2009

Tap Tap Revenge Review: Dave Matthews Band

There’s no denying the popularity of the video console games Rock Band and Guitar Hero.  Even my daughters, who range in age from 3-8, love to jam along to tunes on Rockband. Tapulous has carried over the fun that is playing a musical instrument to one of your favorite songs over to the iPhone with its game Tap Tap Revenge Dave Matthews Band. Tapulous decided to honor the release of a the band’s newest album with their latest version of the game. Tap Tap Revenge DMB showcases one of the U.S.A’s most popular bands, the Dave Matthews Band.


Gogo iPhone 3G Cases Review

Do you want to keep the form factor of your iPhone 3G in tact but still protect the back from scratches and scuffs?  Gogo makes high quality snap on back covers for the iPhone 3G.  The have a variety of lines and styles to choose from. The best part about Gogo cases is they’re scratch proof.  Weighing at 1 ounce and adding less than 1 mm of bulk to your iPhone, these cases keep the shape and feel of your iPhone. I was recently sent cases from their Mirror Series and from their Royal Series to review.


iPopperz Review: Headphone or Fashion Accessory?

iPopperz are an earbud/ ear-canal  headphone with added decoration. That sounds like a negative comment, but it’s not as they do not detract from the other. I have been using the headphones I was supplied with for a week on my PC for music, my laptop for Skype and on my Zune for music.


Picsmatch Facial Recognition Software Review

You know that itch you get when you buy a new digital camera, the type of itch that makes you capture everything from kids to office supplies, at least I hope other people do that too :o)  My wife is one of the smartest people I know, but I couldn’t count the times when I get a scream from the computer room, with her trying to manage all of our digital photos or asking me how to find certain pictures…that’s where Picsmatch facial recognition program comes to the rescue!


Bug Catcher Vacuum Review – a Nifty Device

Spring is here, and along with the rains and milder days have come droves of moths, gnats, flies, mosquitoes, june bugs, mayflies, scorpions, spiders and every other weird bug that will scramble in when someone accidentally leaves the screen door open for longer than a second. I live in the country so I might have a few more bugs on my list than you would, but I know that you “city dwellers” have to deal with some of the same. I was recently on the Home Improvements website looking for some heat register deflectors and recycling bins, and I saw…


Little Tool That Packs a Big Punch

I’ve been using the Leatherman Skeletool CX for the last year or so.  It goes with me everywhere I go.  I thought it was light weighing in at a mere 5 ounces.  Now Leatherman has one-upped themselves again with the release of the Freestyle CX. This little knife/tool hybrid is packing one heck of a material list. To start, the Leatherman Freestyle CX features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance, making it great for those adventures that really put your gear to the test. Next the premium 154CM knife blade holds its edge three-times as long as traditional stainless…


Pantone coffee mugs are perfect for graphics geeks

This set of 10 coffee mugs is styled so that the color of each individual mug matches one of the Pantone Color standards used by graphics geeks to ensure consistency in color. There are a few sets available with different colors including one that is specially designed (brown) for tea lovers. The set is a bit pricey at $125 for 10 mugs or 4 mugs for $52.50.


VAIO P Review: Tiny and Mighty

When Sony told me they had a VAIO P ready to send out to me, I was more excited about it than any other device I’ve tested in a while. Having converted to the netbook faithful with an HP Mini 1000 a few months ago, I was looking forward to trying out Sony’s attempt. The design really does trump every other netbook on the market and is extremely reminiscent of their PictureBook series of ultra ultraportables from a few years ago. It is thinner than my Mini 1000, not to mention less wide and deep. It doesn’t even make it…


Spread Head makes using ketchup and mustard fun(ner) for kids

It’s Memorial Day weekend – and that means the start of summer and cookout season. Here’s a unique item called a Spread Head that costs only $3.99 yet gives a lifetime of childish amusement. Place it on top of a mustard squeeze bottle. Kids squeeze the bottle and out of the mouth comes yellow mustard. Stock up on lots of bottles because if your kids are like mine they’ll squeeze this thing dry watching the guy spread mustard from his mouth. There’s also a top for Ketchup – but thankfully none for relish or tartar sauce. Full YouTube goodness here….


