Gear Diary » Joel McLaughlin

Arch Linux: Only the Hardcore Need Apply

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:35 +0000

In search of a different distro (term of endearment for Linux distributions) to try, I decided to try installing probably one of the harder distros to install, Arch Linux over the weekend. I thought I would gather some thoughts into a post and share what I think of this interesting distro that doesn't get the press that Ubuntu does.

Arch Linux is a bit different than most Linux distributions out there. For example, it doesn't have a default graphical interface. It boots directly into a Linux command prompt from the CD. You get into the install by typing in: /arch/setup in the command Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Ubuntu’s HUD: A New Way to Use Your Linux Computer

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:00:40 +0000

Yesterday Ubuntu's community manager, Jono Bacon put up a post calling for people to test their brand new idea for the Unity interface they currently use. They call it HUD. HUD will be included in the next relse of Ubuntu, version 12.04, code named "Precise Pangolin".

Click here to view the embedded video.

With HUD, you can do many different things like post to Twitter, Search your web history or find a drop down menu in Firefox or any other app. You can do some of this even if you don't have that app loaded. Above is a video that shows you just what you can do with the HUD. To try the HUD, you have to install Ubuntu Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Lexar Introduces USB 3.0 Flash Drives

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:00:59 +0000

My new laptop finally has USB 3 in a couple ports and now Lexar finally has releases a couple new flash drives that may help me fill my USB 3 ports.

First up is the new JumpDrive Triton model which boasts itself as one of the fastest USB 3.o flash drives available.

The new JumpDrive Triton is more than 20 times faster than standard USB 2.0 flash drives based on benchmark tests, offering 155MB per second read and 150MB per second write speeds for exceptionally fast and reliable downloading and transferring of content. Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, JumpDrive Triton is the premier, high-performance offering in the Lexar line of USB 3.0 flash drives.

The JumpDrive Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

CES 2012: Digital Innovations Releases Universal Speaker Dock for Android

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:15:23 +0000

Android people have long been without a great speaker dock solution. Usually you ended up just plugging your phone into desktop speakers and pressing play on the phone. Remote control? No way. Gear Diary's own Bryan lamented about this lack of accessories just a few weeks ago! Well at CES 2012, Digital Innovations has brought out their Universal Speaker dock for Android! Android users rejoice as you can pause and alter the volume of the music from across the room with a remote just like iPhone users have been able to do for quite some time now. What is even better is this dock will be available in just a few days from ThinkGeek! They estimate Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

CES 2012: Ubuntu to Unveil Ubuntu TV

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:40:04 +0000

When the rumors came across last week of Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu coming to CES, I thought 'Why?'. What could they be introducing that could be worthy of a booth at CES? Well all across the internet today Canonical has introduced their new Ubuntu TV product. Ubuntu TV, based on the new Unity interface is what Canonical wants TV makers and content providers to consider for integration in their TV's.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They also promise apps for Android, iOS and Ubuntu itself for interfacing with your Ubuntu TV.

While it really looks nice, I am not so sure how this will go for them. First, companies who make TVs like

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android’s New Holo Theme to Help Speed Updates; Potential to End Themes?

Joel McLaughlin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:15:06 +0000

According to Droid Life and the Android developers blog the Holo theme included in Android 4.0 is a requirement on a devices that ship the Android Marketplace with 4.0. This promises to fix is the amount of time it takes manufacturers to produce updates to the OS. They do this by making Holo a requirement and allowing a DeviceDefault skin as well. Adam Powell of Google says:

Formally separating these theme families will also make future merges easier for manufacturers updating to a new platform version, helping more devices update more quickly.

Also, developers can specify DeviceDefault or Holo. Since every device going forward will have Holo, this can help provide a more Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

10 Important Desktop Open Source Projects for 2012

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:15:26 +0000

In the spirit of Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier's post over on Linux.com, I thought I would craft my list of 10 important open source desktop applications of the last year. Now I know that not every Gear Diary reader is a huge Open Source fan or follower, but these are projects to watch in the coming year. Some of this software works on Windows and Mac OS X as well so you may want to check them out if going full bore into Linux isn't in the cards right now. Most of this software is software I use on Linux every day. Some of them are not just applications, but whole desktop environments or Linux distributions as well. Note: These aren't ranked in any order. These are just Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

HP Open Sources WebOS

Joel McLaughlin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:30:32 +0000

HP has put up a press release regarding the fate of WebOS. WebOS has been given to the open source community.

HP will engage the open source community to help define the charter of the open source project under a set of operating principles:
The goal of the project is to accelerate the open development of the webOS platform
HP will be an active participant and investor in the project
Good, transparent and inclusive governance to avoid fragmentation
Software will be provided as a pure open source project

This is probably the best thing that HP could have done with this. Once everything is finalized, it will then be Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Power of Viral Marketing: Companies Need to Account for It!

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:30:41 +0000

Recently there's been several stories across the net about people in the real world that have underestimated the viral nature of the internet with regards to business promotions. Sometimes it comes from official channels like GroupOn. However, sometimes this can come from places that the store simply cannot account for. The picture above is the toy aisle at my local Kroger. No they are not going out of business but it sure looks like it in the picture above. The above picture is the result of a promotion that has gone horribly wrong. The promotion? Well, from October through the end of November, for every dollar you spent at Kroger, you would get a 10 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse Review

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:29 +0000

Mice seem to be ubiquitous. Everyone has one. Not many people even consider buying one that didn't come with their computer while some are fanatical about the mice they use. I tend to be one of the former. As long as it has a scroll wheel I am usually happy, but now I have a new favorite wired mouse in the Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse. What makes this mouse All Terrain? Well anyone who has used an optical mouse and tried to use it on a glass surfaces knows that they usually will not work on glass table top or glass blotter like you find in a hotel room. The Digital Innovations AllTerrain Wired 3-Button Mouse Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon: It May Be Easy, but It’s a Risk

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:30:58 +0000

Now that Amazon is shipping the Kindle Fire, I got to thinking: what if you gift the Fire or any other Kindle? Well, if you do, make sure you do what Laptopmag.com says in their post and keep YOUR Kindle account safe. After I read this, I did some more thinking: What if someone stole your shiny new Kindle off of your porch? If this happens, then that thief has access to ALL of your books and can purchase books on your account. This is bad. This is very bad. Gear Diary's own Michael Anderson and Dan Cohen are both trying out the Kindle Fire, and both commented in our Yammer on how easy the setup is. However Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Book Review: Tweeting Linux

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:00:41 +0000

It's not often I do book reviews. In fact, I've only done one other book review, and that was for Cooking for Geeks which wrapped my love of tech with my love of food. In that book, there was a chef who shared recipes via Twitter. In this book, by Don R. Crawley, we take sharing on Twitter to a new subject: Linux. The full title of the book is Tweeting Linux: 140 Linux Configuration Commands Explained in 140 Characters or less. This book explores one of the things that, once you go beyond just installing Linux, you come to realize is invaluable -- and that is the command line. Yes I said the command line. What is Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Asus EeePad Transformer

Joel McLaughlin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:00:49 +0000

The tech press has maligned Android tablets. There just hasn't been one that has caught the up to the iPad according to many people. That may soon change with tablets like the one I have, the Asus's EeePad Transformer. Hardware Much of the hardware on the Android tablet front has eerily similar specs. Like most Android tablets that have a version of Honeycomb, the Transformer has an Nvidia Tegra 2, 1 GB of ram, 16 or 32 GB of Flash (mine has 16), WiFi (B,G and N supported), Bluetooth V2.1+EDR, HDMI out, MicroSD Slot, a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.2 megapixel camera on the front. Where the Transformer differs is in its screen and it's Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Galaxy Nexus With Android 4.0 is Official

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:29 +0000

I just finished watching the Google/Samsung event that officially announced the new Galaxy Nexus phone. This will be the first phone with Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich). I liked what I saw as there is a lot to like about this new phone. The hardware is impressive and the new version of Android takes the look of Honeycomb but makes it much smoother and faster. Here's a quick look.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let's talk about the hardware.

The Galaxy Nexus ships with a huge 4.65 inch high-definition super AMOLED display. The display is humongous yet the phone is just 8.84 mm thick. At just 4.29 mm, the bezel is also super thin. The phone

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Motorola Releases Motorola Droid RAZR and MotoACTV

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:15:17 +0000

Ahead of the Samsung/Google announcement for the Galaxy Nexus, Motorola had a press event in conjunction with Verizon on two new devices.

