When choosing a smartphone these days one of the key “features” worth considering is speed. After all, with smartphones now serving as powerful on-the-go pocket computers having a fast, ever-present connection is key. The Huawei Ascend P2 promises just that. Judie went hands-on at Mobile World Congress. Here’s a look. The company is calling the [...]
PowerSkin PoP’n Pop on Power Battery Charger Pops on the Power
When I first saw the PowerSkin PoP’n Pop on Power Battery Charger (say that one five times fast!!) I didn’t think much of it. To me it looked like a clunky means of doubling your iPhone 5′s battery. Judie disagreed. Now that Judie saw and handled the PowerSkin PoP’n Pop on Power Battery Charger at [...]
SpareOnePLUS Emergency Mobile Phone is Ready for Any Disaster
I sure wish I had had the SpareOnePLUS after SuperStorm Sandy took out most of the power in my area last fall. Sure, Elana and I had charged up all of the eternal batteries we had on hand and immediately went into “smartphone power conservation mode”, but the SpareOnePLUS Emergency Mobile Phone would have made [...]
HP Slate7 Marks HP’s Return to the Tablet Market
HP’s journey into tablet-dom didn’t turn out all too well the first time. Sure their tablet running WebOS gained some traction, but that was only after they dropped down to fire sale prices. Well Mobile World Congress in Barcelona just saw HP announce their return to the tablet market. This time out HP is going [...]
Oscar Weekend!
The Academy Awards…I mean the Oscars are here. Get ready for a film filled Oscar weekend! The 85th Oscars ceremony occurs this Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood televised live on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m., PT / 8:30 p.m., ET. Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy) will host as the stars squirm [...]
2014 Kia Forte Test Drive: Compact Sedan with Full-Size Amenities
I live in a part of the country where one is likely to feel out of place if not driving an SUV or a pickup truck, and I like driving a big SUV. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy taking the 2014 Kia Forte out for a test drive while recently attending the Kia [...]
2014 Kia Sorento Test Drive: Mid-Size SUV Loaded with Luxuries
Last week I joined a group of bloggers and traditional press in Scottsdale, Arizona for a chance to take a test drive and learn more about Kia’s 2014 Sorento (SUV) and Forte (4 door sedan) models. I should probably admit that other than knowing a few people who own or have owned Kia vehicles, I haven’t had much [...]
PlayStation February 20 Announcement for PS4?
There is nothing like a frenzy filled Friday. I received an email from PlayStation Network titled “Be the first to know” this morning sent just after midnight. The email lists an announcement on February 20, 2013 at 6 p.m. EST. as while as links to “Learn More” and their official Twitter and Facebook. Based on [...]
BlackBerry Q10 Hands On
Did I speak too soon when just yesterday, for probably the umpteenth time, I said that BlackBerry was dead? The jury is still out on that one, but perhaps I’ll be issuing an apology in the coming months — and make no mistake about it, that would be one apology that I would be happy [...]
RIM Unveils Their Blackberry 10 at the Blackberry Experience in NYC
It is RIM’s last hope to stay afloat. After hyping the BlackBerry Playbook and banking on its success RIM has continued to stumble. Even hardcore BB-user like Elana and her brother have left their BlackBerries and moved to other platforms. And as for the Playbook not being a hit, when the company that made their [...]
Prophet 12 Synthesizer by Dave Smith Introduced at NAMM 2013
One of the first synths I did serious work on was the Prophet 5. That synth was introduced by Sequential Circuits in 1978 as one of the first polyphonic instruments, but the reason it is still popular is the amazing sounds. The Prophet 5 was the brain-child of Sequential Circuits founder Dave Smith. If that [...]
VOX Announces the Mini5-Rhythm Amplifier at NAMM 2013
Last year I got myself a 20 watt Roland Cube guitar amp. For years I had just played through my studio system and relied on effects to shape my sound, and had forgotten how great an amp can sound. More than that, I was amazed at the leaps in technology that allowed a small and [...]
Korg Introduces 9 New Products at NAMM 2013, Including KingKORG and MS-20 Mini
At the NAMM 2013 show, Korg announced nine (!) new products that all look great – I recommend you head to Korg to get all of the details. But I wanted to highlight two that look super-cool: the MS-20 Mini and KingKORG. The MS-20 Mini is the reimagining of the classic monophonic synth that we [...]
Mackie Updates Master Fader Control App for DL Series Live Mixers
Last year at NAMM Mackie brought iPad control to their DL1608 mixer. Now for 2013 NAMM they have introduced the DL806 mixer and major updates to their Master Fader control app. This EQ is great for getting vocals, guitars and other instruments to sit perfectly in a mix. Now, DL users can choose between clean, [...]
Sonoma Wire Works Announces Android Low Latency Audio Solution at NAMM 2013
I have relentlessly pounded on Android for being a crappy audio solution, but have also frequently posted about companies seeking to solve the key issue – latency. Most companies have been seeking their own path and we are starting to see products trickle out as a result, but now at NAMM 2013 we hear from [...]






















