I first gained access to the internet in the 90s, but it was – as you might expect – rather basic at the time.  One of the first sites that actually made the internet seem like more than an interesting novelty to me was Edmunds.com, which started in 1995.  Here we go… a site that I could actually USE for something; a service that was provided online and not just someone’s homemade website with poorly chosen wallpaper that was inevitably disappointing once I was done waiting for it to download ONE. PAINFUL. IMAGE. AT. A. TIME. Well, Edmunds is still around today, of course, and they recently announced that they were making… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Well, the holiday madness is over, and now begins something that I think is another kind of madness–New Year’s Resolutions! (25 years ago or so, I resolved to never make another New Year’s Resolution, and by God I have kept that one!) And now you know what I’m going to say, because I’ve said it so often. Yup, here it comes. Wait for it . . . There’s an app for that. Yes, of course there is! Because where would we be these days if we didn’t have an app for this kind of thing? Up the proverbial estuary without a method of propulsion, that’s where! You bet! In this case, the folks at Iconosys have… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s Gear Deal brings us a nicely spec’d Vostro 230 3.06GHz Intel Dual-core Mini Tower along with a 20″ Dell E2011H LED-backlit LCD Monitor. The base configuration on the tower includes 2GB DDR3 1333MHz memory, a 250GB Hard Drive and GMA X4500 graphics. Also bundled with the system you’ll find Microsoft Office Starter 2010, a 15-month subscription to Trend Micro Security Services, Windows 7 Professional and a Keyboard and Mouse. Specked this way the system has an MSRP of $683. Our Gear Sponsor has tracked down $284 in savings however which brings the price of the system to just $399. Shipping is just $8 and if you customize in such a way that the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Some of the iPod Nano 6G watch bands look pretty cool. The TikTok and the LunaTik, both Kickstarter projects, have seen a tremendous amount of support and more importantly capital to begin production. However, this iPhone band is just taking things a little too far. Over at Kickstarter the band, named the CuffLink, is in need of backers.  The designer is looking to raise $10,000 of capital so she can begun production. The CuffLink will retail for $34.95 and come in a variety of colors. Here’s what it’s designer has to say about it. Hi, I’m Zenda Snyder and thanks for visiting Kickstarter. I Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Imagine if you could simply tap a button and both the audio and the video loaded on your laptop or desktop could be sent to your large HDTV? Sure, Apple’s AirPlay has brought us partly there. In fact, just the other night I wanted to watch a movie I had rented on my iPad and decided to view it on my large Samsung TV instead. I started the movie on my iPad, tapped the AirPlay button and, within a few seconds, it was being streamed from my iPad to my Apple TV to my HDTV. It works seamlessly. The only problem is… AirPlay is currently limited in what can actually be streamed from one device to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Since I got my iPad last spring I have increasingly moved toward working in a “paperless mode”. In fact, a few days ago I needed to write something down with a pen and it took me a good few minutes to find one to use. I am not, of course, in the majority. I know that most of the people who have iPads are not using them to displace pen and paper or reading “dead tree” books and magazines. For most people the iPad is another layer on top of the way they’ve worked previously. That’s where a case such as the Revena’s Elements Executive Folio might be quite appealing to many new iPad… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When I’m at home I prefer to use my Galaxy Tab in the sleekest, slimmest, most lightweight form I can manage. However, I’m also a realist. With three small girls around and a dog my Tab needs some sort of protection. I keep an anti-fingerprint screen shield on the front and have been using the Snap-On Protective Leather Case on the back. This case comes in two leather color variations. The tan color I’m personally using as well as black. I choose the tan color, which reminds me of a baseball glove, because it’s just different. I’ve got so many black cases seeing something that isn’t black is a refreshing change… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’re getting a better idea of how big this Christmas was for ebooks, since Kobo has now weighed in with their own declarations of success this season. They had a 50x increase from last year (when they were still called “Shortcovers” and saw some serious increases in registered users. Granted, some of this is due to Kobo’s big exposure this year, with deals to be preinstalled on various smartphones and tablets as well as a distribution deal with Borders. But still, combine their enthusiasm with the reports from Amazon and all signs point to epic ebook growth. And if you didn’t get an ebook reader for Christmas, or you’re looking to fill one, be sure to check… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There are just so many mega-sales I won’t even bother listing specific games! Here are a few of the biggies: Impulse Impulse Holiday Sale, featuring loads of games and their site shows up to 295 games & apps discounted up to 75% off! Good Old Games: Through January 2nd are continuing ‘Holiday Sale’ – with more than 250 games at HUGE discounts! Steam: Holiday Sale the massive sale continues … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Yup, the holiday madness is now theoretically over, and the time has come for you to surf on over to various web sites, or go into various stores, and say, “Man, I wish I had gotten that instead!” Well, Beyza cases doesn’t want you to lose that holiday spirit quite yet, and they are offering a 20% discount on selected cases until the chime of midnight on New Year’s. I have had several Beyza cases for my iPhone–they are leather, good quality, and they have a good selection. I think you have have a good chance of finding what you’re looking for there. Take a look Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Kobo is running what they call a “Get-a-Gift” contest. Every day, you head to the site, sign in and scratch off your virtual entry card. You can win a Kobo eReader, coupons or a gift card! If you’re as hooked on lotto scratch-offs as I am, you’ll definitely like this contest! It goes from now until New Year’s Eve, so you have all week to win something. So far I’ve won 10% off one book; give it a shot and let us know in the comments if you win anything good! Check out Kobo’s full blog post and contest rules, and then head here to enter. We’ve all been there. After the holidays, when everything Continue reading on Gear Diary …

A few months back, I reviewed an app for the iPhone (for which there also exists an iPad version) by Touch Press called “The Elements”. I loved it; I thought it was awesome. I thought it was a great demonstration as to what can be done in the book realm with some of the tools we now have available. Now, I can’t tell you if Touch Press’ newest release, “Solar System for iPad”, created in conjunction with Faber and Faber and science writer Marcus Chown, is as good. But it looks really good, and I’m hoping to have a chance to test it out myself sometime soon. But in the meantime… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Big news from Amazon this morning; the Kindle 3 was not only the best-selling item this holiday season, it’s Amazon’s best-selling item of all time, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! This is huge news, and says a great deal about the incredible popularity of Kindles and other ebook readers. No word from B&N (though they did anecdotally have server issues this weekend, so presumably they saw high demand as well). Obviously this means Kindles were huge, but keep one thing in mind: Amazon is the main source for Kindles. Even though it’s sold through Staples, Target, etc., presumably Amazon is the first place everyone goes to buy Kindles. It’s also not clear… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(It’s not much, but it’s an important set of records for me!) In my previous running life (a few years ago) I kept a simple composition notebook to list my runs. It was low-tech, and I mostly used it because I was tracking my weight lifting and other cross training for rugby. After I hurt my knee, became quite the sloth for a few years and returned to running I began using a log at Running Ahead. After this weekend, though, I’m starting to think that strategy needs a tweak or two. I reviewed Running Ahead and it’s companion program for Android, Handy Runner, a few months ago.  At the time of my review Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The gift-giving holidays of 2010 may be over but this Gear Deal may get you to do a bit more shopping before New Years arrives. This deal brings us a new 2010 model Toshiba 40E200U 40″ 1080p LCD HDTV. It features 4 HDMI inputs, PC input, Cinema Mode, a built-in Tuner, DynaLight Dynamic Back-light control digital noise reduction, photo frame capability, a sleep timer, MP3 Playback via USB and more. The TV has an MSRP of $699.99 but NewEgg is showing $70 in instant savings. That gets you the TV for a good price. Our Gear Sponsor, however, has it for a much better price. Thanks to a $230 coupon code you need to apply… Continue reading on Gear Diary …