We live in an increasingly connected world; the expectation is that at any time, you can reach someone via cell phone, email, IM, text message, etc. But for the very young and the very old, those options are often too complicated or confusing. How do you assuage your concerns and make sure they are safe, easy to find in a crowd, and reachable? Continue Reading

As much as I love living in the rural countryside, there are certain products and services which I would like to use – but simply can’t. One of them is the new Ambient Devices Flurry Alarm Clock, which not only tells the time with dual alarms, it also wakes you to an animated weather forecast for that day and the next.

Features include:

• Intuitive “Pop-Up” alarm buttons are visual status indicators, easy to set and use.
• Network connected clock is always accurate and never needs setting.
• Integrated 2-Day weather forecast provided by AccuWeather.com for 150 U.S. locations.
• 25 character text display provides additional weather information and details.
• No PC, WIFI, or Internet connection necessary, automatically receives data from the FREE Ambient wireless network.

If you are curious about whether the Flurry will work where you live, you can check forecast locations here, and check to see if you’ll have signal coverage here. If you’re good to go, then you can get yours at Best Buy now, for a suggested retail price of $129.99.

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Back in August, we wrote about the PlanOn Printstik Bluetooth printer for BlackBerry devices.  This past week, PlanOn provided a review unit on loan, and allowed me to put it through its paces for several days.   Now that the Printstik has been returned, what did I like about it?  What could be improved?  More importantly, is this an item that should be added to your gear for daily use?  Let’s find out…

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I was reading through my feeds this morning, and I came across posts on talkandroid.com and Phone Arena regarding Verizon’s Third Android handset.  This hand set, according to Unstrung.com, will be available in early 2010 and will include a surprising new feature.  That feature is full MiFi support built into the phone.  This is a shock, to me, coming from Verizon.  I remember back when I first had a phone with Bluetooth, it was impossible to tether across Bluetooth unless you hacked your phone.

This also is to be the first hand set developed under Verizon’s Open Development program.

The Open Development program is supposed to make it quick, cheap, and easy to get devices onto the Verizon Wireless CDMA network. As part of the program, vendors must conform to a set of standard features, including phone location capabilities that can meet the E911 emergency standard, over-the-air activation capabilities, and support for SMS text messaging. – Via Unstrung.com

This is a huge change of heart for Verizon in my opinion.  If this works out, Verizon may soon be a contender for my next cell phone provider.

I get asked an awful lot to name my favorite mobile device.  My answer is usually the same.  Well, I like this device for these things, or another device for those other things, but favorite device really depends upon what you want to do.  I never found a device which was perfect for all things.  Until now.

Today, I am ready to name my favorite mobile device, and it is probably not what you expect.  This one does not have a screen or a keyboard.  It does not make phone calls.  It does not access the Internet.  What it does is provide you with instant access to everything…from every device.  That is why the Mifi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot is my new favorite device.  Let’s take a closer look.

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Don’t look now but Amazon has just dropped pricing on their Amazon Kindle from $299 to $249. On October 19 they’ll also introduce a $279 International Kindle with GSM capabilities (AT&T provides the service) in over 100 countries. According to Amazon 48 copies of eBooks are sold for every 100 physical copies of those books. Amazon has a resounding lead in eBook readers with Forrester Research estimating a 60% market share for the Kindle vs 35% for Sony.

Kindle

Lets face it, wires are often inconvenient. They look bad, can be a pain and,  at times, are more trouble then they are worth. Even still, at times it is nice to be able to connect your notebook or handheld device to external speakers with more punch and better sound.

That’s where Bluetooth comes in. As more and more mainstream devices adopt bluetooth technology the playing field for device accessories is changing. And one of the best uses of Bluetooth? Wireless speakers!

Wireless speakers are a great option with laptops and other bluetooth-enabled devices. They let you cut the cord without cutting the sound. Creative has a new offering in this area and they look good!

Their new Inspire S2 Wireless Speaker System is currently out in the UK and, hopefully, will be on the way to this side of the pond. If they do… I want!

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Welcome to a new series we are starting here at Gear Diary called “State of the eBook”. Every two weeks or so (more if the news warrants it) I’ll be bringing you the latest news in ebooks, publishing, and the general digitization of our reading lives. Continue Reading

Way back in the spring, I posted about Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” and its potential to be an e-book star. With eBook apps on smartphones, and Sony Readers and Kindles coming down in price, more people than ever can get their hot little hands on eBooks. And sure enough…

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Since I began writing for Gear Diary I have gotten to know my FedEx and UPS delivery people quite well. Fact is rarely do two days pass when I don’t see one or both of them.

I sold my Kindle2 a few weeks back and had no plans to purchase another one unless Apple doesn’t come out with a light-weight tablet in the next few months. For reasons I will go into in another post, however, I ordered a Kindle DX. That’s where this story begins.

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I love my wireless BT keyboard for my iMac.  There’s two things though, that I find fault with.

One, the wired version is full sized.  It has the extra numerical keypad on the right side where as the smaller wireless version does not.

Two, the wired version has two USB ports, where as the wireless has none.

Macally solves one of the two issues with the release of its new BTkey Wireless Keyboard for Mac.

The BT keyboard is full sized.  It uses two AA batteries which last up to 2 months.

While the BTkey is arctic white and matches the iMac well, it is missing that dazzling aluminum look that the Apple keyboards posses.

Still if you want a wireless, full sized keyboard to go with your Mac, this one fits the bill.

The BTkey sells for $69.99.

Check it out on the Macally web site.

Jealous of your iPhone toting/Kindle toting friends? Of course you are. But who has $299 to spend on a new Kindle? If you can handle the “wedge” style, and don’t mind buying refurb, then here’s a deal for you to snap up: Original Kindle for $149!

Now take the money you saved, and start stocking up your new Kindle! Happy reading!

Via Mobileread

Some of the biggest challenges with technology and the gear we decide to regularly use is what problem(s) does it solve?  Will it improve my efficiency? Is it cost effective?   Take the challenge of wireless printing, backing up data from multiple computers, and then sharing that data across your network.

This used to require separate pieces of equipment and the frustration time to manually configure each separate item on your network.   As is usually the case with new products, convergence is the name of the game (and Gear Diary loves convergence!).  Let’s take a look at the new Belkin Home Base, which aims to let anyone with an existing wireless network easily print, backup files, and share their data to anyone on their network.

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According to Slashdot and Network World, the IEEE or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has finally ratified the 802.11n Wifi standard.  802.11n promises faster throughput and longer range to your Wifi connections.  Hopefully all of those Draft 802.11n routers can be updated to support the final standard.  The whole process started back in 2002; it’s hard to believe it has been that long!  So keep an eye out on your router manufacturer’s website for a firmware and driver updates bringing you up to the new standard if you have draft n hardware.

The full press release is available here.

A story yesterday in the Boston Globe spotlighted Cushing Academy – a New England prep school. Their library is undergoing a radical change. All 20,000 of their books are being discarded in favor of electronic editions. Instead they’ll spend $500,000 to outfit the library with a “learning center” containing three large flat-screen TVs that show Internet data, special laptop friendly study carrels, a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine. The students will have access to both Sony Reader and Amazon Kindle devices as well as be encouraged to read material via their laptops. This all sounds like a great idea. One question. When did prep schools start serving cappuccino to students?

Boston Globe via Slashdot image via Dawn Endico flickr