2013

Saints Row IV Collector’s Edition Announcement

Get your late summer action now! The Saints Row IV Collector’s Edition: the Super Dangerous Wub Wub Edition is now available for preorder on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at all participating North American retailers in limited quantities. This collector’s edition is listed at a MSP of $99.99 and will officially release with the standard version (PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) and Commander in Chief Edition (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) on August 20, 2013. The Saints Row IV Collector’s Edition: the Super Dangerous Wub Wub Edition will include a 12 inch Dub Step gun replica that will deliver…


Jon Wirtz Tourist Review – A Great Collection of Disparate Compositions

Back in 2010 Jon Wirtz impressed me and many others with his debut recording ‘Sea Level, featuring mature solo piano work that evoked comparisons to reknowned pianists such as Keith Jarrett, Vijay Iyer and Matthew Shipp. Now he has returned with his ‘Nuskool’ trio on an album of strong and diverse compositions called ‘Tourist’. The album had a ‘soft launch’ back in April but I have been enjoying it on my iPod for even longer. Let’s take a look!


E3 2013 Schedule of Company Presentation Overviews

NOTE: This collaborative article was co-written with our special correspondent Wayne Beck. This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will bring more details about the highly anticipated new consoles from Sony and Microsoft, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while Nintendo looks to bolster their WiiU game library. The used game market, high-profile games, and independent sleep hits will also be on our radar. The main festivities of the E3 show occur on-site in California on Tuesday, June 11 (noon to 6 p.m.), June 12 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and Thursday June 13 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Here are…


Get Out and Run for National Running Day on June 5th!

Tomorrow (June 5th) is the fifth annual National Running Day, but is the first one I have known about or participated in running. The purpose is to get people inspired to get out in run in as many different ways as there are runners. So whether it is a street run, pounding around a track, doing trails or relays or group runs or whatever, it is a great opportunity for distance runners to reaffirm our commitment and for new or occasional runners to get themselves started with a new training plan or goal. According to Running USA’s media director Ryan…


Nokia Lumia 928 Windows Phone Music Controls – Little Features Make a Big Difference

I am really loving my new Lumia 928. Now that I am past the initial phase of learning Windows Phone and adjusting to a larger phone, I am starting to notice little ways that Windows Phone 8 makes life easier. The biggest standout for me, above and beyond any other, is how it handles music controls. Every morning and evening I stream Pandora on my way home from work. On the iPhone, it was easy to flip to a different song by just double clicking the home button and pulling up the music controls while the iPhone was locked. I…


Goji Smart Lock Makes Other Locks Look Stupid

We already use our home network to control our Nest thermostat from our smartphones, but this similarly styled smart deadbolt system might be something Kev and I should next consider. The Goji Smart Lock uses your home WiFi network to send real-time picture alerts to your smartphone when someone activates the lock. You can also use its smartphone app to remotely allow access to your home when an out-of-town friend or relative shows up and you are running late.


It is NOT All About the Gear – The Monday Mile

As I went out for a run last week, I was fresh off cashing in a gift card at my local Dick’s Sporting Goods (and loads of coupons), and I was flush with cool new stuff. It occurred to me that I was outfitted with HUNDREDS of dollars in gear – minimal shoes, high-tech socks, absurdly expensive Dri-Tech shorts, Dri-Tech compression shirt, SpiBelt, Garmin FR-10 GPS watch, and even a $25 high-tech running hat! The only thing that wasn’t exorbitant, was the $0.30 of band-aids to prevent ‘shirt front bleeds’, if you get my drift. Contrast this with what I…


Tom Bihn Synapse 25 Backpack Review – Bigger and Better!

It’s been a while since Tom Bihn released the original Synapse backpack.  I liked it very much except that it does tend to look a little silly on a big guy like me, and sometimes it’s just a bit too small to hold the things I want to bring along.  Apparently I am not the only one who has said that, which led Tom to design a bigger version of the Synapse, called the Synapse 25.  The original Synapse is still being made, and is now called the Synapse 19. What’s New?


2013 Dodge Charger Pays Homage to Past and Present

Dodge recently redesigned its fullsize Charger sedan, giving it bodylines and other styling cues that pay homage to the iconic car’s heritage. Keeping it current and marketable, the automaker loads the vehicles with a host of modern powertrains and interiors (and safety equipment). Under the hood of our first recent Charger tester – an R/T – was the latest 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI with Fuel Saver cylinder deactivation technology that offers 25 mpg on the highway but still delivers a very healthy 370hp when prompted. The R/T came with a five-speed automatic but adds new die-cast zinc steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters…


The Lifesaver Filtered Water Bottle Review

There are a few basic necessities that all humans need to survive:  Food, Water, and Shelter.  Shelter can be built by people with materials one finds throughout the world; wood, stone, sand, clay are all examples of items that can be found in nature in order to build and provide shelter for humans.  Food can also be found by either scavenging or hunting and there are simple ways to prepare food with fire.  However, clean, drinkable water can be extremely difficult to find and there are no real fool proof ways to ensure that one can remove all bacteria, viruses,…


Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Camera Backpack Is Your New Adventure Buddy

The Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW camera backpack is a great way to carry and protect your mirror less camera, a tablet and a healthy selection of gear. When preparing for CES 2013 last January I tried a number of bags and backpacks that would allow me to carry my camera gear and my tablet all day long. Ultimately I settled on a backpack from Loco, and I really enjoyed using it. It was a bid on the large side for me but, for CES, that was a good thing. (That review is forthcoming.) When I moved to a smaller…


Yurbuds Inspire Limited Edition Sport Earphones Offer Good Sound and Good Fit

The other day we reviewed yurbuds’ Focus Pro behind the ear sports headphones. I was impressed with the comfort of the headphones as well as the microphone and in-line controls on them. The audio from the headphones was good, but it wasn’t good enough to make the Focus Pros something I would want to listen to as my full-time pair of headphones. The Focus Pros are perfectly fine for a run or similar activity, but they simply don’t stand up to some of the other relatively high-end headphones we have reviewed. This time we are looking the yurbuds Limited Edition…



The Shadow Sun Gets New Screens as Release Approaches!

Back in the early Fall of 2010, Ossian Studios released the first screens and information for their in-progress iOS RPG called ‘The Shadow Sun’. Ossian was already known to RPG fans as the studio formed by ex-Bioware producer Alan Miranda, which had created some of the best third-party content for Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2. In short, these guys know their stuff, and they put forth their mission – the “ultimate goal of creating a top-quality PC/console RPG experience on iOS.” Since then there has been little news other than delays and removal of a specific time frame for…


Yurbuds Focus Pro Review – They Stay Put and Keep the Music Going

In 2010 yurbuds came out with one of the silliest audio products ever- or so I thought. They offered custom-sized “earbud enhancers” that fit over the one-size-fits all earbuds Apple and others included with phones and media devices. The goal of these “enhancers” was to create a better, more comfortable fit. I wasn’t impressed. Fast forward to CES 2011, and the company showed off their revamped product. Now, instead of having a cover that fit over your existing earbuds, they offered a complete package — their own brand of earbuds with the yurbud special sauce,  the earbud enhancers already in place. We…


Battery for Windows Phone Review

I am having fun setting up my new Lumia 928, and part of that is getting to know new apps and settings. On my iPhone I had my battery percentage listed in the status bar, but that’s not an options in Windows Phone. Luckily, I stumbled across a great utility app, aptly called “Battery”, that provides a Live Tile of my percentage battery life left, plus a whole slew of other useful data settings and shortcuts!



Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron for PSP – A Retro Romp Review

In the late fall 2005 after the PSP had been released for about six months LucasArts released Star Wars Battlefront II on a variety of platforms including the Sony PSP. The PSP version was a solid enough shooter but definitely lacking in depth and execution compared to other platforms. In 2007 came the PSP-exclusive follow-up Renegade Squadron, and finally in 2009 there was a DS/PSP game Elite Squadron. The final game was released as interest in the PSP was waning, folks were getting ready for whatever was next, and smartphone gaming was on the rise. I hadn’t played in nearly…


Fuse Review on PlayStation 3

NOTE: This collaborative review was co-written with our special correspondent Wayne Beck. Fuse is an engaging four player co-operative action game with third and first person shooter perspectives. The Hype What happens when human beings access powerful alien technology they were never meant to have been exposed to? When a volatile energy source they call Fuse falls into the wrong hands, the CIA calls upon an elite contact team to retrieve it, known as Overstrike 9. Huddle with up to 3 friends in team-based co-op play as you take down the rogue paramilitary corporation behind the theft. Use lethal teamwork,…


Super Stickman Golf 2 Update on the Horizon!

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve spent many hours hitting the links on Super Stickman Golf 2.  I have played countless, and I mean that literally, countless multiplayer matches.  I’ve completed all courses, found almost all of the golf bux (just one alludes me!), and collected 27 out of the 30 hats.  Just as I’m about to complete all that SSG2 has to offer, I was thrilled to hear that Noodlecake Studios has announced an upcoming update for my favorite game. The developers have listened to player feedback and have come up with a list of new content that…


Nexus Experience Coming to the HTC One

HTC has heeded the calls of the Android community: a clean Nexus version of the HTC One is coming on June 26. Based off the unlocked 32GB silver model, the HTC One Nexus Experience will be available in the Google Play store for $599. This matches the off contract price for the normal HTC One. Dispensing with the Sense customisations, this “Nexus Experience” version of the HTC One will run pure Android 4.2.2, with updates being received directly from Google rather than HTC. The move follows Samsung’s announcement of a Galaxy S 4 that will also be available in the Google…