Gear Patrol

Pioneer’s 2011 VSX 1021-K was the first receiver to integrate AirPlay. The company’s latest crop of 2012 receivers continues to chase the cutting edge, bringing AirPlay to all but the lowest end of the lineup. While all of the four midrange models have their own appeal, the sweet spot in our opinion is the VSX-822-K…

In the age of technological convergence, many electronics manufacturers have tried to release devices that do everything. While it may be happening with the best of intentions and lofty ideals, currently the result is that many consumers wind up with goods that may perform like jack of all trades, but fail to master anything. Going…

Back in January, you might have noticed a flurry of online chatter related to the category-bucking Sony Dash. After reviewing the product’s specs and features announced in the device’s initial press release, we were slightly disappointed to learn that the Dash seemed to be positioned really as a jack of all tech trades but master…

Ever listened to Pandora radio at home and wondered how great it would be to have it in the car? Well, commuters now have a reason to perk up. Pandora is now here for your car thanks to Alpine’s announcement of the iDA-X305S head unit. Minor quibble, you must own an iPhone and drive in…

In case you haven’t noticed, I like to use these Gear Patrol posts as somewhat of a techno-confessional. Here’s today’s admission: I’ve just recently discovered Pandora. It’s better late than never, as the site’s custom playlists have made internet radio seem much more accessible and alleviated a great deal of my work related boredom. Even…

Since the mainstream inception of Blu-ray, the existence of the Playstation 3 has always made it hard to justify purchasing a stand alone Blu-ray player. The gaming system’s versatility presented buyers with just too many additional features to ignore, and the price disparity between it and everything else was negligible. Recently, however, the cost of…

You knew it would only be a matter of time before Blackberry would jump into the world of mobile applications. Looks like time’s up. By Gear Patrol Reader Kirk Ward: BlackBerry introduced the BlackBerry App World in early April and has been adding new applications at a constant clip. While many of the best applications…

Empower your iPhone with these 25 best and must have iPhone Apps, as curated by Gear Patrol.