July 2013

STM Cable Wrap Review Redux- Like a Protective Burrito for Your Cables and Accessories

These days it isn’t that we just carry our phones, tablets and laptops but we also carry the small cables and accessories that help us get the most from our electronics. And while you can just throw all those cables and adapters into your gear bag, keeping the safe and organized can help save precious time and frustration. After all, Murphy’s Law says the adapter you need will be the one at the very bottom of your bag. That’s where the STM’s Cable Wrap comes in. The simple, nylon accessory makes it easy to organize your cables and small adapters…

Game Diary, Reviews

Droidscape: Basilica Brings Fun Tactical Escapism to iPhone and iPad

Imagine a futuristic world of a new Dark Age where the only hope for humanity is locked away in a massive labyrinth of a space station called the Basilica. In order to free him you need to help a robot named Bishop 7 navigate the space station. It is a puzzle game with a bunch of twists – read on to find out what I thought! Type of app: Sci-Fi Action Puzzle game Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Kyttaro Games Description: -Sleek, versatile slider controls! – Or play with HeadTwister, our experimental head-tracking technology!…

Virtual City Playground Gets a Major Update

Game Diary, News

Virtual City Playground Keeps Chugging Along with Massive Update for iPad and iPhone!

I love the Virtual City games including the free social version Virtual City Playground, as I noted in my review of the Android version. In the review I noted that the game took all of the fun of Virtual City and brought it to a free ‘playground’ mode that allowed you to just have fun. Of course, for G5 the big thing is monetization, and they have been very successful trading ease of upgrading and building things for small amounts of real-world cash. It is the classic example of eventually paying $20 for a game that you wouldn’t pay $5…

Reviews

Crumpler Noose Camera Wrist Strap Video Review

One of the things I discovered when I began using the Sony NEX-6 instead of the Canon T3i was that while a neck strap was great with the larger Canon camera, it didn’t work nearly as well with the smaller CSC. At the same time, while I didn’t want to use a neck strap, I also wanted the security of using something with it. After all, the last thing I want to do is drop such a pricey piece of kit. I quickly went in search of a good wrist strap to use with it, and that’s when I stumbled…

News

M-Edge Has Your New Nexus 7 Covered

It’s that classic dilemma – you want to be an early adopter and buy that newly released phone/tablet/laptop/media player, but you also want to protect it in a stylish manner. Nothing deflates one’s pride at carrying around the latest tablet faster than pulling it out of last year’s case. I mean, sheesh, one must have standards, right? Luckily for you, M-Edge completely understands, and, anticipating the new Google Nexus 7, has introduced the Stealth for the updated tablet. The Stealth is a leather folio-style case, designed to be slim and lightweight. It has a magnetic closure and uses M-Edge’s GripTrack…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

My Day at the 2014 Toyota Tundra and 4Runner Preview Event

As I mentioned in a brief post the other day, last week I had the opportunity to travel to south-western Pennsylvania to stay at the Nemocolin Woodlands Resort and see, and drive, the 2014 Toyota Tundra and 2014 Toyota 4Runner. The resort was amazing and served as a terrific backdrop for getting to know the new Tundra and 4Runner. What follows is a brief description of our day along with some details on two lines of trucks that — spoiler alert — impressed the heck out of me. A bit of background. On farms throughout America, pickup trucks are like a member…

News

Protect Your 2013 Nexus 7 the Waterfield Way!

I broke down and ordered one of the second generation Nexus 7 tablets the other day. As much as I love my iPad, I really wanted to see what the latest generation of Google’s tablet has to offer. Knowing it is on the way, I wanted to make sure I had a good way to carry and protect it. Thankfully our friends at Waterfield have some great cases that will keep the new Nexus 7 pristine when on the go. Let’s take a quick look at just a few of the cases that are sized perfectly for the slightly smaller…

Game Diary, News

Nvidia Shield Lands in Stores Tomorrow!