Probably Fake (but funny) Houston Airport Homeland Security Urinal Monitor sticker

File this one under “probably fake but still funny” and “guys have a lot of free time on their hands”. According to web site swamplot.com, one restroom patron at the Houston Hobby airport noticed a sticker on the urinal stating “Automatic infrared flush sensors also provide video monitoring for security purposes”: The camera appeared to be in the same panel that carried the flush sensor… a brushed metal panel with an oval shaped dark transparent glass with a red on it. . . . And this panel was located just above the urinal itself. Given how close the user of…


PhoneFace Adds Improved Contact Search Integration

PhoneFace, the Photo Speed Dial application for BlackBerry and Android, has been updated for improved contact search integration to select your friend’s photo ID based on their Facebook or Twitter profile pics — or selecting a photo that you saved directly to your phone.   Simply start typing the name of your contact, and PhoneFace will bring up the listing of all of your contacts’ photos to quickly locate the person you’re looking to reach. PhoneFace has a free 7-day Trial.  The full, unlocked application is $ 9.95 (Pssssssst.  CrackBerry.com currently has PhoneFace available for $7.95 until June 1st for…


Waterfield Travel Case for Kindle Review

I love Waterfield’s cases. They are well built, have nice style and, most importantly, are super functional. I use one of their cases with my MacBook, and have one for my HP2140. Fortunately for all Kindle fans, they offer a nice selection of cases for the Kindle 1, Kindle 2 and will have some for the Kindle DX shortly after it is released this summer. I’ve used the Waterfield Travel Case for a while now and find it to be “typical Waterfield”. That’s a good thing. Let’s take a look.


Do It Yourself Coffin is the last “hot deal” you’ll ever need

https://www.fatwallet.com/, one of the best sites on the web to learn about bargains, has launched a top deals section on their site. The current deal is also labeled “This is the last hot deal you’ll ever need” — it’s a Do-it-Yourself Casket Kit from Amazon.com. Although they don’t recommend it, you could save some more and assemble this entirely without glue or nails provided the object inside was less than 200 lbs.


Is Greed Good on the Internet?

[begin rant] Why does everything have to be about money?  Why is someone always looking to get something for nothing?  Free this, free that, promotional item here, promotional item there. Has capitalism ruined the beauty of some of the things that are free on the internet? I do video reviews on YouTube.  Earlier this week I posted a chat video I recorded, about some of the things which were bothering me about YouTube reviews. I haven’t been doing video reviews long, and I have small following so far.  And that’s fine.  I do it because I enjoy it.  I do…


Key-Port Unboxing: The Journey Continues

Earlier this week, I wrote a Gear Diary entry about my experience over the last two years with KeyPort. I mentioned in the article that I had asked Key-Port to return my keys to me, and later that day, I heard from a Key-Port representative who assured me they’d send them back. I heard from a few “doubters,” including our own Wayne Schulz, who, jokingly, I think, wondered if I’d really ever see my keys again, and if I did get them back, what condition would they be in.


First Impressions of the HTC Touch Diamond2

One of the more exciting announcements to come from Mobile World Congress was that HTC would be releasing the Touch Diamond2 and TouchPro2 as followups to their preceding namesakes. Neither is technically available in the US – not just yet anyway, but as luck would have it,  HTC was kind enough to loan me a European version of the Diamond2.


iSkin Revo 2 for iPhone 3G Review

The iSkin Revo was one of the most popular cases for the first generation iPhone.  How does the Revo 2 for the iPhone 3G measure up?  There’s no denying the Revo 2 is jammed packed with features.  It offers several layers of protection and comes in a variety of color combinations.


Loading Windows 7 on an Acer Aspire One D150 is a snap – once you know the secret

My friend Mark contacted me via GTalk video chat three days ago to test out his new Acer Aspire One that he purchased for $349 at Costco. I was so impressed that he was able to connect and video chat without difficulty on a Netbook that cost so little that I immediately ordered one for myself on Amazon. Last night I put Windows 7 Release Candidate on the machine by creating a bootable USB drive (I used a 16GB drive – instructions here – that I bought for $35 from Staples). The USB thumb drive was the easiest way for…


Audible for BlackBerry Review

Audible is an online audio bookstore.  You can download audio books to burn to a CD or transfer to your favorite MP3 player (or Smartphone) of choice.  Audible  just released their BlackBerry application.  So, how is it?  It is a total exercise in frustration…


Should the FTC have a say over blog content?

If you read Gear Diary, you are probably familiar with product reviews on various blogs. But do you ever consider why your favorite website is reviewing product X? Or whether product X has been overly generous to buy goodwill in the blog world? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cares. How will this affect you? Read on and find out.


Dome Skin Skins For iPods and iPhones – Review

I don’t like clear invisible skin protection on my devices. I know a lot of people swear by them. I know they provide excellent protection. Unfortunately, I’m just not a fan. I don’t particularly like the way they look, and I definitely don’t like the way they feel. It’s a shame because there’s no question that they gave the best consistent protection to delicate electronic devices like the iPhone. As a result, I tend to use larger, heavier cases; it’s okay but it’s not as nice or as delicate of a solution. That’s why I was interested to learn about…