(image courtesy Skidmore Unofficial) There’s no doubt that ebooks are taking marketshare from regular books, and the marketplace is getting very crowded with companies attempting to grab a slice of the action. e-Textbooks, on the other hand, have been a much tougher sell. The Kindle famously flamed out in various university trials, and it’s too early to tell if the iPad will be a success for studying. Still, it hasn’t stopped several companies from rolling out strategies to break into the textbook market. B&N has nookStudy, Macmillan has DynamicBooks, and now Engadget is reporting that Entourage (of the infamous dual-screened ebook reader) have struck a deal to bring books from Cengage Learning into… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As I mentioned in my iPad review, I had bought that version of Mystery of the Crystal Portal for my iPad when I was heading out on vacation. When I got a message from G5 offering a review code for the PSP Minis version, I quickly accepted but also immediately knew there might be significant enough control and graphics differences that I would need a separate review. Unfortunately … I was correct. The Hype: Embark on a brain-bending adventure that’s full of unique hidden object fun. Journalist Nicole Rankwist has always been close to her archaeologist father. So when her father goes missing, Nicole knows she has to find him. After all, he had… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I remember reading a report early this year from the UK showing that in an age of declining physical music media sales, the only positive note was that sales of LP’s, those classic 12″ 33-1/3 RPM vinyl records, had doubled in 2009! Of course, the numbers are still small but they show there is an audience for classic vinyl records. Personally I have moved more and more to digital music. For quite a while I would buy CD’s and rip to WinAMP / MusicMatch / iTunes, recreating how I would buy LP’s and play once just to record to cassette tape and keep the LP in pristine condition. Several years ago I moved my hundreds… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes you never know what a friend from a forum is going to send you. A site named Vat19 has launched what they are calling the ‘Worlds Biggest Gummy Bear’ (WLGB) and are actually selling it online! They also have a cool tagline – These are real. They are awesome. You can buy them. Here is what they say: The World’s Largest Gummy Bear is the lion of the candy world. There is no candy more magnificent or more powerful. This five-pound beast is the equivalent of 1,400 regular sized gummy bears and packs a whopping 12,600 calories. Its monstrous size is only matched by its enormous taste. The World’s Largest Gummy Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy of TMO, 7.21.2010) So there has been lots of hoopla around the web concerning 3G, 4G, LTE, Wimax, HSPA+(+). T-Mobile has been behind a lot of the mess and continues to anger other networks with their promising speeds and their comparison to 4G. First to get things straight understand that 4G, HSPA+, and LT are all theoretically different. Most will refer LTE and WiMax as “4G” when in truth the early versions of both simply do not comply with the 4G (IMT-Advanced) standards. 4G refers to all IP Packet Switched networks and is the future of mobile and wireless broadband. So why is T-Mobile getting so much press about it? T-Mobile is on a mission… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

No pyrotechnics, no dazzling light show or blaring music, no lasers and no Vogue runway models. Ford Motor Company will not be using any of the usual tricks and effects found surrounding a new model launch when they introduce the world to the 2011 Ford Explorer next week. Instead, they plan on a massive Facebook attack combined with face-to-face events in key markets throughout North America. Like pornstars and musicians before them, automakers are migrating to the web for their venue of choice to reach the masses.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I recently reviewed mTanks for the iPhone / iPod Touch, and by now I assume that everyone who owns an iPhone or iPod Touch has downloaded the free Lite version of the game. You have? Good … I knew you would. Anyway, while the game itself is great, there is always something better – getting the game FOR FREE! So what is the catch? Not too much. If you look at the top image you see a prompt to enter a code, and the other image shows the successful use of the code. We have 50 free game codes, and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Images courtesy OnStar/GM) I wonder if GM and OnStar have been listening (lurking)? Some of their recent technology announcements have had a bit of a Seattle drawl to them but this latest comes complete with images featuring – Ta Da! – the iPhone as the mobile interface device. OnStar has announced they are expanding remote interface with your new GM vehicle right from your smartphone (Apple included). You can start it, lock or unlock it and even honk the horn and flash the lights.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s Gear Deal brings us the Lenovo ThinkPad L412 14″ laptop. The L412 feature an Intel Core i3 CPU, 2GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. Intel HD graphics and the 1366×768 LED-backlit display make it as good for consuming media as it is for getting work done. The Lenovo ThinkPad L412 also has the distinction of being Lenovo’s greenest enterprise laptop! The L412 has an MSRP of $995.00 but our Gear Sponsor has tracked down savings of $410.90. That brings the total cost of the L412 to just $584.10. Details and ordering the ThinkPad can be done here. For other great deals from LogicBlackFriday click here Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re familiar with OtterBox you know that their flagship case, the Defender, provides an paralleled level of protection for whatever device you choose to place inside it. However, that amount of protection doesn’t come without a price. The Defender is big, some might even call it bulky. It’s for this reason that OtterBox first offered the Commuter Series Case for the iPhone 3Gs and they’ve now released it for the iPad. The Commuter Series is sort of like the Defender’s little brother. One look at it and you know right away it’s a OtterBox. It’s sturdy, attractive and offers a good amount of shock and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We had a sneak peek of Pocket Informant HD for iPad back in June. It… is… awesome! At the time we thought the app would be released within a week or so but it took a while longer. Well it is finally live in the App Store and right now it is 1/2 price. That’s means it is just $6.99. Grab it HERE. Seriously, I’ve had it for over a month and it rocks! Thanks for the heads up Travis (Now, stop bugging me about when it is coming!) … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I am embarrassingly tardy with this review, but the reasoning is actually good news and worth mentioning. I had been playing mTanks on my iPod Touch but then the kids got out of school, we went on vacation, and I got busy getting my iPod Touch set up for my wife to use to read ebooks on vacation. Long story short, I forgot about the game completely. Before I finish the story, let’s see what this mTanks is all about: The Hype: 4 days ago NASA’s Spirit rover discovered a growing army of tanks beneath the surface of Mars. The alien technology is far too advanced for even our latest weaponry to compete. Our only… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

JAVOedge has been churning out accessories for our “i” devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) for quite some time.  I’ve been happy with many of them but their recently released “Axis” case for the iPad might be one of the most innovative cases I’ve had the opportunity to use. The Axis case looks like a traditional book style iPad case, but don’t judge a book by its cover.  The Axis allows you to prop up your iPad in both the vertical and horizontal positions, a feature I’ve not yet seen on any other iPad case. The case is available in three color options:  Carbon Fiber, Charcoal and Plaid and it retails for… 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. Games are advancing at a blistering rate and the iPhone has become a wonderful platform for today’s video games.  Most new games are all about reality and 3D graphics.  When I try to explain Atari or NES games to my son, he thinks it is crazy nothing was 3D and totally realistic.  The joy of playing 16 bit games while I was in Jr. High School cannot be explained.  With power-ups and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last week my fiancée and I set out to do a no-TV week…here are my quick thoughts on how it went! Day 1: Not terrible. The worst withdrawal symptoms were right after work, when we would normally flop down on the couch until it was time to hit the gym and be tortured by the personal trainer. Instead, we cleaned the kitchen. And we ate dinner at the table, instead of on the couch (shocking) and were extremely productive! So far the biggest issue is that we may need to get a helmet for the dog. He keeps trying to sit near us, but he has poor depth perception and continually bangs his head on the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …