Do you own an HTC Dream (G1 in the USA) on Rogers? Are you already orchestrating a massive letter writing/flan mailing campaign? First of all, step away from the creamy desserts. You know you won’t just buy one to mail, and you don’t want to ruin your New Year’s resolution within a week like that. Second of all, you don’t have to worry…Rogers is taking care of you Dream owners.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As I’ve written numerous times here on the site, I am a huge user of voice recognition software. I’m blown away by Dragon Dictation on the iPhone, use Dragon NaturallySpeaking on my Windows 7 machine, and I have MacSpeech Dictate on both my iMac and my MacBook Pro. When I upgraded to the current version of MacSpeech Dictate I discovered that it isn’t configured to allow you to use the built-in microphone for dictation. Turns out there is a reason for this for as good as the microphone is, it isn’t ideal for voice recording. Without a proper headset, there will be more errors than normal. That isn’t good for the company making the voice recognition software since, if people go to use the software and it doesn’t offer the proper accuracy, they will blame the software… even if the lack of a proper microphone is at fault. The company knew there would be a loss of accuracy without a headset and therefore made sure that the software would require one. Fortunately there is a workaround that I have been using that lets me use my MacBook Pro without a headset. I have found the accuracy to be “good enough”, [...]

When last we saw our lonely hero, he was trying to figure out if it t’were possible to get the Barnes and Noble eReader software for the iPhone to recognize and display his Fictionwise library.  Let us now rejoin him in his quest. (Caveat:  Neither Gear Diary nor Doug Moran encourages our readers to follow any of the following steps.  Your mileage may vary.  Void where prohibited.  Some states do not participate.  Call your dealer for details.) So we want to, somehow, get our Fictionwise books in the right spot on the iPhone, and get the B&N ereader to recognize them.  Here’s what I’ve done:… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I had a chance to see the current and future lineup from Viliv. Since their diminutive S5 pc was released I have gone back and forth about ordering it or the X70 (a larger slate tablet). I never ended up ordering one but, having seen both in the flesh, I just might. They are remarkably well built, run quite well (especially considering that they are only sporting an Atom processor) and now come preloaded with Windows 7. I also got to see S7 convertible tablet. In pictures it always struck me as a bit cheap-looking. In person I didn’t find this to be the case whatsoever. In the flesh all three they impressed.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This has been my first trip to CES.  I had NO idea what to expect.  Well, to quote the Greatful Dead, “what a long strange trip its been!” When I was packing to come, I wasn’t sure what I was going to need, especially in the gear department.  I consulted the all knowing Judie, and she gave me some helpful tips. I also tried to figure out what my own needs would be. When I got here, I realized that I didn’t pack the one thing I was sure I was going to need, a spare battery for my T-Mobile G1.  Oops.  I was hoping I could find a way to stretch the battery life… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(photo courtesy Skiff) Yet another new player hit the eBook market this week, but this one is a bit different than the “e-ink, 6in screen, supports x, y, z file types” lather rinse repeat. Skiff has announced a monstrous 11.5in screen reader, designed for reading magazines and newspapers. Not only does it have a huge screen, it also plays back audio. This is NOT just another eBook reader!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Monster brought together music mogul and designer Sean “Diddy” Combs and the legendary Dr. Dre?  Well, combine the three and a new in-ear audio design is born.  Dr. Dre had already designed an audio solution called Beats with Monster.  Diddy Beats are designed to look stylish and sound amazing. Read the full press release after the break.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Viewsonic is well known for their monitors, but they also have PC, television, digital frame, portable media player and eBook lines! They released a whole slew of new products this week at CES, from monitors to PCs to PMPs. Whatever you are looking to buy with your hard earned cash (or Vegas gambling winnings!), chances are Viewsonic is offering something that might catch your eye!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

HyperMac, who makes external batteries for the Mac Book line of computers, which I reviewed here, has released some really cool new items here at CES 2010. Their Hyper Mac Nano is the world’s only “iPhone/iPod battery with built in charging cable.  It’s a super sleek, metal that looks so good you will have a hard time recognizing it as a battery in the first place.  The battery will come in 9 colors (black, silver, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.)  Its features an 1800 mAh battery that should re-charge your device at least one full charge.  The top of the battery features a magnet which you can secure to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When many of us were growing up part of the music experience with the artwork on the album covers. (At times images have been pressed into the vinyl itself.) This went into decline with the adoption of the CD and all but disappeared with the shift toward downloadable music. MusicSkins allows visual art to be part of the music experience once again. And clearly there is a market for it! The skin’s business, still in its relative infancy, is already a $100 million business worldwide. MusicSkins is one of the leaders in rejuvenating the visual celebration of music. They currently carry skins for over 100 devices with a number of devices being added every few weeks. In addition… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Dexim Power Case, just released by Dexim at CES 2010 is for the iPod Nano 5G and is much like a Swiss Army knife for your device. It features a built in radio speaker, antenna to extend the reception of the iPod’s FM radio, flashlight, kick stand and built in battery for recharging your Nano on the go. The flashlight is perfect for shooting video with the camera in low light situations too. The battery inside features 600 mAh of power and it features mini USB pass through so you’ll be able to recharge the battery and Nano without removing it from the case.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I had a chance to meet the folks from Nuance, the company behind my favorite voice to text applications- Dragon Dictation and Search, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and MacSpeech Dictate (Nuance provides the speech to text engine behind the MacSpeech application). During our conversation one of the things they shared with me was the emphasis they are placing on their mobile apps… and for good reason since even they seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by how well the recently released apps have been received. (Personally I can’t imagine using my iPhone without it at this point.) Well, true to their word the Dragon… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Vampire power is the energy drawn from devices that are plugged in but not in use.  According to iGo the U.S. wastes 10 billion dollars annually with this unused energy. With their new line of innovative products iGo seeks to stop Vampire power. We had the opportunity to preview five of their newest offerings at CES 2010. The world’s first “green” laptop charger only uses power when the laptop or net book needs it.  You can leave your device plugged in all the time without having to worry about power being drawn.  It’ll be available for $99.99. The Power Smart Wall is able to detect when a device is not in… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Speck can always be counted on to provide stylish cases for all your electronics. With the boatload of new releases at CES, plus all the products released this past fall, Speck is ready to help you carry and protect your gear! Check out their press release with it’s exhaustive list of accessory releases, and start budgeting for cases as well as awesome new toys!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

MSI demoed three interesting concept PC’s at CES this week.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …