Sure you can use the “PixelDoubling” of an iPhone app to blow it up and use it on the iPad if a dedicated iPad or universal version of your favorite app is not yet out. It gives you the FUNCTIONALITY you want but it doesn’t look all the good. Okay, let’s be serious. It looks lousy. PixelDoubling is better than nothing but it isn’t GOOD. But while we wait for apps like Documents To Go to release a new or updated version it is the best we can do. At least it was until now… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you a baseball fan?  Been looking at MLB At Bat 2010, but find that you’re just a little hesitant to pull the trigger on a $15 app that’s only good for one year?  Well, you’re in luck.  Our friend Clinton Fitch over at ClintonFitch.com has posted a thorough review of MLB At Bat 2010 for the iPhone.  Clinton’s review covers the incredible amount of information to which the software allows the user access, including an abundance of statistics, live action scores, video highlights, and schedules.  He also touches on the optional MLB.tv service, which offers streaming video for almost all MLB games. Clinton’s final assessment?  You’re just going to need to check… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Now this is a Mac software bundle that I can get behind. PopCap Games‘ entire catalogue is now available for only $50.  This includes 13 amazing Mac compatible titles: • Amazing Adventures 3: The Caribbean Secret • Bejeweled 2 • Bookworm • Chuzzle • Escape Rosecliff Island • Feeding Frenzy • Iggle Pop • Peggle • Peggle Nights • Plants Vs. Zombies • Mystery P.I.: Lost in L.A. • Zuma • Zuma’s Revenge I know Dan is a gigantic fan of Plants Vs. Zombies.  Hot got me hooked on it too.  And I’ve been playing Bejeweled since my Treo days. This is a fabulous deal and there’s… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the most popular Twitter clients for the iPhone, Tweetie 2, seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the iTunes App Store.  We don’t believe for a second that it was pulled for some sort of violation though. Twitter recently purchased the application and promised they’d be releasing it as “Twitter for iPhone.” Perhaps it’s to be bundled with the upcoming iPhone 4.0 OS or is it simply going to re-appear in the iTunes App Store, re-branded, much sooner? Being as popular as it is I’m guessing the later, and we should see the newly Twitter branded application back, available as… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My neighbors and dog probably think I’m crazy…I saw this press release and practically did a happy dance on the front lawn. Yes, finally, I can stop whining about how there’s no Kindle for Android! Amazon has announced it will be available this summer. It looks like they’ll be incorporating the Kindle store directly into the app, and it will have whispersync like all of Amazon’s other Kindle offerings. No screenshots yet or any hint as to whether there will be any enhancements over the Blackberry/iPhone versions, but I for one can’t wait to find out! Just being able to read my Kindle library on my Droid will make me a very happy ebook nerd! Free Android Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The NEW Lenovo ThinkPad L512 notebook is a 15.5″ Core i3 notebook that is ready to get down to business. It looks serious. Seriously, it has that traditional ThinkPad look that screams- “You will listen to me.” With base specs that include a Core i3-330M running at 2.13GHz, a 15.6″ Anti-glare LCD with WWAN, 2GB DDR3, a 160GB Hard Drive, a DVD+/-RW and 802.11n WiFi the L512 is ready to help you get things done on the go. Of course if you want a bit more power and speed you can choose upgrades like a Core i5 processor, a Fingerprint Reader, a 2-Megapixel Webcam, a 9-cell battery, Bluetooth and more but even the base… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’ve had a few posts up about Electronic Pocket‘s application for the iPhone and iPad, BugMe.  Dan quite liked the iPhone version, and was further pleased when the app was updated with keyboard support. Well, there’s even more goodness available:  BugMe has added push notification, as well as the ability to scribble notes on pictures.  So if you’ve been looking for a post-it note tool for your iPhone or iPad, maybe now is the time to check it out.  