2013

Celebrate Julia Child’s 101st Birthday with a Price Reduction in the Mastering the Art of French Cooking App!

When I was a wee preschooler, my morning TV schedule ran from Sesame Street to Mr. Rogers, and then to Julia Child’s cooking show, The French Chef, which helped plant the seed that influenced my interest in cooking. Why do I mention this bit of minutiae? Well, it so happens that today is famed chef Julia Child’s 101st birthday, and to celebrate, Random House Digital, Inc. slashed the price of their iOS app Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes from $4.99 to $1.99 from August 15 through August 18! Based on Child’s acclaimed book Mastering the Art of…

Music Diary, Reviews

Swingadelic – Toussaintville CD Review

The music Alan Toussaint is instantly recognizable and enjoyed across genres and decades. Swingadelic is ostensibly a swinging big band, but brings enough pop, funk, and New Orleans second-line sound to their mix to make their songs infectious to all music lovers. Together the combination is a big gumbo pot of fun sure to bring a party! Musical Genre: Jazz / Pop Where to buy: iTunes Artist: Swingadelic Description: Allen Toussaint’s music, which has been performed by everyone from Irma Thomas to Little Feat, is all about feeling. When done right, Toussaint’s songs take on a funky depth that’s rare…

Game Diary, Reviews

Cognition Episode 2 – The Wise Monkey HD for iPad Review

Cognition is an episodic adventure game from legendary developer Jane Jenson and Phoenix Online Studios. I reviewed the iPad version; Episode 1 was deep, tense and intriguing, but performance was a bit erratic on iPad. Episode 2 “The Wise Monkey” works out all of the kinks, but maintains the same thrilling feel and well written plot. Buy now to see what Erica does next! Type of app: Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the iTunes App Store. Developer: Phoenix Online Studios LLC Description: When someone close to Erica is kidnapped by the Wise Monkey, a serial killer fixated on…

News & Features

eBay My Gadgets Lets You Track and Sell Your Gadgets With Ease

eBay’s new My Gadgets website lets you quickly gather all your gadgets in one place and then see just how much it is actually worth. Better still, with My Gadgets selling the items you no longer use is easier than ever! All of this is possible Thanks to eBay’s extensive database of electronics and a well-designed web portal. Click here. Last night Judie posted about eBay’s new My Gadgets portal. As she was sharing the news, I was in Manhattan for the eBay My Gadgets Announcement Party. While there, I had a chance to talk a bit about Judie and…

Events, News & Features

eBay Launches My Gadgets, a Way for You to Catalog and Value Your Gadget & Tech Collection

If you have been keeping up with Dan’s and my eBay posts and the massive contest connected to the products we’ve reviewed, then you know that eBay has been in the process of launching their now-live site, My Gadgets, where users can “easily catalog their tech collections and see the current value of each of their tech items.” My Gadgets helps users organize and save all of their gadgets and tech items in a single location; the idea is to make it easy for users to “view the individual and collective values” of their items, “based on eBay’s unique data on current sales…

News & Features

PetziConnect Lets You Send Your Dog Remote Treats and Praise

Petzila is rolling out the PetziConnect, a webcam and treat dispenser designed to let you interact with your pet, even when you’re not home. Hey, it beats dogTV! My dog routinely outsmarts us. He figured out long ago that he gets treats for two reasons: someone’s at the door, and we don’t want him to eat them, or we’re leaving, and we want him to go lay down on his bed and be a good boy. Bribing him when guests are over is easy since we can keep an eye on him, but the problem with the treats+leaving combo is…

Reviews

Twelve South HiRise Review – A Perch for Your iPhone 5 and iPad mini

Twelve South only makes products for Apple devices, and their newest offering is a fantastic addition to their lineup. The HiRise is under $35 ,and it is a dock that works with both the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini. It also lets you use either device with most cases! Check it out here. The HiRise is an elegant way to raise your iPhone 5 or iPad mini up off your desk or countertop, and it will securely hold, charge and, if so desired, sync with your computer. I love the look of the HiRise and it works exactly as promised. I…

Editorials, Gear Bits

Dreary New HTC Ad Begs for the Label – Help This Company (Please)!

