Windows 7 Ultimate will ship without Ultimate Extras.  MS has pulled them from the product offering, and from Windows Entirely. The software giant’s approach will be to build to the feature list.  They just don’t have the capacity to continue to deliver features that don’t fall within their regular release cycle.  I get it… I’m all about Change and Release Management.  Anyway, as a result, they are dropping the little goo-jams from Windows. … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We spotlighted this light laptop stand last week and there were a lot of comments about whether the stand would actually work, if it would be tippy, if it would block out ports on the side of the computer, whether the chassis would get all bent from only using side support, etc. Don’t be put off by the fact that this stand is such a simple design. I’ve had mine for about a week now and here’s my thoughts.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s a decent deal for anyone coveting the Nokia N85 in an unlocked state. This little darling has a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB flash memory, microSD, OLED screen, assisted GPS, FM Radio, Quad Band WCDMA (UMTS)/GSM (850/900/1800/1900), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), Bluetooth 2.0. Sales over on February 19. Note that this is a GSM phone – it’s unlocked so you can use it on any GSM carrier, which in the USA means AT&T or T-Mobile only. Dell Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There’s been a lot of speculation about whether the User Account Control widget in Windows 7 creates a security hole or not.  IDG News Service reported on 31-Jan-09 that it did. The UAC in Vista is an all or nothing thing, and quite honestly, it “brings you to a sad, sad realization. (Confirm or Deny)”  Most everyone that I know of, has simply turned the bloody thing off. Its really nothing more than a nuisance.  I’m all for “are you sure” dialogs at the appropriate time; but the UAC in Vista goes way over board. … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

No, it’s not a new computer game, but the cuteness overload was so great that I had to share. I’m unsure this email’s original source, but mom just passed it on to me. You might want some coffee to go with this sweet… It has been so hot in South Australia for over a week…40+ degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) everyday, very dry also. A guy at work lives at Maude. His wife sent him these photos of a little Koala which just walked into the back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket and this is what happened! (Photos are dated 30 January 2009) Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Verizon Wireless subscribers on a plan over $60 per month will now be able to select up to 5 phone numbers that are completely free to call no matter what carrier they use (and receive calls from). Unbelievably, this feature will be a free add-on to all qualifying accounts. If the subscriber is on a family plan priced $90 or higher then there will be 10 free numbers. T-Mobile has a similar feature called “myFaves” which is available at lower price points ($39 and up) and the T-Mobile family plans give EACH line 5 free numbers (as opposed to Verizon’s limit of 10 on family plans). This plan will be unveiled today and Verizon customers can begin using the features Sunday. Verizon – Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Kindle2 looks great, and a number of us have already ordered ours. There are tons of improvements over the first generation including size (it is thin!), speed (pages apparently turn much faster), and internal memory (2GB!). Unfortunately, there are some definite steps back too. Chief among them… no case! I don’t like this trend at all, but it is sadly increasingly pervasive that after buying high end electronics you have to spend additional cash in order to give it ANY protection. Fortunately, there are already some excellent choices which will be available that offer both style and protection. Two that we have our collective eyes on… Waterfield’s Options- I love Waterfield cases, and I am happy that they will have three from which to choose– Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the things that many people have been saying over and over again regarding Psystar is that they don’t stand a snowball’s chance of winning against Apple in this whole Open PC/OSX licensing case they have brought against the Cupertino computer manufacturer.  The case has been thrown out, resubmitted and now, apparently…continued.  The snowball didn’t melt… I must have missed the weather forecast last night on the news. … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

While I was at Target tonight (Manchester CT) I spotted this Peek wireless email device priced at $49.95. The unit doesn’t show in the weekly sales circular which left me wondering if this could be a pricing mistake or maybe the start of a permanent price reduction. Upon further investigation, if you look at Peek’s own site here, you’ll see they are now offering the device at $49.74. Peek has experimented previously with specials and deals that temporarily lowered the price of the device. This time it looks like the cheaper price is here to stay. Now they just need to get the monthly email fee down to under $10. UPDATE: Peek’s site lists a “Valentine’s Day” special and this $49 price… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Hey was that you complaining that Verizon’s site is all out of BlackBerry Curves? You don’t seriously still shop at a carrier’s site, do you? I’m going to let you on a little secret – just don’t tell anyone, ok? The WORST place to shop is at the carrier’s store – either online or bricks and mortar. The stores are jammed with people waiting in line to pay delinquent phone bills. The online stores feature the highest prices around. You should be shopping at Amazon for your cell phones. They’re the cheapest and shipping is fast (my BlackBerry 8900 that I ordered this morning is already on the way to me). Wait! You say Amazon online isn’t offering the BOGO (buy… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This wearable and USB rechargeable battery back is for geeks on the go. Packing 1,500 mAh of li-ion power, this wrist strap includes connectors for most popular brands of cell phones and portable electronics. Comes complete with 7 different power connectors and is rated for 3 hours talk time or 8 hours mp3 usage. Wrist Band Portable Battery – $24.84 (available March 2009)… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s a fun party gift for those summer gatherings at the lake. Make no mistake this isn’t a real life vest, the fabric is quilted and not suitable for flotation and therefore not approved for use on small children or pets. It will hold your wine bottle quite nicely so buckle in a bottle and present it to your hostess. Sure to be the hot topic of the party. Fits standard wine bottles 11-1/2″ x 5-1/2″. Life Vest Wine Bottle Cover Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The long awaited, rumored, predicted, overexposed, soon to be free, lovingly gushed over by online reviewers who’ve already moved on to their next love, UMA equipped BlackBerry 8900 Curve (Titanium) is now up live on the Amazon site for the (after $100 rebate and 2 YR contract) price of $49. Buy this phone if you’re a loyal T-Mobile customer or looking to take advantage of their fabulous UMA service which uses Wi-Fi to provide a connection for cellular, SMS, MMS and BlackBerry data. Otherwise I’d be waiting for 3G rumored to be around the corner. Worth noting that Amazon is selling the previous generation BlackBerry Curve on T-Mobile for -$99 (that’s MAKE $99 after rebate) and within 6 months this one… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s that time of the year. Sunday marks the Superbowl of motorsports for rednecks race fans everywhere. Again this year Atlanta Motor Speedway is sponsoring an event called Racing Roulette. They’re lowering the price of their $95 tickets to match the car number that wins (maximum price of $50/ticked guaranteed). Can I hear a “let’s go Martin”? After tremendous response a year ago, Racing Roulette returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway in what could result in the lowest-ever ticket prices for the March 8 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase Kobalt Tools 500 tickets for the price of the winning car number of Sunday’s Daytona 500. Regularly priced at $95, the first 1,000 tickets will be sold Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’d like to think my kids are neat enough to create some of the pretty images shown on the Food Face Plate sample images. I think however that they’d go way overboard and have food smeared completely covering the plate, themselves and the floor – in other words it would be just like any other dinner at the Schulz house. File this one under “why didn’t I think of it”. Hmm – I wonder if the school would accept this as my daughter’s science fair project… Food Face Continue reading on Gear Diary …