2011

Random Cool Video: Star Wars Fan Film “A Light in the Darkness”

I am still finishing reading the 20th anniversary edition of the Star Wars book ‘Heir to the Empire’ by Timothy Zahn, and am really enjoying all of the footnoted insights he has provided looking back through the years. The ‘expanded universe’ of Star Wars has always been a fertile creative grounds – from the graphic novels of the ‘Old Republic’ to the epic lightsaber battle in ‘Duality’, there have been a myriad of official and unofficial additions made to George Lucas’ world. Now there is a great new 3-part film called A Light in the Darkness that takes place just…

Editorials

Jobs Remembered: Low Tech Tributes to the Man Who Made Tech Mainstream

This picture from an El Paso, Texas Apple Store says it all. Post Its used as a tribute to the Thomas Edison of our times… an irony El Jobso himself would probably appreciate. Thanks for the picture, Sarah!!

Editorials

OS X Lion Quick Tip: Reorder Windows in Mission Control

UPDATE (With apologies): Turns out this is only in the current Lion Beta, something I never would have imagined. Thanks to Rodney for pointing it out. We’ll let you know when it makes its way into a full release since it is quite useful! The more I use OS X Lion the more I like the features it brought to the Mac and, although it can be a bit inconsistent, I am really learning to appreciate fullscreen apps. I’m liking Mission Control more and more too. The only issue I have had has been the fact that when I…

Reviews

Tech/Travel Clothing Review: the New SCOTTEVEST SeV Button Down Shirt

I love when SCOTTEVEST comes out with new products. I love it even more when I get the chance to review new SeV products right as they are rolling out. This time around the company has finally brought out a button down shirt with SeV’s signature pockets and style. Yes, the new SeV Button Down Shirt is now available! I was thrilled THRILLED when I heard these shirts were being released. After all, my preferred dress is jeans, boots and a somewhat casual button-down. These looked like they would fit the bill perfectly and would only serve to further my…

News & Features

Random Cool Video: Stephen Colbert Drops the Schtick in Jobs Tribute

Stephen Colbert has earned a huge audience and enormous success as a satirist starting with Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and now on his own Colbert Report, both on Comedy Central. He also famously flaunted the as-yet unreleased iPad on the Grammy Awards back in 2010. In a post over at TechCrunch, they have a chunk of video from the latest Colbert Report in which he memorializes Steve Jobs … or more to the point he looks at it in what it has meant TO HIM. He steps through begging for iPhone and iPad, gloating about having them, the Grammy…

eBooks

Amazon Lets You Buy Out Your Special Orders Kindle; What’s Next?

(image courtesy The Digital Reader) There’s a fair amount of debate over the “Special Orders” Kindles. Most people find the ads unobtrusive, and even take advantage of the offers! On the other hand, if they’re driving you nuts, or if you bought an S.O. Kindle and didn’t realize it, Amazon does allow you to change your Kindle to a non-subsidized one. The only catch? You’ll need to pay up for the $30 subsidy difference. This is a pretty clever way to handle potentially upset customers. Maybe someone gets annoyed with the special offers or they don’t like targeted ads, so…

News & Features

Not Upgrading to iPhone 4S, but You Really Want Siri? Vlingo Now Free

By now, I am sure all of you have seen the new iPhone 4S features and watched the demo videos. Sure, the faster processor and updated camera are awesome, but in my opinion, Siri is a game changer. No, it is not the first voice recognition solution, but it may be the first that truly interacts with its user. Well, despite my pushing the Mrs. to agree on my upgrading, I do not think it is in the budget at this moment. I even used the angle that I would give her my iPhone 4 and unlock the 3GS and…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

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.

Gear Bits

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.

Editorials

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

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, Reviews

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’…

News & Features

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…

News & Features

RIP Steve… and Thank You!!

from Apple.com

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

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, News & Features

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…

Gear Bits

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…

eBooks

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…

News & Features

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…

Reviews

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…

Game Diary, Reviews

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!…

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