: That’s the post I was roughing out- the case for the iPod…

iLuv DualJack; Now, Why Didn't I Think of That?

News

iLuv DualJack; Now, Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Every now and then a product comes along that makes me say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” iLuv has new “Premium Audio Cables and Charging and Sync Solutions” available as part of their myLink collection, and one of them fits the bill quite well. Here’s what the company has to say about their new offerings. iLuv’s audio and data cables revolutionize the market in quality and design. They were designed to provide superior functionality and the stylish design consumers desire in their accessories. These durable cables were constructed with a number of enhancements in both form and function, and…

Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini Game Review

Reviews

Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini Game Review

History and magic buffs may recall the unfortunate incidents surrounding the death of famed early 20th-century magician, Harry Houdini. Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini by Mumbo Jumbo adds a twist Houdini’s death, that it was not mere chance and acute appendicitis that did him in, but a conspiracy. You know, the butler did it. No, no, actually, you, the player, while minding your own business gets spooked by the late Mrs. Bess Houdini’s ghost, a spirit wanting your help to contact her late husband and find out what really happened over 80 years ago. To accomplish this, you will need to…

GoPano Micro Review

Reviews

GoPano Micro Review

Everyone knows the iPhone has an amazing camera. You can take some amazing videos right out of the box with it. But one of the great things about the combination of a solid camera and a popular phone is that aftermarket case and accessory makers create ways to make the camera features even better. That’s the goal of the GoPano Micro, a case and lens combination that lets you take 360-degree panoramic video. Does it succeed? Read on to find out! The GoPano system has two parts, a case and a snap on lens. The case is a simple slider…

ODOC for iPhone and iPod touch, Another Awesome Kickstarter Project I Backed!

News

ODOC for iPhone and iPod touch, Another Awesome Kickstarter Project I Backed!

Now that we are a two iPhone and two iPad household it makes more sense than ever to have a number of spots for charging our iOS devices. For example, I can see having a dock in the kitchen, another in the master bath and yet another in the bedroom. That way, whenever we are in one room or another we can simply drop our phones into the dock and top off the charge. I recently reviewed Element Cases’ Vapor Dock and came away impressed. Similarly, I am looking forward to getting the Elevation Dock I backed on Kickstarter a…

Does iOS Need a User Interface Overhaul?

Editorials

Does iOS Need a User Interface Overhaul?

I posed a question to my fellow staff at Gear Diary, asking all iPhone users why Apple hasn’t really changed their UI since 2007. As a non iPhone user, my questions stemmed from a post that Carly had put up about her finding her original iPhone, when she posted a side by side of the home screens. Original iPhone (left) iPhone 4S (right) As an Android user, I enjoy changing up my home screen or theme on a weekly basis. That might seem a little excessive to some,  but with so many cool launcher options, icons, and tweaks, I feel like…

i-FunBox App Gives Direct File Access to iOS Devices

Reviews

i-FunBox App Gives Direct File Access to iOS Devices

i-FunBox was a serendipitous discovery for me. An avid Windows PC, Pocket PC and Android user, I’ve been accustomed to connecting a device and using simple File Explorer drag-and-drop to send files to and from the target peripheral and vice versa. Not so with Apple iTunes. iTunes was a different beast altogether, one that took some getting used to for this intrepid newbie into the realm of Appledom with his iPad. I don’t particularly like how Apple handles (or does not as the case may be) direct access to the device. I want to add a particular (read: single) photo…

I'm Feeling iOS Growing Pains, How About You?

Editorials

I’m Feeling iOS Growing Pains, How About You?

This post is completely and totally anecdotal but I thought it was worth sharing my experience thus far with iOS 5.1 and see if anyone else is seeing what I am seeing. I recently upgraded all of my iOS devices to Apple’s new iOS 5.1 operating system. While it isn’t as bad as the initial upgrade to iOS 2.0 (that operating system continually crashed and Apple scrambled to get out an update) this update has some significant issues that are appearing.

iGrill + Omaha Steaks' Steak Time App = Meat Magic

Reviews, Yum Log

iGrill + Omaha Steaks’ Steak Time App = Meat Magic

Now far be it from me to tell a man (or a woman for that matter) how to use their BBQ grill. Like politics and religion, grilling is a topic where advice is rarely appreciated or even more rarely followed. I’m sure you’re great at cooking a steak over charcoal or gas, and I wouldn’t tell you to your face if I thought otherwise. A. because you’re feeding me and B. because you probably have fire and sharp BBQ tools within arm’s reach. Maybe you’re one of those people who can judge a steak’s doneness by comparing the surface of the…