Just wanted to get this out to let everyone know of something cool from Amazon overnight – as if Carly’s note about Amazon and Fancy Widget wasn’t cool enough! Bottom line – Amazon has unveiled the ‘lending library’ that was rumored before the Kindle Fire launch. Basically, if you own a Kindle, and are a member of Amazon Prime, you have access to a reasonable size library of works you can borrow one at a time. Here is the description: Today we’re announcing a new benefit for Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership: the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image courtesy stretchy internet) I may have moved on to an iPhone, but I still have a hacked NOOKcolor running Android! Plus I have two years’ worth of Android apps between Google’s Marketplace and, more recently, Amazon’s Appstore. While it wasn’t an everyday ritual, I did try to grab Amazon’s free apps of the day if they looked halfway decent, figuring I might want to use them in the future. Now, I’m used to Amazon’s Kindle service, where they send me a nice email if a book is updated by the publisher with instructions on how to update it. But I’ve paid for those books, and so Amazon is just following up and keeping… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

On casual days that aren’t quite cold enough for a jacket but that are too nippy for just a long-sleeve thermal shirt, there is nothing that feels more snuggly than a comfortingly warm hoodie, but not just some big dumpy guy’s hoodie! Women who want to be warm without looking like they’ve magically gained 20 pounds insist upon properly fitted women’s hoodies to keep them comfortable while still looking feminine.  That’s why most of the women I know — including me — have at least a couple of favorites hanging in our closets for just such days. SCOTTEVEST has had men’s hoodies available for some time, but they have finally introduced… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Your faithful Gear Diary team is always happy when we can point you to good deals.  (I in particular revel in pointing you to stuff thats . . . wait for it . . . FREE!), and so I’m happy to pass along info about this deal on AmazonWireless.  Specifically: A couple of great deals on the EVO Design and EVO 3D (Plum) which just launched this week. The EVO Design is great for globe-trotters in need of a smartphone that can go anywhere they go, and the plum version of the EVO 3D is a fun, colorful reboot of the world’s first 3D phone. http://wireless.amazon.com/HTC-EVO-Design-Android-Sprint/dp/B005XC6ZZE/ref=tsm_1_bl_aw http://wireless.amazon.com/HTC-EVO-3D-Android-Sprint/dp/B005XC4RWC/ref=tsm_1_bl_aw Amazon is offering… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Over the last couple of days, Google has released updates for Google Reader and GMail. Each has a new UI, and has further integration of Google +, as well as the removal of Buzz. In the case of GMail, it is mostly about a visual overhaul, as noted on the Google Blog here are the main features: – Streamlined conversations – Elastic density – New HD themes – Smarter navigation – Better search In the case of Google Reader the changes are two-fold: the removal of ‘Share’, and a visual overhaul. To say that the reaction to removing ‘Share’ was swift, loud and negative would be a… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of SodaHead Ask anyone who was playing Doom when it first came out on a gaming computer they bought with their own money, and they will all agree on one thing: shooters have been drastically simplified through the years. The expression ‘dumbed down for console kiddies’ is bandied about, and while it sounds harsh and degrading, the reality is that due to controller limitations and a more casual and social focus of console gaming, traditional PC gamers are often frustrated at how regressive pretty much everything but the graphics are in current generation shooters. Or, as the video creator says: My (probably futile) attempt on making a Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Have you ever wished you could write that novel you’ve had rattling around in your brain for ages? Now is your chance – National Novel Writing Month started yesterday, and they have a great website with loads of resources to help you get started. Better still, there are plenty of tools to help you get started, loads of special deals (including on the awesome Scrivener Mac/PC app), help from other writers and so on. I have joined up (today) and just got started – and plan to do it all on the iPad. I am using iThoughts HD to outline and develop characters and interactions; then have started in both Nebulous and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you want to be part of the unofficial beta team for the iOS version of GMail, you can grab it here. Note that it apparently isn’t showing up in iTunes searches, at least from my iPad. Here is the description: Get the official Gmail experience