What catalog of apps is enough to make your iPad a replacement for your laptop in most situations?  For me, I would like a version of Handbrake and some way to read DVDs–with DVDFab, say–and then I could be a pretty happy camper.) The list is different for everyone, of course–different twitter client, better email client, some kind of word-processing software, or whatever–but some things are pretty common.  And it seems to me that DDH Software has stepped right into that area with their new version of HanDBase for the iPad. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Unlike many of Apple’s devices, the iPad has seen a host of accessories released along with it.  In the past Apple has relied mostly on its third party manufacturers to create cases and other peripherals for the iPhone, iPod etc.  For the iPad Apple is offering a case, a power adapter, a dock, a keyboard dock, a display adapter and the camera connection kit, the last which we’re going to look at today. Right about now you’re probably asking yourself, “what do I need the camera connection kit for?”  And I did the same thing as I stood in the Apple store looking at it on the rack.  The best answer I could come up with?  The… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In the wake of the iPhone 4G prototype loss, recovery investigation etc. you can not help but wonder if Apple is just a little sensitive these days. First John Stewart poked fun at the company with a video on his Daily Show. Yesterday Ellen aired her own Apple commercial where she poked at little fun at the company too, this time having nothing to do with the 4G scandal.  In the video Ellen makes fun of the iPhone while having trouble using it to text her wife. Well apparently the folks at Apple didn’t like Ellen’s pretend ad, and called they her on it forcing the talk show… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I don’t have my iPad yet (maybe for my birthday next month), but one of the things I’m looking forward to is trying out the various comic-reading apps.  I’ve tried to read comics on my iPhone, but (as you might expect) it’s simply too small.  The big, beautiful iPad screen looks just right for a comic book–a little wider (19cm vs. 17cm for a comic book), and a little shorter (24cm vs. 26cm for a comic book), but definitely ‘way better than an iPad.  And I’m no expert, but I’m betting that the resolution of an iPad screen is superior than the rag paper they typically print comic books on. Now in addition to the Marvel… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Time for the third crazy week of the Direct2Drive Spring Sale. As with last week there are loads of great deals on digital download PC games. To see all of them head on over to Direct2Drive! Some of my favorites: Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines – $9.95 – amazing game, amazing price. Bloodlines is one of my all-time faves as noted in my retrospective. Mass Effect 1 & 2Bundle – $34.95 – this is an amazing deal for Mass Effect 2 by itself, and you get the original as well! Check out my review for more details! Divinity 2 – $29.95 – this sequel didn’t live up to the Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There’s a big debate over whether HP bought Palm for their OS or for their patent portfolio. Technologizer took the time to pull together an amazing list of some of those patents that never came to light. Some are really weird, and some look super cool! My personal favorite is the one above, which appeared to be a phone/PDA/modem all wrapped up in a modular package. It’s the transformer of Palms! Also cool were the various potential gaming based Palm ideas, like this one: It’s a shame that Palm didn’t have the resources to get really creative when they were on top, but it’s a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The CardStar team was kind enough to give us a chance to test drive their beta versions of CardStar for Android and BlackBerry.   CardStar’s going full throttle from announcing some brand new services at CTIA, including expanding to bring more businesses (local and large chains) to consumers via their unique customer loyalty mobile application.  If you are an iPhone or iPod touch owner, you may already be familiar with their popular application that allows you to put all those cards and key fob barcodes right on your smartphone.    All in one nice and easy place that will keep you fumbling through your wallet or purse (and keep that keyring a bit more tidy as well). As CardStar expands, it only makes sense to hit two more popular platforms:  Android and BlackBerry.  Let’s take a quick look at both versions to see if you should add the application to your smartphone. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The 3G and WiFi iPads are very similar.  When I received my 3G iPad last Friday I began exploring it to see if there were any differences from the WiFi version I’d been using since the iPad launch.  The obvious difference in the 3G version is the addition of the Cellular data settings.  It’s there that you set up your account with AT&T, pick a plan and enter your payment information. One thing that struck me, all right — it shocked me, when browsing through this area was the amount of money AT&T is asking for to set up an international plan for their 3G service abroad. Can you say highway robbery!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

