March 2011

Big Cat Coffee’s Purr-fect Pack Review

We’ve covered Keurig with at least 3 different device reviews. I loved it and Wayne was pleased enough to dump his drip coffee maker. Judie didn’t have the same luck with the Mini. We know that Keurig machines are pretty popular and those who have the higher end Keurigs seem to have a better experience. But the devices are only part of the equation. What about a source for the K-Cups? The problem is my local grocery store only carries a small fraction of the available coffees and no tea and very rarely will they have Hot Chocolate. Bed, Bath…

Gear Bits

Bent Objects: What Happens When an Artist Is Given a Bit of Wire and a Few Household Items

My friend Holley just forwarded an email that’s making the rounds; maybe you got it, too. It shows the art of Terry Border, the artistic genius behind Bent Objects. Some of the pictures are cute… Modest pear … some are silly … Paper training our little dog, Frank … and some are creepy! You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato. You Say Potatoes, I say Zombies. Zombies are nuts about brains Zombies! =) I am now officially a fan, and I’ve bookmarked his site. I bet that you’ll want to, too! Bent Objects

Editorials

iPad is Apple’s Third Post-PC Device? Try “Apple’s Third Totally Reliant on the PC Blockbuster”!

Apple detractors love to talk about the “Steve Jobs distortion field”. I have never much bought into that. Sure, Steve jobs is a master showman. And yes, he is most likely among the more arrogant people living today. And yes, he does like to build hype when he brings out a new product or service. And, I will admit, he has been somewhat into overstatement at times. But then again, he’s got the stuff to back it up. There is an old saying from here in suburban New Jersey that there are people who “have no cattle but a big…

News

One Month Later, Verizon Owns 12% of the iPhone Market

Last month I wrote about a new tracker that shows the comparative data used by the iPhone on Verizon and AT&T and uses that as a comparison for the number of active phones. The initial data set was likely skewed by the ‘new user effect’ of folks over-using their data plan as they signed up for the new Verizon iPhone. A month later, however, it is clear that regardless of non-existent retail lines at launch, there have been HUGE Verizon iPhone sales, and folks are making great use of those phones. The latest data shows Verizon with a greater than…

News

Kobo’s “Spin to Win” Contest

The good folks at Kobo LOVE contests. It seems every month they have a new promotion out there, and they clearly have fun making each one more interesting than just clicking a link. This time it’s a spin-the-wheel type contest like at the Jersey shore, but without the grease and Axe Body Spray odor. You can win everything from discount coupons to ebook readers to the chance at staying in a super-nice hotel. Sure beats just clicking “like” on a Facebook page! Here are the full details from Kobo’s blog, and you can enter daily through March 20th. Good luck,…

Reviews

Tycoon Windows 7 Tablet Review

It’s been quite some time since I last mentioned Tangent’s Tycoon Tablet. Part of the challenge with also getting to often evaluate technology during my ‘day job’ is that I’m often not the only one who needs to work with it during any given time. After it got the once over by a few of my colleagues, I (finally) got it back and can now give you my full review. So how does this Windows 7 Professional tablet stack up to the competition? While I don’t believe you’ll be rushing to exchange your shiny new iPad 2 for the Tycoon, I was…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart: More Than Just an Evo-Lite

Mitsubishi, specifically Mitsubishi Motors in North America, always seems to be a car company struggling for recognition and respect. Over the past few decades they have been quietly supplying OEM engines and automotive components for many domestic vehicles but without much fanfare. A few years ago, with the help of a popular movie with the 20-something crowd, the automaker began to see brand recognition begin to take off. And thanks to the fast and furious attention they gained through the box office, Mitsubishi began making a new name for themselves.

Reviews

NXE ActiveSleeve Review

I have an ongoing issue when I run. I carry my Droid both because it tracks my runs for me but also because I am an early morning runner and feel better having my phone with me. The problem, as you may know, is that the Droid is not a small phone. It’s uncomfortable to carry in my hand and you don’t want to know how uncomfortable it is to run with a Droid bouncing around in your pants pocket. Let’s just say it leads to some odd-looking bruises on your leg. In any case, I’m always on the hunt…

Music Diary

Pop Goes the Music Diary: Upbeat With Words

Last week on Glee, the ‘Abstinence Club’ wanted to provide counterpoint to the raw sexuality of Gwenyth Paltrow’s Holly Holiday character, and chose the song ‘Afternoon Delight’ by the Starland Vocal Band. If you are old enough to remember the song, you know that it is amongst the most bright & cheery songs of the 70’s … and also blatantly sexual as it describes grabbing an afternoon ‘quickie’ rather than waiting until the night time. It is a classic representation of a song that sounds upbeat but is really very different, masking a message with an innocent harmony and innuendo….

