To refresh your memory, the Touchbook is a ARM based device that has been released that has Linux installed on it.  It was their own version of Linux called AI OS.  However, today I noticed the Always Innovating site has been updated. The Touch Book comes with an optimized home-made Linux-based OS. Guided by openness and wide support, we provide natively multi-OS boot on the device. With a simple finger press at startup, the Touch Book will run either our AI OS, Ubuntu, or Android. Mer, Gentoo have also been adapted to the Touch Book. Google Chrome OS and Maemo are on their way! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes you just gotta relax.  That is where the Panasonic EP-MS40 Massage Sofa comes in.  The EP-MS40 offers a full body massage and can adjust to the height of any user.  It also comes in two colors: Avocado Green and Latte. Despite the low-profile design, the EP-MS40 delivers a balanced, full body massage without reclining and automatically adjusts to the height of the user. A precision-engineered, 7.2-inch wide massage head and 26-inch curved track allows the massage heads to be more precisely maneuvered in a smaller area and can easily conform to the user’s body delivering a centered massage covering the neck down to the lower back region. So if you are in… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Still not convinced after yesterday’s revenue sharing announcement that Amazon is gearing up for war with the Apple Tablet? Overnight, they’ve announced a Kindle Developer’s Kit, where you can design apps to be sold on the Kindle. Yes, the ebook reading, e-ink screen Kindle. If you’re interested, here are the terms of the deal:… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If overnight delivery is too slow for you (and you live in California, New Jersey or Tennesee) Newegg.com has good news for you. So long as you place an order with the online vendor by the cutoff time (11am in California and 12pm in New Jersey and Tennessee). It is unclear how much more this uber-fast form of shipping will cost but you can assume you REALLY want the purchase quickly and are willing to pay for it. Still… it is nice to have the option. The fine print… Local Express Delivery shipments are picked up from our warehouse by Dynamex, Inc., who has contracted to Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of watblog When Microsoft approaches Apple and stars talks of working together, you know something’s not right. In this case, it’s a plot against Google and their mobile search engine supremecy. With Microsoft losing mobile marketshare by the day, and Apple gaining it, they have to fight back with something. They are campaigning with Apple to have Bing as the default search provider on the iPhone. Currently the only options are Google and Yahoo, with Google being the default. The partnership would make Bing the default search engine and of course ads would follow and possibly a cut of  proceeds to Apple. Who know how much Microsoft is willing to pony up for the deal… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy Aurum3) Didn’t get that Kindle 2 or nook for Christmas? Scraped together all your pennies and it still isn’t enough for a shiny new ebook reader? Well, if you hit up the Sony Style Outlet, you can snag a Sony Pocket Edition for $159.99 (regularly $199.99), or a Sony Reader Touch Edition for $239.99 (regularly $299.99). Neither device includes any wireless capabilities, but both support ePUB and have e-ink screens; if you are in the market for a basic ebook reader with solid hardware and a wide selection of store choices, you can’t go wrong with either of these! Via mobileread Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Many of us who rely on Pocket Informant got a bit of a shock last week when the app stopped working. It quickly became clear that there was a major issue and, to his credit, WebIS’ Alex Kac offered a direct, clear explanation of what happened and a no-excuses apology for the error. It turns out a bit of code left in the app set all copies to expire on Jan. 15. 2010. And so they did. Well a few days later the app is back in the App Store sans that bit of code and ready to get back to work. In addition WebIS indicates in the update notification that proceeds from sales today and tomorrow will… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I liked the Rogue 2 flashlight I reviewed a while back.  Well, Icon has brought out 2 more LED flashlights that are along the same lines, but have polymer bodies versus the milled aluminum bodies of the Rouge 1 and 2.  They have the 1 cell version called the Modus 1 and the 2 cell is the Modus 2.  They are also waterproof like the Rouge line as well.   The Modus 2 is on Amazon.com for $36.99.  The Modus 1 is $29.99 plus shipping from Radio Shack.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of downtr So many new phones these days it’s hard to keep track of what’s a real piece of hardware and what’s purely a rendering or speculation. I wanted to compile a small list of post CES, pre MWC phones that may or may not make it to consumers hands. I kept the list down to phones planned on a US launch; while some have concrete launch dates, some have yet to be seen. The mobile world is the fastest growing area of technology today. Phones will soon be surpassing computers for web browsing, document shuffling, social media and most light computing, including laptops.  Phones will probably soon become self aware and create a network of autonomous robots that take over the world as we know it. Alright, well maybe not the replace laptops part but the rest is destined to be true. Here’s what I came up with so far. Feel free to add whatever else you know of with some helpful links.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

“Bioware gives us more reasons to pay for Neverwinter Nights Premium Modules while still grabbing tons of great free ones!” That is what I said when I initially wrote this back in 2005 and still held true when I updated it in 2006 for a now defunct site. Since then Atari and Bioware are no longer connected by the D&D license, and due to contractual reasons Bioware has had to stop selling the Premium Modules on their store, but fortunately their master server will still authenticate the modules and let you play. Other than that note I’m leaving the article more or less just as I wrote it nearly five years ago with one exception – I’m putting a * next to stuff dealing with the sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2, and will address those items in a small update at the end. Oh, and I have replaced the original screens with ones from my Netbook!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This story caught my eye from NBC Miami.  Not only is it a story of American Dan Woolley and his amazing survival in the earthquake in Haiti, but also a story of a gadget being used to save a life.  The devices we carry have changed the way most people work, use media, read, game and now live.  I am a heavy iPhone user, but this survival experience could have come from any piece of gear.  The many uses for our gear is truly fascinating. Woolley used his iPhone along with a health app to aid in his survival and rescue in the aftermath of the quake.  This kind of makes me assess my apps and how they could help… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Jaybird has brought out some good stuff in the last year. The last two things I checked out were the Tigereyes and Endorphin Rush wired headphones. I liked them a lot. This time, Jaybird sent me their new Bluetooth headset, the Sportsband. Is it as good as their original headset? In a word, no.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

USBFever.com has some of the coolest items available for gadget geeks and freaks (Hey, I resemble that…) A couple of items making their way into my hands recently (and onto my iPhone 3GS) are the 8X Telescope and the Custom Made Powered Cigarette Socket Mount with Dual USB Charging Ports.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy tradebit) Amazon is moving to keep publishers and authors happy…they’ve just announced a new royalties program designed to give 70% to the author and publisher. It’s a far better deal, given that currently authors are receiving 7-15% from paper books and 25% from ebooks, according to Amazon’s math. Before any authors start mentally spending that extra cash, keep in mind this does not go into effect until June 2010…so you might need to wait before you blow these extra royalties on an Apple tablet Kindle. From Amazon’s press release:… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Congratulations Apple, you have done it again. Not only did you place a cloud over CES two weeks ago by leaking just enough information about your upcoming event, but you have now got both new and old media buzzing about next week’s announcement regarding your new tablet even before there has been confirmation that there is a new tablet. Better still, you worked your magic in such a way that anything and everything that occurs between now and then is going to be seen through the lens of “Apple tablet anticipation”. I mean, the number of electrons that have been spilled writing about all of the features that you will reveal next… Continue reading on Gear Diary …