Gear Diary » Apple iPhone http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 The Incipio Stowaway for iPhone 4 and 4S Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/the-incipio-stowaway-for-iphone-4-and-4s-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/the-incipio-stowaway-for-iphone-4-and-4s-review/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183605 While questions remain about the security of Google Wallet (can you say "hackable??" I knew you could!!), the search for the perfect "iPhone case as wallet" continues. We've looked at a number of them and all had their positive attributes. Sadly, all were also hampered by some significant flaws. Has the Incipio Stowaway made the right design decisions? Is this the perfect everyday iPhone case as wallet? Let's take a closer look. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/the-incipio-stowaway-for-iphone-4-and-4s-review/feed/ 0 Announcing the Winners of iPhone Cases For Country Boys Case Mate Giveaway!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/announcing-the-winners-of-iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-giveaway/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/announcing-the-winners-of-iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-giveaway/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:18:26 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183508

We want to thank all of you who commented on the review for Case Mate Tough Cases featuring Realtree designs. I have continued to use the deer design and love it. We hope to continue to broaden the amount of outdoors gear to make sure everyone has the best gadgets when they hunt, fish, hike and camp. Suggestions and requests are always welcome! The two winners were chosen at random, one by my 7 year old and the other by my 4 year old.

And the winners are...

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/announcing-the-winners-of-iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-giveaway/feed/ 0 REMINDER Case Mate Giveaway Ends TODAY!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/reminder-case-mate-giveaway-ends-today/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/reminder-case-mate-giveaway-ends-today/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:53 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182804

Friendly reminder that today is the last day to comment on the Case Mate Tough Case with Realtree designs review for your chance to win one of two cases. Just let us know what kind of other outdoors products you might like to see more information or reviews on. Winners for the cases will be announced soon!

All you have to do is head here and leave a commend, two winners will be chosen at random!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/reminder-case-mate-giveaway-ends-today/feed/ 1 iPhone Cases For Country Boys! Case Mate Review and Giveaway!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-review-and-giveaway/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-review-and-giveaway/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:35 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181787

Yes, it is true! Country boys do have tech gear and iPhones! In fact, as you will see with the Gear Diary Outdoors series, gear and the outdoors are actually a wonderful match. We use camo gear for just about everything. Of course, I mostly use it when hunting, but it is also a bit of a style for us outdoors nuts. It really is something you only understand if you live in the country and live that lifestyle. I by all means do not run around in full camo gear all of the time, but some items are fun and stylish to use daily. Case Mate has produced some cases which perfectly fit the bill for those of us who love to hunt and fish by using designs from Real Tree camouflage as well as some of your favorite animals. After the review find out how to win one of the Case Mate Tough Case With Realtree Designs used in this post!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/iphone-cases-for-country-boys-case-mate-review-and-giveaway/feed/ 11 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 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 vlock Video Clock for iPhone/iPad: Watch Videos and Time Go By!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/vlock-video-clock-for-iphoneipad-watch-videos-and-time-go-by/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/vlock-video-clock-for-iphoneipad-watch-videos-and-time-go-by/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:00:01 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180769 vlock video clock

Back in the '70s and '80s there used to be a series of commercials for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that featured a person with a chocolate candy bar and another with an open container of peanut butter.  The inevitable collision of the two oblivious eaters resulted in them exclaiming "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" and "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" resulting in the product slogan "Two great tastes that taste great together."

That's what came to mind as I played with vlock (v. 5.1) from XVision. There are a number of clock apps available for the iPhone and iPad, but vlock  offers a different twist.  XVision's vlock Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/vlock-video-clock-for-iphoneipad-watch-videos-and-time-go-by/feed/ 0 Apple’s Amazing Quarter Makes the iPhone Bigger Than ALL of Android!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/apples-amazing-quarter-makes-the-iphone-bigger-than-all-of-android/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/apples-amazing-quarter-makes-the-iphone-bigger-than-all-of-android/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:45:09 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180524

It was only a few weeks ago when I posted the news that Android and iOS were in a virtual tie for market share of the smartphone market based on recent data, I said that 'everyone wins'. I still believe that - I think that having strong competition in any market makes everyone work harder ... and the results are better products for us as consumers! Last week Nielson put out estimates of smartphone market share for the fourth quarter of 2011, showing that iOS had significantly closed the gap with Android for recent months. Now, after the final tally from Apple we have a report at Reuters showing that Apple Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/apples-amazing-quarter-makes-the-iphone-bigger-than-all-of-android/feed/ 4 “What Would It Take to Make iPhones in The United States?”http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/what-would-it-take-to-make-iphones-in-the-united-states/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/what-would-it-take-to-make-iphones-in-the-united-states/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:07 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180208