News

U-Bar- Mounts Your iPad 2 on the Wall and a Whole Lot More

One of the reasons I considered keeping my first generation iPad now that I have an iPad 2 in hand is the fact that I have a host of different methods for securing the original iPad to the wall, on my treadmill and more. The range of accessories I have at my disposal for the first generation device add a tremendous degree of useful functionality to it. While I have no doubt the same options will be available for the iPad 2 they currently aren’t on the market. No surprise since the new version only became available last week. Well,…

Gear Bits

Building the Perfect Drink Just Got Easier with Palette Coasters

When we are up in the country we all have our “roles”. Elana is the “food maven”. Her dad, when he is up, is the “grill master”. As for me… well I tend bar. 🙂 Over the years I’ve collected a nice selection of different barware. Margaritas have their glasses, martinis have theirs and the list goes on. Having the right glass for the right drink just makes everything a bit more festive. Same goes for the coaster the glass sits on. And these “palette coasters”… They look kinda fun. Yes, these simple but amusing coasters do their job but…

Gear Bits

Random Cool Video: Wile E. Coyote in ‘127 Hours’

This silly spoof is better than anything done at the Academy Awards … enjoy! Source: Buzzfeed

Editorials

When Fandom and Philanthropy Meet

Photo courtesy of James Wong One of my favorite works of any genre–fine arts, performance arts, what-have-you–is Shinichir? Watanabe’s future-cowboy noirish anime Cowboy Bebob. I’m not going to get all gushy and fanboy-like telling you about how wonderful Bebop is, and why you should ignore the kinda silly name and rent it from Netflix right now–I’ll restrain myself to just saying that, if you like Joss Wheadon’s Firefly, you’ll almost certainly like Bebop. (Even if you don’t ordinarily like anime, which is the case with me.) Our heroes (yes, even including Ein the Corgi) One of the best things about Bebop…

Reviews

Review- Power Support Sleeve: Designed for the iPad 1, Works Great with the iPad 2!

When Judie was in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress she met the folks behind the Apple accessory company Power Support. (Theirs is a great, inspirational story and we look forward to sharing it with you soon.) The company was kind enough to forward a number of their products so that I might take a closer look. Among the items they sent was their Black Sleeve for the iPad 1. They describe the leather sleeve this way- Constructed with premium quality leather, this sleeve protects while complimenting the amazing aesthetics of the iPad. The sleeve’s soft inner lining prevents scratching while using…

Game Diary, Reviews

Mac Game Review: Avadon: The Black Fortress

Since its beginnings in 1994, Spiderweb Software has focused on bringing classic story-rich role-playing experiences to gamers. The earliest Exile games were rudimentary and seem quaint now, but the Avernum and Geneforge series have offered gamers comparable experiences to the best so-called ‘AAA’ games for a lower price. Of course, the focus is on story and character and combat system over graphics and sweeping soundtracks, so it is subjective to what you are looking for out of a game. I had written an article for a defunct site years ago about why Avernum IV was better than Oblivion in all…

Music Diary, Reviews

CarTunes for iPhone/Touch Review

We all hear the dangers of texting while driving and how our devices create dangers during travel. These dangers are real and hopefully everyone is taking steps to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel and leave their devices alone. Using my Mogo Talk and voice recognition applications has helped me pay attention to the road, but one area always poses a problem. Using an iPhone or iPod Touch to listen to audio while driving can also take your attention. Changing tracks or play lists can be just as dangerous as sending a text message. With…

eBooks

IDC Reports eBook Sales Numbers with Some Surprising Results

IDC has done some number crunching, and their ebook sales numbers are…interesting, to say the least. They say Amazon is #1, but surprisingly Pandigital has a very strong showing against B&N, coming in third for the year but second for the fourth quarter. That’s a huge shocker, though Pandigital did flood the market with several models over the course of 2010. I do wonder why IDC didn’t include Pandigital under media tablets, since even though they’re marketed as ebook readers they all run various flavors of Android. Even more interesting, Sony’s numbers were up 80%, which sounds great…until you find…

Editorials

Verifone vs. Square, a Perspective

The recent Square vs. Verifone kerfuffle/gymkhana/embroglio/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is, I think, a pretty important one. Not just for itself, but for what it says about the tech industry. (This also happens to be my industry.) There are a number of companies right now trying to muscle and/or bully their rivals out of the marketplace– Twitter is a recent example with their attempt to be the only one offering a Twitter client etc and, of course, there is Apple’s involvement in the eBooks space. (Carly has talked about this a few times already and things are just getting started!) Frankly it honks me off….

Game Diary, Reviews

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds PlayStation 3 Game Review

The ten year wait is over for series fans of Marvel vs. Capcom with this latest installment subtitled “Fate of Two Worlds”, produced and directed by Ryota Niitsuma, where the playing field is even for novices and experts.

Gear Bits, News

GD Quickie- A Public Service Announcement Regarding the iPad 1

Do you have an iPad 1 and plan to stick with it even though the iPad 2 has arrived? If so, we have a brief Public Service Announcement for you. Consider this your first, and final, warning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ur7b3Hmcx2c

Editorials

Adventures in Customer Service- Zinio Edition

When the term “customer service” seems more like “customer lack-of-service” we like to call the company in question out. We did so with regard to AT&T Wireless. We did so with Amazon’s Kindle policy too. We’ve even done so with Apple. (Although, to be fair, both Apple and Amazon are usually amazing in the Customer Service arena.) Yes, when a company lets us down we aren’t shy about saying so. We WANT others to know! But what happens when a company goes above and beyond? What happens when a company has a glitch and, rather than trying to ignore it…

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