Talk about a powerhouse… the HP Envy 15 is sporting a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics and 15″ HD display at 1920×1080 pixels. It can take up to 16GB of RAM and has a glass trackpad that supports gestures. The magnesium alloy case is 1 inch thick and weighs in at just over 5 lbs. I mean… this thing looks AWESOME!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The discussion started as casually as most do. A co-worker asks “Would you buy a GM vehicle right now?” My answer? You bet. And one of the reasons is their new Chevy Equinox.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Got a Palm Pre?  Want to keep it in pristine condition so it doesn’t end up looking like this? Proporta has just released a stylish case that aims to protect your precious Pre (say that five times fast!) while not adding any unnecessary bulk to the device.  If you need an attractive, shatterproof case that gives you access to all the Pre’s controls  yet still coddles the device with a soft-touch backing, you’re gonna want to check out the Proporta Crystal Case with Soft Base Fee. Full features, price, pics and purchase link are available after the jump.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the items frequently included on iPhone owners’ wishlists is the ability to test an application and then upgrade to a full version if they like it.  This is relatively common on other platforms, but iPhone owners have been relegated to using “lite” apps, if the developer even chooses to make a lite version.  The problem with lite versions, though, is that if you upgrade to a full version, there generally isn’t any way to transfer any data you’ve entered into the lite version. As of yesterday, however, the problem may have been solved.  Apple informed developers that it will now allow in-app purchases for free apps.   This opens the door for developers… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s a ritual around my house, and I imagine it’s done in households everywhere — the bed time story.  Whether one of my kids is laying down for a mid day nap or getting tucked in for the night, they always get a story before they close their eyes. With three girls at home we’ve become fans of many of the Disney characters, so when Disney Digital books asked us to review their new online service I jumped at the chance.  Disney Digital Books provided me with a one month test subscription to try the service out at home with my family.  Here are my thoughts.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Like a lot of people, my primary computer for day to day use is a laptop.  I take it with me when I go out in the morning, and I use it in my home office when I return in the evening. One accessory that I find indispensable when I am working at a desk is a dedicated laptop riser stand.  These stands offer flexibility, ergonomics, and increased airflow to your laptop while it’s running.  You also save valuable desk space by not having the additional clutter of another monitor. The best stands give you the ability to set your preferred laptop position, so you can comfortably view the screen without straining and hunching over your desk. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you in need of extra file storage space? With the release of Windows 7 coming on October 22 many people are going to want to backup their drives before upgrading to the latest Windows version. Here’s a pretty good deal on a 500GB USB 2.0 drive (self-powered via USB port) that should be big enough to hold all but the largest drives. This portable usb hard drive is an easy, reliable way to add more storage to your PC. Simply plug it in to a USB port and start saving or backing up your photos, music, video and other files. This 500 GB drive comes with a USB 2.0 interface which does not require any power adapter as it Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Twitter has started to offer the ability to create lists of contacts within your Twitter account. This feature is being rolled out to a few users right now so if you don’t see the feature in your account when you log in then you’ll likely have to wait for it to be added. What do Twitter lists add? Well for one it’s an opportunity to quickly view similar types of contacts. For example I’ve set one list to display my company contacts and another list displays all the Gear Diary team writers.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Resco recently released their latest version of Pocket Radio, 2.00, for Windows Phone. If you didn’t know already, Resco Pocket Radio is a player and recorder providing endless streaming radio broadcasting, perfect for those who can’t live without a radio at their fingertips. With this latest update, users would certainly appreciate the new touch-friendly radio list, as most of the Windows Phone nowadays have touch-friendly interface. New Features in Resco Pocket Radio 2.00: Touch-friendly Radio List The list of radio stations has been converted into touch-optimized interface. Each musical genre includes a number in parentheses indicating how many stations belong to the category. Letter Bar Included As you select from a broad Continue reading on Gear Diary …

DataViz RoadSync for Android, a Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync client that has been in beta in the Android Market for the past six months, has now been released.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

photo credit: woodleywonderworks For a few weeks now, Judie has been writing about her experiences learning Spanish using the Rosetta Stone system.  It’s a wonderful language learning system used by diplomats and business leaders the world over.  But it has one big drawback – it’s really, really expensive! In these times especially, many of us are living on a budget and need more cost-effective options.  So, I decided to pull-together some things I had already been working on and go on a mission to learn Spanish as well, but I’m going to try to do it on a more modest budget.  Along the way, I’m going to look at some moderate and even low-cost options for helping you learn a new language.  I’m going to focus on using the computer, the Internet, and even my mobile devices to get the job done.  Who knows?  We may even uncover some valuable tools and resources you may not know about!  I’ll also be reviewing some the products I’m using along the way! This week, I want to start by looking at a really basic tool you should probably have, no matter what language you want to learn, or how much you plan to spend – [...]

It never ceases to amaze me that even when it seems like there is a clear leader in a particular genre, other companies will pop up with competing products. The cynic in me thinks “why are you trying to reinvent the wheel?” But the entrepreneur in me thinks, “good for you, give them hell!” So it’s with mixed feelings that I tell you about Yebol, a new semantic search engine that has audacity to take on the other guys. Yebol is a new(ish) semantic search engine that’s still in beta. But what makes Yebol unique is 1) within 2 months, it will be able to return Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As I’ve tossed out before while talking about the Wolfenstein iPhone releases, my history with Wolfenstein is nearly 30 years old. I’m not sure how I initially found out about it – it could have been an impulse buy at the local computer center – but from the moment I started playing Castle Wolfenstein on my Apple ][+ I was hooked. Locks that told you they would take 75 seconds to pick – and that was *real time*! During which you were vulnerable to the ever-roaming guard patrols. By the time Wolfenstein 3D came out in 1992 the gaming press was better so I knew it was coming and got it quickly after release (day of release rush wasn’t the sport it is today). I played the heck out of that for quite a while, and still love that game, having gotten it for the iPhone recently. My wife bought me Return to Castle Wolfenstein when that arrived, and I have recently replayed that on my netbook, and it is still a wonderful experience. So I was a natural ‘easy sell’ for Wolfenstein. Except for the fact that I found nothing particularly intriguing in the pre-release press.… Continue reading on Gear [...]

A couple of weeks ago we introduced Nerf N-Strike Elite, which is coming to the Wii on October 27th. Now EA has introduced a teaser trailer showing some highlights to get you ready! Check it out!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ll admit it, I’m not as young as I used to be.  The thought of going to a rock concert and coming out hard of hearing just isn’t as appealing as it once was. Wolfgang’s Vault‘s Concert Vault solves that problem.  The iPhone application, which is available in the iTunes App Store as a free download, gives you access to a large volume of recorded concerts which can be streamed right to you iPhone. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the application and registered on the Wolfgang Vault web site you’ll have access to thousands of concerts over Wifi, 3G or Edge.  You can add playlists, favorite concerts and sync them all… Continue reading on Gear Diary …