If there’s one thing the iTunes App Store is not short on it’s Twitter applications. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Twitter user.  I’ve tried at least ten different Twitter apps on my iPhone and usually end up returning to three or so of the apps I call the “big guys.” Software developer Andrew Weeks has just recently released his newest Twitter client for the iPhone Twiterena+ Pro. Is there a new contender for top iPhone Twitter app? Read on to find out.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Almost every time I visit the gym there’s a gang standing around the exercise machinery – doing nothing except being seen by their friends and talking loudly. Some days I’m there 45 minutes and the chatty group talks loudly right at my side for the entire time. Usually I can drown the noise out by turning up the music from my iPhone. Other times I’ve resorted to Etymotic. These HF5 in-ear headphones do a great job of blocking out all background noises so that you’re not distracted by the idle chatter. They work by sitting inside your ear where the soft rubber plastic seals out most background noise. For sure the first few times it’s a little uncomfortable inserting them. After… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

While Apple might need to worry about the FCC inquiry into its handling of the Google Voice apps, it sure looks like they can brush off any customer anger they have elicited (like mine). The numbers speak for themselves… The iPhone now accounts for 8% of mobile revenue and 32% of handset profits. In the second quarter the iPhone 3GS was the second most popular handset. According to one estimate the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G are in the 2nd and 4th spots. (And remember, the iPhone was only available for a small PART of the 2nd quarter.) Telstra site as of August 5, 2009 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We are all feeling the financial pinch!  Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. From the developer of Local Concerts for iPhone: Do you enjoy live music? Find local shows near your neighborhood. Access a huge, global database of concerts and live events. Browse nearby concerts by date or favorite venue. Buy tickets and get directions to the show. Available FREE for iPhone and iPod Touch! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

These Spy Camera sunglasses allow for up to 4 GB of video and audio storage (AVI) format. After recording you may download video using the included USB connector cable. Just slip them on your head and never mind the stares of everyone wondering why you’re wearing a pair of bulky sunglasses with a lens opening in the front. Available in black, green, pink, brown, white, blue, red. Use responsibly and be aware that usage may be illegal (or just tacky) in many states. Spy Camera Sunglasses – 4GB Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have got to say this would be amazing, 2 whole terabytes on something that can get lost in your shoe!  These cards could be a world changer, your entire media life on a chip the size of your thumbnail.  Sony has released specifications for Memory Stick XC Duo and Memory Stick XC Micro for up to 32mb/s and Memory Stick XC-HG Duo and Memory Stick XC-HG Micro at 480mb/s.  Details are sparse, like are there actual units or are these just theoretical values.  What would they cost?  If 8Gb of current Memory Stick costs $27 then these would be worth approx. $6750.  Without some sort of official announcement and a working unit I wouldn’t hold my breath… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today only you can grab a Timbuk2 Coder bag for only $28 (normally $80). The perfect day-tripper. Holds your laptop, power brick, pen, papers, and cash money. Available in Small, Medium and Large and Navy, White, Black and Brown colors. Hurry because this deal’s done after today. Timbuk2 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As a firefighter I guess I was the obvious choice to review the ioSafe hard drive which sells itself as the first and only external hard drive that is both water and fire proof. The company includes a one time, no questions asked recovery process.  If you are unable to recover the data off the drive after a disaster you send it back to them.  If their experts are not able to recover the data they send it out to a third party recover service.  Finally, if that service is unable to recover your data ioSafe will spend up to $1000 on the end user’s behalf for data recovery with a forensic recovery company like Ontrack or DriveSavers. In order to test the drive in a real wold scenario I decided to enlist the help of my fire company. Did the ioSafe survive our real world torture test? Click on to find out.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few weeks ago, I took a first look at this title from Sygic.  They have since released a small update and fixed a few bugs, so lets take a closer look at Sygic Mobil Maps 2009 – one of the crop of full navigation apps now appearing on the iPhone…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here it is- a real world test of tech! 7:00PM EST IT IS- DOUBLE CLICK FOR THE LIVE FEED We are trying something new. Larry is testing to ioSafe Harddrive- the world’s first waterproof, fireproof external hard drive and boy are they putting it through the ringer. It is being placed in an old car which will then be set ablaze under the watchful eye of Larry and other members of the Ludwigs Corner Fire Company. They will be recording everything with both a high quality video camera and a thermal imaging camera (TIC). The full post will include that footage, plus the recovery process in which Larry will pull the drive out of the well-done case and use it again with his Mac. (It currently has his entire Home directory on it!)… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Their web site claims that MouseBlister can be “great for reducing CTS & Tendonitus Symptoms associated with prolonged mouse use”. Apparently it took more than a year to develop the technology to stick little bits of cut up rubber onto a mouse. If you have trouble gripping your mouse because it’s too slippery or if you just enjoy sticking pieces of rubber all over stuff, this is the product for you. Only $8.99 (free shipping) for 25 self-adhesive mouse blisters. Color choice is wide open so long as black is your favorite. Available soon in red, blue, yellow and white. Mouseblister Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Update: This contest is now closed. Since I personally know at least one of the entrants, I had Wayne randomly pick a number. He chose 12, which means the winner is crloga1. Thank you all for entering; keep your eye out for future giveaways on Gear Diary! It’s August, which means that in just a few weeks school will be starting again. To help your favorite student  (or yourself!) prepare for the plethora of data that will soon need storing, Seagate and Roxio are offering one lucky Gear Diary reader the chance to win a 500GB Seagate FreeAgent Go (value $149.99) external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent Go Dock + (value $39.99), and a one year membership to Roxio PhotoShow (value $39.99) In order to enter you just need to leave a comment telling who your favorite teacher was (or is), what subject they taught, and why they were (or are) your favorite. This contest is open to Gear Diary readers in the United States, and it will run until Midnight CST on Monday, August 10th. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I recently reviewed a fun new application for the Mac OS called Fun Booth 2. The application allows you to snap pictures of yourself and then add fun props to the picture.  You can also use the props while video chatting or e-mail/upload finished images to your friends and family. Spoonjuice, the developer of Fun Booth 2 for the Mac, recently submitted a version of the application to the iTunes App Store for approval and allowed me to test it out before it gets released.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Samson has just announced their new Go Mic. The high-quality USB microphone is just 2.5 by 1.5 inches small. It features a professional USB condenser microphone, Plug and Play Mac and PC compatibility, Frequency Response of 20Hz ¬- 18kHz and is available in Black or White. The Go Mike has an  MSRP of $59 and is shipping now. The full release follows.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The folks over at Phone Arena have posted a review of the new  Samsung Omnia II 8000.  It has a big 480×800 screen (AMOLED), a fast 800MHz processor, 8GB of internal storage, 3G, WiFI, GPS, a 5MP camera, and 256MB of RAM (and a buch of other stuff).  Samsung uses their own customized front-end called TocuhWiz that hides the clumsy Windows Mobile user interface. Overall, they really seem to like the device.  They indicate that Samsung did well with the user interface and they really like the high-resolution screen.  On the downside, however, they point out – numerous times - that the device was showing a lot of lag – unusual for a device with such a fast… Continue reading on Gear Diary …