2012

#1reasonwhy – Twitter (and blogs) Discuss Why Only 6% of Game Developers Are Women

When you look broadly across the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), women have made tremendous gains in the decades since I entered undergraduate school. This is excellent – there is simply no reason women shouldn’t have equal representation … so long as the opportunity is equal and fair. But there are some areas where women are terribly under-represented – and not just at higher levels, but at all levels. This article talks about the hostile environment at Goldman Sachs, but recently there has been a great deal of discussion about the lack of women in game design…


Cocoa Beans Channel Coffee Beans with Choffy

While I cut way back on my coffee consumption after I stopped working for Borders, I still appreciate a well made cup of coffee. The coffee snob in me won’t touch flavored coffees, but I do like the occasional mocha flavored treat. In the course of surfing around the web today, I came across a coffee-like product so delicious and unusual sounding, I ordered a bag right away. What was it? CHOFFY! What’s a Choffy?: CHOFFY IS BREWED CHOCOLATE! 100% PREMIUM COCOA BEANS ROASTED AND GROUND TO CREATE A RICH DRINK THAT PROVIDES LONG-LASTING ENERGY AND WHOLE-BODY WELLNESS. Richer and…


Set Aside Four Hours to Check Out Every Apple Commercial … Like, Ever

Apple has created some of the most iconic advertising campaigns in history, including the infamous ‘1984’ and ‘Lemmings’ to ‘Think Different’ to ‘I’m a Mac …’ and more. Of course, there are some real clunkers out there as well. They are all available to watch on youtube – and user EveryAppleAds has rounded up the 485 ads into a single playlist … which will take about four hours to watch! But you can just peruse the list and watch a few here or there. It’s definitely worth checking out! Source: via CultOfMac


SwannSmart Remote Camera Gives You Piece of Mind

We spend summers and many vacation breaks up in Pennsylvania. Much of the year, however, the house is unoccupied. And while we have neighbors who keep an eye on it for us, there’s nothing like seeing for ourselves that everything is okay. The SwannSmart camera should let us do that and a whole lot more. Best of all, set up is simple and quick. As the company explains, the SwannSmart harnesses the power of the cloud to free you from the constraints of a traditional IP camera. There’s no complicated network set up required and your video feeds can be…


Barnes and Noble and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Fictionwise Shutdown

The Barnes and Noble transition of Fictionwise and eReader to NOOK has been steadily going from bad to worse. First, they had difficulties moving books to the NOOK platform. Then, a huge swath of customers (including both Judie and I) received an error message that our email addresses were not recognized. The Thanksgiving holiday intervened, but it doesn’t look like anyone has even attempted to fix these errors since last week! I emailed Barnes and Noble last week, and was told “We’re working on it.” Yesterday, my curiosity got the better of me and I tried my initial email and…


ecbc Javelin Daypack Review

A must have for every gear junky is a good gear bag. I have been carrying the Everki Titan Backpack for quite a while. I love the bag, but since I am not using a laptop anymore, it is just too large. I actually quit carrying a bag at all of late because of the over kill for my needs. All I carry now is a tablet, but also have some odds and ends that need to travel with me, just not as much as I did when I was using a laptop. A smaller, lighter gear bag is definitely…


Reveal the Maze Pro for iPhone Review

Type of app: Maze / puzzle game Platform/where to buy: iPhone; available in the App Store Developer: Yigit Turkeri Description: Have you ever been in a real maze? Forget about all of the other maze games that you have seen before. We invite you to a real maze experience. While increasing your field of view with 13 different items and trying to get to the exit, avoid harmful items and earn points by collecting coins as much as possible. With the suggestions you will make on our website, you decide the concepts of the new maps. • 108 levels in…


For Jimi Hendrix 70th Birthday, an Announcement of a Release of All-New Material in 2013

Jimi Hendrix is perhaps the most famous (or infamous) member of the so-called ’27 club’, promising artists who died way too young. But today (November 27th) also marks his birthday – and he would have turned 70 today! To celebrate, his estate has announced that a new album filled with previously unreleased and newly discovered tracks would be released on March 5, 2013, under the title People, Hell & Angels. The tracks are all blues-based numbers, mostly featuring his late rhythm section of Buddy Miles and Billy Cox – but also including Steven Stills, Lonnie Youngblood, Larry Lee and others….


Dying to Hear the New Ke$ha Album? Stream It FREE at iTunes!

My wife likes to call Ke$ha a guilty pleasure similar to Nickelback – she would never call it ‘good’, but enjoys grooving to the tunes on occasion. I reviewed 2011’s Cannibal here, and called most of it ‘garbage’ – which is an opinion I still hold. Now she has a new album ‘Warrior’ launching on December 4th, but you can stream it for free on iTunes right now! But considering I like pretty much all of Cannibal more than the lead song ‘Die Young’ from Warrior … my expectations were pretty low – and based on sampling the stream I…


Pyle Audio Drums up Partnership with Wiley to Create First Drums for Dummies Kits

For decades now, the ‘For Dummies’ book series has shown itself to be much more than just basic advice on computer and home tasks. I had done a comparative review between an ‘Idiot’s Guide’ and a ‘For Dummies’ book – on music theory, no less – and found both to be excellent resources. Now the publisher Wiley has teamed up with renowned audio product maker Pyle audio to bring drumming to the masses! Pyle has produced two drum kits to meet the needs of users at all levels. There is the tabletop drum kit for $179.99 that features 7 pressure-sensitive…