It was big news that HTC had snagged Robert Downey Jr as a spokesman, hopefully signaling a strong marketing campaign that will turn things around for the beleaguered maker of excellent quality — but poorly selling — phones. Guess what? First ad is crap, and it pretty much begs to be called the ‘Help This Company’ campaign. So here we have HTC, a company that has divided smartphone efforts between Android and Windows Phone, a company that recently narrowed product naming and offerings because they felt they were too ‘all over the place’ … and we are getting an ad…

News & Features

MindShift Gear’s Contact Sheet – an Item Photographers Will Want

If you are an outdoor photographer, you may find times when you need a clean, dry place to lay out your gear. MindShift Gear’s new Contact Sheet lets you do just that. Pull out the lightweight tarp and you have a place to work anywhere you go. It is $39.99, and it is available here. MindShift Gear, a new company founded by the creators of Think Tank Photo and conservation photographer Daniel Beltrá, are ready to make a splash in the photographic accessory market. Their first accessory product (they also have two photographic backpacks available — more on them soon) is…

Gear Bits

The Traktorfahrn Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand

This is the $79 Tobago pear – desk organizer & tablet stand by ETSY seller Traktorfahrn. It will hold your tablet and a few other desktop items, and it is made to work in several configurations. Evidently the maker discovered an unexpected benefit to the stand, too — the solid wood base “amplifies musik if [the] speaker is facing [the] bottom.” Handcrafted in Dusseldorf Germany from pear wood, which has a beautiful reddish grain, the Tobago Pear Desk Organizer & Tablet Stand measures 20 x 12 x 3 cm (7.9” x 4.7” x 1.2”), and it will fit the iPad2, iPad3, Samsung Tablet, ASUS Tablet as well…

Editorials

10 Ways You Can Unintentionally Reveal Your Location and How to Stop It

I was reading Facebook this morning, and I saw a three-year-old video that details how posting pictures on Facebook or other social networks can reveal your location. Keep reading for 10 different ways I’ve found that you can unintentionally share your location, and how to combat it if you prefer not to be so transparent. 10. For Amateur Radio Operators Only: The FCC Database This one is listed as number 10, and it’s only for amateur radio operators. I will detail some of the other ways your location can be revealed as a ham operator in another post, but this is…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Merrell Vapor Glove Minimal Running Shoe Review

Minimalist running means different things to different people, from zero-drop to barefoot design to little cushioning. Regardless of definition, the Merrell Vapor Gloves qualify; they have zero drop, 2mm of cushion, and they can fold up into your pockets. They are amazingly comfortable while offering an uncompromisingly minimal design, so it’s worth checking them out to see if they’re for you. I did an initial impressions post on the Vapor Glove, and now after spending more time with the shoes, it is worth going back to see they have performed over a longer time period. So let’s get into some…

Reviews

AKG K495 NC On-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones Review – Hear the Quiet, Even When It Is Noisy

The AKG K495 on-ear headphones offer good sound and excellent noise cancellation in a refined package that looks great and is as comfortable as any pair of on-ear headphones I have used. At $349.95 the USB rechargeable headphones are, however, a bit pricey. Then again, quality doesn’t come cheap. Check them out here. I’m on the Amtrak Acela headed from Jersey to DC for a few hours. I like these one day trips, so long as I get to take the train rather than fly. It is easy, rather comfortable and, at least compared to travel by air, quiet. Still,…

Editorials, Gear Bits

The Iomega Zip Drive: A Retro Tech Look-Back

How much storage is enough? More! More than whatever number you were thinking – which is an order of magnitude more than what was possible a few years ago. I take a look back at the Iomega Zip Drive, the popular cheap and reliable storage device that bridged the time between floppy disks and USB flash storage. The Iomega Zip Drive was originally introduced in 1994, started shipping in 1995, and died out about a decade ago — though I can’t find an exact termination date. I remember the release well, and I was right on board when it arrived….

