Anyone who ventured into an AT&T store could tell you that the HTC Pure (Formerly known as Touch Diamond2) launched yesterday with Windows Mobile 6.5 installed. The launch was a bit of a surprise since WM6.5 is not due to arrive until tomorrow. According to several sites the Windows Mobile Marketplace is live too. Incorporating a large brilliant 3.2-inch WVGA touch screen, the HTC PURE is crafted to fit perfectly into the hand and accentuates one’s sense of style. With a crisp advanced five megapixel auto-focus camera with video capture, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor, the HTC PURE brings many of the most sophisticated features to a broad consumer audience looking for the professional benefits of a smartphone, without sacrificing size, looks or functionality. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Despite building some decent midsize sedans over the years, Mazda knew it needed to undertake a significant model makeover in order to keep pace with the CD-segment, namely Accord and Camry. With this newest Mazda6 they have done just that. Their mantra? Zoom-zoom evolution.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Disney Imagineers have been hard at work and last week released the first ever collection of Disney children’s books in digital format. The collection is browser based and available for both PC and Mac and best of all there is nothing to download. Disney has been writing stories for over 70 years and their digital collection promises to be entertaining.  It features over 500 stories with animated illustrations and authentic character voices.  Books include Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Cars, Hannah Montana, Toy Story, the Disney Princesses and many more. The stories are separated in three groups, (1) for beginner readers and a companion, (2) for independent readers, and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

New York-based BrickHouse Security is not only dedicated to assisting the public and government with their security, safety, protection, covert surveillance and counter-surveillance needs, but they also want to offer peace of mind for our mobile environments as well.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As promised the Garmin Nuvifone G60 is up for sale on the official AT&T site. After 2 year contract this device will set you back $399 less a $100 mail-in-rebate. Just think how happy you’ll be to use the built-in Wi-Fi, 3.2 MP camera, voice-guided GPS and touchscreen. Fast forward a week and imagine how pissed you’ll be as you realize that pretty much any modern phone on the market offers this (plus apps) for less. Caveat emptor – or at least have some dignity and wait for Amazon to change their “currently unavailable” status and post a reasonable price (like free) for this. It’s worth noting that users of the Nuvifone will also be hit up for a $5.99 monthly added service fee so they can view traffic, access white pages info. More after the jump.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m a huge fan of Mac application bundles. They are a great way to legitimately get premium apps for pennies on the dollar. They are a super way to try new applications that you might otherwise overlook. And, they are perfect for the new switcher who is out to build their collection of great Mac applications. A new MacFriendly Bundle is out and for $49 you get a host of top quality applications. … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This Kodak Zi8 (Black) is presently selling for $179 at Amazon. But if you scoot over to Kodak’s site you can score one for $138 shipped (price drops to $120 each if you buy two). Use coupon code KODAKGOLF09 at checkout. This is a 1080p, 30 fps, 16:9 aspect ratio hi-def video camera that offers expandable memory via your SD/SDHC memory card (up to 32 GB). In mid-August 2009 Wired Magazine called this model “The Best Pocket Cam We’ve Seen All Year”. Kodak via FatWallet Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The HTC Touch Pro II is currently running $149 after 2 year new T-Mobile service contract on Amazon. The price is even higher, $349, if you go direct to your friendly T-Mobile store. However if you know the secret handshake code you can take advantage of an exclusive offer and get the phone FREE by calling 866-464-8662, press option 3 for new service, and mention promo code “Windows Mobile” when ordering. This offer is only valid via the 800# provided (offer not available at authorized T-Mobile retail stores). PS – Yes this requires a new 2 year service agreement and though the phone ships with Windows Mobile 6.1 it will be upgradeable soon to 6.5, phone… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

OpenTable, a site that enables easy restaurant reservations online and on a variety of mobile devices, recently announced a version for Android devices.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Legos are for the little ones, now MicroRAX are the Tim “The Toolman” Taylor version for us big guys(cue the grunt)!  TwinTec, Inc.out of Washington has just announced the release of pre-cut MicroRAXkits that are compatible with Erector, Meccano and Eitech construction sets. MicroRAX are made from high-strength precision extruded aluminum, in other words MicroRAX is much stronger than plastic building systems or thin punched sheet metal. From taking a look at the website the only limitations to what you can build is based on your general engineering skills, so for me I guess I will only be making a box! Some if this equipment has been used in… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have used database programs for quite a while to keep track of things like my music collection and favorite wines.  Sure, I could do that with a spreadsheet, but having the data organized in a database makes it easy to sort and view records. I’m relatively new to Bento, just picking it up with version 2, but found it very easy to learn and use. This week, FileMaker released Bento 3, a major update to their user-friendly database software for the Mac. Bento 3 offers a number of new and improved features, which are largely directed toward incorporating graphics better and adding security options, including: • iPhoto integration… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

What would you rate a calculator on the age-rating system in the iPhone/iPod Touch App Store? Does a calculator even NEED an age warning? Apparently, according to Apple it does…read on for details, and the absurd way this has been resolved… PCalc, by TLA Systems, was given a 17+ rating by Apple. Why? Because when you type 5318008 and flip the calculator upside down, it spells (WARNING: NSFW, do not read on if you are easily offended)… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Evernote Blog is a great way to keep up with the latest Evernote news while also learning new tips and tricks for using the service that looks to become “your external brain”. Now they have come up with a new way to help Evernote become even more indispensable than ever – Theme-based months. That’s right, each month the Evernote Blog will focus on one specific area and how the service can be used to keep life a bit more organized. First up??? A treat for all you foodies out there.  As they explain… Welcome to Food Month And so begins Evernote’s Food Month, our exploration of all the many ways Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s amazing how much I’ve grown to rely on Google for information.  See Google has control of many of the web sites I visit first thing in the morning, YouTube, Gmail, iGoogle, Google Reader and more. Problem is though today none of them are loading.  Well some are but it’s taking them an eternity and when they’ve finally loaded navigating is painfully slow. A brief search of Twitter and I found several people experiencing the same thing. So is there some sort of planned or unplanned Google service outage going on? Here’s hoping everything comes back to normal soon. UPDATE:  Things seems to have come back on line at of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you one of those people who has trouble cutting that first (or second) piece of cake without it crumbling to pieces. This Table Saw cake cutter may help you to disguise your lack of cake cutting skills. Disguised as a saw, this 12 inch plastic knife does double duty to help scoop the cake after you’ve cut it. There’s no indication whether it will saw through rock hard ice cream cakes that seem to ship at a temperature of absolute zero or whether you’d have to purchase a chain saw cake knife for those. Table Saw Cake Knife – $7.99 Continue reading on Gear Diary …