Judie purchased access to myPadMedia yesterday. After a few minutes of exploring the site, one thing became very clear: I owe myPadMedia a huge apology. See, several weeks ago I mistakenly called myPadMedia a “scam”. This implied they were engaged in a business that doesn’t deliver books legally; as it turns out, that’s technically not true. If you purchase the $49.95 membership, you will have access to legal content, but the delivery process has basically been stolen from another site. So clearly I was mistaken, and as it turns out I was just one word off. myPadMedia isn’t a scam at all. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

All photos courtesy Volvo A Volvo with “wow” factor and, dare I say it, sex appeal? One does not normally associate the three-letter expression of excitement and surprise with a Volvo vehicle but the C70 hardtop convertible coupe is changing all that. Re-introduced a few years back and refreshed last year, the latest C70 is built on a smaller platform than its predecessor, sharing the global Ford/Mazda/Volvo small car underpinnings found in the Mazda3, European Focus and Volvo S40 and V50. This is my favorite compact platform and I enjoy the smooth, sporty driving experience it offers. This same experience carries over to the new C70 and now you can have the added benefit of a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

RadTech‘s newest offering for the iPad is the Aero Case.  Made from thermoplastic polyurethane (which is just a fancy way of saying that stiffer silicone feeling material we’re all used to iPhone cases), the Aero comes in two color options, Bronze and Clear. RadTech describes the case as “a form-fitting and light-weight protective Apple iPad case. Colorful, rugged, stylish and durable for long-lasting protection of your iPad’s elegant finish. Skin-tight, zero-flex polyurethane material enhances your grip when carrying and handling, and provides… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re like me and never replace your batteries until it’s too late, then this product might be for you. If you have kids, lots of remotes, RC cars or anything that takes AAA and AA batteries, then the Battizer could prove to be a great investment. My home theater remotes, thermostat batteries, and Wii controllers are the items which to die at the most inconvenient times., so instead of saving money by going to the Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s and buying a bulk pack of AAs, I usually run to the convenience store and spend $6 on a pack 4 AA batteries. Of course I don’t have to wait till the last minute to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today is National Running Day! It is a perfect day to check out the Couch-to-5K Running Plan Larry turned a bunch of us onto a few weeks back… …or grab one of the numerous C25K iPhone apps currently available in the App Store. There are a number of them. It is also a great day to check out some good accessories to go along for the ride run. Here are two examples… If you are using… 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. Many puzzle games involve items or shapes falling from the top of the screen that must be eliminated in some way.  Basically they are a take on Tetris which I loved to play back in my early high school days.  Every now and then one of these games is actually unique and fun.  I came across Glass Tower 2 on a random search of the app store and it… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Etón has made a name for themselves with quality portable and emergency radios powered by alternative energy including solar and hand-cranking. Just in time for the summer pool season, they are introducing an iPod and iPhone sound system which can go with you to where the fun is — whether it be the lake, the pool, or simply the backyard — without the need for batteries or a power outlet. The new Etón Soulra is solar-powered, with a rubberized exterior and “IPX-4 splash-proof layer of protection.” It retails for $199, and we hope to have a review unit soon. I’ll let you know how it performs by the pool. … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m back doing the Couch25K along with numerous other members of the Gear Diary writing staff. On Day 1 of the run I tried using my Apple headphones with my iPod touch. I found dealing with the cord to be beyond annoying so on Day 2 of the run I decided to use the Motorola MOTOROKR S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones I purchased a few weeks ago. What a difference! The headphones sounded good, stayed in place and, best of all… there were no cords. Well our GearSponsor has found a deal on the MOTOROKR S9s that will get you a pair for far less than I paid at a box store just… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

After a recent escalation of the tensions between myPadMedia and Gear Diary, Judie bought access to find out what the real story is behind this company. We will have a full report later today, but here’s the biggest bombshell: MyPadMedia is selling you access to the free eBook site FeedBooks. Yes, you read that right! But you can access myPadMedia’s “catalog” of ebooks for free, and without paying their ridiculous $49.95 fee, by heading to Feedbooks.com, a wonderful free website of self published and public domain works. Even better? FeedBooks didn’t authorize this! This morning we had a very enlightening email exchange… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Father’s Day is rapidly approaching.  Lately, it seems, most dad’s have some sort of geek aspirations whether it’s surfing the internet, cellphones, or gaming.  Well Think Geek has a awesome contest going on now through June 11th where they are giving away ONEnUltimate Geek Dad Prize Package.  The package includes: Choice of game system (Xbox, PS3 slim, or Wii–sorry, no cash equivalents or other platforms available) $100 Gift card from Gamestop to load up on games 16GB iPad with wi-fi $100 iTunes gift card for appage Signed copy of Ken Denmead’s GeekDad book GeekDad t-shirt $500 ThinkGeek gift certificate Any ONE of those is a great prize that this dad… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s the summer driving season, and you know what that means:  traffic galore.  There are a number of apps out there to help you find and avoid traffic (including the iPhone mapping app, for that matter), so if you’re in the market, you may want to check out Inrix Traffic for the iPhone.  The Inrix app allows you to “real-time traffic and traffic forecasts for more every major roadway in 126 cities across the U.S. and Canada.” The Inrix Traffic app is available for free via iTunes, with an upgrade to the “Pro” version available in-app for an MSRP of $10/year, or $25/lifetime.  So if you’re stocking up on travel apps for the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last summer I reviewed the CableJive Dock Extender cable.  This 30-pin male to female cable allowed iPhone and iPod Touch users who use a case to dock their devices without removing their case to do so.  Many dock accessories (clock radios, charge and sync docks, speakers) do not accommodate the iPhone or iPod Touch while it’s in a case. However, there was one problem with that version of the Dock Extender.  The connector plug was too large to fit inside some cases, perhaps most importantly the super-popular OtterBox Defender. Well, fast forward to today. CableJive has corrected the short coming of the old Dock Extender and released a completely revamped, all-new… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This deal is so good that we just had to share it with you. The Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5vi Noise Isolating Earphones with Microphone are premium earphones that include an “exclusive top fire armature speaker providing powerful HD sound”. The built-in microphone makes it simple to listen to music and make calls, while an in-line multi-function button gives you a high degree of control over music and video when used with your iPhone. The Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5vi are compatible with BlackBerry, iPhone, music phones with 3.5mm jacks. Great sound and function come at a price, however. The earphones have an MSRP of $169. That’s pricey. Thanks to our Gear Sponsor, however, you can get Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Larry wrote about the ZOMM when it was first announced, and now the “first-ever Wireless Leash™ for the mobile phone” is available for purchase. Who might need a ZOMM? When I first heard of the device, my immediate thought was my mother! She loses her mobile constantly, and it has become a regular routine for me to get phone calls from her home number telling me that she has “lost [her] cell phone again, so don’t call [her] on it until it’s found!” She almost always finds it soon after, so I think it is a matter of her having too many things going on at once… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few weeks ago I was in my office and realized that I needed to charge my iPhone but did not have a sync/charging cable. Turns out I had brought it home for some reason and never brought it back. Fortunately I have moved a number of my colleagues over to the iPhone so I simply walked across the hall and briefly borrowed my associate’s cable. That will never happen again since the Scosche flipSYNC I pre-ordered a while back came last week. Let’s take a look. The flipSYNC is one of those simple ideas that Scosche is great about turning… Continue reading on Gear Diary …