Gear Diary » PDA 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 Freedom Blade and the Freedom Clip Pack-Extending Your Range on the Rangehttp://www.geardiary.com/2008/08/15/freedom-blade-and-the-freedom-clip-pack-extending-your-range-on-the-range/ http://www.geardiary.com/2008/08/15/freedom-blade-and-the-freedom-clip-pack-extending-your-range-on-the-range/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:20:25 +0000 Chris Chamberlain http://www.geardiary.com/?p=12293 More info after the jump. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2008/08/15/freedom-blade-and-the-freedom-clip-pack-extending-your-range-on-the-range/feed/ 0 One of These Things is Not Like the Other…http://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/27/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/ http://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/27/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/#comments Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:13:55 +0000 Mitchell Oke http://www.geardiary.com/?p=73 eWEEK seem to have gotten a bit confused by what constitutes a Smartphone, because one of these phones does not belong.

iphonenosmartphone2.jpg

Apple's recently announced iPhone has been widely criticized for being a closed platform, not open to 3rd party developers, which rules it out as being a Smartphone in the true sense. While not a very comprehensive list, up till the last phone the gallery shows quite well the development of the Smartphone from an add-on card for a PDA to today with integrated 3G, push email and more.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/27/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/feed/ 0 For Those of You That Celebrate It…and Even Those That Don’t!http://www.geardiary.com/2006/11/23/for-those-of-you-that-celebrate-itand-even-those-that-dont/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/11/23/for-those-of-you-that-celebrate-itand-even-those-that-dont/#comments Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:23:05 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=888 sky_turkey I want to take this opportunity to tell you all what I am thankful for this year... 1. I am thankful for my family and close friends, that they put up with my odd hours and compulsive computering without too many complaints. ;-) I am thankful that they are all generally very understanding and forgiving of the fact that I spend nearly every waking moment doing something gadget related - even when I am sick or supposedly on vacation. I am thankful that they usually understand that the only way for me to relax is if I am in front of a screen - whether it be PDA or computer. Yep, I am a geek. :-P 2. I am Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/11/23/for-those-of-you-that-celebrate-itand-even-those-that-dont/feed/ 2 The Gomadic Double Chargers With Tip Exchange Technology Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/24/the-gomadic-double-chargers-with-tip-exchange-technology-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/24/the-gomadic-double-chargers-with-tip-exchange-technology-review/#comments Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:03:50 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=346 Gomadic Charging Cables. The same single cable charges my PDA, mobile phone and digital music player. It can charge Sarah's phone and Sarah's digital music player, too; all it takes is the proper tip for each particular device.

gear_diary_gomadic_dual_charger_07

For those unfamiliar with Gomadic, I'll state the premise in a nutshell: They sell cables with plugs on their ends which will accept their specially made tips; these tips fit many of today's popular consumer mobile devices. Gomadic's "Tip Exchange Technology" means that the same cable can be used for years - and as devices are added to the user's collection, new tips can be purchased to swap out with the old. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/24/the-gomadic-double-chargers-with-tip-exchange-technology-review/feed/ 10 Unboxing the Universal — O2 Exec Versionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/23/unboxing-the-universal-o2-exec-version/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/23/unboxing-the-universal-o2-exec-version/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:04:56 +0000 Douglas Moran http://geardiary.com/?p=338 The HTC Universal is the device-of-a-thousand-names: i-mate JasJar, O2 XDA Exec, QTek 9000, SPV M5000, and HAL 9000 for all I know. It's a hefty (10.2 oz/290 g), big (5.2" x 3.1" x 0.93"), hi-res (640x480 VGA), versatile (3G/GRPS, wifi, bluetooth, 1.3 Mp camera, Window Mobile 5), expensive ($1000 retail--go to eBay!) SmartPhone/PDA/convergent device with a clamshell design that hides a decent-sized keyboard and an interesting open, spin, and fold screen that converts it from a sort of micro-laptop form factor to that of a regular PDA.

Judie has already reviewed the Universal at The Gadgeteer, but poor Judie got the i-Mate version, which apparently has one of the world's most boring unboxing experiences.  

