It is amazing what a skilled DJ can do in terms of remixing two songs and coming out with something that is truly transformative. That is what happens when DJ Carlos Serrano mixed Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” with Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.” Check it out below, and hit up his web page for more great tracks!
It’s no secret that I love to read. Even as a kid I was an avid reader, and my parents had trouble finding books to keep me occupied for long periods of time. When I was in 5th grade my mom gave me “Gone With the Wind”, and I finished it in three days. Basically, I read a lot, and very quickly. Still, when Staples sent their “Speed Reading” test, I was surprised to see my results:
Sean Bean of HBO’s hit “Game of Thrones”–today’s bone of contention! Last week, Carly put up a very interesting post that referred to a post by the folks at The AV Club. The AV Club post talked a lot about piracy and concluded that “Be Patient” was the best solution for one’s desire to pirate content in the face of the current gallimaufry of release and pricing variations and unpredictability for electronic content, but the discussion it spawned between Carly and myself was on a more proactive, “What the heck can big media companies do while their normal channel market share…
When it comes to making a great gaming mouse, only one thing matters: precision. Precision and feel. OK, so I am not going to continue the ‘Spanish Inquisition’ line, but suffice to say that unlike just a few years ago there are many hurdles to making a successful gaming mouse. Let’s see how Raptor did! The Hype: The optical sensor of the M3 operates with precision accuracy at ultra-fast speeds up to 500Hz and 1600 dpi, and the dpi settings can be adjusted to 3 different levels: 400 dpi, 800 dpi, and 1600 dpi. The extra large Teflon mouse sliders…
On a recent game day, I charged up my Kindle in anticipation for the long trip since it was not my turn to drive. I planned on staying relaxed before we played while following the adventures of Katniss Everdeen fighting to survive in the arena, but when I laid back with my neck pillow, the Kindle refused to let me into the depths of the Hunger Games. It would be another long, boring ride without the comforts of the Kindle Keyboard. Upon arriving at home, I plugged it back in and once again charged overnight only to discover it would…
The Android Market has been around for a while now, but Google has begun using it for more than just Android apps; they have added Music, Movies and Books over the last year. So, in an effort to unify things a bit and get a less ambiguous name that describes the service, Google is re-branding the Android Market as Google Play. The website is active now, and the Android Market app on your devices will be replaced with the Google Play Store app. You can also expect to see updates today for the Books, Music and Movies applications. For more, check out…
I am still finishing up my dual review of The Bard’s Tale – I had been working through the PC game for a retrospective review when the iOS version launched, so I have now completed both! But the game just got a HUGE update that makes it a more compelling buy than ever – and trust me, it is already a great game! Here are the notes from the update: New Features: • Includes the original classic game The Bard’s Tale I: Tales of the Unknown! • Earn free gold through TapJoy offers! Spend gold on in-app-purchases, or buy in-game…
The newest member if the Toyota Prius hybrid family has arrived – the Prius c. The “c” refers to city, where the new compact hybrid’s use is primarily intended. Aimed towards urbanite millennials, Prius c offers Toyota’s Synergy Hybrid gas/electric drive technology in a more compact package. Prius c is a “two-thirds” scale model of the original Prius hatchback styled in a small sportwagon design. Joining fellow Prii (the chosen plural form for the moniker) Prius, Prius v, and Prius Plug-In, Prius c allows drivers to operate the vehicle in EV-only or combined gasoline and electric power. The combustion engine…
A couple of weeks ago during the long and arduous Daytona 500, Brad Keselowski who races in the Sprint Cup racing series for Penske racing caused quite a stir while the cars were parked on the track during a red flag. He tweeted from the track. What did he tweet? Pictures from his vantage point on the track of the aftermath of fellow driver Juan Pablo Montoya’s collision with the jet fuel powered track dryer.
“It costs too much to manufacture in the USA.” That’s what you year over and over again, it is why everyone from Apple to specialty clothing manufacturers may design their wares in the US but ultimately decide to do the actual manufacturing outside the USA (often in China). It is also why FedEx is apparently “unavailable” to many companies as their planes fly some sort of Apple product into the US in record number.
Quick – if you want to just blast out how awesome the new Mary Halvorson CD is, where do you go? Most likely to Twitter. And if you want to see what sorts of pictures have emerged from the weekend event your kids attended? Head to Facebook. Once on Twitter you will likely check out a few feeds, click around for a minute or two before exiting. On Facebook, your engagement will turn from seconds to minutes to hours as you check out friends and photos and chat with folks and so on. For many teens and young adults, Facebook…
The iPhone is one of those devices that prompts its fans to declare “This phone changed my life!” Yes, the apps are great and add an immense amount of convenience to everyday life. And the ease of use means just about anyone can pick one up and grasp the basics within minutes. But then there are those individuals who can say “The iPhone changed my life” without hyperbole or out of tech geek exuberance. No, these people talk about how transformative the iPhone is thanks to the accessibility features built into it. Dan has written about how voice recognition, especially using…
The other day we looked at one of two DBest speaker sets I have been using for the past week and a half. Here’s what DBest has to say about their products: The most important thing in music are not the lyrics, but the way of receiving. The way music is transferred determines how much we like our music. To be short: the better the quality of our speakers, the better we can enjoy music! DBest speakers provide premium sound quality that is considered the finest in the world. This way they can give you maximum pleasure listening to your…
I was a teenager during the Clinton administration, so I didn’t pay a great deal of attention to the news, but I do remember hearing about the President’s habit of running a few times a week. From what I understood, it wasn’t uncommon for Presidents to run to stay in shape and deal with stress, but it never occurred to me what a Secret Service issue it was! According to former Agent Dan Emmett, they had a hard time finding agents who could protect the President while he was out running: Clinton jogged about three days a week, for no…
The Knack – Get The Knack As a disclaimer, this album isn’t actually ‘mine’ – or at least I didn’t buy it. My brother grabbed it back in 1979 and it got heavy play from him that I honestly have a hard time separating which songs were actually popular on radio. When my parents were getting ready to move out of the first house they had bought when were just little kids and move south, they packed up all of my large record collection and I grabbed it in boxes and bags and moved it into a closet in our…
One of the first things most kids looking to pick up the guitar do is imitate the lines from a popular rock or pop song. Rock music is rife with simple hooks that are guitar-centric and easy to play (Smoke on the Water, Baba O’Reilly, and so on). But beyond a single line is a fully composed song – and after learning the line you will find you want more! Alfred Music has just released a two-volume set of classic rock songs from the 1950s through the 2000s! The first volume looks at the 50s-70s, and the second volume looks…
To say that Apple is on a roll seems a bit superfluous, as the company has spent much of the last dozen years as one of the most reported on and profitable companies in the world. And yet it seems like every time we turn around there is something new and amazing to discuss. First off, last week Fortune magazine reported that Apple was the most admired company in the world. This just after a number of reports tried to single out Apple as the singular cause of poor working conditions in China. Other reports noted that tech companies like…
We have covered several Kickstarter projects here at Gear Diary ranging from the Kammock Roo to ASL Tunes for the deaf to new 3D Glasses. Kickstarter is a website that is used as “a new way to find and follow creativity.” Basically, an artist, writer, inventor etc… can fund new projects through the help of anyone who feels inclined to donate to the cause. Most projects do offer packages donors will receive according to the amount they pledge. The capital must be promised before time runs out or the project will not be funded. This is actually a project for…
Kev was splitting wood today, when he stopped to bring me something he’d found. To back up for a moment, if you have a wood-burning stove then you may have noticed how certain woods — in this case, mesquite — can have these weird “tunnels” bored through them. I had never given what caused them a second thought … until today.
Last Friday as I was working at my desk I got a message over Microsoft Lync asking me to join in a conference call. That happens on occasion, but when I opened Lync to reply, I realized I didn’t know a single person mentioned. My name isn’t exactly unique particularly with the way our company assigns email addresses, so I replied simply with my name, organization and the project I am on … and within a few seconds he said ‘oops wrong person’. This morning I loved seeing Dan’s PSA on how to avoid being an online idiot, so I…
It’s that time again– time for your friendly neighborhood technology-obsessed Gear Diary team to offer some thoughts and suggestions in the form of a public service announcement. Today’s PSA: 10 Ways To Avoid Being An Idiot Online.