One of my favorite desk accessories is my Griffin Simiplfi Dock.  The dock not only supports the charging and syncing of both my iPods and my iPhone, but it also houses a media card reader and a USB hub.  The Simplifi takes the place of three devices and in doing so creates more valuable desk space for me. The one thing however that the Simplifi can not do is charge my iPad.  I use a separate dock for that. Enter the iPADock from PhotoFast.  This dock, which appears to do everything the Simplifi does and in face much more, in addition to also… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Muji Cardboard Speakers are ”collapsible cardboard speakers”. They come from Japanese-based, Muji and take packing light to a new level because they are made from… paper (or cardboard to be exact). So you can collapse them when you are on the go and pop them open when you arrive at your destination. Oh, and they will go well with the origami swan you made last night. They even come with a nylon pouch for easy and safe transport. Available from the MoMa store for $38 the surprised looks on people’s faces when you pull them out will be worth the cost on its own. (Via Werd.com.)… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Who would ever have thought we would see a 55″ HDTV for under 1100 bucks? Remarkably that’s just what you’ll get with today’s Gear Deal. The Vizio E550VL is a 55″ 1080p LCD HDTV. The crisp 1920 x 1080 resolution, combined with 100,000:1 contrast ratio and a 5 ms response time means this TV will look great and be a pleasure to watch. The 3 HDMI ports mean you can connect TiVo, AND a gaming console AND something else (perhaps a new iTV after September 7th?). The 55″ Vizio E550VL has an MSRP of $1,399.99 but our Gear Sponsor has found a $300 off Coupon Code. That brings the price down to $1,099.99. It… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Over the last few weeks I have reported on GamersGate’s 4 week Summer Sale. Week #1 was full-up with RPG goodness, Week #2 featured the action genre, Week #3 was Strategy game week, and now Week #4 is ‘We Love Indies’ week! Here are some samples: Braid – 60% OFF – $3.99 (Mac or PC Version) Emberwind – 66% OFF – $4.07 (Mac or PC Version) The Path – 60% OFF – $3.99 World of Goo – 66% OFF – $6.79 Zombie Driver – 75% OFF – $2.49 These are once again… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you knew nothing about Barnes & Noble and wandered into their stores, you’d assume the nook is a huge part of their business. After all, they’re promoting it like crazy, with signage everywhere, big bold displays, and what appears to be major corporate backing…but apparently the corporate backing only goes up to a point. And that point stops somewhere short of their chairman, Leonard Riggio. During an interview with NYMag, Riggio explained he doesn’t like the nook. He prefers physical books and turning pages to eInk, and refuses to use a nook to read. Fair enough if you’re the average bookstore person. But your company is pouring their entire future into ebooks, and you’re not even… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

So you’re a big gamer, you love playing games, but sometimes it really bugs the heck out of you that you have no say in any of the details of your favorite games.  ”If only the designers would listen to me,” you think, “then they’d have something wicked!” Well, your day has come ’round at last.  Arcen games has decided to take their habit of adding fan suggestions to the next level by holding a contest for their game Tidalis.  If you have ideas for things you’d like to see, submit them to their Tidalis Suggestions forum, and every two months or so they’ll select some entries to incorporate.  Score! Full information below… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you are writing anything longer than a tweet or SMS, then you know that the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard can cramp things up a bit. An external Bluetooth keyboard is a great solution, but carrying the 11″ x 5.25″ Apple BT keyboard seems contrary to the portable ideal. That’s where the  5″ x 2″  iTiny Keyboard looks like it could shine. The iTiny Keyboard allows you to enjoy responsive, feather light typing along with portability, and Bluetooth functionality everywhere you go. The sleek and slim design fits comfortably in your hand and allows for easy typing with its 49 soft membrane keys, including a full QWERTY keyboard and complete with a space bar and number Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of nairaland.com A few years ago OCZ introduced some technology that could potentially change gameplay as we know it with the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA). With this device you could use facial muscles and electronic signals from your brain to control movement and common keystrokes in games and could potentially free your hands for other functions. I never had a chance to actually try out the NIA, but from all the reviews I read and videos, it looks like a piece of hardware that a geek simply must have. Intel wants to build on that technology and take it step further. Scientists at the Intel labs are busy creating detailed maps of where activity Continue reading on Gear Diary …

