One of the best things in the world…at least in my opinion, is the relationship one blog has with another.  I can’t tell you how important it is.  Its what makes the blogisphere go round… Case in point, fellow Gear Diary Contributor, Clinton Fitch of ClintonFitch.com, has got a cool review of the latest Plantronics BT headset, the Explorer 350.  Says Brother Fitch in his awesome review – The Explorer 350 is a bit unique in how it is positioned in the marketplace by Plantronics.  It is designed for those who are constantly on-the-go with its compact design and noise reducing technology.  What also makes it unique is what the headset comes with in the box.  You do not find the traditional AC adapter to charge the Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Couldn’t get enough of the Woz-i-sodes Judie posted on back in October??? Well… He’s baaaack!  And this time there are prizes involved. You can catch all the Woz-Action over on the scottevest website (along with bopping Woz and Jord)! And… if you think you can do better than the original, the classic, the cult-experience that is the Woz-i-sode…then you just might win great prizes and the adoration of millions or maybe thousands well at least your family and friends. Details on the contest after the jump…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s a wine cooler with a decidedly high tech twist. Instead of monitoring the temperature on the outside of the bottle why not insert a remote wireless sensor inside the (obviously) uncorked wine bottle. You’ll no longer suffer the embarrassment of wine that’s not at the perfect temperature. When the temperature inside the wine rises – you’ll receive a notification to return the bottle to the cooler. The Kalorik Wine Cooler has two independently controlled coolers so you can chill wine in one side and champagne in another at different temperatures. Supports bottle sizes up to 3-1/2″ diameter – so this will work fine so long as you’re not buying the big ass jugs. Then again if you’re buying the big… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In the past week or so, I’ve been noticing background chatter increasing about an upcoming Apple iPhone 3.0 OS.  So far, little, if anything, has actually leaked out about it, but apparently Apple is holding an event on March 17th.  The event is supposed to be focused on a new iPhone SDK, but story goes that Apple plans to show a bit about the upcoming OS and where they are taking it.  So today – the rumor mill took off.  Among the rumored things Apple plans to show:       * true background tasks (not just push support)       * MMS       * GPS vectoring support (for proper turn-by turn navigation) As I mentioned… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I like playing with GPS devices and software.  I’ve written many reviews on the subject, including reviews on a popular GPS website.  I’ve even written reviews on previous versions of Space Machine’s Pocketmap Navigator.  Pocketmap was one of the first PDA navigation apps that allowed you to reliably calculate a nationwide (U.S.) route.  But after their Pocketmap 2004 (v3) release, they kind of disappeared.  They left us without support for the then new Windows Mobile 5 or VGA displays. Most of us thought they were permanently gone from the market, which had increasingly moved toward PNAs (personal navigation appliances). Enter 2009.  Without major announcement, Pocketmap has reappeared with a new v4 application.  What’s new after 4+ years?  Read on, gentle reader, read on….… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I stopped by our local Apple Store to pick up Touch for a staff member who finally caved and agreed to join us on the “dark side” by canning her Palm and getting a Touch to use as a PDA. (We’ve been putting in a host of new communication and web systems and it helps to have all of us using the same device, be it an iPhone or Touch.) I asked if the new Shuffles were in and was told… “…just showed up in the back. Not sure we can sell them yet. I think we are the first ones to get them in.” Five minutes later he asked… “Black or silver?” I got Black… A few more shots from my iPhone after the break… EDIT: Now that I’m home I’ve added a few shots of the setup showing the new Voice Over feature being activated… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

ProClip announces the availability of auto mounts for the BlackBerry 8900 and 8350i. I have a ProClip for every version of BlackBerry I’ve owned (updating the clip for new models is easy – you just unscrew one mount and insert the next). What I like about ProClip is there’s no messy adhesive with the mounts that I’ve used. Simply click the custom fitted based (the devices are sold separately – select the right base for your car and then you select the holder for your device). I’m about the biggest moron around with respect to installing anything in my car. I think my total installation time on these was about 15 minutes. Recommended. ProClip Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A new version of iTunes (8.1) is now available for download. According to update the new version of iTunes is now faster, stronger and grows hair on your chest. Here’s the official fix and feature enhancement list: • Supports syncing with iPod shuffle (3rd generation). • Allows friends to request songs for iTunes DJ. • Adds Genius sidebar for your Movies and TV Shows. • Improves performance when downloading iTunes Plus songs. • Provides AutoFill for manually managed iPods. • Allows CDs to be imported at the same sound quality as iTunes Plus. • Includes many accessibility improvements. • Allows iTunes U and the iTunes Store to be disabled separately using Parental Controls.iTunes Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Rock band U2 is about to hit the road for a series of concerts starting June 30 in Barcelona Spain. This time out they have an interesting corporate sponsor – it’s not Apple or Palm (two device makers the group has more than a passing business connection with) but device maker Research in Motion, makers of the popular BlackBerry device. While news reports play this off as having to do with manager Paul McGuinness’s love for BlackBerry – I’m betting this is about diversification of sponsorship with a healthy dose of “show me the money”. Remember all those MP3 files you your kids downloaded for free? Corporate sponsorships and expensive tours are the new economic model. U2 via eWeek Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In a move that seems to pop into the minds of hosted application companies AFTER they’ve had a widely reported failure , Google has created an Apps Status Dashboard. Here you can view the status of Google Apps (including Gmail) for the last 6 days. If there are reported outages you can click on the day’s icon for a list of the issue(s). Great idea…about time. Google Apps Status Page via Google Operating System Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Finally a BlackBerry smartphone has broken into the ranks of prepaid phones in the United States. Regional carrier Metro PCS is offering local unlimited BlackBerry service for a flat $50 per month with no contract. For that price you enjoy unlimited voice, text, picture, and BlackBerry email. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is available for purchase in Greater Miama/Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. Included in the $50 per month is BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) with the beefier BES (Blackberry Enterprise SErver) available for a modest additional $10 monthly. For now this deal is only great for those of you living in the MetroPCS service region. Let’s hope other carriers pick up this… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Forget about the conventional wisdom of never sticking anything larger than your elbow inside your ear. This $1.81 illuminated ear wax remover and pick lets you see exactly how many pounds of wax have built up inside your child’s ears. This tiny device includes two picks and one tweezer which can be mounted on the tip to help mine for gold. Hopefully whoever uses this has a steady hand as we all know that sticking stuff in our ears is a big no no. Illuminated Ear Pick and Wax Remover Continue reading on Gear Diary …

New subscribers on a 2 year T-Mobile contract can own a Black G1 phone for only $97.99 without any need for those pesky rebates that we forget to send and which get fulfilled with debit cards we lose. This is a quad band Android phone that has 3G. Unfortunately it’s carrier locked to the T-Mobile network but let’s hope this price drop indicates some prettier Android fare is on the T-Mobile menu soon. T-Mobile G1 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As if straight out of a “Pimp My Ride” episode on TV, General Motors is offering its compact pickup trucks with a fullsize V-8 powerplant under the hood, complete with a factory warranty and fully-intact fenders and hood.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Clinton said that he would want one of these if it was scratch and sniff; I think it would be totally over the top if that were the case. Say hello to USBfever‘s new fish shaped 4-port USB 2.0 hub. $10.99 gets you a purple fish with LED indicator eyes and USB 2.0 transfer speeds. Your kitty will approve… Continue reading on Gear Diary …