For Christmas Eve every year, Sarah and I head to her family’s get-together. It’s a good time with her siblings, aunt and uncle, and various cousins and nieces and nephews making an appearance. I got into a conversation with my sister-in-law about Siri and my iPhone, and I did a few demos for her showing how useful Siri was at managing my calendar, creating tasks, transcribing spoken messages, etc. I also showed off the sillier uses for Siri, including the funny questions like “What are you wearing” and “What’s the best smartphone”. At dinner, she encouraged me to show everyone what Siri could do, and we went through the usual litany… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The other day we reviewed eskuché’s 33i and Control-i headphones. At under $70 for each pair they are certainly worth considering if you’ve been looking for a pair of on-ear headphones that include an in-line mic. You can read the full review here. We were giving both away and they are going to…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Think the shopping is done? Not so fast. If you need a new computer and you like taking pictures today’s Gear Deal is worth a look. Our Gear Sponsor has found a deal on a powerful 17.3″ Dell XPS 17 Core i7-2670M 2.2GHz Quad-core Laptop. It has 6GB RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM, 2 Hard Drives for a total of 1TB storage, NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB graphics and much more. Want more details? The XPS 17 features JBL 2.1 Designed and Certified Speakers totaling 22W, Waves MaxxAudio 3, a 2-megapixel HD webcam, 802.11n WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI v1.4, miniDisplayPort, a 9-in-1 card reader, two USB 3.0 ports and the list goes on. AND, it comes bundled… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Have you ever wondered how to shrink a head? Yeah, me either. But this month’s National Geographic Magazine, downloaded via Zinio of course, has a one page explanation of the how, and the why, of the process.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The other day we reviewed Sena’s gorgeous Hampton Wallet for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The case completely protects the iPhone and doubles as a highly functional wallet with three card slots and an additional space behind them for stowing receipts or a few dollars. In day-to-day use, however, the case can be a tiny bit cumbersome since it requires you to unsnap the cover to access the screen. It also can be challenging to use the iPhone with one hand. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an awesome case. It IS but it might not be the right case for you. If you can deal with something a bit simpler and don’t want the screen covered, Sena’s WalletSlim for iPhone 4S might be the ticket. This open-faced case gives you two card slots and doesn’t interfere with trying to use the iPhone with a single hand. Here’s a brief video look…… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’ve seen and reviewed a lot of different external backup batteries for mobile devices. Many of them will be coming to CES next month in the hopes that, for once, we won’t be scrambling to recharge our gear. One of the batteries that will be coming along is the Tekkeon TekCharge MP1580 but calling it an external battery is actually not quite accurate. No, the MP1580 can be thought of as a rechargeable battery charger that can double as an external battery. That means it serves a double function when you are on the go. Priced at under $25 it is a neat little product that can come in quite handy in a pinch. Let’s take a look. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last week we did a couple of posts about big sales by EA, G5, Gameloft and others … but there seems to be no end to what is on sale! Since so many folks are getting new devices over the Christmas and Chanukah holidays, it makes sense to list all of the great sales going on right now! The folks at IGN have put together a pretty definitive list of sales, and since today the App Store is locked down until next week, I figured it would make sense to simply list out ALL of the games on sale, and update if I find anything else! Here is the entire list: (Unless otherwise Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Mensch (Yiddish: מענטש mentsh, from German: Mensch “human being”) means “a person of integrity and honor”. The key to being ‘a real mensch’ is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous.” You know Mike as the gamer, prolific poster, pot-stirring editor here on Gear Diary. He is all that but, as this news clip that includes Mike and family shows, there’s yet another dimension to him. We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. We also hope you had a chance to do some good in the world. After all, that’s what this season is all about. In this video Mike and his family remind us all… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you got a new phone, tablet or computer and you plan on doing anything more than play games on it you are going to want to check out Evernote. Evernote will let you save pictures, documents and other forms of information in a single place and then access them for virtually any and all devices. And if you check out Evernote you are going to want to check out Evernote Essentials: The Definitive Getting Started Guide for Evernote by Brett Kelly. Evernote Essentials is a PDF book with some great tips that will get you up and running with Evernote in no time. As Brett explains: The amount of information we want and Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! ‘Tis the season of the “Top Apps of 2011″ posts. The timing is great considering how many people just got a brand new iPad this morning for Christmas, or over the last few days during Hanukkah. But here’s the thing… The “Top Apps of 2011″ list is a FLAWED MODEL. It doesn’t really help people who are new to the iPad figure out what apps they want and need to download. Why? Simple, because it isn’t about top apps in different categories, but rather what apps are most useful on a regular basis. There may be an awesome productivity app that is good for one purpose but basically useless… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This post brought to you by Snapdragon by Qualcomm. All opinions are 100% mine. photo courtesy of ChargersGab When I was a kid I saw some great concerts at the Garden State Arts Center about an hour south from where I lived. Alas, the Garden State Arts Center is no longer there. The physical space is there, the set up for concerts is there, and bands still play throughout the summer there, but the Garden State Art Center is now called the PNC Bank Arts Center. Yes, in 1996 the bank purchased the naming rights to it, and it has carried the new name ever since. It’s not uncommon to see major physical locations such as stadiums and theaters carrying company names these days, but I have to imagine that making the change is a complex, and pricey proposition. So imagine if a stadium was renamed … but for only ten days. That’s what’s happening at the home of Judie’s husband Kevin’s beloved San Diego Chargers this holiday season. Yes, for a ten day period this holiday season the QUALCOMM Stadium will be renamed the Snapdragon stadium; after the ten days have passed the name will revert back. Continue reading on [...]

The other day Bryan (who we are THRILLED to have writing for Gear Diary now!!) wrote an interesting piece entitled Where’s My “Made for Android”? In it he reflected on the fact that there are so many different accessories available for iOS devices but a relative few for Android-running phones and tablets. Of course this is, in part, due to the fact that iOS devices are few in number and their specs are tightly controlled by Apple while Android is all over the place (go ahead, shoot your flaming arrows but you KNOW it is true!). That doesn’t change the central point- if you use an Android device your options are limited but if you… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We’ve recently taken a look at a number of Speck’s offerings for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S but I saved my personal favorite for last. The Speck FabShell is a low profile case that protects the back, sides, top and bottom of the iPhone but leaves the screen fully accessible The addition of fabric not only on the back but on the sides and bottom makes it a case that looks… and feels unique. Let’s check out this new style from Speck. Speck on the FabShell: Custom patterns, extra protection and a super-slim fit are what make Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I like Beyza Cases.  Here at Gear Diary, we tend to get offered a lot of cases for testing purposes, and I personally have found that it’s pretty rare when I like a case enough to actually buy one for myself later.  Out of pocket, as it were.  But Beyza cases is one of the few.  They’re good quality, a reasonable price, and they wear quite well.  (I particularly like the design of their “multi-flip” cases.)  I don’t mind recommending them at all, and right now they’re having a holiday sale: Happy Holidays! We wish you a year full of good health, happiness and success! 15% Discount on selected models are available until 31st of December!!! Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Google Music continues to work with artists to provide stuff for free to lure more users. Today they have a concert event by Pearl Jam from 9/11/11. Here is the description: Most hardcore Pearl Jam fans would bristle at the thought of tagging their heroes a jam band. (“What? You mean like Dave Matthews Band?”) Yet key aspects of the group’s evolution over the last two decades support this seemingly blasphemous notion: a marathon tour schedule that circles the globe year after year, a cultish fanbase willing to travel far and wide for concerts and, most importantly, embracing the live document as a central component to the music-making process. Obviously, Pearl Continue reading on Gear Diary …