One of the things I like to do when attending shows like CES is collect flash memory press kit thumbdrives to use again once I get home. In years past, it was considered a huge score if I was given a drive larger than 1GB, and this year I actually got several which were 2GB – along with a single 4GB drive, but alas … the thrill was almost gone, because at home I had a 16GB flash drive which was smaller and cuter than anything I was handed at CES.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As smartphones and touchscreen interfaces are now commonplace, it’s  sometimes difficult to guess what the “next big leap” in technology could possibly bring.  What if, with minimal “wearable” technology, you could make anything your touch screen?   Play games or run applications with a simple piece of paper.  Make a regular table, desk or wall your own interactive Microft Surface.  Pranav Mistry’s SixthSense Technology could possibly change the way we all physically interact with digital data. Pranav, a PhD student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT’s Media Lab, shows off this wearable tech in the video above. Not only is what he’s doing completely mind blowing (I had to watch the video several times and then immediately… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

photo credit: CNN I’ve had CNN on all day, trying to keep up with the rescue efforts in Haiti. The extent of human and structural loss is both nauseating and devastating. I can’t help but feel a surreal sense of disbelief and shock mixed with helplessness, similar to what I have felt during other catastrophic natural disasters. Because I am only one person, what can I do – from Eldorado, Texas – to help? I am not a rescue worker, I am not a doctor, and I am sure that even if it were feasible for me to go to Haiti, I would only be in the way. My answer came from… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have had several coolers in my years of notebook ownership.  I have yet to find one that works best for me.  One of the issues is the size.  They are fairly large and bring bulk to a gear bag.  When working on a table or desk a different style is often needed than when working with the computer on your lap.  The folks at Titan have solved these issues with the C9TZ Notebook Cooler.  Read on to see why it is different.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Photo courtesy dcellphone) If an unlocked Nexus One is too rich for your blood, and you love physical keyboards, Dell has a fabulous deal right now. You can get an unlocked Palm Treo Pro for $179.99, a savings of over $350! You can use it on T-Mobile and AT&T, though you won’t get 3G on T-Mo, and you need to be happy using Windows Mobile. But where else are you going to get a touchscreen, qwerty keyboard smartphone with WiFo, Bluetooth and GPS, all for under $200? If I hadn’t jumped to Verizon a few months ago I would be all over this deal! Be sure to browse… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you concerned about cell phone radiation? Radiation is a form of energy. Your cell phones antenna emits powerful radiation in order to send and receive signals to and from its wireless network. According to researchers the problem with this is some of this energy radiates from the antenna into your head. Sound scary? You might want to check out the Pong radiation at reducing cell phone case for the iPhone. While at CES 2010 I met with the makers of Pong, and they presented me with one of their cases for review. Here are my thoughts …… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the companies on display in Las Vegas last week was iLuv. Makers of a host of innovative designs for mobile tech, the company has increasingly been recognized for their variety of iPhone and iPod touch gear. The one that really captured my eye was the App Station. The App Station is “an app-driven rotational alarm clock dock for the iPhone and iPod touch”. It earned a CES 2010 Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree designation. The App Station, which goes on sale in February, is a rotating iPhone speaker dock. What is really quite neat is that is can hold the iPhone in either vertical or horizontal positions. A free downloadable app turns the combination into a fully functioning alarm clock. It looks neat and we are looking forward to reviewing it soon. Full iLuv Press Release follows… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Who does not fight a cluttered computer desk?  I always have.  I have never seemed to find a way to fit everything on the desk and keep it organized.  In fact, last summer I built a small wooden shelf to lift my monitor up over my Mac Mini.  It only fit on the top of the desk and was always in the way.  Now it fits under the monitor with several other items.  This did help, but it is a homemade solution and looks the part.  I also have no spot for pens, discs etc…  USB Fever has just announced the Super Notebook Stand-Monitor Combi as an alternative to the home built method.  Take a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Photo courtesy of Slashgear Archos is well known for their various size PMP’s and Media Tablet devices. A few months ago their was speculation of an Archos 5 Tablet phone slated for late 09 release or early 2010. So far no word on a release date or any pricing, but some more information has slipped out. The case manufacturer Noreve has a link on their site for an Archos 5 case that is in the works or out of stock. Sources state that this company usually has some pretty reliable sources, meaning that the case could be ready before phone’s release. Which is really not uncommon anymore. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Back in November I wrote about the announcement of the first post-release DLC (downloadable content) for the (now) multi award-winning video game Dragon Age: Origins, titled “Return to Ostagar”. The intent was to release the DLC before Christmas (in time for the holidays) for $5. Well … it is now January 14th, so where do we stand?… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here is yet another GearDeal on a new Lenovo notebook thanks to our GearSponsor. The just released 15.6-inch Lenovo ThinkPad W510 is a Core i7-based Mobile Workstation. It is available now and normally has a starting price of $2,049. With this GearDeal you can knock $460 off that so that the base price is just$1,599. It even includes FREE shipping. The notebook features an NVIDIA NVS 5100M with 1GB DDR3 graphics. It has an ergonomically designed keyboard and a multitouch TouchPad. An HD Anti-glare LED backlit LCD, 2GB DDR3, a 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive, a 9-cell Battery and a 2MP webcam round out the base unit. It gets even better from there if you add in upgrades. $460 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Quirky, who use a community-driven process to determine which products to bring to market, and brings many products to market very quickly, have released their latest effort – Quirky Cable Caps. These caps, in 6 different styles, are designed to protect the (male) ends of USB cables and wrap up any excess cable as well.  They each have a wild-looking head which slides over the cable end, and a rubber band type of body used to tie up the excess cable. The six styles available are: Printer Man, Phone Dude, Camera Gal, Eye Baller, Egg Man, and ‘Da Bulb.  They are sold in sets of 3 for $7.99 per set. Quirky Cable Caps are available for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

According to an analyst Apple’s next generation iPhone will contain a casing that acts similarly to its Magic mouse. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst Robert Chen said in an interview, without identifying who gave him the information. “Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,” said Taipei-based Chen, a member of Asia’s top-ranked technology hardware research team. The handset will feature a new plastic casing similar to that used for Apple’s touch-panel Magic Mouse released last year, he said. The next iPhone will go into production as early as April and be available to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Looking for a way to give assistance to Haiti in the wake of the tragic earthquake? Thanks to the Red Cross and Yele Haiti, you can do it through a text message. To donate to the Red Cross, text HAITI to 90999; this will automatically donate $10.00 to Haitian earthquake relief, billed to you through your cell phone. If you’d prefer to support singer Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti, text YELE to 501501 (this donation is for $5.00).… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Gaming notebooks are not necessarily a new thing, but how about with multi-touch interface!?!  With iPhone gaming taking off and the new lines of tablet/slate computers, multi-touch is becoming more and more important in computing.  The touch aspect of iPhone gaming is wildly popular and the possibilities seem endless.  The Battalion Touch CZ-10 will now take this new aspect of gaming and institute it into a true gaming notebook.  The notebook starts at just $999 and is fully customizable.  Not only can you get a screaming fast gaming notebook, but also add mutli-touch gaming possibilities.  Release, photos and video after the break. Continue reading on Gear Diary …