Janet Cloninger - The Gadgeteer

Get Ready for Baseball Season with the Pitch Velocity And Accuracy Umpire

pitch velocity baseball pitching trainer

This Pitch Velocity and Accuracy Umpire pitch-training device from Hammacher Schlemmer measures pitch velocity, calls balls and strikes, and simulates at bats. The built-in sonic radar measures speed from 20-99 mph from 45′ or 60′ 6″ away (the Little League and Major League Baseball pitching distances). It can also be used with fast-pitch softball at […]

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Turn Your iPhone into a Speakerphone for Home or Office with the iFusion Smartstation Dock

By Janet Cloninger / April 25, 2012 / News / iOS, iPhone accessory / 5 Comments

The iFusion Smartstation Dock for iPhone connects to your iPhone with Bluetooth and turns it into a desk phone or a full-duplex speakerphone. It’s compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S, and the integrated 30-pin connector charges your iPhone. Connect the iFusion to a PC or Mac via USB, and you can sync your

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Innergie Charge and Sync 3-in-1 USB Cable Review

By Janet Cloninger / April 24, 2012 / Reviews / cables, Gear, Pocket Gear / 6 Comments

I recently reviewed a small set of Incase USB cables that will lighten your daily-carry load, and now I’ll tell you about a single USB cable from Innergie that can charge almost every USB device you own. The Charge & Sync 3-in-1 USB Cable contains a miniUSB, microUSB, and Apple 30-pin connector in a single

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Put a Magna Doodle on Your iPhone

By Janet Cloninger / April 24, 2012 / News / iOS, iPhone Case / 1 Comment

Did you ever play with a Magna Doodle when you were younger? You can relive your youth with the iFoolish Magic Drawing Case for iPhone 4/4S from Basic Principals. The case is made from a coated polycarbonate, and it offers some protection with the fun. The back of the case has a 3.7″ drawing board

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Kayla Clutch for Smartphones

By Janet Cloninger / April 23, 2012 / News / Bags, Smartphone accessory, Wallets / 4 Comments

Julie has long used a Waterfield “go to lunch” wallet that also fits her phone, and I recently told you about my Dooney & Bourke wallet that’s my multi-function wallet (see the related posts for links to our reviews). Case-Mate has their own multi-function wallet – the Universal Kayla Clutch. The Kayla is made with

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Teach Your Kids How to Safely Use Social Sites

By Janet Cloninger / April 23, 2012 / News / iOS, Kid Gadgets, Personal Safety, Social Media / 1 Comment

Call me old fashioned, but my daughter didn’t have a Facebook account until she was 15. Kids as young as 13 are allowed on Facebook, and there used to be (probably still are) some websites designed specifically for even younger kids. Carnegie Mellon University and Web Wise Kids have worked together to create the BeSeen

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WINGStand Portable Stand for iPhone and iPad and other Bluetooth Devices Review

By Janet Cloninger / April 22, 2012 / Reviews / iOS, Pocket Gear, Smartphone accessory / Leave a Comment

As I’ve mentioned before, the thing I haven’t liked about the iPads I’ve owned is the on-screen keyboard. The virtual keys don’t lend themselves to touch typing. None of the keyboard cases I’ve tried were what I’ve been looking for, because they have cramped, undersized keyboards, often with a non-standard layout. The best keyboard I’ve

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Incase USB Mini Cable Kit Review

By Janet Cloninger / April 21, 2012 / Reviews / cables, Gear, Pocket Gear / 8 Comments

When you think of pocket gear, you probably think of multitools or even small flashlights that you can add to your keyring. You probably don’t think of USB cables, but the USB Cable Kit from Incase is small enough to qualify as pocket gear. I recently purchased this cable set to keep in my purse,

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Wrapsol Ultra Screen Protector for iPad 2 and New iPad Review

By Janet Cloninger / April 20, 2012 / Reviews / iOS, Screen Protector / 3 Comments

I don’t normally use screen protectors on my electronics. Most screen and body protectors require liquid for a smooth application, and the application directions warn you to remove the battery and keep the device turned off for a couple of days until the liquid has all evaporated. That’s great, but Apple iPhones and iPads don’t

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What’s Old is New Again with the Polaroid Z340 Camera

By Janet Cloninger / April 20, 2012 / News / Camera, Camera gear / Leave a Comment

The Polaroid Z340 Camera from Photojojo is a new twist on instant cameras. Just like the old Polaroids that spit out self-developing photographs, the new Z340 camera can produce 3″ X 4″ instant prints on special smudge- and water-proof, tear-resistant ZINK photo paper. What’s different about this Polaroid is that it’s a 14MP digital camera

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Geneva Sound System Model XS Has Bluetooth, FM, Alarm Clock, Speakers, and Amplifier in One Small Package

By Janet Cloninger / April 19, 2012 / News / Audio, Video, TV, Clocks, Travel Gear / Leave a Comment

Do you remember those travel alarm clocks that looked like leather-covered makeup compacts and opened up to display a small alarm clock for the hotel nightstand? The Sound System Model XS from Geneva reminds me of those small clocks. This small, 6.2″ × 4″ × 4.5″, 1.1 pound system closes up into a faux leather-covered

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Keep Your Devices Charged with the Rugged mophie juice pack powerstation PRO

By Janet Cloninger / April 19, 2012 / News / Batteries and Chargers, Outdoor Gear, Travel Gear / Leave a Comment

The juice pack powerstation PRO from mophie is rugged enough to go anywhere and powerful enough to keep your gadgets charged for days. With its 6000mAh power reserves, you’ll be able to keep your phones and other small devices going for days while away from wall outlets. You can even charge tablets with the powerstation

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Carry My World iPad Case from Levenger

By Janet Cloninger / April 18, 2012 / News / Bags, iOS, iPad cases and bags / 1 Comment

I love cases and bags, and Levenger has some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. Their Carry My World iPad Envelope bag is made of natural full-grain leather with a textured finish. The bag will fit any iPad model, and there’s even an interior pocket to hold your eReader. There’s a zippered exterior pocket to

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iKeyboard for iPad, iPad 2, and New iPad Review

By Janet Cloninger / April 18, 2012 / Reviews / iOS, iPad accessory, Keyboard / 4 Comments

I’ve started a quest to find a way to touch-type on an iPad without having to use a heavy case with a non-standard keyboard in it. I already wrote about my attempt to hack my own case/lapdesk for the iPad and Apple Bluetooth keyboard. Today, I’ll be looking at something completely different. The iKeyboard started

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Stream Content to Your TV with the D-Link MovieNite

By Janet Cloninger / April 17, 2012 / News / Audio, Video, TV, Video Streaming / 4 Comments

With the MovieNite box from D-Link, you’ll be able to stream Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, and Pandora Radio content to your home TV setup. Looking very much like a Roku and an Apple TV had a child, the MovieNite can deliver up to 1080p with 5.1 channel audio on the HDMI connection or 480i with 2-channel

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