In Gear Chat 14 Larry and Dan talk about the new Kindle… and why we ordered them. We also talk about Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 and, of course, iPhone and iPads. Intro Music- Lean On Me- Sounds From the Ground Solarstone’s Chill Out Remix…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The iTunes App Store has given rise to a host of new companies all vying to create the next huge App Store success. One of the best is Readdle, the developer behind such apps as ReaddleDocs for iPad, OneDisk, Flash Drive and Take A Note. As they explain- In August 2007, Readdle was the first to provide iPhone users a document reader and attachment saver a full year before the official iTunes App Store had launched. In 2010, Readdle still continues to expand upon the iOS platform by releasing new products for Apple iPhone users and opening potential to a growing Apple iPad audience. “Over the last three years Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Show me a person who could watch the Pixar movie Wall-E without getting a little bit misty, and I’ll show you a person with a heart of stone. The premise was that Earth, long inhabited by wasteful humans was eventually rendered unusable, and there was a mass exodus to a fleet of spaceships provided for by the Buy N Large corporation, which the company that had sold the products which helped contribute to all of the waste on Earth in the first place. Are you with me? So Buy N Large tells the Earthlings that they will only be on the spaceships for as long as it takes to clean the Earth, a task… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Scosche’s flipSYNC Micro & Mini USB 2.0 Charge and Sync Cable is a super handy little gadget. It hangs out on your key ring until you need to charge something that takes a USB to mini or micro-USB. And when you do, you’ll be glad you have it with you. Yup, thanks to the flipSYNC you’ll never have to stress out because you need to charge something but can’t because you don’t have access to a cable. It is small. It is handy. And one is going to our reader arvindr The flipSYNC Micro & Mini USB 2.0 Charge and Sync Cable is available from Scosche for an… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Yesterday’s Music Mania Giveaway was the iWave: Gravity Speaker System The Gravity Speaker is a “Stylish portable plug-and-play speaker works with any audio device”. It features… A unique aux input plays music from any audio device; works with all iPod models A convenient design and handle allow for easy portability It runs on 4 AA batteries or DC adapter (both not included) Available in Silver, Blue, Pink, Purple, Red and Black, it has an MSRP of $24.99. It can be ordered from iWave’s web site but we had one to give away. And it is going to our reader… John Carroz! Congrats John. And the next giveaway… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The iPad is a runaway hit. We all know that. We use it at our desks. We use it in the kitchen. We use it in the living room. We use it everywhere. And it’s lack of a built-in stand is, at times, a pain. Let’s face it, you don’t want, or can’t, always hold the 1 1/2 pound device. Fortunately there are a growing number of excellent options out there. And those ranks just grew by one with the announcement of the UpStand from Just Mobile. As The Company Explains- Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Speck’s PixelSkin for iPhone 4 may add a bit of bulk to the iPhone 4’s sleek thin design, but in the process it offers great protection to the back, sides, top and bottom of the phone. It offers such good protection that it is the case I am using when I do my C25K runs. The PixelSkin for iPhone 4 is available in Black, Pink and Purple. It can be ordered directly from Speck’s website for an MSRP of $24.95. We had one to give away and it will be going to our reader… Melanie Lopez. Congrats Melanie and, as always, thanks to Speck for the giveaway item… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Many of us like to keep our iPhones as sleek as possible.  I personally prefer to use my iPhone 4 naked.  But I also know that it’s just not practical to do so.  I want to keep my iPhone looking as new as possible not only because I enjoy looking at “minty-fresh” gadgets but I also realize that in under a year Apple will be most likely be coming out with the next generation iPhone and I’ll most likely be selling this one to finance the new.  