I scored an O2 Exec on eBay, and whatever else these O2 folks do--and I've heard some bad stories from folks in the UK, alas--they sure made one cool package for this device.

First, understand that I've had the device for a couple of months now, so this is not a "fresh" unboxing, but rather a "recreated" unboxing. But that caveat aside, I think you will enjoy it.

Here's the box as it comes shipped--a blue rectangular solid:

gear_diary_o2_universal_unboxing_07
Personally, I really like the O2 dark-blue-and-black color scheme.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/23/unboxing-the-universal-o2-exec-version/feed/ 4 Project: Doug’s Dream Devicehttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/20/dougs-dream-machine/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/20/dougs-dream-machine/#comments Sat, 21 Oct 2006 03:47:59 +0000 Douglas Moran http://geardiary.com/?p=328 Tapland mentioned it in passing, as it were. (Us Zodiac folks are always on the lookout for handheld devices with decent graphics, you see.) That, combined with a need to get my wife a new cell phone, sent me out looking at the market for convergent devices, SmartPhones, UMPCs, and the like. As everyone reading this blog probably knows--hey, I said I was behind the curve--there's an awful lot of overlap in these devices. There are smartphones with 4", full VGA screens that run Windows Mobile 5; there are PDAs that have Bluetooth and WiFi built-in, but don't have cell phone capability; there are UMPCs that (it seems to me) might as well be really expensive PDAs with slide-out keyboards. Or even without slide-out keyboards. And on and on. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/20/dougs-dream-machine/feed/ 4 TCPMP: Doug Reveals Allhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/tcpmp-doug-reveals-all/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/tcpmp-doug-reveals-all/#comments Thu, 19 Oct 2006 03:26:51 +0000 Douglas Moran http://geardiary.com/?p=280 tcmcp_doug_reveals_all_2 For ripping DVDs, I use a free utility called DVD Shrink.  DVD Shrink lets you edit what you are ripping, so that you clip out the credits if you like, or choose your 3-5 minutes of test clip.  The interface is a little wonky and takes a few tries to get used to, but after you've done it a few times it's really pretty simple.  Other folks like to use DVD Decrypt, but I personally don't like it.  I find the interface too clunky, and you can't do any editing, which is a deal-breaker for me.  Both DVD Decrypt and DVD Shrink get around the various copy protection software that are built into most DVDs.  The only DVD that I have been unable to rip so far using Shrink is "Sin City;" I have no idea why. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/tcpmp-doug-reveals-all/feed/ 2 Protection from Unwanted RFID Readershttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/protection-from-unwanted-rfid-readers/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/protection-from-unwanted-rfid-readers/#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:03:13 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=278 I like the idea of RFID technology - being able to quickly pass an embedded item near a reader for immediate access or payment, but there are certain uses that make me nervous - like having an RFID embedded in my passport or other ID that contains most if not all of my personal documentation. These documents can then be easily read by anyone with the proper equipment.

I recently received information about a new product that will block RFID readers from being able to scan the new embedded passports and other documents.

Okay, so this picture doesn't make the product look fashionable at all, but the function is truly what matters here.

StrongHold_Image

The Passport StrongHold utilizes "the principals of a faraday cage"

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/18/protection-from-unwanted-rfid-readers/feed/ 3 Spb Insight is Out…http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/spb-insight-is-out/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/spb-insight-is-out/#comments Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:59:30 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=254 Loading the Hermes post that I have been using a beta version of Spb Insight RSS Reader. Today I just got notification that the release version is available. Check out the screen shots here.
spb_insight-animation
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/spb-insight-is-out/feed/ 0 The HTC Hermes / Dopod 838Pro Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/the-htc-hermes-dopod-838pro-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/the-htc-hermes-dopod-838pro-review/#comments Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:19:07 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=7 High Tech Computer. They are the world's largest manufacturer of Pocket PC and Smartphone OS based PDAs, and as such they are responsible for many of the more recognizable devices which are rebranded by companies including Hewlett Packard, i-mate, Audiovox, and Dopod - to name a few. The device we'll be looking at today is known by several names including the O2 XDA Trion, the MDA Vario II, Orange SPV M3100, and the Dopod 838Pro. This review will specifically cover the HTC Hermes branded as the Dopod 838Pro; while some of its included software may differ from other branded versions, the general hardware specifications should be about the same. Similar to the HTC Apache / Sprint PPC-6700 which I reviewed last year, the Hermes features a compact touch-screen PDA form factor with a left-sliding keyboard which only appears when needed. The Hermes is intended to function not only as the user's mobile phone, but also as a fully functional PDA, an email and text messaging center, and a compact means to wirelessly surf the internet.

