Michael Anderson | Gear Diary

IK Multimedia Launches iLoud Speaker – the Ideal Portable Speaker for Musicians and Audiophiles

Over the last few years the Bluetooth speaker market has gone from non-existent to absolutely amazing. At GearFest we listened to a number of speakers that were loud, paired easily, and sounded great. Today IK Multimedia released iLoud, another of the cool products revealed at CES. iLoud brings the musician’s sensibilities and needs to the world of Bluetooth speakers. Here are some of the features: Loud and Clear The iLoud speaker is indeed very loud. In fact, it’s 2 to 3 times louder than comparable size speakers — a blasting 40W RMS of power. But iLoud is extremely clear at…

Game Diary, Reviews

Puzzle Retreat Coming to Amazon Appstore, Is Already Awesome on iOS

I got an email from The Voxel Agents about their game Puzzle Retreat coming to the Kindle Fire, and as I looked at their site and the trailer I noticed it was already on iOS and Android, so I gave it a shot. Guess what? It is breezy, engaging, and loads of fun. Check it out!

Game Diary, Reviews

Silent Valley: Mystery Mansion HD Cloaks iOS in Secret Terrors!

Recently I reviewed Temptation: Episode I from Vogat and G5 Entertainment, a haunting tale of magic and mystery brought to life through the casual hidden object genre. Now they are back with Silent Valley: Mystery Mansion, another dark and mysterious tale full of dread and misfortune. The story is once again wonderfully integrated and enjoyable to explore – another great game!

Gear Bits

Drox Operative: Invasion of the Ancients Now Available

Drox Operative is a starship action RPG featuring warring alien races, fierce space battles, as well as dynamic, evolving galaxy, and co-op multiplayer for Windows and Mac. It is fantastic indie RPG that breaks from the standard fantasy RPG genres. Today Soldak games launched the first expansion, Invasion of the Ancients, with loads of new features.

Game Diary, Reviews

Avadon 2: The Corruption for Mac and PC Game Review

Jeff Vogel’s Spiderweb Software has been putting out some of the best indie role-playing games for 20 years. The Avernum and Geneforge franchises rank up there with some of the best commercial games made through the years. Back in 2011 they broke new ground with the Avadon franchise; now the sequel arrives, improving on the original in every way.

Music Diary, Reviews

Unreleased Classic ‘Looking For The Next One’ from S.O.S. Was Worth the Wait!

Every year we get newly discovered classics or hidden gems from artists, and while very often these are out-takes, cutting room floor scraps, and other ‘cash grab’ items … every now and then there is a real gem. ‘Looking For The Next One’ from the saxophone trio of John Surman, Mike Osborne, Alan Skidmore is one such gem.

Gear Bits

Installing Google Apps on the Kindle Fire HDX? Just Don’t Bother!

Nate over at The Digital Reader had a post about installing Google apps on the new Kindle Fire HDX. Since I use GMail and other Google stuff and have the new Kindle Fire HDX, I figured ‘why not’. Turns out there is a basic reason – not all services work correctly and there are no notifications. As a result, my only recommendation is ‘just say no’. The method to installing everything comes in four steps: • Google Account Manager • Google Play Services • Google Service Framework • Gmail You add one, reboot the Fire the install the next, and…

Music Diary, News & Features

R.I.P. Ronald Shannon Jackson and Lou Reed

Over the last week we’ve lost two visionary artists in very different musical genres; two men whose names might not have been household names and who might never have burned up the pop charts, but their impact was broad and far-reaching, and who will be sorely missed. Those men were jazz drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and rock musician Lou Reed.

Editorials

HP Omnibook 300 at 20: A Retro Tech Look-Back

As we look forward to new technology, sometimes it is instructive to look back to our favorites. I recently looked at the Iomega Zip Drive, but now I want to highlight one of my all-time favorite laptops: the HP Omnibook 300. This laptop was built by the calculator division rather than the PC division and remains one of the best.

Gear Bits

G5 Kindle Fire Games On Sale at Amazon App Store!

To celebrate Halloween, G5 is having a sale on three scary Kindle Fire games from now through November 2nd. The games are Magician’s Handbook: Cursed Valley, Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart, and Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings. All three are fun and engaging hidden-object games, and you can get each of them for only $0.99 right now!

Gear Bits

Herocraft Launches USA vs. USSR Add-on for Strategy & Tactics: World War II Android Game

Strategy & Tactics: World War II from Herocraft is one of the few ‘grand strategy’ games on iOS and Android. Grand strategy games in the tradition of ‘Hearts of Iron’ are difficult on many levels, and attract a core ‘grognard’ audience. You act as commander of huge armies and manage the smallest details of international commerce and military operations.

Editorials

Once Again … THIS Is The REAL Samsung In Action

Samsung is many things – they are an innovative chip maker, excellent device maker, massive company with their hands in nearly everything. Samsung is one of the “chaebol” – family-run conglomerates that dominate South Korean society. They are also a company that has a proven willing to do nearly anything to succeed – and today we learn their latest shameful tactic.

Game Diary, Reviews

Temptation Episode I HD Brings Chilling Mystery Adventures to iPad!

Last year I reviewed Whispered Fear: The Cursed Doll from Vogat and G5 Entertainment, a haunting tale brought to life through the casual hidden object genre. Now they are back with Temptation. Episode I, another dark and mysterious tale full of dread and misfortune. The story is once again wonderfully integrated and enjoyable to explore –making this another great game!

Game Diary

New X: Rebirth Trailer Shows the Awesome New Battle Interface

In deep strategic combat simulation PC games such as the X series, complexity is a way of life. Since 1999 the X franchise has expanded the scope of its universe, the complexity of systems, and pretty much everything else. Riding on this history, X: Rebirth launches on November 15th to bring you an entirely new look for a classic franchise.

Editorials

iPad Usage Breakdown Highlights Importance of Today’s Announcements

It may seem a bit late for rumination on the state of the iPad since we are expecting a refresh of the entire line in a few hours, but a report yesterday from Localytics put it in perspective: the most used iPad today is the iPad 2. You know, the one released back in early 2011, over 2.5 YEARS ago!

Gear Bits

Grab Build-A-Lot 3 HD for iPad and iPhone for FREE This Week!

I reviewed Build-A-Lot 3 HD almost exactly a year ago, praising the game for the inherent challenge balanced with a system that was reasonably forgiving, resulting in a satisfying experience that was neither dull nor frustrating. This week G5 are offering the game for FREE on iPad & iPhone – but hurry because the deal ends on October 27th!

Game Diary, Reviews

Puzzle Knights Melds Match-3 Fun and Strategic Battles!

When I saw the basic information for Puzzle Knights I was intrigued: Match-3 system, strategic battle system, online challenges and level-up system. Playing the game was every bit as much fun, with plenty of enemies to challenge and a continuously enjoyable puzzle system. With the recent update the game is even better, and is definitely worth checking out!

Gear Bits

Another Study Confirms That Google+ Is Worthless and Weak

I have seen people redefining the purpose of Google+ faster and more frequently than a politician doing the two-step when realizing their current position might impact the chance for re-election! And yet the truth remains – while Google continues to integrate properties with Google+ … the impact of the service is non-existent, less than any other social media site.

Gear Bits

Facebook Ads 1790% More Profitable on iOS than Android

It should be obvious that the reason for advertising on a web site or app is to make money … and more specifically to make more money than you are paying to place the ad. Facebook’s mobile app is ad-supported, but a new study from Nanigans suggests that the advertising on iOS is nearly 1800% more profitable than on Android!

Game Diary, Reviews

Stand O’ Food Empire Brings Freemium Time Management Fun to iPad!

Given the huge success of their freemium games Virtual City Playground and The Secret Society, it is no surprise that G5 Entertainment is taking the ‘freemium sandbox’ route with more of their properties. Stand O’Food is a popular time-management game series, and with Stand O’Food Empire you can now build new restaurant chains with Ronnie, Nikki and Clarence !

Gear Bits

G5 Entertainment Launches Special Enquiry Detail on Windows Store

I love the Special Enquiry Detail series and have reviewed both games on multiple platforms – and they are just solid experiences that do not diminish with time. Now the original Special Enquiry Detail game has launched on the Windows store for Windows 8.1 and RT for x86, x64 and ARM. The game is definitely worth checking out!

Articles by Michael Anderson