2012

North Carolina Legislator Accidentally Hits The Wrong Button, Fracking Ensues.

My day job is very time-sensitive. We have to be very careful if we are filling out forms online to be quick, but also make sure we select the right options. It isn’t hard, though mistakes do happen, and luckily for me, when they do we can fix it. However, if you are a legislator in North Carolina, don’t press the wrong button! One minute you think you’re voting against a bill, the next minute fracking is suddenly legal. Apparently, in North Carolina they use electronic voting for the legislature. If you hit the wrong option, you can explain you…

Reviews

Secret Agent Splat’s Mission Review for iOS

Suppose you were an anthropomorphized Felis catus whose father specialized in making toy ducks. Suppose as a cat you had a pet mouse named Seymour. Suppose you discovered one day that someone has absconded with your ducks. Why then you’d transform into Secret Agent Splat and proceed to investigate with help from your pet! Based on the popular children’s book Splat the Cat, Secret Agent Splat’s Mission is a set of mini-games where children can help the eponymous feline (and his rodent sidekick Seymour) hunt down and retrieve Splat’s missing toy ducks and receive a special agent rating. All 48…

Gear Bits, Travel

A Few Thoughts on Traveling with the MacBook Pro Retina

As Judie and I posted last week, the MacBook Pro Retina may be pricey but it is also an amazing computer. Honestly, after using it for almost two weeks I can, without hesitation, call it the best computer I have ever owned. It is fast, quiet, runs cool and it has a screen that must be seen to be appreciated. Yes, it is the best computer I have ever used. It is also the heaviest notebook I have owned in the last 5+ years and, since it came to Dearborn Michigan with me last week for the GoFurther with Ford…

Game Diary, Reviews

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Review on PlayStation Vita

The latest installment from the successful LEGO Batman game series features all-ages action in a third-person, platform format with formulaic, but fun beat ‘em up brawls and puzzles plus the Justice League heroes.

News & Features

Relax, The Government Says Mermaids Are Not Real

(image courtesy fanpop) There are moments that make you stop and wonder exactly how crazy and/or stupid people can be. Just when you think you have all the conspiracy theories organized in your head, from the “Elvis lives!” crew to the Area 51 believers to the people who believe the moon landing was faked, there’s another crazy theory du jour. But I grew up spending every summer swimming in the ocean, and never once gave a thought to mermaids! See, the National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration had a very busy weekend. The mid-Atlantic region had nasty storms roll in, and…

Crowdfunding

tablift Holds Your iPad So You Don’t Have To….

Project Title: tablift – The Missing Companion to The iPad Status: Seeking funding with 9 days to go as of this post (July 2, 2012) Closing Date for Funding: July 12 at 8:-4 p, est) URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: tablift is a simple yet elegant solution for using your iPad hands-free in bed, on the couch, or in your favorite cushy chair. Although there are many accessories for propping up the iPad, most are made to be used on tables and desktops. However, over half of tablet use takes place on the couch or…

Reviews

iLuv iMM377 MobiAir Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Dock for Smartphones review

I would be hard-pressed to recommend purchasing a dock that includes an iPhone or iPod adapter right now. The reason is quite simple. The next generation of the iPhone is only four months away and all indications point toward it having a new dock connector to replace the ubiquitous 30 pin connection. With such a significant change on the way it makes no sense for someone to purchase a dock that will, at a minimum, require the purchase and use of an adapter come the fall. Instead, I would encourage anyone looking for speakers to use with their mobile device…

Gear Bits, News & Features

MOG Music Service Aquired By Beats

I used MOG as my subscription music service for a time but have settled in on Spotify and am quite happy with the decision. I have, as a result, been wondering what would happen when these various music services began to shake out. Who would survive? Who would close? Who would be acquired. Well it turns out MOG is the first to go. They have been acquired by Beats and, while they will continue to operate as an independent company, it clearly means we will see some changes coming. As the acquisition notice states Fellow Music Lovers, My first love has…

Gear Bits

That’s No Alien, That’s a 3D-printed Designer Pen

I love pens. That’s kind of funny since I don’t really use pen and paper any longer but I still have an amazing fountain pen collection and I truly appreciate a fine, beautiful or interesting pen. This one is all of that and more. (It does look like something you would see in an old scifi movie does’t it?) As Adrian Grenier’s SHFT webstore notes, We’re always interested in innovations in 3D printing, the new design tech that involves making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Designer Richard Elaver, a metalsmith by trade, has been busy developing useful…

Reviews

IPEVO Typi Folio Keyboard/Case for new iPad and iPad 2 review

We’ve reviewed numerous different iPad cases since the tablet was first released. Many of them have included a keyboard and, as a result, not only protected the iPad but also helped turn it into an even better productivity tool. The challenge with each of the combo cases has been the fact that both the keyboard AND the case have to be decent if the combination is going to work well. If one or the other is subpar the entire package falls short. Time and again that has been the issue when we have reviewed keyboard cases. Sometimes the keyboard is…

Editorials

Do Verizon’s “Share Everything” Plans Actually Save You Money?

