Ah life… so many things to worry about these days. Nuclear proliferation, the economy, global warming (errr climate change), earthquakes, how Duke Basketball will do this year and now this… laptop sterility. Yes, in addition to worrying about whether or not your cellphone is giving you a brain tumor you now need to worry about what your laptop is doing to your reproductive system. Why? Because “recent reporting suggests that radiation emitted from Wi-Fi enabled laptop computers may be harmful to your reproductive system” and this apparently holds true for men and women. That’s where Digital Innovations’ LapGuard comes in. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

In my house, amongst the variety of gaming systems there are FOUR Sony PSP systems. The first (PSP-1000) I bought on launch day in March 2005, and my younger son still uses that for a few games he likes. The PSP ‘Slim’ (PSP-2000), I bought when THAT one was released – my older son has that one in heavy rotation. Then I have the PSP-3000, the last UMD based system, which I keep in my bedside table for use with games I can’t get in digital format (the recent NBA 2k12, for example). Finally I have the PSP Go, the download-only version of the device. According to Sony I am doing something wrong… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It has been 20 years now since the first book to simultaneously insult and help us came along – DOS for Dummies. Though met with skepticism based on the title, the folks behind the ‘for Dummies’ book said that it was a term of endearment … and that rapidly advancing technology made many people FEEL like dummies! When given a chance, the book took off and the foundation was built for a new type of technology guides: ones built for everyday people! Soon after we saw a new series that has become nearly as popular through the years, called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide” series. Both series were initially very software technology focused, but have… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Wolfgang’s Vault is a great place to listen to classic live recordings by some of the greats of rock, soul, blues and jazz. We’ve written about them quite a bit here, including their look at Monterey Pop this summer and the introduction of concert video to their offerings. Now they are having a one-week $5 sale on everything! Here is what they say: All Week, All Downloads, All $5! That’s right, you read that correctly! This week we’ve decided to slash prices on our downloads — all of them. All mp3s will be no more than $5 and FLACs will cost you no more than $7. Grab that concert Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  Finding the perfect case to protect your Siri….err, your iPhone is usually an ongoing process. I always have a difficult list of features for my cases and seem to bounce from one to another. First of all, I will not use a case that adds a ridiculous amount of bulk to my iPhone. There are protective cases out there that do a wonderful job, but it can be like walking around with an old bag phone stuck in your pocket. Of course I want some sort of protection from the case as well as some style. There’s no use in adding a case if it does not look cool! Each case I use… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces 1975 One of the downsides of being a fan of music that has a very small fanbase is that very often music simply goes out of print. Like many, I have always simply assumed that as the CD came into vogue and later digital releases, music would simply be re-released. And while I can understand physical releases going out of print, it seems to be my simplistic view that once a release is digitized it should just be added to a publisher’s catalog and stay there in perpetuity. Of course reality is never so simple, and through the years I have watched music come in and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

  Black Friday Ads has just posted a listing of sure to fly out quickly gaming console deals at Amazon. If you see something you think looks interesting, you had better act fast! Amazon is continuing their streak of video game sales as they are now offering the following deals on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles: Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ $50 Amazon Credit for $199.99 PlayStation 3 160GB Console w/ $50 Amazon Credit for $249.99 Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 3 Limited Edition Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It is no secret that Android devices are extremely popular, based on the utility of the operating system as well as inexpensive pricing from most carriers. Now US Cellular introduces the Samsung Repp Android smartphone for FREE after rebate. It is a solid phone at a great price. Let’s take a quick look! Here is what US Cellular says: The Samsung ReppTM is a lightweight Smartphone that makes a big statement. Equipped with AndroidTM 2.3 (Gingerbread), it lives up to its reputation with more power and flexibility than ever before. Take advantage of the easy-to-use 3.2″ touchscreen display and tap into the latest technology. Access over 250,000 apps and games from Android MarketTM Continue reading on Gear Diary …

After a first year that can most generously be called “disappointing”, Microsoft and their key partner Nokia have been working hard to make this second year a success. Microsoft started with an amazing launch of Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’, which rolled out to all phones worldwide within only a few weeks – and that is counting a specific technical issue with an EU carrier that delayed roll-out for a couple of weeks! Nokia introduced their first two Windows Phone 7 devices recently, and while many had hoped for powerhouse phones (or a front facing camera), what Nokia is delivering is a stylish package and reasonable hardware that will work well… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s deal is a double deal that gets you the Dell Inspiron 620s Slim Tower, a 20″ LCD, AND an Inspiron Duo Netbook. Better still, they all ship for free. That’s right, you get a desktop, a 20″ monitor AND a netbook and you save big in the process. The base configuration starts at just $699.99. It comes with 4GB RAM, a 500GB Hard Drive, Intel HD graphics, Wireless-N, 15 Months McAfee, Keyboard and Mouse, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS and more. It is also available in the Inspiron 620 Mini Tower form factor. A desktop and a netbook for under $700. Now that’s a Gear Deal! Gear Deal: Dell Inspiron 620s Slim Tower Pentium 2.6GHz Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The other day I was speaking to someone who had just gotten a new iPhone 4S. They love the phone but were complaining that Siri doesn’t seem to work very well. We spent a few minutes going over some of the Siri ins and outs and, would you believe, he now loves Siri. Because of that, I thought I would circle back and share a few more tips that can make Siri a more effective productivity tool. Talk to Me: As is the case with all voice recognition, you need to speak in a particular manner if you want Siri to transcribe text accurately. In fact, if others hear me talking to Siri they give… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Well, the rumors turned out to be true, and the NOOK Tablet (aka NOOKcolor 2) is official. B&N is releasing a minor upgrade to the NOOKcolor, with an HD screen and an emphasis on multimedia. The real question is this: B&N is #2 in the ebook world, and will consumers pay more money to buy the #2 guy’s tablet? Here’s what worries me about the NOOK Tablet: It does have some measurable benefits over the Fire (better storage options, polished and recognizable design, strong hacker community behind it), but it’s straying from the NOOKcolor’s ebook roots. It’s more tablet than reader, where the original was more reader than tablet. Why does this matter? Because on the one… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

While the first reaction to this news might be ‘so what?’, it is worth noting because the on-demand services have been slow in arriving on Windows Phone 7, and their offerings have been generally anemic when they DID appear. I am thinking specifically of Slacker, whose initial app was both unreliable and a battery drainer, and also Rdio, who supported the platform but the offering definitely paled compared to their iOS and Android apps. That was then, this is now – Slacker fully supports background playback, Live Tiles, instant resume, and more. And Rdio’s Mango update includes background play and offline playback. MOG is still noticeably absent from Windows Phone 7 … just… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Illustration by 姒儿喵喵 Every week this month (except for the week of Thanksgiving), we’ll be posting two clues separately at some time 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 Today’s clue is: My screen width is wider than an iPad We’ll post a new clue in a few days, and more next week. In the meantime… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image: Toyota Toyota has been making its Camry sedan for 28 years with most of those built right here in the U.S. of A. at its Georgetown plant. For the past nine years the Camry has been the best-selling car in America. And the entire time Toyota has not had to resort to using adventure, culture, heritage, patriotism or even sex to move these vehicles. The Toyota Camry does what it does best – it sells itself. For 2012 Toyota delivers an all-new, 7th generation Camry with 100 percent new sheet metal while exterior dimensions remain the same. Inside, however, the sedan grows by two cubic feet, including an additional two inches in… Continue reading on Gear Diary …