As promised and expected Apple just released its first update for iOS 5.0. This one should fix the battery life woes that have been killing a lot of us. Better still, thanks to the Over the Air Update system that arrived with iOS 5.0 you don’t even have to go to iTunes. Just connect your iPhone to a power source and go to updates in the system preferences… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve mentioned it many times:  PDAir cranks out a simply amazing quantity of cases on a regular basis.  HTC or Motorola or Apple or Toshiba or you-name-it comes up with something new and BOOM! PDAir is right there with a case.  I never know whether to shake my head in admiration, or weariness.  I mean, how do they keep up? But keep up they do, and today’s info is on their new aluminum metal case for the Motorola Droid Bionic XT875.  Do you have one?  Well, PDAir has a case for you, pal.  Available for an MSRP of $29.99… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Okay, I should have seen it coming when that Facebook guy had a movie made about him.  But honestly, I pretty much ignore social media except with regard to using it to find old friends who have dropped out of touch.  (Hi, Ed!)  In the main, though, I’m a luddite in this area, and I admit it. But even me, grumpy old phart that I am, should have been able to predict kid’s games and social activities moving into the social media arena.  Didn’t I sign my kids up for Disney Interactive something like 3-4 years ago?  Aren’t I a computer nerd?  Don’t I contribute to Gear Diary?  What the heck is wrong with me, anyway?… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When a company like Skooba (Gear Diary’s very first advertiser!) releases a new product, we take notice. Two years ago we reviewed the company’s Netbook Messenger bag. I liked it a lot and had this to say, In all I have found the Skooba NetBook Messenger to be a great bag for daily use. If you carry a netbook (or a MacBook without too many accessories) and want a bag that is small, light and easy to grab and go this is a great choice. It looks good, will likely put up with a good deal of use and abuse. Two years later netbook’s run is over and done. Now it is a tablet world… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Treasure Seekers games are excellent hidden-object adventures from G5 Entertainment. I reviewed the latest chapter Treasure Seekers III HD: Follow the Ghosts here, saying: For me the best part was the inception-like cascading portals. In a couple of locations you would enter one portal only to find that your solution requires you to use items from your current location as well as entering another portal. The game will take you a few hours to play and offers little immediate replayability. But the core game is fun enough that it is definitely worth trying the free download to see if it warrants the $6.99 purchase … I feel that Continue reading on Gear Diary …

For me, one of the tricky things when buying a new device these days is, how do I protect it?  Honestly, I love the size and feel of my iPhone when it’s “naked”, but there are a couple of problems with it:  it’s durn slippery and prone to be dropped, and it’s unprotected.  But I don’t like bulky cases, either (unless we’re talking Vaja; then we’re in a whole different discussion).  What to do? Some folks find that putting thin films or simply screen protectors on their precious gear is the way to go.  Crimson offers a number of options in this regard, including their new offerings: anti-glare protectors for the MacBook Air (11″ and 13″)… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I like to be able to charge my iPhone and iPad on the go. After all, I constantly rely on both and, at least for now, iOS 5.0 is killing my battery life. That means I have wall chargers around my house, at the house and, of course, I always have a charger in my car. I’ve used a number of car chargers over the past few years and the new Qmadix USB Dual Mobile Charging Hub 4.2amp has me pretty impressed. From Qmadix: The Qmadix USB Twin Tablet Charging Kit 4.2 gives you maximum power on the go when Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It isn’t often that an Apple product is our daily Gear Deal but that what our Gear Sponsor has for us today! This deal is on the 13″ MacBook Pro with a 2.3GHz Core i5 processor. This model dates from early 2011 and has the Thunderbolt port, Gigabit Ethernet, a FaceTime HD camera, the SDXC card slot and, of course, it has the durable Aluminum unibody design that has been such a huge hit. .Normally $1199 this laptop is just $1,037.99 with this deal. Thanks to an additional $50 mail-in rebate that comes all the way down to just $987.99. Better still, it will ship for free and there is no tax in most states… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Looks like Kobo found a deep-pocketed new friend! They’re being acquired by Rakuten, a Japanese internet company probably best known in America as the parent company of Buy.com. In other words, the ebook arms race is now two e-commerce sites versus a bookstore chain. In the USA, this isn’t likely to have an immediate impact. According to the Wall Street Journal, Kobo admitted they have single digit to low double-digit marketshare in America. On the other hand, they are the only other international ebookstore besides Amazon. Granted, B&N is “planning” on expanding internationally, but that’s a few months away at the earliest. Even without Rakuten, Kobo had a head start, and this is going… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  It wasn’t too long ago that I reviewed the Aligata Nude Beauty Big Weekend Bag, and they have just sent their newest offering — the Nude Beauty Medium Travel Bag. I’ll have a full review up after I’ve had some time to actually USE the bag and change its color from the nearly white Nude Beauty to a natural honey patina. But in the meantime, I just had to tell you all about it because it is something that I know would be an appreciated holiday gift for your special someone … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Illustration by 姒儿喵喵 Every week this month (except for Thanksgiving week), we’ll be posting two clues separately at some between Monday and Friday; we are looking for a specific answer that lists the exact brand name and the exact model of the item in question. The first person to answer correctly will win a prize pack that includes: 2 one-year Pandora One premium subscriptions 4 movie tickets a month for a year from MovieTickets.com A $250 OpenTable dining card The first clue was: My screen width is wider than an iPad And the latest clue is:  I can help you plan your dinner-and-a-movie night out. You may… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’ve used a number of Andrea headphones for voice recognition in the past, and I’ve always been impressed. The company’s SuperBeam Phones are a departure from previous models, and I’m really loving the design choices that went into creating them. They are sleek on-ear headphones that drop the microphone boom, but still offer great voice quality. Here’s what the company has to say about them: SuperBeam headsets deliver Hi-Definition sound. Our unique integrated array microphone system is designed for use with Andrea’s patented beam forming and digital noise reduction audio software, providing “The Freedom of Voice”. SuperBeam also provides a new audio Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  We’ve all seen docks that allow you to set your iPhone up as a bedside clock, but this one takes the concept to such lengths that it is worth a mention: the Cdock keeps your iPhone 4 or 4S charged while holding it so that you can glance over to get the time instead of fumbling to pick it up from your bedside table. There are different styles available, and when you add the Gorgy Timing Atomic Clock app (or any other favorite iPhone clock app), you’ll have one beautifully functional setup. The only downside that I can see is you have to insert a nekkid iPhone. Is that a deal-breaker for you?… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s been a while since we looked at the increasingly prevalent role the iPad plays in today’s media but tonight’s Covert Affairs put the iPad so very “front and center” that we had to post… Annie Walker is on a mission when her sister places a “call” to her. “Ring, Ring Ring” goes Annie’s iPad. She answers and the conversation ensues. But wait one second… they’re using Skype??? Say what? Seriously Annie? Skype? Sure it works well enough but for my money I’ll always take FaceTime… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Remember the prank where you put the ring in a box and then that box into another box and then that box into another box and so on and so on? The person gets a huge box and, when the gift is finally revealed it is something small but awesome? Well this takes that idea and super-charges it. 30 Watt: Prank Packs are “fake gift boxes that appear to contain ridiculous products from clueless companies.” As the company explains, they are the “Perfect way to trick your friends and family during that special holiday. Just fill the box with whatever the real gift is and your prank is ready to go! Yeah, at $8 bucks they… Continue reading on Gear Diary …