(image courtesy Meals and Miles) One of the great things about how fast news travels is how quickly people mobilize to help in times of need. There was a huge outpouring of news and support when the tornadoes devastated parts of the south, but just because they’re out of the news cycle doesn’t mean you can’t still help! Several blogs have banded together to assist families with young kids whose lives have been impacted by the storms. Rather than ask you to donate cash, or schlep down to the post office to mail something, they’re making it super easy with an Amazon Baby Registry. Here’s how Meghann of “Meals and Miles” explains the fundraiser: How does Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  Today’s Gear Deal brings us Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Edge E420s premium laptop. This laptop comes with a 14″ HD “Infinity” display, 2nd generation “Sandy Bridge” Intel processor, Intel HD graphics, fingerprint reader, and slot-loading DVD burner.   If you configure one and the price comes to over $899 you can use the LogicBuy Exclusive 10% coupon code: LOGICBUY10 and save in a big way. The least expensive model of the Edge E420 has 4 GB, a Core i3-2310M 2.1GHz processor and a 250GB 5400rpm HDD. It would normally cost $1,384 but our Gear Sponsor has savings that drop that price all the way down to just $649. If you want a Core i5… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

You know, it’s funny; yesterday was a travel day for me, and I ran into not one but two people at one of Southwest’s recharging tables in the Phoenix airport.  (“Sky Harbor” is what they call it–I think it’s a little pretentious, but Your Mileage May Vary, as they say.)  One of the folks was playing “Angry Birds,” but the other one was frustrated because her iPad was low on power, she didn’t have time to charge it at all prior to her Burbank flight, and she didn’t have a portable charger unit with her to bring on the plane and alleviate the problem. I, on the other hand, have just such a thing, at least… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Remember seeing this ‘Situation Room’ image? The one from the White House released showing President Obama and members of his security team watching the situation with Osama Bin Laden unfold? Well, if you are a member of a certain Orthodox Hasidic Jewish sect, you would see it differently than the rest of us … sort of like this image from the Der Tzitung newspaper: Sites like Jezebel were quick to point out the fact that Hillary Clinton was gone. But I also noted that the OTHER woman was missing, something Jezebel… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  Collections are fun. I have a collection of fountain pens still even though I rarely use pen and paper these days. I have a collection of gadgets, but that is more about my involvement with Gear Diary than anything else. And there was a point in my younger days when I collected unusual beer bottles. It was a fun collection and a great excuse to buy interesting six-packs. And since I was collecting EMPTY bottles… well you know… I’m sure dad was onto the scam, but he went along anyway. Thanks, dad! Yes, collections are fun, and when the item being collected is part of “a limited edition” it is even better. This… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here it comes again: the annual Google I/O event on May 10th and 11th, and we expect Google to make a whole slew of announcements during the two-day event. For those of you who have no idea what Google I/O is, it’s a conference which brings together thousands of developers for two days of deep technical content. Google I/O focuses on building the next generation of web, mobile, and enterprise applications using Google and open web technologies such as Android, Google Chrome, Google APIs, Google Web Toolkit, App Engine, and more. Here at Gear Diary, we’ll be bringing you exclusive on-site coverage with the latest announcements. Here’s what to expect: Android - Android will clearly get a big Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Kickstarter allows some really cool projects to become reality by giving startups the opportunity to be funded by small, individual commitments of support. (I know a few of us on the site have helped fund some projects and took great satisfaction in being part of something new. It also doesn’t hurt that sometimes the funding also yields an early units of whatever is being created. )  One project that I really hope becomes reality is B-Square’s Modular Solar Powered electrics.   B-squares are solar power cells that have magnetic connectors at each corner for connecting one solar panel to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  We start the week with a Gear Deal on HP’s Ultra-slim 23″  2311x LED-backlit HDMI LCD Monitor. It features Full HD 1080p resolution, a 5ms response time, 3 million: 1 dynamic contrast ratio, a variety of inputs that include VGA, HDCP-supported DVI-D, and HDMI input and more. Normally the monitor sells for $249.99 but our Gear Sponsor found it for $80 off after combining instant savings and a coupon. That brings the price down t just $169.99 And it will even ship for free. $80 off HP’s 2311x 23-in LED-backlit HDMI LCD Monitor via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Huge thanks to Mike for the idea and the title) Last night I posted my 2000th post on Gear Diary. Yes, since I joined the writing staff of the site in July of 2008 I have written 2000 posts. (With this one 2001.) My very first post was a review of the mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower. My second post was a brief revisit to the Beyza Thinvelope for MacBook Air, a case Judie had previously reviewed. My next posts were of iPod and iPhone cases as well as a review of an external battery for the iPhone. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

With the economy in the state it is in we are trying to conserve what we spend anyway we can. Whether we are turning the thermostat down, turning off lights or buying compact fluorescent bulbs that use less electricity, we are all trying to save what we can on our electric bill.  All of this got me wondering: how much power your laptop really uses?  How about my TV?  Do compact fluorescent bulbs really save any money over standard incandescent bulbs?  With Belkin’s new Conserve Insight finding the answers was simple. The device is simple and easy to use.  All you have to do is plug it… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I recently noticed an influx of funky old-timey photos on Facebook.  After asking around, it appears that most people I know are using Retro Camera. According to Urbian (the developer), the app lets you take “delicious old-school pics your friends will drool over” and it delivers an “off-the-hip analog look.” Now, in general I consider myself to be pretty cool, but I am a far cry from a hipster.  I own neither over-sized 1980s glasses nor a t-shirt depicting three wolves howling at the moon.  Regardless, I felt compelled to give it a try. I installed it on my Droid X and knew right off the bat that I like this app. It’s witty, functional… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Ok, maybe it’s just me (and Sarah!) We’re tired, it was a long, exhausting weekend. We were watching TV when the new Google Chrome commercial came on. In seconds we were both a bit teary-eyed. It was sweet. It was dorky. It was really, really brilliant. Yes, instead of taking the obvious path and focusing on specific Google services such as Gmail, it showcases the way memories can be saved. Its message, ” This isn’t about Google Chrome it is about you, your life and the stuff that matters!” It’s ridiculously adorable and worth watching. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image made via Memegenerator) I once attended a work event where someone explained how he knew the so-called “tech bubble” of the early 90′s was over and done. It was Christmas Eve, he said, and his retired, conservative mother-in-law asked if she should own shares of Amazon.com. As he told it, at that very moment he turned to his wife and said “That’s it, tech’s done.” If we go by that logic social media is done. Yes, if that is the correct indicator the social media bubble is about to pop. How do I know? Simple, at a mother’s day brunch earlier today my grandma opined, “The kids today, they don’t realize what… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have written about Edward Weiss’ Quiescence Music site, and his method for quick-starting folks who want to play piano but find all of the lessons and technique daunting. For the past few months Quiescence has been offering a special $19 deal which gives you over 100 simple, hands-on lessons that can help any novice make some satisfying New Age style piano music. That deal is coming to a close on Tuesday May 10th. Here is what the email says: Dear Pianoscapes Subscriber, On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, the special offer I’m currently running will come to an end. I’m going to be raising the price of my online piano Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m a huge fan of minimalist cases and that tends to hold true for pretty much every device I use. I want something as thin as possible on my iPhone 4. I want something that doesn’t add too much bulk to my iPad 2. And I want to get a case for the BlackBerry PlayBook RIM gave out at the launch event that adds some protection but doesn’t remove the key advantage this “completely and totally unfinished but still has potential” device has over the iPad and other 10″ tablets: its small size and light weight. That’s where Case-Mate’s Barely There Continue reading on Gear Diary …