Available on iTunes for an “introductory” MSRP of $0.99. Full information below. Electric Pocket Limited Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Looks like Barnes and Noble is (finally) really working to leverage their brick and mortar stores to push ebook sales. Yes, they’ve had nook kiosks in every store, but their much-vaunted “read an ebook in-store” feature didn’t debut for almost 6 months after it was announced, and they haven’t really bridged their paper book customers and ebook customers. Now they seem to be getting all the pieces in place for a big ebook push. It’s less about the free ebook, and more about how this encompasses not only nooks, but also smartphone apps as well. Basically, B&N is saying that if there’s a way to get their ebooks into your hands, a B&N store will help make… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Navigon’s latest entry into the increasingly crowded sat-nav market looks to be a cracker with a 4.3” display, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a sleek design that makes it easy to hide away when not in use. In my two week test of the Navigon 6300, it really impressed! Out of the box you get everything you need to get up and running in the car. A very secure windshield mount is fully adjustable to achieve the best viewing angle, no matter what car you are mounting it in, and the power adaptor has a sufficiently long cord should your lighter socket be in an awkward position. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the things I have come to understand and appreciate is that there is no “right” case for the iPad. There are a variety of cases available for it to be sure but none of them is “the right case”. Rather, with the iPad perhaps more than with any other device, the appropriate case depends upon how you’re using the device at a particular moment. Let me explain what I mean. If you are going to be using the device on the go and will be throwing it into a briefcase it makes sense to have a case that is permanently affixed and includes screen protection. In this scenario a folio style case may be… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I bet you thought my skeptical post about MyPadMedia would be the end of it. You’d be wrong. First, a bit of background. I did email MyPadMedia asking for information on how their service worked, and I received back a pitch to receive commissions if I became an affiliate. Still no explanation of exactly what your $49.99 will buy. Apparently, though, MyPadMedia did not like my post. Specifically, they requested the following to Judie: Geardiary.com, My name is Jonathan Crawford and I am the owner of myPadMedia.com I demand that you remove you article entitled “Buyer beware-MyPadMedia” ( http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/03/buyer-beware-mypadmedia/ ) immediately. Not only does Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Games from European PC developers and publishers often have an uphill struggle to begin with: they lack the entrenched network of marketing and promotion, often struggle to get a community base built up of native speakers on popular game forums, and of course are strapped with an image of lacking polish and suffering from poor language translations. As a result they often fail to gain shelf-space at major retailers, making it even harder for them to gain new fans. So you are forgiven if you have never heard of this game, let alone knew that it has been out for a couple of months. The Hype: More than 40 spells, with over 30 Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s time for another State of the eBook! It’s been a (relatively) quiet week in the ebook world, but hopefully that’s just a dip before we get some exciting news (like the Google tablet! maybe!). Still, it hasn’t been totally quiet, so let’s dive in! Most of the news this week is on the Kindle front. First, apparently that “Kindle in Target Stores” project is going well, as news is spreading that it is expanding to all Target stores soon. Perfect, really, as you can grab a carton of milk, a new t-shirt, some socks and a Kindle, all in one shot! (via The Digital Reader) Since the last… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have a very large dog who loves car rides. He also enjoys rolling around in mud, swimming and refusing to sit still to be dried off, and of course, shedding the equivalent of 4 dogs worth of fur in an afternoon. So my backseat is constantly in a state of slight messiness. Then, of course, there was the time he ate a bag of mint Hershey’s kisses, and decided they didn’t agree with his stomach as we were en route to the emergency vet. Trust me, the conversation you never, ever want to have with your partner is “Does it smell minty in here to you?” and then realize neither of you put a towel down for the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This 15.6″ Lenovo IdeaPad has both power and looks and it you can save big on it thanks to our Gear Sponsor. The Lenovo Y560 Laptop (Core i7 model – 06462AU) has a starting price of $1,399. It includes 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 discrete graphics, an LED-backlit LCD, a 6-in-1 Card Reader, an HDMI port, an eSATA port, an ExpressCard slot, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. This configuration ships with a 500GB drive spinning at 7200RPM, 4GB DDR3 RAM and a Core i7 processor. All that adds up to a notebook that looks good and runs FAST! Continue reading on Gear Diary …