I’ve been fascinated by the numerous pico projectors that have been released in the past few years. The idea of being able to connect your phone or media device to something just about the same size and throw the picture, slide or video playing on the former up on a wall by using the latter seemed… well, it seemed rather cool to me. It certainly intrigued my geekier side. So when AAXA released their AAXA P1 Jr. I took note. It claims to be the “world’s smallest LCOS pico projector with onboard MP4 player”. When they reached out and asked if we would like to review a unit I jumped on the opportunity. After… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy Sherlock Holmes Museum) If you think of yourself as an amateur Sherlock, MobileRead has a great contest for you! They’re giving away an ebook reader of your choice (as long as your choice is a Nook, Kindle, Nook Color, Sony Touch or Pocket Edition)! And if you don’t win the ebook reader, there’s 10 runner-up vouchers for $30 worth of ebooks! Sounds great, right? Well, to win, you’re going to need your wits around… From MobileRead: How it works You will have the chance to solve a new murder mystery that inexplicably takes place inside the secluded MobileRead headquarters. Take a bit of an Agatha Christie cozy and combine it with Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Let’s just call this ‘Kinect Week’: because aside from the XBOX360 peripheral there are also a bunch of associated games such as Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures!, and Kinectimals. But wait … there are still big releases for other platforms, most notably one of the biggest PSP games of the year: God of War: Ghost of Sparta! There is also the remake of the first good console shooter GoldenEye 007 for Wii and DS. And there are quite a few other releases this week – read on to find out! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Your faithful Gear Diary team has used a lot of Speck cases in our time, and your humble news nerd (that would be me!) has one on his iPhone 4.  They are solid, often attractive and/or interesting cases that give you good value for your shrinking dollar. As I make an effort to not give the impression that I’m an Apple fanboy (I’m a UNIX nerd, if truth be known), I try to ensure that we have plenty of news items on other gear.  Today, it’s the Speck fitted case for the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100.  As one would expect from Speck, it’s a solid and interesting looking case for a very reasonable price (MSRP… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Typically when I post a news item about a new piece of software, or gear, or what-have-you, I don’t have anything to say beyond describing it to y’all, and giving you pointers.  Unlike some folks, I’m not a big gear person, or a multiple-case person, or a clothes horse, or anything like that; I have my iPad and iPhone, and basically trip through life, oblivious beyond the occasional review item. But in this case, I have experience:  I’ve had an iFrogz case on my iPhone 4 since the day I got it.  I love this case; it’s easy to put on and take off; it has a nice bezel around the screen, so you can… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Ah, Halloween!  When people let out their freak flags fly proudly, dressing in costumes that make statements that, let’s face it, they probably wouldn’t be caught dead making the rest of the time. It’s kind of amazed me how Halloween has grown as I’ve gotten older.  Now it is infiltrating  parts of Europe (pronounced “alowine” in France, apparently), and even Japan enough to include in animes: iSkysoft hasn’t missed the popularity.  They’re offering some cool Halloween promotions for you lucky Gear Diary readers.  Surf on over to their web site for the lowdown. Full info from iSkysoft: To celebrate Halloween, we specially select  some applications that bring people fun Halloween digital life and offer them  for FREE or of BIG discount. We are really impressed by your expertise in Mac. iSkysoft Halloween Promotion Includes: Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Is there any music video that screams Halloween more than Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking Thriller? Do you remember how huge of an event it was on TV when it launched? Heck, I was listening to Anthony Braxton and eschewing pop culture wherever possible and I watched the premier! So … without any more chatter, let’s get right to the video! Happy Halloween! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This replacement fuel tank/console combination is designed specifically for Harley Davidson’s FLHT/FLTR and FLHR model motorcycles.  The console houses a special DashLink docking cradle, made by Hell’s Foundry, and works with the iPhone and or iPod Touch.  