Apple TV

Yoobao Power Bank 11,200 mAh Battery Review

Welcome to another edition of “What’s Coming to CES 2012.” In our last episodes, we visited with two PowerBags (I’ll carry the messenger, and Kevin will carry the backpack) and a Mission Workshop Sanction waterproof rucksack that Francis will bring along for the ride. The PowerBags will give us a total of 12,000mAh of device-charging goodness. That’s good… but it is not good enough. Thankfully, we’ll have a few additional external batteries with us. One example is this 11,200 mAh battery from Yoobao. Despite its relatively small size and weight, it is a beast in the energy department. And the lovely…


Music Diary Notes: Sting Releases ’25’ iPad App for FREE – But it Cost More Than $1 Million to Make!

If you look at the legendary figures in pop and rock music in the post-Beatle era, The Police and their frontman Sting have to be on your shortlist. After an amazing but short career with The Police, Sting struck out on his own with an ensemble populated by young jazz musicians playing a new kind of jazz-tinged pop-rock. Through the 25 years since, Sting has had some amazing highs and lows, but always worked to put his best music out to the people. Now we get a new app from the music legend – ‘Sting 25’ is the companion to…


iPad on TV: Covert iAffairs

It’s been a while since we looked at the increasingly prevalent role the iPad plays in today’s media but tonight’s Covert Affairs put the iPad so very “front and center” that we had to post… Annie Walker is on a mission when her sister places a “call” to her. “Ring, Ring Ring” goes Annie’s iPad. She answers and the conversation ensues. But wait one second… they’re using Skype??? Say what? Seriously Annie? Skype? Sure it works well enough but for my money I’ll always take FaceTime over Skype. The connection FaceTime offers is no less than amazing and since both…


Lies, Damn Lies, and Android Tablet Numbers

Image courtesy of Retrevo I have been on the hunt for over a year for an Android tablet that meets my needs: I have abandoned hope for now that will be anything appealing in the 10″ space, since Android is currently inferior and fragmented for gaming and a non-factor in music production software. But in the 7″ space there are some cool options, yet in spite of trying three different tablets (Galaxy Tab, Acer Iconia and HTC Flyer) and finding that the size is perfect … I haven’t managed to find a device with enough positives that I can accept…


Android Powered Tablet Review: Vinci Tab, Early Learning System for Children

There is no denying that our kids are growing up in a constantly changing digital world. My two boys have developed the same connection with gadgets and digital devices as I have, only at a much younger age. I have been careful when turning them loose with my devices but often let them play with the iPad or iPhone, and they love it. Since they could barely walk, they have been able to use our IOS devices easily and without much instruction. While most of us remember the first time we used a TRS 80 or Apple IIe in school,…


Music Diary Notes: The Smiths Complete (8CD Box Set)

I remember hearing The Smiths back in college when they had first come out, but since I was already deep into my avant-garde jazz I never paid all that much attention to them aside from noting the catchy jangly tunes. Later when my (future) wife and I started dating, I discovered that she was a big fan of The Smiths and had a bunch of their stuff on tape. Fast forward twenty-something years and we still listen to those same tapes and vinyl and a few digital songs I bought years ago and occasionally come across songs on Slacker. But…


Random Cool Video: Stephen Colbert Drops the Schtick in Jobs Tribute

Stephen Colbert has earned a huge audience and enormous success as a satirist starting with Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and now on his own Colbert Report, both on Comedy Central. He also famously flaunted the as-yet unreleased iPad on the Grammy Awards back in 2010. In a post over at TechCrunch, they have a chunk of video from the latest Colbert Report in which he memorializes Steve Jobs … or more to the point he looks at it in what it has meant TO HIM. He steps through begging for iPhone and iPad, gloating about having them, the Grammy…


Amazon’s Proposed eBook Subscription Service — a Round Peg in a Square Hole?

The Wall Street Journal weighed in over the weekend with a very interesting and surprising rumor. Supposedly, Amazon has been shopping an “ebook subscription service” around to publishers, in an effort to bundle ebooks with Prime membership. Sort of like Netflix for eBooks. The closest analog to this is the old “Book of the Month Club” type deals, but this is definitely a step up. It benefits consumers, but does it actually benefit the business of selling books? First, let’s look at the specifics, as far as they’re known right now according to the Journal: Amazon.com Inc. is talking with book…


Review: Microsoft Releases Windows Phone Mac Connector Update on Mac App Store

Much has been written about how the biggest winner in two recent events – HP dumping webOS and the success of patent infringement cases against Android handset makers by Apple and Microsoft – is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. For me, one of the issues I have had with Windows Phone 7 is connectivity. You need the Zune desktop software to do pretty much anything. With my Android phone I can just plug it in and mount the drive – and since I have all of my music through iTunes (like ~78% of the world) anyway THAT requirement isn’t an issue….


Time Traveling with Macworld!

