July 2013

Thoughts on the ChromeCast

A few days ago Google let the ChromeCast out of the bag. For those who don’t know, the ChromeCast allows you to send Netflix, YouTube and other content to your TV from your laptop, phone or tablet. More applications are sure to come, but people are already snapping up this tiny dongle so fast that Google has had to discontinue including 3 months of Netflix. At $35 dollars it is a steal of a deal for what people can do with it. Some are saying that it’s a big game changing device. I am not totally convinced that it is….

News & Features

Traveling with the Nokia Lumia 928 – Good Enough to Be My Only Camera?

Before leaving on our recent trip to NYC, I was given the opportunity to try out a Nokia Lumia 928. I wasn’t expected to review the phone — Carly had already thoroughly done that. Rather, the idea was that I see how well the Lumia 928 could do as my primary camera while traveling, and to see whether I liked it better than some of the other phones I had also brought along on the trip. Ordinarily when traveling I’ll bring either my Canon G11 or 5D; on this trip I brought nothing but a bag-full of phones. Although I…

Gear Bits

Vertu Ferrari Ti Limited Edition – Inspired by the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

I have owned four different Vertu phones over the past decade, and while I can’t quite bring myself to spring for another one (yet) — I’m not gonna lie — I miss owning one. There is something to their saying that “Nothing will ever feel the same”. Vertu phones are handmade of the finest metals, ceramics, and leathers, and they are basically works of art that also happen to be rock solid phones. The concierge feature is a big part of why they cost so much, but the odd thing is that even though I had access to the service…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

The Oatmeal Nails Running Culture With Humor and Pathos

My series ‘The Monday Mile’ has detailed interesting health and fitness tips and my own personal experiences and feelings. I filter things I discover through th elens of my own personal experience with significant weight loss and fitness routines, and trends and truisms that have come and gone through the years. Over at The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman creates what he calls ‘badly drawn comics’ … but more important is the stories he tells through the comics. Until a few weeks ago my favorite was the story of his house burning down when he was a kid, because it is touching, funny…

Gear Bits

This Six-Shooter Coat Rack Means Business!

Bet you’ve never seen a coat rack quite like this one. Composed of four pistols, this unique piece of rustic-but-useful furnishing is just one of the more “unusual” pieces of decor in Pete’s Cabin, an exclusive runaway initially built for personal use by the owners of The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Other rustic touches includes a stuffed rattlesnake (“Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?”), a jackalope, a jacuzzi that gives Elvis’ Jungle Room and run for its money and much more. The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is owned by Maggie Hardy Magerko, president of the 84 Lumber Company, and…

News & Features, Outdoors

TrackingPoint Super Gun Technology Enables 3,100 Yard Shot Consistency

In January we brought exciting new firearm news with the TrackingPoint precision guided rifle technology. Read the news release here and read about their iPhone game here. The TrackingPoint technology allows rifles to be amazingly accurate up to 1,000 yards. The precision guided XactSystem allows shooters to tag a target, track it and fire the round making perfect shots despite moving the weapon slightly. The same sort of technology is used in fighter jets ensuring only the intended target is engaged. This is exciting technology that can only be found from TrackingPoint. The company was not satisfied with democratizing the…

Game Diary, News & Features

EA Games New Cash Cow? The iTunes App Store!

Electronic Arts (EA) launched the Origin content delivery service called Origin in 2011 to combat Steam in the exploding digital game delivery market. The big concern apparently wasn’t about games themselves as much as the highly profitable in-game DLC purchases. EA could deal with paying a chunk to market the main game – after all they’d been doing that with GameStop for ages. What they wouldn’t do was sacrifice any of the DLC profits – and that has proven to be a very strategic decision, only not related to Origin. In the most recent earnings call, Electronic Arts announced that…

Reviews

Tweekaboo Virtual Family Diary Review – a Baby Book for the Digital Age

Sarah and I can probably repeat the story of the 24 hours leading up to our son’s birth by heart. We told the story to family and friends, and whenever our newborn got fussy we told it to him. After a few days, Sarah turned to me and pointed out that we should probably write it down somewhere since we will eventually forget all the details. Luckily for us, we had the opportunity to test Tweekaboo, an app that acts as a virtual baby book, letting us add pictures and stories and share them with family and each other. Is…

Game Diary, Reviews

NCAA Football 14 on PlayStation 3 Review – Physics Driven Animation and Ultimate Team Mode

NCAA Football 14 represents a quality college football game standard that improves again with new Ultimate team mode, faster loading times, expanded customization, and a new graphics/physics engine. The Hype NCAA Football 14 unlocks the unpredictability and innovation of the college game. The new physics-driven animation system and a completely re-engineered spread and read option game influence the outcome of every moment allowing you to stay true to the game. The Reality One to four players can enjoy the off-line game modes while players can also tackle the two versus two online modes. Players get expanded control and customizable realism…

Gear Bits

Miniot’s New iPad Mini Cover is Woodlicious!

I have made no secret about how much I loved my Miniot Mk2 wood iPad cover, but I had to set it to the side when I moved to the iPad mini. Of course, I knew that the day would come when Miniot created the mini version, and sure enough — that day is here — and now I have a decision to make. Prices start at €59, and all it would take is a few moments spent on the site placing my order … and a few weeks of waiting. I have to admit that as tempted as I…

Game Diary, Reviews

Dreamscapes: The Sandman Collector’s Edition HD Is a Massive, Gorgeous Adventure Game for iOS

Similar to how console game developers offer DLC as a high profit way to give gamers more of a game they love, ‘collector’s editions’ of casual games offer a way to go beyond the core game for just a couple of extra dollars. When these games are ported to iOS devices, we often get the added content included for free with the full-game purchase. And best of all are times like this when a game offers added gameplay that is compelling, engaging, and worth the time. The game is Dreamscapes, and it is one of the best casual games of…

Reviews

USB Fever Aluminum iPad Keyboard Review – High Quality at a Great Price

When my MacBook Pro died, I was not able to replace it, and so I decided to use my iPad as my only mobile work device. Mastering my workflow has taken some adjustment, but it seems to be getting better with time. One issue I had to resolve was data entry. While I have become competent with the on-screen iPad keyboard, there are times when a true keyboard is just the best way to go. The only negative to an added keyboard is transportation; my gear bag now needs another spot for a second device. We recently brought news of…

Gear Bits, News & Features

New App Channels ‘SETI @ Home’ Technology for Android Smartphones!

Do you remember the heyday of ‘SETI @ Home’? The program was very popular just over a decade ago, and it made use of the millions of desktop computers that were not continuously hooked up to the internet via early broadband but sat idle much of the time waiting to chime ‘You’ve Got Mail!’. Now the folks at Berkeley are putting the same core computing principles at work with a project called BOINC. BOINC stands for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, and is known for the software that allows unused CPU cycles to be tapped by as many as…

Gear Bits, Health and Fitness, News & Features

Sweat Machine from UNICEF Turns Perspiration into Drinking Water

I have never had a problem perspiring – and given that I am also a distance runner who doesn’t shy away from the heat and humidity, and you have the recipe for some drenched workout clothes! All of my Dri-Fit stuff is still wet after several hours! Imagine if there was a way to harness all of that perspiration and convert it back to drinking water? Well, there is, and it is called simply the Sweat Machine and it is part of a UNICEF campaign to raise awareness for the 750 million people around the world without access to clean…

News & Features

ContourRoam2 Action Cam – Reviewed and Still Used

We’ve reviewed a number of action cameras here on the site over the past year or so, and the one that rose to the top for me was the ContourRoam2 Action Camera. The Roam2 is simple to use. In fact, it is so simple that I actually had to read the manual to figure out just how to start the recording process. It turns out simply powering it on is all you need to do. (Read the original review.) Add in the fact that the ContourRoam2 is waterproof and is less than $200, and you have an action camera that…

Health and Fitness, News & Features, Outdoors

Magellan’s Echo Smart Running Watch – Leverages Your Smartphone and Integrates Fitness Apps

Have you ever stood in your driveway waiting for your GPS to find satellites whereas your phone was set a few minutes earlier? I have done it many times, as has pretty much anyone who has both a GPS watch and smartphone! The realities of power, cost and space make it hard for GPS watch makers to have the same capabilities as a smartphone. To deal with this, Magellan introduces the Echo – let’s take a look! The Echo isn’t like other GPS watches – because it isn’t a GPS! Instead, it is a specialized Bluetooth receiver that works with…

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Ubuntu Kicks Off a $32 Million Edge Smartphone Indiegogo Campaign – Will it Work?

Engadget had a story about how Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has kicked off an Indiegogo campaign to help raise money to build their first Ubuntu Phone, the Ubuntu Edge. You can donate at many levels, but if you donate at least $830 dollars they will send you an Ubuntu Edge once it’s built as well. The phone looks really sharp, and it has what sounds like a decent wish list of features. Specifications Dual boot Ubuntu mobile OS and Android Fully integrated Ubuntu desktop PC when docked Fastest multi-core CPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage 4.5in 1,280 x 720 HD sapphire…

Events, Game Diary, Music Diary

Jason Michael Paul Discusses Upcoming rePLAY Video Game Musical Tour

Get ready for a musical tour like no other as powerful video game musical scores combine with professional theatrics, visuals and orchestral arrangements in the upcoming “rePLAY” tour. The “rePLAY” tour will visit select cities in the United States and dates for this highly anticipated tour will be announced this fall. Visit www.replay-symphony.com for tour dates, updates, breaking news, and more. “rePLAY” will be the spiritual successor to “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.” In 2006, executive producer Jason Michael Paul created “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony”, based on his previous “Dear Friends” tour, which both featured live orchestra performances with music and video from…

Reviews

Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds Review – Sweat-Proof and Ready for Action!

It was just about a year ago that we reviewed Plantronic’s BackBeat Go wireless headphones. The BackBeat Go were, and are (I still have and use them on occasion) impressive. Looking not much larger than standard wired earbuds, these wireless headphones were a feat of engineering that packed Bluetooth technology and a battery large enough to let you listen to music, watch a movie, or talk on the phone for up to four and a half hours per charge. They even had an inline microphone and controls that allowed you to take calls, skip tracks, and adjust volume on the…

Reviews

Logitech Harmony Smart Remote Universal Remote System Review

When I first had the opportunity to check out the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.1 tablet, I didn’t expect to think much of the inclusion of an IR blaster that allows the tablet to function as a smart remote for your tv and media system. Much to my surprise, I liked having the option to use the tablet to control my various entertainment systems. After all who needs to juggle multiple remotes when one device can replace them all? The Griffin Beacon (read about it) sought to do just that by turning your iPhone into a remote using an iOS app…

Health and Fitness

What Works for Me … Works for Me – The Monday Mile

This is going to sound a bit cynical and perhaps it is: American culture has become obsessed with the possibility of actions without consequence followed by a ‘quick fix’ to undo whatever mess we’ve made. I have a picture of my mother at a bicentennial celebration in 1976 and she was rail-thin, thinner than I had ever seen her. She had problems for years losing weight after my younger sister was born, so her doctor gave her diet pills to help. In the mid-70s ‘diet pills’ were basically speed. She lost weight way too fast because the speed diet pills…

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