Way back at CES 2013 in January Nvidia announced the Shield, a high-performance gaming and entertainment portable system based around the powerful Tegra 4 processor system. Well, the system hits stores on August 1st, and is already seeing some positive early buzz. Some of the features include: • The ultimate gaming and entertainment portable – powered by Tegra 4 • Ready for Android gaming – compatible with 100+ games on Google Play • Capable of streaming your PC games over Wi-Fi – to play anywhere in the house • Featuring a console-grade game controller, 5-inch retina-quality multi-touch display, custom-tuned bass reflex…

Game Diary, News

BioShock Infinite Clash in the Clouds Expansion Pack Releases

Today 2K and Irrational Games released the first expansion (a.k.a. downloadable content (DLC)) pack for BioShock Infinite – BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds on the PlayStation 3 ($4.99), Xbox 360 (400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live), and PC ($4.99). Gear, Tears, Vigors, Sky-Lines, and weapons will help players conquer four new areas including the Museum, Emporia Arcade, and Duke and Dimwith Theater. BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds is set in a unique arena shooter format with the main character Booker DeWitt and his companion Elizabeth as the playable characters. Players can also unlock exclusive content including voxophones, kinetoscopes,…

Editorials

What’s a Fair Wage for Fast Food Workers?

What did your first job pay? I vaguely remember my first “real” job (i.e., not babysitting) at Borders during summer break from college, where I was thrilled to be making $6.25ish per hour. Fast forward to when I worked as a supervisor for Borders, post-college, with a degree, where I started at $8.75 an hour. Even with roommates, it was tough to stretch that every two weeks. So I have a lot of sympathy for the current fast food workers’ strike, where they’re fighting for a raise, specifically to a significant level above the current average rate of $7.25 per…

Reviews

Skooba Design Skooba Satchel V.3 Mini Review – A Small Bag That Means Business

When I moved to using my 15” MacBook Pro with retina display as my only computer last year, I found I needed a properly sized bag in which to carry it. My initial plan was to only carry an iPad, but that quickly disappeared as I found myself increasingly in need of a full computer and all of its power. I went on a hunt, and I found a number of terrific options. They have served me well for the last year or so, but now that I am back using two different laptops; my 15″ computer is my desktop…

Game Diary, Gear Bits, Health and Fitness

Blue Goji Fitness Game Company Launches – Cardio Exercise Experience Through Immersive Gameplay

Blue Goji has begun and aims to combine fitness and gaming into a brand new platform where working out is more fun by adding interactivity using various tech devices, especially mobile and tablet devices. The Blue Goji fitness game platform will function with tablets and smartphones (Android and iOS) on cardio equipment such as treadmills, stationary bicycles, and elliptical machines. The Android/iOS first platform will release near the 2013 holiday season. The formation of this new interactive fitness company was announced on July 29, 2013. This company looks to use their Goji Play game system and other interactive methods to “transform the cardio…

Health and Fitness, Outdoors

The (Elevation) Map Is a Lie – The Monday Mile

This weekend I completed the inaugural running of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon Marathon. The race takes place on the Pine Creek Gorge just outside of Wellsboro, PA. As noted, this was the first running of the race, which always means watching organizers work out the bugs in the system in real-time. I had gotten a couple of obscure comments from one of the leaders of a local running club group on Facebook, so I was watching what happened over the course of the pre-race and race-day events. It was a race and a weekend that left me conflicted in many…

Gear Bits

Photos Taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020 Are Amazing!

