2009

R-Rated Calculators…Only in the App Store.

What would you rate a calculator on the age-rating system in the iPhone/iPod Touch App Store? Does a calculator even NEED an age warning? Apparently, according to Apple it does…read on for details, and the absurd way this has been resolved… PCalc, by TLA Systems, was given a 17+ rating by Apple. Why? Because when you type 5318008 and flip the calculator upside down, it spells (WARNING: NSFW, do not read on if you are easily offended)


Table Saw cake knife

Are you one of those people who has trouble cutting that first (or second) piece of cake without it crumbling to pieces. This Table Saw cake cutter may help you to disguise your lack of cake cutting skills. Disguised as a saw, this 12 inch plastic knife does double duty to help scoop the cake after you’ve cut it. There’s no indication whether it will saw through rock hard ice cream cakes that seem to ship at a temperature of absolute zero or whether you’d have to purchase a chain saw cake knife for those. Table Saw Cake Knife –…


Scosche tapSTICK For iPod Shuffle – Review

I bought the new iPod shuffle on the day it was released. I returned the new iPod shuffle the third day it was released. A few months later I repurchased the new iPod shuffle and am quite happy with it.What changed in that period of time besides the fact that I am “device fickle”? Only the fact that I recognized that the new iPod shuffle is a specific device for a specific purpose. The iPod shuffle is not meant to be someone’s primary iPod. Rather, it is intended to be a great device for listening to music when you want…


Review: Gran Turismo for PSP

The Gran Turismo series of racing games first arrived on the Sony Playstation in 1997, and have sold over 50 million copies over the last 12 years. The games focus on stunning graphics, tons of licensed vehicles, richness of driving simulation and ability to tune the vehicles. For PSP owners it feels like this new version has been in development for nearly that long! In reality the game has been in development since before the launch of the original PSP, leaving gamers to wonder – was it worth the wait? Read on and find out!


Gorilla Tube for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

Gorilla Tubes are “super slim, hard cases for your iPhone or iPod made from hi-tech fiber composite materials.”  Each Gorilla Tube is hand made in Germany. These cases are definitely different from your plain jane black leather pouch.  In addition to providing an incredible amount of protection the cases look super sleek as well. So step out of that old, tired, conservative leather sleeve and dive into a futuristic looking carbon fiber tube.


Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac – First Look

I was excited to see the release of Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac a few hours earlier than expected. Of course I immediately downloaded the application which is relatively small — the DMG file is just 28 MB. And they did a great job with it!


Make Memories Last with Picaboo Photo Books

Do you have summer photos just hanging around on your hard drive, abandoned now that fall is here?  (Well, or almost here if you live in Texas!)  Don’t let them get forgotten–upload them to Picaboo! Picaboo is a service that allows you to create photo books and cards from your digital photos, starting at just $9.99 for a softcover book. They offer easy-to-use software that guides you through the creation process with tons of  layouts, backgrounds, fonts, and sample albums to help spark ideas.  Possibly the coolest feature of the software is the ability to auto-create a photo book in…


The 100 greatest hits of YouTube – in 4 minutes

There’s this new Internet sensation called YouTube. People take videos of themselves and upload them to the service. Some videos are quite stupid and silly. The stupidest and silliest are passed around over and over and over. Now the inevitable has happened – a compilation of what are claimed to be the top 100 viral YouTube videos – conveniently packaged into a 4 minute video which itself is likely to be shared aver and over and over. https://www.youtube.com/



MailTones Review: Adds Personality to your iPhone Email

Tired of having just one sound when new email arrives? Want to know who has contacted you just by listening? Waiting for emails on a specific topic and want to be alerted as soon as they arrive? If any of these apply to you the new iPhone app MailTones might be just the thing. Let’s take a look…


Delete your cell phone’s information before you sell

In case you missed this story, Yahoo posted a funny little PSA on how to go about what not to do when it comes to dispose of your old cell phone. Clearly the folks at Missouri University didn’t read Carly’s recent reminder about how to go about deleting information off your cell phone before you get rid of it. It seems the athletic department at Missouri University had some old cell phones to get rid of.  The phones were sold at a University surplus sale and when the buyer, Bellman, purchased 25 of them for $190 he discovered that none…


Review: BugMe! for BlackBerry Phones: Now what was it I had to do?

My wife will tell you that I forget absolutely everything! But she’s my wife so she’s allowed to exaggerate, and the truth is I do forget stuff…as I am sure many of you do too!  I have gotten a little better now that I have my BlackBerry and the calendar and Notes apps, but creating calendars is very tedious and the notes don’t alert me. So what do I do now…BugMe! That’s what. Electric Pocket has just released the BugMe! app for BlackBerry phones, I had the chance to review it over the last week.


