Today’s Gear Deal brings us the new Lenovo IdeaPad Y470. It has been updated with 2nd generation Intel processors and, with this deal, prices start at just $809.10. That includes free shipping on a laptop that would otherwise cost $1049. The IdeaPad Y470 weighs just 4.85lbs (2.2kg) and measures .78″ at its thinnest point. It features a smooth metal shell and SRS Premium Sound and JBL speakers.  The base model includes a Core i3-2310 processor running at 2.1GHz. It has a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M, 4GB RAM, a 500GB Hard Drive, Bluetooth and a DVDRW. You can upgrade it to include such elements as the latest Core i7 Quad-Core processors… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We all know the iPad, and its smaller cousin the iPhone, have been able to replace a huge number of different items. Yes, with the right apps the iPad can replace our eReader, our remote control, our video camera and much more. Here’s one other area where the iPad can come in and take over: Coffee Table books. Patrick over on iPad Insight has a list of five coffee table books that are now available on the iPad. Here what he has to say-   The iPad is an amazingly versatile device. It can entertain a small child as easily as it can serve as a critical tool for doctors and medical Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! This week we have two pretty huge releases – one for PC, the other for consoles. For the PS3 & XBOX 360 there is the intriguing crime drama from Rockstar L.A. Noire, which has been getting solid early reviews. On the PC we get the highly anticipated sequel The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings which has also been getting raves in early looks. This week we might actually get The First Templar, and the PC finally gets Fable III after skipping the second game entirely! And while there isn’t really anything else big getting released, there… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  EYETV 250 PLUS and TURBO.264 VIDEO CONVERTER FOR YOUR MAC I’m a huge fan of EYETV’s Mac hardware for recording TV and viewing later on your computer OR iPad (with the EYETV app). I recently checked out the company’s Turbo.264 HD software and am also impressed. I paid full price for my eyetv 250 plus but with this New Gear Daily Deal via OrderBorder you can get it for half the price AND if comes with the Turbo.264 HD software! Yes, with this deal you “GET 2 products, EYETV 250 PLUS and TURBO.264 VIDEO CONVERTER FOR YOUR MAC, for a great discount” Here are the details: ABOUT Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There are a handful of leather accessory manufacturers who just “get it”. They know that when it comes to protecting expensive electronic devices there are people who want simple designs, great materials and excellent craftsmanship and are will to pay for it.  Among the companies on that short list is Noreve Saint-Tropez. Noreve knows how to make beautiful leather device cases that look great, add visual appeal AND protection and don’t add unneccessary bell and whistles. Sure, Noreve offers some fancier cases but they always make sure to have something simple, straight-forward and gorgeous available. That includes their new Traditional Leather Case for iPad 2. At just over $120 it is a bit on the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

PlayStation Network and Qriocity users can expect a “phased restoration” that began late Saturday (May 14) instead of more delay that was rumored to last until late May.

It seems most people have Angry Birds on one platform or another … but in case you want your fix while sitting at your computer, look no further – Rovio is offering Angry Birds for FREE through the Chrome Store! Once ‘installed’ you simply click the icon in your Chrome Apps, and the game launches in a browser window, and you play using the mouse to control the game … just like the one from the Mac App Store! There is no expiration given on the Chrome Store, but I suggest heading there and installing… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When you look at the image above, what do you think? For me, when I opened AppShopper and saw the new Big Fish game Serpent of Isis for FREE I was thrilled and clicked the link to iTunes right away and grabbed the game. A few hours later I got their iSplash newsletter and saw that the game is NOT free, but in fact is a demo with a $4.99 in-app purchase of the full game. Here is the image from the newsletter: Don’t get me wrong – I love Big Fish adventure games… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In the world of Bluetooth (BT) headsets, the choices and options are wide and varied.  Quite a contrast from the early days when Motorola was the first and only BT headset that was widely available nearly 9 years ago.  In my position, employees often ask for advice about BT headsets and BT ear pieces. When the CLIPPER was announced by Jabra, I placed an order for one to see what I thought of it.  I was so pleased with the headset that I continued to use it long after my opinion had been formed.  In this review, I will highlight some… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I am a big fan of the combination iPad case/stands that began appearing towards the end of the original iPad’s production run. This is especially true for those case/stands that are actually modular systems that extend the ways and situations where you can use the iPad. And although the original iPad is no longer being produced there continues to be a healthy market for used and refurbished units. For that reason it makes sense to look at a few of the combination cases/stands that are still available and worth considering if you have picked up one of the discounted refurbished by… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’re big fans of Nuance’s voice-to-text technology here at Gear Diary. It is accurate, easy to use, and available on a wide range of platforms. Their Android version is especially great; it mixes Dragon’s voice recognition with a Swype-style keyboard. It actually offers three different keyboard styles along with voice recognition, and because it’s Android you have global voice-to-text across the whole OS. No entering/exiting an app like on iOS! Dan wrote up the details of FlexT9 back in March, and I’ve used it extensively since it came out. It is worth every penny ($4.99) and then some…but today you can get it for FREE from the Amazon App Store! This is only good… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I recently did a fairly exhaustive and very positive review of the Mac version of Spiderweb Software’s Avadon: The Black Fortress back in March, and highlighted the PC release here. Considering the PC version is largely the exact same game as the Mac version, for this review I will highlight some of the differences you might encounter as well as covering the same basic territory so you don’t have to re-read the Mac review separately. The Hype: Spiderweb Software brings you Avadon: The Black Fortress, the first chapter in a new, epic fantasy saga. You will serve the keep of Avadon, working as a spy and warrior to fight the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image courtesy ZDnet) A little bit of background: In the last year, I lost around 40lbs through watching what I ate and running. So I’ve gotten very used to paying close attention to my food, and to items that “claim” to be healthy. So when this press release popped up in the Gear Diary Inbox, I couldn’t resist taking it apart piece by piece, because it is truly the poster child for unhealthy “healthy” food. So let’s dive right in! My comments are in red, so you’ll know what came from the company and what didn’t. Bonavitas Introduces The First Truly Thermogenic Energy Drink Natural Superfoods for Improved Energy, Metabolism and Mental Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you have ever been in an airplane that has had to stop before takeoff, or encountered landing conditions that necessitated a quick stop, you know the force required to stop the massive planes! For their latest new mega-plane, the 747-8F, Boeing has to deal with a nearly 1,000,000 pound load – so stopping becomes more of an issue than ever! I know it is a PR move, but this week they released a video showing the test they performed showing how the plane would stop if it needed to abort a take-off at full thrust and had nothing but worn-down brakes to stop it! According to the site: In Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m not sure I understand the Chromebook pricing model. Acer is introducing an 11.6″ Chromebook [Ars Technica] in June, with wifi-only for $350. Samsung’s 12″ model will come with 3G wireless in addition to wifi, and cost $500. I could buy a Gateway dual-core Windows 7 11.6″ netbook today for $330 [Amazon]. The Gateway has 160 GB of hard drive space; the Chromebooks are limited to a much smaller amount of SSD space (16 GB). So, where’s the market for a notebook computer which costs as much as (or more than) a notebook with a known OS? Don’t get me wrong, I love my Cr-48, which I call Stealthbook… Continue reading on Gear Diary …