The reality is the internet is largely populated with lies. Marketing disguised as information or personal anecdotes, news that’s agenda-driven propaganda, falsified information to sway opinions, and Photoshopped images presenting a false reality. So when a fake ‘iOS 7 makes your phone waterproof’ image came out I chuckled until someone asked if it was true. No … it’s a lie.
Have you been looking for a tote that could work as a purse but also function as a stylish gear bag? If so, the Oberon Design Everyday Tote may be perfect! I received mine just before our vacation, and it soon became a favorite. At $195, it is not inexpensive, but it is well made and should last for years. The Everyday Tote is composed of bench crafted waxed canvas and leather; it measures approximately 12” tall x 17.5” wide x 6.5” deep, and it weighs 1.75 pounds empty. The majority of the bag is waxed canvas, which I have learned…
Have you played a good book lately? Huh?!? Well, Silicon Sisters Interactive wants you to curl up with Everlove: Rose, an interactive story where the dialogue choices you make impact your relationships and can change the game outcome as well! It is a very well done game, and while aimed at girls and young women, I found it fun, too! Type of app: Interactive Novel Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad / iPhone, Kindle Fire, and Android. Developer: Silicon Sisters Interactive Description: “Everlove: Rose brings romance to life. Games have that power,” says Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, Silicon Sisters’ CEO and…
If you are considering a prepaid mobile plan, and you are interested in keeping your hardware costs down, but you don’t want a budget phone, then Boost Mobile has some news that should pique your interest. Today they are releasing the Boost Warp 4G LTE, their $199.99 Android-powered smartphone that has a 4.5″ display and an 8 megapixel camera. The Boost Warp 4G comes with • Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean OS • Dual Mode 3G/4G LTE • 4.5inch HD IPS touchscreen display with durable glass • 8-megapixel camera with 1-megapixel front-facing camera • 1.2GHZ dual core processor • Wi-Fi & GPS enabled • Stereo Bluetooth 4.0 • Visual Voicemail • Services: Boost…
The Ultimate Ears UE Boom wants to be the ultimate portable Bluetooth Speaker. With 15 hours of battery life, great 360º sound, a water and stain resistant acoustic skin, NFC connectivity, and the ability to link two UE BOOM speakers to create a stereo pair, at $199.99 it is definitely in the running. Get one. We’ve seen a number of portable Bluetooth speakers shaped like a cylinder. Among them are the impressive JBL Flip and the Scosche Boom Bottle, and both of those speakers stand out in terms of build and audio quality. While pricier than either of these options, the…
The blog entry starts with a chilling phrase – “Comments can be bad for science”. It is the announcement that Popular Science is shutting down the ability to comment on articles on their site – and it is being done because they see harm happening to the spread of science based on negative and politically charged commentary. So what is the big deal? I mean, have you been on YouTube lately? The discourse on PopSci is definitely civil compared to that level of vitriol. But it is the way negativity and misinformation in comments can shape whether or not someone…
Valve’s announcement of SteamOS it reminded me of another hidden Linux system. It is the GPL software license that has allowed many devices to adopt Linux. Android and kiosks are just two of them. This also can include devices you wouldn’t think would need an operating system like your TV. Your TV probably runs Linux. The GPL or GNU Public License is the license that the Linux kernel and the surrounding pieces of code that make a Linux system use. It is this reason that many hardware developers started looking to Linux to run the core of their devices. This…
Zagg offers excellent guarantees on their products, but do they actually live up to it? Yes! The cable on my awesome ZR-SIX headphones recently split at one of the junction points. I got on the company website, arranged a replacement, and had one on the way in minutes. I sent back the originals and … That’s great customer service!
