Audio & Visual Gear

Orb’s Mod1 PLUS Home Theater Speaker System: Big on Style and Sound

Here’s some exciting audio news: Speakers Do Not Have to be Square! Shocked? I’m sure you are but after years of being limited to boring square speakers it is now possible to get big sound from your home audio system without having to sacrifice style. Orb’s Mod1 PLUS Home Theater Speaker System is leading the charge by bringing aesthetic interest AND great sound to your den or theater room. Sure, Orb’s system doesn’t come cheap, but as the company explains, We know some of you are trying like crazy to keep your system under $1,000. The problem with that plan…

Reviews

Review: Future Sonics Atrio Universal Fit Professional Earphones

I listen to a tremendous amount of music these days. Whether I am working in my home study, in the car, running or at the office there is often music playing. Sometimes it comes through speakers but oftentimes I listen through earphones. Over the past few years I have had a chance to check out some impressive options in this regard. I did a review of the Denon AH-D1100 over the ear headphones. I almost bought the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones that Thomas reviewed but realized I tend to prefer in-ear options like the awesome JHAudio…

Reviews

Olympus LS-7 Linear PCM Recorder Review

I am unique in how I started blogging. I started audio blogging or podcasting far before I started writing gadget reviews and posts here on Gear Diary. So, the first thing I always seem to look at when doing gadget reviews is a way to capture audio no matter where I go. My first mobile recorder of sorts was a Belkin Tune Talk, which is an adapter that plugged in to the bottom of an iPod, followed by the Griffin iTalk Pro and the Blue Mikey. All of these had issues. First, there is battery life. The hard drive on…

News & Features

iOS 5.0 Release Pushed Back to Fall? Just Proves Apple Still “Thinks Different”

The blogosphere was buzzing yesterday when word came that Apple might hold off on releasing iOS 5.0 until the fall. What does this mean? Why would Apple break such a long tradition that goes all the way to… January 9, 2007. Okay so maybe it is not such a long-standing tradition, but you know what they say: “Do it once it is innovative; Do it twice and it is redundant; Do it a third time and it is a tradition.” By now an annual hardware and OS update is a TRADITION. Why would Apple mess with tradition? But it is…

News & Features

Going Bananas for Banana TV

Apple’s AirPlay is getting a lot of use in our home these days. I have a number of Airport Express units around the house and each is attached to a set of speakers. With them I can now start music playing anywhere I want from any iOS device by simply starting the music and selecting that room’s AirPort Express from the AirPlay menu. It is simple, it is quick and it makes great use of our WiFi network. That’s why I jumped at the chance to buy the new program, Banana TV. What is Banana TV, and why am I…

News & Features

Antec Enters the Home Audio Business with SoundScience rockus 3D | 2.1 Speaker System

3D TV is all the rage right now but what about 3D sound? That’s where Antec’s new SoundScience ruckus 3D/2.1 speaker system comes in. The rockus™ 3D | 2.1 speaker system creates a personal home theater experience that brings the power and realism of 3D audio together with the clarity and accuracy of high-fidelity music. 3Dsst™, soundscience’s 3D technology, actively analyzes incoming stereo audio signals and intelligently places them into a 3D sound field. The results are a personal theater experience with realistic, immersive 3D sound for your movies and games from 2.1 speakers – whether it’s the impact of…

Editorials

iPad is Apple’s Third Post-PC Device? Try “Apple’s Third Totally Reliant on the PC Blockbuster”!

Apple detractors love to talk about the “Steve Jobs distortion field”. I have never much bought into that. Sure, Steve jobs is a master showman. And yes, he is most likely among the more arrogant people living today. And yes, he does like to build hype when he brings out a new product or service. And, I will admit, he has been somewhat into overstatement at times. But then again, he’s got the stuff to back it up. There is an old saying from here in suburban New Jersey that there are people who “have no cattle but a big…

Music Diary, Reviews

CarTunes for iPhone/Touch Review

We all hear the dangers of texting while driving and how our devices create dangers during travel. These dangers are real and hopefully everyone is taking steps to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel and leave their devices alone. Using my Mogo Talk and voice recognition applications has helped me pay attention to the road, but one area always poses a problem. Using an iPhone or iPod Touch to listen to audio while driving can also take your attention. Changing tracks or play lists can be just as dangerous as sending a text message. With…

Reviews

iPod Touch 4th Generation Accessory Review: Infinity Carbon Texalium Silver Case

Judie recently reviewed the Infinity Carbon 2×2 Carbon Fiber Twill Case. She loves it. The review started with this: We spend a fair amount of time reviewing accessories here on Gear Diary because all of us enjoy using products that enhance our gear experience. When I buy a new smart phone or tablet, the first thing I generally do is order an anti-glare screen protector for it … and immediately afterward I start looking at cases. The screen protector serves two purposes: much as wide tape placed across a window will help strengthen it during hurricane, I’ve learned through experience…

