As a quiet holiday weekend begins, it leaves more time than ever for random, mindless musings like this… what exactly IS the iPhone? Sure it is usually lumped into the mix as a “smartphone” but it does so much more that I’m not sure the label actually fits.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Alex has just sent word that WebIS is offering holiday specials on their software. If you’ve put off purchasing Pocket Informant or FlexMail but the intention was there, then you ought to take advantage while the cost is so insanely low. These sale prices are good through the 6th, so you can wait until your barbecue guests have left before you press ‘purchase’. Clicking the links below gets you the special pricing and helps support Gear Diary. FTW! This weekend we honor the independence of the United States of America. American’s do it in our own personal ways. We do it by getting together with family, eating smoked Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I read the other day that the group The 88 had used an iPhone and the iPhone app Four Track to record their song Love Is The Thing. That was pretty neat, but not nearly as neat as those groups who have recorded entire SONGS on the iPhone using virtual iPhone instruments. Or so I thought. After watching a video of them creating the song on the iPhone I’m more than blown away by yet ANOTHER amazing use of this pocket computer. Seriously, it is nothing short of amazing. Take a look for yourselves… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s been a while since I reviewed the JayBird JB-200 Bluetooth headphones.  In that time, Jaybird has expanded their line from simply Bluetooth audio, and they have introduced two new sets of earbuds.  Today I am reviewing one of those, the Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds. These are like the Altec Lansing BackBeat Pros that I just reviewed; they are the in-ear style.  They are a little smaller than the BackBeat headphones, and they are not as noticeable as the BackBeat headphones when you wear them.  One other difference from the BackBeat Pro is that these have a microphone and a handy in-line volume control.  They are more like the Altec Lansing Backbeat Plus Mobile UHS206 headphones I reviewed a few months ago, just with the added volume control.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When I first got a Grand Central (now Google Voice) account the choice of phone numbers was somewhat limited. The result was that I had to get a number with an area code that was…. well, out of my area. In fact, it was such a jumble of numbers that it was almost impossible to remember. And when Grand Central became Google Voice this number went with it. Well Google is clearly ramping things up these days with regard to Google Voice.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This morning I received an auto-response from a subscriber to a newsletter I publish for work. This person is without ANY email for 5 days while they wait for a replacement router that was damaged due to a lighting strike (Connecticut is on about the 30th day of severe late day thunderstorms). How can any business professional be without email for 5 days when clients and customers use email as a replacement for the telephone? Having access to email from any Internet connected computer is an immense benefit — and a reason I’m such a believer in GMAIL and Google Apps which while still subject to outages are in my opinion a much more reliable solution for small businesses… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Dell has this Sony XPERIA X1A Smartphone on sale for $599 after a $100 instant savings. Apply coupon code 22X6DLMFK6K92G and score another 10% savings for a net price of $539. If that’s not enough savings for you – then how about some free shipping. The Sony XPERIA features a 3-inch touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3G, HSDPA, 3.2 Megapixel Camera/camcorder with a secondary camera for video calls, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth with streaming music; 400MB built-in memory and powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. Sony XPERIA X1A – $539 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Save $35 on this limited edition Batman Begins Gift Set. The Blu-ray gift set includes exclusive high-def content: The Dark Knight Prologue, Hollywood Movie Money to see The Dark Knight in theaters (a $7.50 value which will buy you a mini box of sno caps), 32-page exclusive Dark Knight Prologue book, 16-page comic book adaptation of the first 6 minutes of The Dark Knight, a Batman Begins lenticular and five collectible postcards to send to your geeky friends. More importantly this is a bargain priced DVD set that when gifted to a friend will make them think you spent more than you really did. Shipping is free on orders over $25. Batman Begins via Logicbuy Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m a huge fan of the Roku Player. It is simple to set up and use and is great for streaming Netflix instant movies and Amazon Video On Demand. What is especially nice about the Roku player is that, if you already have a Netflix subscription, there is no additional cost after you purchase the player. That’s right Netflix subscriptions include their streaming service and although the choice aren’t fantastic there is always something to watch. Add to that the ability to rent and view movies from Amazon at a rate that is often better than iTunes and you have a nice media player… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You want to look like a DJ?  You don’t like the colors typical DJ style headphones come in?  Well, check out these headphones from 2XL. These are a classic design that has been around for a long time.  When I was little, these were the only kind of headphones available.   … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s taken a while, but it looks like BlackBerry’s partnership with U2 is finally showing  some signs of life. Joey atBlackBerryNews just broke the latest update —  no, there is still nothing up on BlackBerryU2.com.  We can, however, expect a Mobile Album to be released.  There seems to be some more goodies at play from the boys of Dublin and Waterloo.  Take a look…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Developer Description: Welcome to Wild West Pinball – world first professional pinball simulator for the iPhone. With fast 3D graphics and realistic physics this game will blow your mind. All parts of pinball table are real objects and you can see how it works! Western style locations and environment gives you a lot of fun. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes you just want to charge your iPhone/iPod when you’re on the go without syncing.  Now you can easily choose to charge or sync+charge with USB Fever’s Sync Blocker.  Perfect for that “extra” cable needed for the office or for travel. Compatibility: – iPhone 3GS – iPhone 3G (or iPhone 2.0) – iPhone 2G (or iPhone 1.0) – iPod Touch 1st & 2nd – iPod Classic – iPod Video – iPod Nano 4th – iPod Nano 3rd USB Fever – $12.99… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Evernote seems to come out with at least one update a week. That’s especially impressive since they are working on support for multiple platforms at the same time. Windows, OS X, WM, OS X iPhone, the Pre and more, that’s a good deal of juggling to be doing. This update is one that potentially impacts every Evernote user regardless of platform. It is a small change but potentially one that can save hours of work if you aren’t careful and close your browser before hitting “save”. That’s right, Evernote’s web interface now auto saves your work. Some may see this as a small update but if, like me, you have ever closed a browser window… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Celebrate Independence Day every day with Handmarks Free Fireworks Application.  Choose from four different backgrounds and add music (the Star Spangled Banner and Stars and Stripes Forever are included).  Windows Mobile, iPhone/iPod Touch and BlackBerry (via Astraware) users can download the application free for a limited time. via Handmark and Astraware Continue reading on Gear Diary …