2010

Neuros Control Tablet 1002

Joe Born at Neuros Technology has always been a supporter of Linux and Open Source technology since I’ve known him.  Well Joe came up with a great idea.  How about using a cheap Android Tablet to control the Neuros Link?  Sounds like a good idea, but did it work? The Control Tablet 1002 is very similar to the Eken M002 tablet.  In face, it will run the same builds of Android that the Eken M002 will. Let’s take a look at the specs: • Slatedroid firmware based off of Google Android OS 1.6 • VIA MW8505 350-400MHz • 128MB DDR2…


DS Game Review: A Witches Tale

Have you ever read a book and then saw the movie based on that book, or saw a remake of a classic TV show into a movie, and thought – HEY, how did you people manage to completely screw up such an amazing premise?!?! That is pretty much my review of A Witches Tale, but let me supply you with a few hundred words of context. The Hype: Which Witch is Which? Liddell is a young witch-in-training who wants to be the greatest witch in the world, but she isn’t willing to work for it. One day, she discovers a…


Why I’m Keeping the HTC EVO 4G

I’ve never been shy about admitting my Apple fan-boy status. When it comes to mobile phones the iPhone has become my be all end all. The truth is, although I’ve sampled a few other mobile handsets since the release of the first generation iPhone, I’ve not owned anything else for any extended period of time. As long as I’m being totally truthful here I also have to admit I’ve become a little bored. Not bored with the iPhone hardware as much as the software it’s running. Yes, I’m a little bored with iOS.  As stupid as it sounds it’s just…


Our Government at Work: CPSC Avoids Lead-Laden Glass Recall By Redefining Audience

Image courtesy of the AP When you think of the target audience for 10-ounce featuring colorful images of characters from the Wizard of Oz or a variety of well-known super heroes, would you say the audience is: (a) Under the age of 12 (b) Over the age of 12 If you guessed (b), then you are thinking along the same lines as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency set up to help keep consumers safe. When the test results showing the glasses had 1000 times (!) the level allowed in a product for children back in September, the…


Ingear Polarize Shell iPhone 4 Case Review

I’ve had a fun time over the last few weeks reviewing all the items ingear was kind enough to send me. Today we’ll look at the last of the bunch- the Polarize Shell for the iPhone 4. This case combines full body protection with a slick-looking design that allows the Apple fan-boy in you to show off that Apple goodness logo. Like all the ingear cases I’ve reviewed this one also comes with a screen protection kit which includes one crystal clear screen shield, a small cleaning cloth and a card to help you install the shield.  Considering just how…


PSP Game Review: PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has read the seemingly endless stream of Tower Defense genre reviews I have done in various places over the last couple of years, but when I had the chance to take a look at PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe for the PSP, I jumped at the chance! The game was already highly regarded from the PSN release for the PS3 in early 2008, so it seemed likely that the game would be a great fit on the PSP. The Hype: Be the defender of the forest and defend the pathway of your home…


2011 Ford Explorer, part deux

In the immortal words of “Master” from MasterBlaster, “Embargo lifted.” I hate press embargoes. Many who saw my initial feature last week on the 2011 Ford Explorer probably won’t even see this update, but for those that made their way back, thank you. I will now dive into my experience with and impressions of the “SUV of the 21st century.” (And I thank Ford Motor Company for giving me the opportunity to drive a V-6 version of its competition, the Jeep Grand Cherokee against the new Ford Explorer. My JGC review model last month was the HEMI version and I…


TOM BIHN Introduces Ristretto Vertical Messenger Bag for 11″ Apple MacBook Air

A few weeks ago Thomas and I wrote about our ongoing debate regarding which MacBook Air to order. I started with a base 11″ MBA, moved to ordering a loaded 11″ version and then, after some back and forth with Thomas, ended up getting the 13″ MBA. He did too. It is an awesome machine and I thought I was done with my search. Then Judie had to get into the mix. She got an 11″ MBA and called it “my second best tech purchase ever… after the iPad.” Coming from Judie that is high praise and I realized that…


A Post Worth Reading From TechCrunch… No Commentary Needed

So my week’s vacation is coming to an end. The bags are packed, the flight confirmed and the skies have opened up and are pouring on the island where it never rains. My head is clearer save the all-you-can eat and drink Sunday brunch we just visited… Or is it fuzzier… And as a result I have the rare gift of… Perspective. This week gave me the chance to catch up with family, catch up on old Gear Diary posts that other members of the team have written and check out some of the comments that others have shared on…


SplashID KeySafe Unlocks Your Cold, Security-Obsessed Heart

Well, now, what do we have here?  Generally a software company, SplashData has now taken one of their best known software products and merged it with a hardware product.  The SplashID Key Safe is a 2 GB USB drive made to fit on your keychain, but featuring a portable version of SplashData’s well-known password protection program, SplashID.  We’ve reviewed various incarnations of SplashID on this site a number of times in the past and we’ve always had good impressions of it.  I’ve always liked SplashID because it’s available for so many different platforms. The Key Safe includes many of the…


E FUN NEXTBOOK Next2 eBook Reader/Tablet Review

Last year it seemed like the hot new item was ebook readers. Everyone and their brother seemed to be offering one, but those projects quickly gave way to a veritable army of Android-based tablets after the iPad was released. Some of these are relatively generic tablets, but lately, we’ve seen a rash of tablet-esque devices designed around the reading experience. One of the newest (and most budget-conscious) of these devices is the E FUN NEXTBOOK tablet, a reading-oriented tablet with Borders eBookstore integration. Is it worth pursuing over a NOOKcolor or an iPad? Read on for my full review! Let’s…


Things That Make You Go “Duh?!?!” The iPad Edition

One of the things I love is when something is spread throughout the Blogosphere that is just common sense. You know, those tidbits of news or rumor that you hear and you just think, “Well Duh????” Two that have been floating around today really caught my eye. The first… Did you know that the iPad two will likely be thinner, lighter and have two cameras??? I know… I know… Shocking. I mean… It isn’t as if Apple has constantly been working to make their notebooks thinner and lighter, or they have added cameras to devices after the first or second…


PC Game Review: Red Faction Guerrilla

GamersGate offered a sweet deal where you got copies of both Red Faction and Red Faction II for free with a Red Faction Guerrilla pre-order. Red Faction was a 2001 game that gained tons of attention during previews for its destructible environments, and Red Faction II was the critically pummeled 2004 follow-up. So by the time I received my review copy of the game I had replayed both of the original games on my netbook, which allowed me to put those games into proper perspective as I played the new addition to the series. The Hype: Set 50 years after…


Google Lowers Android App Store Refund Period!

One of the biggest items that Android fans used to lord over iOS users was the marketplace policy regarding refunds.  On iOS, if you purchased an app and wanted to “return” it for a refund, good luck, and start groveling to Apple or the developer. On Android, if you purchase but uninstall within 24 hours, you get a full refund automatically! No need for as many “lite” versions of programs and it gave you a chance to really kick the tires before you committed your cold hard cash. Well, as of last night, that window has dropped from 24 hours…


R.I.P.: Jazz Legend James Moody Dead at 85

Few artists in any field can claim a career that had them active and vibrant across 8 decades. Yet that is the legacy of James Moody, the genial and fabulously talented saxophone and flute player and bandleader who made his first recordings in 1948, and was working right up until his health made it impossible earlier this year. Early this year we learned that Moody was seriously ill and had to undergo surgery, but it was only last month when we learned more details from his wife Linda: “Some of you know that Moody has been ill for quite sometime,”…


PSP Game Review: Sudoku (PSP Minis)

Given that the PSP Minis are meant to be bite-sized games with a smaller scope and focus, Sudoku seems like the perfect candidate … well, other than all of those ports of iPhone games. The game itself is a classic Japanese number puzzle that is simple to understand conceptually, but challenging and wonderfully addictive. The Hype: This one is bound to keep you coming back for more, even if you aren’t into Sudoku or maybe just never played it before. Life time statistics for each difficulty will have you comparing your skills with friends and family. Newspaper mode is a…


2011 BMW 335i Convertible

The calendar says we haven’t hit the first official day of winter yet and your mind may be displaying visions of sugarplums in preparation for the quickly approaching holiday season. But should there be an interest in a convertible in your near future – especially a convertible with a German accent – you might want to start thinking about cheaping-out on gift giving this season so you can save your pennies in time to enjoy topless cruising weather when the northern hemisphere welcomes the return of the sun’s warmth. BMW makes a very nice little hardtop convertible on the 3-series…


Dizzypad-Frog Jump Fun for iPhone/Touch Review

It seems that most of my Blue Plate Specials as well as other games I purchase are puzzle games.  When I am not playing puzzle games, they are often racing or shooting games and almost always contain insane graphics and loud explosions.  Very seldom does a cute game catch my eye.  I saw that Dizzypad was on sale for free and thought it looked interesting, so I downloaded.  To my surprise, I was instantly hooked.  Let’s take a look. Escape into your own tranquil pond to see how far you can jump your dizzy frog from pad to spinning pad….


Random Cool Stuff: Steve Martin’s Royalties for His Bluegrass Recordings? $0.13!

OK, that isn’t the full story, but it is a funny enough image! There is clear irony here in saying “People say the music business is suffering, but it’s NOT.”, but what is the main point? Is it that despite being wildly successful across more than four decades, he is now getting royalty checks for as low as $0.03? Is it that while he has made $0.13 the record company has pocketed the vast majority of the money for his work? Either way, it is pretty funny to think about such small checks for such a major star. As some…


Dial2Do & Plantronics Bring Advanced Hands-Free Voice Control To Your Phone

During last year’s CTIA conference I saw a voice service from a company called Dial2Do.   There have been, and continue to be, a sea of voice applications — ranging from offerings from Vlingo, DriveSafe.ly, to Google’s own Android integration of voice-to-text, voice search, and application control.  So what is special about Dial2Do?   Their service can be used with any bluetooth-enabled phone and does not rely solely on an application running on your mobile phone. Plantronics recently partnered with Dial2Do, branding their joint service as Vocalyst and featuring it on two of their latest bluetooth headsets:  the Plantronics Savor M11o and…


Music Diary Notes: Spotify Gives Up US Launch for 2010 … Will Anyone Care When it DOES Arrive?

In case you haven’t heard of it, Spotify is a free-or-paid subscription music service that works differently than something like Slacker or Pandora in a few ways. First off, you can immediately stream whatever song you want from their massive library of publisher material. Next, the service integrates with your existing music to form an extended library available for immediate listening online even when you’re away from your home PC. But one of the biggest things about the service is the social aspect – sharing playlists of stuff you love with others is a form of music discovery that has…