Otterbox Commuter Case for Blackberry Bold Review

I have used and reviewed a number of different device cases from Otterbox. They are always impressive cases that provide significant protection for delicate electronics. They do exactly what they say and then some. In fact, I have even submerged a device wrapped in one of their Armor cases in a glass of water to test it! I don’t recommend doing it, but when I did the case protected my iPod Nano perfectly!! Yup, Otterbox cases are the best thing going, but (and there’s always a but) they aren’t the most stylish of cases. Well… they weren’t… With the company’s…


Gene Pool for iPhone/Touch App Review

From the developer: Playing pool is so 2008. Meet Gene Pool. Your goal is to keep your organism healthy by merging genes of the same color. Merged genes grow in size and will eventually disappear. Only energized cells can merge with other cells. How? By bouncing them up against walls ofcourse! *Gene Pool is your ideal travel companion. *Relaxing music. Zen style. Why hurry? *Win all possible achievements *Submit and retrieve localized scores *Uses Weave Connect technology developed by Sticky Studios *Improve your score with multiple wall-bounces and great accuracy. *Destroy viruses that attack your largest genes


Tux Droid: a Nabaztag for Linux Geeks

Kysoh.com has released the new Tux Droid 2.0.  Tux Droid is essentially a Open Source Nabaztag that looks like Tux the Penguin (Tux was originally designed as the Linux mascot by Larry Ewing).  The Tux Droid is wirelessly connected to your computer via its cute fish shaped dongle, which  has a striking resemblance to Tux himself.  What does Tux do?  He’ll do a little dance whenever you get an E-mail, Twitter message or a Facebook messag; he also has a text-to-speech engine, and by interacting with Tux Droid, you can also complete certain tasks on your computer.  If you aren’t…


Universal Accessibility Becomes Mainstream (and Profitable!)

Loving that new shuffle with VoiceOver? Dictating all your emails instead of typing them? You may not think about it, but many of those improvements and technological bounds come from a specific area of research; accessibility for people with disabilities. Businessweek has a great article about how voiceover, Apple’s love it or hate it system in the new Shuffles, comes from accessibility designs in Mac OS X. Further, there is an argument that many businesses can learn from the innovations needed to create “universal access” for specific disabilities, and turn it into features that can make the experience better for…


Wicked Blogging Right on Your BlackBerry Review

A few years ago someone would believe you were crazy if you told them you were going to manage a blog using only a smartphone.  Today, however, that notion seems just as commonplace as surfing the web, updating your social networks and communicating with friends, family, or colleagues in real-time — all from your “phone.” Sadly, BlackBerry devices probably are not the first device you think of when you consider doing anything beyond sending email or maintaining appointments.  That is changing with more and more applications being developed that help get the most out of the somewhat limited operating system…


Tales of Monkey Island: Siege of Spinner Cay (PC) Review

Arrgh! Here we are, matey … back for another episode of Tales of Monkey Island! While I can’t tell you where things stand at the beginning of the tale without potentially spoiling the first episode for those who haven’t played yet, suffice it to say that we can expect the events that were set in motion at the start of the first episode will be in play for the entire season!


ColcaSac MacBook Pro Sleeves- Review

Last week I reviewed Timbuk2’s new H.A.L. backpack. I like it a lot. I was impressed with the quality of the workmanship, the design itself, and the incredible utility of the backpack for anyone needing to carry a laptop and assorted other items. My one criticism of the backpack was that the area designed to hold the notebook, while convenient, or for no real fall protection. That’s where today’s review item comes in more than a bit handy. The ColcaSac is a simple, rugged burlap sleeve that offers excellent protection for your MacBook Pro from the daily bumps and grinds…


Firefighter’s Self Contained Breathing Appratus (SCBA): How it’s changed over the years

Welcome to another edition of “How it’s changed over the years.” The firefighter’s SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) is as important a piece of equipment as his/her helmet.  The device, which consists today of a high pressure tank, face mask and pressure regulator allows firefighters to breath air in the hostile environments they face. So how has the SCBA changed over the years?


RockBox Review – Breathe new life into your iPod

I have a confession to make.  I love iPods.  I have been a consistent user of the iPod since I got my first one about the time Mac OS X Tiger came out.  Back then I was a Mac OS X fan and I had a PowerBook.  I loved my PowerBook.  I used iTunes on my Mac back when it was still clean and sleek.  Now iTunes is a bloated mess that I just dislike dealing with.  I have also transitioned to using Linux as my OS of choice, which can make life difficult if you love iPods, but not…