Lemur Monitors recently released a trio of auto monitoring solutions that are designed to “empower consumers with additional insight into their vehicles’ operation”. The new tools are, the EconoDriver, which “increases awareness of fuel consumption and inefficient driving” and the SafeDriver and AlertDriver which both ensure that “your car is driven with caution and care”. All of them are useful for anyone who owns an automobile but may be particularly attractive for parents whose kids are on the road, especially with school starting shortly. Well e have two of them to give away so read on for details… and for how to enter and win!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(All images courtesy Subaru) If I were told today that I would have to choose only one vehicle that I would drive for the rest of my life, not knowing what the rest of my life would entail, that vehicle might very well be a Subaru. And tempted as I would be to pick something like the WRX, in the end my decision would probably be the Outback.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Griffin Reveal case for the iPhone 3G/3Gs was one of my favorites.  The case, which combines a see-through, clear poly-carbonate back along with rubber guard rails has also quickly become one of my go-to cases for the iPhone 4.  The Reveal for the iPhone 4 is currently available in both black & white and I reviewed the case here. If you’re not fan of the see-through back though Grfffin has added a new offering to the Reveal lineup.  The Reveal Etch Graphite combines the same soft rubber rails found on the regular Reveal along with a carbon fiber looking back.  It offers fully body protection… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It happens without fail at least once a week. I install a new piece of software on my phone, or read a book on the Kindle app, or I get caught up in too many IM conversations…and I run my battery down mid-day with no access to a charger for several hours. Oops. Luckily, there’s products like the Primo Cube to provide extra battery boosts. How well does the Cube do? Read on to find out! Physically, the Cube is tiny! I was shocked when I held it in my hand. It’s really small and incredibly pocketable. I was able to carry it around in the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve long been the cook in our family.  My wife admittedly cannot cook and so she let’s me handle most of the cooking duties in the house.  Being a Geek, I have always had a love for science as well as cooking.  I always strive to find a better way not only to cook the things I love, but in everything I do.  Cooking for Geeks, by Jeff Porter is exactly the book for people who love to cook who are also geeks. The book has recipes, of course, but it fills you in on the whys behind almost every cooking method imaginable.  For example, the reaction that occurs in meat when you cook it Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! And I think we are starting to get a glimpse of the fall release schedule! First off is the multiplatform release of Mafia II , which is a sequel to a game that too few people played when the highly regarded 2002 PC game met with critical success but commercial disappointment. Early looks at the sequel are quite good so far! There are a ton of Wii games … but not much that really stands out. The same is true for the DS, getting some TV tie-ins and other left-overs, but not much of note. The PC is getting a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image courtesy Inkmesh) eBook pricing has been in a huge state of flux since the “agency model” went into effect this past spring. With many top titles pricing being set by the publisher it becomes a case of what store you prefer, and not necessarily what store offers the best price. However, there are still many publishers (Random House being the biggest) who don’t follow agency pricing, and the fine folks at Inkmesh did some number crunching to determine which store offers the best bang for your buck. Amazon was the winner, but by a lower margin than the pre-agency world. Not too shocking, since Amazon competes on pricing whenever they possibly can. Next up… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Wotcher, mates.  Nearly time for the end-of-summer bank holiday, and looking ahead is Proporta.  They want to offer you a few treats for your caravan holiday, to make life a little easier.  All the bundles go for less than 45 quid, so hopefully there’s one that fits your geek boffin budget right square. See below for all the details. With the end of August drawing ever closer, it’s time to cross all our fingers and toes and pray for one final sunny bank holiday this year.Whether you’re hitting a festival, going camping, or just hoping to enjoy a little sunshine in the back garden, Proporta offer a huge range of gadgets to make life Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Some people have no trouble organizing their days. These are the folks that bought the alligator-skin Time Manager folios for their jobs; they always followed the same schedules during school–up at 7am, school from 8:30-3:30, TV from 4-5, Homework from 6-7, Dinner at 7, in bed by 9. They pay their bills on the same schedule every month. They know how to program their yard sprinklers. You know the kind of people I mean. The rest of us disorganized lunks need more help. Which is why ExtraSpy Software has put out Tru Time Tracker 1.51. Tru Time Tracker is an automatic time and project tracker that helps you to organize your personal… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s Gear Deal is on an item I can personally recommend. I was given a Wii console two years ago and love it. Then, a little over a year ago my niece and nephew sent me a Wii Fit. (What awesome kids!) The Wii Fit is a fun way to get and stay in shape. It offers tons of different activities and has a great way of encouraging your successes. (It also scolds you when you don’t show up for a workout for an extended period so don’t be surprised!) The Wii Fit Plus comes with the Wii Fit Game and the Wii Fit Balance Board. Since this is the “new and improved” Wii Fit… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

With the temperature here in Austin topping 100 on pretty much a daily basis, I’m not really much thinking about vests, fleeces, and other types of outer wear.  Frankly, most days I’m trying to figure on how much “outerwear” I can get away with taking off, if you get my meaning. But the busy bees at Scottevest, our favorite wearable gear-toting clothing maker, are fortunately a bit more foresighted.  Not only do they keep cranking out and updating gear-friendly wearables, but they’ve even challenged a travel writer to go around the world . . . with no durn bags, but just what he can truck in his wearables by SeV. Nuts?  Well, maybe.  But… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You placed an order and patiently waited.  Now that iPhone 4 is in your hands, you are scared to actually use it and risk scratching the beautiful screen or the cool new glass back.  Adding a case will help, but it will also cover up some of that gorgeous Apple design and make the device larger than intended.  Even with the case, the precious screen is still vulnerable.  Luckily, BodyGuardz have a scratch-proof film to protect virtually any device.  So what is BodyGuardz? BodyGuardz are transparent skins custom designed to perfectly fit many devices.  The material is used on automobiles to protect the body from rocks and other items.  It is tough… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(via posterart.com) Facebook has entered into the next phase of its social network evolution with the addition of Facebook Places, a location-based social sharing feature. Facebook Places allows users to share with friends their current location, tag important places (“where I made my first text message”), and perhaps meet others who are near by. This feature leverages the current technology of “Check-Ins” by using the GPS location on the user’s phone. These location-based tools were previously only available on applications like Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite, Twitter and Yelp! But having Facebook enter this location-based app market raises potential privacy and safety concerns. While many are excited to see this next level for Facebook, there are a number… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I love Apple’s products. I really do. And as more and more of my family and friends are making the move to Apple’s offerings they too are realizing how great they are. I was chatting with a good friend last night. He and his wife both swapped their Windows boxes for MacBook Pros in the last month. I asked if they could see going back to Windows and both immediately offered a “NO!” loud enough to wake their four kids. Apple’s products are great! They are a pleasure to look at. They are a pleasure to use. BUT PLEASE, enough with the hyperbole that each and every Apple product “Changes Everything”. They don’t. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

What if you are able to type on a computer or even your iPad with a small wireless keyboard?  Well, EFO is about to launch three mini wireless keyboards that let you do just that.  Two of the keyboards attach via the USB dongle and one connects via bluetooth.  Personally I can see the USB keyboards being useful for presentations or for using with a media center computer connected to a television.  The bluetooth keyboard will be  quite helpful with a smartphone or iPad and I am excited to get a chance to review this offering  after its release in September. Continue reading on Gear Diary …