Just a soon as a hot new phone hits the streets there are companies out there dissecting it and displaying photos for all the world to see. Rapid Repair has some pretty clear photos of all the innards of the new Palm Pre. If you’re into this type of gadget voyeurism check the link below. Rapid Repair Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the Kindle’s advantages is that one can order books on demand, and not need to worry about whether they are in stock in the bookstore.  Here, to ensure that building your dead tree collection is not a thing of the past, comes the Espresso Book Machine (EBM).  On Demand Books created the EBM to print books, well, on demand (betcha didn’t see that one coming). Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Judie: When HTC first sent news of their upcoming Touch Pro2 back in February, the personal note from my HTC contact said “PS: Know you have been waiting for the next Universal for awhile now…” Heck yeah I have, and that was a bit of a tease if there ever was one! Sure the radios, memory, processors, screen types – almost everything imaginable have been updated in newer HTC models, but as feature rich and highly spec’d as PDA phones may have been since 2005, I haven’t been able to keep myself from comparing all of them to the form factor perfection I personally found in the HTC Universal. But after waiting so long with no true contender, I’ve just about accepted that the Universal form factor will never return. With that in mind I have turned a more accepting eye to current devices which reproduce and perfect other features of the Universal that I liked so much – its almost 4″ VGA screen, the excellent keyboard, the option of using tablet or “laptop” mode, its fast processor, its expansion ability, etc., etc. Now that the Pro2 is becoming available, Clinton and I both have in hand loaners that HTC [...]

UPDATE: Looks like the video was pulled. While it was up the video displayed a remarkably clear (outside) sample of what the iPhone 3 GS video is capable of.Mark Wilson of Gizmodo shot some sample iPhone 3GS video over at the WWDC event that has just wrapped up. I have to say this video is pretty impressive in quality. Hopefully it can be configured for a wider ratio than what this sample shows. It looks like the Flip folks should be concerned. Maybe this video feature is one way to justify the $200 extra that existing iPhone 3G users will have to pay to upgrade. The only odd thing was the video was not fully sized to the YouTube dimensions. via Gizmodo Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Meet the newest member of the iPhone family. Apple today announced 16 GB and 32 GB iPhone 3GS. Despite speculation that these new devices would have matte back finishes and single color trim – the new iPhone 3GS (the “S” stands for speed) is the spitting image of the regular iPhone 3G. What’s new about the iPhone 3GS? Improved battery life. with up to 9 hours of internet surfing, 10 hours of video, 30 hours of audio and up to 5 hour 3G talk. Up to 2x faster than prior model – supports 7.2 Mbps HSPDA, VGA video (edit, share), 3 Megapixel camera, Voice Control, Compass, Copy/Paste, Search across all items, Internet Tethering (not available on AT&T), Nike+, Voice Memos, and finally… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re using an accessory that constant has to be plugged/unplugged from your iPhone docking connector here’s a way to prevent unwanted wear and tear or damage to your iPhone connector. This 1.5 foot extension will allow you to keep your iPhone connected while all the wear and tear goes to the extension cable. You also could use this to get an extra 1.5 feet of length from an existing cable. Dock Extender Cable – $9.99 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Life Gear’s Water Bottle also doubles as a flashlight. This handy little tool is ideal for those who do a lot of hiking or may just want to the peace and security of a glowing water bottle by their bed at night. The capacity is .05 liter so you’re wise not to be relying on this for desert or cross country hikes. The internal light has two modes. Click once for glowing lantern. Click again for flashlight. You can purchase at Amazon for only $6.36 (shipped free for Amazon Prime members) Life Gear via SD Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As a fan of Netbooks, I am always on the lookout for something that will lighten my load.  If it can also free up the limited USB ports on my Asus Eee PC 1000HE, then that’s even better. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Have you ever dropped something in your PC case, and then could not find it amongst the chips, resistors, capacitors and other various nooks and crannies?  Next time, you can use this nifty USB Fever Borescope to find it. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Our GearSponsor LogicBuy checks in with today’s laptop deal. For only $599 Newegg offers the new MSI X-Slim (the X is for Ultra Slim) 13.4-inch notebook. Featuring an Atom Z230 1.6 GHZ processor, 2GHZ RAM, 320GB Hard Drive and Vista Home Premium as well as a speedy 802.11n wireless connection and web cam. LogicBuy Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s an interesting tidbit that I think is noteworthy (but is not new since Verizon’s been offering this since last year). Verizon’s web site offers no-contract, 1 year and 2 year contract terms. It’s a great option for anyone who might already own a Verizon phone or who may buy one from eBay and not want to become entangled in a 2 year agreement. You can buy no-contract priced phones direct from Verizon as well – although the added price is generally more than what you’d pay for an early termination fee (ETF) of $175 so you’d be better to enter the contract and swallow the ETF. As an example the BlackBerry Storm is $499 without contract but only $199 under a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I taught my grandmother how to use a computer when she was well into her 80′s. She saw that my parents and brother had computers at home, and I had one at college…so she wanted to get in on all the fun. I taught her to use AOL, how to play various games (Spider Solitaire was her favorite), and generally how to be self sufficient and keep herself “sharp” through her games. Not everyone has a granddaughter with nothing to do for a summer but write a thesis-size set of instructions on how to use a computer (It was Windows ME, so it was like this; Step 1: press power button. Step 2: wait. Step 3: click desired icon. Step 4: wait some more…). There is a better way to help someone developing Alzheimers and dementia though…Dakim Brain Fitness.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

What could possibly say “Dad I Love You Happy Father’s Day” better than a 6 foot long remote controlled replica of the RMS Titanic? For only $2,500 Hammacher Schlemmer will ship the Titanic to your Dad’s doorstep. Like the original, this craft took over 400 man-hour to assemble from 300 individually hand crafted pieces. Also, like it’s namesake, guaranteed not to sink hours of fun. Injection molded plastic is used for the railings, windows, doors, and funnels, laser-cut for precise replication. The boat deck includes lifeboats flanked by davits that were used to lower the lifeboats overboard. Other details include the yellow funnel water pipes, cowl ventilators, cranes, docking deck (the rear raised deck with wheel), winches, bollards, and anchor crane Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s a cool and inexpensive Father’s Day item. It’s a picture frame made from Scrabble pieces. The base spells out “DAD” and the included frame holds any photo up to 3.5″ x 5.25″. As a matter of fact I do indeed know that you can probably make one of these yourself but for those of us too lazy or less inclined – the $5.99 price tag seems like a great solution to the “what to get Dad” dilemma that rolls around every year at this time. Note: Gift best suited for giving by younger kids – might be a little creepy to give your Dad if you are mid-20s or older. Stupid Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve been reading through several discussion forums to gather information on what real users are reporting about the Palm Pre. It’s been only a day so there will likely be software updates coming to combat some issues. Right now the biggest problem users are discussing appears to be the Palm Pre battery life. Several users are indicating that their Palm Pre discharges within 2 to 4 hours – even when idle. Incredibly the official Sprint forum administrator admits that you may have to charge your Pre up to three times a day: No – it’s good for a half a day of heavy use. I’ve been charging three times a day (noon, 5PM, overnight) but I’m heavy on the Continue reading on Gear Diary …