Tag Archives: Automotive Gear

New Car? It’s All About the Tech

  I needed a car a few weeks ago. That opened the door to my getting some of the neat technology we have seen and reviewed here on the site built into the car. Here was the Gear Diary editors backroom chatter. Judie: Question: What color? Answer: black Question: 2 or 4 door? Answer: 4 [...]

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Find Your Way and Be Safer on the Road With OnStar FMV Review

When we needed a new car last week one thing was clear- I wanted to lease one with all the technological bells and whistles I could find. After all, I’ve been whining and complaining about not having integrated Bluetooth and navigation in my car and my mechanic, and Elana, had been hearing a refrain of [...]

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Oh the Times, They Are aChangin’

Here’s just one small indicator of how much things have changed over the past few years. One of our cars died and is on its way to the junkyard. Prior to having it shipped off we cleared out the glove box. Buried deep inside with these relics of travels past. Me, “hmmm, New car has [...]

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Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Use Bluetooth

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: There are two kinds of people; there are those who hate Bluetooth, and there are those who love Bluetooth. Okay actually, There are those who hate Bluetooth and there are those who put up with Bluetooth. If your loved one uses Bluetooth, then we have a few great [...]

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Gear Giveaway: an Awesome iPad 2 Accessory

With Black Friday on its way we thought we would do a few giveaways of awesome items we have reviewed. The deals this feel are good but the prices on these giveaway items are even better- FREE. So our first giveaway this week starts right now…    

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Finally, the Real Ford Focus Comes to America

I’ve been waiting for the 2012 Ford Focus for a very long time. Even as Ford was rolling out the red carpet on the last generation Focus compact in 2007 I was waiting for this car. Heck, my anticipation goes back a decade. Well, it’s here and in usual Ford fashion Focus arrived in a [...]

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iPad Accessory Review: modulR Anywhere Pack

“Where do you use your iPad?” That’s one of the key questions you need to answer before you can make the right choice with regard to what case you buy and what accessories you order. If, however, your answer to the question “Where do you use your iPad?” is something like “Everywhere!” or you simply [...]

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QuickLook: Qmadix USB Dual Mobile Charging Hub 4.2amp

I like to be able to charge my iPhone and iPad on the go. After all, I constantly rely on both and, at least for now, iOS 5.0 is killing my battery life. That means I have wall chargers around my house, at the house and, of course, I always have a charger in my [...]

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Busy Week at GM Technology Divisions With Cadillac CUE, Chevy Spark EV, and EN-V

It has been a busy week for the technology divisions at General Motors as several major news announcements have graced the Gear Diary inbox. Kicking things off is Cadillac and its new Cadillac User Experience or “CUE” system set to arrive in 2012 in the upcoming XTS and ATS sedans and SRX crossover. CUE will [...]

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iPad 2 Accessory Review: Cygnett CarGo Car Mount

  Using the iPad as an in-car media system isn’t a new idea. No, it is as old as the iPad itself. (Okay, so that means it is kind of a new idea. Whatever…) We’ve seen a number of systems that allow you to use the iPad in just this way and, over the past week [...]

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Using a Tablet as In-Car Entertainment? Make Sure It Is Crash Tested with ProClip USA

I made a strategic error a few months ago. My iPad-loving father-in-law was looking for a new stand for his iPad, and I let him try the ProClip MultiStand I reviewed here. I never got it back. ProClip [affiliate link] makes some of the most impressive stands and mounts for a host of devices. Among the [...]

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GPS Review: Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM

Smartphones and tablets are “category killers” that have decimated numerous standalone products. As I have written previously, from one perspective the iPhone and the iPad are like “Rorschach devices”. They are “blank slates” (pun totally intentional) that can take the form and function of a wide range of devices depending on whatever software they are [...]

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Satellite Navigation GPS Review: Navigon 40 Plus

The increasing reach of smartphones has called into question the usefulness of many dedicated devices, from music and video players, to compact cameras, and of course the ever-useful GPS. With GPS and turn-by-turn navigation almost standard equipment on Android devices, and the prevalence of iPhones, one could be forgiven for retiring their trusty nav and [...]

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Saved by ‘Old’ Technology!

I have said it before and I’ll say it again – the iPod Touch is the worst iPod I have ever owned. Why do I say that? Because one of my main listening modes is in the car to and from work and between different offices, and changing anything requires you to look at the [...]

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iPad Accessory Review: Vogel’s RingO Universal iPad 2 Mounting System

A few months ago we took a look at Vogel’s RingO system for the iPad 1. The accessory is a combination case/stand for the iPad that extends the utility of the iPad by offering various “modules” like a wall holder or car headrest bracket. It appeared toward the end of the original iPad’s “run” but with [...]

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PlayStation Vita Game System Review – Part I

Gamers gain a more robust mobile console experience with the PlayStation Vita versions using Wi-Fi/3G or Wi-Fi only online capabilities plus a rear touchpad, two analog sticks and a sharp OLED display.

BANG! Your Lights Are Out

Back in the days when I was on the look out for the “perfect tablet” (in other words, before I [...]

RIP Eugene Polley, Inventor of the TV Remote at 96

Image courtesy of Wikipedia I remember reading an article about 25 years or so ago! on how everything wired was [...]

Get a Droid RAZR 16GB 4G LTE Plus $25 Apps Plus $40 Credit Plus Double Data

AmazonWireless had the 16 GB Droid RAZR for just $0.01 with new two year contract. Thatnis pretty amazing considering the [...]

Windows XP’s “Bliss” Background: A Blissful Happenstance

Most people who have been using PCs in the past decade or so have doubtless seen this image, the default [...]

Google Music Pre-Summer One-Day $2.99 Album Sale!

Google Music is having a cool one-day ‘pre-summer’ sale with a bunch of albums for $2.99, including Daft Punk, Smashing [...]