I bought the new iPod shuffle on the day it was released. I returned the new iPod shuffle the third day it was released. A few months later I repurchased the new iPod shuffle and am quite happy with it.What changed in that period of time besides the fact that I am “device fickle”? Only the fact that I recognized that the new iPod shuffle is a specific device for a specific purpose. The iPod shuffle is not meant to be someone’s primary iPod. Rather, it is intended to be a great device for listening to music when you want the most minimalistic approach possible. Still, the fact that out-of-the-box the device only uses Apple’s own headphones and the fact that there are no controls on the shuffle itself can, at times, be an issue. That’s why I thought it was so neat when Scosche introduced their new iPod shuffle adapter  the tapSTICK. They were kind enough to send one along to try and review and I must say it is a superb accessory to have if you own one of the new shuffles. Let’s take a quick look.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Gran Turismo series of racing games first arrived on the Sony Playstation in 1997, and have sold over 50 million copies over the last 12 years. The games focus on stunning graphics, tons of licensed vehicles, richness of driving simulation and ability to tune the vehicles. For PSP owners it feels like this new version has been in development for nearly that long! In reality the game has been in development since before the launch of the original PSP, leaving gamers to wonder – was it worth the wait? Read on and find out!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Gorilla Tubes are “super slim, hard cases for your iPhone or iPod made from hi-tech fiber composite materials.”  Each Gorilla Tube is hand made in Germany. These cases are definitely different from your plain jane black leather pouch.  In addition to providing an incredible amount of protection the cases look super sleek as well. So step out of that old, tired, conservative leather sleeve and dive into a futuristic looking carbon fiber tube.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Who would’ve thought we’d see IBM positioned as a low cost alternative technology provider. That’s exactly what they appear to be doing — at least on the surface. IBM’s LotusLive iNotes web mail service is priced at only $36/user per year versus Google’s $50/user per year price for Google Apps Premier Edition. Unfortunately that just might be where the positive comparison ends for most companies. Unlike Google, which provides 25 GB of storage, IBM only offers up 1 GB of email storage (you can buy added storage for an extra annual fee). They also lack the word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications that Google includes in their Google Apps bundle. Of course for anyone deeply embedded in Lotus Notes… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I was excited to see the release of Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac a few hours earlier than expected. Of course I immediately downloaded the application which is relatively small — the DMG file is just 28 MB. And they did a great job with it!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The original Nerf N-Strike for the Wii received mostly average marks – it had a nice Nerf gun that also functioned as a controller hooked up through the game on the Wii. It was aimed at kids but priced fairly high initially, but was one of those games that offered enough fun that once the price dropped enough it was a good purchase. Now EA has teamed up with Nerf again to introduce a new game for the 40th Anniversary of Nerf. Nerf N-Strike Elite, with a new gun and new game and lower starting price, looks to deliver an even better gaming value to customers when it arrives in stores on October 27th. Read on for more details and a gameplay video courtesy of WiiNintendo.com.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Believe it or not there are Mac users who also use BlackBerries   It’s been a long wait, but today October 2nd  BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Macs went live. That’s right, as of today you’re not going to have to mess with use a third-party solution like PocketBerry — or rely on VM Fusion, or another virtual machine setup, to run Windows on your Mac just to use BlackBerry Desktop Manager. If you’re unfamiliar with Desktop Manager (or simply, “BBDM” for the ‘Berry heads), this is the software you can use to backup your ‘Berry, sync your (DRM-free) iTunes playlists to your BlackBerry, sync contacts, calendar appointments, notes, and install software/updated BlackBerry OS’s onto your device.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I suspect that we are going to see quite a few seasonal versions of mobile games this holiday season, and one of the first is for a Handy Games’ title. You might remember Larry’s review of Tattoo Mania last month, and if the idea of inking cartoon people instead of getting your own tattoo is appealing, then this game might be for you. Calling “listening to the pained screams of your male and female customers” a selling point is interesting, but to each their own! Control your cruel needle and paint scary Halloween shapes! Draw and colour in 20 frighteningly awesome tattoo templates with Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Billed as the first high-precision positioning system for the Nintendo DS the Ranger GPS is now available from our overseas friends at DealExtreme. The maps are downloaded from Google Maps though it’s unclear from the site whether you’ll need to learn Mandarin or Cantonese if you want to receive optional voice prompts. Just think of how much fun the kids will have navigating. And when they get bored they can remove the cartridge and use the tiny patch cord to swing it over their head and menace other young back seat passengers. Ranger GPS Navigation for NDS Lite – $59.22 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Do you have a few web sites that you visit more than most?  If you’re like me you keep several browser tabs opened to the sites you visit often throughout the day. If you’re on a Mac check out this utility I recently came across which helps with this problem. Fluid creates SSB (site specific browsers) to help you manage these sites more efficiently.  Fluid gives any web application it’s own icon, standard menu bar, place on the desktop and much more.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Do you have summer photos just hanging around on your hard drive, abandoned now that fall is here?  (Well, or almost here if you live in Texas!)  Don’t let them get forgotten–upload them to Picaboo! Picaboo is a service that allows you to create photo books and cards from your digital photos, starting at just $9.99 for a softcover book. They offer easy-to-use software that guides you through the creation process with tons of  layouts, backgrounds, fonts, and sample albums to help spark ideas.  Possibly the coolest feature of the software is the ability to auto-create a photo book in just minutes, similar to the Autoflow feature when creating… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The PSP Go! has officially launched in North America, and so to celebrate I’ve put together a quick unboxing video. I also include a PSP ‘Family Album’ of all four of my PSPs! Not much else to say for now … just take a look! And be sure to check back for more detailed impressions as I get the chance to play around more. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My PSP Go! isn’t even out of the box yet, and the firmware is already out of date! According to several sources including Yahoo! Tech News, PSP Firmware 6.10 has gone live and can be updated through the usual ‘network update’ option on the PSP XMB. New functionality is supposed to include bluetooth internet tethering and a music detection functionality called ‘SensMe Channels’. According to the reports, the firmware update “which adds SensMe, a new application that automatically categorizes music that has been transferred from the PC to the PSP by way of its Media Go application. Sony’s SenseMe uses what it calls “Twelve Tone” analysis, that examines how the music plays, and not just its… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I love my Gorillamobile tripod. It solved a host of issues with trying to use my iPhone’s camera handsfree and, thanks to its flexible legs and assorted options for grabbing devices which includes: –A universal camera adapter (1/4” tripod screw) –A removable adhesive clips detach without leaving residue behind. –A lock ring provides extra security to ensure your mobile device is safely attached. Today Joby upped their game with the addition of their new Soft-touch iPhone case. The new case allows you to quickly attach and detach your iPhone to the Gorillamobile while having it held securely while inside. It looks like a great alternative to the jerry-rigged system I have been using. (I used one of the adhesive clips and applied it to the back one of my cases.) The gorillamobile for 3G/3GS and is available for $39.95 right here.  Pictures and the full release follow.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There’s this new Internet sensation called YouTube. People take videos of themselves and upload them to the service. Some videos are quite stupid and silly. The stupidest and silliest are passed around over and over and over. Now the inevitable has happened – a compilation of what are claimed to be the top 100 viral YouTube videos – conveniently packaged into a 4 minute video which itself is likely to be shared aver and over and over. 100 Greatest Hits of YouTube in Under 4 Minutes via The Raw Feed Continue reading on Gear Diary …