for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. With the Gmail app, you can: ● Receive notification badges for new messages ● Read your mail with threaded conversations ● Organize your mail by archiving, labeling, starring, deleting, and reporting spam ● Keep track of important messages with priority inbox ● Auto-complete contact names as you type ● Send and receive attachments ● Search through all Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have been teaching for the past few years and have found that recording my lectures is helpful for students that are sick or that need assistance due to attention deficit issues. Many of the programs to record lectures are costly, so I set out to see if I could use my MacBook and a Bluetooth headset to accomplish the task. I found that not only can I, but that it works remarkably well. The Bluetooth Device: The Bluetooth device I opted for is the Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Stereo Headset [affiliate link]. Not only is it a good headset, but it can… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The other day I wrote a post talking about the fact that, thanks to, Siri and iCloud, the Notes application that ships on all iOS devices has suddenly become a full-fledged productivity tool. Thanks to Siri, I’m now able to write everything I need to write on my iPhone by voice and then, thanks to iCloud, the exact same text is immediately available onto my iPad in its Notes app or on my Mac in the Mail.app program. In other words, I’m able to write by voice on the go and then format and correct the text on a larger, easier to use, device without having to think about moving text from one place to the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Today’s deal is an awesome Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle Deal. This bundle includes a 250GB Xbox 360, Fable 3, a Halo: Reach Download, an Xbox 360 headset and 3-month Xbox LIVE Gold. The bundle is just $299.99 but there is more. It also includes a $50 gift card which effectively makes this bundle just $249.99!! Details and ordering options can be found here on the deal page. Gear Deal: Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle (Includes Fable 3, Halo : Reach Download, Xbox 360 headset and 3-month Xbox LIVE Gold) + $50 Gift Card via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s been just about a year since Barnes and Noble announced their popular NOOKcolor tablet, and it’s looking like the successor is on deck! eBooknewser is reporting they received an invitation to a B&N press conference, and since the logo was a big n for NOOK…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put the pieces together! The big question is what this NOOK is going to be like. I think it’s safe to say we’ll see some beefed up specs over the original NOOKcolor. Most likely the new NOOK will be more media-friendly, with better support for watching movies (maybe even Netflix or Hulu+ support). I also expect to see improved app offerings, and possibly… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Image courtesy of Retrevo I have been on the hunt for over a year for an Android tablet that meets my needs: I have abandoned hope for now that will be anything appealing in the 10″ space, since Android is currently inferior and fragmented for gaming and a non-factor in music production software. But in the 7″ space there are some cool options, yet in spite of trying three different tablets (Galaxy Tab, Acer Iconia and HTC Flyer) and finding that the size is perfect … I haven’t managed to find a device with enough positives that I can accept the flaws until recently. What flaws? My Three Problems With Android Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I’m either at the tail end of the Baby Boom, or the front end of Gen X–most of my friends my age don’t consider us either, honestly, and call ourselves the “wedge” generation, if we call ourselves anything, which we usually don’t.  But we’re not slackers, nor do we have a lot in common with the folks who were in college in the 60s and early 70s.  Heck, I was watching “The Brady Bunch” then, ya know? Why do I mention this?  Well, as a person who follows right behind the Baby Boom, I often get irritated at how often consumer goods are focused on those folks.  The TV was full of young adult products when… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Have you ever wanted to watch a movie or TV show only to be thwarted by the seemingly random method used to decide whether or not you can watch certain things on the various services? I know my family has – and both Doug and I have ranted about it in the past. In fact, this past weekend while I was out of town overnight and my younger son was at a school dance, my wife and older son wanted to watch Paranormal Activity 2, only to be disappointed when it was unavailable on our Roku (it is now available) through Amazon. If we had CanIStream.It at the time we could have found… Continue reading on Gear Diary …