The first one is the new Motorola Droid RAZR which they say is the thinnest 4G LTE Smartphone. It packs a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 processor, 8 megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p HD video, 1GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage with 16GB additional on the microSD card and an 1,800mAh battery. Of course it also works with the recently announced Lapdock 100 and 500 Pro. Also included are some cloud features that Motorola calls MotoCast. Unfortunately, by the looks of things, it is shipping with Android 2.3 which may be overshadowed by Samsung's announcement later tonight (US Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Let the iPhone 6 Rumors Begin… WE Already Have the “Proof”

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:00:11 +0000

I was reading through my feeds today and a story on Droid Life cropped up about some pictures appearing on Picasa that were tagged as being taken by a Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus. Both phones are all but confirmed, with tons of evidence throughout the web, but these pics are being labeled as evidence as the phone being out real soon now. They may actually be out, but posting pictures that purportedly came from the devices is hardly evidence. Why do I say that? I will show you. The above picture was taken with my Droid 2. Yeah it's a little fuzzy, but bear with me. Since it was taken with my Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player Review

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I love Sandisk's Sansa line because they are cheap, use standard connectors and work on just about any OS. So when they offered to send me the new Clip Zip to review for Gear Diary I jumped at the chance. Will it be as nice as their past devices? Let's find out. The Clip Zip is the next version of the Clip. My friends in the Linux community have much love for the Clip. It's cheap, supports Ogg Vorbis codecs, and it connects to your computer as conveniently as any flash drive. That means you can us any OS that supports USB mass storage. Windows, Mac, Linux and even my Asus EeePad Transformer Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: iFrogz Legion Earbuds and iFrogz Split

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:00:21 +0000

Sometimes all you need is a set of headphones. No microphone integrated and no bells and whistles except great looks. The Legion ear buds from iFrogz fit the bill really nicely. By the way, the name Legion comes from the X-men character. Will the earbuds fit the name? Let's find out. When I first saw these, the look of them reminded me of a turbine or something you might find on the death star. I loved the look of these buds with the chrome and light blue coloring being eye-catching without being in your face. They are also available in black/grey and a neon green. They are a bit manly looking, but since I am Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: iFrogz Vertex Headphones with Mic

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:00:21 +0000

The folks at iFrogz were kind enough to send me a set of their brand new Vertex line of headphones to check out. Will they sounds as good as they look? Follow along for a detailed look at all the features of the Vertex Headphones. It used to be that if you wanted a wired set of headphones with a mic, you were stuck using in ear or ear bud designs. Several manufactures have started adding a microphone to headphones that are not ear buds now that it's far more common to use your phone as a music device. The Vertex is one of these set of headphones.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Return of Layaway?

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:00:41 +0000

About five years ago Wal-mart decided it was no longer going to offer layaway plans. What is layaway? Layaway works by you walking in to the store, picking what you want and going back to a layaway counter and putting a down payment on it. You then have a certain amount of time to pay it off then take it home. If you don't pay it off, it goes back on the sales floor and you get your money refunded minus a service charge. The great ting is you don't pay any interest like you do with credit cards. The downside for the store is if someone else wants to buy what you put in layaway, they can't Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Netflix, Qwikster, and You

Douglas Moran — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:00:31 +0000

Photo courtesy of Woman's Day

The news from Netflix starts off with an "apology" from the Big Kahuna himself, Reed Hastings:

It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing.

Now okay, I just experienced a layoff, so I'm bound to be more cynical right now than is typical (and my default level of cynicism is pretty high, too), but that sounds like the opening of " Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: iFrogz Timbrepro Headphones with Mic

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:00:46 +0000

I have always loved iFrogz unique headphone designs. They are always eye-catching and usually sound pretty good to boot. They aren't top of the line, but they are far from the worst I have ever tried. That's why I jumped at the chance to get a set of the new iFrogz Timbrepro Headphones sent to me for a review.

The general design of these is very much like some of the other headphones iFrogz has in their line that include the inline microphone for iPhone, Android and any phone that accepts a 3.5 mm jack. Where they differ are in two different design points. First, the timbre in Timbrepro Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

How I Chose the Tablet for Me

Joel McLaughlin — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:00:15 +0000

Tablet computing is all the rage now. Microsoft coined it, Apple popularized it and there are many others including Microsoft itself that are vying for a piece of the large pie that Apple already owns. It isn't the death of the PC, but I am convinced it's a device almost everyone will eventually own. Some may replace their computer entirely with a tablet device, while others will just use it to augment the laptop or desktop they use. Either way, it's the future and I've decided I need to look at getting one. Follow me along the journey of selecting my first tablet device. About Me If you know me, I am a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

To iPad or Not to iPad?

