Reviews

Review: monCarbone iPad Portfolio

My phone often goes through many types of cases and protection. My only must have is that they do not make it feel large and clunky. Basically, I usually am not terribly particular. This is not the same for my iPad. The iPad just seems to deserve something more. Not only careful protection, but also style. The gorgeous design just seems to earn the right to be protected by something with matching design and quality. I also have grown to love portfolio style cases since they cover the large screen and bring me piece of mind. I recently began using…

News, Reviews

A Gear Diary Quick Tour of Chromebook

It is easy to forget in the flood of Android tablets that Google has another operating system in their quiver-Chrome OS. It has been maligned as “too late” and dismissed as just another netbook option, but it is so much more. If your primary work is in the cloud, especially Google services, and you’re looking for a fast computing option with great battery life, hold off on that tablet purchase. First, watch my quick Chrome OS overview video, then consider this: for $499 you can have a Chromebook with WiFi and 3G. Plus Verizon and Google will throw in MB…

Reviews

Video Quick Look: Withings Smart Blood Pressure Monitor

I am really glad to see more and more “iOS app enhanced” devices being released. We’ve looked at a few clocks that offer tight integration with iPhone or iPad apps and now we are seeing a slew of new devices coming out. One of them, Withings Smart Blood Pressure Monitor uses your iOS device as the “brains” of a blood pressure monitoring system. I’ve been using it for the last week and a half and even had Judie, Carly and Elana take it for a spin. Here are some details and a video overview. From the Company: Designed specifically for…

Reviews, Travel

The Maxxeon WorkStar 220 LED Pocket Floodlight Inspection Light Review

photos by Kevin There is not much worse than being in an unfamiliar dark area with no idea where to find a light, or that feeling you get when you have dropped something vital into a dark crevice, but you aren’t sure if there is a “critter” down there that might bite or sting. Carrying a pocket flashlight (or penlight, as we’ve always called them) is an easy solution, and I’ve found one that you might like to consider. The Maxxeon WorkStar 220 LED Pocket Floodlight is a slim penlight that uses three AAAA batteries, the first set of which…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Review: Yes – ‘Fly From Here’ (2011, Rock)

Yes – ‘Fly From Here’ My son had a couple of tag lines all ready for this one based on the terrible Asia recording “Omega” from last year: – Just Say No to Yes – Fly From This Record The bad news is he didn’t get to use them. The GOOD news is that means this is actually a good album! Let’s take a look at the first new Yes release in a decade! Summary: While reading the Bill Bruford autobiography early this year I ended up reloading music from Bruford, King Crimson and Yes on my iPod and going…

Reviews

Judie’s Orbino Padova for iPad 2 Has Arrived: Here’s a First Look

With help from Michael Ventre, Orbino’s owner, we ordered a very special Padova case for her iPad 2. Judie’s case is hand-made from crocodile and it is… oh just take a look… You can check out all of Orbino’s cases on the company website. Prices start at $209, and they go up from there … as you’ll see.

Reviews

Production on Judie’s One-of-a-Kind Orbino Padova Case for the iPad 2 Finishing Up

It seems like quite some time since we we wished Judie happy birthday with the promise of a very special gift — a one of a kind Orbino Padova case for her iPad 2. Thanks to the generosity of Orbino’s owner Michael Ventre, we were able to make arrangements to get Judie a case made of the leather of her choice. Judie’s choice? No surprise … Crocodile! The MSRP on this unique case is $689, and that’s for the “standard” handmade by Italian artists, crocodile skin version. It has been a while since production on the case first began, but…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Notes: The Four Reasons I Chose MOG Over Rdio

As I mentioned in my review of Rdio and MOG, both are excellent services and each provides plenty of value for the $10 monthly fee. Yet when it comes down to it, I really only need a single ‘on demand’ service – so I needed to make a choice. As a reminder, both MOG and Rdio offer on-demand listening on millions of songs from all of the major music labels. Each has a web player, as well as apps to run on Android, iPhone, and at least some amount of set-top entertainment devices like Roku, but neither has an iPad…

Game Diary, Reviews

NCAA Football 12 PlayStation 3 Game Review

EA Sports blends the college football experience with several new feature, high quality graphics, and individual role-playing elements in NCAA Football 12.

Reviews

My ‘Hardcore Gaming’ Test: VAIO S-Series ‘Unplugged for a Day’

In this article, I test out my ‘Gaming Mode’ scenario – that is just what it sounds like: I set everything to maximum and crank up some game time! One of the big claims of the new VAIO S-series laptop is that not only does it deliver great performance in a svelte package, but combined with the sheet battery can deliver up to 15 hours of usage between charges. That requires certain settings, and while I definitely plan to put it to the test very soon, I have also had the opportunity to test the VAIO S-series in other usage…

News, Reviews

First Impressions: U.S. Cellular HTC 7 Pro Windows Phone 7 Smartphone

I am very fortunate to have landed a review HTC 7 Pro unit from U.S. Cellular. A month or so ago I wrote about the 7 Pro launching as the first Windows Phone 7 device on U. S. Cellular. I will be doing a full review in the coming weeks, but wanted to give a few first impressions on (a) the phone, (b) the operating system, (c) the apps and (d) the service based on several hours of use this weekend. The Carrier – U. S. Cellular It probably would have made sense for me to check out the…