Flipside STRATA Wallet Review

I’ve been a fan of Flipside Wallet’s products since I first saw, and later reviewed, the Flipside 2X Wallet. (Read the post.) Sure, the Flipside Wallet 2X looks a bit unusual, but I really like it. I like the fact that it keeps my wallet organized; I like the fact that my credit cards are shielded from crooks who might use RFID-readers to steal my information; and I like the fact that the rigid design means I can’t keep adding more and more stuff to my wallet. Yes, until I got the Flipside Wallet 2X, I suffered from “wallet-overstuff”, but…


JustMobile AluBase Upright MacBook Stand for MacBook Review

Sometimes simplicity is best. That the case with JustMobile’s AluBase and AluRack stands for the MacBook family of notebooks. Each holds your MacBook in an uncomplicated manner and allows you to connect it to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse thereby using your notebook as a desktop computer. Let’s take a look at the AluBase. From Just Mobile: AluBase is the vertical stand for Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Crafted from a single piece of high-grade aluminium, the AluBase™ ships with soft plastic inserts to hold MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro Retina and Macbook Air firmly upright. Conceived by the award-winning…


T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 810 with Windows Phone 8 Review

Welcome to this review of the new Nokia Lumia 810 running Windows Phone 8; now leave. Well, leave and come back after reading Judie’s extensive review of the HTC 8X Windows Phone 8. Why? First off, it is an excellent review. Second, in that review Judie spends a good deal of time talking about Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 810 is also one of the first phones running the new Windows Operating System, so covering the OS details would be a bit redundant. Instead, in this post we’ll be looking specifically at the Nokia Lumia 810’s hardware and the overall…


Grinding Gears Garage and the MINI John Cooper Works Coupe, for When Cute Wants to Raise a Little Hell

The good thing about MINI cars is they don’t pretend to be anything they are not. The great thing about MINI cars is they deliver everything they promise. And the new MINI Cooper Coupe – specifically the MINI John Cooper Works Coupe – promises to be one of the funnest driving experiences on the road. One thing about MINI Coopers is they are deceptively roomy inside, but with this new Coupe — while seating area is aplenty — headroom is somewhat scarce; but what do you expect from an adult’s version of a go-kart? The Coupe is a two-seater version…


How to Kill an Online Community in Three Easy Steps, by Runner’s World and Rodale

I used to love hanging out on the Runner’s World online forums. They were a treasure trove of information, support, and stories about running. I have met people from that site at races, and have challenged myself with online mileage games organized through the forums. Unfortunately, over the last year or so there has been a huge issue, so much so that it’s actually driven users away from the forum entirely. Want to know how Rodale is killing a thriving online community? Read on! Step one: SPAM! Everyone hates spam. Does any reasonable person actually click on the “make $1,000…


iPhone 5 Shell Holster Combo Review

Aside from something ridiculously expensive like the offerings from Vaja (which are beautiful and I love, but: money!), I am constantly looking for a good case for my iPhone.  I like a slim case, but with some protection.  I like having a bezel in front of the screen, so that I can lay it face down at need.  I also like cases with a little additional functionality — one with card slots, for example, or one with a built-in stand.  And last, I like them to have a good feel to them; I carry my iPhone literally everywhere, and if the…


Sena UltraSlim Access for iPhone 5 Video Review

We’ve been taking a loot at some of the iPhone 5 protection offerings from Sena Cases. This time out we’re taking a look at the simplest case they make — the Sena UltraSlim Access for iPhone 5. This may be the simplest case available for the iPhone 5. Don’t let that fool you, though. This case might be simple, but as pouch-style cases go, it stands out thanks to its classy look and feel. From Sena: The UltraSlim Access is the thinnest leather case ever designed for any mobile device. It is perfect for those who prefer zero bulk. Light zero…


iOS Breaks into the Restaurant Business

I am used to seeing Apple Store employees use iPod Touches as point of sale devices, and even a few other retail outlets, but this weekend I saw iOS breaking into a new service industry — restaurants. We were out at a local brewery/restaurant, Triumph, and the waitress had an iPod Touch to take orders on, in place of the traditional pad and paper. Unfortunately, due to the “Snakebite” beer I ordered, I was not in a condition to ask detailed questions about how the iPod ordering system worked. Our waitress said she liked it though, and our food arrived…


Element Case Sector 5 Case for iPhone 5 Review

We are fans of Element Case’s various offerings. The company puts out iPhone “protection systems” that keep your phone safe while also giving it a style that is immediately identifiable as something coming from the originator of the CNC-machined iPhone case. Their latest creation, the Sector 5, is probably their best ever. At $139.95 the Element Case Sector 5 for iPhone 5 isn’t cheap. Still, the Sector 5 is a complete protection kit that offers Element Case’s signature style. Before we go on camera with the Sector 5, let’s see what the company has to say about their latest creation….


Native Union’s POP Bluetooth Headset Review

Every once in a while there comes an invention whose imagery at one point in its evolution becomes universally iconic. The telephone, particularly the style of handset that started appearing in the US around the mid 1920s with the advent of the Western Electric B1 (also known as the Model 102), is one such item.  How ubiquitous? Turn on your cell phone or fire up Skype. See that call icon? The image of a telephone is synonymous with voice communications, and the people at Native Union have created a series of handsets, the POP Phone, to reintroduce the “retro” phone…


Sena Wallet Slim for iPhone 5 Review

Yesterday we took a look at the Hampton Wallet from Sena Cases. It is a gorgeous leather case that protects your iPhone while letting you carry up to three different cards. While I love the way it looks and feels I found that, unfortunately, I became a bit tired of constantly having to unsnap the case and fold back the cover to access the screen. That’s where the Sena Wallet Slim steps in. It too offers a three card wallet. It too protects the iPhone. Unlike the Hampton Wallet, though, this case doesn’t have a cover. That means less protection…