I am a rare first adopter, but I went that route with the iPhone because I was on AT&T already, my contract was up for renewal a couple of months prior to the release, and I needed a new PDA anyway.  But I have to say that, for a device that had such anticipation and built-up, there were remarkably few third-party items available for it–damn few cases, software apps (of course, no app store at first release, but still . . .), and other gear.  It was weird. With the iPad, it’s clear gear and software companies are not going to miss the boat if they can avoid it.  And adding themselves to the list… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I was looking at my nightstand last night and had a sudden realization…R I have too many devices laying around and I need something to organize them and charge them at th same time. Yes, there are lots of “stations” that will charge multiple devices but none have really caught my eye… Until now. The IDAPT i3 Universal Desktop Charger lets you simultaneously charge three different portable devices. At the same time it lets you cut down on “cord clutter” (you should see what the space under my work desk looks like!). Best of all, the system is affordable. The IDAPT i3 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Needing a light in a dark room is a funky thing. Flashlights are okay, but they take up one hand (or your teeth if you’re extra tough). Headlamps don’t always provide an even light, and don’t even bother to try those tiny LED keyring lights. If you’re reading, there’s always booklights, but I find those are tough to position well. Either the light shines wrong on one area, or it isn’t bright enough. That’s where the “Beam ‘n’ Read” light steps up to fill that gap. Is it useful? Does it work as well as it claims? Let’s find out!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There is so much iPad news now flowing that we might as well just call this “The Week Of iPad” Seriously, although only a few people have actually held and used one (and they aren’t really allowed to talk about it), the device already looks like an initial hit. Seriously, rumors are running that sales estimates for the first year have been raised to 8-10 MILLION units. WOW! So we could have three thousand separate posts on the iPad each day, but instead we’ll do a couple of roundup posts between now and Saturday. We’ll look at news, rumors, a few newly announced accessories, and iPad app info as it comes out. In the meantime, since Judie and I are getting ours this Saturday, let us know what questions you have, what apps you want reviewed first, and anything else that might help us fill you in on all the iPad info you want. The first round up follows, and boy is there a bunch of news! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Has all the waiting for the iPad got you down?  Finding your patience is wearing thin until that April 3rd (or, in many cases, April 12th if you didn’t get your pre-order in early enough) rolls around?  Don’t worry.  Ease back, take a deep breath and take a look back at a few things you may have missed while you’ve been counting down the days for your new beloved eReader-App-Handler-Web-Surfing-Do-All. So what are some of the things you may have skimmed over from the past week?  Well, how about a little app called Line2 that was recently thrust into the spotlight.    What’s Line2?  Oh, just a little application that will give your iPhone a second line and essentially turn your iPod touch into an iPhone.  The app was so popular last week, the servers that hosted it were quickly attacked preventing many wannabe owners from downloading it for themselves.  Catch up with Line2′s CEO from Toktumi to read his take on last week’s happenings. But wait, there’s so much more… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In Gear Chat #6 Larry and Dan talk iPad. Then they talk iPad. Then after that they talk a bit more about the… iPad. Oh, and there is a bit about iPhone cases, Mac apps and more mixed in with all the… iPad talk. Listen to the stream here or download it from iTunes. Embarrassing image thanks to www.faceinhole.com Theme music Sounds From The Ground’s Lean On Me (Solarstone’s Afterhours Remix) Available HERE on iTunes. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Bottle Tops are another invention from the “As Seen on TV” folks.  Meant to work with most size cans, the snap-on tops are said to create an air-tight seal which prevents spills and allows you to keep your carbonated beverage fizzy for longer. The Bottle Tops also prevent “things” from crawling into your drinks on hot summer days when  you’re outside. I recently picked up a set of 12 Bottle Tops for $9.99. Are the Bottle Tops a Deal or a Dud? You’ll have to watch for yourself to find out. Bottle tops are available… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the great things about doing the Netbook Gamer is revisiting games and memories from years past. The Thief franchise of first-person stealth-action games touches a couple of memories. I was given the first game as a Christmas gift when it came out in late 1998, at a time when having two children under two years old was pretty much all consuming and left scant time for computer games, most of which I spent on first person shooters. So a stealth game like Thief demanded me to change my basic approach to gaming.