Apple iPhone Gear

Munitio SV Mobile Performance Earphones Review

If earphones don’t sound good, I’m not interested. If earphones sound good but aren’t comfortable, I’m not interested. And if earphones sound good and are comfortable but don’t offer any style, I’m not interested either. Yes, my time here at Gear Diary has turned me into a bit of an earphone and headphone snob. I want it all and, thanks to the exploding headphone market, I can have it. When Judie and I passed by the Munitio table during CES their current and upcoming earphone and headphone offerings caught our eye. The Munitio Nines look like 9mm shells. They really…


MiPow Power Cube 8000M Backup Battery Review

In today’s world of power-sucking mobile devices carrying a backup battery is a must. A reliable, quality battery that will safely charge your devices is important. In fact, that’s the most important feature in a backup battery. But as the MiPow SP8000 proves, having a good quality battery doesn’t mean you need to compromise on style. The battery looks good, offers amazing capacity, has convenient features and has internal circuitry to protect the devices connected to it. It is currently Judie’s and my backup battery of choice. Let’s take a look. There are three styles of the SP8000 currently available. One…


Not A Scratch Wooden iPhone Cases Review

Since writing my iPhone wooden case roundup back when I was using the iPhone 4, I have continued to search for other wooden cases that I thought were as good or better as those I had already tried. A small part of the reason that I like wooden cases is that they are usually lightweight, they can offer good back, side and corner protection without adding too much bulk, and they will not interfere with the iPhone’s reception. Then there is the way that they feel; wooden cases have a lovely organic way about them. They are cool to the touch, but…


Plantronics Blackwire C720 Headset Review

I’m always impressed by Plantronics headphone offerings. Time and again they are able to combine excellent functionality with comfort; they even mix in a bit of style in the process. The Plantronics Voyager Legend is an amazing headset, and you can read our review here. We have a review of the UC (Unified Communications) version coming soon. Plantronics doesn’t just do Bluetooth headsets of course. They have a long history of offering wired headsets for use with phone systems and computers. Their new Blackwire C720 headset falls into that category but takes things to an entirely new level by combining…


Let MobileFun.co.uk Be Your One-Stop Mobile Accessory Stop

If you are looking for mobile accessories you have a host of options from which to choose. There are brick and mortar stores like Best Buy and there are online retailers like Amazon. One online retailer you might not think of first is MobileFun.co.uk. They recently reached out to us and challenged us to make a list of a few accessories we might need and then go shopping to see if their site offered the listed items. That’s exactly what we did and, as luck would have it, we found a plethora offerings in each and every category. I decided…


Gumdrop Put Their iPad Where Their Toughness Claims Were at CES!

Gumdrop is part of the growing set of case makers targeting people looking for a tough but attractive way to protect their iOS devices. Sure, their cases are attractive, come in multiple colors and styles, and cover all sorts of devices from iPhones to tablets. But what really makes Gumdrop stand out is their willingness to demo how tough their cases are with a solid softball-style underhand, as they did for me at CES: If you’re a butter-fingers (or regret that smartphones aren’t tough enough to handle a dramatic toss across a room), be sure to check out Gumdrop Cases!


iSmartAlarm Puts Your iPhone in Charge of Security

One of the really cool parts of being at CES was the chance to check out accessories and products that are up and coming. Of those, there were more than a few that hooked into the ubiquitous iOS ecosystem. We carry our iPhones and iPads everywhere, and companies are taking them beyond just email and Angry Birds machines to a whole new level. In the case of  iSmartAlarm, they’re looking to turn your iPhone or iPad into part of a home security system! We stopped by their booth at CES and they were kind enough to give us a quick…


Beyzacases and Aston Martin CES Booth Tour

It all started when Ali Yildirim’s daughter, Beyza, wanted a case for her mobile device. She couldn’t find one that she liked, so her father decided to make her one. Today, Beyzacases is a world class leather accessory maker; their products are available in European Apple retail and online stores, and they are an official licensed partner with Aston Martin. Dan and I had a meeting with Ali Yildirim, Beyzacases founder and CEO, while we were at CES. The moment we walked into Beyzacases’ booth and saw all of the new colors and styles, we were simply blown away. After talking to Ali…


iHealth Brings Out Monitoring Tools for Your iBaby

My friends with kids all marvel at how instinctively their children grasp iOS. They seem to easily master the touch interface and love playing games. The folks at iBaby have a few ideas to get your child started early on integrating smartphones into their lives … even in utero! The HeartSense won’t be out for a few months, but the video monitors are available now. The price and features are in line with other video monitors, but being able to control and watch them on your iPhone brings the experience to a whole new level! It makes me wonder what’s…


Cygnett Cases Shows off Their Booth at CES 2013

We love Cygnett Cases at Gear Diary. They offer a tremendous number of unique styles in a variety of price ranges, and it’s always a treat to see their newest designs. While at CES 2013, we were lucky enough to swing by their booth and get a tour of the highlights on deck for 2013! Some of the graffiti-inspired cases were especially cool looking. I like a case with a pop of color, and having that sort of unusual artwork really makes the cases stand out! You can browse all of Cygnett’s various offerings on their website. Let us know…


Gear Diary’s First Ever CES Top Picks!

