Gear Diary » Offbeat and Off Topic http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Check Out this Awesome Recreation of the Original Star Tours Disney Ride!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/check-out-this-awesome-recreation-of-the-original-star-tours-disney-ride/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/check-out-this-awesome-recreation-of-the-original-star-tours-disney-ride/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:45:39 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183060

Have you ever taken a ride on Star Tours at Disney? The first time we went as a family in 2001 was on a Star Wars Weekend, and taking the Star Tours ride was a major part of the fun for all of us. We rode it again the other two trips we made, and it possesses great memories, although it is clear that it is time for a revamp. This year the ride gets that revamp - but an independent film maker has recreated the entire ride in a 2D and 3D video experience! Here are some details:
In time to help celebrate Star Tours’ 25th anniversary at Disneyland, independent filmmaker Gregory Noacco
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/check-out-this-awesome-recreation-of-the-original-star-tours-disney-ride/feed/ 0 FBI Releases File on Steve Jobshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/fbi-releases-file-on-steve-jobs/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/fbi-releases-file-on-steve-jobs/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:30:05 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183170 Steve Jobs passed away several months ago now, and the burst of news at the event, followed by the (just days later) release of Jobs' biography by Walter Isaacson, has pretty much abated.  So what possible news could Jobs be making now, from beyond the grave? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/fbi-releases-file-on-steve-jobs/feed/ 0 Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace 3D Hits Theaters Today … Are You Going?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-3d-hits-theaters-today-are-you-going/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-3d-hits-theaters-today-are-you-going/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:20:51 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183183

I am an unapologetic Star Wars fanboy - my wife and I pulled our kids out of school an hour early back in 2005 to hit an early matinee of 'Revenge of the Sith', and we saw 'Attack of the Clones' in normal and IMAX formats, and of course we own all of the movies on VHS and DVD (we skipped the 'dead man walking' Blu-Ray technology) and watch them on at least an annual basis. We covered the initial announcement of Star Wars returning to theaters in 3D, and after all of the trailers and press releases I questioned the basic value of the 3D releases. Now Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-3d-hits-theaters-today-are-you-going/feed/ 1 Infographic Tells How Long It Will Take to Enjoy That Game!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/infographic-tells-how-long-it-will-take-to-enjoy-that-game/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/infographic-tells-how-long-it-will-take-to-enjoy-that-game/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:30:49 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182911

Yeah, as a huge fan of RPGs, adventures and shooters for decades and more recently casual games, I would say that gets it about right! Source: NerdApproved via Uniblog, art by Loldwell Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/infographic-tells-how-long-it-will-take-to-enjoy-that-game/feed/ 2 Farewell Mr Gutenberg and Thanks for All the Bookshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182013 Patchen Barss' book The Erotic Engine has the subtitle "How Pornography Has Powered Mass Communication from Gutenberg to Google". An article on it highlights ten technologies that "secretly owe debts to the pornography business" Among them, E-commerce, Streaming video, Webcams and Bandwidth; you can read the fascinating post here. But if the Pornography industry drove forward electronic communication, it was an entirely different arena that drove the print world it is replacing. What was it? Religion. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/farewell-mr-gutenberg-and-thanks-for-all-the-books/feed/ 1 Fact or Crap: Super Bowl – Cancer – Proposal – Greedy Girlfriend Editionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/fact-or-crap-super-bowl-cancer-proposal-greedy-girlfriend-edition/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/fact-or-crap-super-bowl-cancer-proposal-greedy-girlfriend-edition/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:15:27 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181922

This week I had to visit a company making equipment for a project I'm working on, and due to the locations of both of our companies, it was simply easier to do the 350 mile drive each way over the last couple of days. As a result - and also the result of the rental car not having any sort of MP3 player input jack, and me not bringing any CDs - I listened to a lot of radio. I heard angering stories about Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Komen, and the state of financial literacy in our nation. I also heard one story that immediately sounded so good that I questioned the veracity. Tell Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/02/fact-or-crap-super-bowl-cancer-proposal-greedy-girlfriend-edition/feed/ 1 JumpFromPaper Bags Really DO Make Real Life Feel Like a Cartoonhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/jumpfrompaper-bags-really-do-make-real-life-feel-like-a-cartoon/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/jumpfrompaper-bags-really-do-make-real-life-feel-like-a-cartoon/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:30:14 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181838 Safari

Judie posted on these über-cool JumpFromPaper bags the other day. As she wrote,
I loved the way “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) and “Cool World” (1992) mixed cartoon elements into a real-world backdrop. I enjoyed the same effect as a kid, watching older Disney movies such as Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Song of the South. There’s just something quirky and irresistible about imagining a world where cartoons can come to life; anything can happen!
The bags are the creation of design duo, Chay Su and Rika Lin. They have produced a line of travel, camera, laptop and general gear bags which look like props from a cartoon. They look amazing, but the question remained… were they real? Would they look as cool in real life? You judge!! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/jumpfrompaper-bags-really-do-make-real-life-feel-like-a-cartoon/feed/ 3 ‘Matthew’s Day Off’ Has Fun With Nostalgia for the New Honda CR-Vhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/matthews-day-off-has-fun-with-nostalgia-for-the-new-honda-cr-v/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/matthews-day-off-has-fun-with-nostalgia-for-the-new-honda-cr-v/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:00:21 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181584

Despite loads of other successes through the years, Matthew Broderick will forever be tied to the iconic role of Ferris Bueller. And unlike some actors with hits from that same era (John Cusack in Better Off Dead, Val Kilmer in Real Genius), Broderick has never backed away from the enduring love of all things Bueller. So when I saw the teaser late last week that he would be appearing in a Super Bowl ad based around Ferris Bueller, I was intrigued. Now that the full commercial has been release ... I just HAD to share!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/30/matthews-day-off-has-fun-with-nostalgia-for-the-new-honda-cr-v/feed/ 0 Jerod Gibson’s Wordy Art Prints Bring Movie Phrases to Lifehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/jerod-gibsons-wordy-art-prints-bring-movie-phrases-to-life/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/jerod-gibsons-wordy-art-prints-bring-movie-phrases-to-life/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:15:07 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181432

Pulp Fiction

One of the things I most love about certain movies are the iconic quotes they contain;  phrases like, "Bring out the Gimp!" from Pulp Fiction, "May the Force be with you." from Star Wars, and "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" from Clerks. Say those words, and anyone whose seen the movie will immediately know which one you are talking about. So how could I not be intrigued by the text art created by Jerod Gibson? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/29/jerod-gibsons-wordy-art-prints-bring-movie-phrases-to-life/feed/ 0 Random Cool Video: Metal Meets Pophttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/random-cool-video-metal-meets-pop/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/random-cool-video-metal-meets-pop/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:30:36 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181041

Time for another cool mashup video! The folks at Ultimate Guitar have put together a bunch of mashups of pop and heavy metal music, all of which are pretty fun ... but this one was my favorite! It takes Ke$ha's Tik Tok opening and beat track and overlays Lamb of God's Redneck. Enjoy! And ... if you like that you can hit the link above to see Eminem, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, as well as Iron Maiden, Korn, Slipknot, Rage Against the Machine and more!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/27/random-cool-video-metal-meets-pop/feed/ 0 Alaska Airlines, Your Mega-Church in the Skyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:21 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180703 A few years ago I was on a plane that almost went down. The person next to me had spent the flight trying to convince me why I was wrong in my "choice" of religions, and when the wingtip almost hit the ground he looked at me and with all seriousness said, "At least I know where I'm going when I crash." Some might have found his comment and attitude offensive. Others might have nodded in agreement. I saw it as proof of what is strong about this country. This is America, and he is entitled to his beliefs; my co-passenger was entitled to believe that I was wrong, and it mattered not that he Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/alaska-airlines-your-mega-church-in-the-sky/feed/ 19 Prescription Bottle Beer Holderhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/prescription-bottle-beer-holder/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/prescription-bottle-beer-holder/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:30:54 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180710 Honestly, I love it when we get pointers to new items from our friend Jason Lazarus at Gadgets and Gear; he always sends us stuff that is cool, or interesting, or funny, or (every once in a while) all three. Today's item is a beer holder in the form of a prescription bottle.  Here's what Jason says about it:
Beer - The World's Most Trusted Prescription For Dealing With Life!Life throws a lot of problems in our way. Fortunately, there's a prescription that's been around for centuries, and you don't even need to go see a doctor to get it! Prescribe yourself some ice-cold beer with this prescription bottle beer holder, for sale right now!
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/26/prescription-bottle-beer-holder/feed/ 1 New Meme ’2/10 Would Not Bang’ … C’mon, You Know Someone Like That! [NSFW-ish]http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/new-meme-210-would-not-bang-cmon-you-know-someone-like-that-nsfw-ish/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/new-meme-210-would-not-bang-cmon-you-know-someone-like-that-nsfw-ish/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:25:51 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180553

One of my best friends from childhood who ended up transferring into my college and joining my fraternity was excellent at finding a dozen reasons why ANY girl, no matter how wonderful or smart or funny or beautiful, was fatally flawed. So I laughed out loud when my older son shared this with us last night, and immediately my wife and I called out that same person's name! Apparently this meme is becoming 'a thing', and over at Uproxx they have a slideshow of a number of beautiful women with tiny or imagined or potentially paranoid 'flaws' pointed out. Here is a 'real' one ... as opposed to the 'family friendly' one at the top: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/25/new-meme-210-would-not-bang-cmon-you-know-someone-like-that-nsfw-ish/feed/ 0 Random Cool Video: Warm Leatherettehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/random-cool-video-warm-leatherette/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/random-cool-video-warm-leatherette/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:30:40 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180397

I have covered a lot of cool stuff introduced at the Winter NAMM show in the past week, with two prominent themes: analog synthesis and the iPad as the must-have studio tool. As someone who came into music long enough ago to appreciate WHY people ran to digital so quickly in the early 80's, I also have always appreciated what the technology added to music. I have personally sought analog sounds through digitally controlled systems or sample-based synths ... but there is nothing like the real thing, so it is great to see all of the advances in technology applied to synthesis. Along those same lines, this cool video from Analogue Solutions Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/random-cool-video-warm-leatherette/feed/ 0 Starbucks Asks: Venti, Grande, Tall, or Cabernet Sauvignon?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/starbucks-asks-venti-grande-tall-or-cabernet-sauvignon/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/starbucks-asks-venti-grande-tall-or-cabernet-sauvignon/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:36:43 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180286 Sure, you hit your local Starbucks for coffee, morning after bleary-eyed morning. And maybe on weekends you sit with the paper and a nice latte, people watching and catching up on the news. Pretty soon you'll be able to add happy hour to the list! Starbucks is adding alcohol to several stores as a test run, which in theory sounds like an intriguing idea. After dinner drinks like "irish coffee" would be a great fit for a cafe. But according to Bloomberg, Starbucks is apparently aiming for the after-work drinkers:
Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffee-shop chain, will sell beer and wine at more locations to lure customers during the slower afternoon
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/23/starbucks-asks-venti-grande-tall-or-cabernet-sauvignon/feed/ 0 Apparently Password Sharing is ‘a Thing’ with Teens!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/apparently-password-sharing-is-a-thing-with-teens/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/apparently-password-sharing-is-a-thing-with-teens/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:00:06 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179745

Things like split heart necklaces for shared love used to be common, or swapping high school or college rings, or a shirt or other things. Apparently the new sign of trust, love and commitment is ... sharing online passwords. According to the New York Times article:
The digital era has given rise to a more intimate custom. It has become fashionable for young people to express their affection for each other by sharing their passwords to e-mail, Facebook and other accounts. Boyfriends and girlfriends sometimes even create identical passwords, and let each other read their private e-mails and texts. They say they know such digital entanglements are risky, because a souring relationship
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/apparently-password-sharing-is-a-thing-with-teens/feed/ 0 Random Cool Video: That Famous Skrillex Samplehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/random-cool-video-that-famous-skrillex-sample/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/random-cool-video-that-famous-skrillex-sample/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:30:29 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179451

Ever wonder where Skrillex pulled the 'Yes, oh my gosh' sample from his most popular song 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites'? Well, even if you never cared (or knew who Skrillex was for that matter) it is still a pretty cool thing. The song is largely an instrumental (typical of electronica in general and dubstep in specific) with a couple of reversed lyric lines and a break between the 'scary monsters' and 'nice sprites' sections of the song marked by a 'YES, OH MY GOSH' exclamation. The girl responsible for the exclamation is Rachael Nedrow, better known as speedstackinggirl on YouTube. Here is the video that Skrillex pulled the sample from Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/random-cool-video-that-famous-skrillex-sample/feed/ 0 Ultima VII Map Reimagined in Google Mapshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/ultima-vii-map-reimagined-in-google-maps/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/ultima-vii-map-reimagined-in-google-maps/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:30:08 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179409

The world of Britannia has always been fascinating to traverse ... and now you can check it out as a Google Map! It is being worked on out of a forum thread at Good Old Games. And speaking of which, you can always grab the ever-awesome Ultima VII from Good Old Games for only $5.99! It has been twenty years now and it remains one of the best games I have ever played ... hmmm ... sounds like time for a retrospective! Head to the Ultima VII Google Map project home for more fun! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/ultima-vii-map-reimagined-in-google-maps/feed/ 1 The Importance Of Documenting Family History [NSFW-C for Disturbing Images]http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/the-importance-of-documenting-family-history-nsfw-c-for-disturbing-images/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/the-importance-of-documenting-family-history-nsfw-c-for-disturbing-images/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:47:19 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179291

A few years ago, Sarah and I had lunch with my grandma, and she started pulling out photo albums to show us family pictures. Among her pictures were photos from her life before she came to America, everything from photos of her and her brothers to her life in the displaced persons camp where she met my grandfather after the war. We realized she was sitting on an incredible amount of history, and while it has taken a long time to get around to coordinating it, we finally got together with my aunt and started documenting her photos today. What we discovered went beyond just my family into a piece of much bigger history. First, a bit Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/the-importance-of-documenting-family-history-nsfw-c-for-disturbing-images/feed/ 5 Will Paula Deen Switch To Lite Cooking?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/will-paula-deen-switch-to-lite-cooking/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/will-paula-deen-switch-to-lite-cooking/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:00:36 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179154 (image courtesy memebase)

When I think of Paula Deen, I think fried food. Lots and lots of fried food. And any number of satires about how unhealthy her cooking is. But if a rumor from The Daily is to be believed, Paula may be facing the fact that she needs to change her diet. Apparently she, like many Americans, has been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. According to the report:
The Georgia-born chef — a Food Network star who has written five best-selling cookbooks — has been trying to keep her condition a secret, even after the National Enquirer reported in April that she has Type 2 diabetes, which is often
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/15/will-paula-deen-switch-to-lite-cooking/feed/ 3 Random Cool Video: Siri Tried to Kill Me (NSFW-L)http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:30:50 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179061

We heard about the report that Siri was swearing at a 10 year old boy, but the folks at Smosh always take it to the next level ... as they have with their latest video 'Siri tried to kill me'. It only came out last week but has nearly 4 million views, and my kids just turned me on to it ... stupid, but oh so funny. As with pretty much everything from Smosh!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/14/random-cool-video-siri-tried-to-kill-me-nsfw-l/feed/ 0 NBC Hates Money, But Will At Least Air Olympic Trials Highlightshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/nbc-hates-money-but-will-at-least-air-olympic-trials-highlights/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/nbc-hates-money-but-will-at-least-air-olympic-trials-highlights/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:48 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178788

(image courtesy Competitor.com) I know, this is totally running-nerd news. But if you follow the world of track and field, you're probably aware that the marathon trials for the 2012 USA Olympic team are this Saturday morning in Houston, Texas. Unlike other countries who choose their teams by prior race performance, in the USA competitors use race times to qualify to run the Trials. The top three male and female finishers in Saturday's marathon will be the USA Marathon team at London in 2012! Unfortunately, NBC will not be airing the Trials live, nor will they be streaming them online. I could rant about how stupid that is (I WILL PAY THEM TO WATCH Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/nbc-hates-money-but-will-at-least-air-olympic-trials-highlights/feed/ 0 IcePan Ice Cream: Made in a Pan Right Before Your Eyeshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/icepan-ice-cream-made-in-a-pan-right-before-your-eyes/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/icepan-ice-cream-made-in-a-pan-right-before-your-eyes/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:42 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178784 On the way back from a meeting at the Wynn Hotel we passed by a small kiosk for IcePan. IcePan is ice cream that is made right in front of you while you watch. It is never put into an ice-cream maker but, instead, is made using a pan kept at 35 degrees below zero. (Yeah, it is cold.) We shot a video of it being made so, without further ado… I scream, you scream, we all scream for IcePan Cream. (Yeah, I went there.) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/icepan-ice-cream-made-in-a-pan-right-before-your-eyes/feed/ 1 Random Cool Video: “The Flight of the Bumblebee” at 600 BPM!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/random-cool-video-the-flight-of-the-bumblebee-at-600-bpm/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/random-cool-video-the-flight-of-the-bumblebee-at-600-bpm/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178409

I remember seeing the YouTube video below last year when it was posted and noted as a 'world record'. Apparently now it has been certified by Guiness as a world record, and the guitarist - John Taylor - has demonstrated his massive speed technique for Wired as part of an article.

Thrashers, shredders, and heshers, lend me your tinnitus-damaged ears! The Great Question has been settled. The fastest guitar player alive is not Eddie Van Halen nor Yngwie Malmsteen nor that guy from Morbid Angel. Nope, it’s John Taylor, a 28-year-old music teacher in Westminster, Colorado, who last spring claimed the official Guinness-certified title by blazing
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/random-cool-video-the-flight-of-the-bumblebee-at-600-bpm/feed/ 0 Move Over Snuggie; Here Comes Feetiehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/move-over-snuggie-here-comes-feetie/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/move-over-snuggie-here-comes-feetie/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:33:49 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178692 What's interesting to me about this product is not it's name (which is kinda silly), or it's low Low LOW price, or even the strange pattern choices that the company has chosen.  No:  it's that this was invented by someone in Texas. See, I live in Texas, and while it is many things, "foot-chillingly cold" is not one of the ones that leaps to mind.  Last year, for example, here in Austin we set records both for "most days over 100" and "most consecutive days over 100".  Hot, yes; cold?  Not so much. But you don't live in Texas, and wherever you are, I bet your poor little tootsies get cold in the middle of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/12/move-over-snuggie-here-comes-feetie/feed/ 0 The Other Twinkie Drops: Hostess Files for Chapter 11http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/the-other-twinkie-drops-hostess-files-for-chapter-11/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/the-other-twinkie-drops-hostess-files-for-chapter-11/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:30:01 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178352

Growing up, Hostess was EVERYWHERE - Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Sno-Balls, Suzy-Qs, Fruit Pies and so on. Not to mention Wonder Bread, the enriched white bread that got good mileage out of touting nutrients added to notoriously deficient product. I even remember the advertisements in comics featuring Batman and the Archie gang. But then people realized that regardless of enrichment white bread was deficient, and moved more to whole grains. Also, the infamous 'infinite shelf life' tests for Twinkies didn't help the company, and as more and more low-price competitors such as Little Debbie found favor in traditionally strong Hostess (and Drakes, another brand I grew up with), Hostess hit Chapter 11 back in Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/11/the-other-twinkie-drops-hostess-files-for-chapter-11/feed/ 1 Staples Brings Us a Cool Tablet Infographic!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/staples-brings-us-a-cool-tablet-infographic/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/staples-brings-us-a-cool-tablet-infographic/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178265 Survey Says: People Love Their Tablets!

Not the biggest or most thorough look at the world of tablet, but some fun facts nonetheless! Here are the details - and their sources!
This tablet infographic is brought to you by Staples. The one place that makes technology easy. The average tablet user spends 90 minutes per day on their tablet. 88.3% of tablets are used on the road. 35% are used in the bathroom. The average tablet user spends $34 on tablet apps. By 2015 there will be 82.1 million tablet users in the United States. The most common display size for a tablet is 10 inches. There are also 9-inch, 7-inch and 5-inch displays. 54% of tablets owners are
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/10/staples-brings-us-a-cool-tablet-infographic/feed/ 0 Random Cool Image: US Terrorist Identification Charthttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/random-cool-image-us-terrorist-identification-chart/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/random-cool-image-us-terrorist-identification-chart/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:30:48 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174865

OK, so I admit I have been a bit on the serious front with my concerns about the erosion of freedoms in our country. I do think it is important, and too easy to just let our freedoms disappear in the name of 'security'. However, sometimes it is funny to look at something that is at once satirical and in some ways hits a bit close to the truth. Enjoy the image! The quote from the bottom of the image is worth sharing:
“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/random-cool-image-us-terrorist-identification-chart/feed/ 0 Random Cool Video: Daft Punk ‘Derezzed’ on Floppy Diskshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/random-cool-video-daft-punk-derezzed-on-floppy-disks/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/random-cool-video-daft-punk-derezzed-on-floppy-disks/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:15:29 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177529

Image courtesy abduzeedo OK, so making music on floppy drives is now 'a thing'. Which is actually kind of cool for those of us who remember floppy drive sounds and feeling like there was a certain musical aspect to them. For myself and my family, the best part of the movie Tron: Legacy was the great soundtrack by Daft Punk. And so since Tron: Legacy is very much a machine-based movie inside a computer, it is quite appropriately that the 'floppy disk' treatment is applied! Here is Derezzed:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Neatorama Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/random-cool-video-daft-punk-derezzed-on-floppy-disks/feed/ 0 Jogging Is Scarier Than Calorie Counting?!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/jogging-is-scarier-than-calorie-counting/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/jogging-is-scarier-than-calorie-counting/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:30:07 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177330 20120105-105238.jpg If you've eaten in a major fast food chain (especially in New York), you are probably familiar with calorie counts being posted next to ads of Big Macs and greasy, delicious fries. The idea is to discourage you from wanting to eat too many high calorie/high fat foods. According to a research study done in Maryland, there's a more effective way-threaten to make people run! They found teenagers turned away from soda MORE when they were told drinking it would require 50 minutes of jogging to burn the calories. What really made my jaw drop was their logic:
Researchers monitored adolescents at four corner stores in West Baltimore, where low-income residents are at especially high risk for obesity partially tied to
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/jogging-is-scarier-than-calorie-counting/feed/ 3