Gotham City Imposters Preview Video
Check out the preview for this upcoming first person shooter Batman game adds wild mayhem, character customization, multiplayer options and action amid the classic hero showdown with The Joker.
October 2011
It’s All in the Timing
This month’s MacLife magazine arrived today. It is the only “dead tree” edition mag I still get, but only because I cannot stand their browser-based eMag version. Elana immediately noted the cover story that reads “Apple First Aid”. I noticed the box in the upper left hand corner… Obviously the blurb is referring to Jobs stepping down as Apple CEO but the timing, and the way it now reads is… disturbing. And it is a question many are asking today. Yes, sometimes it is all in the timing.
Which iPhone 4S to Buy?
It is a strange irony that is not lost on any of us. The iPhone 4S is announced mid-day on Tuesday, word of Steve Job’s death comes the following evening, and the new iPhone starts pre-orders start at 12:01 AM PST. No doubt some people will suggest it should be delayed. I never had the honor of meeting Jobs, but my guess is he wouldn’t even dignify that with a response, well — maybe a two-word email like “Plans stays…” but not an actual response. So which iPhone 4S to get? What Color? This is an issue of personal taste, but…
![Music Diary Notes: Rdio Launches Ad-Free On-Demand Service! [Update]](https://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rdio-Free.jpg "Music Diary Notes: Rdio Launches Ad-Free On-Demand Service! [Update] 6")
Music Diary Notes: Rdio Launches Ad-Free On-Demand Service! [Update]
MAJOR UPDATE: initial indications were that Rdio Free allowed access from their mobile app (including the blog talking about signing up for Free from the mobile apps), but that is NOT the case! That is a HUGE difference … And while Rdio Free is cool, this difference makes the service an ‘also ran’ rather than a game changer. A couple of weeks ago MOG introduced ‘FreePlay’, which allowed you unlimited free music streaming based on a ‘tank’ system. As you shared and recommended music, you would refill your tank to give yourself more listening hours for the month. Now Rdio…
Music Diary PSA: Beware the (Not So) Greatest Hits!
As we approach the holiday season, I have already started getting a deluge of emails about upcoming music releases for the Fall season – including Holiday albums and Greatest Hits collections. It brought my mind back to something I wrote for a long-defunct site back in 2005 at about the same time of year – and sadly it is more true than ever! At the time, there was a new release I had gotten as a gift right before reading the USA Today article mentioned below. Here we go: Six years ago USA Today ran an article called “‘Best Of’…
Random Cool Videos: Steve Jobs in 1983 and 1997 … Thinking Differently
Steve Jobs was a performance artist when he appeared on stage – through his charisma and story-telling skills he captivated audiences, even those with no interest in what he was saying, or doubts about the numbers he bandied about. In memory of his great contributions to the concept of transferring passion about technology to the mainstream, here are a few videos – a couple of which have only recently come to light. Here is Steve Jobs in 1983 unveiling the iconic ‘1984’ ad for the first Macintosh. The commercial remains regarded as one of the great all-time ads, but the…
RIP Steve… and Thank You!!
from Apple.com
2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Delivers The Goods
Some things in life just don’t live up to the hype. Take, for instance, the much anticipated iPhone announcement this week. For many like me, it was a disappointment. Fortunately not all things fall into this category of “much ado/much a didn’t.” The new Chrysler 300 SRT8 is a shining example of “delivering the goods.” I was all set to be underwhelmed with this latest overhyped made in Detroit machine. When first seeing the redesign of the model line last year my reaction was melancholy at best and to be perfectly honest I never quite got all the popularity of…
Music Diary Songs of Note: Steve Reich Turns 75!
Composer Steve Reich, along with Terry Riley and Philip Glass, form the core driving force in the modern classical music genre of ‘minimalism’. In the music the harmonic structure and density are sparse and relatively simple, with shifting elements and slow thematic development. Much of the action in minimalism is with the slowly evolving polyrhythms, which are deceptively straightforward but in reality menacingly complex and intriguing. This week marks Steve Reich’s 75th birthday, so I wanted to share a few memorable video clips. The sheet music at the top is for his 1972 piece ‘Clapping Music’, an intriguing study in…
Want to Know the Difference Between Two Things? DifferenceBetween.net Can Help
This morning I wanted to make sure that I was straight about what the difference between clams and oysters was, beyond taste; I must have slept through that lesson in Biology. As I often do, I turned to Google and posed my question in the search bar. The first site that popped up answered my question perfectly, and when I took a look at the site which had provided my answer, I was pleasantly surprised to find that what it does is answer questions about the differences between things. As they explain … Differencebetween.net not only facilitates your understanding of a topic, but it also…
B&N Drops Support for Blackberries
Bad news for Blackberry and B&N fans; you’ll have to pick sides soon. B&N is notifying Blackberry users that effective January 1st, they’re dropping all support for their eReader app. Of course, if you want to go through contortions, you can always sideload your books via USB. Or you could switch to Kobo or Amazon, both of whom offer fully supported ebook apps for Blackberry. According to Crackberry, this is the email B&N has sent to affected users: We are writing to inform you about important changes being made to the BN eReader software for BlackBerry. Changes to the BN…
