Gear Diary » Digital Music Players 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 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 Native Instruments Offers Up Free ‘Player’ Versions of Their Awesome Music Tools!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/native-instruments-offers-up-free-player-versions-of-their-awesome-music-tools/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/native-instruments-offers-up-free-player-versions-of-their-awesome-music-tools/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:45:34 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175465

Native Instruments is one of the pioneers in the virtual instrumentation market. Back in the 90's, you needed a bunch of physical instruments chained together with a MIDI processor to get all the sounds you wanted. Each had a labyrinthine interface and special requirements and non-standard settings. NI came out with the first modular virtual synthesizer, perhaps before computers were ready for them! Since then they have remained on the forefront of virtual instrumentation and sound production tools, and now they are giving away free limited versions of their most popular and powerful tools! Here is what they say about themselves:
Native Instruments is a leading manufacturer of software and
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/native-instruments-offers-up-free-player-versions-of-their-awesome-music-tools/feed/ 0 Slacker Radio Now Playing on Sonos, Sonos Now Playing on Android Tabletshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/slacker-radio-now-playing-on-sonos-sonos-now-playing-on-android-tablets/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/slacker-radio-now-playing-on-sonos-sonos-now-playing-on-android-tablets/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:01:25 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171952 Have I mentioned how much I love my Sonos system? (I have? More than once? Oh, right.) I really do love it. Sonos lets me have my music in a variety of different rooms or in all my rooms and it lets me listen to my music collection, Pandora, RDIO and more. As of today the "and more" includes one of my other favorite music services, Slacker Music. As the company explains,
Slacker® Radio is now available as a free music service on Sonos in the United States and Canada. With Slacker on Sonos you can tune in for free to over 150 expert-programmed stations and create unlimited custom stations from a
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/slacker-radio-now-playing-on-sonos-sonos-now-playing-on-android-tablets/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 Home Audio Review: Orb Music Streaming Systemhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/20/home-audio-review-orb-music-streaming-system/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/20/home-audio-review-orb-music-streaming-system/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:00:37 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=165291 Elana is all but sick of hearing my content refrain of "Have I told you how much I love our Sonos System?" It is at that point that she reminds me that, while she enjoys the music when it is on, the Sonos system is definitely my baby. She's right. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Here is the thing though: the Sonos system worked for me for two reasons. First, at the time I didn't have a serious music system in the house and, second, I was willing to make the investment to set up Sonos in a bunch of different rooms. And believe me, getting the entire house Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/20/home-audio-review-orb-music-streaming-system/feed/ 0 iOS App Review: MyTunes from SRS Labshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/13/ios-app-review-mytunes-from-srs-labs/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/13/ios-app-review-mytunes-from-srs-labs/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:00:02 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=164515 In my experience, new iOS applications fall into one of a number of categories. There are "Wow" apps; these are the ones that are released into the iTunes App Store that blow you away from the very start. There are "Ow!" apps; these are the ones that are released into the iTunes App Store, and you wonder how they ever got through Apple's screening process in the first place. Then there are "Not quite now" apps; these are the applications that show a great deal of promise, but are not quite there… yet. You want to keep them on your device because you know that they'll be updated, and it's abundantly clear that when the updates Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/13/ios-app-review-mytunes-from-srs-labs/feed/ 0 Sonos Controller for Mac Now Plays Well with Lionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/06/sonos-controller-for-mac-now-plays-well-with-lion/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/06/sonos-controller-for-mac-now-plays-well-with-lion/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:03:08 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=159615 Great news for those of us who love their Sonos audio system. (Here's our review.) The Mac desktop software is finally Lion compatible! Here's the email that just came in:

Update: Sonos is now Lion-friendly

Good news: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion works with Sonos®. Even better news: the solution is ready for download. Just select Check for Updates in the Sonos menu on your Sonos Controller for Mac. Now you can play all the music stored on your Mac in every room with Sonos and use Lion. Problem solved. Thank you for your patience as we worked out this incompatibility issue. We're sorry if this interrupted your music listening
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/06/sonos-controller-for-mac-now-plays-well-with-lion/feed/ 0 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 Music Diary Notes: RIM’s BBM Music Poses the Question: Perhaps Late is NOT Better than Never?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:30:26 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=158153

Imagine if back in 2006 someone told you that RIM was offering a music plan for the Blackberry that would allow you to get 50 songs per month, share them with all of your friends who also have a Blackberry, unlimited and on-demand. And that it would have cost $5 a month! You would likely have lamented that you couldn't also get them on your PC or iPod ... but would otherwise been pretty thrilled and signed up immediately! This was the time before the iPhone, before Spotify and Slacker, and when RIM ruled the enterprise phone market. This was before RIM was bleeding market share ... well, because of moves like Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/music-diary-notes-rims-bbm-music-poses-the-question-perhaps-late-is-not-better-than-never/feed/ 0 Six Degrees of Musical Separationhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/22/six-degrees-of-musical-separation/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/22/six-degrees-of-musical-separation/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:00:39 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=157887 Last night I was listening to my iPod touch and an awesome song came on that I had never heard. I looked up the name and it turns out it was "All the World"  from the self-titled album Fauxliage. Having never heard of the group I did a quick Wikipedia search of the band. This is what I found:
Fauxliage is a musical project made by members of the Canadian electronic music group Delerium (which, in turn, is made up largely of members of the seminal industrial band Front Line Assembly) and Leigh Nash in 2007. The vocals are performed exclusively with Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer.
I had Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/22/six-degrees-of-musical-separation/feed/ 0 Review: Griffin Beacon Universal Remote for iOShttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/review-griffin-beacon-universal-remote-for-ios/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/review-griffin-beacon-universal-remote-for-ios/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:00:02 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=156940 It looks funny. It does exactly what it promises. And, at least for me, it is in the running for "iOS Accessory of the Year". Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but I'm pretty serious about how cool I think this iOS hardware/app combination is. The Griffin Beacon is the universal remote on steroids. With this odd piece of plastic powered by four AA batteries and a free download from the App Store I have taken my Samsung HDTV remote, my TiVo remote AND my Apple TV remote and put them away. Now all I need is one of my iOS devices and I have total control over the media in my den Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/15/review-griffin-beacon-universal-remote-for-ios/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 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 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 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 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 Sports Gadget Review: Finis XtreaMP3 Wayerproof MP3 Playerhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/21/sports-gadget-review-finis-xtreamp3-wayerproof-mp3-player/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/21/sports-gadget-review-finis-xtreamp3-wayerproof-mp3-player/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:00:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=150165 Active lives and MP3 players don't always mix. After all, the iPod touch wasn't exactly designed to be a ruggedized device was it? That's where the Finis XtreaMP3 comes in. The XtreaMP3 is a waterproof digital music player that is specifically designed to be worn and used during physical activity. It is waterproof, holds up to 250 songs and comes with an arm band. Let's take a look. IMG 3408 From Finis:
Whether you̍re surfing, kayaking, or even snowboarding, the XtreaMP3 waterproof MP3 player keeps up with your lifestyle. With a neoprene band that securely straps to the arm, the
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/06/21/sports-gadget-review-finis-xtreamp3-wayerproof-mp3-player/feed/ 0 Rad Blaster: Don’t Always Believe the Hypehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/25/rad-blaster-dont-always-believe-the-hype/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/25/rad-blaster-dont-always-believe-the-hype/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:00:04 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=80957

As bloggers we're all guilty of it.  We see some really cool gadget over the internet, or we're sent a random press release on what's described as the next, greatest widget to hit since the invention of the cell phone.  Usually we spot some fancy press release picture along with it which only serves to further peak our interest. So what do we do?  We post about it.  Sometimes we even offer our opinion on how "cool" the thing looks.  Or the fact that we'd love to have one.  But guess what?  We've never even held it once, never tested it, don't really know a darn thing about it. Case in point, this Gizmodo post on the Rad Blaster.  After reading it you are probably thinking, "wow, that looks and pretty cool."  The article says of the RadBlaster "it's certainly bigger than a shuffle, but it doesn't sound like a bad deal for $60." I was recently sent a Rad Blaster for review and guess what?  $60 is actually an awful deal. I'm sure the RadBlaster article on Gizmodo generated a good amount of traffic on the Rad Blaster web site and probably a decent amount of orders too.  All because they in some way hinted that they liked it. But here's the problem.  They never reviewed it.  They never even saw it.  They came to the conclusion that it looked good from one press photograph and some text they'd read! Heck, we posted about the Rad Blaster too, but did question the $60 price tag. So let's get to my actual hands on experience with the Rad Blaster. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/25/rad-blaster-dont-always-believe-the-hype/feed/ 5 The 2010 Version of the “Mix-Tape”http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/23/the-2010-version-of-the-mix-tape/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/23/the-2010-version-of-the-mix-tape/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:15:56 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=76703

I sure remember it.  If you lived through the 1980s I'm guessing you do too. The "Mix-Tape."  Whether you made one yourself or had one made for you, it contained songs that reminded you or your crush of the time you'd spent together.  I think I still even have one of these tapes in a shoebox in my basement, although I don't own a cassette player with which to play it on. Well times have changed.  And here's the 2010 version of that old icon, the "mix-tape." Suck UK makes this clever way of presenting a mix tape to your modern crush. You Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/23/the-2010-version-of-the-mix-tape/feed/ 5 The Inbrics M1 Android Mobile Internet Devicehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/the-inbrics-m1-android-mobile-internet-device/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/the-inbrics-m1-android-mobile-internet-device/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:15:55 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=73945 Inbrics M1, an Android-based mobile internet device (MID) with a "3 screen plus" media convergence platform". We've been hearing about the M1 since late last year, and it also made a CES debut. Now what some have called "possibly the ultimate Android device" may be that much closer to actually being available for purchase.
The M1 has everything you could want in an MID, including Wi-Fi 802.11, an AMOLED touch screen that slides to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G or WiMAX, a 3-megapixel camera on the back, a VGA camera on the front, 16GB of internal
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/the-inbrics-m1-android-mobile-internet-device/feed/ 1 Rad Blaster- a bit of 80s boom box nostalgia with 21st century flarehttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/rad-blaster-a-bit-of-80s-boom-box-nostalgia-with-21st-century-flare/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/rad-blaster-a-bit-of-80s-boom-box-nostalgia-with-21st-century-flare/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:52:24 +0000 Amy Zunk http://www.geardiary.com/?p=64909 radblaster

Like a lot of kids in the 80s, I had a boom box.  It was big, loud, heavy...but oh so cool!  I used it until it finally died, about 10 years later.  I miss it. But what if I could have it back?  What would I want it to do now?  Well, I'd like it small, easy to use, able to use my MP3 collection, but still sound great. Enter the Rad Blaster!   Its a small USB device that has an OLED screen, supports MP3/WMA/WAV audio formats and have 2GB of memory built in.  It looks and behaves like our old school boom box, but with all the cool audio of now.  For $59.99, it may be a little Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/rad-blaster-a-bit-of-80s-boom-box-nostalgia-with-21st-century-flare/feed/ 3 Gear Smackdown: Battle of the BlackBerry Music Playershttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/10/07/gear-smackdown-battle-of-the-blackberry-music-players/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/10/07/gear-smackdown-battle-of-the-blackberry-music-players/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:54:05 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=52273 geardiary_blackberry_music_players

Remember when a BlackBerry was simply a "pager?" Those days have been long gone for some time, yet I still know many people who don't embrace their BlackBerry's full potential.  Even though many folks at Gear Diary, myself included, often carry a few different devices, I can assure you that you can use your BlackBerry as your primary MP3 player.

Today's BlackBerry devices sport excellent features -- and I'm gonna go there -- sound just as good as an iPod or iPhone (sans dropped calls, of course ;) ).  While the stock music player does a great job, today we're going to look at a few other options for media players for your BlackBerry -- and battle it out to find the best of the best player for your own 'Berry.

Let the smackdown begin...

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/10/07/gear-smackdown-battle-of-the-blackberry-music-players/feed/ 11 Now *THAT* is a Music Box Set!http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/22/now-that-is-a-music-box-set/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/22/now-that-is-a-music-box-set/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:15:57 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=49371 Miles Davis Complete Box Expanded

Collections of music or movies called 'box sets' have been popular for quite some time - I remember buying a 3-record collection of Richard Wagner's Orchestral music in a nice box with a huge book of information 30 years ago! Over the last decade, though, Box Sets have become a major industry, especially around the Christmas holiday season. Now Columbia has opened up the vaults to unleash a massive collection that one has to see to believe! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/22/now-that-is-a-music-box-set/feed/ 3 Zune HD a hit?http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/19/zune-hd-a-hit/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/19/zune-hd-a-hit/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:19:23 +0000 Wayne Schulz http://www.geardiary.com/?p=48919 zune hd.jpg

Did you miss your chance to pre-order a Zune HD. The device was released just this past Tuesday and already Amazon is showing up to a two month wait for 16 GB model while the more expensive 32 GB is expected in up to 2 weeks' time. Sure the Amazon store is notoriously conservative when they estimate shipping days (my Kindle arrived even though the status read out of stock the entire time it was order). But just maybe Microsoft has a hit on their hands. The highlights of this device for me have been the availability of Zune Pass which allows for downloading and playing unlimited songs so long as you pony up the monthly $15 fee (good for three devices) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/19/zune-hd-a-hit/feed/ 3 FINIS Unveils “SwiMP3” 1GB MP3 Player for Swimming & Water Sportshttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/finis-unveils-%e2%80%9cswimp3%e2%80%9d-1gb-mp3-player-for-swimming-water-sports/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/finis-unveils-%e2%80%9cswimp3%e2%80%9d-1gb-mp3-player-for-swimming-water-sports/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:39:39 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=48615 SwiMP3

Looking to listen to your music while going for a swim? Until now your choices would be hindered by the need for cords and in-ear devices. Now FINIS brings their patented bone conduction technology to create a 1GB MP3 player that is suitable for in-water use! Bone conduction is "the direct transfer of sound vibrations from the cheek bone to the inner ear". Be sure to check out Dan's review from last month.
“Current waterproof MP3 players are quite awkward for training in the water as athletes are hindered by straps, cords and earphones. We created the SwiMP3.1G specifically for swimmers so they could continually swim without having this cumbersome feeling of too many cords and
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/finis-unveils-%e2%80%9cswimp3%e2%80%9d-1gb-mp3-player-for-swimming-water-sports/feed/ 0 Wired.com Head-To-Head Leaves Me Scratching Mine…http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/wired-com-head-to-head-leaves-me-scratching-mine/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/wired-com-head-to-head-leaves-me-scratching-mine/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:05:55 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=48538 Firefox.png

I like the stuff that comes our of Wired.com's Gadget Labs but this is just weird. They have posted an inane video comparing the new Zune HD to the... iPod nano??? Let's see, touch screen, app-running, WiFi enabled Zune up against... scroll wheel iPod with a camera? Seriously, this is one I don't get. But I am looking forward to their next video. In that one they'll compare the iPhone 3GS to... The Moto RAZR!!! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/17/wired-com-head-to-head-leaves-me-scratching-mine/feed/ 1 The ‘other’ Apple is also having a big day today …http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/09/the-other-apple-is-also-having-a-big-day-today/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/09/the-other-apple-is-also-having-a-big-day-today/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:52 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=47040 Beatles_Fab_Four

Everyone in techno-gear-land is frothing over the 1PM EST Apple 'Rock & Roll' event today. But 9/9/09 is also home to another huge Apple-related event - the Apple Corps Inc. release of the Beatles Rock Band and the entire remastered Beatles CD catalog in mono and stereo formats in special collector's packages. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/09/the-other-apple-is-also-having-a-big-day-today/feed/ 0 Zune 4GB plus free car kit – $80.99 shippedhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/08/zune-4gb-plus-free-car-kit-80-99-shipped/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/08/zune-4gb-plus-free-car-kit-80-99-shipped/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:58:10 +0000 Wayne Schulz http://www.geardiary.com/?p=46747 zune 4gb.jpg

If you're not averse to a pink colored MP3 player then this 4GB Zune with free Microsoft Zune Car Pack & Premium Headphones is a hot deal. The player includes an FM receiver and you can subscribe to Microsoft's Zune Pass to listen to songs without needing to purchase them. We may see Zune player pricing fall further in advance of the September 15 release of the Zune HD which has been rumored to replace all prior regular Zune models. Zune 4GB via GearSponsor LogicBuy Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/09/08/zune-4gb-plus-free-car-kit-80-99-shipped/feed/ 0 Zune 120GB Gears of War 2 Limited Edition – $206.99http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/15/zune-120gb-gears-of-war-2-limited-edition-206-99/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/15/zune-120gb-gears-of-war-2-limited-edition-206-99/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:16:08 +0000 Wayne Schulz http://www.geardiary.com/?p=42874 gears of war zune 120 gb.jpg

Dell Small Business has become a pretty good source for discounted electronic gadgetry. This 120 GB Gears of War 2 themed Zune Player is $50 off plus you can snare another 10% with coupon code WKF35JP9FR9BLQ (expires 8/20/09). This special Edition Gears of War 2 Zune video MP3 player features a Crimson Omen etching and is loaded with a special Gears of War 2 media collection (244 pieces of "Gears of War" media including the original game soundtrack, behind-the-scenes videos, game trailers and concept art galleries). Hurry - deal's gone August 20. Zune 120 GB Gears of War 2 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/15/zune-120gb-gears-of-war-2-limited-edition-206-99/feed/ 3