Gear Diary » Apple iPad http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:30:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gear Chat 2012 Episode 2, Tablets, Apps and Games… Oh My!!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:58 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183531 We're back with the next edition of Gear Chat. This time out Mike is bringing us some gaming news and Thomas and I talk tablets, apps and iPad 3. Listen below or click here to download.
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Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/13/gear-chat-2012-episode-2-tablets-apps-and-games-oh-my/feed/ 0 Is the iPad 3 in Your Future? A Gear Chathttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183069

Yes, it is that time of year. The annual iPad announcement and release is likely on the way and, with it, the flurry of rumors are in full force. Moreover, as we have seen in recent year, these rumors are often accompanied by slightly blurry spy shots of various components. We saw a supposed back plate for the iPad 3 and today the supposed hi-res display has emerged. We do our best to stay away from rumor and innuendo (although sometimes we just can't resist) but that does not mean we aren't thinking about what we want in the iPad 3. Here's what the team had to say about it I asked: What do YOU want in the iPad 3 (that is also actually possible) and are you buying? Why or why not? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/is-the-ipad-3-in-your-future-a-gear-chat/feed/ 2 Gear Deal: 10% off all Apple iPads and iPodshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/gear-deal-10-off-all-apple-ipads-and-ipods/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/gear-deal-10-off-all-apple-ipads-and-ipods/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:45:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182979 Today's Gear Deal is something you don't see every day. In fact, it is something you almost NEVER see! Today Only! you can save 10% on all Apple iPads and iPods. In addition, they will ship for free and, unless you live in California, New Jersey, Tenessee or Puerto Rico, there won't even be tax. All this means, for example, that you can get a 16GB iPod Nano for $134.99, a 64GB iPod Touch for $359.99, a 64GB iPad 2 WiFi for $647.99 and a 64GB iPad 2 WiFi + 3G for just $746.99. Yes, all iPods and iPads are 10% off but this is for today only! Click here to visit the deal page Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/gear-deal-10-off-all-apple-ipads-and-ipods/feed/ 0 DONKEY.BAS Game Review and Giveaway, the Granddaddy of PC Games Comes to iOShttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/donkey-bas-game-review-and-giveaway-the-granddaddy-of-pc-games-comes-to-ios/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/donkey-bas-game-review-and-giveaway-the-granddaddy-of-pc-games-comes-to-ios/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:00:02 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182529

Well, it could be "grandmother of PC games" for all I know.  My biology background didn't include methodology for determining software sex identity and their gender bits look the same to me. XVision has released DONKEY.BAS for iOS 5.0+ mobile devices, based on one of the original IBM PC DOS games written by Bill Gates and Neil Konzen. Yes, that Bill Gates. The concept is simple:  The player is driving down the road in what appears to be a late 1940s race car, destination unknown.  Suddenly, up ahead, a donkey appears in your lane.  What to do!? Change lanes before it's too late!  Read on to see my review of the game plus a chance for a reader to win a copy of the game! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/donkey-bas-game-review-and-giveaway-the-granddaddy-of-pc-games-comes-to-ios/feed/ 0 Twelve South Does it Again with HoverBar for Mac and iPad 2http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/twelve-south-does-it-again-with-hoverbar-for-mac-and-ipad-2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/twelve-south-does-it-again-with-hoverbar-for-mac-and-ipad-2/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:52:39 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182680 If you use a Mac and an iPad, then Twelve South's new HoverBar is for you. It lets you use your iPad 2 an adjustable arm that floats iPad 2 next to an iMac or Apple display, allowing you to use iPad as a secondary, touchscreen computer.
[It] turns iPad into the ultimate sidecar for an iMac or Apple display, presenting more ways to use iPad more often. Connect HoverBar to your Mac, snap iPad 2 into the secure clip and you now have one powerful dual-computer work setup. Having iPad floating next to your Mac allows you to monitor your Twitter stream, stocks and local weather -- or run FaceTime on your iPad while you email, edit a file, or cut a video on your Mac.
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/07/twelve-south-does-it-again-with-hoverbar-for-mac-and-ipad-2/feed/ 0 Gear Chat 2012- We’re Back!!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:50:56 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182430 It has been over a year but Gear Chat is back and we're talking tech. In this first episode Thomas and I talk about the Samsung Galaxy Note, the Series 7 Slate tablet and what configuration of Apple computing products is best. Future episodes will include Gaming and eBook segments and much more. We also want to hear from you! What content do you want covered? What questions do you have? Would you like us to do the podcast as a live, call-in conversation? We want to know. Happy listening and, as always, thanks for sharing via Twitter and Facebook.
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Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/06/gear-chat-2012-were-back/feed/ 1 Ten One Design Magnus Leaves Us Saying, “I Wish I Had Thought of That!”http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/20/ten-one-design-magnus-leaves-us-saying-i-wish-i-thought-of-that/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/20/ten-one-design-magnus-leaves-us-saying-i-wish-i-thought-of-that/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:15:41 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179650   Ten One Design makes some great iPad and iPhone accessories around. That's not hyperbole. The company isn't prone to releasing dozens of products at a time but, instead, they move slowly and only add something to the catalogue after a great deal of thought with regard to how people actually USE their devices. Here's another example! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/20/ten-one-design-magnus-leaves-us-saying-i-wish-i-thought-of-that/feed/ 0 MiLi Power iBox 8000mAh Battery Charger Case for iPad 2 reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/mili-power-ibox-8000mah-battery-charger-case-for-ipad-2-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/mili-power-ibox-8000mah-battery-charger-case-for-ipad-2-review/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:00:55 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176746 Just before CES last year Judie and I both purchased a 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab in order to blog on the fly. At the time both of us were already pretty heavily invested in iOS but the first generation iPad's lack of a camera made it problematic for blogging. Add in the fact that, at the time, iPad blogging apps were rather limited in functionality and you begin to see the problem we faced. Unlike the iPad, the Tab had a decent enough camera and blogging from it worked rather well. As such, it solved many of the issues and was the right tool for our time in Vegas. (You can, of course, draw Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/mili-power-ibox-8000mah-battery-charger-case-for-ipad-2-review/feed/ 6 What iPad App to Use When You Want to…http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/what-ipad-app-to-use-when-you-want-to/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/what-ipad-app-to-use-when-you-want-to/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:00:01 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176790

One of the great things about writing on Gear Diary is that we don't make our living as writers and journalists. No, all of us have other professions and we do this because we are passionate about tech. It means we love to tinker, try the newest gadget or app and share our experiences with you. That translates to an entirely different kind of enthusiasm and we hope it comes through. That, in turn, translates to make of us have a ridiculous number of different apps.Another great thing about writing for Gear Diary is… all of you. While the site consciously seeks to avoid jargon and assume no prior knowledge about all-thing-tech we have the good

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/02/what-ipad-app-to-use-when-you-want-to/feed/ 22 “You All Know You Want a 7″ iPad.”http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/you-all-know-you-want-a-7-ipad/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/you-all-know-you-want-a-7-ipad/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:45:04 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176350 That's how today's gear chat on tablet size started--with Francis' assertion that we all knew--even if some of us didn't want to admit it out loud--that we really wanted a mid-sized tablet.  You know:  something in between the iPod Touch/iPhone and iPad form factors.  Something around . . . 7" or so.  And then it was off to the races with your tech-happy Gear Diary team:
  • Francis S: You all know you want a 7" iPad. I still am waiting for Apple to break price structure. I know they probably (almost definitely won't) especially after the Jobs rant over the 7" form factor. I hope and assume
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/you-all-know-you-want-a-7-ipad/feed/ 4 I Would Rather Do it on the iPadhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/i-would-rather-do-it-on-the-ipad/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/i-would-rather-do-it-on-the-ipad/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:30:49 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172756 20111204-153542.jpg

During my four hour flight down to Aruba I spent some time beginning to edit a number of pictures I took right before we left. I figured that, so long as I had the pictures with me I could do the reviews and news posts without having to actually carry many of the items down with me. So there I was, listening to music, sitting in a seat that was designed for someone just 5' 3" tall (or is it short), my knees firmly pressed into the seat back in front of me and gaining an ever-better understanding of what the term "cattle car" means. (And to add insult to injury, the airline doesn't even give you pretzels or Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/i-would-rather-do-it-on-the-ipad/feed/ 3 One More Tablet Gone; Can Microsoft Avoid the Same Fate?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:50:13 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172624 image courtesy of BerryReporter 

Clinton recently wrote an opinion piece entitled, "As RIM Writes Off The Playbook, The Pressure is on Microsoft to Make a Complete Windows 8 Tablet", in which he says:
This morning the Wall Street Journal reported that RIM is taking a $485 million charge for their lackluster tablet, the Playbook.  The charge comes by way of a markdown in the value of the massive inventor that RIM still has of the devices.  It is a brutal and costly reminder that if you kinda-sorta-maybe-woulda-shoulda your tablet strategy, the price can be steep.  Very steep.
and
The challenge facing Microsoft is that they are behind when it comes to a tablet strategy.  Regardless of what
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/feed/ 14 Release of Amazon Kindle Fire Causes Me to Say: “Streaming? Feh.”http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/21/release-of-amazon-kindle-fire-causes-me-to-say-streaming-feh/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/21/release-of-amazon-kindle-fire-causes-me-to-say-streaming-feh/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:03 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170105

Image courtesy of the International Business Times

With the release of the Kindle Fire, with its capability to play media (movies and TV, especially) along with access to Amazon's soon-to-be-huge apps selection, but with a fairly limited 8GB of memory, your friendly Gear Diary team has been discussing what Amazon is planning/thinking with regard to this move.  Books don't take up much room; 8GB is plenty if you're just using the Fire as a reader.  But with the advent of movies and TV shows in HD, a movie can take up to 4GB or more; an HD TV show can clock in at 1.5GB or so.  8GB is simply not a lot of space Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/21/release-of-amazon-kindle-fire-causes-me-to-say-streaming-feh/feed/ 11 WiFi Sync your iPhone and iPad using Personal Hotspothttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/20/wifi-sync-your-iphone-and-ipad-using-personal-hotspot/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/20/wifi-sync-your-iphone-and-ipad-using-personal-hotspot/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:15:33 +0000 Mitchell Oke http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170182 Obviously this functionality is normally used over a WiFi connection at home or the office, but it turns out you can actually use WiFi sync when you're mobile too. As a regular user of the Personal Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/20/wifi-sync-your-iphone-and-ipad-using-personal-hotspot/feed/ 2 Music Diary Notes: Sting Releases ’25′ iPad App for FREE – But it Cost More Than $1 Million to Make!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/music-diary-notes-sting-releases-25-ipad-app-for-free-but-it-cost-more-than-1-million-to-make/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/music-diary-notes-sting-releases-25-ipad-app-for-free-but-it-cost-more-than-1-million-to-make/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:00:09 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=169583

If you look at the legendary figures in pop and rock music in the post-Beatle era, The Police and their frontman Sting have to be on your shortlist. After an amazing but short career with The Police, Sting struck out on his own with an ensemble populated by young jazz musicians playing a new kind of jazz-tinged pop-rock. Through the 25 years since, Sting has had some amazing highs and lows, but always worked to put his best music out to the people. Now we get a new app from the music legend - 'Sting 25' is the companion to his recently released music box set, and is free on the iTunes App Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/music-diary-notes-sting-releases-25-ipad-app-for-free-but-it-cost-more-than-1-million-to-make/feed/ 0 So You Say You Have Zombie Files on Your iDevice? Let GD Help!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/12/so-you-say-you-have-zombie-files-on-your-idevice-let-gd-help/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/12/so-you-say-you-have-zombie-files-on-your-idevice-let-gd-help/#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:30:20 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168333 Do you have less room on your iDevice then you think you should?  Are you seeing space taken up by a media file that you can't remove via an iTunes sync?  Do you have weird, grayed-out items in your list of iDevice media files when you look at them in iTunes?  Well, Gear Diary is here to help!  (This comes firmly under the heading of, "Doug screws things up and finds out how to fix them so you don't have to!") I am pretty dang happy with iOS 5 on both my iPhone and my iPad.  But there is some odd behavior that I have been seeing since I upgraded, and I wanted to share with you all what to do about it should it happen to you. In a nutshell, I'm getting some zombie media files. "What the heck do you mean by that, Doug?"  Well, it's pretty simple: for some reason, on my iPad and iPhone, I have ended up with TV show and movie files--both purchased and rental--that show up in iTunes, but don't appear in the appropriate media app on the device.  For example, I rented an Episode of "Primeval", watched it, and then (I thought) deleted it.  But then weeks later, when I clicked on the "Movies" item in the left-hand navigation pane in iTunes, it was still there.  Or so iTunes thought. In other words, in the above, I saw an item for that episode of "Primeval" under the "Rental" category on my iPhone (and weirdly, it was grayed-out).  But when I opened the video app on my iDevice, there was nothing there. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/12/so-you-say-you-have-zombie-files-on-your-idevice-let-gd-help/feed/ 0 IOS App Release: Chuggington: Terrific Traineehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/11/ios-app-release-chuggington-terrific-trainee/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/11/ios-app-release-chuggington-terrific-trainee/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:00:02 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168355

If you follow any of my posts, you probably know, my two sons love gadgets and gear just like their dad. They come by this love honestly, but we are careful to limit their time with devices and closely watch how they use them. Anytime games or applications are developed specifically for their age group, we are happy to download. The boys get extra excited if the app can be based on a familiar subject or characters. When I let them know there was a Chuggington iPhone game, they were pumped. My youngest proceeded to give me a complete synopsis of the show and the fun all of the trains have. Below is the press release from the developers and the app looks like it will be perfect for children. Stay tuned for a review in the coming days aided by my two young helpers.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/11/ios-app-release-chuggington-terrific-trainee/feed/ 0 iPad on TV: Covert iAffairshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/ipad-on-tv-covert-iaffairs/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/ipad-on-tv-covert-iaffairs/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:30:25 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167977 It's been a while since we looked at the increasingly prevalent role the iPad plays in today's media but tonight's Covert Affairs put the iPad so very "front and center" that we had to post... Mail Annie Walker is on a mission when her sister places a "call" to her. "Ring, Ring Ring" goes Annie's iPad. She answers and the conversation ensues. Mail But wait one second… they're using Skype??? Say what? Seriously Annie? Skype? Sure it works well enough but for my money I'll always take FaceTime Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/ipad-on-tv-covert-iaffairs/feed/ 2 I’m Sticking with Ziniohttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/im-sticking-with-zinio/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/im-sticking-with-zinio/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:00:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167565

One of the features that iOS 5.0 brought to the table was their new Newsstand application. Newsstand is to magazines and newspapers what iBooks is to books. It collects your magazine and newspaper subscriptions purchased through the iTunes App Store and puts them into one simple place where all are accessible. It has a nice feature in that most of the periodicals can be set to automatically download when a new addition becomes available. That means that, for example, each day my New York Times is ready and waiting for me as soon as I open my iPad's cover and pour my cup of coffee. That's all good, and it is a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/im-sticking-with-zinio/feed/ 0 Review: BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 and iPhone 4Shttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/05/review-bodyguardz-armor-carbon-fiber-for-ipad-2-and-iphone-4s/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/05/review-bodyguardz-armor-carbon-fiber-for-ipad-2-and-iphone-4s/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:00:14 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167337 I have always been a huge fan of minimalist iPhone and iPad cases. After all, why hide such sweet, beautiful pieces of metal and glass in large, bulky cases if you don't have to? The operative word here is, of course, "cases". While I have always liked minimalist cases, I've never been a huge fan of carrying my iPhone or iPad with nothing on it but a scratch protective skin. That changed earlier in the week when BodyGuardz was kind enough to send me their BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for the iPhone 4S and and the iPad 2. Both kits (the iPhone 4S is $19.95 and the iPad 2 is $29.95) consist Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/05/review-bodyguardz-armor-carbon-fiber-for-ipad-2-and-iphone-4s/feed/ 0 iPad Accessory Review: Belkin Chef Stand and Wandhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/ipad-accessory-review-belkin-chef-stand-and-wand/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/ipad-accessory-review-belkin-chef-stand-and-wand/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:00:03 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167024 It comes as no surprise to anyone who lives on this planet that the iPad is finding its way into pretty much every aspect of our lives and certainly into pretty much every room of the house. Among the places where it can come in particularly handy is the kitchen. Thanks to the iPad, the days of needing a special under-cabinet television if you want to watch a show while cooking are gone. Similarly, the days of needing a separate music player/boombox are over. In fact, unless you are my purest, like my wife Elana, you don't even need  paper cookbooks and longer. Yes, the iPad can fulfill all of these functions and many more Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/03/ipad-accessory-review-belkin-chef-stand-and-wand/feed/ 0 iOS 5.0 QuickTip: It is Worth the Time to Set Up Keyboard Shortcutshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/31/ios-5-0-quicktip-it-is-worth-the-time-to-set-up-keyboard-shortcuts/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/31/ios-5-0-quicktip-it-is-worth-the-time-to-set-up-keyboard-shortcuts/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:42 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=166686 I'm a huge fan of the application TextExpander. It is, in fact, one of the key Mac utilities I cannot do without. TE offers a good deal of power but the primary reason I use it is that it allows me to create text shortcuts that have saved me a great deal of typing. For example, instead typing in Gear Diary's URL constantly I simply type "ggear". Less than a second later TE converts that combination into "www.geardiary.com". That's five characters instead of seventeen. It is even more helpful when using HTML code in a post. For example "llike" yields "What I Like: " at the end of a review. TE is also good if Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/31/ios-5-0-quicktip-it-is-worth-the-time-to-set-up-keyboard-shortcuts/feed/ 2 iCloud Quick Tip: Manage Your Backups!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/14/icloud-quick-tip-manage-your-backups/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/14/icloud-quick-tip-manage-your-backups/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:12:37 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=164662 I'm already a big fan of iCloud and its ability to seamlessly back up your iDevices without your having to even think about it. I liked it so much that, even while still in Beta, I upgraded to a 25GB account (20GB paid, 5GB free). That should be plenty of space but, as it turns out, it wasn't. Not by a long shot. In fact, when I checked this morning (Settings, iCloud, backup…) I had just 1.5GB of space left. Photo 2 I tapped "Manage Storage" and immediately saw the culprit. My iPad was using 12.8GB for backup and my iPhone Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/14/icloud-quick-tip-manage-your-backups/feed/ 0 Review: Just Air Protection System for Tabletshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/11/review-just-air-protection-system-for-tablets/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/11/review-just-air-protection-system-for-tablets/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:00:10 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=163505

Having devices that are mobile are convenient and an important part of most of our lives. I carry my backpack gear bag nearly everywhere I go, carrying nearly all my devices. My iPad is now making the daily trip since I am able to get WiFi in my classroom. I have the original iPad so I cannot project for my students, but we use a document camera to be able to see the screen for the entire class. For instance, any Atlantic tropical activity is tracked using the Hurricane iPad app in my World Geography classes. Many of the kids have never seen or used an iPad, so it is a great teaching tool

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/11/review-just-air-protection-system-for-tablets/feed/ 0 State of the eBook: It’s a Post-Kindle Fire World!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/01/state-of-the-ebook-its-a-post-kindle-fire-world/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/01/state-of-the-ebook-its-a-post-kindle-fire-world/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:30:34 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=162688

In case you missed it, Amazon debuted not one (or even two) but FOUR new Kindle models this week. Even more shocking, only one of them was rumored! Apparently Amazon has hired Apple's rumor crackdown team; either that or everyone was so excited for an Amazon tablet we didn't see the signs of new Kindles right under our noses. So here's the new Kindle family: -Kindle: $79 [eInk] -Kindle Touch Wifi: $99 [eInk] -Kindle Touch Wifi+3G: $149 [eInk] -Kindle Fire (Android tablet: $199 [color] Note that the three eInk Kindle prices are the "special offers" versions. Non-subsidized Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/01/state-of-the-ebook-its-a-post-kindle-fire-world/feed/ 2 iPad Accessory Review: Rain Design iRest for iPad and iPad 2http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/ipad-accessory-review-rain-design-irest-for-ipad-and-ipad-2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/ipad-accessory-review-rain-design-irest-for-ipad-and-ipad-2/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:00:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=161543 There are some companies that understand that it is not form OR function but rather form AND function. Such companies, few in number, have an ability to design products that look great but also function with a simplicity that makes you wonder how you ever went without. Of course Apple leads the pack in this regard but there are others who follow suit. Sonos is one such company. (I write this while Garbage's song "Push It" is blasting from two Play:5s set up as a stereo-pair.) I LOVE their products. Rain Design is another such company. Their designs are simple, elegant and work. I reviewed the Rain Design mStand last December and loved it Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/ipad-accessory-review-rain-design-irest-for-ipad-and-ipad-2/feed/ 0 It STILL Really Is Just An ‘iPad Market’http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/it-still-really-is-just-an-ipad-market/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/it-still-really-is-just-an-ipad-market/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:00:25 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=160570

We have talked about the so-called 'Tablet Market' as really being the 'iPad Market', with some marginal players scraping for scraps. Some of us have bought or spent considerable time with one or more of the various tablets that have come out over the last year - the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry Playbook, HP TouchPad, HTC Flyer, Acer Iconia, and on and on. Yet in all of these cases there have been some serious flaws that have derailed the tablets and ultimately resulted in the failure of the tablets to gain market penetration. Last week the IDC released some tablet market share numbers, and although everyone is selling more units Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/23/it-still-really-is-just-an-ipad-market/feed/ 4 Gear Diary at 5 iPad 2 Cases Galore Giveaway Winners Announcedhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/gear-diary-at-5-ipad-2-cases-galore-giveaway-winners-announced/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/gear-diary-at-5-ipad-2-cases-galore-giveaway-winners-announced/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:30:27 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=161614 Well it is time to announce another set of winners in our 5th anniversary celebration. This time around we had five different cases we have reviewed on the site. Safari And the cases go to... NewImage The Griffin IntelliCase goes to thelarster NewImage The booq iPad 2 Agenda goes to JD Northwest NewImage The Speck Handyshell goes to thedrz Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/gear-diary-at-5-ipad-2-cases-galore-giveaway-winners-announced/feed/ 7 iPad Accessory Review: Just Mobile Horizon iPad Wall Mounting Systemhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/ipad-accessory-review-just-mobile-horizon-ipad-wall-mounting-system/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/ipad-accessory-review-just-mobile-horizon-ipad-wall-mounting-system/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:00:37 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=161525   We've taken a look at a number of different accessories from Just Mobile. Among them have been the AluPen, the XStand, the Gum Plus and the UpStand. All have impressed us and remain in use by one of us here at Gear Diary. Their newest product, the Just Mobile Horizon, is the Just Mobile take on the iPad wall mount. It looks great, does its job and, overall, impresses. Let's take a closer look.   IMG 5594 From JustMobile:
The high-style wall mount for iPad: Just Mobile Horizon™
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/22/ipad-accessory-review-just-mobile-horizon-ipad-wall-mounting-system/feed/ 0 GearDeal: iPad 1 On Sale At Targethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/21/geardeal-ipad-1-on-sale-at-target/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/21/geardeal-ipad-1-on-sale-at-target/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:30:09 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=161477

If you're looking for an iPad and don't need the latest and greatest, Target has an amazing sale right now. They are offering original iPads for as low as $449 for 16gb with 3G! That's a steal, as long as you can live with the slower processor and no smartcover compatibility. Perfect for a kid, or someone who isn't too picky about being cutting edge.

I also wonder why there's a big push to suddenly clear out iPad 1 inventory. Maybe Tim Cook has an October surprise up his sleeve?

If you snag a discounted iPad 1, let us know in the comments, and commence your shopping at Target's website!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/21/geardeal-ipad-1-on-sale-at-target/feed/ 0