Audio & Visual Gear

The Sonos Wireless Home Audio System Review

If Apple were to release a wireless speaker system, it would probably look and function the way the Sonos Zone system does. Fortunately Cupertino doesn’t need to go to the trouble, since Sonos beat Apple to it — and there isn’t a whole lot of room for improvement. Sure, I understand that those opening sentences sound more than a bit fanboyish toward both Apple and Sonos, but hey, I love my Apple products; in the last month or so, I have also become a Sonos evangelist. How much do I like the Sonos system? Let me put it this way:…

Reviews

HEX Vision Metal Watch Band for iPod nano Gen 6 Review

We’ve looked at a number of different offerings that help turn your iPod nano into a wrist watch. Some of those “nano-bands” include the iWatchz, the Speck TimeToRock and the TikToc, a product that emerged from the KickStarter product incubator. All of them serve the same function- they turn the diminutive MP3 player into a watch. All work well enough but none can match the style and class of HEX’s Vision Metal Watch Band for iPod nano Gen 6. With all metal construction and a strong clasp, the Vision stands out as a quality way to wear your nano. Here’s…

Reviews

Sports Gadget Review: Finis XtreaMP3 Wayerproof MP3 Player

Active lives and MP3 players don’t always mix. After all, the iPod touch wasn’t exactly designed to be a ruggedized device was it? That’s where the Finis XtreaMP3 comes in. The XtreaMP3 is a waterproof digital music player that is specifically designed to be worn and used during physical activity. It is waterproof, holds up to 250 songs and comes with an arm band. Let’s take a look. From Finis: Whether you?re surfing, kayaking, or even snowboarding, the XtreaMP3 waterproof MP3 player keeps up with your lifestyle. With a neoprene band that securely straps to the arm, the XtreaMP3 supplies music during…

News & Features

Big News from Monster and Earth Wind & Fire

Last night the folks at Monster Cable were kind enough to invite Gear Diary to a special event held in San Antonio at the amazing Bjorn’s store. Monster brought in the legendary members of Earth Wind & Fire for a meet and greet with a special announcement: Verdine, Phillip and Ralph are celebrating 40 years of making music together as the band, and they have teamed up with Monster for a special product coming out soon. The band members were interviewed by Bjorn about their history and the formation of the band. It was a great experience to listen to…

Editorials

Apple iOS 5.0: Some Thoughts on Why It Won’t Kill Zinio

I spent a good bit of time this week thinking about Apple’s announcements this past Monday. Much of what will be coming in version 5.0 of iOS is impressive. There are a number of areas where Apple clearly took plays from Android’s playbook (Notifications anyone?) as well as from numerous independent developers. I’m not surprised and, as an end-user, I’m quite pleased. I’m running iOS 5.0 Beta on a few devices, but am going to respect the beta-user agreement and NOT go into any detail. I will say, however, that the new notification system is fantastic and does a great…

News & Features

How Does Blue Improve a Yeti? You make him a Pro!

A year and a half ago I was able to review the Blue Yeti with Larry. I love the Blue Yeti and use it every Wednesday when I record the Linux Link Tech Show as well as the occasional episode of Hacker Public Radio. It’s almost a perfect product. However, there’s one thing missing that makes the Yeti less of a perfect device for a professional. That is an XLR output. Blue has changed that Yeti of a Microphone and made him a pro by adding a XLR output on the bottom allowing you to plug the Yeti Pro into…

Editorials, Gear Bits

“The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t: Part 2

Last week I wrote a post entitled “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t. In it I argued that even it Apple does not currently own the market they are positioned well for the long-term thanks to a little device known as the iPod touch. The Touch, I said, is now used by a huge number of kids who do not yet have a cell phone. Their love of the Touch, not to mention their having invested in apps and ringing up game scores, makes it more likely that they will go for…

Editorials

“The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t

Yesterday a post on Cult of Mac related some bad news for the Canadian-based RIM. They noted, “Realizing its failure, the handset maker is ready to surrender to Apple in the consumer ring, and focus on its business roots… an arena which iPhone is also increasingly dominating.” Their comment was, in part, based on a report from Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Robison who reported, “We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth,” As a result Robison cut RIM’s target price from $76 to $46. I expect they are correct in their…

Reviews

Home Audio Review: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air

As I have noted elsewhere on the site, I find myself listening to more music than ever these days. Much of the reason for this has to do with the fact that I’m always carrying at least one, if not two or three, devices that are able to stream a whole host of different types of music from a variety of different sources. A fair bit of the time is spent listening through headphones, but I much prefer listening to music coming from a set of speakers. The sound is richer, the music more all-encompassing — and I’m able to…

Reviews

Photography Gear Review: USBfever HDMI Adapters and Retractable Audio 3.5mm Jack AUX Auxiliary Cable

My pile of field production equipment is ever-growing. I am a “one-man-band” of sorts so I am constantly looking for gear and “doo-dads” to make production work easier. Recently I picked up a great set of headphones (which I will feature in a separate post), and I learned the Swann RC helicopter won’t lift my HDHero POV camera — so no aerial shots for right now. When I first began updating all of my camera gear, I remember receiving a note from USBFever.com announcing some HDMI to mini HDMI adapters and cables. I also remember saying to myself “What the…

