I have spoken about just how great I found Spotify during a trial period, but while we wait for the inevitable launch in the US, I have checked out two alternatives: Rdio and MOG. And while I’ll likely share more details as I dig deeper in the coming weeks, let me just say that with a few caveats these excellent services have me saying ‘Spotify Who?’ Common Ground Rdio and MOG, similar to Spotify, are cloud-based music streaming services. Each offers a subscription-based approach that allows you unlimited music streaming for a monthly fee. Each also has a tiered approach – for a lower cost you can get web browser-only… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

DropBox is a great tool – essentially it is simply an online storage provider, but the excellent Mac, PC, iOS and Android app interfaces make using that space and sharing items an absolute breeze! Yesterday my iPad pinged me that there was an update … and it has a few great new options! First, you can now bulk upload photos rather than doing them one at a time! Generally I wouldn’t worry about this, but I just scanned dozens of old slides from my parents and wanted to have them available in multiple locations in addition to my iPad. DropBox made this trivial! Next, you can now use ‘Open In’ functionality… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We reviewed the Magellan Premium Car Kit and RoadMate iOS App the other day. We were impressed and continue to use them on a daily basis. Here’s the conclusion we reached: What I Like: Car Kit: Let’s the touch function as a GPS; Holds the iPhone or touch securely; can be used when device is in most cases; charges the device; includes Bluetooth speakerphone capabilities; has line-out for audio; windshield or deck mounting App: Full-featured; loads rather quickly; turn-by-turn directions; integrates music player; one-touch destinations What Needs Improvement: Car Kit: Speakerphone is nice addition but not on part with standalone units; line out feeds most but not all audio out Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have already written quite a bit about eMusic and their struggles – and my various memberships with them over the years. After my review, I stayed on a couple of months … then canceled. About a month later I got an email which said “Come back and get your first month for $0.99″! I thought – $12 in music credits for the cost of a single song elsewhere? Sure – can’t beat THAT! So I re-joined, grabbed two albums (Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody by Al DiMeola and Electric Fruit by Mary Halvorson) and immediately canceled again. But last week I got yet another email, the one pictured above: rejoin… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Can it REALLY be 30 years since I saw Rush live in concert for the Moving Pictures tour? I suppose it has been … My love for Rush came not from Geddy Lee’s screeching voice, nor the prototypical sci-fi prog-rock lyrics, and certainly not the popularity of the group with the ‘post Zepplin & Floyd’ crowd in the late 70′s. It was all about the music – and more specifically about the musicianship of the trio. Their songs wove together complex riffs, changing time signatures, and plenty of room for all three musicians to make individual contributions. For me – and many fans – Moving Pictures was the pinnacle for Rush… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I wrote about their excellent recording Sirius Respect here, noting about their take on the music of Sun Ra and Karlheinz Stockhausen: The alternating compositions are intended to draw comparisons and contrasts, but ends up being somewhat jarring at times as you never really settle into the flow of one composer. However, all of it is worth listening to, particularly the conclusion melding Stockhausen’s Capricorn with Ra’s Saturn. Gorgeous stuff … well, if you can get past the discordant harmonies and rhythms. Very ambitious stuff, not always successful, but well worth rewarding with numerous listens. Today I got a note that the band is doing a live recording : Dear friends, Join us Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Think Apple invented the tablet? Think again. Long before Apple rolled out the iPad companies like Lenovo were offering computers that quickly converted into tablets simply by flipping around the screen. They weren’t for everyone but I loved using a convertible tablet. One of my favorites came from Lenovo and an updated version, the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 12.5″ Multi-touch Tablet is today’s Gear Deal. As Lenovo explains, The best of both worlds: inside and out. Our ThinkPad® X Series tablets free you to work without constraints. Morph from notebook to tablet with just a twist. Our X Series tablets are convertible, so you get a traditional laptop at the office and an in-the-trenches, in-your-arms companion Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One thing my younger son really wanted for his birthday was Portal 2. He asked his grandmother, who pre-ordered it for the XBOX360 so both boys could play together. But in spite of my hints and all the deals, she didn’t grab one of the ‘release day delivery’ deals, so he won’t get that copy for nearly a week. Fortunately for him he knows he has a father who would have the game pre-ordered for the PC, so he asked ‘can I pre-load it on OUR PC as well’? Of course – and tonight he will be the one playing it, instead of me. The things we do for our kids… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I love my music and have something playing pretty much all the time unless I am speaking to someone. For quite a while that meant having some sort of speaker dock in the various room where I spend time. Lately though it has increasingly meant setting up various room so that AirPlay is available. (Yes, I finally understand the power and utility of the AirPort Express!) That does not, however mean there isn’t a place for some of the growing number of Bluetooth enabled speakers on the market. Sure, Bluetooth doesn’t offer the same level of audio quality as streaming over WiFi but, for the most part, I can’t tell the difference and the convenience of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When the Element Case Vapor Pro Limited Edition that Judie reviewed last month showed up at my house so that I could take a closer look I was immediately impressed. Element Case’s products have always been premium deals, but with the Vapor Pro it was clear they had truly upped the ante: and that was before even opening the box!! Yes, the packaging alone screamed “I am a quality product; I’m not inexpensive, but boy am I worth it!” Yes, the packaging Element Case used evokes the same kind of experience that one finds when opening something new from Apple. In fact, in many ways they outdo Apple, since element Case actually… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the biggest issues I have faced since first getting my iPad is the challenge of trying to use it to quickly and cleanly write new blog posts from it. Sure there are iPad apps that promise mobile blogging but none of them have worked properly for me. The issue was so bad that Judie and I brought Samsung Galaxy Tabs to CES with use, and they work well for remote posting. Not so, any of the iOS apps either of us have tried. Well hopefully that changed with the release of Blogsy. This new iPad app is just $2.99. It solves the issue of uploading and placing pictures by incorporating a Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This Rocky Mountain National Park chipmunk is ready for his closeup This just in from the National Park Foundation: Top 10 ways to celebrate National Park Week 2011. Our national parks are our treasures and should not be missed. The handful I have visited over the years (some repeatedly) cannot be expressed in mere words or pictures; they truly have to be experienced. If not during National Park Week, at some point make it a priority to visit a national park or two (or more, discover for yourself that feeling of awe and amazement as you explore new places that are available to each and every one of us. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Bluetooth headsets have been given a bad rap by some. Yes, they can look kind of geeky. And yes, they can make you look like you are being even more anti-social than ever. And yes, some of the bigger ones make you look plain stupid. But Bluetooth headsets ARE convenient, they DO make speaking a big easier by leaving both hands free and they ARE safer if you are speaking in the car. And now, thanks to Bluetrek Bluetooth headsets CAN be a fashion statement. The new Bluetrek CARBON is “equipped with the best in class audio enhancement technology” but that isn’t its claim to fame. No, the really interesting thing about the CARBON is… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

For a brief time it looked like netbooks would own the computing world. After all, they were small, light, inexpensive and “fast enough”. Then the iPad came along and ruined their day. Yes, the iPad did a number on netbook sales (and it looks like “standard” laptops are now being hit too!). That does not, however, mean there isn’t a place for netbooks. After all, they are still “small, light, inexpensive and ‘fast enough’”. And HP’s Mini 110 is today’s Gear Deal. Yes, the updated 10.1″ HP Mini 110 Atom Netbook is normally $299.99 but thanks to our Gear Sponsor you can get it for just $224.99. In addition, the netbook will ship for free and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Samsung 46″ HDTV w/ Home Theater Speaker System Bundle We start the week with a New Gear Daily Deal on a 46″ Samsung HDTV that comes bundled with a digital home theater system AND $1300 in savings. Here are the details: LED HDTV: Enhance your digital home entertainment with the UN46C6300 LED HDTV from Samsung. Enjoy the stunning picture quality and amazing clarity with a 1080p full HD resolution. The AllShare™ Sync feature lets you stream your PC audio and video files to your HDTV using your remote and with the help of a wired or wireless DLNA™ connection. It also features the ConnectShare™ Movie that allows Continue reading on Gear Diary …