Gear Diary » Tips and Tricks 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 Quick Tip: Transcribe Audio and Video for FREEhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/quick-tip-transcribe-audio-and-video-for-free/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/quick-tip-transcribe-audio-and-video-for-free/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:00:35 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182234 Have you ever had a YouTube video or audio segment you wanted to transcribe but didn't have the patience to sit and manually type out what the speaker/s said? I ran into just such a situation yesterday and, instead of it taking hours for me to listen, pause, type, listen, pause, type etc I was able to transcribe the two YouTube videos I needed in under ten minutes. Here's how… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/04/quick-tip-transcribe-audio-and-video-for-free/feed/ 0 Antenna + Roku HD + Netflix = $90 Savings Per Monthhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/antenna-roku-hd-netflix-90-savings-per-month/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/antenna-roku-hd-netflix-90-savings-per-month/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:15:27 +0000 Matthew Hall http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173092

I hate bills.  I also hate paying for things I can get for free. I was at Thomas' house last year just hanging out. We were watching a movie on his Roku box, and I realized that the little box was giving him everything that I watch on TV except for local channels. That was the beginning of my quest to get rid of my cable bill. At first I searched the web and found that all you need is an antenna to pick up local television stations. I could remember back to my childhood, and how we had an antenna that was pointed toward Indianapolis so we would get about 10 channels; that is Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/antenna-roku-hd-netflix-90-savings-per-month/feed/ 5 Evernote Essentials Extra: Howdy Neighborhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/evernote-essentials-extra-howdy-neighbor/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/evernote-essentials-extra-howdy-neighbor/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:45:00 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174917 As much as I "harshed" on Evernote last week after they released two ridiculous iPhone apps the service remains a key part of every aspect of my life. I've also turned countless people onto Evernote, and many find it invaluable as well. Others however, underutilize the service and, as a result, don't see what the big deal is. That's where Evernote Essentials: The Definitive Getting Started Guide for Evernote by Brett Kelly comes in. As Brett explains:
The amount of information we want and need to keep track of today is, frankly, ridiculous. Not long ago, my desk was covered with piles of financial statements, medical records, automotive service receipts — and that didn’t even
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/evernote-essentials-extra-howdy-neighbor/feed/ 0 An Infographic on Getting More out of Google!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/an-infograhic-on-getting-more-out-of-google/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/an-infograhic-on-getting-more-out-of-google/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:15:12 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171021

If you have been using Google to search for a while, chances are you have picked up a few tricks along the way such as putting quotes to specify phrases to find, or adding a '+' or '-' to specify things that must be included or excluded. But now the folks at HackCollege have come up with a great new infographic to help you see even more possibilities for searching. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/27/an-infograhic-on-getting-more-out-of-google/feed/ 0 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 More Tips to Make Siri Work for Youhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/more-tips-to-make-siri-work-for-you/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/more-tips-to-make-siri-work-for-you/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:15:55 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167639 The other day I was speaking to someone who had just gotten a new iPhone 4S. They love the phone but were complaining that Siri doesn't seem to work very well. We spent a few minutes going over some of the Siri ins and outs and, would you believe, he now loves Siri. Because of that, I thought I would circle back and share a few more tips that can make Siri a more effective productivity tool. Talk to Me: As is the case with all voice recognition, you need to speak in a particular manner if you want Siri to transcribe text accurately. In fact, if others hear me talking to Siri they give Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/more-tips-to-make-siri-work-for-you/feed/ 6 Give Your Old UGGs New Life with a Set of UGG Sheepskin Insoleshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/26/give-your-old-uggs-new-life-with-a-set-of-ugg-sheepskin-insoles/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/26/give-your-old-uggs-new-life-with-a-set-of-ugg-sheepskin-insoles/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:34:08 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=166242

Let's just go ahead and get it out of the way: UGGs are ugly. They make your feet look huge, and they are sloppy. I've been told that there is nothing worse than seeing a woman wearing a pair of UGGs with a skirt or a pair of shorts; Kev grew up in the San Diego area, and he has issues with those combos, evidently. So there are plenty of reasons to dislike them, but I think the biggest reason boils down to the fact that they are ugly. Now that I have gone ahead and said it for all of the UGG haters out there, I'll also take this opportunity to confess that I have a pair Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/26/give-your-old-uggs-new-life-with-a-set-of-ugg-sheepskin-insoles/feed/ 2 Macbook Pro Utility You NEED for Better Battery Life: gfxCardStatushttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/24/macbook-pro-utility-you-need-for-better-battery-life-gfxcardstatus/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/24/macbook-pro-utility-you-need-for-better-battery-life-gfxcardstatus/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:15:59 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=165958

Perhaps it was because I was using the Sony Vaio S-series laptop with its 15-hour battery, but I never really looked critically at the battery life on my 2011 15" Macbook Pro. But recently I have been using it almost exclusively and have felt that I should be getting more hours between charges. My assumption - particularly how the fans would spin up even when I was doing nothing particularly challenging - was that there was something related to the graphics card. So I looked around and found that the dynamic switching on the graphics cards will often leave the system stuck using the discrete card when the integrated is more than enough (for Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/24/macbook-pro-utility-you-need-for-better-battery-life-gfxcardstatus/feed/ 0 Siri and iCloud Turn the iPhone’s Notes App into a Powerful Toolhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/23/siri-and-icloud-turn-the-iphones-notes-app-into-a-powerful-tool/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/23/siri-and-icloud-turn-the-iphones-notes-app-into-a-powerful-tool/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:00:58 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=165721 The Notes app that is built into iOS has always struck me as a bit anemic. That's hard for me to write, considering that my cousin works for Apple and is one of the key people involved in its development. Unfortunately... it's kind of true. Sure, Notes is great for jotting down quick memos, but that is about it. There is very little you can actually do with it other than, well, take notes. Documents can't be formatted. You can't add pictures. The app doesn't even have folders, so you can't organize your notes. The message Apple is sending with it is simple, "This is the most basic of notes apps. If you want something Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/23/siri-and-icloud-turn-the-iphones-notes-app-into-a-powerful-tool/feed/ 4 Enough Fun and Games; Tips and Tricks for Using Siri for Productivityhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/enough-fun-and-games-tips-and-tricks-for-using-siri-for-productivity/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/enough-fun-and-games-tips-and-tricks-for-using-siri-for-productivity/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:00:19 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=165054 Siri is a lot of fun to play with, but it is time to get down to business. After all, with a little bit of patience and a few (many?) tweaks, Siri can become an amazingly useful productivity service. Truth be told, for the first few hours I was trying Siri I thought it was a big fat fail. After making some of the changes I want to share with all of you however, I already can't see having to go without it. So let's jump right on in. Photo Home Button? You don't need no stinkin' Home Button Yes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/18/enough-fun-and-games-tips-and-tricks-for-using-siri-for-productivity/feed/ 3 OS X Lion Quick Tip: Reorder Windows in Mission Controlhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/09/os-x-lion-quick-tip-reorder-windows-in-mission-control/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/09/os-x-lion-quick-tip-reorder-windows-in-mission-control/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:00:27 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=163945   UPDATE (With apologies): Turns out this is only in the current Lion Beta, something I never would have imagined. Thanks to Rodney for pointing it out. We'll let you know when it makes its way into a full release since it is quite useful! The more I use OS X Lion the more I like the features it brought to the Mac and, although it can be a bit inconsistent, I am really learning to appreciate fullscreen apps. I'm liking Mission Control more and more too. The only issue I have had has been the fact that when I have a lot of applications in fullscreen mode it can take a good bit Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/10/09/os-x-lion-quick-tip-reorder-windows-in-mission-control/feed/ 5 FourSquare Quick Tip: Upload a Profile Picture to Become a Mayorhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/18/foursquare-quick-tip-upload-a-profile-picture-to-become-a-mayor/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/18/foursquare-quick-tip-upload-a-profile-picture-to-become-a-mayor/#comments Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:15:14 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=160914 20110918-092142.jpg It had become a running joke in the family. "Dan, did you FourSquare here?" "Dan, still one day away from being mayor?" "Dan, when you can't even become mayor of your own house what does that tell you?" "Dan, you know the 'no fly' list? I think FourSquare has you on the 'no mayor' list." Yes, I was one day away from becoming the FourSquare mayor at well over a dozen venues. Despite this I had only actually become major once and then it was only for one day. And to add insult to injury THAT location was a tram stop in Vegas during CES 2010. Yes, it seemed I was a FourSquare pariah. Turns out Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/18/foursquare-quick-tip-upload-a-profile-picture-to-become-a-mayor/feed/ 0 GMail to the Rescue!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/04/gmail-to-the-rescue/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/04/gmail-to-the-rescue/#comments Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:15:00 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=159170 I have been a GMail user since their early beta days, but three times this week I was reminded of how dead simple and useful their archiving and saving functions can be! First, a bit of background. My best friend is getting married next week, and so I have been wracking my brain putting together a toast for her and her fiancée. I had some fun anecdotes about her, as well as stories from when the two of them started dating, but I was looking for something more to add. Thinking maybe old emails would help, I typed her name into GMail, and discovered (or, really, re-discovered) that GMail helpfully saves all chat conversations along with email. Within Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/04/gmail-to-the-rescue/feed/ 1 Quick Google Tip: Multiple Account Sign-inhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/21/quick-google-tip-multiple-account-sign-in/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/21/quick-google-tip-multiple-account-sign-in/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:15:56 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=154208 Several months ago, Gear Diary's email switched to Google Apps. As a result, I learned about a pretty neat Google trick -- multiple account sign-in. Effectively, it lets me be logged in at my primary email address on one tab and have my Gear Diary email opened and signed in on a separate tab. Helpful, but not earth shattering. However, in the last few weeks, I've had two different people flip out with excitement when I taught them this trick, mainly because their schools and businesses have switched to Google Apps. Both of them thought they were stuck signing in and out of accounts, or giving up their Gmail accounts. One of them thanked me on Facebook, and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/21/quick-google-tip-multiple-account-sign-in/feed/ 0 Mac Quick Tip: Use Faces to Find People and Organize Out of Control iPhoto Librarieshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/11/mac-quick-tip-use-faces-to-find-people-and-organize-out-of-control-iphoto-libraries/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/11/mac-quick-tip-use-faces-to-find-people-and-organize-out-of-control-iphoto-libraries/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:30:38 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=152841 Sometimes it is the little features in a program that can make the biggest differences. iPhoto's facial recognition is one example of this. I knew the feature was there in the '11 version of the software but never used it. Last week Elana's grandma Pearl died. It was and is sad, but at 87 she had led a long, good life and is remembered fondly by many. We should all be lucky enough to have the same said about us when we are gone. I wanted to put together a montage of pictures to share with Elana and her family, but my iPhoto library was an absolute chaotic mess. That's when iPhoto Faces came to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/11/mac-quick-tip-use-faces-to-find-people-and-organize-out-of-control-iphoto-libraries/feed/ 0 IPad Quick Tip: Want to Read Outside on Your iPad? Go Landscapehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/29/ipad-quick-tip-want-to-read-outside-on-your-ipad-go-landscape/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/29/ipad-quick-tip-want-to-read-outside-on-your-ipad-go-landscape/#comments Mon, 30 May 2011 01:00:10 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=146903 20110529-024625.jpg

Now that summer is unofficially here you may be spending more time than ever outside. As great as the iPad is it leaves a good deal to be desired when you are in the sun. There is the glare. There is the overheating and subsequent shut down safety mechanism. And there is the fact that polarized sunglasses do a number on the iPad and can result in a screen that looks blank even on the highest brightness. One solution for getting some reading done is to pick up the least expensive Kindle or nook and use it for reading. But if you don't want to go that route and want to read your books you can at least Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/29/ipad-quick-tip-want-to-read-outside-on-your-ipad-go-landscape/feed/ 3 New iPad??? Read This!!!http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/29/new-ipad-read-this/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/29/new-ipad-read-this/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:00:30 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=123670 The iPad-train just keeps on rolling. There's no question it was the "hot gift" this season and as more and more people get their hands on the "wonder tablet" and discover all it can do the momentum will just continue to build. My own circle has seen numerous iPads make their appearance in recent weeks. My niece and nephew got one from their grandmother. (My nephew emailed this morning "Uncle Dan, we're at the airport and I'm emailing you from my iPad using Dragon Dictation!!!" Love that!) Their grandmother (my mom) just asked me to pick one up for her. (THAT should be interesting.) And my friend Lawrence finally got one after Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/29/new-ipad-read-this/feed/ 3 GV Connect + Talkatone = iPad Phonehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/15/gv-connect-talkatone-ipad-phone/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/15/gv-connect-talkatone-ipad-phone/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:15:04 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=121868 When the iPad was first released there were many who commented that one of the device's shortcomings, among many, was that it could not be used as a phone. That wasn't quite accurate. Sure the iPad isn't a device you would want to hold up to your ear but with apps like Skype or Ooma's iOS app the iPad makes for an excellent speakerphone. In fact, I use it on a regular basis in this way. Now, however, thanks to a new app and an update to an "old friend" the iPad can truly function as a phone. gvconnect.jpg The first Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/15/gv-connect-talkatone-ipad-phone/feed/ 5 Are You A Droid User Feeling Stung By No WiFi Tether Coming With Froyo (2.2)? Easy Root Has You Covered!http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/03/are-you-a-droid-user-feeling-stung-by-no-wifi-tether-coming-with-froyo-2-2-easy-root-has-you-covered/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/03/are-you-a-droid-user-feeling-stung-by-no-wifi-tether-coming-with-froyo-2-2-easy-root-has-you-covered/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:00:44 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=104091

I have had the original Motorola Droid since last November just after it launched, and I have been extremely happy with the device and the Android operating system. Aside from the mediocre keyboard (which I've gotten used to over time) I have had an absolutely fantastic experience with the Droid - it is my constant companion, and I greatly appreciate how it has improved in many ways during the time since purchase thanks to app updates and operating system upgrades. Back in May I grabbed a Palm Pre Plus on eBay. I was going on a business trip and bringing my iPad as Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/08/03/are-you-a-droid-user-feeling-stung-by-no-wifi-tether-coming-with-froyo-2-2-easy-root-has-you-covered/feed/ 6 iOS4 Tip: Add Custom Words to iPhone Dictionaryhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/ios4-tip-add-custom-words-to-iphone-dictionary/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/ios4-tip-add-custom-words-to-iphone-dictionary/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:00:48 +0000 Thomas R. Hall http://www.geardiary.com/?p=101317

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Antidisestablishmentarianism? Okay, so maybe you don't use those words every day, but what about other words that you do? And they aren't in your iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) dictionary? Judie was running into this issue recently on her iPhone. For some strange reason, she frequently needs to type the word "Kev", and the iPhone kept auto-correcting it to "KeV" (note the upper-case "V"). So what do you do? Buying a bumper won't fix this problem!

Well, with the release of iOS 4, a little-known feature is available to allow you to add custom words to the iPhone dictionary. I was puzzled when Judie said she didn't have a

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/ios4-tip-add-custom-words-to-iphone-dictionary/feed/ 38 The Kindle’s Killer Wireless Feature…Google Maps?!?http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/14/the-kindles-killer-wireless-feature-google-maps/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/14/the-kindles-killer-wireless-feature-google-maps/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:00:37 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=101123

One of the major advantages Amazon's Kindle has over the nook is that the wireless feature is not limited to just downloading books. Unlike the nook, the Kindle can browse the web over its free built-in wireless. While it may not be the world's greatest browsing experience, it's still better than nothing at all! A Kindle World Blog has found ways to take it one step further than just Wikipedia on the fly...they have detailed instructions on how to access Google Maps mobile on your Kindle! While this wouldn't take the place of GPS, it's a pretty cool feature to have in a pinch for a few reasons: 1) Kindle Wireless is free. If Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/14/the-kindles-killer-wireless-feature-google-maps/feed/ 3 iPad Quick Tip- These Don’t Mix Well With iPads…http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/07/ipad-quick-tip-these-dont-mix-well-with-ipads/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/07/ipad-quick-tip-these-dont-mix-well-with-ipads/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:41 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=96339 Here are just a few things that don't mix well with your new iPad... 1. Water Safari1.jpg Duh! 2. Magnets Safari1.jpg I got an email from my friend Michael who warned me about getting any case that has even the smallest of magnets. Seems his brand new case is completely messing up the iPad's ability to serve as a GPS thanks to the havoc the magnet plays on the device's compass. I pulled out the Orbino case I am reviewing and, sure enough, the tiny magnets Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/07/ipad-quick-tip-these-dont-mix-well-with-ipads/feed/ 4 Apple 3G iPad on EDGE Using a T-Mobile SIM? Here’s How …http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/02/apple-3g-ipad-on-edge-using-a-t-mobile-sim-heres-how/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/02/apple-3g-ipad-on-edge-using-a-t-mobile-sim-heres-how/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 18:30:49 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=91179

If you were grandfathered into a low-priced T-Mobile data plan (remember the $5.99/month deal?), if you don't mind EDGE speeds, and if don't want to pay an extra $30/month to use the AT&T iPad data plan, this DIY hack may be just what you have been looking for. Granted, you won't be able to pop your T-Mo SIM back into your phone, but why let that stop you? iPadInsider has posted a DIY hack that they say will make your T-Mobile SIM work on your Apple iPad ...
DISCLAIMER: We have not tested this, so this information may be inaccurate or incomplete. iPadInsider.com will not be responsible for individuals
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/02/apple-3g-ipad-on-edge-using-a-t-mobile-sim-heres-how/feed/ 3 Gear Chat #8- The “No iPad Edition”http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/19/gear-chat-8-the-no-ipad-edition/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/19/gear-chat-8-the-no-ipad-edition/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:00:43 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=88658

In Gear Chat #8 Larry and Dan do their best NOT to talk about the  iPad. In fact they make a bet and place a dollar amount on each slip. How do they do? Listen and find out.
So what DO they talk about if they are going to stop obsessing about the iPad for a bit? Why the iPhone of course.  iPhone OS 4.0, rumors about new hardware, some recommended apps and more get covered in this week's podcast.
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/19/gear-chat-8-the-no-ipad-edition/feed/ 5 iPhone Bluetooth: Flaky but Predictable Corner-Case Problemhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/14/iphone-bluetooth-flaky-but-predictable-corner-case-problem/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/14/iphone-bluetooth-flaky-but-predictable-corner-case-problem/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:30:23 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=87877 Image courtesy of Natalie Jean Lovin Holbrook

I find corner-cases.  I don't want to; I don't try to; I just do.  Like last week, right?  I was working with some fairly sophisticated online documentation build and publish tools--and they weren't working right.  I was making my co-workers upset.  I was making my boss upset.  Heck, I was making my wife Sami upset, because I was griping about it so much.  Was I missing something?  What had I done wrong?  Why wasn't it working? Because there was a bug in the software.  I had found a corner-case.  Again.

How Doug felt Friday

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/14/iphone-bluetooth-flaky-but-predictable-corner-case-problem/feed/ 5 Quick Tip: Change the name of your iPhone or iPodhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/15/quick-tip-change-the-name-of-your-iphone-or-ipod/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/15/quick-tip-change-the-name-of-your-iphone-or-ipod/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:45:22 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=79721

I came across this picture over at Howard Forums and couldn't help but laugh at what the person had named his/her iPhone and what happened when it was "syncing"  (look at the text at the top-middle ;) )

Then I thought about it and wondered, how many people even know that the name of their iPhone or iPod can be changed?  Or how many of you, in the excitement of setting up your new device simply left the default name in the set up box when you first synced it with iTunes?

If you're tired of seeing your beloved device showing up in iTunes as "iPhone 3Gs" or "iPhone" and would rather give your phone a more fitting moniker read on for the quick tutorial.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/15/quick-tip-change-the-name-of-your-iphone-or-ipod/feed/ 6 Seagate DockStar + iPad = Limitless Storage On The Gohttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/13/seagate-dockstar-ipad-limitless-storage-on-the-go/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/13/seagate-dockstar-ipad-limitless-storage-on-the-go/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:00:53 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=79583

I ordered a 64 GB iPad because I have long subscribed to the belief that you should always order and purchase the device with the largest amount of memory that you can afford. (The only exception to this comes into play when you're purchasing a new notebook. In that case I believe that you should only order an SSD drive, but still... the largest solid-state drive that you can.) So I ordered a 64 GB iPad. It should be a good amount of space, and will likely hold me for quite some time.

Then again, if I end up loading a lot of apps, docs, books, music and video, even 64GB might fall short of my needs at some point. That's where Seagate's DockStar (currently on sale for $79.99) can come in rather handy.

While not specifically an iPad accessory (it can expand the storage of any device and currently does just that for my iPhone), with the ways in which I plan on using the iPad it promises to play an even more significant role after April 3. Best of all, the potentially limitless storage it promises isn't all that expensive, it works beautifully, and it is easy to set up.

Let me explain.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/13/seagate-dockstar-ipad-limitless-storage-on-the-go/feed/ 6 Flip AT&T’s Control Over the Backfliphttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/12/flip-atts-control-over-the-backflip/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/12/flip-atts-control-over-the-backflip/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:49 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=79364 If you bought a Moto Backflip, you probably noticed the odd use of Yahoo Search over Google, and the incredible amount of AT&T bloatware included on the device. Unfortunately, short of rooting it there's not much you can do about either of those, but AT&T did something far worse to the Backflip that you WILL want to change. Every other Android phone offers an option to install apps from outside the marketplace. Sometimes it is a beta (like the Swype keyboard beta), other times it is things like PDANet, a tethering utility, that isn't sold through the marketplace. If you own a Backflip, AT&T completely removed this option. Many sites have belabored the "Android is supposed to be OPEN" sentiment, and I won't continue it here. But I will share this tip, care of Android Central. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/12/flip-atts-control-over-the-backflip/feed/ 0 Tips on using Google Buzzhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/11/tips-on-using-google-buzz/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/11/tips-on-using-google-buzz/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:20:10 +0000 Amy Zunk http://www.geardiary.com/?p=74830

Google Buzz has only been out for two days, and already there are tips and tricks for getting the most of out of Google's new social networking/Gmail tool. Here are a few from around the Internet: Google Buzz has the Internet Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/11/tips-on-using-google-buzz/feed/ 2 Travel Tips On A Snowy Dayhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/10/travel-tips-on-a-snowy-day/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/10/travel-tips-on-a-snowy-day/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:45:25 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=74746

I got back from San Francisco just in time to be snowed in here in New Jersey. It was the quickest trip to the West Coast that I have ever taken but it was actually the easiest.

I don't tend to do a tremendous amount of traveling. In an average year I'll be on a plane four or six times maximum. I am, however, currently in the midst of an unusual period that has me flying quite a bit more than usual. In the last 3 1/2 weeks I have been on six different flights and I have another trip coming up in about two weeks. It has given me an opportunity to "refine" my approach to air travel while, at the same time, giving me a greater appreciation for some of the technologies and services that can make travel just a bit easier. And with air travel being as obnoxious as it is, anything that makes traveling a bit easier is a welcome addition.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/10/travel-tips-on-a-snowy-day/feed/ 4