2009

Archibald’s Adventure by Rake in Grass for Windows Phone Review

Introduction Archibald’s Adventure is a unique action puzzle platform game. The story of Archibald’s Adventure goes something like this:- Archibald and his friends were near a dump behind a mysterious mansion of inventor – professor Klumpfus. Accidentally Archie fell down a pipe and ended up in professor’s basement. In the same time some crazy experiment went wrong and all genetically engineered creatures escaped from their containment in laboratories, while paranoid central computer locked the whole complex up! Now both Archibald and professor got stuck in the mansion! It’s up to you to help Archie to overcome all of the pitfalls…


Speck PortPack Shoulder Bag – Notebook Accessory Review

I’m a huge fan of Speck’s various cases. On any given day there is likely to be a Speck case on my iPhone or my iPod touch and there is always a Speck shell on my MacBook Pro. I like the companies approach to design which, for the most part, is rather minimalist while offering superb protection and full accessibility to the device in question. Turns out, the company also makes some pretty slick bags for carrying your gear. They were kind enough to send me a review unit of their PortPack. I’ve been using it for a few days…


Book Review: Microsoft Windows 7 Unleashed by Paul McFedries

A few week ago, I received a copy of this book to review. I’ll admit it, I’m primarily a Mac user, but I use Windows XP at work, and I run it on my Mac in a VMWare session so I can support my Windows Mobile devices and do those things that are available only for Windows. And yeah, I’m one of the many, many, people who played with the Windows 7 betas – and I like it. Not enough to give up my Mac, but it’s nice to see what Vista should have been finally come to fruition. It’s…


Genius G-Pen M609X Multimedia Tablet Review

I’ve always wanted to try a graphics tablet and was appreciative when Genius was willing to send me a G-Pen M609X to review and then continue using. When I opened the box I was immediately impressed. The tablet looks good, is well designed and, while light, feels quite sturdy. I’ve been using it for a while now and have to say it is rather impressive. Costing just under $110 at Walmart, it is priced far more competitively than many of the Wacom tablets (the small Bamboo pen tablet is currently $230 at Amazon while offering excellent and versatile functionality. Let’s…


The Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset Review

photos by Kevin It seems as if finding the perfect Bluetooth headset has become a never-ending quest for me; it’s not just about finding one that keeps me from sounding like a fish in a barrel anymore, it’s also about finding one that fits my ear without making me look like a telephone operator or worse – a borg.  Just to make things really difficult, so many headsets seem to fall into one of two camps: ridiculously complicated and over-featured or utterly simplistic and featureless. Finding a headset that strikes a balance between sound, comfort, and features has become my…


Review: Kanex High Capacity Battery for the T-Mobile G1

After using the G1 for about three months, I came to one conclusion.  The battery life just sucks.  You can’t get through a day with light use and if you are a heavy user, like myself, you will need to charge before you even get halfway through a day.  The Kanex High Capacity Battery for the G1 solves this and gives a heavy G1 user like myself all day battery life.


The Rolling Razor Looks Tricky

I’m not too sure that the Rolling Razor is that much safer to use: after all, nicks and scratches are common with even the most basic stick styles, and I can only imagine the damage I could inflict with something like this. But according to the Rolling Razor site, using one helps to eliminate irritation, nicks, cuts, razor bumps and burn.


Boost Mobile i9 is thin, solid and dependable

I stopped into my local Best Buy this afternoon and was amazed at the great selection  of prepaid cellular phones. As recently as a year ago the prepaid phone aisle was limited to cheap plastic throwaways. Fast forward to now, and the shelves are lined with current model BlackBerry and Motorola phones available on no contract prepaid plans.   Boost Mobile has been one of the leaders in selling affordable prepaid phones that don’t make you ashamed to use them in public.  Last week we looked at the i465 (great texting device and solid call quality). This week we’re looking…


Thrustmaster Sports Pack – Review

I love the Wii I received for my birthday last year. I never cease to be amazing by its motion-sensing controls and the remarkable flexibility of the system. I’m not a golfer in real life but on the Wii… love it. I’m not a tennis player in real life… but in my den I sure am, thanks to the Wii. Yes, with the Wii I can fight dragons, play tennis and then, minutes later start a workout routine. Until now, however, I used the Wii Remote and imagined it was a golf club, a tennis racket or a sword. Thanks…


Is the honeymoon over?

The other day I was asked one of the most common questions folks inquire of me once they learn of my automotive alter ego – “Driven anything exciting lately?” Normally I jump right in and rifle off any number of makes and models that have graced my driveway in recent weeks and months. This time was different though, this one gave me pause. Had I driven anything exciting lately, I wondered? If so, why is that answer not spilling forth from my vocal chords as has so often happened in the past? Have I become complacent to the automotive industry…


Conquering New York During the Windows 7 Tour

Last weekend I had the opportunity to be part of a small group of tech bloggers invited to attend several Windows 7 launch events in New York and Washington DC. I wasn’t totally clear on exactly what we would be doing on this trip before going, but I figured no matter what, it would be fun, and the food would be good. I was right… Thursday Tripit is my Friend Travel is almost always an adventure when flying out of San Angelo Regional Airport, and this time was no exception. My 9:05 a.m. flight was delayed, but at least I…


HTC’s Sprint Hero Review

To watch the commercials for the Verizon Droid, being released tomorrow morning, one might get the impression that this is the very first android handset to be released. It certainly has garnered more attention and excitement and previous devices, but there are already a number of android handsets on the market that are actually quite good. I recently had a chance to spend a week with Sprint’s version of the HTC hero, and I found myself more than a bit impressed. So with that in mind, I thought we might take a good look at a fantastic Android device that’s…


WaterField Zune HD Suede Case is thin, versatile and convenient

, I’m a big fan of getting outside and walking. I find that listening to music or podcasts helps to pass the time, so like most people with MP3 players I always take my iPhone or Zune HD with me. I have recently started carrying my Zune HD because I love Zune Pass, which provides for nearly unlimited music downloads and automatically creates artist mixes – even from music I don’t own. WaterField’s new suede jacket is the perfect fit for my Zune HD. It’s thin enough to act as a shield and fits inside other WaterField cases.


Tuxdroid the Open Source Robot Review

I have often wanted to buy one of those Ambient Devices Judie blogged about a few weeks ago.  I’ve also wanted a Nabaztag as well, since they are cute and can do some really cool stuff like play mp3 files or provide e-mail alerts.  I don’t want either anymore, thanks to kysoh.com who sent me a Tuxdroid that is not only very cute, but is also based on open source software.


Enlighten, Case-Mate’s Gorgeous New Lighted Kindle2 Cover

photos by Kevin One of the things that I love about the Kindle – its eInk screen – is also one of the things that makes using the Kindle a bit difficult when lighting is poor. It seems silly in a way to complain about not being able to read a book in the dark, because it certainly isn’t something anyone could do with the dead tree version, but there are a couple of reasons I think it chafes more than expected when people read from non-backlit devices. I think many who use eReaders have also experienced reading on other…


Skee-Ball for iPhone/Touch App Review

I recently took my oldest son and a few of his buddies to Incredible Pizza in San Antonio for his 5th birthday.  We started with the pizza of course, but the boys could hardly contain themselves just staring into the game room.  Once I let them hit the games, we headed straight for the skee-ball.  They decided tickets were what they were after so they could get some wax lips and parachute men, you know the good stuff.  I can think of no better way to earn tickets in a game room than play skee-ball.  The game has been one…


Real Deer Hunting for iPhone OS Review

Sunstorm Games developed the very first deer hunting game back in 1997.  I can remember playing the game on one of my Motorola flip phones, using the phone’s center navigation pad to move and the OK button to fire. Times have certainly changed.  The iPhone has brought cell phone games to a whole new level.  Real Deer Hunting, Sunstorm’s latest title, is described as a game that “boasts realistic deer behavior, outstanding graphics and the most immersive hunting experience.” Does the game’s revival live up to the iPhone experience?  Read on to find out.


Business Card Reader from Shape Services – instant business card recognition for your iPhone for $5.99

Shape Services released an iPhone and iPod Touch application over the weekend that they claim will help convert the mountain of business cards you’ve collected into names in your iPhone address book. The description of the application says it will “import contact information right from business card to your iPhone contacts! Just take a photo of a business card and a New Contact is added!”. So how well does this $5.99 program work in real life?


Voiis Stereo Wireless Music Gateway Review

Stereo Bluetooth is a great innovation for the freedom it grants from cables.  I was quite pleased when Apple finally added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the iPhone.  Not that being connected to a headphone cable is a huge problem, but it’s nice to be able to set my iPhone on my desk while listening to music, and still be able to move around my office without needing to pick up the iPhone and carry it with me if I’m just moving a few steps to get something off a shelf. Mobile Action understands the appeal of eliminating wires. Their new Voiis Stereo Wireless Music Gateway…


Brinell Purestorage Hard Drives for the Ferrari Set

If you wear Zegna suits, have a home in the Hamptons, and if your other car is a Ferrari, then a plastic casing on your portable hard drive would be nothing short of gauche. It’s for you that the brinell purestorage line was created… With the brinell purestorage product series, brinell, the Karlsruhe-based creative designer, has put portable hard drives on the market, setting new standards in the area of IT peripherals. Not only do these units rank among the most compact USB hard drives in cheque card and pocket format with a capacity of up to 500 GB, they…


Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock – Review

This is one of those products that kind of snuck up on me. It looked like it was one of those electronic curiosities that catches your eye, leads to an impulse buy and then, within a week, is in a box collecting dust. As it turns out the Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock works quite well, is remarkably useful and the review unit I was sent can will remain on my night table once this review is done. Lets take a look at this unusual, and useful, clock. A video demo follows…