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. What geek does not love space?!?!  Over the past few months, my iPhone has gained a handful of apps for space enthusiasts.  My 5 year old son and I love to sit and look at these apps to learn about the planets and solar systems.  One night this summer he asked why we cannot look at space ships while we were looking at the stars using pocket universe.  I did not really have an answer.  NASA has come out with their own FREE app to follow current space missions.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Booq is introducing a new computer case- The Viper rush. The Viper rush is a semi-rigid work-in laptop case. It is made from high density foam and offers a high degree of protection. As a “work-in bag” it opens about 120 degrees to provide in-bag access to the machine. That means you can open the bag, get some work done and then pack up again in seconds. It isn’t JUST a work-in bag, though. Lightweight, protective, roomy enough for basic accessories, the bag is a great daily bag whether you use the work-in feature or not.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Remember how popular the Case-Mate Recession case was?  I posted about it a while back and it simply when viral.  It seemed every technology blog on the internet was writing about it shortly there after. Well if you didn’t get a chance to pick up your own Recession Case or simply can not afford the 99 cent price tag, have I got good news for you! Case-Mate has made a template available, complete with instructions,  for download, that you can use to make your very own Recession Case. So dig those cardboard boxes out of the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Amazon Prime is Amazon’s service where, for $79 a year, your purchases get free two-day shipping. Better still, Amazon Prime members can upgrade items to one-day shipping for just $3.99. It comes in handy… trust me! If you buy a lot from Amazon and are impatient (who, us???) it is a great little add-on. Well, Amazon just went and made their Prime service even better. From now on Amazon Prime-eligible items that are ordered on Thursday before 5PM EST will be delivered Saturday. This means if you have that impulse buy on Thursday you don’t have to wait all weekend… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Twelve South, the makers of the “Back Pack”, which we told you about here, recently announced that both their Back Pack and Book Arc work fine with Apple’s newly released 21.5″ and 27″ iMac and Mac Book. The Back Pack is a shelf which attaches to the back of the iMac and is the perfect place to rest your external hard drive.  I have one myself and love it.  It’s available for $29.99 here. The Book Arc is a stand which holds most Mac Books freeing your desktop from clutter.  It’s available for $49.99 here Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Most of us know buying RAM directly from the manufacturer isn’t the most cost effective method.  Many third party suppliers offer RAM upgrades for far less than what you’d pay if you added the additional memory when you first bought the computer. Other World Computing (OWC) has announced new memory upgrade kits for the just released 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs. Kits are available up to 16 gig. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I love Mac application bundles. It is one of those “Mac-things” you rarely if ever see if “You are A PC”. Mac bundles bring together any number of programs from independent Mac developers and offer them as… well, as a bundle… for pennies on the dollar. No, you often don’t get upgrade rights, but the price is still fantastic. One bundle site, MacBundle Box is launching a new site- MacDailyBox. The new site will offer daily deals on a variety of great software. We, of course, will let you know whenever there is something we recommend grabbing, but you can also jump over to the preview Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Do you do a lot of scanning?  Do you need to get it done quickly?  Maybe even while doing other tasks? KeyScan, the first company to develop and integrated keyboard-scanner product and of makers of  “NoTouch™-AutoScan” software, have announced a limited time offer of $99.99 for the KS810-Plus Imaging Keyboard. The keyboard, which features a built in scanner, comes with a no-touch, autoscan mode that allows the user to complete their most frequent scanning task without even touching a button. The KS810-P also houses a USB2 Hub. The keyboard is available at Tiger Direct and Comp USA for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sunstorm created the very first deer hunting game on the mobile platform.  I remember it as a staple on all my old cell phones.  Since that first release there are have been plenty of worthy imitators but the original game is back.  The company just announced the release of its game now ported to the iPhone OS. Real Deer Hunting is available now, in the iTunes App. Store, for an introductory price of only 99 cents. The game features various weapons to choose from, 16 different hunt stands, a camera to document your trips with, hunting statistics, a trophy room to keep your… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here is some important information if you own a Belkin surge protector. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Belkin, has announced a voluntary recall of their SurgeMaster surge protectors.  The recall effects an estimated 67,000+ units. The model numbers effected are F9G930-10, F9G930V10, F9G930-10-W and F9G930-10-SN.   All were manufactured in 2003. Some units have been reported to experience cracking in the plug assembly which could lead to a potential shock hazard.  Consumers are asked to please stop using this product immediately. For more information contact Belkin toll-free at 800-952-1465 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the Belkin web site… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm 2 has appeared right on schedule on Verizon’s site and for the expected $180 2 year contract price. What’s interesting is there’s also a BOGO (buy one – get one) sale running where you can also get a “free” BlackBerry Tour 9630, Gateway LT2016u Netbook, MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, UMW190 USB Modem, BlackBerry Curve 8330, BlackBerry 8830, BlackBerry Storm 9530 or Storm2 9550, BlackBerry 8703, BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230, or USB760 wireless modem when you purchase a Storm 2. Naturally the monthly data service and calling plan is extra per line but you already expected that, right? Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Some people just can’t wear earbuds; the common iPod earbud either doesn’t fit or is uncomfortable.  Imagine taking your iPod earbuds and putting a cover of sorts over the earbud’s tip.  Now imagine that the cover is also custom fit for your ear.  That is the premise behind Yurbuds.  You simply take a picture of your ear, and Yurtopia then attempts to find the perfect tip for your iPod earbuds or your favorite Bluetooth headset.  Yurbuds promise that you’ll be able to reduce the volume of your iPod or mp3 player by 40 percent, thus saving your eardrums. Yurbuds are available on the Yurtopia web site for $19.99.  If you don’t have… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There was a certain check-list that many of my students went through prior to leaving for college this year. College Admission – √ Emergency Credit Card – √ MacBook Pro – √ iPhone – √ Yes, that’s right, I know few if any students who went off to school with anything but a Mac and many grabbed a Mac and an iPhone. One of my kids, Zack had wanted an iPhone for the longest time. When he got it he was thrilled with everything… everything but the battery life. Zack knows how much I rely on the Mophie Juice Pack Air. I mentioned to the folks at Mophie that I was afraid my Juice Pack Air would suddenly disappear one day if I left Zack alone in my study. They were kind enough to send him one to use, review and keep. A few months later… here is what he has to say.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Appigo was one of the first developers to release a task application (Appigo Todo) for the iPhone that was able to sync with a variety of services, including Remember the Milk and Toodledo. Appigo released a sync application for the Mac called Appigo Sync, but users have been clamoring for a Windows equivalent. The wait is now over…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last week Plastic Logic announced their Que reader, and today the company shared some new information. Not only will the Que reader be powered by the Barnes and Noble eBook store…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …