Gear Diary » Editorials http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:15:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Road Warrior/Technogypsy Notes: The Right Stuff Helpshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/road-warriortechnogypsy-notes-the-right-stuff-helps/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/road-warriortechnogypsy-notes-the-right-stuff-helps/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:00:13 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182932 ™

No, I don't travel with quite that much stuff; close, though (Image courtesy of The Tech Journal)

So it used to be that I had to travel basically every week--my job was in California, but my home is in Austin, so I did an awful lot of flying around.  After a while, it got to the point where it was practically automatic, and I didn't give much thought to the things I did to make traveling easier. Recently, however, after a 5 month hiatus, I had to make a business trip, and I'm finding that some of the gear that I got to ease my way makes things much easier.  If you yourself are a road warrior, a technogypsy, a traveling nerd, then maybe some of these hints can help you out, too. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/road-warriortechnogypsy-notes-the-right-stuff-helps/feed/ 0 Gear Chat 2012 Episode 2, Tablets, Apps and Games… Oh My!!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:58 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183531 We're back with the next edition of Gear Chat. This time out Mike is bringing us some gaming news and Thomas and I talk tablets, apps and iPad 3. Listen below or click here to download.
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Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/feed/ 0 Is the iPad 3 in Your Future? A Gear Chathttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183069

Yes, it is that time of year. The annual iPad announcement and release is likely on the way and, with it, the flurry of rumors are in full force. Moreover, as we have seen in recent year, these rumors are often accompanied by slightly blurry spy shots of various components. We saw a supposed back plate for the iPad 3 and today the supposed hi-res display has emerged. We do our best to stay away from rumor and innuendo (although sometimes we just can't resist) but that does not mean we aren't thinking about what we want in the iPad 3. Here's what the team had to say about it I asked: What do YOU want in the iPad 3 (that is also actually possible) and are you buying? Why or why not? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/feed/ 2 AT&T Set to Double Their Upgrade Fee to $36?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:15:18 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183255

AT&T is reportedly slated to increase their device upgrade costs from $18 to $36 this coming Sunday, February 12.
Because the overall costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased, effective Sunday, February 12, 2012, AT&T will change its upgrade fee from $18 to $36
Just my luck. I'm due for an upgrade, and I've been chomping at the bit to try a Windows phone, as evidenced by Dan and Judie's saga of their HTC Titan usage. Speaking for myself, it's just unfortunate that by the time I want to try out the Titan II or the Nokia 900 I'll be paying a lot more than I anticipated. In a message to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/feed/ 0 From Evernote Hello to Evernote, Hell No!!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/from-evernote-hello-to-evernote-hell-no/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/from-evernote-hello-to-evernote-hell-no/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:15:55 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183090   Update #2 by Dan: We reached out to Evernote CEO Phil Libin to bring this to his attention. He let us know that the feature is supposed to be off by default when you add a person manually AND, if you change the settings the app is supposed to remember the settings. Currently it is on by default aND it doesn't remember changed settings but that is a bug that will be addressed ASAP. That's great news. I also hope Evernote will highlight this functionality in the future so people know it is there in the first place. Update #1 by Judie: Dan just called to tell me that it turns out that there is a "Send my contact info when I meet someone" option that is checked by default, meaning that the app is installed to send the offending introduction email. You must uncheck the box, and thereby OPT OUT, or this app will send an automatic email to the contact. My advice would be "make sure that you check that box!" I just downloaded it (on my iPad) to see for myself, and I didn't find any opt-out check box during the set up process, much less any notice anywhere that the app would send an email to anyone. It was only when I went searching after the fact that I found the option inside my personal info in settings. I can tell you right now that if I met some guy at an event and then got an email from him moments later saying he was pleased to meet me, I would think it was more than a little bit weird. To top matters off, there is the "If you'd like to remember the people you meet, get Evernote Hello" tag at the bottom of the email, which makes the sender look like they wouldn't be able to keep people straight if it weren't for the app. My opinion is that it would be best to collect a business card upon introduction and scan it later, rather than fool with this app.   I ripped on Evernote 'Hello' when it was first released over a month ago. The "meet people and get in contact" app from Evernote seemed to me to be completely unnecessary. And when they suggested you give it to a stranger and allow them to take their own picture with your smartphone … umm no! Well Evernote Hello got updated, and the update post on the Evernote Blogcast even includes CEO Phil Libin discussing the improvements. Quite frankly when Phil goes into explaining why giving the other person your iPhone in order to take a picture "You almost get a photo booth type experience with them smiling", I had to wonder if some of the explanations were direct responses to our criticisms. Of course they are not, but each (and every) hole we punched in the app WAS addressed. The good news is that the update actually makes a crApp potentially useful. So I went to use it and guess what? This is still NOT an app I want on my iPhone, and you probably don't either. Why? Because it does something I didn't know about, I don't want, and something they don't mention! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/from-evernote-hello-to-evernote-hell-no/feed/ 0 Music Diary Notes: Reflections on the Music Industry in 2011http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/music-diary-notes-reflections-on-the-music-industry-in-2011/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/music-diary-notes-reflections-on-the-music-industry-in-2011/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:59:02 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178878

Over the last couple of weeks details about the music industry results for 2011 have been trickling in, and at this point I figured it was time to share a few interesting (to me, anyway) tidbits ... and then discuss them in more detail. Here's one of the points that I think is really important that also really makes me smile: I am enjoying watching the industry rush to get behind Adele (or more to the point, jump on her bandwagon), while in reality they were never rooting for her. Her album didn't have huge marketing, and took off thanks to a curious method you might have heard about: airplay and listener feedback. People liked her song and voice and bought and requested the song, which got it played more and more and more. Completely organic - labels love the money but hate the lack of control. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/music-diary-notes-reflections-on-the-music-industry-in-2011/feed/ 0 Checking Out Windows Phone Speed, Apps, Camera, Music Player and Gameshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:00:51 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179112

Judie: Our saga began when Dan and I received HTC Titans at a Microsoft sponsored dinner while attending CES; it's hard to believe that on the 11th it will have been one month ago. You can catch up on our previous posts before starting with this one by clicking the following links: Considering the Move from an iPhone 4S to Windows Phone Titan Comparing the iPhone 4s Hardware to the HTC Titan and Dipping into the Windows Phone User Interface In that month, my iPhone has never left my gadget drawer. Although I can think of a few times I wished I had it -- mainly when writing up a cool accessory I had just discovered that was 'iPhone only' or when feeling the absence of a favorite app -- not once have I missed it enough to retrieve it from the drawer. That's better than I can say for any other phone running any other operating system that I have tried in the past ... but I'm not sure if I'm ready to list the 4S on eBay just yet! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/feed/ 14 Sony Finds One Last Way to Screw US PSP Ownershttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/sony-finds-one-last-way-to-screw-us-psp-owners/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/sony-finds-one-last-way-to-screw-us-psp-owners/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:30:52 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182895

They say that if you want to learn something about a person take a look at how they treat people they DON'T have to be nice to - you know, anyone from kids to animals to waiters and store clerks. If a person treats them poorly without reason they are, quite simply, a lousy person. And you can only expect to receive the same down the line. On the other hand, if they treat you AND others well, you have a partner you can count on. I can hear you saying 'what is it NOW, Anderson? What are you griping about this time?' Well, I'm talking about Sony. Anyone who has a PSP Go remembers how, right up until the release of the Go, Sony was teasing the possibility of some form of 'UMD transfer program' that would allow users to get some value out of existing UMD games by trading them in or somehow 'swapping' them for a digital version. And, in fact, EU and Japanese gamers who had existing PSN accounts with registered PSPs got a set of three digital games. US gamers got ... nuthin'. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/sony-finds-one-last-way-to-screw-us-psp-owners/feed/ 0 Gaming Future and Obsoletenesshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/gaming-future-and-obsoleteness/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/gaming-future-and-obsoleteness/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:00:47 +0000 Michael Siebenaler http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182584 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/gaming-future-and-obsoleteness/feed/ 0 Unhappy Inside and Out, the BBC Tracks Down an Internet Trollhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/unhappy-inside-and-out-the-bbc-tracks-down-an-internet-troll/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/unhappy-inside-and-out-the-bbc-tracks-down-an-internet-troll/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:56 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182834 If you look at post comments here on Gear Diary you'll see some that correct mistakes we made and others that outright disagree with us. You'll see perspectives that differ, Judie teased for "just happening to carry a micro-sim adapter" with her at all times and, sometimes, a suggestion about something we missed. All of that is fair game and, in fact, we welcome it. What you will not see however, are rude, offensive, gratuitously nasty comments. The reason for that is simple, such comments immediately get yanked. You see, we have a zero tolerance for trolls on Gear Diary. Who are the internet trolls, the people who use anonymity to hide their vile, repulsive, self-hating bigotry? Who are these people that even a mother would find difficult to love? The BBC tracked one down and… he is an idiot. See for yourself... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/unhappy-inside-and-out-the-bbc-tracks-down-an-internet-troll/feed/ 3 ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ Makes Me Sadhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/a-different-kind-of-truth-makes-me-sad/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/a-different-kind-of-truth-makes-me-sad/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:15:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182551 20120207-074926.jpg

Van Halen just released 'A Different Kind of Truth', their 12th studio album, and their first album of new material since 1998. It turns it turns out some of the songs are based on demos and unrecorded lyrics from the 1970's. And it sounds like it. The album is making me feel old and... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/a-different-kind-of-truth-makes-me-sad/feed/ 6 Gear Chat 2012- We’re Back!!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:50:56 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182430 It has been over a year but Gear Chat is back and we're talking tech. In this first episode Thomas and I talk about the Samsung Galaxy Note, the Series 7 Slate tablet and what configuration of Apple computing products is best. Future episodes will include Gaming and eBook segments and much more. We also want to hear from you! What content do you want covered? What questions do you have? Would you like us to do the podcast as a live, call-in conversation? We want to know. Happy listening and, as always, thanks for sharing via Twitter and Facebook.
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Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/feed/ 1 Server Maintenance Reminds Us Why Ubisoft’s ‘Always On’ DRM is Stupidhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/server-maintenance-reminds-us-why-ubisofts-always-on-drm-is-stupid/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/server-maintenance-reminds-us-why-ubisofts-always-on-drm-is-stupid/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:30:36 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182186

It has been nearly two years since I reviewed 'The Settlers 7: Path to a Kingdom', in which I trashed the always-on DRM for the single-player, offline strategy title, saying:
As for the DRM … it is intolerable and unacceptable. The DRM is this: you need to go through all of the normal serial number and online activation hoops, but beyond that you also need to have a constant internet connection to Ubisoft’s servers. If that connection drops – ON EITHER END – you are booted out of your game. Originally the boot-out would lose all progress from the prior checkpoint, but an update made it so the game state was saved at the moment of connection loss…which was at least a step in the right direction. It was reported that the new DRM system was cracked on the day of release for both Assassin’s Creed II and this game, which was made worse the following week when Ubisoft’s servers experienced issues and many folks were unable to connect and therefore unable to play. I was amongst those who tried to play the game and while my internet connection was fine, I couldn’t even get started.
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/server-maintenance-reminds-us-why-ubisofts-always-on-drm-is-stupid/feed/ 0 Gear Review: Arkon iPad Table Mounthttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/gear-review-arkon-ipad-table-mount/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/gear-review-arkon-ipad-table-mount/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:55:04 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182238 I love my iPad; I mean, I really love it.  If I could figure out a way to get it to completely replace my laptop, I would do it.  I use it to watch movies, read books, follow my Twitter feed, and lots of other things.  As a nerd-- and this is no exaggeration-- it's the kind of device I've been waiting for most of my nerdy, computer-geek life. It does have some issues, though, one of which is that, after a while, you do get tired of holding the durn thing up.  It's not that it's so heavy but, like reading a book on the beach, eventually your hands get fatigued and you feel the need for a break.  Sure, it's okay to rest the iPad on your stomach while reading but that doesn't work well when you are, for example, watching movies and TV shows.  Sometimes, you just want to clamp the iPad in place and relax while using it hands-free. Arkon has just the accessory to make this happen. The Tablet Table Mount is a  universal tablet holder that is designed to work with many different tablets. Of course, I only have an iPad 1 so that's what I used to run it through its paces.  What did I think?  Read on! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/05/gear-review-arkon-ipad-table-mount/feed/ 0 Farewell Mr Gutenberg and Thanks for All the Bookshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182013 Patchen Barss' book The Erotic Engine has the subtitle "How Pornography Has Powered Mass Communication from Gutenberg to Google". An article on it highlights ten technologies that "secretly owe debts to the pornography business" Among them, E-commerce, Streaming video, Webcams and Bandwidth; you can read the fascinating post here. But if the Pornography industry drove forward electronic communication, it was an entirely different arena that drove the print world it is replacing. What was it? Religion. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/feed/ 1 A Four Year Birthday of a Different Kindhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:20 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181984

This week I'm having a low-keyed celebration of sorts. You see, as of a few days ago my HTC X7501 Advantage turned four years old. I've had my share of mobile devices, but I've always enjoyed using the Advantage as a mini-computer and phone. With its huge 5" VGA touchscreen, magnetic keyboard, internal hard drive and metal and magnetic housing, 3G and WiFi capability my Advantage has been excellent for mobile productivity for me. How I came to possess this particular unit is a bit unusual, so permit me to set the Wayback Machine to October of 2007...

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/feed/ 7 Susan G. Komen Foundation Feels the ‘Law of Unintended Consequences’ Firsthandhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/susan-g-komen-foundation-feels-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-firsthand/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/susan-g-komen-foundation-feels-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-firsthand/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:22:32 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182007

The first rule of a health-centric charity - don't get political. UPDATE: The Komen group annouced they were reversing their decision, stating "it will "amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political." "Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process," the group said." My wife did the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure a few years ago when we lived in the Boston area. Her father had died of cancer, and she used that as her focus as she rallied support and gathered the thousands of dollars in required donations to the fund. When the news broke this week about the Komen foundation pulling breast cancer screening, she was dismayed and upset to find that one of the key areas that Komen fought for - grant funding to support breast pre-screening for women without insurance support - was being eliminated through Planned Parenthood. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/susan-g-komen-foundation-feels-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-firsthand/feed/ 3 Does Barnes and Noble WANT To Kill the Bookstore?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/does-barnes-and-noble-want-to-kill-the-bookstore/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/does-barnes-and-noble-want-to-kill-the-bookstore/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:15:04 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181790 20120201-105230.jpgimage courtesy Fundamentally Flawed

Barnes and Noble is taking an extremely strong anti-Amazon stance this week. Engadget is reporting that They've declared all books published through Amazon or in an exclusive deal with Amazon will not be carried in their brick and mortar stores, just online at BN.com. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/does-barnes-and-noble-want-to-kill-the-bookstore/feed/ 2 Comparing the iPhone 4s Hardware to the HTC Titan and Dipping into the Windows Phone User Interfacehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00:31 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181747

There's a dramatic difference between 4.7" and 3.5"!

Judie: For those of you who missed it, in our last article, Dan and I talked about the circumstances behind how we -- two iPhone 4S users -- each came into possession of an HTC Titan [you can click here to read it]. We also gave some of our initial thoughts about the operating system and why we might have been hesitant to make the change. In this installment, we dig in further into what we like and don't like about the Titan specifically when it's compared to the iPhone. Because our Windows Phone experience is occurring on the Titan, the hardware is directly influencing how we perceive everything ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/feed/ 15 Chinese Manufacturing Has Always Been Abusive … Why Blame Apple ONLY?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/chinese-manufacturing-has-always-been-abusive-why-blame-apple-only/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/chinese-manufacturing-has-always-been-abusive-why-blame-apple-only/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:00:17 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181600

There was a recent article in the New York Times that pretty much singles out Apple as being to blame for the work conditions in China. Sure, they off-handedly refer to 'other companies' and repeatedly say 'other devices' as a footnote, but again and again it is Apple, iPhone and iPad that are mentioned. Apple, the company that was one of the very last consumer electronics companies making stuff in the US while taking heat from everyone about how much their stuff cost and how slow they were to move from platform to platform? All of those other companies - Dell, Compaq, HP, IBM - were faster moving ... because they were already running Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/chinese-manufacturing-has-always-been-abusive-why-blame-apple-only/feed/ 4 Gear Diary 101: How to Keep Up-to-Date and Share Information with Colleagueshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/31/gear-diary-101-how-to-keep-up-to-date-and-share-information-with-colleagues/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/31/gear-diary-101-how-to-keep-up-to-date-and-share-information-with-colleagues/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:30:37 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181605 The other day one of my Rabbinic colleagues asked what "system" I use in the synagogue to keep track of all of the various lifecycle "events" that take place in the community as well as make sure that all of my colleagues have as accurate and up-to-date information as possible. I wrote up my answers and then, after sending them to him, realized that while our uses for the services I mention are rather specific, the way in which we use them can easily be adapted to a host of different work-settings. Here's what I told him. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/31/gear-diary-101-how-to-keep-up-to-date-and-share-information-with-colleagues/feed/ 0 Considering the Move from an iPhone 4S to Windows Phone Titanhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/considering-the-move-from-an-iphone-4s-to-windows-phone-titan/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/considering-the-move-from-an-iphone-4s-to-windows-phone-titan/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181543 Judie: I recently reviewed the Nokia Lumia 710; even though the lower-end phone's hardware wasn't the greatest, I came away with a new respect for the Windows Phone operating system. About a week later, Dan and I were at a Microsoft-sponsored CES dinner where we were both given an HTC Titan to try. Maybe it's because at 4.7" the Titan's screen was so amazingly large when I laid it to my iPhone with its 4S 3.5" screen, maybe it's because I was at CES and had been looking at new phones for days, or maybe it's because I was looking for an excuse to use something different from the iPhone OS which has basically become Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/considering-the-move-from-an-iphone-4s-to-windows-phone-titan/feed/ 40 Verizon Customer Service Rocks!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/verizon-customer-service-rocks/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/verizon-customer-service-rocks/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:00:24 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181608 20120130-153657.jpg

Sarah and I are planning a trip abroad soon, and on my to-do list was to call Verizon and add international roaming to my iPhone. When I called the customer service line, I was incredibly impressed with how helpful they were, above and beyond what I had expected! As soon as I explained the purpose of my call was to add international roaming, the customer service representative emailed me the Verizon rates for calls, texts, and data. She then waited until I confirmed I had it to review my options and move forwards adding a roaming plan, because she wanted to make sure I understood the cost structure. Even better, the email had dialing instructions with the country codes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/verizon-customer-service-rocks/feed/ 4 I Paid Just Over $1800 for My New Car!!! Really!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/i-paid-just-over-1800-for-my-new-car-really/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/i-paid-just-over-1800-for-my-new-car-really/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:00:23 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181493 You read the title right and I meant it. I paid just over $1800 for my new car last November. At least that is the case if you price it out using the "Walt Mossberg Method of Valuation". Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/i-paid-just-over-1800-for-my-new-car-really/feed/ 9 Life on iOS, 4 Months Laterhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/life-on-ios-4-months-later/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/life-on-ios-4-months-later/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00:51 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180587

(yes, I am very obsessive about keeping all my apps neatly in folders.)

Recently Thomas commented that he had re-read my "Farewell, Android" post, and he wanted to know if I felt the same way since buying my 4s back in October. At the risk of ruining the surprise, the short answer is "Heck yea!" But that would make this a rather short follow-up, so read on for how life on iOS has treated me and whether I miss anything from my robot-loving days! The impetus for my initial decision to move to iOS was frustration with Android's fragmentation and how poorly my Droid aged. Nothing from Android in the last few months has made me regret that decision. The Galaxy Nexus is nice, but huge, and Motorola's DROID offerings have the shelf life of a carton of milk. Plus nothing HTC has pumped out on the Android side has been particularly intriguing. However, the iPhone hardware still feels solid, and I don't feel like the 3.5in screen is a limitation. So I don't feel like toting an iPhone has left me out in the cold as far as anything exciting! More importantly, and universally, let's talk software. Yes, I complained I missed the back button, but I've adjusted. I do find the homescreen-centric UI to be a bit limiting sometimes, but I get around it by using the home button double click and flipping through my most used apps. Most importantly, the apps I've encountered on iOS just seem more well-developed and fully baked than their Android counterparts. I feel more productive on iOS than on Android, and that says a lot. I did everything on my Droid, from email to calendar to writing Gear Diary posts and editing photos, but all of it is so much easier on iOS that it just blows me away. In some cases comes down to app quality while in other cases it is a matter of stability. Either way it makes me happy! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/life-on-ios-4-months-later/feed/ 6 Splash.FM Seeks to Ease Social Music Discovery, and My Hands-On Experience with the Betahttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/28/splash-fm-seeks-to-ease-social-music-discovery-and-my-hands-on-experience-with-the-beta/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/28/splash-fm-seeks-to-ease-social-music-discovery-and-my-hands-on-experience-with-the-beta/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:00:08 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181171

Music Discovery is hard stuff. Take this example: I just discovered that Kenny Burrell, a legendary guitarist that I love, recently released a solo guitar album so grabbed it immediately. Then I realize it has already been out for three months! I scan blogs, track release charts and so on ... and this one slipped by! I chastised Twitter for keeping me in the dark! But once I had discovered the release, I quickly tried to disseminate that knowledge so that everyone who trusts me for music recommendations can grab this gorgeous album. And that premise - that the best source of new music is from those you trust - is the basis behind Splash.FM.  Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/28/splash-fm-seeks-to-ease-social-music-discovery-and-my-hands-on-experience-with-the-beta/feed/ 0 Alaska Airlines, Your Mega-Church in the Skyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180703 A few years ago I was on a plane that almost went down. The person next to me had spent the flight trying to convince me why I was wrong in my "choice" of religions, and when the wingtip almost hit the ground he looked at me and with all seriousness said, "At least I know where I'm going when I crash." Some might have found his comment and attitude offensive. Others might have nodded in agreement. I saw it as proof of what is strong about this country. This is America, and he is entitled to his beliefs; my co-passenger was entitled to believe that I was wrong, and it mattered not that he Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/feed/ 19 How My MacBook Pro Avoided the Trash, Part 3: Replacing the Fanhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/how-my-macbook-pro-avoided-the-trash-part-3-replacing-the-fan/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/how-my-macbook-pro-avoided-the-trash-part-3-replacing-the-fan/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:57 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180661

In part 2 of this series, I took the fan out of my 13" MacBook Pro, cleaned it and lightly lubricated it. For about a day, the fan noise was almost non-existent and the heating issue was mildly approved. Unfortunately, the noise quickly returned along with the hot CPU. This problem had to be fixed one way or another or I was going to have to throw the computer out of the window since it had become painfully slow and buggy. The next plan was to buy a new fan and replace the loud, failing original. I also decided to double the RAM from 4 to 8 gigs since the back would already

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/how-my-macbook-pro-avoided-the-trash-part-3-replacing-the-fan/feed/ 0 Arch Linux: Only the Hardcore Need Applyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/arch-linux-only-the-hardcore-need-apply/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/arch-linux-only-the-hardcore-need-apply/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:35 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180581

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 ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/arch-linux-only-the-hardcore-need-apply/feed/ 8 A Few Cool iTunes Match and iTunes Cloud Things to Rememberhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/a-few-cool-itunes-match-and-itunes-cloud-things-to-remember/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/a-few-cool-itunes-match-and-itunes-cloud-things-to-remember/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:15:34 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180206

Having used iTunes Match along with iTunes in the Cloud for the last few months, I have developed a few habits that I don't even realize are new anymore! This weekend I gave my younger son my 4th gen iPod Touch to use as his own, as he was constantly pushing beyond the limits of his 8GB iPod Touch that was the pseudo 3rd gen that was really a 2nd gen model holdover. Since I almost never use it, I had no qualms since I'd rather it actually get used than sit idle. But while going through things with him I realized just how much has changed with iOS 5, iTunes in the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/a-few-cool-itunes-match-and-itunes-cloud-things-to-remember/feed/ 0