Photo courtesy of Gizmodo The Wall Street Journal came through for the masses of tech addicts, recently posting that the coveted Apple Tablet is indeed a go. Although the proper unveiling should be later this month, you wont be able to get your hands on one until March. Apple continues to say that the shipping dates may change, but for now tentatively March is the time frame.  That should give you time to save up your cash for the stated $1000 price tag. All we really know now about the tablet is that will have a 10 or 11″ touchscreen, and may even have Nationwide WiFi subscription included. They are working on multiple finishes for the device,  but do not state… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

[Image courtesy of IntoMobile] Tomorrow’s Nexus One announcement from Google may have a few surprises.  One such surprise is a rumor that Spotify, the popular European music subscription service that let’s users stream music as well as access their own content and playlists, will finally be hitting North America as a preloaded application on the Nexus One. There are certainly debates over subscription-based streaming services, but the move could be a boon for Google as far as competing with the iPhone+iTunes juggernaut. The biggest drawback has been the subscription-based model itself.  While it’s unknown whether the deal will be worked out — in time for tomorrow’s… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Photo courtesy of jupiterdigital Google is furthering their quest for world domination by getting more involved in voice communication. Google is already adding new services and products daily to the already huge list of whats available. According to eWeek, they will soon be adding VOIP services to their Google Voice client. Currently you must be tied to a carrier to use voice but soon they hope to change that with VOIP. This would allow calls to mobile phones and landline using Google Voice via the internet instead of using up your voice minutes.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! I hope everyone had a happy and safe new year! A few new releases to kick off the new year! The big release on my radar is the sequel to the excellent and under-rated Divine Divinity, Divinity II: Ego Draconis. This game takes the franchise from isometric perspective to full 3D, and also is released on the XBOX360! Sadly, everything I have heard from my European friends (it has been out a couple of months there) says this is truly a PC centric game – but a good one when played on PC!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Our GearSponsor has tracked down a good deal on a nicely spec’d Dell Latitude E5500 notebook. It features a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, a 15.4″ screen and Windows 7 Professional. 2GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB 7200RPM HDD and a 6-cell battery round it out. The price for this business unit starts at $998 but after $339 off it comes in at just $659. It includes FREE shipping and can be customized online. $339 off Dell Latitude E5500 15.4-in 2GHz Core 2 Duo Laptop via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Photo courtesy of Engadget) We’ve been tracking the details on the Google Nexus One phone for a while now, and it certainly seems like a great Android handset. With the release rumored for this coming Tuesday, more information is starting to leak out on the direct-from-Google phone. Read on for some interesting new hardware rumors as well as information on reviews that are already starting to come out.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

CES is just around the corner, and information leaks from major manufacturers are pouring out onto the web. Most major companies attending CES have had some spy shots and info leaked about some form of new product from various websites and FCC filings. Here’s a small roundup of what’s came out early and is set to launch at or close to CES (January 7-10).… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’ve covered various forms of GPS and wifi tracking devices that can be used for elderly family members before, but they’ve all had very tight ranges and are mostly for use inside the home. But what about a system that can work outside the home, leveraging cellular and GPS connectivity to provide tracking and emergency services to anyone who may need it? That’s where a company called MobileHelp comes in. I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with their CEO, Elias Janetis, about MobileHelp, the reasons why he started the company, and what makes his product superior and unique compared to similar options.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Jabra None of the previous Bluetooth headphones that I have had the chance to use have really felt “right”. Many of them were either just like two enormous earbuds in each ear tethered to each other with a wire behind my head, or were too large to chuck in my slender laptop bag that I carted to uni everyday. The idea of cutting the cord between my head and my pocket was a good one, but there were just too many drawbacks. That’s until I tried the Jabra Halo, which has brought me that much closer to wireless freedom. The Jabra Halo are headphones first up, so they don’t make you look like you’ve been assimilated by the Borg with bits sticking out of your ears. The back of the ear pads are finished in a dark sparkling grey, whilst the band is matte black. The headphones have a soft black lining on the inside which keeps them secure on your head. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I just bought my Droid a few weeks ago, and I’ve been testing various programs and getting acquainted with Android 2.0. In the stock configuration, 2.0 only has 3 “home screens” for widgets and quick app access. A few quick scans around various Android forums, and I found out about one “home replacement” program that seemed to add a lot of functionality in addition to an extra home screen: DXTop.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As excited as we are about seeing all the tablet goodies coming to CES…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Engadget and Gizmodo covered it back in October as the “surprisingly not-sad fate of Palm OS”, and we seem to be one step closer to seeing the Linux-based First ELSE come to market. The hardware is certainly sexy enough, and the little bit that I have seen of the OS appears to be slick and attention-getting. ELSE INTUITION™ is a complete mobile platform developed by ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile. Thanks to the combination of ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 and an advanced user interface engine, jointly developed by Emblaze Mobile and ACCESS, ELSE INTUITION™ delivers a highly compelling and differentiated user experience, coupled with state-of-the-art hardware, accelerated 2D/3D graphics and elegant transition effects. A website is in place, complete with a video telling us why our mobile experience has been empty without the ELSE. Will the First ELSE be the answer? If it actually makes it to market in the first half of 2010, perhaps we will be able to decide.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s actually time to really get packing. My flight leaves at 7 AM tomorrow which means getting up at about 4 AM and leaving the house by 4:30 AM. I woke up this morning only to find that Tripit had sent me a reminder to do early check in. I’m increasingly huge fan of the service and this is one of the reasons why. I got my morning coffee, turned on my computer, and went through the check-in process. (I absolutely love the early online check in that you are now able to do on domestic flights.) I love even more the fact that it indicated that for a few dollars I could upgrade to first class. (I did of course.) But the thing I love most is coming to the end of the check-in process and being told that I had different options for having my boarding pass it to me. Sure, I could print it. Or I can have it e-mailed to me. But the option that I love the most, and the one that I chose was this…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Do you have more money than sense? If you do, then the new mPower Emergency Illuminator will likely be your flashlight of choice. What does $289 get you — other than an LED flashlight that vaguely resembles the SS Enterprise? The mPower Emergency Illuminator™ is a personal illumination tool that offers Power On Command™. In addition to primary standard lithium batteries, the illuminator also features a groundbreaking reserve lithium battery with a shelf life of at least 20 years. Upon activation, via the simple twist of a knob, the reserve battery will provide power to light a high intensity LED lamp for approximately two hours of continuous use. The illuminator is also able to charge electronic devices – including cellular phones – through an accessory USB connection. I know that I am being a tad bit facetious here, but to wait 20 years to activate a battery and then only get two hours of continuous use from it seems like a bit of a letdown, doesn’t it? I guess if you were stuck in a cave with this flashlight and the main battery died, two hours from the reserve might be enough to get you out. Right? … Right?… Continue reading [...]

(image courtesy audiobooks for everyone) Famously, the Kindle 2 debuted with Text to Speech enabled, only to see it yanked for many books after the publishing companies complained it violated audiobook copyrights. This debate is becoming an issue all over again because of devices like Intel’s Reader for the blind, which uses a scanner and text to speech to allow a visually impaired individual to “read” a written passage.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …