July 2010

Woot- Sells TiVo HD, Takes Shot At Apple

Woot, newly acquired by Amazon, has a TiVo HD DVR for sale today. As an owner of this same model, I can attest to the fact that it is a nice unit. It will certainly do the trick… At least until Apple’s revamped Apple TV comes out. And speaking of Apple, the description of the DVR offered by Woot takes a little shot at the iPhone maker’s recent press release. It is rather amusing… Dear Wooters: The TiVo HDXL 150 Hour THX Certified DVR has been the most successful product in the history of the world. Ever. Okay, that’s a…


USBCELL Batteries Make You Wonder Why You Didn’t Think of This First

Do you remember those old rechargeable AA batteries that first emerged in the 1980s?  You had to charge them overnight just so you could get about 2.4 hours of use in your Sony Walkman cassette player? Yeah, these aren’t those. USBCELL AA batteries are unique in that they have a built-in USB connector hidden under a cap at the + end of the battery.  Open the cap, insert the battery into an open USB port on your computer, and let the charging begin!  You’ll achieve a 90% charge in just 5 hours and – for use in a pinch –…


Apple’s Statement On iPhone 4 Reception Issues Translated…

Apple just released a statement on the reported iPhone 4 reception issues. It is a rather long and complicated release so as a public service we have taken the liberty of sharing the entire release… and its translation, with all of you. All joking aside… a bunch of us who write for the site have iPhone 4s and… yes… we do love them.


iPhone 4 Reception Issue Solved? Signal Reporting Not Hardware to Blame?

Apple has finally broken their apparent silence on the iPhone 4’s signal-gate and admit that they were surprised when they uncovered the cause of the issue. The full text of the letter is below but here are the highlights… …we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them… …gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones… We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars,…


The NewerTechnology NuVue Clear and Privacy Shield iPad Screen Protectors Review

One of the best features of the new Apple iPad is its gorgeous screen which is meant to be constantly touched, pinched and flicked. As a result, the screen is often left exposed and vulnerable to scratches even when the iPad isn’t being used. Adding a protector just makes sense. I was recently sent two screen protector samples from NewerTechnology, the NuVue Clear and the NuVue Privacy Protector with Privacy Shield. Both install in exactly the same way, but each delivers a dramatically different experience. Each protector comes in a no-frills baggie without any of the more common screen protector accoutrements…


Case-mate Barely There for iPhone 4 – Review

Problem #1- The iPhone 4 clearly needs a case in order to avoid the antenna issues and protect the now “shatter-able” back. Problem #2- As a general rule I don’t love being dependent on a case that adds a lot of bulk and weight to the beautifully slim iPhone. Solution To Problems #1 and #2- Case-mate’s Barely There case for the iPhone 4. From Case-mate- For those who prefer nothing to come between them and their iPhone 4, this case is for you. These cases are designed to protect the design of your iPhone 4, while allowing more of it…


Picture this: Photography in the iPhone world, part I

pho·tog·ra·phy (f?-t?g’r?-f?) n. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition defines photography as: 1)The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces. 2)The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs. 3)A body of photographs. A photograph is merely defined as “an image, especially a positive print, recorded by a camera.” Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It started as it did in most families with dad snapping the shutter at all major holidays and events in our lives. I remember my first camera…


First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Well, I did it. I drove the new Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle that will be available later this year. What is it? In many ways it is similar to the current Toyota Prius hybrid. It features a battery pack that powers an electric motor that turns the wheels to make the thing go. It also has a combustion engine powered by gasoline that charges the battery pack when voltage drops too low. Where it differs from the current breed of hybrid electric vehicle is that the combustion engine does not propel the Volt at all – it is…


Cambridge SoundWorks i525 iPod/AM/FM Clock Radio System – Review

If you’re an audiophile you still want to have a fancy powerful stereo system home. But for many of us the sound coming out of our iPhones, iPods or iPads is good enough when they’re connected to some sort of a speaker system. Since I am not an audiophile I’m perfectly happy having a dock in my home office, in the bedroom, and in my study at work so I can listen to music whenever I want. Over the next few days I’m going to take a look at a number of different docks that are currently available. Some have…


IDAPT i4 Universal Charging Solution Now Compatible with iPad and iPhone 4

A few weeks ago we gave away an IDAPT i3 Universal Charging Solution. It is a fantastic solution for anyone who has more than one gadget in daily use. (And if you are reading GD it is a pretty good bet that means YOU!) We got word yesterday that the new IDAPT i4 is compatible with the iPad and iPhone 4. That means you can now charge your iPhone AND iPad AND 2 other devices at the same time. Awesome! The IDAPT i4 is available in black, white or silver for $59.99 MSRP at www.idaptweb.com. The packaging includes 6 tips…


Tiki Totems Premium for iPhone/Touch App Review

Well, the summer of addicting games continues!  I found Tiki Totems Premium on sale for free today.  The premium version includes over 200 levels and guarantees any new updates will come to your phone free of charge.  The game is basically a puzzler with a cute twist.  Here is the background story for the game. The tribes of the mythical island Tikonia have for centuries worshipped the Tiki God. All was fine and dandy until one day the tribe elder looked at the gathered worshipers and asked a simple question, “My beloved, how do we know that our great God…


CoPilot Live North America iPhone App Updated for iOS 4 and the iPhone 4 Retina Display

CoPilot Live North America has now been updated to fully support iOS 4 and the iPhone 4 Retina Display. What does that mean? Well first off it means the app is once again usable on your iPhone if you are using an iPhone 4. When the iPhone 4 was released last week the high res screen posed a problem for the CoPilot app. Just a few days later the issue has been resolved and all is working fine. The bigger deal is the fact that the app now fully supports iOS 4.0 and that means it will keep running even…