Verizon recently debuted new “Share Everything” plans that combine unlimited texting and voice with shared data pools. Prices depend on how many devices are in use and how much data you want. But is it actually a good deal? I ran Verizon’s calculator to find out.

Reviews

SMS Audio Street by 50 Wired Headphones review

Last week we posted a review of the a-JAYs ONE+ headphones. (Read it.) They sport a flat, tangle free cable, a selection of different ear cups, an in-line microphone and audio controller and, the most unusual package I have seen in a pair of headphones. At under $70 they were definitely a step up from something like Apple’s standard earbuds but they were far from my favorites as they included as many negatives as they did positives. One of those issues was the complete lack of a carrying case. That, however, was nothing compared to the static introduced when the…

eBooks

Should eBooks and Privacy Be a Concern for Us?

Here’s another reason for eBook haters to complain about the digitization of the written word — your reading habits are no longer secret. While it is not surprising to assume Amazon, B&N and Kobo are watching what you read, the Wall Street Journal has a very detailed account of just how much is being watched. From the Journal: Publishing has lagged far behind the rest of the entertainment industry when it comes to measuring consumers’ tastes and habits. TV producers relentlessly test new shows through focus groups; movie studios run films through a battery of tests and retool them based…

Gear Bits

Some Developers Really Get It …

There are certain apps we love to use. Quite often they come from companies for whom we have the greatest respect. It is no surprise that the two often go have in hand. Case in point, Appigo. I’ve known them since my days at What’sOniPhone, and I have always been impressed. Their apps are great; ToDo has always been one of my favorites, and the folks behind the apps are a class act. This, however, this is above and beyond. The last update to ToDo introduced a new task input method. I liked it, but many (many!!) devoted ToDo-users didn’t. And…

Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: Forget-Me-Not 2013 Lexus ES 350 and ES 300h

“Impossible to ignore, impossible to forget.” That is the marketing phrase Lexus is using to launch the next-generation ES premium midsize sedan. The 2013 model ES will arrive as the sixth generation of the popular model line. Once a sales leader in the segment, Lexus is pinning its hopes of returning to the top with the new ES that includes – for the first time – a hybrid variant. Lexus anticipates the luxury market to grow this year, especially the entry luxury segment where the ES resides. Currently it has a 17 percent market share between its CT 200h, IS…

Game Diary, Reviews

Nyko Speaker Stand for PlayStation Vita Review

The Nyko Speaker Stand makes handy peripheral for PlayStation Vita users for great gaming sound plus several other activities including listening music, watching movies, making Skype calls, or even using iPods and similar devices while they rest their hands from marathon gaming sessions.

Gear Bits

The Irony of Idiotic Idiots and the Rush to Be FIRST!

I hadn’t planned a direct reaction to the Supreme Court upholding all aspects of the Affordable Care Act (calling it ‘Obamacare’ is a pejorative term that shows clear bias), as it isn’t the focus of the site and there wasn’t a direct ‘hook’ that made sense. Well, there wasn’t until the announcement and the hour or so after it … and then there were TWO interesting developments! First, when the ruling came down, I saw a quick notification across my iPad; since I was on my PC I headed to CNN.com to check out the news and see what was…

Reviews

G-Form X-Protect Case For iPhone Review

iPhone protection has become such a priority for many owners. It seems like every friend who tells me they are finally getting the iPhone always asks, “what case should I get” in their next breath. Protecting an expensive device that is with you virtually every waking moment is important not only because of the price, but also for fear of begin without the phone. There are many options on the market with varying levels of protection and style. I like a case that brings style along with protection, but without making the phone the size of a shoe box. The…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

My Day at the Ford Testing Track

I’ve spent the last three days with Ford in Michigan. We learned about their green tech, their company philosophy, and much more. The complete writeup is on the way, but I wanted to get this post and video up now before I leave. Why? Because I got to spend the morning with Ford at their test track driving some of their newest vehicles. There’s the Raptor, which was awesome off-road. Then there was the Interceptor. It is super-fast and a lot of fun to drive. Finally I got to take a Mustang GT out on the course. I had fun,…

Reviews

SRSLab’s New Audio Essentials Let’s Your Mac Pump Up the Volume and Quality

When Apple first announced the new MacBook Pro with retina display they stressed that it was the best notebook they have ever built AND it had the best speakers they have ever put into a Mac notebook. After almost two weeks I can confidently say that this is absolutely the best computer I have ever used. At the same time, if these are the best speakers they have ever put into a Mac it says a lot for just how bad things were previously but says little about the audio coming from the MBPr. To be fair, it isn’t just…

Editorials

5 Reasons Why the $199 Google Tablet is a Terrible Idea … But I’m Getting One, Anyway

OK, so this was a post I started writing three months ago – when we first started hearing about a $199 Google Nexus Tablet. At the time I thought it was a bad idea – and we didn’t even know who was making it or what the specs might be like at the time! Now that we know that it is an ASUS device, with a footprint essentially similar to the Kindle Fire/Nook Tablet/Samsung Galaxy Tab/etc, with some decent sounding hardware compromises for the price, and the newly announced Android OS 4.1. And guess what – I am more convinced…

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