News & Features

Skooba Design Adds Tenba Photo Bags to Portfolio

In response to many customer requests, Laptop bag manufacturer Skooba Design has partnered with the well-known Tenba brand to add photo/video carrying cases to Skooba’s product offering. Skooba will act as a reseller for the 35 year-old photo brand, which is a division of a separate company. The Skooba website is set up with quick links to match your lifestyle needs. One of four tabs – photographer, fashionista, road warrior and tech lover – will take you to a page with bags suited to fit your exact needs. I love this new offering of the Tenba bag lineup. I still…

Reviews

Portable Speaker Review: The Bomb from iFrogz

I cannot tell a lie. I love speaker solutions. With music being totally mobile and always available in my pocket, I love having many ways to listen to my audio content. Some options are quite expensive and include bluetooth connections and high-end audio, but sometimes I just need something inexpensive, easy to carry and convenient. iFrogz has introduced a speaker system that fits this category and they call it, “the Bomb”. I have been able to spend a little time with the Bomb so let’s take a look and see how it sounds. The Bomb is a reasonably priced speaker…

Reviews

Smartphone and Tablet Accessory Review: The i-Microphone Voice Recorder

I do a tremendous amount of writing using voice recognition and if there is one thing that makes or breaks the accuracy is the microphone you use. Both my iPhone and my iPad do fine on their own but I do see a significant improvement when I use a high quality headset. That’s why I was interested in the i-Microphone. It is a small attachments that promises good audio recording without the hassle of a wides headset. It isn’t expensive so I thought I might order one and check it out. Fortunately the company was kind enough to send along…

Reviews

Headphone Review: iFrogz EarPollution Luxe Bud with Microphone

Other than cell phones, one of the most common gadgets I see are headphones. Kids and adults alike love to carry their media with them and seem to be listening to it in public more and more. I always check out headphones when someone has them in, since I am a geek and gear head and always see a variety of style and sizes. Headphones and earbuds are one of those things that you can pay as little as a couple of dollars or up to hundreds. I was able to test out a pair of Luxe earbuds from iFrogz….

Reviews

PhoneSuit Primo Power Core Rechargeable Battery Pack for Tablets and Phones Review

Electronic devices always seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times, don’t they? Figuring out ways to keep those devices powered for as long as they are needed is key. Whether you are a regular road warrior or simply away from the office for the day, if you aren’t going to be near an outlet or power port, and if you carry multiple devices that will require energy doses at random times, carrying a portable power supply is the best option. Many times, these power supplies can best be described as bricks.

Reviews

iPod touch Accessory Review: mophie juice pack air for iPod touch 4th Generation

When mophie first released their juice pack air for the iPhone it was a revelation. At least it was a revelation for me! For the first time I could wrap my iPhone in a case that brought with it both protection and far far better battery life. A short time later the company updated the juice pack to use a soft-touch material that even made holding the iPhone a pleasure. And that was a few iPhone’s ago! Since the first juice pack came out I have had one for every iPhone I have had. In fact, my juice pack air…

Reviews

Audio Accessory Review: iSkin earTones Earbuds

Every now and then a product comes in for review that surprises me… in a good way! That’s the case with iSkin’s new earTone earbuds. They are bright, colorful earbuds that use the company’s Microband, a technology that inhibits the growth of odor, fungus and stain-causing bacteria on the earbuds and remote. At an MSRP of $39.99 I figured the earbuds, which come in a rainbow of colors, were largely a fashion-statement product with the Microband as an add-on for extra hype. I was wrong. The little things sound fantastic, are super-comfortable and, at under $40, they are a great choice…

Reviews

Review: Samson Meteor Mic

About two weeks ago Thomas mentioned a brand-new microphone that was about to be released, the Sampson Meteor Mic. He told me that it not only had a great look to it but that all reports indicated it worked beautifully. It was small, easily transportable thanks to its fold up design, and it looked pretty cool. Most importantly it apparently offered excellent sound quality. I told him I’d have to look into it. I was fortunate enough to have a review unit waiting for me just two days later. I’ve been using it ever since and have been incredibly impressed…

News & Features

iWatchz Straps Make Mom’s iPod Nano a Fashionable Watch

One of the coolest things about the 6th generation Apple iPod nano is how it can be attached to a strap, transforming it into a watch with benefits. Dan has covered many of the available straps here previously, but these by iWatchz look so fun and colorful that they are worth mentioning for anyone who is looking for a colorful Mother’s Day surprise, a gift for a grad, or simply a cool way to wear their own nano. iWatchz is introducing their new alligator print Timepiece Collection and the Carbon Collection, but I still think their colored rubber ones are…

Reviews

Review: Aluratek Cinepal HD Personal Media Player

Something has changed with my use of all of my devices. Due to memory issues, I have gone back to using dedicated devices. I listen to music on an iPod rather than my iPhone and have been looking for a better way to show off my photos and videos than the iPad. It is funny how I have gone full circle with the devices back to a day where I kept many things separate. The Cinepal HD Personal Media Player is a product that could solve some of my issue of photos and video. Let’s take a look. The Cinepal…

Reviews

Review: SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth A2DP Stereo Speaker

I love my music and have something playing pretty much all the time unless I am speaking to someone. For quite a while that meant having some sort of speaker dock in the various room where I spend time. Lately though it has increasingly meant setting up various room so that AirPlay is available. (Yes, I finally understand the power and utility of the AirPort Express!) That does not, however mean there isn’t a place for some of the growing number of Bluetooth enabled speakers on the market. Sure, Bluetooth doesn’t offer the same level of audio quality as streaming…

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