Toyota has been in the hybrid automobile business longer than just about anyone. Both Honda and Toyota have been offering hybrid gas/electric vehicles more than a decade, but only Toyota and its Prius line, including the new Prius v, has grown so much it not only outsells mainstream models, but has evolved into a family all its own: Prii. The Prii family consists of the original Prius (which is now in its third-generation model line in the States), and Toyota has added three more models to the genus: Prius v (the “green” family truckster), Prius c (the cute little city…
To date, I am aware of only one dock for Android and that was the Sonr Symphony. I reviewed an early version of the dock here on Gear Diary. Hale Devices is Joe Born’s new name for Sonr Labs, and the Hale Dreamer picks up where the Symphony left off. Today they are kickstarting the Hale Dreamer Alarm Dock on Kickstarter. The Hale Dreamer combines both a physical dock with software to help control the phone while it’s in the dock. The software enables the hardware features of the dock like a real snooze button and more. It also includes…
IndieGameStand launched as a pay-what-you-want site that featured a new, hand-picked indie game every 96 hours. It remains a great concept, but today the site is expanding to feature a permanent store designed to make it simpler for indie developers to sell games without the hassles of other sites. Now developers can sell games directly and keep more money. To celebrate, the store is putting 14 indie games on sale through October 1, marked down 15% or more. You can read up on those games and the reasons IGS selected them for the launch sale here. The new site will…
The other day we took a look at Think Tank Photo’s new My 2nd Brain 13 laptop bag. Designed to carry a 13″ MacBook air or MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPhone and assorted accessories, it is a small but impressive bag. The company also offers a smaller, $74.75 version for those who just carry an iPad. Check it out. Think Tank Photo explains the My 2nd Brain Tablet this way: This slim, soft case fits an iPad + iPhone® in individual padded pockets. Additional dedicated pockets provide easy access to power adapters and memory cards, down to the tiniest…
Along with the new Kindle Fire HD and HDX models, Amazon introduced a few other interesting items. These include a new Kindle Fire OS, Offline Streaming of Amazon Prime videos, and an always-ready video help system called ‘Mayday’. With these value-added features Amazon hopes to distinguish itself and move beyond just being an Apple alternative by taking a leadership role. Amazon OS 3.0 ‘Mojito’ Amazon announced ‘Mojito’, Kindle Fire OS 3.0. The new OS brings native Android App compatibility, HTML5 app support, in-app purchase support and more. One of the biggest features is the new ‘Mayday Button’, which I’ll explore…
Overnight, we got word from Amazon that they were releasing a new line-up of Kindle Fire models. The current 7″ HD becomes the low-end, and they fill out the high-end with new quad-core based 7″ and 8.9″ HDX models. This is huge news in terms of features and pricing, but also a clear distinction between Amazon and Apple. The two Kindle Fire HDX models are packed with loads of updates including new productivity apps for email and calendar, new X-Ray for Music, and ‘Second Screen’ which let’s you send contents to a smart TV or Playstation 3/4. You will also…
Red Crow Mysteries: Legion is yet another excellent hidden object puzzle adventure game from Cateia Games and G5 Entertainment. I loved it on the iPad as well as the Mac, and now G5 has put the game on sale for 70% off ($1.99) for this week only, removing any excuse for genre fans not to go buy it now! Red Crow Mysteries: Legion for Mac Red Crow Mysteries: Legion (Full) for Mac Here is the trailer:
The Ballads of Reemus was a fun adventure game that evoked the classic LucasArts era of gaming. It was fun and funny with plenty to do and discover. Now Reemus is back for another adventure – well, he will be if you back him on Kickstarter! Develop Zeebarf plans to use funding to bring the game out in June 2014. Here is a snip of what the game is all about: A 2D, hand drawn, comedy-fantasy point and click adventure game in the vein of such classics as “Day of the Tentacle” & “Monkey Island” for PC/Mac/Linux. With future ports…
One of the overlooked features in iOS 7 is the new Inter-App Audio routing system. While not as powerful as AudioBus, Apple’s system provides yet another set of Core services that ensure system-level capability and functionality. Today IK Multimedia announced that their flagship AmpliTube app us iOS 7 compatible and adds Inter-App Audio routing system support. Here are some specifics about the iOS 7 support from the press release: Inter-App audio allows audio apps to communicate with each other and stream the audio output from one app to another. This feature is extremely handy for adding effects, and processing the…
I am not sure how I will contain my excitement/fear in the buildup to Sunday’s “Breaking Bad” finale, but I am insanely grateful to the Internet for generating content that eases the wait with humor. I cannot fathom the amount of work that went into this fan video that remixes clips from Breaking Bad into a spoken word version of “My Way”, but it is worth watching and rewatching! Fair warning: While the video does not show specific plot lines, many of the clips may be spoilers for events and scenes through the first half of Season 5.
Saying Microsoft’s Surface failed to penetrate the market barely scratches the surface – the software giant took a $900 write-down on crappy sales. Now Microsoft has announced the second generation of Surface tablets, largely focused on improving the specs of the tablets with similar pricing as previous units. But the big surprise was the music-centric Surface Music Kit. Let’s take a look at the Surface Music Kit before quickly discussing the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Microsoft Surface Music Kit Everyone knew that the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 were coming … the big surprise was the…
If you need more storage and flexibility for your camera bag/backpack check out the Lens Switch Case from Mind Shift Gear. This lightweight case offers added flexibility and helps keep an extra lens, flash or microphone handy. Just $42.50, it is designed for the rotation180° pro backpack, but I see it being useful in many different situations. Check it out. Here’s a look at the Lens Shift Case on video. Mind Shift Gear describes the Lens Shift Case in this way: The Switch Case is a lightweight and versatile unpadded modular lens/accessory pouch that can be carried on the belt…
I had not realized just how much I missed having global voice recognition until I went to Elana’s iPhone 4S while waiting for my iPhone 5S. Some background: I sold my iPhone 5 and had been using Judie’s spare iPhone 4 for the past few weeks. It worked fine, but the 4 doesn’t have Siri or voice recognition. Well, I’m baaack. I was using Dragon Dictation for the month I was on the 4, but having gone to the 4S and using Siri and global voice recognition since yesterday has reminded me of how much I missed it. It is…