In case you’ve never paid attention, PDAir releases about a b’zillion cases a year.  I don’t know what their corporate vision statement is, but I’m guessing it’s something an awful lot like the one for Sherman Williams paint:  ”We cover the world.”  Because given the number of cases they release in an average year, I can’t think of any other goal for them.

This week, it’s a bunch of cases for the HTC EVO 3D.  The full list of cases  include:

Vonage is introducing their Time To Call app for Apple iPhone and iPad mobile devices, which allows you to make affordable phone calls that can be charged to your iTunes account. As part of the roll-out, they are giving away a 32GB WiFi iPad 2 on participating blogs, and Gear Diary happens to be one of them!

There will be three blogs per day giving away an iPad, and each blog will have their own rules to enter. Our giveaway starts on August 14th, but these are the sites starting off today …

http://geekdad.daddyforever.com/
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/
http://smallbiztrends.com/

I am a big believer in having extra battery power handy, just in case.  I travel an awful lot–once a week on average–and having, say, a Mophie Juice Pack Air for my iPhone 4 is very nice indeed; it relieves me from having to worry about looking for free plugs at the crappy Southwest terminal in San Diego (which doesn’t have many–I really hate that terminal).  ”So what?” I can say to myself; “I’ve got this here extra battery pack, just in case!  Life is good.”

PowerSkin wants you Nexus S 4G owners to feel that same sense of freedom unbound with their new battery case.  It’s available through their web site, as… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I’m someone who ALWAYS wears sunglasses when I am outside. I also always have my iPhone and am often either making calls or listening to music when I am out and about. As such the idea of sunglasses that can double as a Bluetooth headset for making calls or listening to music really appeals to me. There was something like that on the market a few years ago but by the time I went in search of them the line had been discontinued. That’s why I took note of the announcement of iharmonix’s Qi-wear Bluetooth Enabled Sunglasses.

As the company explains,

Qi-wear by iharmonix has been engineered to perform under extreme conditions offering you maximum

“Yes, but they’re coming in, aren’t they?”
“Yes . . . in dribs and drabs.”
“In what and whats?” Glen asked, grinning.
“Dribs and drabs.  My mother used to say that.  You shitting on my mom’s way of talking?”
“The day will never come in when I lose enough respect for my own hide to shit on a Texan’s mother, Stuart.”

– Steve King, The Stand

I was born in New England, grew up in Northern Virginia, went to High School and College in Northern California, married a Cajun, and live in Louisiana.  Let’s just say that my collection of slang is even wider than Stuart Redmond from The Stand.  And I’m never one to pass… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

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 ...

Is your screen full of sheets?

Is it full of crabs?

Do people say “Wow, your screen is all fried up!”?

Do you look at it and say “Holy Shoes that’s a dirty screen”?

Fabulous! More Dirty Screens Cleaned up with Toddy Smart Cloths!

Some time ago we reviewed the Toddy Smart Cloths.

The cloths are:

Carefully crafted cloth provides effective, scratch-free cleaning for your iDevices, screens, lenses and more, and is offered in a
plethora of fashionable designs

Functional and fashionable toddy cloth built for extremely sensitive surfaces including iPhone, iPad

Yesterday my cell phone battery was dead just after lunch – poor signal combined with heavy use killed it quickly. That is a tale all-too familiar to many. But imagine if walking could help recharge your devices, or typing on your phone screen? That is exactly the technology being described in the new edition of the technical journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Here are some details:

This ANU article quotes lead co-author Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran from RMIT:

This is the first time we have been able to say that applying a particular amount of pressure will create specific values of voltage or current. By characterising piezoelectric thin films for the first time, it

Update: This giveaway is now closed, and the winners are — lloydrv (tablet kit), visual360photography (smartphone kit), chinoy885 (smartphone kit), and bamfhacker (tablet kit). All winners have been contacted. Thank you for entering, and keep your eye out for more Gear Diary Giveaways! =)

Last year 57% of 5200 people surveyed admitted using their phones in the bathroom, and this year 27% of 500 people surveyed admitted to checking Facebook while ‘otherwise indisposed’. Another survey this year said that 56% of an undisclosed number of people use their mobile device in the bathroom, and of those, 27% of the 56% are playing games, while 70% of that 56% admitted… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I cannot tell a lie. I love speaker solutions. With music being totally mobile and always available in my pocket, I love having many ways to listen to my audio content. Some options are quite expensive and include bluetooth connections and high-end audio, but sometimes I just need something inexpensive, easy to carry and convenient. iFrogz has introduced a speaker system that fits this category and they call it, “the Bomb”. I have been able to spend a little time with the Bomb so let’s take a look and see how it sounds.

The Bomb is a reasonably… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

In the world of Bluetooth (BT) headsets, the choices and options are wide and varied.  Quite a contrast from the early days when Motorola was the first and only BT headset that was widely available nearly 9 years ago.  In my position, employees often ask for advice about BT headsets and BT ear pieces. When the CLIPPER was announced by Jabra, I placed an order for one to see what I thought of it.  I was so pleased with the headset that I continued to use it long after my opinion had been formed.  In this review, I will highlight some… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Electronic devices always seem run out of power at the most inopportune times, don’t they? Figuring out ways to keep those devices powered for as long as they are needed is key. Whether you are a regular road warrior or simply away from the office for the day, if you aren’t going to be near an outlet or power port, and if you carry multiple devices which will require energy doses at random times, carrying a portable power supply is the best option. Many times, these power supplies can best be described as bricks.

How big or how small of a “brick” to choose depends upon your specific needs and ability to carry it; when traveling… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

You see?  When I told you on Sunday that it seemed like the USBFever folks never slept, and that they even put out stuff in between their releases o’ the week, I bet you doubted me, right?  I mean, I wouldn’t blame you; those guys just don’t stop, you know?  Week after week, month after month, they keep on movin’.

Like this week.  In addition to that cute keyboard you see above, USBFever has their usual boatload of new gear to look at.  Like what?  Well . . .

• Travel Charger set and rechargeable battery for Blackberry (micro usb)
• Slim Mini Bluetooth Keyboard
• SD / SDHC

Battery life continues to be the bane of smartphones. The technology hasn’t significantly improved in quite some time, which is problematic because the power and functionality of the small devices has increased exponentially. This results in some state-of-the-art devices with battery life that can only be described as horrific. There are a few options for how one might address the current situation but none of them are particularly good. Manufacturers can slow down their devices so they use less power or they can increase the size of the battery. Neither is a particularly good solution. Users, on the other hand, might choose to keep an external battery with them at all times or have charging… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Image courtesy of PDair

Since we are big fans of PDair here at Gear Diary we are always happy when they bring new products to market. I have to say that PDair is great when it comes to phone cases especially since they are one of the few companies that offer cases almost immediately after a new phone is released. Android phones clearly don’t have all the protection options that the iPhone gets, but its nice to see companies like PDair giving you some options when you pick up your shiny new scratch free phone.

If you’ve looking for an aluminum case option for either the HTC Incredible S or Motorola Atrix, then… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...