A fish doesn’t know it’s in water… until it is hanging in midair from a hook while being reeled in. Sometimes you are so close to something that you lose all perspective… until something comes along to remind you, that is. Yup, there is suddenly that tap on the shoulder that reminds you where you’ve been, where you are and the amazing journey from one to the other. This afternoon I had just one of those experiences. Let me explain.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few months ago I had the opportunity to test out a HTC Dream (unlocked version of the T-Mobile G1), and to be perfectly honest, I didn’t like it at all. The software wasn’t that great, the battery life was poor and whoever thought of that design should be locked away forever. When I was offered an HTC Magic for a few weeks, I was eager to see if HTC’s latest Android attempt had address many of the issues I had with the original. Straight out of the box the Magic makes a much better impression than the Dream. With its super glossy casing, slender profile and diminutive dimensions, the Magic is a great looking device. Everyone I have shown it to likes the look of it (and a few have suggested it looks like a rather popular device that was recently refreshed…), though many would prefer it in black. While I think it looks good in white, if I was purchasing one I would go for a black model. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the most anticipated phones coming out this summer is the Nokia N97,  It is only the second Nokia device to offer the Symbian S60 series 5 operating system and a touch screen.  And, it is the only series 5 device to feature a full QWERTY keyboard. Matthew Miller over at Nokia Experts recently got his hands on one of these fantastic looking devices.  While he may not have been the first person in the United States to post his thoughts, he does offer quite an extensive and detailed look, going over the hardware, software, touchscreen, keyboard, and plenty more. In his review, Matthew looks at both the pros and the cons of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This weekend was spent attending Kevin’s family reunion. David, one of his cousins, smoked a couple of pork shoulders. Instead of using a knife and fork to pull the pork, he was using these claw things… I’d never seen them before, but they looked like something that would be indispensable to anyone who grills. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Earlier today I received the above email from my “friends” at AT&T. It confirmed my pre-order of the iPhone 3G S and the hope that it will arrive “as early as” this Friday. It provided a way to check the status and, when I did, it revealed this… Thing was… I had ALREADY received a confirmation of my order and this didn’t provide me with any new information. So why the email? … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Need a full HDMI display monitor? Who would ever have thought that these would be down in the sub $200 range. Our GearSponsor LogicBuy checks in this weekend with a nice Dell S2409SW with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution for only $199 shipped. There’s 300nit brightness; VESA & 5 ms response time. This deal lasts through 6//16/09. Click on through for the details and the coupon code you’ll need. LogicBuy Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s that time of the year again when work demands or vacation dreams come to fruition. (Yes, “vacation” is a real word – look it up in the dictionary!) For the GearDiary team members, corporate types, gadget enthusiasts and travel buffs, the challenge becomes what to take on the road versus a daily commute to the office? First of all, I’m happy if I can remember to leave the house every morning to go to a job that I absolutely love without scrambling to find the following items: wallet, ID badge, Blackberry, iPhone, keys, Dell laptop for work, glasses and business card case. Optional items include a small point and shoot Kodak camera and iPod. (a) For weekend or after work geek gatherings, I may carry these items: The photo above is an old one, as the MacBook has been replaced by a MacBook Air and the Samsung Blackjack has been replaced by a iPhone.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of Gizmodo There had been reports over the last week or so of Apple beginning to charge users to re-download applications, via their iPhone, that they had previously purchased. The message informed the user that if they wanted to download the application again free of charge they needed to do so from their computer. According to a source at Gizmodo the message that began popping up on phones running a pre-release version of 3.0 about a week ago is nothing more than a bug. Or so says Apple. In testing it does appear the message is gone.  What is unclear is whether Apple removed the policy under cries of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I was bummed when Google pulled their iPhone (and Android) optimized version of iGoogle. I love iGoogle on my desktop and MacBook and find it a great way to see a whole host of information at a single glance. The iPhone version did the same for quick information access, although with such a small screen it wasn’t QUITE the same… Well, turns out Google wasn’t done with it… they were retooling it. iGoogle is back… and better than ever. A quick visit to www.google.com/m/igoogle will take you to a whole new version of iGoogle. Or… you can check out the screen shots that follow.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

FlyCast delivers music, talk, weather, and traffic to your PC, Mac, and your portable devices — including the iPhone/iPod Touch, BlackBerry Curve, Bold, Storm, and G1.  In nine months, the service has grown from a mere 80 channels to now offering over 1000 options. FlyCast differentiates itself from other free offerings such as  Pandora and Slacker internet radio by also supporting terrestrial radio channels, as well as promoting a time-shift feature they call StreamSlip.  They have just released a public beta of FlyCast 2.0 for the BlackBerry Curve, Bold and Storm (Sorry, no Pearl 81XX or Pearl Flip support on this particular version as the screen needs to be at least 320 pixels wide) . Continue reading for a summary of the new and improved features — and link to the beta application. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This post is being written jointly by Larry and Dan in response to some of the criticism’s voiced this week after Apple’s iPhone announcements. For the sake of full disclosure we should point out that both are devout fan-boys. That does NOT, however, mean they have checked their brains at the door. Larry’s text is in black. Dan’s is in blue. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’re probably aware of Apple’s announcement this week of their new iPhone.  The phone, which is to be called the iPhone 3G S, which isn’t scheduled to launch until Friday June 19th has already gotten mixed reviews.  Yes, I said it hasn’t even launched yet. It seems to be Apple has garnered a reputation as a company who’s always on the edge.  One who is constantly breaking the mold and delivering cutting edge products which revolutionize the industry. And when people don’t get something totally radical, innovative or groundbreaking… they complain. As if Apple pulls brand new devices and technologies out of a hat each year… come on now… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Popcap’s Peggle has already become a classic in the two years since the casual game was launched by PopCap for the PC. Since then it has appeared on the Mac, gotten a seqel (Peggle Nights) for Mac and PC, been released on XBOX Live Arcade (XBLA), gotten a DS release … and now it is available on the iTunes App Store.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

iSkin’s new line of cases for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 are not only great looking, they’re functional. Afraid of cooties (aka germs)? The embedded Microban antimicrobial product protection is sure to please the most discriminating germophobe. The cases are flexible (and colorful) yet won’t block out your camera and flash. There’s also full access to your keyboard and both models of case include clear screen guards – with the Vibes FX including a film that offers a mirror effect when your Curve’s screen is taking a nap. The Vibes cases are $29.99 and the Vibes FX are $32.99. iSkin Vibes and Vibes FX for BlackBerry 8900 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Act quickly! If you have been on the fence about getting a BlackBerry, your patience has just paid off.  Between now and  midnight Sunday, June 4th, you can get  ALL models of the BlackBerry Curve line fro  AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Alltel for FREE! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I currently have two 13″ Apple notebooks on my table. (Isn’t it great when you HAVE to upgrade so you can give someone else a “new” notebook!) One is a 13″ MacBook… the other a 13″ MacBook Pro. As you know the two are remarkably similar both inside and out. How similar??? Let’s take a look! It’s time to play… Spot the MacBook Pro!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …