Gear Diary » Thomas R. Hall

Google Finally Releases Chrome (Beta) for Android

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:45:32 +0000

My favorite browser, regardless of platform, is Google Chrome and I wondered how long it would take for Google to release Chrome for Android. Well, the wait is finally over. Sort of. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

ioSafe Shocks Us Again at CES 2012

Thomas R. Hall — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:00:51 +0000

ioSafe is known for keeping your data SAFE. How safe? Well, first we took the initiative to burn and water-soak a drive, and the data was still recoverable. Then, starting with CES 2010, ioSafe decided to show everyone that their drives are capable of withstanding burning, soaking, dropping, and crushing. In 2011, we upped the ante again and took shots (yes, using a gun) at an ioSafe drive, and the data saved on the ioSafe drive came out unscathed. Well, we wondered what they would do next and, at CES 2012, we found out. Honestly, what we saw shocked us ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Deal: HTC Evo View 4G Android Tablet 32GB Memory Today Only

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:07:46 +0000

Image courtesy of 1SaleADayWhen Dan and Judie reviewed the HTC Flyer, they had mixed feelings on it. I also had one which we gave away to a lucky reader. For me, the main feature I wanted it for was the stylus, but that didn't live up to my expectations. Otherwise, it is a very impressive Android tablet. So much so that Francis ended up getting one in the form of an HTC Evo View 4G when 1SaleADay offered them up in December. Well, they are back at it again, today only! The HTC Evo View 4G is essentially an HTC Flyer but also includes Sprint 3G (EVDO) and 4G (WiMax), in addition to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Deal: Target – Get Free Sonos Bridge With Purchase of Sonos Play

Thomas R. Hall — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:00:02 +0000

We know that Dan is a big fan of the Sonos Wireless HiFi system based on his reviews last year of the PLAY:5 and PLAY:3, as well as his recent video showing how easy it is to set up the system. One thing that holds some people back from a Sonos system is the cost associated with it. Even though these are high-performance systems, the initial entry cost may be high enough to cause some hesitation in the purchasing process. (Though Dan has said to me that it is well worth it.) Well, Target is sweetening the deal for a limited time, so if you haven't yet made the jump and are interested, read on. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

(NSFW) Yes, There’s Even an App (and Hardware) for That

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:00:09 +0000

(Photo courtesy of OhMiBod)

(Not safe for work) You will often find new, interesting, and even innovative products at CES. Most products have a large, almost universal appeal to consumers. Sometimes you end up with more niche products. This is one of those cases. As Francis and I walked the floor we happened upon something I did not expect to see at CES. It seems better suited for other events which are hosted in Las Vegas. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

First Look at the myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:59:22 +0000

Things are winding down at CES 2012, which was nice for Francis and me, as we were able to walk around more freely due to less traffic and spend more quality time with some vendors. Luckily for us, we were able to stop by and visit our friends from myCharge and PowerBag. We have reviewed the PowerBag Messenger and PowerBag Backpack in the past, and Dan mentioned how useful a PowerBag can be. They also have a great brand called myCharge, which is a set of portable batteries for recharging mobile devices, including iOS and Android devices.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The team at myCharge was nice enough to provide Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Deal: Get a Drobo 4-bay Unit for 50% Off – Today Only

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:21:28 +0000

Dan recently reviewed the Drobo data storage system from Data Robotics. I have owned one for several years and also love it for its flexibility. Imagine my surprise when I found out that for today only, you can get a new Drobo for 50% off! This offer applies to the standard Drobo only, not the other products in the Drobo line, such as the Drobo S or Drobo FS. Pick up a Drobo for 50% off the normal $399 price, bringing the price down to $199, today only. Simply use the discount code FRIDAY13 and the 50% discount will be applied.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Innovative Live Advertising from Lenovo

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:20:04 +0000

Well this is a bit different... I have seen other forms of live advertising in the past, but Lenovo just took it to a new level. We have all heard of blazing fast computers and internet speeds, but what about typing on top of a car? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iBike POWERHOUSE Brings a Complete Fitness System to the iPod Touch and iPhone

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:10:20 +0000

I don't know about you, but for me, trying to get into and keep on a fitness plan is difficult. Unless you have motivation, it can be difficult to keep with it. Personally, one way I have found that works to keep motivated is to have a training partner, or use statistics to track my progress. Well, the iBike POWERHOUSE does both! The iBike POWERHOUSE is a fitness tool which combines an iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S or an iPod Touch with a hardware device which:

A weather-proof / shock resistant patented smart case and sensors
The iBike POWERHOUSE app
Goal-specific plans developed by world-class fitness expert Hunter Allen

You simply start Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

T-Mobile Working Hard (At Apple Stores) To Fight Lack of iPhone

Thomas R. Hall — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:00:51 +0000

Poor T-Mobile. They are now the only major mobile carrier in the US not carrying the iPhone. With the release of the iPhone 4S, now AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have the iPhone 4 and 4S. Which leaves T-Mobile as the odd man out. But T-Mobile is trying to fight back. First, they issued a press release stating that they would love to carry the iPhone, but it is up to Apple. In the same press release, they explain reasons they feel their network is superior. Don't get me wrong - I really love T-Mobile, as does Francis. Their "4G" network speeds are currently unmatched and very reliable, but Verizon is quickly gaining Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iOS 5 Tip: Am I Sending an iMessage or SMS (Text) Message?

Thomas R. Hall — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:00:49 +0000

There are several new features in Apple's iOS 5. One of my favorites is the updated Messages application. Previously, Messages only allowed sending of SMS and MMS messages. As part of iOS 5, though, Messages can now send SMS and Text messages to phone numbers (as it always could), but can also send iMessages over a network connection, bypassing your text message plan. How do you tell which one you're using? Well, turns out Apple made it easy to tell when you are sending each message type, visually. They use two visual cues: color and the message in the input box. Text Message Text Messages (SMS, MMS) use a Green conversation bubble and the message Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

FaceTime and iOS Impresses Halfway Across the Globe

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:10 +0000

(Image courtesy of Apple)

The world is a big place. At the turn of the century trying to visit loved ones who lived halfway across the world took months. Now, we can fly from one side of the globe to the other in less than a day. And even when we aren't physically technology enables us to feel as if we are. I was reminded of this when FaceTime and iOS brought me closer to my wife AND saved us money in the process. My wife and I live in the midwest, but she is from Thailand. She is visiting her family for an extended period of time and we wanted to keep Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Appstore for Android – Fizzling Out or Just Getting Started?

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:30:09 +0000

When the Amazon Appstore for Android was announced, it was met with much fanfare. Several high-end applications were available free for a day or launched exclusively on Amazon's Appstore, including FlexT9, Swiftkey, and FieldRunners, to name a few. Heck, we even mentioned an application which alerted you daily on what the free deal of the day was! However, not everything was perfect with the Amazon Appstore for Android. Still, it really seems to be catching on as another viable alternative for the Android Market. Or is it? As Michael mentioned in his post "Has the Amazon App Store Changed You Android Shopping Habits Yet?" Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Wacom Inkling Digital Sketch Pen Is New Spin on Digital Analog Technology

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 01:15:52 +0000

(Image courtesy of Wacom)

While the iPad has become synonymous with the term "tablet", there has been other digital tablet technology, such as the Tablet PC and the Livescribe Pulse Pen which came out before and is surviving, albeit in more of a niche market. So it is rare for me to see any new devices, especially in the analog-to-digital space. While I love handwriting recognition on the Tablet PC and touch typing on the iPad, there has always been an appeal to writing on actual paper. The Livescribe handles this well, but requires the use of their special (Anoto-based) paper which has a series of microdots on it Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Free App Reminder Does What It Says – Amazon Android App Store

Thomas R. Hall — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:00:52 +0000

Ever since it was launched, we have extolled the virtues of the Amazon Android App Store, as well as pointed out a few issues with it. Like it or not, Amazon's Android App Store has been well-received by Android users, especially since they have a different paid application available for free every day. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get busy. So I don't check the Amazon App Store every day. Which means I could miss out on such gems as Nuance's FlexT9 keyboard for free. Well, an enterprising developer came up with a solution for those of us who are too busy Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iOS App Review: Ecamm Printopia for Mac Brings AirPrint Capability to iOS Users with Older Printers

Thomas R. Hall — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:00:15 +0000

When Apple announced AirPrint for iOS devices, I could almost see Steve Jobs' point about the "post-PC era". Being able to print from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch (newer devices with iOS 4.2 or later) wirelessly sounded great. Indeed, Google's Cloud Print functionality for their Chrome browsers works in a similar fashion. But then I found out how limited the supported list of printers was. Heck, even those of us with Apple Airport Extreme wireless routers that have attached printers could not use AirPrint:

AirPrint only works with a network connection to an AirPrint-capable printer. A printer connected to the USB port of your Mac, PC

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Announces New Cloud Drive and Cloud Player Products With 5GB Free Storage

Thomas R. Hall — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:58 +0000

Amazon has had its own music store offering, Amazon MP3, for several years. It has been well-received, in part due to its cheaper pricing compared to the Apple iTunes Music Store. But Amazon has wanted to broaden its reach, and it released the Amazon MP3 application for Android. This allowed you to purchase music and download directly to your Android phone. Today, Amazon announced completely new capabilities in the Amazon MP3 application, and much more. Amazon Cloud Drive First up is Amazon Cloud Drive, a service which allows you to store files online. 5GB of storage is available for free, and if you purchase an album on Amazon MP3 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Now Offering Wireless Delivery of Audible Audiobooks Via WiFi

Thomas R. Hall — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:30:23 +0000

When Amazon bought Audible.com in 2008, I wasn't sure what the impact would be for Audible as a company, and for me as a loyal customer since 2001. I hoped that Amazon would just bring more scale to Audible's existing service, and help them to increase the number of audiobooks available on Audible.com. Luckily, this is exactly what Amazon did, and Audible now has over 85,000 titles available. Audible still is fairly autonomous. It isn't really integrated into the Amazon's online store; you still log in directly to Audible.com to access you audiobook content. Late last year, the ability to merge your Audible account with your Amazon login was released. This isn't a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Appstore: Is Choice Good for Android Users?

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:00:35 +0000

Competition is always a good thing, right? I mean, the iPhone was the first true innovation in the smartphone market for years. And along came Android, which accelerated healthy competition and made all smartphones better, and therefore better for users. So why am I not very happy with the Amazon Appstore, at least at the moment? The promise of the Amazon Appstore sounds great, at least on paper. Adding another option for a store for consumers to buy Android apps sounds like a win-win situation, but in practice, I don't think that it is all that it is thought to be, at least not yet. Some changes need to come to the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

T-Mobile G2x with Google Android Phone Features Dual-Core Tegra 4G Speeds and More

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:00:13 +0000

T-Mobile just announced a very sweet Android phone that has features that are making a few of us here at Gear Diary stand up and take notice. What makes it such an attractive phone? Read on for details. The T-Mobile G2x (by LG), not to be confused with the T-Mobile G2 (which has a hardware keyboard), is definitely an interesting handset. Some of the key features that Francis and I find interesting include:

Two Processors - NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual-Core 1 Ghz processor
Two Cameras - an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and autofocus, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera
Support for T-Mobile

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

T-Mobile Expands 4G Network and Speeds and 4G Product Lineup

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:20:03 +0000

(Image courtesy of T-Mobile)

T-Mobile keeps on reminding us rabidly loyal fans why we love their network so much. In addition to announcing the T-Mobile G2x with Google, they announced a partnership with Audi, but most importantly, they are further enhancing their 4G infrastructure, as they said they would. T-Mobile announced that they are planning on doubling their 4G HSPA+ network to theoretical download speeds of 42 Mbps! I can tell you that with my T-Mobile G2, I regularly get over 8 - 10 Mbps. And T-Mobile announced new devices today which will be able to take advantage of the upgrade to their network. Customers lucky enough to live in Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Apple’s iPad 2′s Camera Placement and Software Features Show Apple Still “Thinks Different”

Thomas R. Hall — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:00:49 +0000

(image courtesy of Apple)

Apple's iPad 2 adds new hardware, including a front and back camera. What is interesting is the difference in where and how their front facing camera works, compared with other upcoming tablet offerings. Apple, in typical Apple fashion, was "thinking different".

Rumors that Apple would be adding front and back camera to the iPad 2 were circulating for months, and now we know it is true. Apple almost had to put both cameras in, as all other tablet manufacturers are putting them in. It's essentially become a "required" feature. So, what makes Apple's approach so different from the others? When Apple released the first iPad less Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Bowsers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones Review

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:00:26 +0000

Work in a loud cubicle environment? Want to focus when you're working at a coffee house? Are you an audiophile with discerning tastes? While Bose has long been known for their noise cancellation headphones, there is another contender for high-end on-ear headphones in the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones. Read on for my impressions of the B&W P5 and how well it handles a multitude of environments. When I traveled extensively for work 10+ years ago, the Bose QuietComfort noise cancellation headphones were the thing to have. They reduced airplane noise, were portable enough, and had decent sound quality. I tried a pair out, but never ended up buying them. Why, you Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android Market Blues – Are Carrier App Restrictions Beating You Down?

Thomas R. Hall — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:30:42 +0000

Ah... Android. The allure of a completely open system. You're in control, unlike on iOS devices. Right? Right? Sometimes, not so much. Turns out, AT&T Android-touting users, for example, can only install applications in the Android Market. Recently, Travis asked about installing non-Market applications on an AT&T Android smartphone, and Francis told him a few possible ways to do this. It's definitely a source of frustration for users on carriers with such restrictions. Removing a standard feature of Android is simply an annoyance to users, and can be circumvented, as the Tested.com article How To Install Apps that are Filtered Out of Your Android Market App points out. Some Android users are Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Eenie Meenie Miny Moe… MacBook Airs But Which Way to Go?

Dan Cohen — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:00:09 +0000

When Apple announced the new MacBook air this past Wednesday I knew immediately that I would be ordering one. The question was – which one? Dan- Let me go back a few years. I have always wanted a thin and light computer that allowed me to do everything but was simple to lug around. When my arthritic wrists became increasingly painful the need for a light notebook grew significantly. As a result I ordered the first MacBook Air as soon as it was available. In fact, mine came in the very first day the computers were hitting the United States Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: T-Mobile G2 – Is it better than the Nexus One?

Thomas R. Hall — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:53:27 +0000

The T-Mobile G2 is the first true successor to the phone that started it all, the T-Mobile G1, over two years ago. I have been carrying two Android devices (a Google Nexus One, and a T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide) because there has not been a single Android device that met my needs. Does the T-Mobile G2, with its increased storage capacity, support for the faster HSPA+ network, with its innovative keyboard design and stock Android experience meet my needs? Read on to find out. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iOS4 Tip: Add Custom Words to iPhone Dictionary

Thomas R. Hall — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:00:48 +0000

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Antidisestablishmentarianism? Okay, so maybe you don't use those words every day, but what about other words that you do? And they aren't in your iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) dictionary? Judie was running into this issue recently on her iPhone. For some strange reason, she frequently needs to type the word "Kev", and the iPhone kept auto-correcting it to "KeV" (note the upper-case "V"). So what do you do? Buying a bumper won't fix this problem!

Well, with the release of iOS 4, a little-known feature is available to allow you to add custom words to the iPhone dictionary. I was puzzled when Judie said she didn't have a

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

1Password for Windows Beta Now Available

Thomas R. Hall — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:30:35 +0000

(Image courtesy of Agile Web Solutions)

With more people creating a variety of online accounts and putting more information online and with the increase in the number of hacks trying to get into accounts, having a password manager is worth looking into. One of my favorite password managers, 1Password, has been available on the Mac platform for years and works seamlessly with a variety of browsers. 1Password is also available on the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad. Well, imagine my surprise to see that Agile Web Solutions has released a beta of 1Password for Windows! While it does not yet have feature parity with the Mac version, it's an excellent first version. There are plugins Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iPad- Like A Rorschach Ink Blot You’ll See In It What You Want To See…

Dan Cohen — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:00:23 +0000

I was at my physician's yesterday. When he walked into the room his first words were... "So how's the iPad?" (Yes even my doctors know what a tech geek I am.) I told him I love it... and I pulled it out of my bag. Then he asked me the question that has been asked over and over again, "What's the point of it? What's the purpose of this device? I don't get it." Unlike the radio DJs with whom I spoke last week (here and here) his questions weren't statements. He actually was asking a question and wanted an answer. So I explained to him that I find I'm able Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Books on the iPad: Comparing the Printed Page to ePub and PDFs

Thomas R. Hall — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:00:46 +0000

PDF. ePub. Kindle. iBooks. eBooks. Nook. eInk. Web Browser. Laptop. Audiobooks. For over 10 years, I have been trying to move to an all-electronic workflow for reading and consuming books, especially technical books. It started when I was a consultant traveling in planes to a variety of locations all over the US and internationally. Even when I was working locally, I had a 3+ hour commute daily for a number of years. One of the first things I did was switch to listening to audiobooks (via Audible) for my long daily commute via car. It not only kept me more alert, but I was able to read 3-4 unabridged books a month while I drove Continue reading on Gear Diary ...