August 2013

Virtual City Playground Takes to the Skies in Another Massive Update!

The freemium city-builder Virtual City Playground from G5 Entertainment gets another big update, and this one adds a whole new dimension as you can take to the skies! Construct a hangar, build a weather station, and run an airship to increase the happiness of your citizens! You get 14 new missions and even more fun than ever before! Ever fantasized about touching the clouds? Build a top-of-the-line airship and conquer the skies above your city! – RECRUITING ALL TRADES! Hire your friends to help with everything from hangar construction to crewing the airship. – A NEW BATCH OF SKY-HIGH QUESTS!…

Game Diary, Health and Fitness, News

Mario Esposito Discusses Sensoria Fitness Game Development Projects

We recently talked with Heapsylon’s CTO Mario Esposito about impressive gear that can interface among the physical world and video. Esposito also co-founded Heapsylon in 2009, which concentrates on wearable body sensing technology. Heapsylon, a Washington-based start-up, has launched Sensoria Fitness, which consists of mobile applications, the first e-textile pressure sensing smart sock, and Bluetooth anklet. The mobile application monitor and guide you through real-time audio cues. The smart sock, completely made of fabric, can be washed or dried like a regular sock. The anklet magnetically snaps on the cuff of the sock and sends commands. Sensoria Fitness recently completed two successful campaign on…

Music Diary, Reviews

PJ Rasmussen ‘Adventures in Flight’ CD Review

PJ Rasmussen makes it clear from the very first notes that he is an up-and-coming force on the electric guitar. His Kickstarter-funded album ‘Adventures in Flight’ sought to create music for TV and Film in the jazz genre, also accessible by general audiences. But while the music is solid and Rasmussen shines, the overall impact is uninspired. Musical Genre: Jazz Where to buy: iTunes Artist: PJ Rasmussen Description: A debut album is a daunting experience for any artist regardless of age. But guitarist/composer PJ Rasmussen’s first CD – Adventures in Flight on Third Freedom Music – shows a young man…

Gear Bits

ODOYO Power Shell EX Giveaway

We’ve got a great Windows Phone giveaway running through this week’s newsletter. If you didn’t see it you can check it out here. In addition we’re going to give away a brand new ODOYO Power Shell EX Battery Case for the iPhone 5. Check out Travis’ review here and then make sure to enter to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gear Bits

The Lumia 1020 Takes on School Plays in New Commercial

Microsoft’s “Wedding Crashers” video was a funny take on guests taking photos at weddings while arguing over operating systems. The sequel, “School Play”, still has some Android versus iPhone jokes, but focuses (no pun intended) on an area where the Lumia 1020 beats everyone: the camera. This commercial follows the same format-major event, smartphones out, fight fight fight, smug couple using a Lumia in the back laughing at the rest of the people. However, it’s a clearer commercial, highlighting a feature of the Lumia 1020 that no else has, rather than a “hey, we’re the alternative” vibe. And the camera…

Gear Bits

Limited Edition Ultimate Ears UE BOOM Features Tippsy the Elephant

If you are in the market for a speaker that takes sound seriously while looking playful and fun check out the limited edition Ultimate Ears UE BOOM featuring Tippsy the Elephant. The whimsical character by artist Jason Maloney looks at home on the speaker that offers 360-degree sound and runs for 15 hours per charge. Just $229.99 at Apple.com.

Gear Bits

TwelveSouth GhostStand Lifts MacBooks to New Levels

TwelveSouth’s new GhostStand will raise your MacBook to new heights thanks to the stand’s transparent, ultra-modern design. Your MacBook will appear to be floating six inches above your desk or table while soft silicone rails on the stand’s top keep the computer from slipping. It works with any MacBook and has an MSRP of just $34.99. Get one.

News

Lumia 925 Coming to AT&T

The Lumia 925 is, by all accounts, an excellent flagship Windows Phone. At least in the United States, it has been tied to T-Mobile since launch, but now that exclusivity has lifted, and it will be arriving on AT&T on August 28th, presumably to replace the Lumia 920! If you aren’t familiar with the Lumia 925, it is one of Nokia’s top-shelf Lumia devices. It has a 4.5in screen, a Carl Zeiss lens, and the latest update to Windows Phone, giving it access to amazing apps like Nokia Pro Cam. Unlike previous Lumias, the 925 also ditches the polycarbonate body…

Editorials

Your Biggest Household Energy Hog? Your Smartphone!

Not too long ago we were marveling about how the iPhone 5 only consumed ~$0.41 per year to charge, with the conclusion that “energy consumption of a modern smartphone is minuscule”. But phone charging is only part of the picture, and as we factor in the migration to wireless networks and cloud, that smartphone uses more energy than TWO refrigerators! The new report from IEEE Spectrum notes that all of the transitions occuring as we move from a world of desktops and landlines to a 3-screen world of laptop-tablet-smartphone require more energy. I have seen this information twisted in the…

Gear Bits

Avadon 2: The Corruption Gets Trailer and Release Window

In early 2011 I reviewed Avadon The Black Fortress, calling the opening of the new franchise a resounding success. Now we are in the final months of waiting for the sequel, as Avadon 2: The corruption is set to release this November with more intrigue, role-playing, plot twists and strategic combat the fueled the original. Here is the trailer!

Gear Bits, News

Sugru Is the Grown-Up Play-Dough for DIY Projects

If you’ve ever dabbled in small home improvement projects, wanted to fix a damaged item or just mold something to a desired shape to hold something, Sugru might be just the thing for you. Perhaps falling somewhere between ubiquitous duct tape and super glue, Sugru is a moldable, self-curing rubber that can bond to a variety of surfaces and is electrically insulating, so clever techies can patch broken cable housings in sundry chargers, adapters and the like. Starting at $10 for a pack of 3 to $18 for a pack of 8, Sugru could be a MacGyver-wannabe’s new best friend. Check…

How to Do It Yourself!

Swipe Up for Control, Swipe Down for Search in iOS 7

When iOS 7 ships next month, it will include quick access to key controls, search and information. You’ll be able to swipe up to Access Control Center, and swipe down from the top to access the Notification Center. But if you place a finger anywhere on the Home Screen and pull down, you’ll start a Spotlight search. The first two will be familiar. The last may cause confusion. Control Center Control Center will be accessed by an upward swipe from the bottom of the screen. That will reveal a translucent overlay covering about 2/3 of the screen; it will…

News

The NEX-5T Joins the Sony NEX Family of Interchangeable Lens Cameras

The brand new Sony NEX-5T is the newest member of the NEX family. It offers WiFi and now brings NFC connectivity for easy pairing with any NFC-enabled mobile device. Packed with features, it has a large, high-resolution 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor similar in size to the sensors found in traditional DSLR cameras. Here’s a first look. The NEX-5T will look immediately familiar to any of us who have used Sony’s NEX line of interchangeable lens cameras. It is, in other words, an update to the NEX-5 line and will ship with the same compact SELP1650 motorized…

Gear Bits

The 10 Worst Android Phones of All time

I was reading through the news this afternoon and came across this post on Phandroid listing the 10 Worst Android Phones of all time. Lists like this are subjective, of course, but I have to agree with Phandroid on a majority of their choices. What do you think? What is the worst Android phone you have ever used?

Editorials, Game Diary

5 Thoughts on the Growing iOS/Android vs. Sony/Nintendo Game Spending Gap

In the latest IDC/AppAnnie report, sales from iOS and Android games now eclipse Sony and Nintendo games by a 4:1 margin. Since 2009, we have seen a meteoric rise in the revenues and market share of games for iOS and Android devices and a decline in sales for dedicated handheld gaming consoles. What does this mean for the future of gaming-on-the-go? Here are five thoughts on what this means: Not an Anomaly: I have seen some dismiss this as a passing phase like netbooks, but that misses a larger trend. Since the launch of the initial iPhone people have been moving…

Editorials, Music Diary

In the Wide World of Music, VMAs Present a Very Small View

My family stayed up late watching the Video Music Awards (VMA) on MTV to unwind after a busy weekend; my wife and sons had people they wanted to see. What struck me was how in a world full of diverse music and musicians, there were only a dozen or so in a narrow brand of accessible pop music on display. If you look at the list of winners below, and you noted who was in the very small ‘stars seating area’, you will notice tremendous overlap. Pink, feat. Nate Ruess 30 Seconds to Mars Selena Gomez Janelle Monae feat. Erykah…

Health and Fitness

Use Back-to-School to Revisit Your Health & Fitness Goals – The Monday Mile

Many kids across the country are already in class, with other states opening within the next week. It’s back to school time, and that means getting organized for a new year. This sense of a fresh start can apply to everything, so as we get our kids equipped and organized, it is worth revisiting our health and fitness goals. At the end of last year, I talked about using the ‘SMART’ system to evaluate your resolutions. I emphasized the importance of setting goals that would make you accountable for tracking and milestones, and that were specific enough to be measurable. One…

Vehicles & Gear

2014 Toyota Tundra Ready to Run with the ‘Big Dogs’

For those of you who have not yet heard, Toyota makes trucks, and they want to make more of them. In order to do that they have to sell more, and to do that they need to bring to market a truck that more people will want to buy. That’s their goal with the 2014 Tundra. Full-size pickup trucks dominate sales charts in North America – but only for the domestic automakers. Ford and its F-series is tops with Chevy close behind in the Silverado. Way, way behind is the Toyota Tundra that only (arguably) began coming into its own recently….

Gear Bits

GoG.com Offers Amazing One-Day Wizardry 6-8 ‘Gem Promo’ Sale!

Every week GoG.com offers a ‘Gem Promo’. This week they feature the Dark Savant Trilogy – Wizardry 6+7 and Wizardry 8, an RPG epic from the golden age of PC dungeon crawling for 60% off. Pay $2.39 for one, and $3.99 for the other if you get both, or get one for 50% discount. Promo is for 8/26 only.

How to Do It Yourself!

Features You Will Love or Hate in iOS 7

Although there has been no official announcement, Apple will likely release iOS 7, the next generation of their mobile operating system, next month. It is the biggest overhaul to the OS since its introduction, and while visual differences will draw most of the attention the changes that are less apparent are the ones people will truly love… Or hate. I’ve been using beta versions of iOS 7.0 since it was first available a few months ago. I’ve used it on my iPod touch, an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2 and mostly like what I have seen. My biggest concern…

Gear Bits

Starting the School Year with Flash and Theme Music

Nick Selby, a Georgia Tech sophomore, welcomed entering freshmen with style, humor and theme music. (Among the best lines… “Just like Frodo was a creature of Hobbit, Georgia Tech students are creatures of habit”.) And I bet he WILL build the Iron Man Suit! Check out the short version here on The Awesomer. The full speech is here.

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