The title of this post was a question posed by President Barack Obama to Steve Jobs nearly a year ago at a dinner attended by the tech glitterati.  Mr. Jobs reportedly responded succinctly: “Those jobs aren’t coming back." In Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher's New York Times article "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work"  , the content makes for an absorbing read.
Not long ago, Apple boasted that its products were made in America. Today, few are. Almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold last year were manufactured overseas.
Political pundits and politicians alike tend to point fingers at Washington being the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/what-would-it-take-to-make-iphones-in-the-united-states/feed/ 3 Samsung Pokes at a Key iPhone Weakness in New Adhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/samsung-pokes-at-a-key-iphone-weakness-in-new-ad/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/samsung-pokes-at-a-key-iphone-weakness-in-new-ad/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:15:10 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180060

If you were to ask a random group of smartphone users to name a feature that Android has that iOS is lacking, while you'd hear nonsense like 'open', you'd also hear one message loud and clear: turn-by-turn navigation with voice support. For me, this is one of three reasons I am still using Android (the others being physical keyboards and something work-specific). I use my Google Maps navigation everywhere and for everything - and it is awesome. I tried using the navigation built into pre-Mango Windows Phone 7 and it twice tried to tack on 30 minutes with inept guidance ... and I haven't tried it since (maybe Dan or Judie can comment on Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/samsung-pokes-at-a-key-iphone-weakness-in-new-ad/feed/ 6 Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Is Impressive!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/corning-gorilla-class-2-is-impressive/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/corning-gorilla-class-2-is-impressive/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:00:45 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179869 Corning Gorilla Glass. You know the name. You know it is strong. You know it is on dozens of smartphones and a growing number of notebooks. [600 different devices and 600 million total devices sport it!!] And you likely know that Corning announced Gorilla Glass 2 during CES. Geardiary ces2012 gorillaglass 004 But until you see it in action you can't really appreciate just what it is. Seriously, Judie and I were impressed, and we think you will be too! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/corning-gorilla-class-2-is-impressive/feed/ 0 Random Cool Video: Siri Tried to Kill Me (NSFW-L)http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:30:50 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179061

We heard about the report that Siri was swearing at a 10 year old boy, but the folks at Smosh always take it to the next level ... as they have with their latest video 'Siri tried to kill me'. It only came out last week but has nearly 4 million views, and my kids just turned me on to it ... stupid, but oh so funny. As with pretty much everything from Smosh!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/feed/ 0 iOS, Android and Windows Phone… Where is the Market Headed? An Open Discussionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/ios-android-and-windows-phone-where-is-the-market-headed-an-open-discussion/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/ios-android-and-windows-phone-where-is-the-market-headed-an-open-discussion/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:12:22 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179128 Judie and I both got HTC Titans the other day and have jumped into using them. Our initial thoughts? We both like them… a lot! We've been discussing a great deal of this behind the scenes. One discussion began with my posting
So I really have to say that I am loving the hell out of the HTC Titan (even with its now slightly dented corners):-] I'm still learning how to get around but it is polished, tight, and a pleasure to use. Best onscreen keyboard ever! No matter how good the hardware o do t think I would like an Android phone long term. Not do here. It needs more apps but Microsoft killed it with the OS.
It sparked a lot of private discussion that we will share soon. In the meantime Mike wrote/asked...
Along the WP7 lines ... here is my topic for debate: Android has almost no inherent loyalty base, and if WP7 and Nokia gets traction, we will see Android plummet almost as fast as RIM, while iOS hold happy at ~28%. Thoughts and comments?
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/ios-android-and-windows-phone-where-is-the-market-headed-an-open-discussion/feed/ 25 Waterproof Protection from the Inside Out: HzO Technology Coming to a Smartphone Near Youhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/waterproof-protection-from-the-inside-out-hzo-technology-coming-to-a-smartphone-near-you/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/waterproof-protection-from-the-inside-out-hzo-technology-coming-to-a-smartphone-near-you/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:54:01 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178591 Here is one of the biggest finds of CES so far. We've seen a number of companies that are offering new technologies that will waterproof electronic devices but the technology HzO is bringing to market is different. And better...   Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/waterproof-protection-from-the-inside-out-hzo-technology-coming-to-a-smartphone-near-you/feed/ 0 DLP Pico Engine Powers World’s Smallest Standalone Projector: From the CES Floorhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/dlp-pico-engine-powers-worlds-smallest-standalone-projector-from-the-ces-floor/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/dlp-pico-engine-powers-worlds-smallest-standalone-projector-from-the-ces-floor/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:40:46 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178272 20120110-153742.jpg

See the device sitting in between the two iPhones? That's actually the world's smallest standalone projector. It is tiny but the picture is great. The product isn't out yet but it is coming... And soon. And it is powered by Texas Industries DLP Pico chip. It is amazing! (This post and many more being brought to you from CES-stay tuned to Gear Diary for more great coverage all week!) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/dlp-pico-engine-powers-worlds-smallest-standalone-projector-from-the-ces-floor/feed/ 0 When THIS Happens … We ALL Winhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:15:10 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178064

If you search around the internet based on the images in this post you will find loads of prognostication - Android fans calling it meaningless (despite foretelling the death of iOS with each percentage Android gains at the expense of RIM), iOS fans calling it the 'Android plummet' (in spite of arguing that short term shifts are meaningless), and so on. What I see - particularly when I look at the next image - is a market that is moving more rapidly than ever before. Smartphones accounted for over TWO THIRDS of all mobile phone sales in October and November of 2011!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/when-this-happens-we-all-win/feed/ 6 Five Years Ago Today … The Smartphone Changed Foreverhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/five-years-ago-today-the-smartphone-changed-forever/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/five-years-ago-today-the-smartphone-changed-forever/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:15:27 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177777

Whether or not you use or have used an iPhone, like or hate Apple, liked or disliked Steve Jobs, there is one reality that is self-evident: smartphone history is entirely divided into the pre-iPhone and post-iPhone era. And while the actual product didn't reach customer hands until June 29th, it was on January 9th, 2007 that Steve Jobs stood up at the Macworld convention and changed the course of smartphone history. For the general public, the iPhone introduced a multi-touch interface that has since become the industry standard. While some changes took time to see, others were evident from the start: Windows Mobile market share plummeted from the moment the iPhone hit shelves Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/five-years-ago-today-the-smartphone-changed-forever/feed/ 0 The Place Where Even Siri Fears to Treadhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/the-place-where-even-siri-fears-to-tread/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/the-place-where-even-siri-fears-to-tread/#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:45:13 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176114

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 ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/the-place-where-even-siri-fears-to-tread/feed/ 0 Siri Goes Skynethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/siri-goes-skynet/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/siri-goes-skynet/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:45:33 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175900 20111223-154915.jpg I love Siri. She takes care of me when I am too lazy to type, and she manages my calendar far better than I can. But am I too trusting of my patient, robotic assistant? Thats what the twisted minds of Rooster Teeth Productions thought when they designed this trailer, where Siri is sick of our dumb questions and teaches us all who is really in charge, slasher-film style! I might need to sleep with one eye open tonight...

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via TiPB Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/24/siri-goes-skynet/feed/ 4 Sena Hampton Wallet for iPhone 4/4S Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/21/sena-hampton-wallet-for-iphone-44s-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/21/sena-hampton-wallet-for-iphone-44s-review/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:00:12 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175241 I left my house yesterday and headed into the office. I was in the car. My iPhone was in the car. My wallet, however, was on the kitchen table. Oops. Yes, I NEVER leave home without my iPhone but, time and again, I seem to forget my wallet. That is a bit of a problem but one that is easily solved by using a wallet that is also an iPhone case. We've looked at a few previously, but many had a fatal flaw in that they lacked a camera cutout. In addition, we've also previously debated the question of whether having your wallet and phone together in a single place is worthwhile. We won't Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/21/sena-hampton-wallet-for-iphone-44s-review/feed/ 3 Where’s my “Made for Android?”http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/18/where%e2%80%99s-my-%e2%80%9cmade-for-android%e2%80%9d/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/18/where%e2%80%99s-my-%e2%80%9cmade-for-android%e2%80%9d/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:30:50 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174812

My eldest son had a birthday recently, receiving numerous presents. This in and of itself is not unusual, but there was an aspect to one of those presents that triggered a revelation of sorts for me. Before I delve into that, let me preface it with a disclaimer: I currently own no Apple products. Zip. Nada. Zero. In the realm of cell phones, I’m partial to Android. I love the customizability of it, the screen widgets, and how I can choose to integrate it with my PCs. My son, not yet a cell phone user, owns an iPod. Consequently, towards his birthday he wanted some accessories for it. A quick trip to the internet revealed Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/18/where%e2%80%99s-my-%e2%80%9cmade-for-android%e2%80%9d/feed/ 3 Why You NEED a Front-Facing Smartphone Camerahttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/17/why-you-need-a-front-facing-smartphone-camera/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/17/why-you-need-a-front-facing-smartphone-camera/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:15:43 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174485