The better condition a phone is in the more money it fetches in re-sale. SGP has been making screen shields for the iPhone… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Barnes and Noble’s nook has been out for some time, but it hasn’t stopped making waves since its debut! After the initial successful release, B&N released a WiFi-only version, which also kicked off a price war against Amazon’s Kindle. The new WiFi version comes in at the practically bargain price of $149, but how does it stack up? Read on to find out! Hardware: The nook WiFi hardware isn’t that different from the 3G version. Both have white bezels, with an eInk screen on top and a small color touchscreen below. The big difference on the WiFi version is that the backing is white instead… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s Gear Deal isn’t one item. It isn’t two items. No, today’s deal is actually today’s DEALS… a 4-day sale on select video games and accessories. One of them… the first ever discounted XBOX 360 Elite Slim 250GB Console!!! The discounts are huge and can save you up to 45% on some great gaming entertainment. Among the key deals… The XBOX 360 Elite Slim 250GB + Madden NFL 11 is normally #350 but is available for $319. The Wii Summer 2010 Bundle with Wii Remote/MotionPlus is normally $200 but is now $169. The XBOX 360 Wireless Network Adapter is normally $90 but is available for $69. The PSP Slim Assassin’s Creed… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Original Image courtesy of Google The Nexus One was the first of many dubbed Android Superphones. Even though relatively low sales eventually may have been the demise of the device, it now holds a place in the hearts of Android fanboys and developers alike. The Nexus One has seen its last (virtual) store shelf, and is now said only to be available for developers to purchase. It’s the only phone to directly receive OTA updates from Google and is the first device to officially get Froyo. Just a few days after Google officially killed their one and only pet project, Neowin reports that the next version Nexus phone is just around the corner. The post… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My iPad is with me pretty much all the time these days. It’s rare for me to carry my MacBook Pro out and about anymore since I can accomplish pretty much everything that I need to on a device that weighs a pound and a half and runs for up to 10 hours or so instead of a 4 1/2 pound machine that gets significantly shorter battery life. That means I need the right bag to carry my iPad. If I’m going to carry the iPad though, its high degree of portability means I certainly don’t want a huge heavy bag that undoes the weight savings the iPad offers. At the same time, I want to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In my review of Leliana’s Song I noted that the focus was on story and characters and that the combat wasn’t overly challenging. Or even particularly memorable. As though anticipating that very reaction, Bioware has announced that their next DLC will be combat-centric, meant for higher-level players and brutally difficult. The folks over at the Dragon Age-centric site GreyWardens.com have picked up some excellent info. They clarify the ‘combat centric’ statement based on comments from Bioware producer Fernando Melo: On the story: You join a dwarf Jerrik who is searching for his brother, Brogan. In your searches, you discover some items that are glowing with blue magic including Brogan himself, making them impossible Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last month I reviewed the Darkspawn Chronicles DLC, saying that even at “$5 in Microsoft Points … it has questionable value.” I found it “a single-minded module that lasts about an hour, adds a single new item to the main game, and offers little replayability” … and was really just an average add-on in general. Now I am back after playing through the new DLC Leliana’s Song (announced here). So how did they do THIS time? Read on and find out! The Hype: Assume the role of Leliana, a young bard involved in a criminal ring that deals in political secrets. Accompanying her mentor Marjolaine on a high-risk mission, Leliana soon finds… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The video above shows Norry Leibman of South-Pak demonstrating a case panel ‘torture’ test.   South-Pak is  a company that carries  custom cases for just about every possible item you could imagine.   Have a trade show coming up and need a reliable way to ship your LCD screens?   Have to travel with delicate (and expensive) medical equipment?  Do you require the best protection for your photo and video equipment? Are you an emergency service responder needing to protect your gear in the most treacherous of conditions?   Regardless of your needs, South-Pak has what you will need — or they’ll custom make it for you. If you regularly stop by Gear Diary, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that many of the writers  — especially Larry –test and use just about every type of case that is available on the market.   When the team at South-Pak contacted Larry to offer Gear Diary a full tour of their facilities, it definitely an offer that couldn’t be refused.   The only catch was that Larry’s in PA, and South-Pak’s located in Norcross, GA.   Luckily for me, that’s right in my neck of the woods. So let’s take a look at a business that [...]