2012

Does that ‘Unsubscribe’ Button MEAN Anything?

I know that I am not unique, but I will say it anyway – I get too much email! And I get it across six different accounts, not even counting the .Mac/.Me/.iCloud stuff as separate. So a few weeks ago when the Black Friday sales email flood started, I decided enough was enough. I mean, when was the last time I bought something from Circuit City? (answer: when they had stores) I have never bought from Wal-Mart based on their emails. Same for Tiger Direct, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and many of the other places – some of…

Reviews

Waterfield SFBags Outback iPad Sleeve Review

My 9.7″ iPad spends most of its time at home, since the arrival of the iPad mini. Still, one can never have too many stylish ways to protect the best tablet around. Waterfield SFBags has some great options and one of the most interesting is their Outback iPad Sleeve. The original Outback fits the iPad 3 and 4. A new smaller size fits the iPad mini. Waterfield sent one for the 9.7″ iPad. Let’s take a look. From Waterfield: Old World Charm meets New World Protection. The vintage look of time-worn, waxed canvas plus the high-grade protection of neoprene, give the…

Vehicles & Gear

Grinding Gears Garage welcomes the 2013 Porsche Boxster, Ambassador for the Middle-Aged Crisis

Lighter, faster, more agile, and, as if it really matters, more fuel-efficient. That is how Porsche describes its next-generation Boxster convertible sports car. The Boxster was a hit from the start and since initial launch Porsche has sought to improve on the initial package while not confusing the car with its bread-and-butter 911 line. The Boxster is a mid-engine two-seater and for 2013 is almost totally madeover. The new design has a longer wheelbase and wider tracks front and rear for better balance. It is surprisingly athletic and this car feels oh-so-good on the road. This is a car that…

Outdoors

My Bag: Ham Radio Edition

Hurricane Sandy, the derecho and the upcoming winter season has had me thinking about what I carry on a daily basis. It also prompted me to consider what I might add to it to be better prepared. In HAM lingo, we refer to this as our GO bag– the bag that serves in an emergency preparedness capacity. Here’s a look at my Go bag. The Bag Itself My bag is a Swiss Gear Cobalt laptop bag. In fact, this is the same one I use as my daily driver laptop bag; it is available from Amazon for around $60 bucks. I…

eBooks, Editorials

Barnes and Noble’s Epic Fictionwise and eReader Migration Failure

I am insanely disappointed in Barnes and Noble. Earlier this week, news broke that they were shutting down the long-running eReader.com and Fictionwise.com sites they purchased three years ago, and offering to transition as many books as eligible to matching NOOK accounts. So far, so good. Then, the day after it became big news, they sent out emails with instructions on the transition. Also good. Unfortunately, if you were to follow the instructions in these emails, you would likely see one of two outcomes: a failure to link your email to your eReader/Fictionwise account, or B&N would find your account…

Reviews

Waterfield SFBags iPad Suede Jacket Review

My iPad mini goes everywhere with me these days. Sometimes, I want it as protected as possible. (I’m looking forward to seeing more cases rolled out in the coming weeks.) At other times I want to protect my iPad while keeping it as thin and light as possible. That’s where the Waterfield SFBags iPad Suede Jacket comes in. We’ve looked at other Suede Jackets such as those designed for the 11″ and 13″ MacBook air. I have always been impressed with the scratch protection the product line offers without adding any additional weight or bulk. (Read the MBA review.) Let’s…

Game Diary, Reviews

Shards of Time HD for iPad Review

Shards of Time is one of the most dense hidden object games I can recall playing, and yet I didn’t tire of playing it to the extent I had expected. By ‘dense’ I mean that it often felt that completing a single hidden object scene would spawn another scene plus a puzzle, and doing those would add more … and so on. Similar to most genre games, you start with a cutscene that establishes your character and the motivation for whatever is happening next. In this case you learn that you are part of a secret group with magical power…

Reviews

Spigen SGP Illuzion Faux Leather Case for iPhone 5 Review

Spigen SGP makes the GLAS.t screen protector I have on my iPhone 5. I love it. They also make some great cases. For example, the UltraThin air I am using comes from them. They also make the larger, more protective lluzion Faux Leather Case. That is the case I put on my in-laws iPhone when they received them last week. Here’s a look. From SGP: iPhone 5 Illuzion is a premium synthetic leather wallet case with card slots inside. The cover has a speaker and earpiece cutout to allow users to talk on the phone even when the case is closed….

News

iLuv’s Stylish ReF Line of Headphones Make Clear, Music Is Fashion

Headphones are fashion and are now music to your eyes, just as they are music to your ears. Recognizing this fact, iLuv has just introduced their ReF line of premium headphones. As Brian Kim, Global Product Marketing Manager of iLuv’s Premium Headphone Division notes Headphones are quickly becoming a part of the language of fashion, and we at iLuv recognize that consumers are searching for quality headphones that also feature a stylish design. That is why we are introducing Fashionology®, a combination of fashion and technology. Headphones traditionally appealed to a small group of audiophiles and technology enthusiasts, but that…

Gear Bits, Yum Log

Hostess Bakeries Planning to Close – When Was YOUR Last Twinkee?

Today we heard about the filing by Hostess Bakeries for ‘wind down’, meaning that they are seeking to close operations. The sad news will reportedly impact some 18,000 workers across 36 plants. Hostess has spent all of 2012 in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection working to reorganize operations to find a way to stay afloat. Unfortunately, according to the Wall Street Journal, this year has seen commodity costs rise and demand for products decline. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the major union for the company declared a work stoppage last week that shut down the majority of operations. This sort…

Game Diary, Reviews

Deadly Dungeons for Android Review

Type of app: Dungeon Crawler game Platform/where to buy: Android; available in the Google Play Store Developer: Jacob Ensign Description: Deadly Dungeons is a first person RPG developed exclusively for the Android platform. This Android RPG is influenced by classic dungeon crawler games such as Dungeon Hack, Eye of the Beholder, and Nethack. Your purchase supports indie games development. After being separated from your adventuring party, you must navigate a deadly dungeon, and fight your way through hordes of creatures in a desperate attempt to escape alive. What first begins as a simple escape to the surface turns into a…

Music Diary, News, Reviews

iGrand Piano for iPhone and iPad Review

Type of app: Music Making Software Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version here); available in the App Store Developer: IK Multimedia Description: iGrand Piano puts an entire gallery of the world’s finest pianos right at your fingertips with studio-grade quality never heard before in any other app that stands up to the most powerful virtual instruments available on a computer. iGrand Piano features: – 8 world-class, multi-velocity stereo grand and upright piano instruments (including one by registering) – Expandable library of 9 additional studio-grade instruments instantly available via in-app purchase – Intuitive instrument edit controls including ambience, lid, brightness, release,…

Reviews, Travel

Skooba Cable Stable Rollup Kit Review

Back in June, I did a video post on how I created a Skooba Design “Go Pack”. I took one of the company’s Cable Stables and strategically loaded it with all the cables and accessories I need with me on the go. It continues to serve me well but, believe it on not, it can be a bit too large on days when I’m traveling super-light. This is especially so now that my iPad mini is my “go-everywhere” tablet. That’s why I was pleased to get one of Skooba Design’s first Cable Stable Rollup Kits. The Rollup Kit is small,…

Editorials

Are These Android Market Share Numbers Good for Anyone?

By now the Gartner global mobile phone sales/shipment estimates for the 3rd quarter of 2012 have been widely disseminated, and they are summed up nicely at places such as TechCrunch. For those looking for the basic bullet points, here goes: – Overall mobile phone sales declined ~3% in Q3 – Smartphone sales increased by 47% during the same time. – Samsung has overtaken Nokia as largest handset maker. – Samsung & Apple account for ~50% of smartphone sales, >100% of smartphone profits – Samsung alone owns nearly 1/3 of smartphone market (and almost 40% of sales) – Samsung, Apple, ZTE…

Music Diary, News

RIP Ambient and Electronic Music Pioneer Pete Namlook

This week we learned of the passing of electronic music giant Pete Namlook. His real last name is Kuhlmann, with Namlook being the sound of that name pronouced backwards. He was 51. I am often amazed at how I come to listen to certain artists – it is like a game of ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ at times. Pete Namlook is one of those. As my musical horizons began to expand in the late 70’s and into the 80’s I discovered a great number of musicians, and as a bassist I was directed to Bill Laswell. Laswell released a solo…

Music Diary, News

IK Multimedia Releases iPhone 5-Friendly AmpliTube 2.7!

More and more apps are being released that take advantage of the new iPhone 5 (and iPod Touch) screen, and it is great to see that they are actually taking advantage of the screen rather than just filling out the space. Today IK Multimedia announced that their popular AmpliTube app for iOS has been updated to take advantage of the larger screen. Here are the details from the press release: AmpliTube 2.7 takes advantage of the extra screen size and the Retina Display to deliver stunning graphics, which accompany IK’s industry-standard sounds and features. The app comes with 24 gear…

Music Diary, Reviews

Pioneer DDJ-WeGO Video Unbox and First Impressions

I announced the release of the affordable yet feature-packed DDJ-WeGO from Pioneer here. The folks at Pioneer recently sent us a DDJ-WeGO to evaluate, and we are planning a full-on review for the next couple of weeks. I wanted to get in a quick unboxing and hands-on out there in case anyone was planning some holiday shopping for the DJ enthusiast and had the DDJ-WeGO on their list! Manufacturer: Pioneer Description: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. Professional Sound and Visual Division today unveiled its most affordable controller to date, the DDJ-WeGO, an ultra-compact system that enables consumers and music enthusiasts alike…

eBooks

R.I.P., Fictionwise and eReader

This has been a long time coming, but Barnes and Noble is finally putting Fictionwise and eReader out to pasture. They purchased the sites three years ago, and from that purchase the NOOK was born. But now that the NOOK clearly outshines its older siblings, Barnes and Noble apparently feels there isn’t a benefit to maintaining the prior brands. Even though I’ve said for years this makes more sense, it’s still sad to see Fictionwise and eReader disappear. They go back to the days of Palm OS and Peanut Press, and they were truly pioneers of eBook reading. The first…

News

Waterfield’s New Indy Is Just the Right Size for the iPad mini

Judie reviewed the Waterfield Indy bag for the iPad when it was first released. (Read the review.) I then stole it from her and, ever since, it has been my favorite bag when I want to travel light. I like how thin and light it is and, with Raiders being my all time favorite movie, it kinda sorta appeals to me in a geeky way. (Come one, admit it, the opening scene with the big rolling ball is only outdone by the Nazi’s face melting.) I love the Indy, but now that’s am carrying the iPad mini as my daily…

Health and Fitness

Outdoor Exercise in Winter – 5 Important Things to Remember

Last weekend the mercury climbed to above 70 F for the last time (until some time in at least April) where I live, and it was bookended by mornings below 20F last week and this week. We also ‘fell back’ an hour, which no longer provides a two-week respite from total darkness at the start of my runs. Winter has arrived in terms of darkness and temperature, and with it we need to remember some basics of safety as we embark on our morning – or evening – exercise routines. Wear a Headlamp and Reflective EVERYTHING Or maybe a waist-lamp…

Reviews

BlackBerry Music Gateway Lets You Go Wireless with Bluetooth and NFC

We’ve looked at a few different accessories that turn your wired speaker dock or home audio system into a wireless audio powerhouse, but none have been quite as powerful as BlackBerry’s upcoming $49 Music Gateway. What makes the Music Gateway stand out? NFC (Near Field Communication)! Let’s take a closer look. From BlackBerry: The BlackBerry Music Gateway is a great new music accessory that allows you to play music from any Bluetooth enabled device. Also setting this apart from other music streaming devices is its NFC capabilities, which enables a quick and easy pairing option. Once connected, change tracks and…

« 1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 91 »