News & Features

DataViz Protects and Syncs Your Passwords and Sensitive Info with Passwords Plus

If you are an avid user of Documents to Go you probably already knew about some of DataViz, Inc.’s product offerings in the software office arena. One aspect that is critical to office integrity is security, and DataViz has recently stepped up to the plate with their new Passwords Plus cross-platform password security software. Starting at $9.99, Passwords Plus works to keep passwords, PINs and related sensitive information secure from prying eyes and keep that data synched between devices. No more struggling to remember passwords or hunt through filing cabinets for password lists! It should be no secret that…

Vehicles & Gear

Living Large in the all-new 2014 Acura RLX

Acura has quietly introduced a new flagship sedan that it calls RLX. It qualifies as a midsize car by EPA standards but sports all the accoutrements expected in a large luxury cruiser and delivers it with a luxo-barge pricetag in the mid-$50s. The luxury division of Honda brings the new 2014 RLX premium sedan to market with a whisper, and at some of the biggest auto shows this year it was relegated to a side stage rather than “front and center.” Odd, really, as the automaker touts numerous new technologies and systems in the new car that also sees the…

Editorials

Is “Textspeak” Ruining Communication?

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, I can’t help but rant about the creeping specter of textspeak in everyday communications. With smartphones and full keyboards, there’s no excuse to not spell out your words! I have a big fear about the future of the written word. No, I’m not about to give you an anti-eBook screed; you’ll never see me parting from my beloved Kindle. And I think Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post is very intriguing. Rather, I am terribly afraid for the literal words, as more and more textspeak is making its way into everyday and professional contexts….

Reviews

LifeProof nüüd for the iPhone 5 Review — Take It All Off

The LifeProof nüüd for the iPhone 5 is the thinnest, lightest, and most refined case Lifeproof has offered. It protects your iPhone from drops, dust, snow, and dirt, yet there is nothing covering the screen. Available in black or white, this is an awesome case if you need serious protection. Get it here for $89.99 I’ve been a big fan of Lifeproof ever since they released their first case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The cases were thinner and lighter than any other rugged case I had tried and yet they offered as much or more protection than…

Reviews

Waterfield CitySlicker Tablet Case Review – Protect Your 2013 Nexus 7 In Style

If you are looking to protect your 2013 Nexus 7 in style, then you’ll want to check out Waterfield’s CitySlicker Tablet Case for the Nexus 7. It is a gorgeous combination of leather and other materials, holds a few key accessories, and does a great job protecting the latest Google tablet. The Waterfield CitySlicker Tablet Case is a gorgeous case for carrying your 2013 Nexus 7 and a few key accessories. It might be a bit of overkill, but it is so nice to carry that the added bulk and expense may well be worth it. Here’s a look on…

News & Features

Check Out Dan’s Look at the Polk Audio LSi25 Speakers – Then Enter to Win Big with eBay

Dan loves his small wireless speakers, but the Polk Audio LSi25 Speakers may bring him back to component stereo systems. The speakers are pricey, and they require the addition of an independent amplifier, but in return they offer huge, impressive sound. Dan took a look for eBay as part of their huge My Gadgets Giveaway. As Dan points out in his post over on the eBay Influencer’s Blog, while you can get good sound from a small speaker, big, teeth-rattling, bone-shaking sound won’t come from something that can sit on a bookshelf. For that kind of sound, you’ll want something…

Editorials, Health and Fitness

Can You Hear Me Now? Running with Music – The Monday Mile

Running outside brings freedom and opportunities to interact with nature. Listening to music helps pass time, provides a motivation, and creates a pacing rhythm – so long as you listen at a safe volume. Running outside already poses numerous risks – why make it worse with music so loud you can’t even hear these risks? Safe music volume is another key to running safety. Last weekend I went out for a couple of long runs when it worked for my family schedule. One day that was 11AM after grocery shopping; the other day it was 7PM after dinner. Naturally at…

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