Looks like the folks at Camangi aren’t sitting around waiting for the army of tablets to take them down. They sent this email late last week: Dear Customers, Thank you for your support to Camangi WebStation. We truly appreciate the feedback and suggestions given to us over the past few months. We have also learned a lot from yourside. Now, we are pleased to announce that we will upgrade the software of Camangi WebStation into New version. Major updates below are included: 1.The improvements of WiFi:More stable and fast WiFi connection function. 2.The improvements of Sleep mode: Wake up device is smoothly and fast. 3.Remove unlock interface: Many valued customers feedback on this Unlock action is redundant, so we decide to remove it by this version. 4.More user-friendly interface: Better user experience for operation. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We just got word that the NewKinetix LLC, of Portland, Oregon, today officially announced the release of their Rē plug-in accessory and Rē Universal Remote Control App, which they showed off at CES 2010. The Rē accessory is now available for purchase at www.newkinetix.com and via Amazon for an MSRP of $69.95; and the required Re Universal Remote Control App is available as a free download in the iTunes App Store. The remote is  full-featured iPhone and iPod touch universal remote, which can create remotes for your entertainment devices in any number of rooms or locations. The Rē has a fully populated IR code database chip for out of the box support of nearly all AV entertainment and home automation devices, which means set up should be relatively painless. Want to learn more? Here’s the full press release …… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It will come as no surprise that Case-Mate will be bringing their style and experience to protecting your iPad in the very near future. Case-Mate has announced a number of different types of cases with the style, and price point, for just about everyone. The portfolio of iPad accessories will be available Q2 and prices will range from $20.00 – $80.00. For me the two that stand out are the $49.99 iPad Hybrid Tough Case which offers a form-fitting silicone skin wrapped in an ABS plastic shell (what can I say I plan on taking my iPad everywhere and want it well protected) and the upcoming I Make My Case Which will allow me (and you) to make a case that is entirely unique. (You can get a sense of the approach via their new I Make My Case for BlackBerry 8520 and 9700. It can be seen here.) Truth be told, all the cases look good. To get a sneak peak read on or visit www.case-mate.com. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you are a fan of Nokia’s products this GearDeal may be just the thing you have been looking for. The Nokia N97 Touchscreen Phone comes in white or black. It features a 5 MP camera, A-GPS, a MicroSD slot that can handle up to 32GB, stereo speakers, an FM radio, integrated Ovi apps, a flip-out keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth and more. Perhaps best of all, unlike the contract-free iPhone’s that Apple began selling yesterday this powerhouse smartphone comes completely UNLOCKED so you can use it on either AT&T or T-Mobile. The N97 has an MSRP of $699.99. Online you can find it for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As many web sites are reporting Opera Mini submitted its iPhone application to the Apple iPhone App store today for approval.  Many of those who were able to get a sneak peek at the software called it “lighting fast” and described it as making browsing on the iPhone over EDGE much more tolerable. The big question on everyone’s mind is will Apple loosen its grip and actually approve an application that mirrors something that the iPhone natively does, i.e. – web browsing via Safari? Or will the application face the same sort of rejection others have in the past? It seems Opera wants everyone to know exactly, down to the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

For a long long time, Linux users never really had a built in music store like Mac and Windows users do.  That all changed today IF you use Ubuntu, specifically the 10.04 “Lucid Lynx” Beta 1. The service is run by 7digital in the US and pretty much everywhere.  Songs are 320 Kbps MP3′s with no DRM.  The store is access directly through Rhythmbox, Ubuntu’s default music player.  I did not see a per track price higher than 99 cents so they aren’t going the same route as iTunes with most tracks. I was able to purchase my song… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

On Tuesday, March 23rd, Starbucks will offer a pastry item for free with the purchase of any handcrafted beverage. The free pastry event is to take place at participating U.S. Starbucks stores from store opening until 10:30 am. To qualify for the free pastry, purchase a handcrafted beverage at a participating Starbucks location and present the invitation which can be found and printed off from the Starbucks Blog. The invitation can also be shown to a barista from a hand-held mobile device. Limit one free pastry per customer.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It never failed that when someone would visit while I was testing the Hillcrest Loop pointer, they would invariably pick it up and wear it like it was an over-sized bangle — because at first glance, that is exactly what it resembles. But the Loop is much more than just a piece of giant plastic jewelry. The Loop pointer actually got its start as an “iconic concept product to showcase Hillcrest Lab’s Freespace technology and HoME system solutions.” People who saw it liked it, and they wanted one; so Hillcrest, whose primary focus remains “licensing interactive media systems software for TV” decided to make it available for purchase.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Tucker and Bloom has been in the business of making bags for over thirty years.  Their products focus on organizing your gear while maintaining a clean and stylized design.  Their design philosophy comes straight to the point.  ”Tucker and Bloom designs aim to organize people with a need to look professional while providing an alternative to the norm.” When Judie described the bag she was sending me for review as the “hairy bag”, I was nothing if not curious at seeing it up close and in person. The East to West Messenger Bag is a classic bike style messenger bag with a not so traditional look.  Each Tucker and Bloom bag is made in small batches, using traditional European craftsman techniques. Click on through to read my full review of this unique bag and catch a special appearance by Larry G’s take at the end.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(All photos by the author) For some strange reason (dumb luck I suppose), my time behind the wheel of the new 370Z from Nissan has been met with frustrating limitations. When first released in coupe form last year, I found myself only getting to spend an afternoon with the vehicle and most of that during rush hour. More recently, Nissan sent me the roadster version of their little sports car, and this occurred during the freak snowstorm around Valentine’s Day. Needless to say it was stuck in my driveway for several days, and I only got to drop the top once (OK, twice, but the one for the snow effect photo doesn’t count). As Nissan found the new look for the latest Z, sporting model numbers coinciding with the new engine size, one would get the impression that inspiration came from a certain German automaker legendary for its sports cars. And I for one do not fault Nissan for this even if it is mere coincidence. Setting target goals at the Porsche level is certainly ambitious and while the notion of calling the new 370Z a “poor man’s Porsche” might enter the mind, it does not do the Nissan justice.… [...]