Waterfield Wants You to Carry Your iPhone 4S in Style
A new iPhone can only mean one thing… new iPhone cases! Waterfield just let us know about two new ways to carry and use your iPhone. And while the cases are focussed on the new iPhone 4S they will work with other generations of the iDevice too. (Check the description for compatibility.) Here’s a quick peak at both of the new cases. The iPhone Wallet iPhone, Cash, Cards and Carry. You’re set with your wallet contents plus your iPhone—all in one compact, stylish place. Rather than having to take two separate items, now you can just put your iPhone into the…
iPad 2 Accessory- Kensington’s SecureBack Security Case
It will come as little surprise to anyone who knows me that I have been considering ways to integrate iPads or other tablets into our educational approach at my synagogue, and I hope to have more to say on this shortly. One issue that has arisen time and again as I have thought about this, is the need to secure any iPads we get so they don’t walk away mere hours after we put them into use. It is for this reason that I was more than a bit excited to see Kensington announced their SecureBack Security Case for iPad…
Android Game Review: Special Enquity Detail – The Hand That Feeds
Mix together a crime-drama mystery, puzzles, hidden objects, and tons of twists and turns and intrigue … and you have the makings of one of the most compelling casual games made this year. The name of that game is “Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand that Feeds” from G5 Entertainment, and I reviewed the iPad release earlier this year. Now it is available for Android! Let’s take a look and see how the port stands up to the original release! The Hype: Try your hand at investigating a crime, crack the case and catch the criminal in this perplexing hidden-object game!…
Apple Talk’s iPhone… Here’s What We Heard
Apple’s big day is finally here. As the news comes in we will be updating this post with the latest and greatest news. Analysis and commentary will follow. The rumor mill has been more active than ever. With Apple not bringing out a new iPhone last spring there is more pent up demand and excitement than we can remember. Still, it does look as if Apple has tried to dampen expectations a bit as today approached. Is this because they have less to show or is it that they want to “wow” us with a surprise? We will all…
Music Diary Songs of Note: The End of R.E.M.
A couple of weeks ago rock music lost perhaps the greatest ‘college band’ of all-time: R.E.M, as noted at Spin Magazine and elsewhere. The Georgia group defined the alt-rock sound for close to twenty years before coasting along on a massive contract for the last decade. And while it is easy to criticize their recent output (though Collapse into Now is decent, if not up to the high standard set back in the late 80’s and early 90’s), the music the group put out in their prime ranks with some of the greatest of the entire rock era. Most groups…
Music Diary Semi-Quavers: Quick Looks at Recent Releases in Jazz
Welcome back to another edition of Music Diary Semi-Quavers, the quick-take reviews of recent releases. Last time I explored some recent pop & rock album releases, now I jump over to the world of jazz! And similar to before, when I say ‘jazz’, it can include just about anything in a very broad spectrum from traditional ragtime through swing, bebop, modal, free, fusion, post-bop mainstream, modern, smooth jazz and who knows what else. I believe there is good and bad music in every genre, and try not to bother too much with genre labels – though I obviously separate jazz…
Microsoft Releases Hotmail App for Android!
One of my annoyances with mobile email has always been Hotmail. Not the service itself, but the seeming inability of any of the default email clients to properly handle Hotmail – I would get repeated streams of mails, deletion never seemed to work right, and so on. To the point where I don’t get my Hotmail on my Android phone and just check it on my iPad with full knowledge I’ll have to manage it elsewhere. We have already heard and seen how Microsoft and Apple have implemented a native sub-client for the iOS 5 Inbox that will work like…
Game System Retro-Review: iPod Touch, the MP3 Player That Killed Nintendo and Sony’s Gaming Systems
Last September Apple unveiled the iPod Touch 4th Gen, with super-slim design, dual cameras, and great performance. The Retina screen and top-notch graphics clearly marked the iPod Touch as the ‘gaming system to beat’ – and games like Infinity Blade still defy the competition a year later! With Apple about to unveil their latest ‘next big thing’, I wanted to step back and take a look at the iPod Touch, the oversized MP3 player that has changed the gaming industry at a fundamental level. The Nintendo 3DS came out earlier this year, and Michael Siebenaler did a great review here….
The eBook/Paper Book Conspiracy?
It’s human nature to get very focused on our personal niche areas of expertise. After a while, you become the proverbial hammer, and everything starts looking like a nail. I admit to having fallen into that trap before, and I fear Rich Adin fell into a similar trap with his latest column, “Is This The Next Sneak Attack on eBookers?” Basically, Rich’s issue is as follows (courtesy Teleread): I have enjoyed the “Safehold Series” of books by David Weber. Because Weber is one of my favorite authors, I buy his books in hardcover so I can read them and add them…
Laptop Bag Review: the Acme Made Clyde St. Messenger
We’ve become big fans of Acme Made’s bags over the last few years and are always excited when they release a new design. A short time ago we brought word of a new bag, the Acme Made Clyde St. Messenger and we now have one for review that we have been using for the last few weeks. It is a big messenger bag and, in typical Acme Made fashion, it has a good bit of understated-style and quality construction. Here’s a closer look. From Acme Made: The Clyde St. Messenger is a solid, all-purpose messenger bag. It’s built tough with lots…