Gear Diary » Christmas

OnStar and NORAD warming up the Santa Tracker

David Goodspeed — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:30:58 +0000

As Christmas Eve approaches and the world eagerly awaits the arrival of Ole' Saint Nick, children of all ages can track the big guy as he and his sleigh make their way around the globe visiting those of us who have been naughty or nice. OnStar, in partnership with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), is offering its Santa Tracker services once again this Christmas. Beginning at 7 a.m. EST Dec. 24, OnStar subscribers, including those with the new FMV OnStar systems, can simply press the blue OnStar button and request a Santa update. Advisors will share Santa's current location through 5 a.m. Christmas morning. “We see this holiday tradition as staying true Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Random Cool Video: The TRUE Meaning of Christmas!

Michael Anderson — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:20:38 +0000

Is there anything more pure and telling of the holiday spirit than tapping out a 200A service on a wonderfully gaudy light show synchronized to the song 'Equinox' by Skrillex? No ... I didn't think so.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And no, this is NOT my house, despite how my younger son wanted to hook up the music and take a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a few thousand more strands of lights ... Source: Buzzfeed Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Random Cool Video: Fight for Chanukah Rights

Michael Anderson — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:15:42 +0000

Having grown up in an area where my friends were equally likely to be Jewish or Christian, I had always simply accepted that everyone had their own religious holidays, traditions and celebrations. At my previous job in Massachusetts, I had a good friend who celebrated BOTH Christmas and Chanukah ... which was due to her family accepting the dual pull of religion and materialism! Despite being a Christian myself, I firmly believe that pretending that the predominant thought at this time of year amongst Christians is religion, is just pretending. That doesn't diminish the holiday we celebrate, it just reflects reality. It has only been in recent years that I have discovered Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

All of Our Gift Guides in One Place

Dan Cohen — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:15:11 +0000

Sure you can find all our gift guides under the Gift Guide tab, but we wanted to save you even more time. So here they are, all our Gift Guides in a single place. And remember, everything we listed here is something we have reviewed and/or used ... Holiday Gift Guide: For the Woman Who Has (Almost) Everything Holiday Gift Guide: For Winter Running and Outdoors Lovers Holiday Gift Guide: For the PlayStation 3 Video Gamer Holiday Gift Guide: For the XBox 360 Video Gamer Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Need Better Voice Recognition Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Use Bluetooth

Dan Cohen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:30:40 +0000

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 gifts ideas ... First up has to be the JawBone JamBox. This little Bluetooth speaker doubles as a speakerphone thanks to its microphone. It may be small, but it packs a punch. And the audio coming from it? It's surprisingly good. Dan and his wife have one, and they love it. Just $169.99 in our Amazon Affiliate Store. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For All Gamers

Dan Cohen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:15:05 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who loves gaming? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong.

XBOX360 (or Playstation 3)- not an inexpensive gift, but more and more families are using consoles as a way of gaming, streaming video, and more! The Xbox 360 250GB Holiday bundle is just $299.99 in our Amazon Affiliate Store. The PlayStation 3 160GB System is just $249.96 in our Amazon Affiliate Store

iPod Touch - As Mike wrote here, the DS and PSP are fading Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Nintendo Handheld Console Gamer

Michael Siebenaler — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:15:29 +0000

This holiday season Nintendo DS games bring big fun to the compact, yet powerful console with several new games incorporating camera functions as well as other unique capabilities on the new Nintendo 3DS and existing XL, DSi, DS Lite and regular DS handheld consoles. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: Subscription Services Your Loved One Will Love

Dan Cohen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:15:19 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: If you don't want to give your loved one something tangible this year, why not give them a subscription to a service that will enhance their life? Here are a few suggestions for subscriptions services we love and use on a regular basis ... Tripit: Judie loves it and uses it all the time. Judie turned Dan on to it, and he's now an evangelist for it as well. Tripit is a great way to monitor your travels, keep all in your information in one place, and, with a pro subscription, get real-time updates when your travel plans change. In fact, you may even know about a gate change before it's announced at the airport! We find the service invaluable and especially love the new Pro feature that constantly scans your email for reservations and trip updates so you don't even have to send the documents to the service. TripIt Pro is just $49 a year. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Favorite Reader

Dan Cohen — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:00:49 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who loves to read? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. Kindle/NOOK: Either one, but this is a must for anyone who loves reading. And the entry-level prices make them an affordable tablet companion even if you already have an iPad. Kindle prices start at $79. nook touch is $119.99 in our Amazon Affiliate Store. eReaders are a bit delicate so you need a sleeve for protections. Carly's favorite is the Timbuktu sleeve. It is lined in soft fabric Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Nintendo Wii Video Gamer

Michael Siebenaler — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:15:10 +0000

Get some holiday cheer on the Nintendo Wii this season. Dance, workout, shoot, and escape into new worlds, familiar franchises, and engaging active environments. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Uncommon Goods’ Face Mug Is Truly One of the Coolest Mugs Ever!

Judie Stanford — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:30:34 +0000

There's not much to say, other than that owning this ceramic mug would be an absolute pleasure. Imagine the envious looks you would get in the office if this were sitting on your desk; imagine the fun you could have if you left this mug sitting on the break room counter, only to came back 10 minutes later to find different things sitting in between its lips. A stapler? Why not. Some rubber bands? Okay. Hey -- not my sandwich! You can get your Face Mug at Uncommon Goods for $18. Order me one too, while you're at it ... pretty please. =) &nbsp Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: Luxurious Items for Leather-Loving Gadget Hounds

Dan Cohen — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:31 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there a lover of leather in your life? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. The Orbino Padova 2 Crocodile iPad 2 Case: Yeah, at $689.00 this iPad 2 case is a splurge but it is handcrafted from Crocodile and is a stunner. Judie has one and loves it. Here's a video of the case. Gorgeous isn't it? If that is too rich for you, then you can go with a Padova for iPad 2 made from standard leather. It costs $209.00 and is also a gorgeous case you or a loved one will use proudly Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Music Lovers

Dan Cohen — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:00:36 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who loves music? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. First off, Sonos. Dan hasn't stopped raving about the Sonos wireless music system he installed a few months ago. Sonos is the best way to get lots of music in lots of room at a fairly affordable price. Better still, the system can grow with you as you add more and more components. You can read our reviews here, here and here. The Play:3 is just $299 in our Amazon Affiliate Store. The Play:5 is $100 more at $399 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Work on the Go

Dan Cohen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:00:56 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who loves music? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. We have to start this list with the 11" MacBook air. It's small, light, under $1000 and it makes working on the go a pleasure. You'll quickly forget that it is as small as it is. Judie has one and loves it. Dan has one and loves it. Elana has one and loves it (and she NEVER raves about technology.) Get one at Apple.com Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Need Better Voice Recognition

Dan Cohen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:24 +0000

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who would benefit from speaking their text rather than typing it? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. The key to accurate voice recognition is wearing the right headphones. Andrea Electronics SuperBeam Phones are just the thing. We'll be reviewing the headphones over the next few days but they are already impressive. As the company explains

SuperBeam headsets deliver Hi-Definition sound for all your social media and multimedia applications. The unique integrated array microphone system is designed for use with Andrea’s patented beam forming and digital noise reduction audio software, providing “Boom freed” convenience. SuperBeam also provides 3D

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gifts for the Strange Ones We Love

Douglas Moran — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:15:12 +0000

Yup, it's the time of the year when you must engage in that popular sport of trying to figure out WTF to get for everyone on your holiday list. Some people, no problem: with my brother, I just buy him guitar equipment. Or for my son Joseph, if it's Lego or Hot Wheel-related, I know we're Good to Go. But what about when your Dad only says, "I don't really need anything," or "Just some cologne would be fine?" (No, Dad, no; you can't keep the Old Spice factory operating all on your own.) And what about those folks on your list who are a little, um, off? Different? Odd? Weird? Selk Bags think Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

AUTUM Dualist Lets Your Cards Travel in Style

Dan Cohen — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:20:39 +0000

We are huge fans of AUTUM and their sometimes quirky, always awesome, leather goods. So when they come out with something new, we love to bring word to all of you. Yes, their products tend to be on the pricey side, but they are as much works of art as they are usable accessories. Which brings us to their latest item, the Dualist case. The Dualist is a leather cardholder that will hold 2 to 6 different cards in style. It has the style we have come to know and appreciate and the rivets that are found on many of AUTUM's products. No, it's not going to replace your wallet but if you Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Locate Stores for Black Friday (and Other!) Shopping with SaleLocator

Douglas Moran — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:15:35 +0000

Okay, I know it's scary, and I have my own personal reasons for avoiding thinking about "the holidays", holiday shopping, and that whole end of the year madness. But hey, this isn't about me, it's about you, and helping you in your desperate bid to avoid going bananas this holiday season. Which leads me to Black Friday, and finding the right store. SaleLocator provides you up-to-date information on sales in your area--not just for Black Friday, but any ol' time. You can either surf to the SaleLocator site, or download their app (available for both iOS and Android), and save yourself a lot of needless running around. Doug sez: worth checking out Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A Quick Peek at the Aligata Nude Beauty Medium Travel Bag

Judie Stanford — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:13 +0000

It wasn't too long ago that I reviewed the Aligata Nude Beauty Big Weekend Bag, and they have just sent their newest offering -- the Nude Beauty Medium Travel Bag. I'll have a full review up after I've had some time to actually USE the bag and change its color from the nearly white Nude Beauty to a natural honey patina. But in the meantime, I just had to tell you all about it because it is something that I know would be an appreciated holiday gift for your special someone ...

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Cdock Turns Your iPhone into a Fab Table or Bedside Clock

Judie Stanford — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:45:46 +0000

We've all seen docks that allow you to set your iPhone up as a bedside clock, but this one takes the concept to such lengths that it is worth a mention: the Cdock keeps your iPhone 4 or 4S charged while holding it so that you can glance over to get the time instead of fumbling to pick it up from your bedside table. There are different styles available, and when you add the Gorgy Timing Atomic Clock app (or any other favorite iPhone clock app), you'll have one beautifully functional setup. The only downside that I can see is you have to insert a nekkid iPhone. Is that a deal-breaker for you? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android Phone Review: The HTC Rhyme

Judie Stanford — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:00:43 +0000

photos by Kevin

I like items that have their own personality and that aren't similar to every one else's, but lately it seems like all of the HTC Android phones that I have been posting about have been basically the same phone -- albeit with different features or screen sizes. Has it seemed that way to you? Whether it's been the Vivid, or the Rezound or all the EVO iterations, there are traits that most HTC Android phones seem to share: they are rectangular, they have four capacitive buttons on the bottom of the screen, there is a noticeable speaker grill at the top of the screen, they are predominantly black, they are trying to out-compete each other (and other brands) in screen size, they are trying to out-compete each other (and other brands) in processor speeds ... it's like a massive nuclear arms race, but all of the weapons look the same! I understand building brand recognition, but for some time it has seemed that HTC has been specifically marketing to masculine sensibilities, i.e. -- bigger, faster, stronger, harder, rawrrrr! I'm not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think that there is anything wrong with keeping a phone at a comfortable size for holding, recognizing that some people don't want to have such a personal device that looks like every other one out there, or making a phone that is a bit more convenient to use right out of the box. HTC actually has a history of offering phones that came in more feminine colors (remember the HTC Star Trek?), but I can't think of a single time that they pulled out all the stops and made a phone with the direct intent of going after the female side of the market. And then along came the Rhyme. If you could have been a fly on the wall the evening after I had posted the HTC Rhyme announcement ... oh my! I was looking forward to checking out the Rhyme because its specs looked pretty good, and I've been a bit bored with all of the HTC devices that look exactly the same. Carly was bothered by the fact that the Rhyme might be a sub-par Android device that had been prettied up and marketed specifically to women (ala the pink Palm Centro in early 2008), which would have totally offended me, too ... if I had felt that was the case. But once we sorted out the specs (and basically discussed it to death), we came to the conclusion that the Rhyme might not be a sow's ear disguised as a silk purse. Of course, I still needed to use one in real life to make a final determination.

Obviously geared toward women and men who don't mind a deep splash of color, the Rhyme flaunts its plumness and comes with accessories that I haven't seen accompany ANY mobile phones since ... well, ever. So for pure colorful cheekiness and complementary accessories out of the box, the Rhyme was already on my "not too shabby" list.

Specifications

Size: 119 x 60.8 x 10.85 mm (4.68 x 2.39 x 0.43 inches) Weight:130 grams (4.58 ounces) with battery Display: 3.7-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution Screen: 94mm (3.7") CPU Processing Speed: 1 GHz (Qualcomm MSM 8655) Storage: Total storage: 4 GB; Available storage:up to 1 GB; RAM:768 MB; Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) [comes with an 8GB microSD card] Connectivity: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack; Bluetooth® 3.0 with FTP/OPP for file transfer, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit; Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n; DLNA for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to your TV or computer; ANT+ to connect with sport and fitness sensors Sensors:Ambient light sensor, G-Sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor Power & Battery: Battery type:Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; Capacity:1600 mAh; Talk time: Up to 480 minutes for WCDMA, Up to 620 minutes for GSM; Standby time1:Up to 340 hours for WCDMA, Up to 295 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage.) Platform: Android™ Gingerbread with HTC Sense™ 3.5 Interface Network: HSPA/WCDMA:Europe/Asia: 850/900/2100 MHz; Upload speed of up to 5.76 Mbps and download speed of up to 14.4 Mbps; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.) Camera: 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash; 720p HD video recording; VGA front-facing camera Location: Internal GPS antenna Multimedia: Audio supported formats: Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9); Recording: .amr, .m4a, .aac; Video supported formats:; Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3), .xvid (MP4 ASP and MP3); Recording: .3gp, .mp4 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Black Friday Gaming Deals: Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ $50 Amazon Credit for $199.99 and More!

Judie Stanford — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:42:01 +0000

Black Friday Ads has just posted a listing of sure to fly out quickly gaming console deals at Amazon. If you see something you think looks interesting, you had better act fast!

