February 2010

Dacha Works Module SmartCase for iPhone 3G and 3Gs Review

Often times case manufacturers work hard at creating cases that look great but in doing so sacrifice how the cases feels when held in your hand.  Ergonomics play a key role in keeping you comfortable while sitting at your desk, on your computer. The Module SmartCase from Dacha Works seeks to create the same level of comfort for your hand while it’s using your iPhone. Dacha Works claims the Module SmartCase is the first all-purpose iPhone case to proactively augment the iPhone form factor to greatly improve the user experience. How did it work out for me? Click on through…


Review: Monster Cable Outlets to Go with USB

After going to many conferences for my day job, one thing I have always stuffed in my bag has been a power strip.  As any geek knows, there is rarely enough outlets in the hotel room where you need them.  Plus most power strips have all the outlets arranged such that you can’t plug to wall warts side by side.  Well, Outlets to Go from Monster Cable is something I’ve always wanted.  It gives you a power strip with built-in cord management.  Plus a little surprise I will get to later.


Review: Wii Pedestal Base

Sometimes a product does not have to be complex to be great.  Little nifty things like the 3 beads on the Zagg  Smartbuds Dan just reviewed.  It seems so simple, but makes a world of difference in its use.  Is the Wii Pedestal Base one of these products?  Let’s find out.


Easy Note+Todo for Android Review

Android does not come with even a basic notes application. Luckily there are services like Evernote available, but sometimes you need a local notes application (rather than a cloud based one). That’s where Easy Note+Todo steps up. Can it replace a notes app and a to-do list? Read on and find out!


Display Link USB 2.0 Review: Lets You Share Monitors and Support a Resolution Up To 2048×1152

Yesterday, I showed off the HP USB 2.0 Docking Station.  It’s great for easily connecting your computer to all those peripherals (printer, external monitor, etc).    Today, I’m taking a close look at the Display Link USB 2.0 display adapter.  So “What’s a display adapter?” you ask.   If you need to share your monitor through multiple displays, or you find yourself not needing a docking station but simply a way to put your netbook or laptop’s screen on a larger monitor, then I’d say the Display link adapter is for you.  What’s great about this little device is that it supports…


eBook Readers Ahoy!

While the last few months have been dominated by publisher drama, it looks like things are quieting down, and we’re starting to hear more about upcoming readers (hardware and software). We have a lot to cover, including the (supposed) upcoming release of a much-anticipated reader, so let’s get started! First, let’s start with the big picture. eBook sales increased 176.6% in 2009, showing they are easily the fastest growing segment of the publishing market. Not to be outdone by Amazon’s constant crowing about the Kindle being their best-selling item ever, Barnes and Noble is making the same claims about the…


ZAGGsmartbuds – Review

A few months ago I found myself a little bit short in the headphones department. I had given away most of the headphones I had used and reviewed and one of the two pair that I tended to use on a daily basis broke. I mentioned this to Judie and she was kind enough to send me a pair of ZAGG Z.buds that she had reviewed some time ago. When the headphones arrived I was rather impressed. The design was excellent. The heavy-duty, tangle free cord was longer than normal. It included an inline microphone and a volume control and…


Suzuki makes Grand Vitara a bit, well, grander

The (possible) internal memo from Suzuki management to product team: “Make our sport utility Grand Vitara a bit grander.” Under the mantra of “Travel light and live fully,” Suzuki positions the Grand Vitara (along with some of its other vehicles) as a “lifestage” vehicle, not a move up or a move over.


The Return of Dear Gear Diary…

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos Starting next month, we’ll be bringing the Dear Gear Diary series. Each week, we will be picking out an email or two sent in by our readers, and then posting them with our answers. With this series we hope that we will be able to help out with your gadget-related questions. We have a large group of writers with very different backgrounds, and we are confident that someone here will be able to help with just about any tech or gadget-use questions you all can throw at us. Are you trying to figure out what…


PDAir’s Aluminum Case Increases the Droid’s Geek Factor Review

After several years of mobile device designs trending toward smooth, curving lines and symmetrical shapes, the Motorola Droid stands out.  Sure, you’ll see lots of non-geeks carrying it, but from the angular design of the device itself to the style of the commercials Verizon developed to sell it, it’s clear that the Droid is intended to appeal to the technologically inclined. So, how does one take a geeky device like the Droid and amp the geek factor?  You slap a metal case on it, that’s how.


Review: Altego Clear Laptop Sleeve

Some people decorate and adorn their laptops with stickers or Gelaskins.  Sometimes you can buy a laptop that comes with a design on the back of the LCD that just begs to be shown off all the time even when it’s in the case.  That is exactly what the Altego Laptop Sleeve was made for.


The TruePower iV Pro 3100mAh Extended Battery for iPod touch and iPhone Review

Reading, surfing, watching movies, listening to music — these are all activities that I enjoy doing on my iPhone; when I do them I usually have a rough idea of what type of battery life I should be able to expect, and it helps that I can watch the battery icon. However, I’ve recently discovered a game that has singlehandedly wiped out my iPhone’s battery more quickly than anything I have ever seen: Plants vs. Zombies (reviewed by Michael here). You can’t watch the clock or the battery icon when playing PvZ, which usually means that you’ll play much longer…


Rediscovering The Music of My Youth With Slacker Radio

I came of age during the 1980s, a period marked in large part by the 2nd British invasion. Moreover, I spent 18 months of the early part of the decade living in the mid-east. While there I was exposed to even more British New Wave/Post Punk as that was largely the music on the radio in Israel at the time. To my mind it remains the best period in music and, thanks to Slacker Radio, I’ve been reexperiencing much of it. Online radio is pretty awesome and two of the major players are  Slacker or Pandora. For a time I…


Skooba Design Wants to Stable Your Cable … Among Other Things

Tell me that you haven’t been bothered when it came time to pack for a trip, and you didn’t have an organized and protective way to carry your cables, chargers, and miscellaneous gear. I’ll tell you what I usually do with mine – charging cables get put in the side pocket of my carry-on, syncing/charging cables go into my laptop bag, and camera chargers and other items that don’t get put in my laptop bag usually get shuffled into the cracks and crevices of my carry-on. This arrangement works fine for the most part, but I have accepted that anytime…


HP USB 2.0 Docking Station Review

One of the things I’ve usually taken for granted is how much of a difference a quality docking station makes in my daily computer use.  Sure, I have a laptop and (now) a netbook for my “regular” job.   Working with a netbook provides additional mobility with a lighter machine to lug around for the daily grind, but it can be a challenge during extended periods of time (read:  12-16 hours of work at times to meet deadlines).   A decent external monitor certainly helps, but needing to manually plug-in every peripheral item is an unnecessary task when you have a docking…


Case-Mate PWND Case for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

If we believe what Steve Jobs tells us (that argument’s meant for a whole different discussion) the Apple iPhone OS is an built to be one of the best operating systems for gaming.  Any look at the sheer abundance of games in the iTunes App Store and you might just have to agree. Do you do a lot of gaming on your iPhone 3G or 3Gs? If you answered yes, you’ll appreciate the Case-Mate PWND case.  It’s a silicone case that has severely reinforced corners which make it resemble a gaming console remote control.  When playing games that rely heavily…


Verizon Shell/Holster for Motorola Droid Review

I hate cases for my phones. I tend to forget this however and buy them anyway. In 10+ years of owning cell phones, I think I’ve used one case for more than a few weeks (an Agent 18 ecoShield for the original iPhone). At the same time, I really love my Moto Droid and thought it would be prudent to have a case for it…so I did my research and discovered there were very few exciting options out there. A few Verizon branded cases did catch my eye and after a field trip to my local store I picked up…


Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002, FPS): The Netbook Gamer

Since I have already expressed my love for the original Star Wars Jedi Knight and the Mysteries of the Sith expansion, it is only fitting that I move on to the sequel! Don’t worry, I will return to Dark Forces soon enough and have also recently completed Jedi Academy … so soon I’ll have reviewed the entire Kyle Katarn saga on the netbook for you! But for now, let’s look at Jedi Knight II.


Cogs for iPhone/Touch

It is crazy how different my gaming habits are than they were ten years ago.  I was once a heavy console gamer, staying up late to finish levels or a game and searching for tips in magazines and websites.  These changes are probably due to age, available time or becoming a parent or combination of the three.  At any rate, my gaming habits has gone from shoot ’em up action packed games to more slower paced “smart” games.  Especially puzzle games.  Larry introduced this game to Dan who in turn sent me an IM that read, “Get Cogs.”  That is…


iPhone Game Review: Plants vs Zombies

There are all sorts of games: big games, small games; casual games, hardcore games; console games, handheld games; role-playing games, shooter, games, action games, sports games; old games, new games; kids games, adult games; thrilling games, boring games; good games, and bad games. And then there is Plants vs. Zombies! How is THAT for an overly dramatic beginning?!?


Timbuk2 Command, The TSA-Friendly Laptop Messenger Review

I like bags.  I like bags that can easily carry a lot of stuff, handle travel, look good and are built to last. I recently picked up a Timbuk2 Command Messenger, which does all of these things.  The Command is TSA compliant so you don’t have to take your laptop out of the bag even when you have to strip everything else off while going through those security lines. I’ve used Timbuk2 bags before, and have to admit I like them quite a lot.  They make custom bags and bags that can meet just about any sense of style out…