Editorials

The Consequences of Distracted Driving

I got into a fender bender last night. Luckily no one was hurt, and as for the damage to my car (see above), well, that’s what insurance is for. In the aftermath, though, I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking on how easily I let myself get distracted while driving, not just yesterday but in general…and fortuitously, this afternoon I came across my old iPod shuffle. If you’re wondering how I went from distracted driving to iPod shuffle, it’s not that crazy a leap. I usually use my Droid for music in my car, either using the built-in music…

News & Features

Altec Lansing Takes Us Behind the Scenes: Creating a Speaker Prototype

When I visited Altec Lansing’s headquarters back in January I was able to spend some time in the back area of the complex where the company develops their speakers. I didn’t write a great deal about it at the time because I had signed an NDA, and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t mistakenly share anything that I shouldn’t have. [That’s how we do things here at Gear Diary] Well, I can now share with you a good deal of what I was able to see in January because a video of Dave Burke, an Altec Lansing acoustics…

Reviews

Ringtones Maker for iPhone Review

Just the other day I was approached by a friend who just replaced all of their family’s flip phones with iPhones. The first question she asked was, “how do my daughters make their songs into ringtones?” This is a common request from people switching to the iPhone so I decided to find a way to do this. I came across Ringtones Maker which happened to be marked down from $19.99 to free. I figured it was worth a look at that price. Ringtones Maker takes .mp3 or .m4a from your iPhone library and turns them into custom ringtones. Please remember…

News & Features

Sonance Wants to Provide Your Sound Garden

So you didn’t get picked for the latest episode of Yard Crashers. No worries, just record a bunch of episodes and copy what projects and techniques you fancy. And when it comes time for an outdoor sound system that blends into your suburban jungle, Sonance has you covered. Sonance, the technology leader that introduced the world’s first in-wall loudspeaker is now shipping the acclaimed Sonance Landscape Series that debuted recently. The new 70V Sonance Landscape Series system of two-way satellite speakers and in-ground subwoofer has been designed with a long life UV stable material to withstand extreme weather. The new…

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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…

Reviews

iPad and iPhone Accessory Review: i.Sound Power View Pro

I have an iPad, an iPhone and a nano. Each of them gets a serious amount of use and, at times, they all need to be charged at the same time. Up until recently I either had a number of different charging cords strewn across my desk or I used the IDAPT i4 we reviewed a few months ago. The iDAPT works great but I have always had a bit of concern regarding placing the iPhone on the adapter since it doesn’t have much support keeping the device vertical. There’s no ISSUE but I always worry that if I bump…

Reviews

Review: Kensington PowerLift Back-Up Battery, Dock and Stand

One of the small, but impressive, accessories we say at CES was the Kensington PowerLift Back-Up Battery, Dock and Stand. The diminutive accessory serves a dual purpose by letting you use your iPhone (or iPod touch) hands free AND giving you just enough extra battery power to help you avoid running out of juice mid-day. Here’s a look… From Kensington: Converts for in-hand use The Kensington PowerLift™ Back-Up Battery, Dock and Stand gives your iPhone hours of extra power, converts for in-hand use and offers a hands-free stand. The 1200 mAh battery pack provides rapid charging while the kickstand flips…

News & Features, Reviews

Gear vs Gear: iPod nano Watchbands

No less than Steve Jobs himself quipped that the new iPod nano would make a great watch. From that moment, people have been thinking about way to use the recently shrunk iPod as a piece of wearable jewelry. Well, since the beginning of January I have gone from having zero iPod nano watch bands to having a choice of three different ones. Each take a slightly different approach to making the nano wearable and each brings with it its own sense of style, or lack there-of. So let’s take a look at each of them and ask, “Which nano watch band…

News & Features

Boom Your Music and Bam! Your Mac’s Sound Will Be Awesome!

Just yesterday I was speaking with a friend who commented that she was continually surprised by the weak volume coming from most MacBooks. “Sure,” she said, “the sound isn’t all that great to begin with but what’s worse is that they just don’t get very loud.” Well that’s not longer an issue thanks to a small utility called Boom. As the product page explains, Boom is a simple volume booster that lets you boost the volume of your Mac and your music files. Using Boom is simple. You know the ways to change the volume of your Mac. Boom provides…

News & Features

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Stylish Flip Video CamCorder

Even in a sea of sea of HD-recording smartphones the Flip line of video cameras still reigns supreme as the easy-to-use, affordable pocket camcorder. The cameras shoot high quality video, make editing easy and, perhaps best of all, let you capture memories without running down your phone’s battery. Over the last few years the Flip line of cameras has added something else: STYLE. You can now get the cameras with a variety of designs… All of which makes them a great gift for the person you love this coming Valentines Day. It gets even better though. You can now give…

Gear Bits

TikTok Creates an Evolved “iPod nano as Watch”

The TikTok Multi-Touch Watch Band that took-off on Kickstarter.com is now shipping. The goal was to raise $15,00 in pre-production pledges and, in the end, they raised over $940,000. With that kind of money and press it would have been kinda rotten if the actual product was … well, rotten. Well mine came today and it is anything but. This band actually makes the iPod nano look and feel LIKE a watch. It is easy to pop the mp3 player in, and it doesn’t feel all that bulky. The actual watch band is sturdy but soft and the hardware is…

« 1 … 36 37 38 39 40 … 49 »