Gear Diary reader, David Min, recently purchased the brand new super camera smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020. Because I haven’t yet got mine (yes, I am planning on buying one, too), he sent in some comparison photos so we could see the difference between the Lumia 1020 on High Resolution, the Nokia Lumia at 5MP, and the iPhone 5. All I can tell you is that after seeing these photos, I have no doubt that I will be buying this phone! All photos are thumbnails; if you click on them they will open and enlarge in a new window. Of…

Editorials, News

Muzik Socially Integrated Headphones – Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

“Just because you can include some technological advance in your consumer product, it doesn’t mean you should.” That’s really the thought that came to mind when reading about a pair of new, upcoming headphones. Muzik (while I’m on a rant… I hate it when companies intentionally spell words incorrectly) just announced their first product – a pair of “smart headphones”. As the company release notes the company is, “pioneering a new space called social smartware”. The term describes their goal of connecting consumer electronic devices to content and social media platforms with the goal of making “music instantly discoverable and…

Crowdfunding, News

Adventure Underwear – Useful Travel Product and the BEST Kickstarter Pitch Ever

When we received the email telling us about Adventure Underwear, my interest was immediately captured. I mean, how often do we get pitched for underwear? (Okay, it actually happens more than you might realize.) Then I saw this… Yeah, one of the project creators actually had a hose shot at his privates in order to show how waterproof the waterproof pocket is. Now THAT’S commitment. Then I watched to video pitch on Kickstarter. And I was sold. Seriously. Then there is the product itself. Made from 100% superfine Australian Merino Wool, these travel underwear are soft, lightweight and breathable. And the…

Vehicles & Gear

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT One Sweet Ride

A year ago, we tested the world’s most expensive Jeep in the form of the Grand Cherokee SRT8, a vehicle I stated was apparently intended for those with plenty of disposable income and pay little attention to fuel prices. For the 2014 model year little has changed, save for the fact that gas prices have inched up a bit along with the sticker price of the new model while its badging shaves a character. Plus the new ride gets some new styling and a new gearbox. Jeep has given the entire Grand Cherokee lineup all-new styling for the 2014 models…

Gear Bits

Leap Motion – the Future Remains a Work in Progress

ARS Technica has a hands-on look at using the Leap Motion Controller. If you aren’t familiar with this device, which just began shipping this week, it is a small box that connects to your Mac and allows your hands to act as input devices for your computer. Now in and of itself, that isn’t so interesting. After all, it is your hands on a mouse or trackpad that currently allow you to input and control your computer. The difference here is that the Leap Motion Controller allows you to simply wave your hands in front of the screen and control…

Reviews

Orb Audio Review – Powerful Audio with a Unique Style

Mike reviewed the Orb Audio Mini-T stereo system back in December of 2011. You can read his review here, but all you really need to know is that when the time came to return the loaner unit, Mike was none-too happy. Yup, he really liked the system. The unit Mike reviewed consisted of two single Orb speakers, an Orb Super Eight subwoofer and the company’s Mini-T amplifier. The company sent me the same arrangements for a second-look Gear Diary review. The only significant change was the inclusion of the updated — and significantly more refined-looking — Mini-T. Was I equally…

News

Jillian’s Drawers Makes Trying Cloth Diapers Economical and Fun!

My son may be small, but he has quite a bit of gear amassed already. Bottles, pacifiers, “soothing vibration” in just about any accessory he can lay or sit on…he’s got quite the stash of baby stuff, all of which is constantly being refined and retooled by manufacturers as design and technology improve. Even items that most people think of as “old-fashioned”, like cloth diapers, have undergone a major revolution and style change. Since disposable diapers are both pricey and not great for the environment, Sarah and I are anxious to try our hand at cloth diapers. However, there’s what…

Events, News, Outdoors, Vehicles & Gear

Down and Dirty with the 2014 Toyota 4Runner

During this week’s Press Preview of the 2014 Toyota Tundra and 2014 Toyota 4Runner, we had a chance to spend some “quality time” in different models of each truck. And while we spent some time with the trucks on nicely paved roads, we also had a chance to go off-road with both vehicles. The event took place on the grounds of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA, a gorgeous resort set on 2,000 wooded acres in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Here’s a small taste of what it was like off-road in the 4Runner. Toyota had a series…

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