Dan was kind enough to send me a few M-EDGE cases for the iPad to review. A few weeks ago I took a look at the Executive Jacket. Up next is their Platform Jacket. Made from authentic leather and available in three colors (Black, Purple and Red) the Platform Jacket is a flip up style case that is best suited for users who use their iPads predominately in the portrait position. The case uses a tab closure style and the strap continues all along the back creating a handle which you can slide your hand under. This allows you to get a good grip on the iPad when you’re using it suspended (i.e. off… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Back before Dragon Age: Origins was released, I drove myself crazy mapping out the pre-order deals for the game, as there were a variety of items included depending on how and where you bought. Every new game seems to get some special pre-release enticement these days, and the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas is no exception. As for what Fallout: New Vegas is … Fallout: New Vegas is the follow-up to Fallout® 3 – the 2008 Game of the Year – and brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humor and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We are all feeling the financial pinch!    Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. It is summer and time to have some fun.  I have recently heard rumblings of another great iPhone game.  The game was mentioned in the same sentences as Plants vs. Zombies so my ears perked up and I paid attention.  I needed to check out the game if it is near as good and addictive as what I was hearing.  First I tried the Lite version and thought about using it as… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m a huge fan of booq’s various bags and cases. They are always nicely styled, thoughtfully designs and well-constructed. I’m happy to see them creating products specifically for the iPad. Yesterday they announced a new product- The Taipan spacesuit XS. The spacesuit XS is a 3mm neoprene iPad skin that provides a protective cushion to battle all the drops and mishaps of life on-the-go. “Most protective accessories for the iPad have followed the same design as an iPhone case or other mobile device,” says Jake Orak, head of product design & development for booq bags. “An open face case design is great when you’re using the iPad, but leaves the screen exposed when carrying the Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When iPhone 4 was announced I’ll admit it, I was giddy. Apple’s newest creation looks to be almost as revolutionary as the first iPhone they released. Jammed packed into arguably the sleekest, most stylish handset on the market, are a ton of features. Some of the highlights that really stand out? Multitasking Orientation Lock Video Calling Gyroscope iMovie Only 9.3MM thin Glass Front and Back 960×640 Screen Better Battery 5 MP Camera with LED Flash HD Video A4 Chip Portrait Lock iPhone 4 looks to have almost every feature I could ask for in a mobile device. And to top that off the hardware itself looks incredible as well. But as any… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Scoche has announced a series of cases and screen protectors for the iPhone 4. All of the cases take into account the new, slimmer design of the iPhone 4 and provide protection for the device without adding too much bulk. The new bandEDGE g4 will protect the iPhone by slightly elevating the screen or back when laid on a flat surface. It will be available in clear on black, black on black, clear on purple and clear on pink models and will include front and back ultra-clear film protectors. It will have an MSRP of $24.99 and can be pre-ordered here Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Mediafly continues to be a major player in the merging of home entertainment and digital content.   A year ago, we featured Mediafly’s march into the mobile application space.  Their iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and webOS applications bring users free video and podcasts.  Mediafly then took their idea to the next level by bringing content to home entertainment like the ever-popular Roku and Popcorn hour. Now they’ve added another strategic partnership with Onkyo to bring their free on-demand content to your home theater receivers.  That’s right.  No subscriptions, no sneaky fees.  Interest peaked?   Read on for the full details. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You a World Cup soccer/football/fútbol fanatic?  You wanting to get the maximum World Cup experience, even though the play is in South Africa and your stuck in Duluth or München or Montevideo or something?  Well, it’s tough, but “The Beautiful App” is there to help.  Available at an MSRP of only $0.99 via iTunes, The Beautiful App lets you keep up to date on your team’s current fortunes, track player stats, and get your iPhone to shout “GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLL!” when your fave player scores.  So go to iTunes and give it a look-see. Full information below. The 48 hour countdown to the World Cup has begun and as we eagerly anticipate kick-off we wanted to Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you develop mobile applications, clear your calendar August 24th-26th.  As if  you would need an additional excuse to head to Sin City, now you can look forward to APPCON.  The event is not restricted to any single OS, so iPhone developers can face off against Android developers and throw down their skills in some cross-platform combat.   There will be 40 sessions over three days to help get attendees up to speed on the latest trends in mobile app and game development. So whether you’re an enterprise developer or crafting the next big thing in your Mom’s basement, start planning to be at APPCON now.   Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) will be giving the keynote.  Full information on the event’s  speakers, schedule and session tracks are available .  Catch Mr. Jillette’s promo for APPCON below, and view the full conference press release after the jump. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s another great deal on a Lenovo notebook thanks to our Gear Sponsor. The Lenovo Essentials G460 Core i5-430M is a 14″ LED-backlit Laptop that comes with 4GB DDR3 memory, a 500GB Hard Drive, a DVD+/-RW optical drive, a 6-cell battery, a Intel HD graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. It looks like a great notebook you can rely upon for a long time to come. But don’t just take my word for it… take a look for yourself. The Lenovo G460 has an MSRP og $949.00 but with this deal you can get it for just $699.00. It will even ship for free. More Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Photo from EyeShotJazz There was a time – before the internet, no less – when I really had my finger on the pulse of the jazz world. Some of it was location – I was less than an hour from Boston, Worcester, Providence RI and the Newport Jazz festival – but some of it was just knowing where to look for new information. As the years have passed by, I found that I have been relying on many of the same sources – radio, magazines, tracing through other artists discographies – but with decreasing success in finding new music outside of the familiar realms. Even with my new internet connections – web forums, weekly release… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Dan: A few weeks ago I wrote a roundup of several iPad cases and my experiences with ordering them. Shortly thereafter I received an email from Tom at a small company called Aligata. He told me about his cases and offered to send a review sample. A few days later one of his cases in Espresso Black was coming to me, and a Nude Beauty was on its way to Judie. I spend some time with mine and then sent it to Travis for him to use. Here are our collective thoughts on these 100% leather cases. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If the image above makes you salivate or at least gets your mind buzzing with excitement, you want to head directly over to Cambridge Publishing and grab the new 422 page Handbook of Mathematical Functions. Why? As noted in the press release: The NIST HANDBOOK OF MATHEMATICAL FUNCTIONS has been the most widely distributed and cited resource for scholars, scientists, and engineers ever since it was first published in 1964. Over the past few decades, tremendous advances in applications of mathematics have taken place and the 2010 edition reflects these modern developments in theoretical and applied science. So what do you get in this massive volume? From the description at Cambridge Publishing Modern developments Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When I was a kid, most telephones were heavy, clunky things that sat on your Dad’s desk at home (or were firmly attached to the wall), and were robust enough to use for home defense if need be.  We’ve come a long way, baby, and frankly I’m diggin’ the 21st Century.  More natural and man-made disasters, but lower threat of nuclear extinction. But some folks still have a hankering for them thar Good Old Days, and for those folks, YUBZ is presenting you with some pretty funky, retro and artist handset attachments for your phones.  If these babies don’t satisfy your hankering for some of that ol’ time telephonic religion, well, maybe you need to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy Google) Detroit automakers Ford and GM both announced this week the coming availability of turn-by-turn directions in their vehicles courtesy of Google Maps. Ford will offer this convenience via SYNC technology (using the customers mobile phone) and GMs will arrive a la OnStar. Unfortunately this means the technology is only good so long as a cell signal remains. For those who find themselves EXTREMELY lost, I suggest making sure you bring along a boy scout or homing pigeon before leaving the connected realm. For me, I will continue to trust the latest satellite-based GPS navigation technology offered in most of the new vehicles and handheld devices on the market today. And the compass in my iPhone works pretty well too. Read the respective corporate press releases after the jump:… Continue reading on Gear Diary …