Let’s face it, today’s devices are expensive and beautiful.  Unfortunately their function and uses makes it difficult to keep them looking as shiny as they were right out of the box.  It is always so disheartening when the dreaded scratch shows up on the beautiful screen of a device.  There are many ways to protect these works of beauty and a leading product is the clear protector.  They provide scratch protection while not adding bulk or changing the appearance.  There are many brands and kinds of clear protectors, but BodyGuardz has proven to be one of the leaders in the category.  Their scratch-proof transparent film coating provides maximum protection from keys and other scary… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

There are a lot of options when it comes to protective films for the iPad. Wrapsol, Clear Coat, Invisible Shield, Body Guardz, Ghost Armor and more. How do you, the consumer, differentiate between one or the other? What makes one better? What it comes down to is two characteristics. First being ease of installation. With this type of skin you only get one shot at installing it correctly. Mess it up and you’ve wasted money. And second, clarity. How noticeable is the skin on your device once it’s been properly installed?

Wrapsol claims to be the “world’s strongest, cleanest and greenest scratch proof protection system for the iPad.” Their film set is meant to… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

You placed an order and patiently waited.  Now that iPhone 4 is in your hands, you are scared to actually use it and risk scratching the beautiful screen or the cool new glass back.  Adding a case will help, but it will also cover up some of that gorgeous Apple design and make the device larger than intended.  Even with the case, the precious screen is still vulnerable.  Luckily, BodyGuardz have a scratch-proof film to protect virtually any device.  So what is BodyGuardz?

BodyGuardz are transparent skins custom designed to perfectly fit many devices.  The material is used on automobiles to protect the body from rocks and other items.  It is tough… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

One of the best features of the new Apple iPad is its gorgeous screen which is meant to be constantly touched, pinched and flicked. As a result, the screen is often left exposed and vulnerable to scratches even when the iPad isn’t being used. Adding a protector just makes sense.

I was recently sent two screen protector samples from NewerTechnology, the NuVue Clear and the NuVue Privacy Protector with Privacy Shield. Both install in exactly the same way, but each delivers a dramatically different experience.

Each protector comes in a no-frills baggie without any… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

When getting a new device, I always like to protect it from scratches, both front and back.  Screens have become a lot more durable on high-priced devices, but even so, I get nervous.  Further, some of these devices have high-gloss screens that can be hard to read because they are highly reflective and show fingerprints and smudges easily.

ZAGG has been in the business of protecting mobile devices for several years now and have released a new version of their well-known InvisibleSHIELD for the iPad.  The InvisibleSHIELD is available in two versions: front (screen) protection only and all-body protection.  ZAGG was good enough to send us… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

What’s the most popular color for an iPhone case?  If you said “black” you’re correct.  Apple’s retail stores are stocked full of black leather cases.  But guess what?  Black cases are boring!  Sure, sometimes you need to be conservative, but every once and a while you do need a little color to spice things up.

Enter Proporta, who has released some new, colorful, aluminum lined leather cases for your iPhone 3GS and 5G iPod nano.

These cases are handcrafted from the finest quality leather to the exact specifications of each device, both cases feature Proporta’s trademark “Screen Saver” System, with a sheet of lightweight, aircraft grade aluminum built in to protect against even the worst impact damage and crushing.

Available in Mulberry and Teal, these cases are colorful but not blinding.

The iPhone version sells for $42.95 and the iPod Nano version (continue reading to see) for $35.95.

Check them both out on the Proporta web site.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

There are plenty of choices when it comes to screen and body protection for your electronic devices and I think I’ve tried them all.  Clear Coat might just be the best of the bunch.

What is Clear Coat?  Here’s how the company describes it.

Simply put, Clear-Coat is the only protection you’ll need for your devices. Forget those awkward, ugly cases! Clear-Coat keeps your device scratch-free without adding bulk or changing the look of your device. Clear-Coat is meticulously designed in-house, and then custom cut for every device. So an iPhone Clear-Coat fits the iPhone perfectly, and a Blackberry Clear-Coat fits the Blackberry perfectly. We design Clear-Coat to fit over almost every part of the device – so you get protection everywhere – on the screen, sides, front, and back!

How thin is Clear-Coat? Less than 1/100th of an inch, that’s how thin! Most people can’t even notice it on their device, and it will not interfere with docks, cases, or accessories – it’s like it isn’t even there!

I recently spent some time with Clear Coat and walked away very impressed.  Their shields are the clearest of any I’ve seen and they do not suffer from what’s commonly referred to as the “Orange Peel” effect.  The shape of the shields, which mirrors the natural contour of your device, makes installation a snap.

Since debuting in 2005, ZAGG’s “invisibleSHIELD” has been a very popular protective skin for the wide range of devices for which it is made.  The invisibleSHIELD’s military grade film offers good protection from scrapes, dings, and scratches without adding a lot of bulk to the device on which it’s used.

Building on the success of the invisibleSHIELD, ZAGG recently introduced customizable ZAGGskins.  The ZAGGskin line is a range of wrap-around adhesive skins featuring decorative designs.  The skins are only 0.3 mm thick, but strong.  While there is a range of pre-made designs, including some newly released designs for upcoming Valentine’s Day, we wanted to try ZAGG’s new customizable service, which allows you to upload your own images and to create personal designs by combining pre-made backgrounds and shapes.  When ZAGG offered Gear Diary the chance to test out their new customized ZAGGskins, we sent them a couple of images to use for a ZAGGskin design.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

While at CES 2010, Dan and I were blown away by the pending releases Speck has in the pipeline for 2010.  The uber-popular accessory manufacturer has a ton of goodies in store for the new year.

One of the items we were given by Speck to review is the See Thru Satin case for the iPhone 3G/3Gs.  Made from the same material as its big brother, the Satin Case for the Mac Book Pro, which Dan recently reviewed, this case both looks and feels great!

Check out my video review below.  Then head on over to the Speck web site, and check it out for… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The hardest part about using touchscreen devices is the screen. How do you protect it? If you get a screen protector, do you have to wrestle to get it on, only to discover smudges, bubbles, and fingerprints have somehow already managed to get all over it? Targus is announcing a new screen protector at CES that they say is easy to apply, with no bubbles or fingerprints! We’ll be watching for more details, but for now hit the press release after the jump, and dream of screen protector nirvana!… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

So you’ve got brand new gear thanks to the holidays and aren’t yet sure what cases you want to use. Actually, truth be told you don’t even know if you WANT to use a caset. After all, why hide your iPod touch, Zune or Kindle behind a layer of leather or plastic? Then again, you are a bit of a klutz and there is no doubt they are all in for more than their share of bumps and bruises. You need SOMETHING to protect stuff!

Thankfully Zagg has you covered with their invisibleSHIELD protectors… and our GearSponsor has you covered for less! invisibleSHIELD protectors are thin, clear & durable films for your everything from iPhone… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Chances are if you own a device with a LCD screen you fall into one of two camps:  Those who protect and those who don’t.  It only takes one scuff or scrape to forever scar the beautiful screen of that new device.  A good quality screen protector can go a long way in helping to keep your screen looking like it did the day you unboxed it.  If you don’t currently use a screen protector on your phone or PDA you might want to think about adding one.

JAVOedge makes a variety of accessories for a variety of devices.  One of their more popular items is their JAVOscreen screen protector.  The key to any good screen protector is transparency.  Does it do a good job of protecting the screen while remaining undetectable to the user?… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

That sweet 47″ HDTV you’ve saved up for is lookin’ pretty nice.  Great picture, surround sound.  Hooked-up to the max with your Wii, XBox,  TiVo, the whole nine yards.   Life is good.  What could possibly go wrong…

Well, the folks over at TestFreaks.com are putting the TV Screen Protector through it’s paces to protect their home entertainment investment.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

My girlfriend and I eat a lot of spinach. [ed. note-this is my official entry into the 2008 "Most Unexpected Opening Sentence in a Tech Review" competition.]

We joined a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, last year and receive a bushel of whatever is fresh off the farm every week from spring until fall. A side effect of this is the fact that until the succulent peppers and tomatoes start to ripen in July we often find ourselves buried under mountains of greens-chard, kale, collards, spinach and the like. We’ve learned to blanch them, sautée them, bake them and eat them raw in salads.

It also means that my girlfriend spends a lot of time checking her teeth for hangers. For years, we had a secret routine where she would turn to me and say with a big smile, “How’s your grandmother?” The correct answer is always, of course, “Deceased.” But the question is actually a cue for me to check her teeth and respond either “fine” or “she’s having a little trouble” and point to the corresponding part of my own grillwork where there might be an offending stray bit of greenery. An aside-When you’re pointing to your own face to let someone else know that they have a sesame seed in their teeth or maybe a stray bit of nacho cheese in the corner of their mustache, do you point to the same side or the mirror image? Just curious.

Anyhoo, it looks like technology has put me out of another job. Because my girlfriend doesn’t need to inquire about the health of my dead relatives anymore. I’ve been replaced by The Echo Mirrored Screen Protector.

Every single device I’ve purchased now has an Invisible Shield on it. These thin protective skins are a big step up from other screen protectors because you put them on slightly wet. This lets you slide the protector into the perfect position. I just saw a great link that is going to save you 50% off the regular price. Keep reading for the details.