Just in time for summer the fight for iPhone GPS domination just heated up… a lot. CoPilot just released CoPilot Live USA, a full-featured, voice-guided GPS navigation app for iPhones and it costs just $4.99 for lifetime use. The app is network independent thanks to the fact that its maps are stored directly on the iPhone. And it isn’t a stripped-down GPS app. No, it includes advanced navigation features such as integrated Live Local Search, 3D and 2D maps, Lane Assist arrows, multi-stop trip planning and more. The app will even be able to take advantage of ALK’s monthly map updates and quarterly release of entirely new map bundles. At $4.99 the app… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Way back in the fall of 2009 Sony introduced the PSP Go. Before releasing the system, they touted the all-digital system based on the appealing physical form, the removal of the slow & noisy UMD drive, the ease of using the PSN store, and the new PSP Mini games. With the rumored UMD-to-PSN trade-in system, the system looked appealing despite being much more expensive than the PSP-3000. But then suddenly, shortly before the system launched, Sony killed any sort of ‘UMD to PSN’ transition system, killed any pack-in games for North America, confirmed that many games wouldn’t arrive at the same time in digital as retail UMD, and basically solidified the system as a really… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Are you a fan of the Nike+ system, but want to track your exertion through a heart rate monitor? Now your trusty Nike+ sportsband or iPod can pair with a special Polar Heart Rate strap and track your ticker as well as your runs! That’s the good news. The bad news is that the monitor costs $69.95. It still isn’t a terrible deal if you already have an iPod Nano or iPod Touch. Presumably you’re choosing to run with music, and therefore your only “extra” cost would be either the Nike+ dongle and the heart rate monitor or just the monitor. If you don’t run with music and you want a full run tracking/heart rate… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As I have gotten older I have come to realize that, more often than not, the saying “you get what you pay for” is true. Case in point- the Herman Miller Aeron Chair. With prices starting at $629 there’s no question the chairs are pricey. At the same time, everyone I know who has one swears by it and that rarely happens with a product. I recently stayed in a hotel that used one as the desk chair in the room and was wowed by how comfortable it was. Well, our GearSponsor has tracked down a way to save significantly on the Aeron. With this Gear Deal you can get the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Pizza, the food of college students and single guys everywhere.  Twitter, the 140 character-limited TMI platform for people everywhere.  Two great tastes that taste great together?  Well heck, Papa John’s thinks so! Papa John’s is teaming up with an outfit called All Pro Dad to bring you a Father’s Day Contest.  The grand prize is free Papa John’s pizza for a year.  Sound like something you’d want?  Well hey, then read all about it just below! Can you sum up your dad’s character in 140 characters or less?  Give it a shot on Twitter – using the hashtag #AllProPapa – and your All Pro Papa could win a year of free Papa John’s Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Oh yeah, the rush is on! Not unlike with the iPad release, gear makers are rushing to make items available for the new iPhone pretty much immediately.  Even high-end case makers Vaja, who tend to release their case solutions late, have at least a pointer up on their web page for new iPhone cases, even if the new cases themselves haven’t yet materialized.  (I’m getting an iVolution Grip, myself.)  And quick out of the gate is Belkin with their entries.  Belkin has a selection of cases that range from $20-$40 or so.   So if you’re gearing up for your new iPhone 4, maybe you want to check them out. Full information below. Today  Continue reading on Gear Diary …

All photos courtesy Lexus Lexus (via parent company Toyota) has been providing the auto industry with production model hybrid vehicles longer than most and with greater ferocity, and, under most circumstances, we do not associate hybrid vehicles being much more than “eco-friendly” or “miserly” – we certainly keep from allowing our imaginations wander anywhere near “sporty.” That all changed with the introduction of the Lexus GS450h luxury hybrid sport sedan. This was the first real hybrid vehicle that put all of that great and clean power to the rear tires where driving enthusiasts agree it belongs. Sure, there have been semi-all-wheel-drive SUVs from Toyota and Lexus but never rear-drive only prior to the GS model… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Picture Taken at SELF 2009 by Allan Metzler of tllts.org Up until this year, I had only attended the Ohio LinuxFest being lucky enough to live in its host city of Columbus, Ohio.  The Ohio LinuxFest is an awesome community driven event that amazes me every year it’s run.  However, in 2010, I will be attending both the Ohio LinuxFest and the second year of the Southeast LinuxFest.  I am totally excited to see what the committee behind the show is planning for this coming weekend. Southeast LinuxFest is in a new location this year in the Marriot at Renaissance Park in Spartanburg, SC.  The previous location at Clemson was not available so they had… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We have had the opportunity to review a number of JAVOEdge’s iPhone cases here on the site. Well it comes as no surprise that the company is also making cases for the iPad and they were kind enough to send two review samples to us so we could take a look first hand. Both cases have the same construction design but, being made from entirely different materials, they look and feel quite different. First up is the JAVOSide Case – Fiber Pattern Sleeve Case for Apple iPad From JAVOEdge- The JAVOedge iPad Fiber Side Sleeve Case is a modern, graphic Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Yeah, so I just bought the Alienware m11x less than four months ago and wrote about it here. But in that time the Alienware has become my ‘everything’ laptop – gaming, email, backup for work, and on and on. The ability to run top end games like Alpha Protocol at maximum settings easily for > 2 hours on a single charge, combined with > 8 hour battery life using power saving mode and the integrated graphics has been a real change in how I do things. The ability to switch graphics modes easily has allowed me to manage my power usage in a way I’ve never done before. But the one thing that lagged… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Photos courtesy GM As a former firefighter/paramedic, I am glad to see that automakers are providing training for first responders before a new type vehicle hits the streets and forces them to “learn from experience.” Training and preparation is key to successful incident response and reaction and Chevrolet is teaming up with OnStar to prepare emergency personnel for the arrival of Volt. When hybrids first hit the mass market about a decade ago, I grabbed a Toyota Prius and a Honda Insight from the press fleets and visited several area fire departments here in north Texas to give emergency personnel the opportunity to see the vehicles up close and learn the facts surrounding how to respond… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Back when I was my son’s age, I was a science nut.  I loved learning all about our universe, electronics, magnetism and the world we live in.  My favorite catalog from then was Edmund Scientifics.  They had and still have science products and lots of toys similar to what Nano Magnetics Inc are announcing today in the form of Nanodots. Nanodots are little tiny magnetic spheres that you can build things out of.  It’s also been suggested when you stock them all together in a big ball that you can use them as a stress ball.  They will not come apart unless you purposefully… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of Tokyoflash Function, style and glorious LCD’s pretty much can describe any watch in the Tokyoflash lineup, the latest model “Changing Lanes” is no exception. The new watch sports an all stainless steel band and bezel, rechargeable battery and of course follows suit with an animated LED light show every 15 minutes between 6:00 pm and midnight. The face has a smoked black design and illumination comes from Blue and Orange digital LED tubes. The rechargeable battery takes about 3.5 hours to charge but should get you a solid month before having to juice up again. The Changing Lanes is no exception when it comes to actually learning how… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Case-Mate, one of my favorite iPhone case manufacturers, was quick the punch with the announcement of their pending iPhone 4 case line up.  They’ve added a new web page on their site detailing no less than 26 different products for Apple’s newest creation. Some of the highlights: The Torque Case: The next generation of Case-mate’s Vroom iPhone 4 case has arrived. We took the original iPhone 4 Vroom tire tread concept and expanded upon the design to enhance its style, creating the new iPhone 4 Torque series. Created from a double injection molded silicon, the new, iPhone 4 torque case will protect your iPhone 4 with unique style and protection. Form-fit to the contour of your iPhone 4 Unique tire Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Bluelounge, designers of sleek and functional products for the office, home, dorm room or traveler, has some interesting gift ideas for the upcoming Father’s Day holiday.  The company makes some of the “cooler” accessory items I’ve seen.  I’ve been a fan of their CableDrops for a while now.  Their products remind me of the same design philosophy that Apple seems to live by.  Simple yet functional. Refresh ($89.95) is a personal or shared charging station for three or more devices. Compact in size and compatible with most of the new devices hitting the market today, it can charge two iPod/iPhones simultaneously while also charging a Blackberry and a bluetooth headset for instance. In fact, using the two iPod connectors and two of your own iPod… Continue reading on Gear Diary …