A week before Griffin announced their new Help TC iOS remote-controlled helicopter, I saw the iHelicopter being advertised. For $59 I figured I would order one. It came yesterday and… well… it is fun. As the product page explains, The iHelicopter makes it possible to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a remote control for a RC Helicopter! Plug the transmitter in the audio jack, download the free controller App and you are ready to fly! The gyro in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be used to control the tilt Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We are in the full swing of summer, and in addition to great weekly sales, all of the sites are having massive ongoing sales. In capturing just the best of the ongoing sales, I have pretty much totally abandoned my rule of no more than 50 deals from all sites … there is just way too much great stuff out there at insane prices!! However, I am sticking with the >50% savings rule (and on bigger sales like GamersGate I stick to 75%!), and you will see that I have greatly pared down the list this week to try to focus on only the very best deals. I am continuing my ‘top 5… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have always been appalled by ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’, the ‘reality show’ of the awful and mentally twisted parents and over-indulged babies who are dressed like 18 year old beauty pageant entrants and strutted around on stages. If this is truly where our country is headed, let me off at the next stop! As if it couldn’t get any worse, today in the Daily Mail we hear about a little girl named Maddie: Barely out of nappies, four-year-old Maddy Jackson is already on the road to womanhood. Sporting fake C cup breasts and padding on her bottom, she is the latest shock contestant on Toddlers and Tiaras, the U.S. reality show Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We reviewed the Flipside 2X wallet last fall. It is an unusual wallet that is made from hard plastic, offers limited storage and has RFID shielding so the evil people trying to steal your information right from your credit cards without even touching them. Our conclusion? What I Like: Keeps you organized; keeps cards in place until you want them; opens with the tap of a button; cards slide out easily; prevents “wallet creep”; offers RFID theft protect What Needs Improvement: Nothing really comes to mind other than the fact that it would be great if they offered… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In what I am sure isn’t the last entry in the ‘Labor Day Sale’ category, GameLoft has launched a great one: 8 iPhone and 5 iPad games for $0.99 each! These are all solid games in different genres, and all worth checking out! Let’s take a look! Here are the iPad games on sale: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®: Shadow Vanguard HD Shadow Guardian HD Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD Zombie Infection HD James Cameron’s Avatar for iPad and here are the iPhone games: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard Shadow Guardian Gameloft Action Pack Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Zombie Continue reading on Gear Diary …

What would you like for lunch today? How about a full days worth of calories and two days worth of fat? Oh, I know you can easily get that in any ‘glutton burger’ you’ll find around in burger joints looking for a moment of fame on one of the Travel or Cooking network shows … but how about as one of the featured items on Denny’s ‘Let’s Get Cheesy’ campaign? Here is part of the press release: Cheese enthusiasts across the nation are set to rejoice with the launch of Denny’s “Let’s Get Cheesy!” menu. Showing some serious cheese love, Denny’s fromage feast features six new dishes designed to make any cheese lover Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad the tagline might well have been, “Stylus? Stylus? We don’t need no stink in’ stylus.” Yes, Apple’s goal with the iPad was a truly touch-friendly tablet. For the most part, they have succeeded. Still, there ARE times when you want to use a stylus and, thankfully, there are a host of options these days. I just got a close, hands on look at one of the newest options and it awesome. More accurately, THEY are since there are two versions. The Jot and the Jot Pro from Adonit are an unusual take on the tablet stylus. Let’s take a quick look. Like the company’s first… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have written about bassist and Chapman Stick player Tony Levin several times here at Gear Diary – regarding a 1984 concert recording, Bill Bruford’s autobiography, and in my review of Trey Gunn’s Modulator – yet his name has yet to appear in a headline. Today I finally remedy that! I have been a huge fan of Tony Levin since first hearing him on King Crimson’s Discipline and then seeing him live on the tour supporting that record – which was 30 years ago! He has remained a strong creative voice in instrumental music and a tremendous innovator on the bass. On this recording he is joined by innovative… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

With the launch of Spotify crowding the relatively small on-demand music market, Rdio and MOG are working hard to maintain current members and to continue to grow their businesses. Rdio already has a great iPad app – the first one in the category – and MOG is working hard on one of their own. Loyal users recommend one service or the other to their friends. Now each has introduced ways for music fans to enjoy the services – MOG and Rdio now offer Gift Cards, and Rdio offers family subscriptions. Gift cards are a great way to give someone the chance to experience Rdio or MOG for one month or as long… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As much as I have been disappointed with the Blackberry Playbook, HTC Flyer and other 7″ tablets I have tried I still love the size. They are easier to carry and hold than their larger cousins. That alone makes them worth considering if you are in the market for a tablet this fall. If you have a small tablet or plan on getting one Waterfield has a great way to take it with you. Their new Ultimate SleeveCase looks great and offers tremendous protection thanks to its great build-quality, impact plastic and a thick nylon shell. Here’s what they have to say about it- Ultimate Tablet Sleeve Protection. Safeguard your tablet with a properly fitted Continue reading on Gear Diary …

    Jabra has announced two new headsets that join the company’s sport line and let you take you tunes with you when exercising or doing other activities. The headsets look great, especially the wireless one, and they come with a host of great features. As Jabra explains Featuring a category-first built-in FM radio, A2DP technology, and powerful bass to help energize workout performance, the Jabra SPORT allows for an even wider variety of music options when exercising and easy-to-use controls.  The stereo headset also features a wind-shielded microphone and is US Military Standard Rain, Dust and Shock Resistant certified, ensuring that exercisers don’t need to hold back during their workouts on account of Continue reading on Gear Diary …

30%! That’s how much you’ll save on the HP ENVY 17 with today’s Gear Deal when you configure it over $1,399. The 17.3-inch HP ENVY 17 features a 2nd generation 2011 Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, 1GB Radeon HD 6850M discrete graphics, and more. It is 1.25″ thin, weighs 7.25 lbs and features a brushed aluminum chassis. It comes with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port, a backlit keyboard, a TrueVision HD webcam, a Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer, a mini DisplayPort, HDMI 1.4, and Beats Audio. Options include a high-resolution Full HD 17.3 HD+ LED (1920 x 1080) display, Blu-ray and dual hard drive bays with an SSD option available. For details and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We are all feeling the financial pinch!  Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. I recently noticed my wife enthralled with an iPhone game. That is kind of strange in itself. I didn’t ask what it was for a few evenings, but could tell it was some sort of puzzle game. When I finally inquired about what she was doing, she told me I had to download Drop7 Free. That was either a big mistake or a good thing depending on how you look at it… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sony’s newest ebook reader is official! The specs appear to be as rumored, (6″ inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, pinch-to-zoom gesture support,  2GB internal memory (expandable), Wi-Fi and an included stylus) and the price is far better than the straight euro conversion, and will be clocking in for USA customers at $149. A few commenters on the rumored post pointed out I’d forgotten that euro prices typically include VAT, and it’s good to see they were right, as anything higher would have been suicide in the tight ebook market. Even at that price it’s a bit on the high side in my opinion. That’s on par with the NOOK Touch, which is sold everywhere… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today begins the first leg of Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Game Program where existing owners get 10 downloadable NES games free.