February 2014

Kia Announces an All-Electric Kia Soul

Earlier this week, we reviewed the 2014 Kia Soul; if you looked at that car and thought “it needs to be electric”, then you’re in luck! Kia has announced an all-electric Soul, with a range of 80-100 miles between charges. This is in line with other electric vehicles, but the Soul makes being an EV look good.


Google+ Gets HDR Scape and Zoom Editing

Google’s ubiquitous social network Google+ gets a picture editing update which allows for adding high dynamic range (HDR) effects to a single image, with a single click. HDR Scape is currently available in the Snapseed apps for Android and iOS and today you can use it in Google+ by editing a photo and clicking HDR SCAPE in the right corner.



Make Your Oscar Award Picks on the 2014 Oscars Ballot

I’ll admit that I haven’t seen most of the films that are up for 2014 Oscars, but based on buzz, there are a few that I want to see and that I hope do well. Fill out the New York Times Oscar Ballot, then share your picks and ballot results in the comments below.


Tomb Raider Definitive Edition Review on PlayStation 4

Tomb Raider Definitive Edition is a definite addition for next-gen console game libraries thanks to a strong narrative, poignant character development, and enhanced connections with Lara Croft’s gear, motivations, and background. A promising start that showcases the original 2013 Tomb Raider game from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics that hopefully brings many more high quality installments in the near future.


Get a Free Pink OrigAudio Rock-It for Valentine’s Day!

Shopping for Valentine’s Day is tough, especially when you aren’t sure that your Valentine will still be your Valentine on the 15th! The OrigAudio Rock-It in Pink is a gift that shows you are considerate without breaking the bank. To get yours, you’ll just pay a little bit of shipping. Supplies are limited, so hurry up and order!  


Apple’s Missed Opportunity — the Family Tablet

A coworker came to me recently for advice about buying a tablet for his family, one that he and his wife could use and share with his toddler. Specifically, he wanted a way to create timed parental controls, and he wanted to make sure he was right in believing the Kindle Fire was a better fit than the iPad.


Is “Not Having Kids” the Right Prescription for You?

Want to sleep through the night? Looking to keep your stress as low as possible? Looking to avoid paying $50,000 a year for college? Hoping to retire before the age of 75? Try “Not Having Kids”. It isn’t the right for everyone but it may be just the right prescription for you. Click for video. NSFW Via The Awesomer


Titanfall Beta Test Details Coming Early Next Week

Are you excited for Titanfall to be released on Xbox One and PC on March 11th?  So am I!  I cannot legally say whether or not I took part in the Alpha test, but there is a Beta test on the way!  Respawn tweeted today that Beta test details will be announced sometime early next week, so stay tuned!


Stern Debuts New Ford Mustang Pinball Games

The first Ford Mustang-themed pinball game was introduced in 1964 and this week, honoring 50 years of the Pony car, Stern Pinball debuts three new Mustang-themed pinball games at the Chicago Auto Show. The new games will pay homage to such icons as Boss 302, Boss 351, Boss 429, the original 1965 Mustang and the upcoming all-new 2015 Pony car.


JBL Synchros S400BT Wireless Headphones First Look

The JBL Synchros S400BT Bluetooth wireless headphones are the latest addition to the Synchros lineup. Packed with Bluetooth, touch controls and JBL’s sound expertise the headphones are an impressive new offering. They are available for pre-order for $299.95 and ship next month. We have a pair in hand. Here’s a first video look.



Laugh Away the Winter Blues, Because Misery Loves Company!

(Image courtesy NJ.com) Are you sick of winter yet? Have you been stuck inside for days? Does the sight of your snow shovel make you do a full body shudder? Cheer up with this hilarious video highlighting the dangers and pratfalls of all things wintry, snowy and icy! Hat tip to Severe NJ Weather for sharing this video instead of more bad snow news.


Moultrie Panoramic 150 Is Like Three Cameras in One

A good game camera is important for any hunter. Understanding the number and age of the deer in a herd is important to aid in making good management decisions. The problem is getting accurate photos when not present. The Moultrie Panoramic 150 utlizes a 150ft radius, and at $254.99 does the work of three cameras. Check out the video below.


Thecus N2310 NAS Review – A Fantastic Entry Level NAS

I love my digital media, so I built my own Home Theater PC that streams all of my movies and TV shows to my HDTV.  So, a Network Attached Storage system is perfect for me.  The Thecus N2310 is an entry-level NAS with two Hard Drive bays, RAID support and a slew of other features.  It retails for $159.



Hyperkin’s Five-in-One Retro Gaming Console

Retro-gaming is alive and well in many different forms, from virtual arcades on consoles to ports on smartphones to emulators to ‘TV games’ and new compatible hardware. But old gaming systems don’t work with HDTV systems. Enter Hyperkin’s Five-in-One Retro Gaming Console the Retron 5. The Retron 5 brings classic consoles to life – and works with HDTV systems! The Retron 5 showed up at CES last month but was largely passed over for more flashy hardware. Now that the dust has settled and the Q1 release date for Retron 5 is approaching, some information has emerged. Here are some…


I Can’t Wait to Give the JBL Synchros S400BT a Listen

The JBL Synchros S400BT are one of the upcoming JBL by Harman offerings Judie and I checked out during CES 2014. The newest in the JBL Synchros lineup, the Synchros S400BT headphones pack Bluetooth 3.0 with advanced aptX digital encoding technology in order to “stream the richest wireless audio experience available”. That’s just the beginning.



Luxi Turns Your iPhone into a Professional Light Meter

For years, professional photographers and filmmakers have been using light meters to tell them just how bright or dim the scene being recorded is but these handheld meters are rather pricey. The Luxi system from Extrasensory Devices is a diffusion dome attachment that clips on your iPhone and provides a very good, very affordable alternative to those expensive professional meters.


Touch Your Phone and Go with the Touch-Clip Silicone Stand

Here’s a rather neat smartphone accessory that is remarkably simple. USBFever’s Touch-Clip Silicone Stand is an inexpensive and low-profile stand that attaches to your smartphone’s back. When you need to prop the phone up you simply touch the stand in the middle and it pops into action. Best of all it is just $2.99.