Apple just released a statement on the reported iPhone 4 reception issues. It is a rather long and complicated release so as a public service we have taken the liberty of sharing the entire release… and its translation, with all of you. All joking aside… a bunch of us who write for the site have iPhone 4s and… yes… we do love them. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Apple has finally broken their apparent silence on the iPhone 4′s signal-gate and admit that they were surprised when they uncovered the cause of the issue. The full text of the letter is below but here are the highlights… …we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them… …gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones… We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising. …we were stunned to find Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the best features of the new Apple iPad is its gorgeous screen which is meant to be constantly touched, pinched and flicked. As a result, the screen is often left exposed and vulnerable to scratches even when the iPad isn’t being used. Adding a protector just makes sense. I was recently sent two screen protector samples from NewerTechnology, the NuVue Clear and the NuVue Privacy Protector with Privacy Shield. Both install in exactly the same way, but each delivers a dramatically different experience. Each protector comes in a no-frills baggie without any… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Problem #1- The iPhone 4 clearly needs a case in order to avoid the antenna issues and protect the now “shatter-able” back. Problem #2- As a general rule I don’t love being dependent on a case that adds a lot of bulk and weight to the beautifully slim iPhone. Solution To Problems #1 and #2- Case-mate’s Barely There case for the iPhone 4. From Case-mate- For those who prefer nothing to come between them and their iPhone 4, this case is for you. These cases are designed to protect the design of your iPhone 4, while allowing more of it to show. The Case-mate Barely There Features- an extremely slim profile Continue reading on Gear Diary …

pho·tog·ra·phy (fə-tŏg’rə-fē) n. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition defines photography as: 1)The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces. 2)The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs. 3)A body of photographs. A photograph is merely defined as “an image, especially a positive print, recorded by a camera.” Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It started as it did in most families with dad snapping the shutter at all major holidays and events in our lives. I remember my first camera was a Kodak 126 Instamatic and began saving some of those family memories while I was still in grade school. Hey, at least this way Dad began showing up in pictures instead of always being behind the viewfinder. (Funny, Dad put the camera in my hands all those years ago and one of the last things he asked me for as he entered hospice care before he left this world was for some of my pictures to hang on the walls so he had something pleasant to look at in his final days. Fate?) In junior high school (back when [...]

Our Gear Sponsor is currently showing a deal that will get you $100 off a 15.6″ Dell Inspiron PLUS a $30 Dell Gift Card. The notebook is well-appointed with an Intel Core i3-350M processor running at 2.26GHz, 4GB DDR3 memory, a 320GB Hard Drive, an 8X DVD+/-RW, 802.11n WiFi, a 1.3MP Webcam, a 6-cell battery, HD Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound, an Intel HD Graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The list price for the notebook is $669 but with this Gear Deal you can get it for $569.99. Add in the $30 gift card and it is effectively just $539.99. Check out this deal over on LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Steve Jobs harshed on Flash pretty hard at the iPad announcement.  But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some companies out there that don’t agree with him that HTML5 is the future (or perhaps, The Future). Yahoo is one of those companies.  Today they announced HTML5 support for the iPhone and iPad, as well as a new Android app that supports HTML5.  I can only think that this is just the first in a wave of new HTML5 apps, but Yahoo is there with them now.  Check ‘em out. Full information below. In continuing to develop leading mobile products and services that reach a broad audience across multiple platforms, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of our sponsors, PD Air, is not the kind of company to let moss grow under their shoes, or sandals, or Birkenstocks, or whatever they wear.  No indeed.  So to make sure they have all the smart phone bases covered, they’ve released a bunch of new cases for the iPhone 4.  The cases go for an MSRP of $28.  So if you’ve been wanting a case to help you deal with that purported antenna-you-must-be-holding-the-phone-wrong problem, maybe you should check them out. Full list below. Leather Case for Apple iPhone 4 – Flip Type (Snap Button)(Black) Leather Case for Apple iPhone 4 – Book Type (Snap Button)(Black) Leather Case Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Photo courtesy of BornRich.com Not everyone has been whacked by the economy.  Nosiree.  And for those people needing something fancy to put on their iPad to protect it against the acceleration of their Bugatti Veyron on their way to Christian Louboutin to pick up their new shoes for their dinner later at Le Cinq, Nandini at Born Rich has found just the thing:  iPad covers by designer Béatrice Amblard, formerly of Hermès.  Yup, they’re pricey all right; the alligator model sells for $1,500.  But when heading out to Le Deux Magots for a café crème, you’d want nothing less, oui? SF Gate via Born Rich Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few months ago, Apple went on a rampage and forced apps to remove USB syncing that wasn’t compliant with the official rules. This was an especially disruptive change for apps that relied on the ability to import documents! Your choices became not upgrading, or hoping the app would find a wireless or otherwise acceptable workaround solution. Goodreader has figured out a way to include USB sync and still play by Apple’s rules! This is great news if you use this app for PDFs, especially on your iPad. Being able to transfer and read PDFs clearly has been the holy grail of reading devices for a long time, and now with the included USB sync Goodreader… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Well, I did it. I drove the new Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle that will be available later this year. What is it? In many ways it is similar to the current Toyota Prius hybrid. It features a battery pack that powers an electric motor that turns the wheels to make the thing go. It also has a combustion engine powered by gasoline that charges the battery pack when voltage drops too low. Where it differs from the current breed of hybrid electric vehicle is that the combustion engine does not propel the Volt at all – it is completely disconnected from the drivetrain. We were invited to Austin, Texas, to get a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re an audiophile you still want to have a fancy powerful stereo system home. But for many of us the sound coming out of our iPhones, iPods or iPads is good enough when they’re connected to some sort of a speaker system. Since I am not an audiophile I’m perfectly happy having a dock in my home office, in the bedroom, and in my study at work so I can listen to music whenever I want. Over the next few days I’m going to take a look at a number of different docks that are currently available. Some have more bells and whistles than others but all of them are reasonably priced and currently available… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Original Image courtesy of microsoftfeed It’s no shocker when the news hit the net yesterday that Microsoft pulled the plug on the KIN line of  social phones. Verizon will continue to carry and sell the current line on KIN,  but Microsoft will not be shipping them to Europe as planned in the Fall. Microsoft also stated in an email to Phonescoop that the KIN team will now be integrated into the Phone 7 team and move some of the social network aspects over to the new upcoming Windows Mobile OS. Like most thoughts around the web most agree that the hardware wasnt the big problem, in fact I was happy to hear that the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few weeks ago we gave away an IDAPT i3 Universal Charging Solution. It is a fantastic solution for anyone who has more than one gadget in daily use. (And if you are reading GD it is a pretty good bet that means YOU!) We got word yesterday that the new IDAPT i4 is compatible with the iPad and iPhone 4. That means you can now charge your iPhone AND iPad AND 2 other devices at the same time. Awesome! The IDAPT i4 is available in black, white or silver for $59.99 MSRP at www.idaptweb.com. The packaging includes 6 tips – miniUSB, microUSB, iPod/iPhone, Samsung 4, Nokia 2, and Sony Ericsson 2. Additional tips… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

ElementCase is known for manufacturing cutting edge accessory items.  Their Liquid Case for the iPhone 3G/3Gs is one of the more unique looking designs I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot of cases.)  They followed that up with the Joule stand for the iPad.  The company doesn’t make a lot of products, but that’s a good thing.  They take their time and only release a few niche items that each possess some serious pizzaz. Available for pre-order now, their next offering is the Vapor Case for the iPhone 4.  Similar to Apple’s Bumper case, the Vapor wraps the antenna portion of your iPhone… Continue reading on Gear Diary …