December 2012

Atari Celebrates 40 Years of Pong with Free Pong World for iOS Review

I have always loved that picture of my brother and me playing Pong at our aunt’s house one Thanksgiving back in the 70s. For those of us born in the 60s, Pong represented a revolution – a video game system that we could hook to our TV. By the time the 80s were in full swing Pong was an anachronism, yet there is something fun about the simplicity of the gameplay, the challenge of the head-to-head fun. Now you can get a revamped Pong game made as part of the PONG Indie Developer Challenge for free in celebration of the…


Murim Wars Massively Multiplayer RPG for iOS and Android Coming in December!

As more and more mobile gamers are connected to high speed networks and are looking beyond simple puzzle games, genres previously tied to computers and consoles have sprung up on mobile devices. Of course, having the graphics capability to run those apps is also a big bonus! It seems that every few months we see a new game that expands the realm of possibilities for online interaction in a mobile setting. In just a couple of weeks we will see a new MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) for mobile devices – this is a genre previously restricted to…


Oberon Design Large Smartphone Sleeve Review

It wasn’t so long ago that I reviewed the Oberon Design cellphone sleeve, and while that case was perfect for the iPhone and other similarly sized mobile devices, it isn’t quite big enough for all of the larger-screened mobile devices that are now so popular. I’ve got the new Nokia Lumia 920, which has a 4.5″ screen and measures 5.13″ tall x 2.79″ wide x 0.42″ thick; it is simply too large for the original sleeve. Luckily, I was soon to receive the new Oberon Design Large Smartphone Sleeve. This larger sleeve measures 6.25″ tall x 4″ wide; these measurements…


New Sleek, Functional Designs From Tablet-Case Creator ‘Solid Gray’

I probably won’t be the first to admit that we don’t need anymore tablet or phone cases. There are already thousands of competitive products available in this category, many of them priced very reasonably. Walking into Best Buy, Verizon, or even Five Below becomes a sensory assault of competing, well-designed cases. As you know, the editors here at Gear Diary are prepared to handpick the best and most interesting products for inclusion on the site. So check out the latest from Netherlands-based design firm Solid Gray. While the studio’s earlier productions focused on creating unique, functional backpacks, it’s newest creation…


ZAGGsparq 6000 Portable Power Station Review

CES 2013 is coming up fast, which means we are already thinking about the gear that will help us best cover the show. This year I expect Judie’s and my iPad minis will play a big role. I’ll also be using my Canon T3i to grab better photos and video than I have previously. And Carly, Carly will be getting her first taste of the gadget-craziness that is the Consumer Electronics Show. Each year Judie and I have talked through what gear would best help us keep our gadgets charged and, each year, we have found ourselves running on vapors…


The Importance of Reading Customer Reviews

Sarah and I are staying with my parents temporarily, and overall it is working out well. However, there is one issue that makes life difficult: the WiFi reception in my parents’ home is terrible. The router sits all the way on one side of the house, and picking up signal in our room (downstairs and on the opposite end) is very dicey. I needed a simple, cheap way to extend the signal, and Joel suggested the TP-Link mini router he had reviewed. After I read Joel’s review thoroughly, I headed to Amazon to check out the device. The price was…


Think Tank Photo CityWalker 20 Camera Messenger Review

I’m a fan of messenger-style gear bags. I find them to be comfortable, flexible and, well, I like the way they look. My appreciation of messenger bags extends to camera bags as well. And when a camera messenger bag can easily convert into a standard gear messenger, I’m interested. Think Tank Photos new CityWalker is just that kind of messenger back. The company was kind enough to send one for review, and I have to say I think it is one of my favorites. The bag is light, well-built, feature-rich, and it looks great. Let’s hear what Think Tank has…