Jealous of the Palm Touchstone that enables the new Palm Pre to charge simply by placing it on a charging Touchstone base without a need to plug in a cable? Been wishing that your iPhone 3G S would charge in a similar manner? Inductive charging has been around for a while and the main problem has been that device manufacturers must include the option with their devices. Since most phones are sold at the cheapest price possible – to date few manufacturers have opted to include an inductive charging option like the Palm Pre. Now there’s an option for iPhone users and it’s slated to ship in July from Wildcharge as a $34.99 skin ($49.99 charging base sold separately) that… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Ford Taurus – the car that changed America’s view of the family sedan – is all-new for 2010 and ready to take on the world’s best, with an upscale new design, enhanced driving dynamics, class-leading technologies and competitive pricing.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You may remember our recent coverage of the Mediafly service that syncs media content — specifically podcasts for now — to a wide range of devices.  Well, Mediafly is wasting no time.  Their goal is to launch on multiple smartphones throughout 2009, and then hit even more home stereo/video equipment in 2010 so you can have your media content synced and shared on just about any consumer device out there.  The fact that Mediafly is device-agnostic is exciting in that your content goes with you, regardless of what device you may use or decide to uopgrade to in the future. Now Mediafly has released mobile applications for two popular smartphone platforms — a brand new beta for BlackBerry, and an upgrade to their iPhone application that gives you a faster channel refresh and improved user interface.  Without further adieu, let’s jump right in and take a look at what BlackBerry and iPhone users can look forward to with Mediafly.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Over the past year I have had the opportunity to spend a good deal of time corresponding with Alex Kac of WebIS. Moreover, as part of his Pocket Informant Beta Team, I have seen firsthand the trials and tribulations of developing a complex and powerful app and then working it through the App Store review process. It isn’t for the faint of heart. Alex has just posted a piece offering some insight into the process and some suggested fixes over on his WebIS blog. With his permission we are re-posting it in its entirety here on Gear Diary. App Store Review Process Broken – Ideas To Fix Alex Kac – CEO/Founder, Today, 11:45 AM Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Spb is a name most users of Windows Mobile know well. From their Mobile Shell to Weather and Wallet and a host of other useful and entertaining utilities, these guys have done well by the Windows Mobile community over the years. Their latest release is a simple but challenging and fun game for Windows Mobile and Android – Spb Geo Game. This game is clearly in the ‘edutainment’ market, as it asks some challenging questions but makes it fun along the way. The game has two main modes – World Flags and World Capitals – and provides plenty of challenges through its’ multiple choice interface.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Enjoying that new shiny iPhone 3G S, but already growing tired of the boring, stock springboard? Unfortunately, the much anticipated Jailbreak application for the 3G S has not been released yet, so 3G S users who could normally spice up their phones via the theming application, Winterboard, are unable to do so yet. Or so we thought.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Motorola Rival A455 is one of the newest phones to be added to the Verizon Wireless handset lineup. This messaging workhorse gives you instant access to IM style texting, emoticons, a slide out keyboard, and an on screen touch pad right out of the box. I had the opportunity to use the A455 over the last two weeks, and here are my thoughts on this multimedia powerhouse.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When outside or planning to go outside, checking the current weather conditions is usually the first thing I do.  With WeatherBug for  Android , it’s a simple swipe and a tap to find out what is going on outside. The WeatherBug app is a lot like the desktop counterpart.  It has the current temperature in the notification area and it will optionally use the integrated GPS to change it’s location automatically.  That is a fantastic idea and one I use a lot when traveling through the greater Columbus area.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the best things about being a technology writer is getting to look at some of the newest and best tech toys on the market.  Recently, my parents bought a June 2009 15” MacBook Pro (the one with the new SD slot) for my mother. My mission (and I have no choice but to accept it…)  is to install all the software, configure the Boot Camp partition (with XP Pro), etc. for her. I am also fixing my father’s Fall 2008 15” MacBook Pro, and it’s in the process of whisking its way here from Houston.  I’ll be writing a comparative review of it, my mom’s June 2009 MBP and my 13” Unibody MacBook. The specs for mom’s MBP include: 3.06gHz Core2Duo Processor Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I still remember when the first Windows CE ‘Pegasus’ handhelds arrived, and a number of folks ran out to grab the first Casio, NEC and Compaq devices. And I also remember that very soon afterward forums were buzzing with people who were upset that they couldn’t load Windows programs or fully utilize their Microsoft Office files because of the stripped down versions of the Office Apps on the Windows CE devices. Apparently history is repeating itself to an extent as more and more people buy the devices popularly known as ‘netbooks’.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As the dust continues to settle on “The Week Of The iPhone” we’re all getting increasingly used to devices with a new OS or entirely new devices. That’s means the list of wishes for OS 4.0 begins now. It also means increasing familiarity and impressions that are more valuable than the initial “OMG did you know it can do this?” and “Wow! Wow! Wow!” What follows are some likes, dislikes, tips, treats and more, disappointments and dreams for future updates.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Well today the opening of the iPhone navigation software floodgates continues.  AT&T has just released their AT&T Navigator product for the iPhone.  This product, which is AT&T’s branded version of Telenav is free to download, but requires a $9.99 monthly subscription fee (which is NOT terminated just because you delete the application). AT&T Navigator works on the iPhone 3G and 3Gs models only, it is not for the original iPhone. In the near future, as more of these solutions become availailable, I hope to present you with some comparisons of these new services so you can decide which one is right for you!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The following email was sent directly to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Dear Mr Bezos, My name is Dan Cohen and I am an editor for the tech website www.geardiary.com. I am also a proud Kindle owner. In fact, many of us on the site’s staff have, and love, our Kindles. I’m writing to you regarding an experience I have had over the past few days that clearly struck a cord with readers and Kindle owners worldwide. It began last Friday when I got a new iPhone and iPod touch and was unable to load some of my kindle books on them. Not wanting to waste time struggling with whatever download issues I had encountered, I called customer service. As usual the rep was pleasant and clearly… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Before I leave for my work out each day I wake up my kids to get ready for school. It is something I treasure … but that doesn’t mean it is easy, especially for the one on the cusp of teen-hood. As if reading my thoughts, iLuv announces the “iMM153 Desktop Dual Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker for iPod”.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Not long after I received this rather benign looking kit containing a 125mW Green Laser Pointer and a pair of Laser Protective Goggles from SKYlasers, I started really paying attention to all of the reports regarding people with lasers – red and the stronger green, interfering with pilots flying passenger airplanes. In February 2009, there were already 148 reported incidents of laser attacks, and just last week a plane arriving at Sea-Tac was lasered no less than 20 times. What’s the big deal? Well to start, shining a high powered laser at a plane creates the possibility of messing with the pilot’s vision. If… Continue reading on Gear Diary …