In this era of scary climate change films by Al Gore, efforts to make homes more energy-efficient, and attempts by thumb-fingered home-owners such as myself to monitor and regulate energy usage, it can be hard to get the data you need to Do the Right Thing (h/t Spike Lee). In that vein, Qreative Medias has launched a new app for the iPad and iPhone that allows you to audit and generate the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) score for UK, the US home energy audit score and the A to G graph under 2002/91/EC European directive. Available for an MSRP of $3.99 via iTunes–cheap when you can possible save a lot of dollars, pounds, or euros… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It may be small but the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1/H digital camera packs a punch. The 10.2-Megapixel camera features a 3″ Touch-Screen LCD, “Exmor R” CMOS for “stunning low-light performance”, a Carl Zeisss Vario Tessar Lens with 4 optical zoom, “SteadyShot” and  a wide zoom display. It even doubles as a video camera that shoots 720P HD Movies. The camera normally sells for $299.99 but our Gear Sponsor found a $70 coupon code that will bring the price all the way down to $229.99. It will even ship for free. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1/H 10MP “Exmor R” Digital Camera w/ 3-inch Touch-Screen (Grey) via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

For many, the Star Wars prequels are something to be treated like a knight you over-indulged and wish could just be forgotten. For others they are the realization of the awesomeness of Jedi powers and lightsaber battles. But for everyone with a sense of humor and some attachment to the franchise, this video is loads of fun. It walks you through the entire prequel trilogy in just over 6 minutes, showing the highlights in a light narration. Personally, while I have been told that as someone who used my own money to see ‘Star Wars’ a dozen times in theaters back in 1977 I should be affronted by the prequels. Yet I am… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Let’s get this out of the way right up front… at $129 ($139 for Black and Anodized Silver) the ElementCase Joule is an expensive stand for your iPad. It has a simple design, consists of just two pieces, and it serves one and only one purpose… it holds your iPad in either landscape or portrait. So is it worth the money? Read on to find out… From ElementCase: Introducing the new “Joule” work stand for your iPad. Its stable solid base has a simple, clean, and elegant design that enhances your Continue reading on Gear Diary …

On Saturday Joel reported that the latest Google Doodle was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Buckyball. It was a great looking interactive element that focused attention on an area of scientific research that is critical to advances that even now impact all of our lives. Since my wife has been teaching a full-day class on Nanotechnology to middle school kids funded by the NISE part of the NSF, this was definitely something I wanted to show her! While for the most part the actual usefulness of the Buckyball is still theoretical, the recent discovery of Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This past winter we got our first experience with the new Heavy Duty trucks from Ram. Spring brought a new Super Duty from Ford (along with more HD Rams) and finally, summer 2010 put us in the driver seat of the newest big rigs from General Motors, wearing Silverado and Sierra badging. Along the way I noticed one thing different about the way marketing folks presented information from their colleagues pitching cars and SUVs – customer conquests. It seems truck buyers, especially heavy duty truck buyers, remain very brand loyal. Three-quarter- and one-ton pickups account for about 30 percent of truck sales with the big three so keeping these loyalists happy is key to long-term… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

An exciting new thing is happening in the world of IOS devices!  App developers are beginning to utilize the power and UI of Apple products and turning them into electric guitar effects and outputs.  I have never hid my love for playing the guitar, and the fact that we can now combine that love with my tech and gadget addiction makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.  I recently reviewed two hardware adapters that allow the guitar to be played through an iPhone or iPad, and each come with application solutions for the guitar.  You can read them here and here.  I had a feeling these hardware devices could lead… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you have kids, you know how it goes.  (Heck, if you’ve just been around friends who have kids, you know how it goes.) “You need to turn that off now, Billy/Judie/Selena/Angie/Chebrolu/André/Günter/whoever.” “But I’ve only been playing a few minutes!” “You’ve been playing for an hour!” “45 minutes! That’s not so long!” “I told you only a few minutes!” “45 is only a few minutes!” “Get over here right now!” Etc. It can get ugly. Fast. Well, you know there’s gotta be an app to help, right? (There’s probably an app for Mideast Peace negotiations, these days; if only Hillary had an iPhone . . .) And you’re in luck: there is! XVision Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last December there was an article on Wired called Learn to Let Go: How Success Killed Duke Nukem that talked about the rise and fall of what some would call one of the most storied franchises in gaming history. Here is a snip: To videogame fans, that logo is instantly recognizable. It’s the insignia of Duke Nukem 3D, a computer game that revolutionized shoot-’em-up virtual violence in 1996. Featuring a swaggering, steroidal, wisecracking hero, Duke Nukem 3D became one of the top-selling videogames ever, making its creators very wealthy and leaving fans absolutely delirious for a sequel. The team quickly began work on that sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, and it became one of the most Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve always been a supporter of “Product Red.”  The charity, which teams up with various designers and manufacturers, creates “red” versions of their products and part of the proceeds benefit the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS.  When the new iPod Nano was announced I ordered myself a Product Red version. But it looks like this past weekend Bono. the lead singer of the Irish Rock band U2, committed a big gadget no-no.  It seems during a visit to the Prime Minister of Turkey Bono offered up, as a gift, an older iPod Nano just two days before a new version is being released!  How could he?! In all seriousness… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Usually your humble Gear Diary news guy (i.e., me) posts our little news items based on info received from the game/software/hardware companies themselves, or from their press folks, or whatnot. But once in a while we get a satisfied user–often a GD person!– saying, “Yo, this is one sweet piece of work.” In my time on GD, this is the first time I’ve personally seen a shout-out from a foreign reader for an app from a completely different country. That’s a satisfied customer, folks. So read a little bit below about the app, available for only a sawbuck (MSRP US$9.99), a “Windows Mobile app you can move all appointments and/or all tasks from one or… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you have anxiously been awaiting the release of Halo Reach for the Xbox 360 here’s a chance to pre-order the game AND save a few bucks in the process. Our Gear Sponsor has found that Dell Home & Home Office Store is now taking pre-orders on Halo Reach for Xbox 360 AND offering a cut in the price you’ll pay. The game has an MSRP of $59.99 but with this Gear Deal you can order it for just $44.99 and get FREE shipping. Pre-order: Halo Reach [Xbox 360] via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Google has a brand new doodle on its page that is unlike any other doodle they’ve ever posted.  It’s a series of balls that dance around if you move your mouse near them.  When you stop moving the mouse, the balls all settle down to form the Google logo.  This is only the third time I can remember the logos being animated;  the first was the 30th anniversary of Pacman, the second the 25th anniversary of buckyball and now today’s.   This article brings out that it is to celebrate Google’s 12th birthday! I am not sure if this is… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m admittedly one of the world’s worst drawers. While I do have a good amount of creative ability in other areas drawing just isn’t my thing. It’s for that reason that when I see a “real” artist I’m usually very impressed. That being the case I was even more blown away by the ambidextrous artist seen in the video below. Watch as he creates temporary images on a dry-erase board, side by side, using both hands. I guess the old cliché “two heads hands are better than one” just fits…… Via Yahoo.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As the old phart of the Gear Diary team, I have memories that go back to when black and white TVs still existed, and “Jeopardy!” didn’t use little TV screens, but rather a big, tall ol’ cardboard and wood dealie with some guy standing behind it lifting up a cover to reveal the “questions” for the contestants. (And the host was a guy named Art Fleming.) Another big game show was “Concentration,” a memory-card-matching game. You know how it goes: you lift one card, and try to match it. If you flub, they both get turned back over and the next person tries. If you get it right, they stay flipped and you try again… Continue reading on Gear Diary …