Here at Gear Diary, we try to keep you up to date on the latest news. We’ve managed to get our hands on the December issue of Macworld! What’s coming up this Fall/Winter for Apple? Read on to find out! First up, new OS! Yes, OS X 10.1 is finally here, and it promises to bring even the most faithful Classic users into the new OS X fold. Plus Microsoft Office V.X is being released, so productivity will skyrocket with your new 700mhz iMac! But Apple needs to keep their eyes on the competition, since Microsoft now has their big…


Apple Moving into HDTV Market? Here’s a Great First Step

Last night I was a bit under the weather. I went in search of something to watch and came upon the new Starz/BBC series Strike Back on my iPad’s browser. A few taps of the screen and it was playing on my large Samsung HDTV. It was just another reminder of the way in which Apple’s technology can create a seamless ecosystem for work and entertainment. Then today Cult of Mac published a post entitled Could Apple Enter Sub-$1K Premium TV Market With A Real iTV? In it they write News that high-end TVs are nearing the sub $1,000 range…


Review: Griffin Beacon Universal Remote for iOS

It looks funny. It does exactly what it promises. And, at least for me, it is in the running for “iOS Accessory of the Year”. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit but I’m pretty serious about how cool I think this iOS hardware/app combination is. The Griffin Beacon is the universal remote on steroids. With this odd piece of plastic powered by four AA batteries and a free download from the App Store I have taken my Samsung HDTV remote, my TiVo remote AND my Apple TV remote and put them away. Now all I need is one of my iOS…


More Cool Tech from the Beach- Apple TV Edition

We just spent a couple of nice days at a small boutique hotel on the Jersey Shore. As I mentioned the other day the Bungalow Hotel has a few neat pieces of tech at play. There’s the RFID room-key I mentioned the other day as well as their use of an HP Touchscreen All-In-One computer at the front desk. And there’s this…     The hotel information mentions that each room has a “DVD Library”. We checked in and found… no DVD’s. A closer look did reveal a movie “collection” but not in the manner we have all come to…


How Can Apple Improve iBooks without Ruining Other eBook Stores?

Something very fishy is going on at Apple. It looks like they’re taking in-app purchasing very seriously, and are enforcing what has been rumored for months: eBookstores can no longer link to their respective stores in Safari in any way, even for account sign-ups. Kobo was forced to change over, as did NOOKkids; Google Books has gone entirely MIA from iOS. Plus, the Wall Street Journal has removed all links and in-app sales options. If book sales are not through Apple, they can’t offer anything in-app. Obviously this has negative implications for consumers, annoys developers and content partners, and for…


Looking for George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Dance With Dragons’ ebook? Forget Comparison Shopping!

It seems like ages ago I wrote about the lunacy of ebook pricing … but things haven’t gotten much better! Today is the release of the fifth book in the critically acclaimed ‘Game of Thrones’ series that has been 15 years in the making, and the first book in six years! I have only recently started reading the mammoth series so I find myself in the position of not needing to rush out and buy the latest book. But that didn’t stop me from looking! And what I found was that although the ebook is at least ~$4 LESS than…


Review: Sony’s Qriocity ‘Music Unlimited’ Streaming Service

I had planned to include Sony’s attempt at a streaming music service with my recent look at Rdio and MOG as ‘Spotify Alternatives’, but frankly it is so ill-conceived and poorly executed that I didn’t want to obscure those excellent services with this dreck. The Hype The music you want, when you want it. Qriocity™ offers access to millions of songs on a variety of Sony devices. Upload your personal library for access anytime, anywhere or discover new favorites with automatic recommendations based on your unique listening habits. The Reality Don’t believe the hype. Qriocity consists of a web-based front-end,…


Blue Microphone Yeti Pro Review

Blue Microphone has consistently impressed me with their line up of microphones.  From consumer USB microphones to professional units that plug into existing sound systems, the company puts out quality devices.  This time, Blue Microphone took my favorite USB offering, the Yeti, and added a professional twist thanks to an option that now lets you plug it into professional audio equipment. Yeti Pro on Left, Yeti on Right As you can see, the new Yeti Pro looks almost the same as the original with two exceptions.  The first is a very obvious color and texture change that yields a textured…


T-Mobile HTC Sensation Android Phone Review

It is increasingly difficult to review phones running the Android operating system these days. After all, there seems to be a new Android handset every other day and, more and more, the difference between one and another of them can be rather small. This is an even bigger challenge when you look at the field of Android tablets, since their specs seem to be exactly the same with only the subtlest of differences from one to the next. There are, of course, factors that can weigh into which Android phone one chooses. Among them, of course: How large is the…


Logitech Alert Review: Makes Your iPad a Home Security Solution

Now  that summer is here, you’re probably gearing up to enjoy some much-needed vacation time.   Before packing up and hitting the road, one thing none of us likes to stop and really think about is how to keep watch over our home or business while away.   Luckily, Logitech has come to the rescue with an easy and portable solution that doesn’t require us to own a private jet to maintain digital home security. Does it do the trick?  Can Logitech Al turn an iPad into your private watch dog?  Let’s jump right in and see.


Music Diary Notes:Watch Wynton Marsalis Live on UStream Today!

They say that music is the international language (actually, in Better Off Dead we learn that ‘love’ is that language), crossing borders and languages and cultures with its ability to transcend the spoken word. This afternoon two titans of the jazz music genre – Wynton Marsalis and Igor Butman – will join forces in a concert that will be streamed LIVE from Ukraine! Here are the details: America’s cultural ambassador, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will join Russia’s premier jazz musician, saxophonist Igor Butman in a concert that reaches across time and geopolitical borders. Jazz — America’s model for collaboration and improvisation–…


Music Diary Notes: Lady Gaga Sells 1.1 Million – Who Wins, Who Loses?

A week ago I could have told you two things: first that Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ would debut in the #1 spot, and second that the Amazon ‘giveaway’ would push an awful lot of copies. What is the source of my mystical powers? The fact that even I, as a non-pop music person, knew the release date and other pertinent details long before the launch. I cannot imagine that anyone with any regular exposure to commercial TV or radio or the internet who didn’t know about this. How over-the-top was the promotion? From an article at MTV News: no…