htc_hermes_1

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/17/the-htc-hermes-dopod-838pro-review/feed/ 57 The Vaja HTC Horizontal Pouch Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/12/the-vaja-htc-hermes-pouch-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/12/the-vaja-htc-hermes-pouch-review/#comments Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:52:57 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=153 oooooooohs" and our eyes grew wide; there was a good reason for this. Vaja has been around since 2000, and in that time they have managed to revolutionize the case making industry. No longer the new guys on the block, they are now the leather craft company that every other case-maker aspires to be. From the beginning they have created form-fitting, well made cases constructed of aromatic Argentinean leather which complemented the PDAs carried inside. But before long their innovative designers chose to not only create the highest quality cases, they also began to offer custom designs that allowed their patrons to personalize the case-making process in a way never done before. Whether the case is from their Classic line or the slightly edgier iVolution line, Vaja items all have a few thing in common - they are impeccably made, they look beautiful, and they all smell yummy! So today we'll take a look at the HTC Horizonal Pouch, which is made to fit Pocket PC Phones - with or without a sliding keyboard - that measure no larger than 4.45" tall x 2.3" wide x 0.5" thick. This pouch is very similar to the Vaja HT41 Pouch which I previously reviewed. The case itself measures 4.53" long x 2.6" wide x 1.35" thick. It is composed of black aniline leather with a deep red aniline accent stripe. The subtle Vaja logo is the only branding evident anywhere on the pouch.
vaja1
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/12/the-vaja-htc-hermes-pouch-review/feed/ 24 Nihon Car…and more!http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/10/nihon-carand-more/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/10/nihon-carand-more/#comments Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:58:31 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=115 a lot. I'm not going to give the full list of every car, SUV or truck that I have ever owned - sufficed to say that it would be lengthy and on some levels it would explain my propensity for having a lead foot. In any case, I will say that one of my recent favorites was the 2002 Mini Cooper S - which we later traded for a Corvette Z06, but that is another story. The Mini was like a little go cart - utterly tight and fun to drive; I would have loved to have taken it to a track and seen what it could do, but I never took the opportunity. That's why when my new friend G-A told me that he goes to the track once a week to test drive cars for his site Nihon Car, I had to take a look. Side note: G -A also happens to a fellow Mobian and is the mastermind behind Akihabara News and GeekStuff4U. G-A recently purchased a very pricey high definition digital movie camera for the harrowing rides that he takes when testing the latest Japanese cars, and the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart Version-R is his latest subject. He doesn't just drive the cars around the track - he romps on them while talking about it! Ooooh, I want his job!
nihon
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/10/nihon-carand-more/feed/ 0 Qhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/06/q/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/06/q/#comments Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:30:58 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=75 motorola-q ***** Would you like to get an HTC Hermes / i-mate JasJam for free (with an $80AU/month service plan)? Jenneth shows how Australians can. She also mentioned that the JasJam will sell for $1299 Australian - $200AU less than the Dopod evidently sells for...ouch! It would appear that the JasJar is no longer the most expensive WM5 PDA Phone Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/06/q/feed/ 6 The RoadWired Pod Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/05/the-roadwired-pod-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/05/the-roadwired-pod-review/#comments Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:31:00 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=52 everything but the kitchen sink? Of course not. So when traveling lightly, it stands to reason that a smaller bag should be in order. Today I am going to take a look at a bag that has been available for several years, but it is definitely one that deserves a second look and perhaps a new legion of fans. The RoadWired Pod is a diminutive bag that manages to pack a serious load. Even though it only measures approximately 7" tall x 7" wide x 5" deep, this bag features over 20 pockets and compartments, some of which are quite specialized. Today, we are going to discover them all...and talk about the different things that can be loaded into this little guy. Let's start with the basics... The Pod is available in several colors including solid black, navy, yellow, red, and olive; all bags have black accents. While at Mobius, I was given the red version which just so happens to perfectly match my luggage. Nice going to whomever made the color selection! ;-)

roadwired-pod1

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/05/the-roadwired-pod-review/feed/ 13 Sharing the Lovehttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/04/sharing-the-love/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/04/sharing-the-love/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 04:41:23 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=47 **This contest closed on October 20th, 2006 - Kismet was the lucky winner!**  I should have the review for the HTC Hermes / Dopod 838Pro ready on October 20th, if all goes according to plan. Even if I decide that it is "all that and a bag of chips", I have decided that it would make a very nice first give-away for Gear Diary. It comes with the original box, all the original packaging goodies, and a custom Mobius edition Vaja pouch - which I'll also need to review, come to think of it. ;-) 
dopod-vaja-love
Pretty slick, huh?! Provided that you don't have an objection to winning a very gently "pre-owned" Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone, you Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/04/sharing-the-love/feed/ 209 Ahhh Yes, the cPChttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/03/ahhh-yes-the-cpc/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/03/ahhh-yes-the-cpc/#comments Tue, 03 Oct 2006 22:26:29 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=32 Doug Moran reminded me last night that I have been severely slacking in my DualCor cPC updates since returning from San Francisco over a month ago. Wow time has flown, and he is absolutely right!

He said and I quote: "So anyway, aside from the stuff below, and my interest in how you're doing with the Hermes, I'm also interested in how you're doing with the cPC, which you haven't written about since you got back from San Francisco. Ahem. Not that I'm eager to find out what you think of it. No, nope, not me." Well, regardless of the fact that neither of the screen protector vendors I've talked to (and taken detailed measurements for) have yet sent me a protector for the device, and I have therefore had to continue using a piteously small JasJar protector which makes the cPC look cheap and ugly, here is the device in question...
larry-liaw-2 (shown next to a Treo)
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/03/ahhh-yes-the-cpc/feed/ 12 Loading the Hermeshttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/02/loading-the-hermes/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/02/loading-the-hermes/#comments Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:46:37 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=13 jasjar-speaks

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/02/loading-the-hermes/feed/ 12 The Universal Dilemmahttp://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/01/the-universal-dilemma/ http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/01/the-universal-dilemma/#comments Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:27:26 +0000 Judie Stanford http://geardiary.com/?p=6 HTC Universal (branded as an i-mate JasJar) for almost a year. This in itself has been a bit out of the norm, because many of the PDAs I've owned haven't lasted near as long. Let's go tripping down memory lane, shall we? The first pen-based (or stylus entry) Personal Digital Assistant that I remember buying was the Casio Zoomer, sometime in 1993. Beyond the contacts, calendar and Pocket Quicken that came loaded on the device, there was also a version of Pyramid that I could literally waste hours playing. The resulting scratches and scribbles on the screen would eventually help shape my firm belief in the value of screen protectors. I bought my first Pilot from the Franklin catalog; Franklin as in the day planner company! This was in late 1996, and I can't even remember what the cost of a brand new Pilot was, but a little known fact was that if you looked in the paper insert in the middle of their catalog - Franklin also sold refurbs. I wasn't sure if I would like the blocky little monochrome device, so I reasoned that buying a slightly used one would be prudent. Up until then I had been using various keyboard-input clamshell devices, including my longtime favorite the HP-95LX and several of its upgraded future generations. Once I got that first Pilot, I was hooked. I mastered Graffiti very quickly, and used to amuse family and friends with the way that I would obsessively jot everything down in the device. Remember the days before rechargeable batteries? I can remember always keeping a supply in my desk drawer and in my bag. It was completely wasteful, really; when my battery bar hit a certain level I would change the batteries. I was so afraid of losing my data that I got quite proficient at changing the batteries quickly. Even so, I still managed to lose my data a few times because I took an extra second or two too long to complete the process...thank goodness for Palm Desktop and hot-sync'd data! Ah, those were the good old days. ;-) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2006/10/01/the-universal-dilemma/feed/ 14