Douglas Moran — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:00:41 +0000

It's simply the latest variation of that popular topic: is your [thing] better than my [thing], or is it the other way 'round? Wine, or beer? Ford or GM? Tastes great, or less filling? Mac or PC? "Firefly" or "Buffy"? ("Firefly", dammit!) Yesterday, your faithful Gear Diary team was hashing over the topic of iPad, or Android tablet. As you might expect with a collection of Appleheads, PC mavens, UNIX and Linux folks, and all the rest, it got heated, involved, and nerdly. It started with a friendly discussion between Francis and Joel as to which device Joel might soon be buying, and it developed from there: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Pearson and Eminata Launch eTextbook Initiative on the iPad

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:45:34 +0000

Pearson and Eminata has launched a new eTextbook initiative exclusively on the iPad.

Beginning September 1, 2011, students at CDI College, Vancouver Career College and Reeves College will begin receiving all of their course content via Pearson’s eText for iPad app. Hundreds of Pearson textbooks will be delivered in the eText for iPad platform, Pearson’s premier electronic book technology.

Even though these are all Canadian schools, I think this is a great initiative and one that is way past due. I take classes at the college I work for, and I regularly have to purchase textbooks that can cost as much as 130 dollars A BOOK. I've tried to get them on Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

SanDisk Brings Out the Sansa Clip Zip

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:42:28 +0000

While I do like iPods, I still love other MP3 players as well. One of my favorites is the Sansa Fuze+ after the latest firmware update. Sandisk also has made many other Sansas, and one of the Linux community's favorite ones has been the Sansa Clip. Just when I didn't think the Clip could get any better, Sandisk brings out the Clip Zip, which adds some nice things to the Clip's form factor.

Stylish, Feature-Rich Player Delivers Affordable On-The-Go Music Experience

· Packed with features, including a larger color screen, compatibility with all major music formats, a stopwatch, an FM radio, voice recording capability and a microSDHC™ card slot for extra storage
·

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The SanDisk Ultra 8GB USB Flash Drive Review

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:00:02 +0000

I collect thumb drives. At least it seems that way, as I have a whole bag of them. One of these days I'd like to replace all of the smaller ones with one larger one or a few larger ones. This 8 GB SanDisk Ultra flash drive is my second 8 GB flash drive and one of my favorites. Let's take a look at its features.

Speedy - Faster file transfer speeds
Stylish - Attractive slider design houses your data in style
Secure - Store your private files in a password-protected and encrypted vault on the USB flash drive
Added Protection - Secure online backup (up to 2 GB*) offered by SanDisk's online backup

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Cobra Tag Helps You Find Anything Including Your Phone

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:30:33 +0000

Are you the type that misplaces things like keys, your car remote or your purse? Then the Cobra Tag may be for you. Cobra Tag is a Bluetooth device that works in conjunction with your phone. Once set up, if you walk away from the item your phone will alert you that you forgot your keys. What if that item is your phone? Cobra Tag has that covered too. If you walk away from your phone AND have the tag, then the tag itself will alert you that you left your phone behind. The app works on Blackberry and Android devices. No word yet on iPhone availability, or on how they plan to fix the problem when you leave both your Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iFrogz Introduces Some New Headphones and Accessories

Joel McLaughlin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:15:59 +0000

I work at a college and one of the things you see in almost every set of ears on campus is a set of headphones. Our bookstore sells them all the time when students destroy their favorite pair of buds which is why they carry many different brands of headphones including some from iFrogz as well. Today iFrogz has brought out a new line of headphones in the new iFrogz Audio brand. They will also be bringing two more sets of headphones in the Ear Pollution line of headphones.

The first set is a set of on ear headphones called Frequency. They will be available in Black, Green or White colors for $79.99.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Linux Netbook Review: ZaReason Teo Pro Netbook

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:00:31 +0000

It has been a while since I looked at ZaReason's Terra HD Netbook. I liked that one, but the integrated Intel graphics still held it back from those netbooks that are now shipping Nvidia Ion or Ion 2 cards for graphics. Today I am checking out one of ZaReason's smaller netbooks, the Teo Pro. The Teo Pro is yet another netbook running Ubuntu Linux and equipped with the venerable Atom N450. In fact, spec wise the Teo Pro is almost identical to the Terra HD except that the Teo Pro has a 10.1 inch 1024x600 LCD and one less USB port. Everything else in the loaner they sent me is equivalent to the Terra HD Continue reading on Gear Diary ...