The DashLink docking station includes a smart charging system with a self-sensing on/off circuit to detect if a device is present. This means that the GPS Navigation Application can be run with the screen lit while playing iTunes. You can use your Bluetooth earphones and Wi-Fi enabled devices. With the Harley FLH/FLT models, you can adjust the volume using the stock handlebar controls. Available in chrome, gloss black or carbon fiber finish, the DashLink Docking Console is available at… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Believe it or not, I’m old enough to remember when this now-perrenial Halloween novelty song first hit the airwaves: Bringing the insanity to a new generation is Smith Micro Software, who have release Monster Melody Mash, an animated musical app available on iTunes for a mere $1.99.  Definitely seems to follow in the goofy footsteps of those immortal hitmakers, Bobby “Borish” Pickett and the CryptKickers.  So relive my childhood and check it out. Full information below. Smith Micro Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Productivity and Graphics Group today announced the availability of Monster Melody Mash by Tui Studios, the production house that brought Little Bella – I Close My Eyes to the Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I drink a lot of microbrews. One of the challenges anyone who does often faces is the dilemma, “is it a twist-off or not”. The last thing you want to do on a hot summer afternoon is struggle to get the top off your ice cold beer. With the BottleMate there isn’t even a need to guess. The BottleMate is touted as the world’s best bottle opener. It claims to easily and effortless open bottles in a manner that will have your friends bowing in amazement. The BottleMate fits over the top of most bottles and in one swift motion you press down to remove the cap. The inner mechanism even houses a magnet which… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Images from Rovio Like many, I have an addiction to Angry Birds.  Well if you are the extreme Angry Birds fan or even just like them, then maybe you might like these Angry Birds Plush Toys!  There is the red, blue, black and white Angry Birds right from Rovio’s extremely popular game. Each plush bird is only $14.99 and is to ship sometime in December just in time for the holidays and only for a limited time! Get them now! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Mobile phones and other mobile devices are very capable devices these days.  Frequently, you can do most internet chores right on your phone.  Sometimes it is hard to do a lot of typing with an on-screen or slide out keyboard.  Now, thanks to EFO Gadget Shop, you have an alternative.  The roll-able Bluetooth Keyboard rolls up and can be stuffed in nearly any bag and could be quite handy.  It’s only $34.00 from EFO Gadget Shop Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m sitting in my parked 2003 Subaru Outback recording this review of the mophie juicepack powerstation using Dragon Dictation. Normally I don’t write reviews while sitting in a parked car but I’m making an exception this time since my car decided not to cooperate this afternoon. I was driving home from an appointment when the car began to buck. I barely had time to get the car pulled over to a side street before it all but died. I called AAA and I figured it would be a good time to catch up on some phone calls and maybe even do a little bit of writing. The problem is – my iPhone is pretty… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s no secret that a few of us here at Gear Diary are bag fanatics. Judie’s collection puts mine to shame any day, as does Clinton’s. But for the past few years, I have been a purse fanatic. It’s been my other spendy item other than technology. I haven’t gone crazy; usually I only buy one nice bag a year, almost always from Coach, and maybe a few accessories. They have lasted so much longer than my previous cheapie purchases and I’ve been very happy with the investment. However, I have one problem–I love big bags. I love carrying a stylish bag that can fit my ebook reader, my iPad, my everyday necessities and any other… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Starting on October 30, you can enjoy a spooky pumpkin theme behind all of your IM+ Lite or IM+ Pro chats. Beyond the cute new wallpaper, IM+ is a solid instant messaging client which not only handles your MSN, GTalk, Yahoo, AIM, Jabber and ICQ chats, it also takes care of Twitter, Facebook Chat and MySpace. You’re push-notified anytime someone tries to contact you, and getting set up couldn’t be more simple. It’s so funny, because up until just a year or two ago, I thought of SMS as something you did on your phone only, while instant messaging was something you did on your computer only. Programs like IM+ have completely blurred the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …