photo credit: poketmonster [rafa] Judie: Welcome to the newest installment of Dear Gear Diary, where several members of the team chime in when Dave asks for advice on what he should replace his dying Palm TX with, and Carly tells Carlos how he can make his Camangi look better with tips that will work on just about any Android device. And without further ado … Dear Gear Diary, My old Palm TX is dying and I am looking for something to replace it. If it could also replace my phone, that would be a bonus, but I’d be willing to look at MIDs or PMPs. I am looking for something with a robust calendar and to do list (like DateBk6). Something that can set audible alarms for appointments and tasks (like Palm) Something that can sync the calendar to Google (like GooSync). Something that can manage lists (like HandyShopper). Something that will function when it’s not connected (because there are spots where I work with no reception, depending on the carrier). And something I can carry in my shirt pocket (not much more than 3×5×0.5 and 8 ounces) If you were looking for PDA functionality in a small device, what [...]

I have to be honest and admit that I’ve never really been one to play around with custom ringtones for individual contacts.   I just look at the screen to see who is calling and decide at that point whether or not to answer.  So when Electric Pocket recently asked Gear Diary if we would like to take a look at Ringo Pro for Android, I’ll have to admit that I was a little slow to raise my hand.  Now that I’ve had a little time to play around with it, I’m finding it a little fun.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Like everyone else, I get a lot of spam.  (My recent favorite was for penile extension “trial offer!”.  I didn’t want to know what happened once the “trial” period had concluded . . .)  The other day, something from Amazon actually caught my eye: I tend to be highly suspicious when a big company uses my personal data and presents me with an offer to supposedly help me.  I mean, companies aren’t in the business of helping their customers unless it makes them money.  And I also don’t like to install extra plug-ins.  So yeah, I was reluctant. But heck, I review stuff for Gear Diary, so I plunged in anyway.  And here’s what I found. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s Read an eBook Week! Have you read one yet? If not, pull up a chair…lots of sites are getting in on the action! Plus we’re giving away some Kindle2 cases, so read on for more details! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

original image courtesy of cafe.se It seems like Google is releasing something new just about every 5 minutes. Yesterday was no different with the official announcement of Google Apps Marketplace. Google’s huge push for Enterprise adoption of Cloud computing is now an all out assault. The official statement came yesterday and the marketplace is now live with a variety of Enterprise apps that all integrate directly with Google apps. I think initially it will be tough for Corporate America to grasp the “cloud” and put their trust in something new. Old ways die hard, especially in the IT world.  I know if any Corporations are like the one I work for, then security is the biggest issue and changing anything this big means lots of conference calls and months of project piloting. Plus of course, initial funding is always a challenge in this economy. Check out a video and the Press Release after the break.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes you just need the ability to capture the wall of live sound.   Whether you’re a music fan looking to preserve the roar of this weekend’s concert,  a way to save all those boring thorough class lectures, or you’re just looking to capture that sweet whissssssshhhhhh of the ocean’s waves during those too few-and-far-in-between trips to the beach, you’re going to want to check out the new Alesis PalmTrack. The portable audio recorder will do much more than just “fit the bill.”  The PalmTrack captures 24 bit audio,  shows real-time meter levels and features automated recording so you’ll literally never miss a beat. Read on for the full features, specs, photos and pricing for the only audio recorder you may ever need. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve taken to keeping most of my “working” documents in DropBox for one reason and one reason alone- while I like working on my iMac more than my MacBook most of the documents i am working on at any one time are initially created on the notebook. In the past I needed to email items to myself if I was working on them at home. Thanks to DropBox I can now access what I need from whichever computer I am using and I always have the most current copy. It works but imagine if I could simply keep working on my MacBook but use a standard keyboard, a huge monitor and my Magic Mouse all without having to plug a single thing in! That’s what Source R&D’s new Warpia Easy Dock wireless docking station makes possible. It looks awesome and that fact that it works with both Mac AND PC out of the box is a huge bonus. With the Warpia Easy Dock you can wirelessly connect your notebook, netbook or Macbook to “any traditional desktop setting”. The unit’s plug-and-play interface lets you use your desktop speakers, mouse, keyboard and monitor without having to plug all the peripherals in. Instead [...]

Image courtesy of HP HP has made available software that makes it easier to manage the content your Tivo has recorded and also enables you to view this content on any PC in your home.  The new software is called HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo® and is available for free from HP. With this software, you can: transfer shows from a TiVo DVR to a HP MediaSmart Server and back to a TiVo DVR manage TiVo recordings stored on a HP MediaSmart Server watch TiVo DVR recordings that are stored on a HP MediaSmart Server on any PC in the home For those who aren’t into setting up your own server and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image from Digital Foci Digital Foci has brought out a Photo Book with a 8 inch screen that is perfectly targeted at professional photographers who would like to show off their work.  Why do I say this?  It is because it supports the RAW image format.  The specs are: 8” (800×600) high-resolution digital LCD 4 GB internal flash memory Supports CF, SD/HC, MMC, MS/PRO, xD, USB drive Supports RAW image viewing from DSLRs Automatic slideshow with adjustable intervals Music and video playback with built-in speaker 2.5 hours of battery life on rechargeable battery Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I get the question asked of me quite often. It usually goes something like this. “Larry, can I jailbreak my iPhone?” To which I reply “well that depends.” That enters us in to a discussion on the software and base band running on the person’s phone, the different methods used to jailbreak and so forth. Today I stumbled upon a really nice web site which should assist not only me but anyone wondering if they can jailbreak their iPhone. Jailbreakmatrix.com contains a chart with all of the hardware and software versions of the iPhone and what’s required to do so.  It even links each software/hardware version to the instructions… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Our GearSponsor is hitting us with a GearDeal on the HP ENVY once again and the more I see of HP’s powerhouse the more I like it. To refresh your memory, the HP ENVY is 1″ thick, weighs .18 pounds, is powered by either a Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and has 1 GB of discrete graphics. The base unit includes a 15.6″ screen, 4GB DDR33 RAM, a laser-etched metal case, USB 3.0, a 320 GB drive and wireless N. This deal will knock $300 off the price of and HP ENVY that, when configured, would normally cost over $1399. In addition, you’ll get $60 of any… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Earlier this afternoon I was at Walgreen‘s, which for those who aren’t aware’t, is a drug and convenience store.  I was waiting on a prescription to get filled.  With some time to kill, I looked around the store for some entertainment.  I started to marvel at the sheer amount of tech that can be had at what’s a “drug-store.” In the above pic, you have some mice , a Ethernet Cable and a headset.  These are just some of the things I have seen at Walgreens.  These items I have kind of grown to expect seeing but I was even more surprised at how much more technology products Walgreens had.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Wal-Mart is Nation’s Most Searched for Destination While on the Road Residents of Maryland are Nation’s most frequent users of GPS navigation Those are just two of the GPS-related tidbits drawn from data released today by TeleNav, one of the largest navigation services providers. TeleNav has over 13 million subscribers and the just released usage data (collected anonymously of course) offers some insight into how TeleNav’s customers are using the evermore ubiquitous GPS in their phones, cars and standalone devices. For example, an analysis of December 2009 searches by TeleNav customers showed Wal-Mart topping the list U.S. businesses TeleNav customers requested directions for. The close runner-up was… Starbucks. (Thereby suggesting that as soon as people had shopped at Wal-Mart to save money they blew everything they saved on overpriced coffee drinks???) Next up were Target and Best Buy in that order. (As in… went to Wal-Mart. They didn’t have what I needed. I was ‘draggin a bit so I got a mocha-frappa-jeepersthisisoverpriced-achinno. Then I went to Target. They didn’t have it so I headed to Best Buy. Price wasn’t as good but the product was in stock.) Bank of America came in at number five. (Coming after Wal-Mat, Starbucks, Target [...]

Timing is everything in the world of tech. Just days before CES, Apple stole some of the buzz by sending out invites to their late January 2010 press event. Then, right before Mac World, Apple announced the iPad. Now, just days before iPad pre-ordering begins images- and specs- for Dell’s upcoming tablet have appeared. And while I’m still all about the iPad, I just may have to find a way to pick up one of these because… this thing looks sweet. We already knew about the 5-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen Android device was that it had a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, capacitive touch front… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My man cave/guitar room/sports memorabilia room/computer room is not the largest room in the house.  Last summer we decided to replace a large computer desk with a small one on wheels.  My only problem with new table was finding a place for everything.  I liked the smaller footprint, but needed a way to organize my desk while making it still look good.  One morning on my summer break I headed out the shop and built a small shelf out of some scrap wood.  I painted it black and slapped a couple of Apple stickers on it and had me a custom monitor stand.  This worked ok for a few months, but it was just some wood slapped together and painted black. As fate would have it, USB Fever provided me with the Super Notebook Stand-Monitor Combi to review.  The stand is a non-homemade version of the product I was wanting in the summer.  The stand not only lifts my monitor up to create space, it holds many desktop items and solves the problem I had from downsizing my desk.  See what all the Monitor Combi offers and how well it worked for me after the break.… Continue reading on Gear Diary [...]