I’ve been working hard to streamline the tech I use. I now I only use a laptop (although I have to admit to using a docking system at home) and am trying hard to keep the cords and peripherals I use in check. With so many gadgets available it is just TOO EASY for things to get out of control. That’s why AVIIQ’s new charging system caught my eye. Sure it is great if you are on the road but there is no reason you can’t use it at home too. We have a review unit on the way but let’s take a quick look at the announcement we just received… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

It took a little bit longer than expected but Apple has finally approved the iOS application for Google’s new Google+ service. Here’s what the actual application has to say about itself:

Google+ for mobile makes sharing the right things with the right people a lot simpler. Title lets you send superfast messages to the people you care about most. And no matter where you are, the steam let you stay in the loop about what your friends are sharing and where they’re checking in.

Features:

Circles let you share the right things with just the right people

Stream is

I’ve become a big fan of not having to physically dock my iPhone, iPod or iPad in order to get audio from it. That’s why I love using the Sonos system I reviewed a few weeks ago. At the same time, there is a lot to be said for a bedside dock/alarm clock. Sure, the Sonos system lets you set alarms, but it doesn’t have a clock nor does it charge your power-hungry iOS device. That needs to be covered by something else — something like a clock-dock (yeah, I wrote “clock-dock”!). The problem is, too often the available clock-dock systems don’t offer many features, but they do feature anemic sound. The… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I spent a good bit of time this week thinking about Apple’s announcements this past Monday. Much of what will be coming in version 5.0 of iOS is impressive. There are a number of areas where Apple clearly took plays from Android’s playbook (Notifications anyone?) as well as from numerous independent developers. I’m not surprised and, as an end-user, I’m quite pleased.

I’m running iOS 5.0 Beta on a few devices, but am going to respect the beta-user agreement and NOT go into any detail.

I will say, however, that the new notification system is fantastic and does a great… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Last week  I wrote a post entitled “The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t. In it I argued that even it Apple does not currently own the market they are positioned well for the long-term thanks to a little device known as the iPod touch. The Touch, I said, is now used by a huge number of kids who do not yet have a cell phone. Their love of the Touch, not to mention their having invested in apps and ringing up game scores, makes it more likely that they will go for an iPhone when the time comes for them to get a phone… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Yesterday a post on Cult of Mac related some bad news for the Canadian-based RIM. They noted, “Realizing its failure, the handset maker is ready to surrender to Apple in the consumer ring, and focus on its business roots… an arena which iPhone is also increasingly dominating.” Their comment was, in part, based on a report from Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Robison who reported, “We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth,” As a result Robison cut RIM’s target price from $76 to $46.

I expect they are correct in their assessment of RIM’s dire circumstances, but I don’t need numbers and metrics to make… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

When mophie first released their juice pack air for the iPhone it was a revelation. At least it was a revelation for me! For the first time I could wrap my iPhone in a case that brought with it both protection and far far better battery life. A short time later the company updated the juice pack to use a soft-touch material that even made holding the iPhone a pleasure. And that was a few iPhone’s ago! Since the first juice pack came out I have had one for every iPhone I have had. In fact, my juice pack air for iPhone 4 is often on my phone and, when it isn’t, it… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Your list o’ USBFever releases for this week are a wee bit late, and I do apologize.  Sometimes, even though it’s much less diverting and interesting (although it’s not too bad most days!), my day job does take precedence.  (Did have a nice discussion with Carly about eBook publishers, though, which will hopefully be up soon!)

But enough about me; you aren’t here to read about me.  I’m boring.  It’s tech you want to see about.  And so, without further ado, here they are, USBFever’s releases for this week:

• Wide Angle + (Marco) + Fish Eye + 2X + 8X + 12X Telephoto Lens Combo foriPhone 4G
• 2-in-1 Holster

The blogosphere was buzzing yesterday when word came that Apple might hold off on releasing iOS 5.0 until the fall. What does this mean? Why would Apple break such a long tradition that goes all the way to… January 9, 2007. Okay so maybe it is not such a long-standing tradition, but you know what they say: “Do it once it is innovative; Do it twice and it is redundant; Do it a third time and it is a tradition.”

By now an annual hardware and OS update is a TRADITION. Why would Apple mess with tradition?

But it is not just tradition that is putting pressure on keeping the annual cycle. No, there… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Apple detractors love to talk about the “Steve Jobs distortion field”. I have never much bought into that. Sure, Steve jobs is a master showman. And yes, he is most likely among the more arrogant people living today. And yes, he does like to build hype when he brings out a new product or service. And, I will admit, he has been somewhat into overstatement at times. But then again, he’s got the stuff to back it up.

There is an old saying from here in suburban New Jersey that there are people who “have no cattle but a big hat”. The thing is, that’s not Steve Jobs. No, Jobs and Apple have lots… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I got into a fender bender last night. Luckily no one was hurt, and as for the damage to my car (see above), well, that’s what insurance is for. In the aftermath, though, I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking on how easily I let myself get distracted while driving, not just yesterday but in general…and fortuitously, this afternoon I came across my old iPod shuffle.

If you’re wondering how I went from distracted driving to iPod shuffle, it’s not that crazy a leap. I usually use my Droid for music in my car, either using the built-in music player or Pandora. But if I want to change the music, or figure out why… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s winter time and that means it’s cold!  Here today in the Philadelphia area the temperatures are in the low 20s and the wind is whirling around like a scene out of the Wizard of Oz.

We’ve covered our fair share of gloves that work with touch-screen devices.  I’ve tried some myself with somewhat limited success.  The nice thing about trying out several different pairs is that they are usually inexpensive.

These TouchTec gloves however are not.

Here’s what the company has to say about their gloves:

TouchTec is a patented nano-technology that gives new functionality to a variety of textiles and leather. It enables the wearer of

In the ‘last minute gift’ email from Apple yesterday they included the image at the top, showing representations of various Apple products on the base of a Mac Pro, with different colored iPod Shuffles as ornaments. It is a cool image that immediately struck me.

On reason it struck me was that while I was gathering up gear to stuff in the SeV Expedition for my review video, I took all of our iPods and arranged them in a sort of ‘family tree’ and took a few pictures. I had thought it might make a good basis for a post … but until I saw that Apple image I didn’t know… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Like any good admitted fanboy, I often find myself looking for Apple products on TV. Lately I’ve been spotting more and more iDevices popping up on many of the shows I watch. So I’ve decided to start a new weekly segment entitled “Apple On TV.” The premise is simple. Whenever I spot an Apple product in one of the shows I watch (and I watch a lot of TV), I’ll take a screen shot of it and post it here, in a weekly recap, with a short description. But I need your help too! Although I watch a lot of TV I don’t watch everything. So if you come across an Apple product in one of… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Over the weekend a friend of mine told me he wanted to get an iPad and was looking for the least expensive way to get started. I suggested he look at Apple’s refurbished products since they carry a full warranty and, as I explained, “That is the only way to great a meaningful discount on Apple products.”

Well today’s Gear Deal proves me wrong. Why is that? Simple! In today’s deal our Gear Sponsor presents a brand new 8GB iPod touch for $19 less than Apple is asking (that’s almost 10% off) PLUS you will get a $25 Amazon gift card with the purchase. Effectively that makes this a savings of $44 (almost 20%… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...