Gear Diary » Digital Music Player Gear http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:15:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Mackie Brings 16-Channel iPad Powered Mixer to NAMMhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/mackie-brings-16-channel-ipad-powered-mixer-to-namm/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/mackie-brings-16-channel-ipad-powered-mixer-to-namm/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:30:48 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180490

Each year when I check out the news from NAMM I look at cool new stuff as well as what is happening with companies I already known and love. Mackie Designs is one of those companies. For a long time they were a mixer-only company, and about 20 years ago when I was transitioning from trying to use my Tascam Portastudio as a pseudo-mixer into having a real home studio, the Mackie 1202 provided everything I need in a well made, high quality package at a budget price - and it is still going strong today for myself and my son! At Winter NAMM they introduced a great looking new mixer based around Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/mackie-brings-16-channel-ipad-powered-mixer-to-namm/feed/ 5 Alesis Brings a Trio of Awesome iPad Musical Extender Dockshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/19/alesis-brings-a-trio-of-awesome-ipad-musical-extender-docks/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/19/alesis-brings-a-trio-of-awesome-ipad-musical-extender-docks/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:30:20 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179592

Alesis is a company that came out of Rhode Island in the digital boom of the mid-80's and after ups and downs continues to be a force of innovation in the music hardware arena. They have three cool new iPad-related products introduced at the Winter NAMM show worth highlighting. Alesis AmpDock
•The first professional guitar processor to use your iPad or iPad 2 for signal processing •Works with GarageBand, AmpliTube, JamUp, and virtually any audio or CoreMIDI app •Includes a rugged pedalboard controller with program, effect, bypass, volume and continuous controls •Guitar Input 1 and switchable Mic/Line/Guitar Input 2; professional outputs, and MIDI jacks •Kickstand allows for stable positioning on top of guitar
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/19/alesis-brings-a-trio-of-awesome-ipad-musical-extender-docks/feed/ 10 Deal: Target – Get Free Sonos Bridge With Purchase of Sonos Playhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/deal-target-get-free-sonos-bridge-with-purchase-of-sonos-play/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/deal-target-get-free-sonos-bridge-with-purchase-of-sonos-play/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:00:02 +0000 Thomas R. Hall http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179230

We know that Dan is a big fan of the Sonos Wireless HiFi system based on his reviews last year of the PLAY:5 and PLAY:3, as well as his recent video showing how easy it is to set up the system. One thing that holds some people back from a Sonos system is the cost associated with it. Even though these are high-performance systems, the initial entry cost may be high enough to cause some hesitation in the purchasing process. (Though Dan has said to me that it is well worth it.) Well, Target is sweetening the deal for a limited time, so if you haven't yet made the jump and are interested, read on. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/deal-target-get-free-sonos-bridge-with-purchase-of-sonos-play/feed/ 0 Eskuché 33i and Control-i Headphones review and giveawayhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/eskuche-33i-and-control-i-headphones-review-and-giveaway/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/eskuche-33i-and-control-i-headphones-review-and-giveaway/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:04 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175845 Back in November we brought a pair of on-ear headphones to your attention that look great, sound good and don't break the bank. At under $70 for each pair eskuché's 33i and Control-i headphones are worth considering if you've been looking for a pair of on-ear headphones that include an in-line mic. We've had both of them here for the past few weeks and have used them to listen to a variety of music. In this lightening review we will take a quick look at both, give you some of the upsides and some of the potential downsides and then give you a chance to win each. So without further ado here Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/eskuche-33i-and-control-i-headphones-review-and-giveaway/feed/ 9 ZAGGsmartbud Review Reduxhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/04/zaggsmartbud-review-redux/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/04/zaggsmartbud-review-redux/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:00:02 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172530 Back in February of 2010 I reviewed the ZAGGsmartbuds. At the time, this was my conclusion
So are the ZAGGsmartbuds worth their $79.99 price? Absolutely. They are comfortable to wear for extended periods, sound very good and, thanks to the Hangin’ Tight system, have what is probably the best cable-management system I have used. At under $80 I would say that they are not only worth their price tag but that they are a good deal to boot! The ZAGGsmartbuds have an MSRP of $79.99 and are available directly from ZAGG. And right now ZAGG is including a free dual USB car charger with purchases of over $40. What I Like: Love
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/04/zaggsmartbud-review-redux/feed/ 0 Twelve South Bass Jump 2 Portable Subwoofer for MacBook Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/twelve-south-bass-jump-2-portable-subwoofer-for-macbook-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/twelve-south-bass-jump-2-portable-subwoofer-for-macbook-review/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:00:16 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171302 The MacBook air isn't designed to be an entertainment device. The anemic speakers on it make that point quite clearly. Sure, they work well enough, but I would be hard-pressed to call them anything more than functional. The speakers on the iMac are far better but even they still fall a bit short. That's where Twelve South's BassJump 2 Portable subwoofer for MacBook comes in. Let's take a look. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/twelve-south-bass-jump-2-portable-subwoofer-for-macbook-review/feed/ 0 Black Friday Giveaway Winners Announcedhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/black-friday-giveaway-winners-announced/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/black-friday-giveaway-winners-announced/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:30:12 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171830 We had some great accessories to give away beginning last Friday. We figured it was a great way to mark the formal start to the holiday shopping season. Below you will find the prizes we had to give away, links to read the reviews or buy them directly and, of course, the winners. All winners have 24 hours to email their name, the prize they won and their address to contests@geardiary.com.   Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/black-friday-giveaway-winners-announced/feed/ 2 Eskuché 33i and Control-i headphone Headphones Look Great and Won’t Break the Bankhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/25/eskuche-33i-and-icontrol-headphones-look-great-and-wont-break-the-bank/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/25/eskuche-33i-and-icontrol-headphones-look-great-and-wont-break-the-bank/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:15:14 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170853 Is it more important to have headphones that look good, sound good or are priced right? eskuché doesn't think it needs to be a choice and their $69 33i and Control-i headphones are here to make the point. Here's a quick look at both and what the company has to say about them. We're hoping to have some in hand for review shortly. 33iBB mainv3 crop First up are the eskuché 33i headphones. As the company explains,
The 33i looks to one of our first headphones, the 33 1/3, for its chassis, and merges it with the improved structural components
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/25/eskuche-33i-and-icontrol-headphones-look-great-and-wont-break-the-bank/feed/ 0 New Hearing Protection Product Available from Crescendo Hearing Protectionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/22/new-hearing-protection-product-available-from-crescendo-hearing-protection/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/22/new-hearing-protection-product-available-from-crescendo-hearing-protection/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:15:05 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170383 It's a loud, loud world out there.  In a world where they can spend a million smackers to build a single mile of acoustic wall along highways, you know noise is a problem in the modern world.  You got your jackhammers, your freeways, your trains, cars, buses, lo-riding jerk weeds blasting music out of their four-wheel boom boxes . . . it's loud.  Loud, I tell you!  And you!  Yeah, you!  Get off my lawn! Ahem. Anyway, Crescendo Hearing Protection wants to help.  They've got a full line of hearing protection items that cover a whole bunch of needs--musicians, industrial workers, and whatever else you can think of.  So if the blasting-sound nature of modern Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/22/new-hearing-protection-product-available-from-crescendo-hearing-protection/feed/ 0 SPAR Announces ZEPHYR Portable Bluetooth Speaker and External Battery Linehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/spar-announces-zephyr-portable-bluetooth-speaker-and-external-battery-line/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/spar-announces-zephyr-portable-bluetooth-speaker-and-external-battery-line/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:30:11 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=169468   One of the best purchases I've made in recent months is the JawBone JamBox. Thomas got one over a year ago and almost convinced me to join him at the time. I didn't and now know that I should have trusted him. The device is small, well-made, sounds great and has the added benefit of a built-in microphone so you can use it as a speakerphone too. I love it! So how could a competitor try to one up the device? We got word today on one such attempts and, truth be told, it looks great. The device, devices actually, come from SPAR (www.SPAR.com) and is called the ZEPHYR. The ZEPHYR comes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/spar-announces-zephyr-portable-bluetooth-speaker-and-external-battery-line/feed/ 0 Holiday Gift Guide: For Music Lovershttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/14/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-music-lovers/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/14/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-music-lovers/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:00:36 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168745 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. Safari 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 ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/14/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-music-lovers/feed/ 0 Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: Music is Good for Your Soul Winner Announced!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/02/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-music-is-good-for-your-soul-winner-announced/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/02/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-music-is-good-for-your-soul-winner-announced/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:55:34 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=163080 NewImage

It is time to announce the winners of the Music is Good for Your Soul Giveaway contest!!!

As a reminder, the giveaway includes: The winner of the entire giveaway is: Andrew The winner has 24 hours from the time this post goes up to send us an email with contact/shipping information and the words “Gear Diary at 5 Giveaway: I won [name the item]!” in the subject to this Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/02/gear-diary-at-5-giveaway-music-is-good-for-your-soul-winner-announced/feed/ 0 Storage Review: The Synology DS211+, A Pint Sized 2-Bay NAS with some Really Big Featureshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/28/storage-review-the-synology-ds211-a-pint-sized-2-bay-nas-with-some-really-big-features/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/28/storage-review-the-synology-ds211-a-pint-sized-2-bay-nas-with-some-really-big-features/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:00:31 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=134704

Image courtesy of Synology

You can't be too cautious these days about backing up your data. Time and time again friends, family and co-workers come to me about trying to recover pictures, music and documents on a failed or virus ridden drive. Some even have their small business data lost when the main computer goes down. My first advice to anyone is that they should get themselves some sort of backup device, whether it be Desktop Attached Storage or Network Attached Storage and some good software to automate the backups. I have wanted to upgrade my 2TB external drive to a Network Attached Storage Device, but had a really hard time deciding which one to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/28/storage-review-the-synology-ds211-a-pint-sized-2-bay-nas-with-some-really-big-features/feed/ 2 Audio PlayerReview: The JLab Wave Waterproof mp3 Playerhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/26/audio-playerreview-the-jlab-wave-waterproof-mp3-player/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/26/audio-playerreview-the-jlab-wave-waterproof-mp3-player/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:00:45 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=158089 A few weeks ago we took a look at the Monster Cable iSport waterproof headphones. They are pricey but sound great and are, in fact, truly waterproof. They are machine washable!! If you don't need the same level of audio quality but still want waterproof headphones JLab's Wave headset is worth a look. While the Wave is not machine washable it IS waterproof and has the huge advantage of not requiring a separate mp3 player. You see, the Wave IS the mp3 player. It MAY look like a pair of in-ear headphones connected by a ridged neck wire but the Wave headphones house 2GB of storage and the mp3 player. That makes the Wave Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/26/audio-playerreview-the-jlab-wave-waterproof-mp3-player/feed/ 0 Review: Able Planet SI350 Sport Earphonehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/12/review-able-planet-si350-sport-earphone/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/12/review-able-planet-si350-sport-earphone/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:00:43 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156783 Headphones… We've check out a bunch. Some have impressed us. Some… Not so much. So when a new pair of headphones come on the market we want to check them out. And when they come from a company we know we are even more interest. That's the case here with the new offerings from Able Planet. Judie introduced Able Planet to Gear Diary readers in this post way back in 2008. Mike looked at pair of their gaming headphones in this post. And Judie checked out a pair of their headphones with active noise cancellation here. I met with the company at CES 2010 and was impressed by their approach. Now Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/12/review-able-planet-si350-sport-earphone/feed/ 0 Bongiovi Acoustics DPS (Digital Power Station) for iOS Rocks Your Worldhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/11/bongiovi-acoustics-dps-digital-power-station-for-ios-rocks-your-world/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/11/bongiovi-acoustics-dps-digital-power-station-for-ios-rocks-your-world/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:15:03 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156669 Want richer bass, higher clarity and an all around enhanced audio experience? Bongiovi Acoustics: Bongiovi DPS (Digital Power Station) technology has it. The technology is currently available in iHome dock stations and select Toyota models and, for the first time, Bongiovi's technology is available as an iOS app. The technology "re-masters your compressed digital audio files at the source and then, using device specific profiles, optimizes the output for your listening device (headphone, speaker, earbud, etc)." I tried the iOS app and was rather impressed with the enhanced audio pumped out by my iPod touch and my iPad. Photo 1 As the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/11/bongiovi-acoustics-dps-digital-power-station-for-ios-rocks-your-world/feed/ 0 Gear Giveaway: iMainGo: 2 Protective Case and Speaker in Onehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/10/gear-giveaway-imaingo-2-protective-case-and-speaker-in-one/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/10/gear-giveaway-imaingo-2-protective-case-and-speaker-in-one/#comments Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:00:59 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156602 The end of the summer is fast approaching. It's sad but, unfortunately, it's true. Before we know it September will be here. It is time to get in as much relaxation as we can and one of the best ways to do that is with music. That's where the iMainGo:2 comes in. The iMainGo: 2 is a "protective case that turns your MP3 player into a powerful and portable speaker". Some features include:
It Custom fits and protects all iPods and most MP3’s. It doubles as a premium external stereo speaker system for any device with a 3.5 mm connection You can control and view your device without opening the case You can wake
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/10/gear-giveaway-imaingo-2-protective-case-and-speaker-in-one/feed/ 0 Review: AViiQ Portable Charging Stationhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/review-aviiq-portable-charging-station/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/review-aviiq-portable-charging-station/#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:00:29 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156141 The promise of converged devices like the iPhone was, among other things, the ability to travel light. Instead of needing to bring a phone, an address book, a music player, a note pad, a camera, etc., smartphones promised to replace all of that and be the only thing you needed to bring with you. Funny but, at least for many of us, that hasn't happened. Sure, my iPhone DOES replace all those aforementioned items, but along with my iPhone I now carry an iPad, a Bluetooth headset and, at times, a second phone. And in order to keep them all working I also need to bring wall chargers and cables. That's NOT converged living Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/review-aviiq-portable-charging-station/feed/ 1 Bye-Bye, Spotifyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/bye-bye-spotify/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/bye-bye-spotify/#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:57 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156262 When Spotify finally came to the US I was quick to jump on it. I like using streaming, subscription music services a great deal. I like the flexibility. I love being able to download and listen to pretty much whatever I choose for a small fee each month. Sure, I already have a huge music collection but there's a ton of music I want to hear that isn't part of it and there are enough tunes that it would cost me a small fortune to purchase all of them. I tried Rhapsody for a while and while I got hooked on the subscription idea I didn't like the service too much. That let me to my Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/07/bye-bye-spotify/feed/ 0 Review: BlueAnt EMBRACE Wired On-Ear Headphoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/review-blueant-embrace-wired-on-ear-headphones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/review-blueant-embrace-wired-on-ear-headphones/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:00:12 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=155923 IMG 5192 wmphotos by Kevin

In recent years we have seen a proliferation of on-ear and over-the-ear headphones priced in the $200-$300 range. There are, of course, the Beats by Dr Dre. They are joined by the likes of the Denon AH-D 1100 headphones (reviewed here), the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones (reviewed here), the V-Moda Crossfades (reviewed here) and many more. Is there room for yet another pair of headphones in the mix, let alone from a company that is known for its Bluetooth devices rather than wired-audio? That's the question faced by BlueAnt with the release of their EMBRACE wired on-ear headphones. How do they hold up Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/05/review-blueant-embrace-wired-on-ear-headphones/feed/ 0 Sonos PLAY:3 Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/30/sonos-play3-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/30/sonos-play3-review/#comments Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:00:17 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=155115

We have had a fair bit of coverage of the Sonos Wireless Hi-Fi System over the past few weeks. As I noted in my initial review of the system, I only had the review units in my home for 23 hours before I went and ordered my own. I was impressed by the ease of use, the overall sound quality, and the vast amount of music that was available to me through the Sonos eco-system. It was by no means an inexpensive purchase but I have not had a single moment of buyer's remorse. At this point I am a Sonos evangelist and have gotten at least two other homes

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/30/sonos-play3-review/feed/ 0 First Look: BlueAnt Embrace Stereo Headphoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/29/first-look-blueant-embrace-stereo-headphones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/29/first-look-blueant-embrace-stereo-headphones/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:30:07 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=155142 We first saw BlueAnt's upcoming stereo headphones back at CES. (Our CES roundup of BlueAnt's products can be found here.) Safari Here's what the company has to say about them-
Music The Way It Was Meant To Be Heard True-To-Life Sound: Due to the flat frequency response of our highly optimised drivers, the BlueAnt EMBRACE enhances your mobile entertainment experience by offering the absolute best sound that is not artificially manipulated. The headphones provide a listening experience that is true-to-life and enables users to adjust EQ settings to match their personal preferences. Absolute Best Sound: The EMBRACE offers the
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/29/first-look-blueant-embrace-stereo-headphones/feed/ 0 Sonos Announces the Play:3 the Newest Addition to the Sonos Familyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/20/sonos-announces-the-play3-the-newest-addition-to-the-sonos-family/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/20/sonos-announces-the-play3-the-newest-addition-to-the-sonos-family/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:01:18 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=154079 If you read the site regularly you know that I am a Sonos convert and am telling everyone I can about the wireless home audio system. I love it. In fact, I had the review system in my home for just a day before I went and bought my own system. This past weekend I had a chance to show it to Judie and Carly and they were likewise impressed. It is truly one of the best tech expenses I have made in recent history. On Monday I had a chance to meet with Sonos and get an early look at their latest release the Sonos PLAY:3. The PLAY:3 is being announced and released Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/20/sonos-announces-the-play3-the-newest-addition-to-the-sonos-family/feed/ 0 Sonos + Spotify = Even More Music Throughout the Househttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/14/sonos-spotify-even-more-music-throughout-the-house/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/14/sonos-spotify-even-more-music-throughout-the-house/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:00:19 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=153418 Despite using MOG quite a bit recently (It replaced RDIO for me.) I'm still a huge Slacker Radio fan. I like the interface, the customization and the catalogue. And now that you can cache music AND selectively grab tracks or albums it is just awesome. Unfortunately it still doesn't integrate with my Sonos audio system so, at home at least, it is either MOG or Pandora. Hopefully I'll have yet another choice before the day is out. Spotify went live in the US this morning and I'm waiting for my invite to arrive so I can try out the long-awaited streaming music system for myself. When it does music from spottily will Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/14/sonos-spotify-even-more-music-throughout-the-house/feed/ 0 Review: MusicSkins Music, Style, Protectionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/review-musicskins-music-style-protection/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/review-musicskins-music-style-protection/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:00:26 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=152919

Phones, mp3 players, laptops, cameras, hard drives, headphones. We all have so many gadgets that may have a splash of color or chrome, but basically are simply black, white or silver products that may not be exactly custom or a representation of the owner. For many, these plain, boring gadgets need something colorful and stylish to make them their own. It could be even better if these customizations could also provide some protection. MusicSkins allows users to decorate their products with musicians, cartoons, artwork or even their own photos while also protecting the devices. MusicSkins sent me a few of their offerings to check out recently. Let's take a look. (As a side note

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/12/review-musicskins-music-style-protection/feed/ 0 The Sonos Wireless Home Audio System Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/26/the-sonos-wireless-home-audio-system-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/26/the-sonos-wireless-home-audio-system-review/#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:00:25 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=150776 If Apple were to release a wireless speaker system, it would probably look and function the way the Sonos Zone system does. Fortunately Cupertino doesn't need to go to the trouble, since Sonos beat Apple to it -- and there isn't a whole lot of room for improvement. Sure, I understand that those opening sentences sound more than a bit fanboyish toward both Apple and Sonos, but hey, I love my Apple products; in the last month or so, I have also become a Sonos evangelist. How much do I like the Sonos system? Let me put it this way: I received a one month review system on Wednesday morning and immediately set it Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/26/the-sonos-wireless-home-audio-system-review/feed/ 2 Verbatim’s Itty-Bitty Store ‘n’ Go Car Audio USB Drivehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:30:52 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=148610

  Kev gave me his "old" white iPod to use in my car, because its stereo has an integrated auxiliary jack. Every time I pull up at my destination, I have a routine of unplugging and storing the iPod so that would-be thieves won't see it as a reason to smash & grab. If my car had an integrated USB port in its stereo, then I would totally pick up a Verbatim Store 'n' Go Car Audio USB Drive. This little drive is so tiny that it should be virtually unnoticeable when someone is peeking in my lightly tinted windows. And yes, you could load just about any other thumb-drive Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/09/verbatims-itty-bitty-store-%e2%80%98n%e2%80%99-go-car-audio-usb-drive/feed/ 0 Need Gift Ideas for Father’s Day? How About One of These?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/18/need-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day-how-about-one-of-these/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/18/need-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day-how-about-one-of-these/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 18:15:14 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=145437 My father-in-law still longs for the days of Pleasantville. Too bad for him that Pleasantville wasn't even Pleasantville! Yes, the "good old days" were old, but they weren't necessarily any better. And they sure didn't offer the wide range of gadgets we have all come to rely upon! So if you are looking for a gift for your father or father-in-law, you MIGHT get them the complete Father Knows Best series on DVD, but maybe you ought to consider one of these instead... For the iPod nano-loving dad Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/18/need-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day-how-about-one-of-these/feed/ 0 Review: Future Sonics Atrio Universal Fit Professional Earphoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/03/review-future-sonics-atrio-universal-fit-professional-earphones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/03/review-future-sonics-atrio-universal-fit-professional-earphones/#comments Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:00:45 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=138430 I listen to a tremendous amount of music these days. Whether I am working in my home study, in the car, running or at the office there is often music playing. Sometimes it comes through speakers but oftentimes I listen through earphones. Over the past few years I have had a chance to check out some impressive options in this regard. I did a review of the Denon AH-D1100 over the ear headphones. I almost bought the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones that Thomas reviewed but realized I tend to prefer in-ear options like the awesome JHAudio JH5 Custom In-Ear Monitors I reviewed last spring. These custom in-ear monitors are Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/03/review-future-sonics-atrio-universal-fit-professional-earphones/feed/ 2 New USBFever.com Gear Lets You Shoot, Point and Singhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/02/new-usbfever-com-gear-lets-you-shoot-point-and-sing/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/02/new-usbfever-com-gear-lets-you-shoot-point-and-sing/#comments Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:15:40 +0000 David Goodspeed http://www.geardiary.com/?p=138305

USBFever.com sent along some new product release information for this week that included a lens kit for the iPhone 4 and a USB Karaoke Sound Kit. I admit to being a big iPhone4tography geek but a co-worker is a huge karaoke buff. Together we will test these items in the coming weeks. Here are links to the recent USBFever.com releases: Wide Angle + (Marco) + Fish Eye + 2X + 8X + 12X Telephoto Lens Combo for iPhone 4G Pointer Look USB TF and M2 Card Readers Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/02/new-usbfever-com-gear-lets-you-shoot-point-and-sing/feed/ 0