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of FilmoFilia Tron is a true classic in terms of the technical elements of film making, but unlike other groundbreaking films such as The Last Starfighter it maintains an appeal to this day. My kids thoroughly enjoy the film, the arcade games, the GBA and PC games, and generally like the whole ‘into the computer world’ … even if some of the terminology seems cheesy now.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You need power? We’ve got you power and it comes in at under $1000 thanks to our GearSponsor. The Dell Studio 14 is a quad-core notebooks running a Core i7-720QM 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode) and sporting a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 545A graphics card. It has a 320GB 7200RPM HDD, Windows 7 64-bit, includes McAfee Security Center 15-months pack, 2GB online backup for 1 year and backed by 2-year warranty. This configuration normally sells for $1393 but with this GearDeal you’ll get it for just $999. Dell Studio 14 (1457) Quad Core i7 Laptop w/ 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon Continue reading on Gear Diary …

With more and more chargers featuring USB ports, often times I wished I had a iPhone charge/sync cable with me so I could take advantage of these plugs and add a little juice to my iPhone. I have several chargers, both home and auto that feature USB ports allowing me to plug in any charging cable that uses USB and have, in the past, made the mistake of forgetting my cable as well. The flipSYNC iPhone charge and sync cable from Scosche is so small it actually doubles as a key-chain. When you’re not using the cables they store neatly away and bystanders won’t have any clue that your… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As Judie, Clinton and I put the finishing touches on a three-way review of the most impressive Windows Mobile 6.5 device today, the Russians have been busy trying to give us what Microsoft won’t: Windows Phone 7. Due to its button design falling outside the requirements of Windows Phone 7, the HD2 was destined to live out its life in the increasingly dull world of Windows Mobile. Things may be about to change with photos and videos demoing a version of Windows Phone 7 running on an HTC HD2, in almost all it’s glory. At this point it’s a tad choppy while they work on getting the graphics drivers up to speed, and it hasn’t been released onto the interwebz yet, but as a fan of the hardware and only so-so on the software, this could make me take up an HD2 full time, if only to enjoy the latest in this space that Microsoft has to offer. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Cindy Kelly is conducting a Twitter Research Survey for her grad school project, and she could use your help. If you are over the age of 18, and you don’t mind answering simple questions about your motivations and expectations from Twitter usage, you’d be doing your good deed for the day if you clicked the link and helped Cindy with her project. Cindy Kelly’s Twitter Research Survey Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Another fairly weak release week – do you want the lousy TV tie-in (Prison Break: The Conspiracy), the over-priced DLC (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Stimulus Package), or the shamelessly sexist puerile antics (Dead or Alive Paradise)? Actually, there are a couple of worthwhile things – read on to find out!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I discovered Zinio’s electronic magazines when I first started using Tablet PCs In the mid-00s. The company has been in existence for 10 years, so I was a fairly early user. I found that despite the Tablet PC’s relatively significant weight, short battery life and tendency to get hot, somethings VERY hot, the experience of using Zinio to read was a pleasant one. The magazines looked good on the relatively high resolution screens. The links in ads and some articles jumped you right to the product’s page. And I often got notice of my Zino downloads a day or two before the paper equivalent arrived at my home. It was clear even then that Zinio’s vision for moving full color magazines to the digital realm was something whose time would eventually come, and that when it did eMags would morph into something more than electronic replicas of their dead tree equivalents.The technology to make it happen, however, wasn’t quite there. Technology has moved rapidly forward on many fronts. Devices are lighter, have better battery life and far sharper screens than ever before. Zinio has proven that it is able to think far enough out of the box to create a [...]