OK, so who is crazy enough to put together THAT sort of list? Apparently the folks at Groove Notes! The image I highlighted was of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s 1967 recording The Inflated Tear. This is my favorite recording of his, mixing free jazz elements, traditional hard-bop, and soul-flavored pop elements he’d later explore on Blacknuss and Volunteer Slavery. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t feel bad, because while it was a big hit for a non-mainstream jazz recording it wasn’t exactly setting the charts on fire – as stated in AllAboutJazz, “Roland Kirk won over the masses with this one too, selling over 10,000 copies in the first year.” One artist… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Neo Sleeve from Skooba Design is a protective case for your netbook or iPad.  Starting today and ending on May 6th, if you order one Neo Sleeve you’ll get a second one for free.  That’s right, two for the price of one. The Sleeve comes in four color combinations and retails for $19.95. To get in on the deal head to the Skooba web site and place any two colors of the Neo Sleeve in your shopping cart.  Then click the “UPDATE” button. Made from neoprene it features a removable shoulder strap and smaller front pocket which can… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

[image courtesy of Ronnie05] The true promise of mobile payments has yet to really take off here in the U.S.   The ability to not only check your balance and manager your accounts, but actually use your mobile to directly pay for goods and services is something many of us are still waiting to see become a reality.  First Data and Tyfone may have the solution that breaks that barrier and brings mobile payments mainstream. Where other solutions rely on a separate NFC or Near Field Communications chip being built in or included in the actual handset, First Data and Tyfone have come together to innovate mobile payments using something almost every phone likely uses today — a micro SD card.   Think about it, we store music on an SD card.  We save our pictures on such a card.   Why not build in the technology to use your mobile as a true wallet using that very same SD card? Continue reading on Gear Diary …

“Ack!  Thbptbptbpt!” The list of toys that have remained basically unchanged for decades is not all that long:  the Slinky (yes, the original metal ones!), the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, Connect Four, Monopoly, Scrabble.  You know, stuff like that.  And in that category is the toy everyone lost a few parts from no matter how careful they were, Lite Brite. (Don’t believe me?  Check this out.  Even the commercials hardly changed!) Well, this is the 21st Century, baby!  A Clever Twist decided that the iPad was exactly the right form factor for an app that looks like this childhood favorite. Their… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When the 3G iPad was released a few days ago there were a few surprises.  No, not the fact that the 3G version of Apple’s newest, most magical device had a black plastic strip along the top.  Perhaps the biggest surprise was that some of the video applications meant for the iPad were not performing the same way as they were on the WiFi iPad. 3G users were finding that when using their iPads over AT&T’s 3G network videos in both YouTube and iTunes Preview were being scaled down in quality.  We’re guessing that is was being done to cut down on bandwidth usage on AT&T’s fragile network… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In the story “Robbie” by Isaac Asimov, there’s a scene in which a family goes to a factory where robots are constructed, and in one room there are robots being manufactured by more robots–a recursiveness that struck me even at 15, before I really knew what “recursive” actually meant. Well, now there’s a gadget that strikes me in the same way:  a solar rechargeable torch (flashlight to us dumb Americans).  The makers say that you just store this somewhere in direct sunlight, and you’ll never be fumbling around in the dark for flashlight batteries again.  Sells for an MSRP of $17.00 at the EFO web site. Full information… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I use Evernote every day… numerous times each day in fact… And I encourage at least two or three people to try it at least a couple of times each week. I am an Evernote evangelist and with good reason- Evernote has made it simple for me to save all kinds of information and data in one place and later access it from pretty much any device I might be using at that time. Evernote must be doing something right because I love it and so does my admittedly non-techie assistant. In fact she recently told me that she “love it and it is the best piece of technology I have forced on her” (I’ve… Continue reading on Gear Diary …