You may have noticed over the years that, unlike many other sites, we don’t give stars or other quantitative scores to the items we review. The reason for this is quite simple: while there may be quantitative aspects to a device review — an example being a laptop that claims to get ten hours of battery life and only gets two hours in real world use deserves a low rating — there is also a highly subjective aspect to any and all electronics. Case in point, I’m not an overly enthusiastic fan of Android. I have had the chance to review…


Luvvitt Booth Tour at CES 2013

You may not know the name Luvvitt, but you should. They make affordable, attractive iPhone, iPad, and Samsung cases, plus they’ve branched out into Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad and iPad Mini. I’ve used their Dolce back cover for my iPad 3, and even though I have tested other cases I always come back to the Luvvitt for its simplicity, durability, and style. So when I was walking the floor at CES and saw their booth, I had to stop by and learn more about them — and I am thrilled I did! Their cases are stylish and affordable, and…


A Conversation with Lifeproof Cases at CES

If you read the site you’ll know that I am a huge fan of Lifeproof’s cases. I liked the one for my iPhone 4S but the thinner, more refined iPhone 5 case takes things to an entirely new level. Combine that with the amazing experience of using an iPod touch as an underwater video camera thanks to Lifeproof and there should be no doubt that this is one case line worth checking out. That’s why our last few minutes on the floor at CES 2013 were spent speaking to Jonathan Wagner, Lifeproof’s Communications Director. It seems that most every case…


Accessories at CES Illustrate Only Apple and Samsung Matter

I had the privilege of walking the CES floor and trying hard to cover as much as I could for Gear Diary this past week. It was, as you can imagine, absolutely geek heaven. I can’t even count how many smartphone accessories I saw this week, but one common thread stood out among the many mixed styles: if you want a nice case for your phone, buy an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy S3, or a Note 2. Otherwise, you probably won’t see much case love. Now, seeing iPhone cases everywhere isn’t a big surprise at all. But all week I…


Boost Your Smartphone Volume With Smartsound Case

Company: SmartSound Case Products on Display: Cases for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note that have a kickstand that doubles as a channel to naturally amplify sounds without needing a separate powered speaker. Also includes a reflective flash ring for brighter photos.   What Caught Our Eye: The cases were very light, and the combination of sound channel and kickstand makes the phones very stable while on display. It was too noisy to test the sound quality, but the build and style looked great!


The Case for New Smartphones Cases

Every year over the holidays millions of smartphones are bought and activated, with this year seeing a record of more than 17 million devices in the US alone. And for way too many folks, those devices have a very short life due to damage from being dropped. Because while the devices are much tougher than in the past, they remain fragile. When you get your awesome new iPhone or Android smartphone, the LAST thing you want is for it to end up looking like my old Droid 4. That was awful – and totally avoidable. I had lost my running…


Scansnap iX500 Scanner Review, the Best ScanSnap Scanner Yet

Scansnap’s scanners have been a mainstay of my move toward a paperless life. They have also played a huge role in my digitizing much of my rabbinic library. I wrote about it here and here and here. The hardware is always top-notch and the software integrates with the hardware to create an excellent and seamless workflow. And while I have enjoyed using the mobile scanners I’ve reviewed it has been the desktop versions of the device that have truly been a huge help to me as I have continued to convert my documents and library into electronic formats. The company…


CES News From Seagate

for 4pm One of our first meetings tomorrow is with Seagate. Each year for the past few years at CES they have had something new to share and this year looks to be no different. In fact, their announcements just went live and we wanted to give you a quick look prior to tomorrow’s hands-on. First up, the company has just announced their Seagate Wireless Plus. The Wireless Plus provides mobile storage for smart phones and tablets without the need for wires or access to the web. The Wireless Plus creates its own WiFi network and up to eight mobile…


Good News/Bad News with Bluebird Checking and Debit Card

We’ve been doing a series of posts about the features and use-experience of Bluebird, a joint venture of American Express and Walmart. The financial tool describes itself as “Your Checking and Debit Alternative”. We were sponsored to write a series of posts about our experience and, at least at this point, we would describe it as “a mixed bag”. Let’s first recap the steps we have taken with Bluebird thus far. I opened an account and then drove to my local Walmart. Once there I deposited $100 in my Bluebird account. It worked well and, within seconds, the money appeared in…


How to Keep Your New Gear Looking Great

It’s 2013, and the year is off to a running start. No doubt someone in your home received some new gear over the holidays. And regardless of the brand all the gadgets have one thing in common — they need to be protected. This is especially so in 2013, when mobility is the name of the game. Think about it, a desktop computer that sits at home or in your office runs minimal risk of physical damage unless a natural disaster or a disastrous pet come into the picture. A laptop however, something that is specifically designed to be carried and…


Bracketron Accessories Get You and Your Gear Mobile in 2013

If you resolved  to “get outside more often”, Bracketron can help. At CES 2013 the company will be revealing a line of Outdoor Sports Mobile Accessories that includes the latest line of water-resistant sport cases. Among the new offerings are a Sport Case with Belt Clip that “shields your device from sweat, rain and the elements and allows full touchscreen control for phone calls, texts and emails”. The case comes in black and camouflage, and it will make for a great review as part of Coach’s Gear Diary Outdoors series! The company is also offering a Sport Case with Strap Mount….