Reviews

Office Gear Review: Sennheiser OfficeRunner Headset

I spend a lot of time on the phone and have long thought about getting a good headset to use. I was close to buying the OfficeRunner some time back but did not. Why? In part because I read a fairly scathing review of it.The “review” that turned me off to a great extent and prompted me to not purchase the headset talked about the fact that this headset doesn’t work with cordless phones and that the volume that was so low that the person on the other end couldn’t hear the conversation. Both criticisms were, as I discovered, unfair. (I…

Reviews

Review: MusicSkins Music, Style, Protection

Phones, mp3 players, laptops, cameras, hard drives, headphones. We all have so many gadgets that may have a splash of color or chrome, but basically are simply black, white or silver products that may not be exactly custom or a representation of the owner. For many, these plain, boring gadgets need something colorful and stylish to make them their own. It could be even better if these customizations could also provide some protection. MusicSkins allows users to decorate their products with musicians, cartoons, artwork or even their own photos while also protecting the devices. MusicSkins sent me a few of…

Reviews

Review: Stem TimeCommand Clock-Dock

I’ve become a big fan of not having to physically dock my iPhone, iPod or iPad in order to get audio from it. That’s why I love using the Sonos system I reviewed a few weeks ago. At the same time, there is a lot to be said for a bedside dock/alarm clock. Sure, the Sonos system lets you set alarms, but it doesn’t have a clock nor does it charge your power-hungry iOS device. That needs to be covered by something else — something like a clock-dock (yeah, I wrote “clock-dock”!). The problem is, too often the available clock-dock…

Reviews

Gear Games Retrospective: Quake (1996, FPS) Celebrates 15 Years

A few weeks ago I looked back at Duke Nukem 3D in anticipation of the arrival of Duke Nukem Forever, which I subsequently reviewed as well. However, Duke Nukem 3D wasn’t the only shooter released in the first half of 1996 – on June 22nd 1996 a whole new era in first person shooter gaming was born with the release of Quake! In celebration of that milestone I take a look back at this legendary FPS game from id software. The Hype Rage through 32 single player levels and 6 deathmatch levels of sheer terror and fully immersive sound and…

Reviews

iPad Case Review: HandyShell Case

Leave it to Speck come up with a simple shell for the iPad 2 that brings along a significant, and useful, twist. The new HandyShell case takes a minimalist approach to protecting the sides, top, bottom and back of the iPad while giving you complete access to the screen. But it does something more. Let’s take a look. From Speck: Endlessly useful and amazingly simple, the HandyShell case for iPad® 2 features a multi-function handle that gives you a firm hold wherever you go. Designed around a strong hinge to hold it firmly in place, HandyShell’s handle can be used as…

Game Diary, Reviews

Dual Pen Sports Nintendo 3DS Game Review

Dual stylus pen gameplay, easy-to-use touch controls and 3D visuals factor into the enjoyable, sport-filled Dual Pen Sports, available exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS.

Music Diary, Reviews

Review: Sony’s Qriocity ‘Music Unlimited’ Streaming Service

I had planned to include Sony’s attempt at a streaming music service with my recent look at Rdio and MOG as ‘Spotify Alternatives’, but frankly it is so ill-conceived and poorly executed that I didn’t want to obscure those excellent services with this dreck. The Hype The music you want, when you want it. Qriocity™ offers access to millions of songs on a variety of Sony devices. Upload your personal library for access anytime, anywhere or discover new favorites with automatic recommendations based on your unique listening habits. The Reality Don’t believe the hype. Qriocity consists of a web-based front-end,…

Reviews

My ‘Normal Usage’ Test: VAIO S-Series ‘Unplugged for a Day’

In this article, I test out my ‘Normal Usage’ scenario – that is just what it sounds like: a basic setup that doesn’t push heavy gaming but allows me to go about my day without feeling I am sacrificing anything. The graphics are set to ‘Stamina’ (integrated), and the power plan to ‘balanced.’ One of the big claims of the new VAIO S-series laptop is that not only does it deliver great performance in a svelte package, but combined with the sheet battery, it can deliver up to 15 hours of usage between charges. That requires certain settings, and while…

Reviews

Review: NeatDesk for Mac Scanner/Software Combination

One of the keys to Apple’s remarkable success with their iOS devices is the fact that they control both the hardware and the software side of things. Good software is nice to have. So is nice hardware. But when you put the two together; when the hardware is specifically designed to work with the software and the software is specifically designed to work with the hardware… now THAT is a combination worth speaking about. The result? Well just take a look at Apple’s numbers since the iPhone was first released. The same holds true for Neat’s organizational tools since they…

Reviews

Useful Things: The Glow-in-the-Dark Playing Cards Review

July is a month for camping trips and summer camps, and I’ve found an item that you might want to consider packing the next time you send the young ones off — a set of Glow-in-the-Dark Playing Cards from Useful Things. Think about the uses that your kids will find for a set of playing cards that are both glow-in-the-dark, and waterproof. Imagine your child playing cards with his or her cabin mates well after lights-out, and you’ll begin to see the usefulness of such an item; you’re providing a means for them to bond with their fellow campers! Or…

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