A little over a year ago I took over building and maintaining my community’s Web site. The reasons were simple. We were doing some cost-cutting and the folks who built and maintained our site were not inexpensive. Add in the fact that I wanted us to be able to update the site rapidly and it just made sense to bring it “in-house”. So I tried a number of different approaches and eventually ended up using Rapidweaver to build it. (I got Rapidweaver as part of a MacHeist bundle and was impressed with its power and Flexibility of it.) For the past year I have been using SproutBuilder to create all sorts of flash plugins. I used it for the front page so that updating the site from any browser was simple. I used it to create complex tutorial modules for our students to use when studying. It was powerful. It was impressive. It took a fair bit of effort but I finally got things where I wanted them. Then the company announced that they were closing down their consumer product and we have a little over a month to prepare. I. Was. Not. Pleased. After a bit of back and [...]

TeleNav, the company behind my iPhone GPS app of choice AT&T Navigator, started the week with two important announcements. First, the company has released TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.0. Launching as AT&T Navigator (v 2.0) it is currently available for the AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9000. I’ve been using a pre-release for a few weeks now and am impressed with the updated features Which include Lane Assist, One-Touch-Speech Recognition, Red Light Traffic Alerts, Speed Limit Alerts and much much more. You can read all about it HERE. The second announcement is the one that really has me excited however. TeleNav has released OnMyWay. The app lets you automatically tell an individual or series of individuals where you are and what your ETA is. As someone who likes being on time, I love this concept and was impressed with the demo I saw when I was in Cupertino last month for the first ever  Waypoint gathering. The good news is that the app is available now in the BlackBerry App World for free. The bad news is that it is currently only available for the BlackBerry. Since I am moving back to my iPhone full-time, I am [...]

Here is what we know for sure… Fact 1. The iPad is arriving on April 3rd. That is less than 2 weeks away. Fact 2. We know Apple wants to launch it with as much content and as many key apps as possible Fact 3. We know that key developers have iPads so that they can help with Fact 2. After all, a simulator is never as good as the real thing. Fact/Rumor 4. According to Businessweek these developers must take special precautions with their “tester” units. Would-be testers of the tablet-style computer, due to be released Apr. 3, must promise to keep it isolated in a room with blacked-out windows, according to four people familiar with the more than 10-page pact that bars partners from disclosing information about the iPad. To ensure that it can’t be removed, the iPad must also remain tethered to a fixed object, said the people, who asked not to be named because their plans for the iPad have not been made public. Apple won’t send out an iPad until potential partners send photographic evidence that they’ve complied. All of this would strike me as “Apple being Apple”. They love their secrecy and, I suspect, [...]

Driving to Maine from New Jersey is a looooong drive. Even breaking it up with a stop in Boston for a few days, we quickly ran through an audiobook and couldn’t find a decent radio station on the drive. Luckily, I had my Droid handy, and we gave Pandora and Slacker a spin. Slacker…I want to like it, I really do. But on the free version, it doesn’t seem to hold onto a music stream well. It gets four or five songs in, and then seems to be stuck, requiring the app to be exited and restarted. It’s a huge pain, especially while driving. If it were the best option available, I’d probably pay for the premium version and cache the stations I like, but it’s not the only game in town. I couldn’t get it working well for me in New Jersey, so I didn’t bother to test it when I was up in New England.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last week Larry posted that Speck, one of our favorite accessory companies, had released a new, limited edition series of their Fitted cases for iPhone 3G and 3GS. The “Artsproject” line offers four different artistic designs on top of a hard shell that offers great protection for your iPhone. According to Speck From brightly colored “Waves” and cute “Campsite” by Montreal-based Eve Duhamel to pleasingly patterned “Bosque” by Buenos Aires duo Yo Amo La Leche and enchanting “Chemical Girl” by Caia Coopman of Oceanside, California, these designs match a fresh, young visual perspective to some of the world’s hippest portable technology. All are all carefully printed on soft but durable fabric, which is then fused to Speck’s road-tested Fitted two-piece snap-together hard shell design. The upholstery-style exterior increases in-hand ease while helping to secure iPhone when set down on surfaces. The Artsprojekt line is available now and each case has an MSRP of $39.95. For more information or to order one you can visit the Speck site HERE. We, however, are giving away one of each… And two bonus cases. For a chance to win one read on… Continue reading on Gear Diary …