Amazon is continuing their streak of video game sales as they are now offering the following deals on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles:
Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ $50 Amazon Credit for $199.99
PlayStation 3 160GB Console w/ $50 Amazon Credit for $249.99
Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 3 Limited Edition

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Get a $350 HDTV for FREE During Amazon’s 48 Hour Sale

Judie Stanford — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:55:55 +0000

In an obvious attempt to get everyone into the holiday shopping mood way early, Amazon is holding a 48 hour HDTV and video sale. One of the featured items is the Haier L32D1120 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, which usually retails for $349.99, but through November 7th it is on sale for $197.00. That's a great price on its own, but Amazon upped the ante and added a $200 gift card for those who sign up for DISH Network. So if you have been putting off the move to satellite TV services, and if you don't yet have a 32" flat screen TV Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For the PlayStation 3 Video Gamer

Michael Siebenaler — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:15:13 +0000

PlayStation 3 owners can rejoice this holiday season with more PlayStation Move games, promising music game, PlayStation Home relaunch, and high profile action/role playing games. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For Winter Running and Outdoors Lovers

Carly Z — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:15:18 +0000

(image courtesy Cedar Valley Ridge)

Last week my dog finally accepted we were going for walks while it was still dark in the morning. This morning I ran dodging ice patches. And I'm slowly pulling all my workout pants out of storage. Yes, winter is almost here, and with it comes a whole new set of gear needs. If you're looking for how to stay active in the winter, or if you're starting to note good stocking stuffers for the runner/hiker/active person in your life, we've got you covered! You can read through our entire list of mini-reviews, or just skip to the section you need! And remember, no amount of reflective or safety Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Woman Who Has (Almost) Everything

Judie Stanford — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:00:24 +0000

Is it even possible to have everything? Of course not. But it is possible to have a happy home, well-balanced kids, a loving spouse, and the proper tools to keep things running smoothly or to at least enable an occasional escape when everything gets crazy. The Holiday season has officially begun, and we have a few gift suggestions that can help take the stress out of finding something special for the women we love. Happy Shopping! =)

Keurig Mini Plus Personal Brewer

Whether she likes tea, coffee or hot cocoa, she'll be able to brew up a fresh cup with a minimum of effort. And with brewers available in red, black, platinum, green and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Bag Review: PowerBag Backpack

Dan Cohen — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:00:29 +0000

We took a look at the PowerBag Messenger the other day. It combines an incredibly well-designed, strongly constructed bag with the ability to recharge your devices on the go. On almost all counts it thoroughly impresses. And at under $140, it is not much more than a 6000mAh external battery would be on its own. That makes it a great deal in my opinion. The company makes a number of other designs and they were kind enough to also send a PowerBag backpack as well as the messenger. Since the power aspect of the backpack is the same as it is with the messenger bag, I thought we might take a look at the backpack on Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

How a $91 Metal Detector Saved the Day!

Judie Stanford — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:30:23 +0000

I got a text message from my husband, Kevin, on Tuesday last week, saying that he had lost his wedding ring while working at the ranch. He'd been digging post holes to rebuild a section of fence that had been damaged during our April Fool's Day fire, and while he was on his knees flinging the final few rocks from inside the hole, his platinum wedding band had flown off. The rock he threw hit a tree about 15 feet away, and he figured that the ring had taken a similar trajectory. Kev had already spent two hours searching, part of it on his hands and knees. The area where he had been working is composed of what we refer Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Twelve South’s BassJump 2 Pumps Up the Bass!

Dan Cohen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:00:49 +0000

The folks at Twelve South always have a way of surprising us. They make awesome leather cases like the BookBook for iPad or iPhone but they also make an amazing iPad stand called the Compass. (I use mine all the time.) Now they have something even more outside the box- the BassJump 2 speaker. The new BassJump 2 is a portable, USB-powered subwoofer that "turns MacBook Pro or MacBook Air into a travel-friendly sound system". Powered by a single USB connection, the BassJump 2 uses proprietary software that "blends the sound output of the BassJump subwoofer with the output of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Tokyoflash Releases the Kisai Seven; Makes Your Digital Evil Twin Jealous

Francis Scardino — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:45:42 +0000

Image courtesy of Tokyoflash

Fresh out of the Tokyoflash workshop comes the Kisai Seven. Yet another watch from their concept to reality blog, the Seven joins the limited edition club and launches at the low-cost of only $99 shipped. Breaking off slightly from the standard Kisai style and material, this "Tron" inspired watch has an "identity disc" like watch face that glows either white or blue depending on the model you purchase. New to this watch is a seamless polyurethane band and hard plastic encased face instead of the matte or polished bands we are used to seeing with other models. The large rings on darken in spots to show the hours and minutes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...