We don’t mean to add to your high-tech frenzy but some of our favorite applications (and some new soon-to-be-favorites) are going to be coming to the iPad. We just got word of three that are coming from our friends at ShapeServices And they all look AWESOME! What applications are talking about? Let’s see now — IM+: All-in-One Messenger The Award winning instant messenger for iPhone/iPod Touch that lets you chat within MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, AIM, Jabber, ICQ, Facebook, MySpace, Skype and Twitter is coming to the iPad. STATUS- APPROVED!!! iDisplay Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have been a big fan of the Joby Gorillamobile since it was first released for the iPhone. I love the bendable flexible tripod that allows me to have my iPhone securely attached to just about any surface and then held there for pictures. One of the best uses for it is to set up the iPhone in a specific place using the tripod and then allow the iPhone to take a series of time-lapse pictures. It works beautifully and, because of the excellent design and build quality of the tripod, I feel secure that my iPhone isn’t going to drop and fall to an untimely death. I was interested when the company released a new Gorillamobile for the iPod touch. I was especially curious when I read on the back of the box that it’s useful for — watching TV, listening to music, playing games, surfing the net, and (this is what raised questions for me) capturing pictures. Why would it refer to capturing pictures when the fact the iPod touch doesn’t have a camera. (Thanks Steve Jobs for pulling it at the last second last fall.) Well, it turns out there is a good reason why it mentions [...]

One of the great things about smart phones (and to a certain extent cell phones before them) is the level of customization available for things like ring tones.  So if your Mom calls, you can program your phone to play, I dunno, “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” or something.  (In my case, it plays Joni Mitchell, but I have an unusual Mom.) Now Ringo has added a new enhancement for the BlackBerry, allowing you to distinguish callers not just by tone, but by flashing LED alerts as well.  You can turn your phone into a musical lightshow that depends on who is ringing you up.  So for me, I might program one to flash like a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few months ago when I wrote Resolutions for the Gaming New Year, one of my key themes was playing game demos whenever possible as a way of ensuring that I don’t waste my time and money on games I don’t want to play. Apparently some game companies are sensitive to those issues, and are trying to help gamers out. First, Ubisoft introduced a DRM system so heinous that I have already saved more than $100 and many hours by not buying two games I planned to get (Assassin’s Creed 2 and Settlers 7) and EA followed suit with Command & Conquer 4, which will allow me to get more value out of Supreme Commander 2 instead of wasting $50 on that game.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of Softpedia As a predominantly PC gamer, and as a big fan of role-playing games, I am also a huge supporter of so-called ‘Indie’ games. These companies consist of a few folks, yet come up with some of the richest and tightly focused gaming experiences available. I’ve been on the beta test teams for the last several games from Jeff Vogel’s SpiderWeb Software, and also own the Mac & PC versions of Basilisk Games Eschalon Book 1, and am hotly anticipating Book 2 this year. Another independent game company, started by Steven Peeler, is called Soldak Entertainment.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

photo credit: hellabella To anyone who was holding out hope that there might be an Easter miracle regarding their iPad order in areas without Saturday UPS delivery … you can stop holding your breath now.  To Our Valued Apple Customer: Thank you for your recent purchase of the magical and revolutionary Apple iPad. We would like to advise you Saturday delivery is not available in your area. Your order will be delivered on Monday April 5th. For up-to-date information on your order, please visit Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Okay so tomorrow is iPad day. And, as you likely know a number of key tech reviewers have had iPads for a week. (sob… but not us… sob). Andy Ihnatko from the Chicago Sun Times has an unboxing available for those who cannot wait. The best part of it comes at the 7 minute mark. Ihnatko had gotten the iPad but was not yet allowed to speak about it, or use it publicly. That set up an interesting dynamic that he comments on toward the end… But you’ll have to watch it… Oh heck, it is April Fools Day so I’ll just tell you what he says… …(the embargo) means that I am not allowed to use this in public Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Good news for Borders…they’ve renegotiated their loans, and according to Publisher’s Weekly, it’s looking very good that they’ll be sticking around for quite some time! Hooray! It wasn’t ALL roses, as their 4th quarter earnings were not so great, with continued declines in sales. Still, renegotiating the loan bought them plenty of time to push their ebook strategy. I bet there are quite a few relieved sighs going on in Ann Arbor, Michigan right now! Ok, so Kobo’s releasing a demo of their ebook reader was entirely coincidental, but it did fall on the same day…check out their demo video: And they’ve also released a rather trippy commercial, somewhat… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have been unapologetic in my gushing praise of the video game trading site Goozex. Since mid-2006 I have been a part of the site, which has saved me literally thousands of dollars as I can trade away games I’ve played for points, which I can then use to ‘buy’ used games from other members. The site started off trading console games (XBOX, XBOX360, PS2, PS1, DreamCast and GameCube), adding PSP, DS and GBA soon after I joined, and PC and Mac games later that same year. Since then they have added the Wii and PS3 games, and last year added DVD, UMD and Blue-Ray Movies!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the main themes of this year’s CTIA Wireless conference was Mobile Broadband.  People just can’t get enough of it.  Literally! Major wireless service providers in the U.S. have long been battling it out over whose network reigns supreme for speed and reliability.   The race is heating up with the promise of 4G speed in our future.   What was interesting at this year’s  CTIA Wireless conference was to hear vastly different approaches being taken by each carrier.   Whether you’re on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, you can expect a different approach to 4G — and time frame on actual the actual deployment to this technology.  Let’s take a closer look and see how this impacts your service and customer loyalty to a specific carrier. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Ford has announced they’ve teamed up once again with Microsoft, this time on a new project related to energy usage in our daily lives. The name Volt was already spoken for and Watt would just have folks asking too many questions, so the measurement of resistance is being utilized for the cute tagline on this venture designed to save consumers energy consumption at – wait for it – Hohm (pronounced home). My question is – will early adopters be tagged as “Hohmboys” and “Hohmgirls?” (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) In a nutshell, Hohm is an Internet-based service, designed to help customers avoid unnecessary expense by providing insight into their energy usage patterns and suggesting recommendations to increase conservation. With Ford electric vehicles, Hohm also will help drivers to determine the best time to charge their vehicle. Smart recharging habits will help utility companies understand and better manage the increased demands placed upon the electric grid because of electrified vehicles. Ford has announced plug-in hybrid electrics and hybrids in the near future and Hohm is designed to easily and economically integrate those vehicles into our lifestyles. No word yet if “Hwork” is on the horizon but as our transportation world becomes more electrified, [...]

Mad Catz has been there for gamers for years, providing innovative and cost-effective peripherals for consoles and computers. Now they are launching the F.L.Y. 9 Wireless Flight Stick for the XBOX 360. They are launching this as a ‘premium’ product, meaning that it will be better designed and feature packed as their other premium products, but also carry a premium price. Read on for more.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

While Apple fans keep waiting for Cupertino to pump out a quad-core notebook HP has plenty and today’s GearDeal will save you a bunch on one of their  offerings. The HP dv8 Quad Edition 18.4-inch Laptop has a Core i7-720QM, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M, and 1080p Ultra BrightView Infinity display. In the base configuration it also ships with 4GB DDR3, a 500GB 7200RPM HDD and Windows 7. A DVD+/-RW with an optional upgrade to Blu-ray goes well with the huge 18.4″ 1080p Ultra BrightView LCD display. Of course it has a Webcam+ Fingerprint Reader and an 8-cell battery. The HP… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m excited to know that my iPad will arrive at my house this Saturday. The same goes for a few hundred thousand other people across the country. Yes, iPad day is almost here, and while I know it will never happen (I certainly couldn’t do it) the smart move would be to leave the boxes unopened until next week. Why next week? Because that’s when NLU Products will begin shipping BodyGuardz and ScreenGuardz for the iPad. I mean, sure, it’s great to use a case with the iPad and there are a plethora of them on the way (and I can’t wait!) but nothing beats using a device in its naked state while still being completely protected. The company explains, BodyGuardz offer… scratch-proof transparent skins are designed to custom fit the iPad for unrivaled full body and screen protection, adding a layer of scratch-proof film to the back and sides that will allow the device to be placed on harsh surfaces without a single scratch. ScreenGuardz use… a static cling application for a less permanent alternative to protective skins with adhesives, for the iPad is designed to safeguard the screen from scratches, oils, makeup, and other potentially damaging agents Moreover, [...]

I remember back in the day when the iMac first came out, a lot of people wondered if Steve Jobs was nuts to use USB ports.  “You’re nuts, Steve!” they said.  Nowadays, everyone uses USB ports.  They’ve proliferated into USB 2.0, Micro USB, Mini USB, and I don’t know what all.  But ol’ Steve was right on that one.  Heck, there’s companies now that specialize in USB products. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when we at Gear Diary received word from our friends at Proporta of their new USB-related product, but even so, I was: A car jump-starter that can be recharged via a USB port!  Proporta tells us that it has attachments and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …