Gear Diary » Reviews

Cronk - An iPhone Game Review

Dan Cohen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:09:02 +0000

One of the things I enjoy most about being part of the Gear Diary team and whatsoniphone.com is the opportunity to get to know some the developers creating apps for the iPhone. Over-all I have found them to be a really interesting, nice and creative bunch. Best of all, as I have discovered more than once, many are committed to constantly improving their apps and are surprisingly receptive to end-user input. This is certainly the case with the game Cronk.

… [visit site to read more]

Holiday Gift Suggestions: Zagg Z.buds for the Chatty Audiophile

Judie Lipsett — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:42:12 +0000

It seems perfectly natural to want to upgrade from the cheesy white stock headset that come with the iPhone, to a much more compatible - and complimentary - headset in silver and black…and that’s where Zagg Z.buds come in.

Z.buds feature convenient in-line volume control and a premium length, tangle-free cord. Multiple sliders mean better cord management and greater listening convenience - try our “Hangin’ Tight” slider alignment in image above. Z.buds Music Control for iPhone completes the experience, allowing iPhone users a seamless switch between their calls and their music.

… [visit site to read more]

Review: Skooba Checkthrough Bag

Joel McLaughlin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:32:33 +0000

Ever since 9/11, air travelers have been forced to take their shoes off, take their laptops out of bags, and…well you know the drill. Now the TSA has worked on developing a standard for letting us keep our laptop in its bag as we go through through the checkpoint. I got to take a look at Skooba Design’s version, called the Skooba Checkthrough.

The bag is actually a lot smaller than it looks and a lot larger than it looks. I know; how can it be both? Well when all zipped up, it’s a little thinner than the backpack I used to use; however I have everything I normally carry in it. The only thing missing is my digital camera, but when I get another case for it, it should fit too. The Skooba Checkthough is relatively slim, but can hold a lot of gear. … [visit site to read more]

Review: Mophie Juice Pack Keeps You Connected All Day

Dan Cohen — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:46:30 +0000

So here I am on vacation in Aruba. The sun is warm, the waves are a bit rough and the WiFi is horrid. Seriously, the WiFi here brings me back to the good old days of dial-up, and they weren’t such good old days.

As a result of the anemic WiFi I have found myself using my iPod touch far more than the HP MiniNote 1000 I picked up prior to my trip. (it is, by the way, an awesome netbook!)

The touch seems to work far better for me when checking email, keeping up with my RSS feeds, and even writing. It isn’t that the WiFi is better on it, but that the optimized interfaces on the Touch just feel faster and work much better for me.

Add to all this the fact that I am having a good time playing some games while away, and the result is a Touch whose battery runs down super fast.

Enter the Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 3G.

photos courtesy of the Mophie site

… [visit site to read more]

Handmark Glyph for iPhone

Christopher Gavula — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:29:58 +0000

I’ve owned a number of games from Handmark and Astraware (part of Handmark). They have always been polished, high-quality productions. Now they have released Glyph (from Sandlot Games), an object-removal style game in the vein of Bejeweled.

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Review: Motorola Krave ZN4 on Verizon Wireless

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:55:00 +0000

We all know that Apple changed the game when it came to cell phones. The iPhone’s interface is second to none currently; everyone and their brother is now trying to out do Apple. Motorola has come up with a really interesting take on a touchscreen interface that has a lot of influence from Verizon.

… [visit site to read more]

Otterbox Impact Case for iPhone 3G

Wayne Schulz — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:45:30 +0000

Otterbox sent us one of their new Impact iPhone 3G cases to test. If you’re not familiar with OtterBox, they produce a line of rugged cases that fit iPods, iPhone (original and 3G), BlackBerry’s, Palm, HP, and more. The cases are virtually indestructible and provide protection to your smartphone in areas where it might otherwise be susceptible to damage from jostling around. The Impact Series of cases is a slightly thinner design. Is this a good case for everyday use?

… [visit site to read more]

Holiday Gift Suggestions: the Altec Lansing Orbit for the Generous Audiophile

Judie Lipsett — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:52:06 +0000

Listening to the tunes on a digital music player can be such a solitary affair; if you want your favorite audiophile to get into the spirit of the season and share a bit, then you might want to gift him or her with the Altec Lansing Orbit.

Although it is larger than some of the other diminutive plug-in speakers I have tried before, the Orbit isn’t too huge and it doesn’t scrimp on sound. Let’s take a look…

… [visit site to read more]

Review: Super talent Pico Gold Thumb Drive (8GB)

Doug Goldring — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:48:13 +0000

They say good things come in small packages. Well, after checking out the Super Talent Pico Thumb Drive, I am here to tell you that it is not so much good things, but great things that come in small packages. As in great big things. Like the 8GB of storage found in this tiny, 31.3 mm (yes that is millimeter) drive. How can this be? Read on to find out!

… [visit site to read more]

BlackBerry Bold OEM Desktop Charger

Wayne Schulz — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:33:06 +0000

I’ve been testing this OEM BlackBerry Bold drop in charger for the last few days. The reason that I wanted a drop in charger like this is to use the BlackBerry Bold’s external charge connectors. Dropping in the device is easier than constantly connecting and disconnecting a mini USB cable. This is a charge only device - you cannot synch with the BlackBerry Bold in the cradle. Before I bought it I read a few online messages talking about it being too small and easy to knock down when the BlackBerry Bold was inserted. So how’s it work? … [visit site to read more]