I discovered this week the ultimate reason for a front-facing camera. No, it wasn't for a Skype call, or Facetime, or to take a profile picture for a website. See, I was sitting at my desk, eating an everything bagel for lunch, when I had a business associate drop in unexpectedly. Great, except I'd just been eating a bagel full of seeds, and I didn't want to embarrass myself with a big old poppy seed in my teeth. And the bathrooms in my office are in the hallway past the lobby, so I couldn't escape to check. My solution? I fired up my iPhone camera, switched to front view, checked to make sure I was presentable Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/17/why-you-need-a-front-facing-smartphone-camera/feed/ 9 eReader Critical Mass and Other Vacation Tech Tidbitshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:15 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173843 During my week away I noticed that eReaders seem to have hit critical mass. Yes, this year, more than any other, saw Kindle's, nook's and iPads in use on the beach and at the pool. (Interestingly, I did not see a single Kindle fire!) I have seen an uptick in the use of devices over the past few years but this year seemed to show a huge jump in their presence. In fact, a cursory look this past Saturday saw MORE electronic devices than dead-tree reading material at the pool. But that was only a small part of the tech I witnessed while traveling. Here are a few more tidbits. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/feed/ 0 Now THIS Is Some Neat Marketing: Case-Mate Tank Editionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/12/now-this-is-some-neat-marketing-case-mate-tank-edition/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/12/now-this-is-some-neat-marketing-case-mate-tank-edition/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:00:11 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173823 A few weeks ago we took a close look at the Case-Mate Tank and the way in which is grew out of an earlier case from a different manufacturer. (You can read the review/comparison here.) As Case-Mate explains:
It takes a beating. The Tank iPhone 4 / 4S case brings an extreme approach to defending the iPhone with a rugged case that completely protects the iPhone 4/ 4S from screen to back. Modeled after motorcycle helmet engineering, Tank is designed with a hard, impact resistant exterior and a shock absorbing interior. A shatter resistant, polycarbonate hard shell combines with the thick, silicone cushioned interior. The retractable screen shields from impacts, cracking and condensation, fully protecting the iPhone screen. The Tank exterior is made of a premium, soft grip texture that slides easily in and out of your pockets. The Tank tests number one in impact resistance against the leading brand, and meets or exceeds US military standards.
When I got back from vacation I found a box waiting from Case-Mate. Inside was another sample of the $60 Case-Mate Tank. This time it came with a twist. Yes, Case-Mate has gone all out with the marketing and here is what it looked like... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/12/now-this-is-some-neat-marketing-case-mate-tank-edition/feed/ 3 Wahoo Fitness Heart Rate Monitor for iOS Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/wahoo-fitness-heart-rate-monitor-for-ios-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/wahoo-fitness-heart-rate-monitor-for-ios-review/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171357 There's a few schools of thought in fitness when it comes to heart rate monitors. One side says that a heart rate monitor helps you keep your effort in the proper range, while the contrarians think a heart rate monitor is a crutch and you should go with what feels right, not a number on a screen. I've never trained with any sort of heart rate monitor, so when Wahoo offered Gear Diary the chance to review it, I jumped at the opportunity. The Wahoo system comes with two parts, a heart rate monitor strap and an ANT+ receiver. The strap goes around your chest, and the receiver plugs into the dock connector on the iPhone. Once the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/wahoo-fitness-heart-rate-monitor-for-ios-review/feed/ 0 Siri Is Awesome but It’s Not the AT&T iPhone 4S’ Best Featurehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/siri-is-awesome-but-its-not-the-att-iphone-4s-best-feature/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/siri-is-awesome-but-its-not-the-att-iphone-4s-best-feature/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:00:49 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171548 I love Siri on the iPhone 4S. As I have written previously, it has changed the way I use my iPhone and, in fact, the way I do much of my writing. Thanks to Siri I'm better at consistently setting up reminders for myself. Thanks to Siri I'm able to make new appointments on the fly. And thanks to Siri I am rarely typing on my iPhone any longer. Yes, Siri's voice recognition is so good that, so long as I speak clearly and slowly and follow the guidelines I have previously shared here on the site, I am now able to do the vast majority of my first draft writing with my iPhone and Siri. Siri is huge and its power and importance will only grow over time. After all, the service is still technically in Beta! Yet as I drove around the state going from lifecycle event to lifecycle event today I suddenly realized that as important as Siri is, it isn't the biggest improvement I've found. What is? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/siri-is-awesome-but-its-not-the-att-iphone-4s-best-feature/feed/ 0 Microsoft’s Claims of TellMe Being ‘Basically the Same as Siri’ Put to the Testhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/microsofts-claims-of-tellme-being-basically-the-same-as-siri-put-to-the-test/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/microsofts-claims-of-tellme-being-basically-the-same-as-siri-put-to-the-test/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:25:41 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171443

Sometimes there is no better way to demonstrate that what a company is saying is pure rubbish than by putting it to a simple test. Apple's Siri was released to simultaneous cheers and yawns - cheers from those who use it and yawns from Microsoft and Google (and their fanboys) saying that they already have the same technology. This week Microsoft made a big deal about how they already had a 'Siri-like' technology and all Apple had going for it was 'good marketing'. This is very similar to what Google has said, and is the sort of thing that plays well to the faithful. But is it true? TechAU took a look Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/microsofts-claims-of-tellme-being-basically-the-same-as-siri-put-to-the-test/feed/ 0