So you want to mix your own grooves, but you find that maybe the iPhone versions of Groovemaker don’t quiiiiite fit your vibe — maybe the iPhone is just a wee bit too small for such an app.  But you have an iPad, and have been thinking to yourself, “Hey self, I wonder when GrooveMaker will be available for my new gadget?” Well, tell your self that the wait is over, for indeed, the GrooveMaker folks have ported their apps to be native on the iPad.  There are now 7 GrooveMaker apps for your iPad.  Most of the apps are available for an MSRP of $9.99 from your happy iTunes store. Full information below… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I don’t know about you, but what with my travel and all, I’ve really been wanting some battery-powered help to get me through the long flights.  Even though the iPhone 4 battery performs better than the 3GS version, I still would prefer not to have to worry about, say, finding available plug space at the San Diego airport while waiting for the “ground hold” for my flight to SFO to clear. And USBFever has given me some help with the MiLi 1600mAh external battery.  I haven’t tried it as yet, but as you can see above, it looks like it’s not going to add much to my iPhone 4 footprint.  Available now from USBFever Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the main gripes I have always had about e-ink technology is that it has no backlighting.  ”You can’t read it in a dim room,” I complain.  (People say, “But you can’t read regular screens on the beach!”  To which I reply that I spend a heck of a lot more time inside and/or in the dark than on the beach.) But various folks are trying to solve this problem, and the Periscope is one solution. Giving you a full lighted folio for your Kindle or nook, the Periscope not only gives you some light when you need it, but also a nice cover for your device. The Periscope is available for an… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Isn’t this just about the cutest little computer you have ever seen? Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Q150 is so small, takes up so little space and yet it is a full blown computer. It has a dual-core Q150 Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive and NVIDIA ION graphics so it can keep up with just about the most demanding job you might throw at it. Add in an HDMI port and you have a perfect computer to plug into your flat panel TV. And did I mention how cute it is? Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Q150 has an MSRP of $499 but our Gear Sponsor has found discounts that will bring the price down to $349. It… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Agile Partners, my favorite guitar app developers, has teamed up with Peavey Electronics to bring an all in one solution that turns the iPhone into a full functioning guitar studio.  Peavey, who has been making quality guitar hardware for many years, has provided the hardware interface.  In fact, I have a Peavey amp sitting next to me here in my office/guitar room.  Agile Partners, who has revolutionized the guitar app for the iPhone, is providing the software solution.  Together, this brings a full effects and amp studio with recording capabilities straight from the iPhone.  No amplifiers or batteries needed.  Simply plug in the AmpKit LiNK, fire up the AmpKit application and turn it to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Now, I’ve seen plenty of games go from other platforms to the iPhone, but that doesn’t mean it can’t go the other way. And that’s the case with RocketBird, a 3D game that has moved from the iPhone to Facebook.  Fly like a bird through a 3D environment–well, a bird with a rocket strapped to her back, anyway. How can you resist? Check it out on facebook. Full information below. With already more than 2 Million iPhone downloads, the 3D action game RocketBird turns up at Facebook for PC and MAC! This successful game, which is simple and intuitive, ranks among the inevitable, and appeals to the whole family thanks to its cartoon style and Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In Earth, David Brin posited that “privacy” would not only be obsolete in another 25 years (from now), but would even be seen as an obscene and “dirty” concept.   Brin hypothesized that you either let the government have all the tools for invading privacy, or let everyone have them, and basically lose privacy altogether. I’ve never been entirely convinced myself (although Brin continues to argue the points in favor of his POV in his blog and elsewhere), but there’s no question that surveillance and tracking gizmos and software are increasingly available.  And to the list we now add Porchra, a Shanghai company making available a line of GPS tracking devices.  Portable trackers, vehicle… Continue reading on Gear Diary …