Articles by Michael Anderson

PhotoPresenter Is Airplay Mirroring That Leaves YOU In Control of the Content!

My iPhone photo library is a random mix of pictures for work, home, Gear Diary and so on. When I am showing things to colleagues, I really don’t need to skip past silly pictures of my kids dressed up for ‘Spirit Week’ or a screenshot from the latest G5 game. Enter PhotoPresenter, keeping me in charge of what others see. Here is the idea behind the app: “Bastian, our video guru, recently hosted a Boinx workshop. During his presentation, he decided to put together a slideshow that showcased people using Boinx’s iStopMotion. All of the media was located on his…

Crowdfunding

Padcaster Launches iPad Mini Kickstarter Campaign Releases Padcaster 2.0!

The original Padcaster demonstrated once again that dismissing the iPad as a media creation device is wrong-headed – it allowed iPad owners to attach their tablet to a tripod and then use lights, lenses, external microphones and more. Now they have launched a new Kickstarter to help fund the creation of an iPad Mini version! Why are they seeking funding now? Well, they only introduced the Padcaster in April and started selling it in June so it is just starting to get rolling through production. As they note: “The Original Padcaster is already in production, having been funded almost entirely…

News & Features

Check Out Breathometer On Shark Tank Tonight (9/27)!

We can debate whether it’s a good idea to base a decision about driving on a smartphone app and accessory, it’s better than just saying ‘I feel fine’ and getting behind the wheel. Breathometer is a device that plugs into your smartphone and measures your blood alcohol concentration quickly and easily. And the product will be on Shark Tank 9/27! Here is the description: Small enough to fit on a key chain, Breathometer, which is officially registered with the FDA, plugs into a smartphone audio jack, and together with a mobile app, transforms it into a sleek, portable and accurate…

Game Diary, Reviews

Avadon 2 Reminds Me of Bop-It 2; Do It The Same … but BETTER!

While my full review will have to wait for the release in November, I have been playing the preview of Avadon 2 from Spiderweb Software on the Mac, and now that the window has opened to release public preview impressions … I can tell you I am impressed. Everything good about Avadon remains good, and everything lacking is better. Type of app: Turn-Based Role Playing Game (RPG) Platforms: Mac & PC, with iPad version coming later. Developer: Spiderweb Software Overview: As a Hand of Avadon, the Black Fortress, you once held unlimited power. Your word was law. Your homeland was…

News & Features

Apple Quietly Innovates with Updated iMacs

We get so used to Apple introducing products with over-the-top hype and fanfare, so it is always a refreshing surprise when we discover that Apple has … um, refreshed one of its product lines. Yesterday Apple released an update to the iMac line, with upgraded processors, new graphics, next generation Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage options. Faster Processors: the new 4th generation Haswell Intel Core processors are faster with lower power consumption. The standard configurations offer quad-core i5 processors, but optional builds include quad-core i7, which allows hyper-threading for 8 virtual cores. Updated Graphics: even at the bottom end…

Gear Bits

No, iOS 7 Does NOT Make Your Phone Waterproof!

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.

Game Diary, Reviews

Everlove: Rose Brings Romance and Choices to iOS and Android

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…

Editorials

Popular Science Turns Off Comments – Because They Are Doing Harm to Actual Science!

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…

Game Diary, News & Features

IndieGameStand Launches Dedicated Storefront for Indie Games!

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…

News & Features

Amazon Introduces ‘Mayday Button’ Help System, New Kindle Fire ‘Mojito’ OS 3.0, and Offline Streaming

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…

News & Features

Three New Kindle Fire Models Launched, Highlight Differences Between Amazon and Apple

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…

Gear Bits

G5’s Red Crow Mysteries for Mac 70% Off Until 9/29!

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:

Crowdfunding

Ballads of Reemus 2 Kicks Off Kickstarter Project!

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…

Gear Bits

IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube adds support for iOS 7 and Inter-App Audio

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…

News & Features

The Big Surprise from the Microsoft Surface Refresh? Surface Music Kit!

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…

Gear Bits

Underrail Launched on Steam Early Access for $9.99!

Most so-called hardcore RPG fans who have been around for more than a few years mark the Fallout games (1 & 2, anyway) as near the pinnacle of the genre, with only occasional post-apocalyptic fare like Arcanum being released to satisfy that itch. Now StygSoft’s intriguing Underrail has been released on Steam Early Access for $9.99. Underrail is a post-apocalyptic turn-based RPG that has been developed with loads of input from the community since it hit pre-Alpha. Now it is further along, and has been included in a couple of ‘indie bundles’ and on Desura and GamersGate. But the release…

Health and Fitness

Is There ONLY Competition OR Completion? – The Monday Mile

A recent New York Times called ‘The Slowest Generation’ slams the younger generation for abandoning competition and running races ‘for the bling’. The article – and the ‘Dumbing Down, Slowing Down’ article that inspired it – contend that competitiveness is dulled in the aftermath of a generation raised on ‘everyone gets a medal’, and finishing is now its own reward. The articles point to an increase in average finish times for races, the increased popularity of non-timed ‘gimmick’ races such as color and mud runs, and the move to stop funding elite runners at races by Competitor Group. They say that…

Gear Bits

Grab Dubstep Beethoven with ‘Pay with a Post’!

In an adaptation of an infamous truism, if it exists there is a dubstep for it. The latest example comes in the form of a challenge to Andrew Huang from one of his YouTube followers. Huang created a dubstep based on the opening to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, and the video here. So what do you think – cool or crap? You can get the MP3 version of the track using ‘Pay with a Tweet/ Facebook Share’ download. Here is the video:

Crowdfunding, Editorials

Sometimes Crowd-Funding is an Excuse to Beg for Money

Sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are great places for developers to directly appeal to consumers with their ideas and involvement for product design and manufacturing. It is great to complete (‘Kick-finish’) something like a video. There are risks of being late, not living up to promises, or never releasing. But what if the funding was just that – for funding? This past week I got an email forwarded to me containing a link to a video and a ‘project’ on a crowdfunding site (neither of which I’ll share). The project used as a basis of enticement a list of past…

Reviews

The Peace App Brings Serenity to Your iOS Device

In my kids’ doctor’s office, they have one section of the waiting room that has relaxing music, peaceful images on a flat panel TV, filtered air, and a small waterfall. Depending on my day to that point, I find the area either relaxing or snoozy. That is one element of ‘The Peace App’, and it’s for a good cause. Type of app: Simulation game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Minerva Endeavors, inc Description: The Island: Castaway 2 has loads of content, including: – A huge, colorful island to explore – Over 300 intriguing quests…

Gear Bits

More Than a PR Gimmick, Apple Sells a Record 9 Million iPhone 5s and 5c In Opening Weekend

When the news came of ‘record lines’ at Apple’s NYC store, it felt like a contrived move for headlines – and it probably was. But while that seemed like a desperation move, Apple’s press release today is a triumph of the continued consumer demand for the iPhone. The iPhone 5c and 5s sold over 9 million units in the opening weekend! In the press release, Apple highlights a few interesting numbers from the last several days: – The 9 million sales are just the iPhone 5s and 5c, and happened in spite of constrained supply, particularly of the coveted Gold 5s….

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