Ever since Tom Tom made their announcement of upcoming iPhone support, along with Apple’s announcement of support for direct hardware communication in OS 3.0, I’ve been expecting to see the release of navigation apps by some of the bigger players in mobile navigation. The first really big release seems to come from Navigon, who have now released the European edition of their MobileNavigator product.  Navigon products have been pretty popular in Europe as both PDA/Smartphone and stand alone device (PNA) releases, and had a presence here in the U.S., primarily through their PNA product line.   In its initial release the program appears to support 10 languages (with more coming), and includes maps and points of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you yearning for an official iPod music player? If you only need music and video capabilities and don’t care about having the latest and greatest model then this could be a good deal. This info comes from our GearSponsor Logicbuy who spotted this deal over on the Buy.com site. The player is a 30 GB refurbished iPod Video. The color choice is great so long as you enjoy black or black. To be perfectly clear this generation iPod is no longer sold on the Apple site – so you aren’t buying the most current technology. For $99 it just might be the answer to your MP3/Video needs – or at least a relatively inexpensive device to send off… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the great promises of high-speed internet to under-served areas has been ‘high speed over power lines’. While implementation has lagged expectations, the technology advancement has not slowed! Today Belkin introduced a new ‘Starter Kit’ that will help you set up a high speed household network, delivering HD media and gaming content throughout your house!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

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According to one iPhone app developer, the current paucity of push-capable apps is due to server-side problems at Apple. Powerybase, developer of the NotifyMe app, received an email from Apple notifying them of a delay. According to NotifyMe’s developers, they believe Apple may not have even started testing some (most?) of these apps; as with NotifyMe, Beejive, a popular instant-messaging app, has been in Apple’s review queue for about a fortnight now, with no estimated release date. Powerybase notes that their app has been working fine in internal testing, so the problem probably lies with Apple, with other apps in a similar limbo. Given that we’ve been waiting for push notifications since September last year, another… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This Nokia 3555 may not be the hottest rated Nokia ever but as a replacement or prepaid phone it probably will be adequate. To be sure you’ll have to use it only on T-Mobile unless you have the phone unlocked so that it can accept the SIM card from another carrier (in the USA that would be AT&T). This is a 3G enabled phone with Bluetooth connectivity for stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion slot; built-in email and instant messaging. Talk time is a claimed 3.4 hours. This phone works on either prepaid or post-paid (regular contract) T-Mobile lines making it an ideal replacement device for anyone who has damaged their T-Mobile phone and wants an affordable replacement without the requirement of signing… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s been a pretty busy week in tech.  Maybe you’ve missed some stuff in the midst of a little upgrade known as the 3G S, or the recent “KindleGate” firestorm (pausing while everyone calls Amazon to get clarification on whether that DRM content you paid for & own is still accessible). Done?  OK. Good.  We know you’re busy.  You just don’t have time to keep up with every single update and product release out there.  That’s alright, because we have you covered.  So, sit back, relax and take a look at our weekly roundup, highlighting just a few of the items you may have missed over the past few days.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We try hard at Gear Diary to share with you awesome deals around the web…but what about times when shopping somewhere WON’T save you money? There are some instances where pricing is so out of whack it’s like a train wreck, and you won’t believe it. Want to know what devices are commanding over 100% premium to their initial release price? Click the read link and find out…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

An eye-opening study released on Thursday indicates that 25% of US teens find nothing wrong with using a smartphone to sneak a peak at information used to help them find the answers to an exam. Strangely only half of those surveyed thought there was anything wrong at all with cheating by using their smartphone to research answers or view stored information. Even though most schools seem to ban the use of phones – the study revealed that the average teen sends 440 text messages per week – with 110 of them being sent during classes. More Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Word is that some iPhone 3G S purchasers who experienced delays in activating their shiny new phones are receiving emails from Apple with the promise of a $30 iTunes credit. The email apologizes for the delay in activation and recognizes that full activation could take up to 48 hours to complete. On Monday the customers who received the apology notice are promised another email from Apple with an iTunes credit of $30. More Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Ever have to buy a grab bag gift for someone you just can’t stand? How about for the office backstabber? Here’s a perfect boxed “evidence knife” that gives the appearance of having already been inserted and removed into someone’s back. This spiffy $14.99 knife actually works and comes complete with covered blood spatter. Just think how much fun it will be to cut through your next birthday cake with this knife. Evidence Knife – $14.99 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My 3G BlackBerry Bold on average will lose it’s charge about twice as fast as my EDGE only (aka 2G) BlackBerry 8900. Part of the reason for this discrepancy in battery life is that during periods of poor signal quality the 3G device is constantly looking for better 3G coverage. All that searching takes more processing time and battery power. Someone on the CrackBerry forums noticed that the latest BlackBerry Bold OS 4.6.0.282 which is downloadable via a link to Hong Kong phone provider CSL Limited which enables the option to turn off 3G in your AT&T BlackBerry Bold. This helps anyone who may be in a fringe 3G area avoid having their Bold constantly draining the battery while searching for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Wouldn’t your Dad enjoy a free weekend away – in the nude? Here’s the ultimate Father’s Day gift that’s guaranteed to be discussed at family gatherings for at least the next twenty years. As the ad states – “first time visit free with this ad”. If you’re really cheap and not sure that skinny dipping is Dad’s thing – have him use this coupon for a free try out of the nudist colony. Failblog Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In a blog post dated June 19 and aimed at their Palm Pre developer community Palm appears to give an indication that they’ll be accepting (or at least tolerant) of third party hacks to their new webOS operating system which recently debuted on the Palm Pre. I”m not a developer but from listening to several podcasts (and sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express last night) I’ve deduced that some portions of the webOS code isn’t protected from casual hacking which may create a fertile opening for hackers and developers. But is this a good thing?… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ll admit it – I like casual gaming and I love time management games.  I’m a big fan of Diner Dash, Sally’s Salon, Westward, Wedding Dash, Airport Mania, and many others.  And now another title comes to the iPhone – Sally’s Spa – a sequel to Sally’s Salon.   It’s currently at the top of the iTunes App Store.  Let’s take a look at this “relaxing” sequel.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …