Pledge to reduce distracted driving! #ItCanWait ‘Drive 4 Pledges Day’ – September 19th!

it_can_wait_logoDistracted driving is becoming one of my primary technology “cause” issues. As tech becomes more fashionable, as we integrate data into more and more of our waking day, we’ve still yet to completely crack the user experience of interacting with technology while operating a motor vehicle. Some day we’ll have better solutions like heads up displays and eye pieces, probably used in conjunction with driver-less cars, but that day has not yet arrived.

Over 100,000 crashes a year involve distracted drivers. We can do better. We need to do better.

Backed by all four major carriers, the It Can Wait campaign will be sponsoring events all around the country on September 19th. During the Drive 4 Pledges Day, communities will be hosting pledges drives, encouraging their neighbors to sign the pledge to not text (or use your phone) while driving. I’ll be attending the Los Angeles pledge event to show my support.

For those of you who want to participate, but wont be able to attend community events, check out ItCanWait.com for other ways to support the cause. it only takes a moment’s indiscretion for someone’s life to be irrevocably changed.

If you haven’t yet, I would also recommend watching the documentary From One Second to the Next, directed by Werner Herzog. It’s available for free on Youtube, and I have it embedded after the break.

Continue reading “Pledge to reduce distracted driving! #ItCanWait ‘Drive 4 Pledges Day’ – September 19th!”

TLD gives us a sneak peek of the iPad 5 casing!

This is actually a pretty decent scoop. TLD has gotten their hands on an iPad 5 shell, and they spend some time comparing it to the current iPad 4. The design will be very similar to the iPad Mini, thinner and slimmer with more rectangular edges. I still want to see a “pick it up off of a flat surface” test, as the Mini can be incredibly difficult to pick up off a tablet without sliding it around, potentially scratching it.

iPad 5 looks like it will feature much smaller bezels, but this means it’ll be an even tighter fit for all of the guts inside. Hopefully battery life doesn’t take a hit, and fingers crossed it doesn’t run any hotter than the current iPads do.

Review: Blue Microphone’s Yeti Pro USB Microphone

Screenshot (88)An oldie, but a goodie.

Let’s take a look back at one of the best USB microphones currently on the market. The Yeti Pro is still chugging along as a great solution for those wanting to improve their home recording or podcasting capabilities.

Time to go hands on with this multi-pattern wunder-mic!

Review: The Body Glove ShockSuit Rugged Case for the Samsung Galaxy S4

body glove shocksuit galaxy s4 slim rugged case review somegadgetguyI like rugged!

Being able to use our delicate tech in challenging environments is becoming a very important topic for me. A 5″ screen is a lot of glass to potentially shatter while in the middle of a hike or out on a job site. Body Glove is offering up a new ShockSuit case for Galaxy S4 owners looking to add protection without adding a ton of bulk.

Shop Body Glove cases on Amazon!

SomeGadgetGuy CONTEST! Toast iPhone 5 cases to giveaway!

vlcsnap-2013-09-13-01h22m19s150Contest time!

You all have been so great in supporting my new tech blogging adventures, I HAD to give a little something back! To celebrate the announcement of the iPhone 5S and 5C, I thought it would be appropriate to show iPhone 5 users a little love. I’m giving away to funky-fresh iPhone 5 cases from Toast in Portland. All natural wood and leather, and Toast makes all of their cases using renewable energy! Hit the video for details on how to enter, and thank you for supporting SomeGadgetGuy!

Check out my interview with Matias, and for more info on Toast product, please check out: http://www.toastmade.com/Home.html

Giveaway details:
Contest starts September 13, 2013 at 1:30am Pacific time, and submission deadline is Sunday September 15, 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific time. Valid entries must answer the question asked in the video. Open to residents of the United States. Must be 18 or older. Comment all you’d like, but only your very first comment will count as an entry.

Weekend Distraction: Cat Plays Theremin!

Absolutely no good reason for me to post it other than it’s a cat video on the interent. I’m specifically doing this to torpedo an practical reasons you might be online at the moment. It’s utterly nefarious, I know, but HEYLOOKATTHATIT’SACATPLAYINGATHEREMIN!!!

Pro Photo Tip: Get Closer Macro Photos Using Extension Tubes on Your SLR!

macro close up photography kenko extension tubes somegadgetguy ask juan tips tricks help how toI’ll be covering more semi-pro photography and audio gear on this channel in the coming months. To start, I wanted to jump in with one of my favorite hobbies. Macro photography! I like taking pics of thinks super close up, but I haven’t yet been able to afford a proper macro lens. Extension tubes are a solution which have helped improve the quality of my shots, so let’s go hands on with a set!

Kenko Extension tubes on Amazon.

Camera Test! Video Samples from the Galaxy S4 Active on AT&T! Waterproof!

galaxy s4 active rear

The Active uses a lower res camera sensor than the regular GS4, and it’s one we’re very familiar with. First making an appearance on the GS3 and Note 2, this sensor doesn’t hold any surprises, though Samsung’s camera app has improved over the successive phones utilizing this hardware.

It does come with one really neat trick though. How waterproof is your current smartphone?

Let’s take a look.