Michael Anderson | Gear Diary

Going ‘All-In’ With the Samsung Chromebook

Just like I did with several tablets last year, I am going to try to use the Chromebook as my ‘90% computer’. This means using it for all of my normal daily tasks except those I know it cannot do, such as PC or iPad gaming. With great portability, battery life, and ease of use, I anticipate great success! I already have a couple of challenges – the USB port is incompatible with my Garmin GPS watch, and I am still figuring out the WiFi configuration for my work network … but I am persevering, as I have most other…

Gear Bits

Get Ready for Angry Birds Star Wars 2!

The combination of the over-done Angry Birds and mega-licensed Star Wars seemed like a marketer’s dream and a gamer’s nightmare. Yet the game was actually good – and loads of fun for fans of both franchises. So hearing about a sequel featuring Ian MacDiarmid is actually intriguing – and you’ll be able to get it for $1.99 on September 19th. Check out the trailer:

Music Diary, Reviews

Keith McMillen QuNeo 3D Pad Controller Hands-On Video Review

This week I wrote about the QuNeo pad controller from Keith McMillen Instruments;. Here’s the QuNeo in action. As I noted in my review, it offers a level of expression and control not found in most pad controllers even more expensive ones! Check out my hands on review using the QuNeo, an iPad 2 and the Korg iMS-20.

News & Features

Use JustDelete.Me to Disconnect Yourself Totally from the Internet

Have you ever thought – what would it take for me to completely delete my online presence? Over at Wired they just highlighted a new site called ‘JustDelete.Me’. The site, pictured above, places ‘delete my account’ direct links for popular sites in one easy to use array. Just click and you are gone – simple and painless. I remember years ago signing up for an ‘AOL over broadband’ account to check it out when they had free trials (already had a ISP when AOL originally arrived), and recall how hard it was to cancel the account. It was clear they…

Game Diary, News & Features

Roccat Unleashes the XTD Cave 5.1 Gaming Headset at GamesCom!

Gamers love great sound when playing – whether to hear the music of the latest jRPG or the explosions of the cool new shooter, a great headset provides immersion and a detailed experience that cannot be duplicated in a portable system. For years gamers were stuck with inferior audio in headsets, but now we can get great sound thanks to products like the newly announced Kave XTD 5.1 Digital Gaming Headset from ROCCAT. Here is what ROCCAT says about the new headset: The Kave XTD 5.1 Digital includes a fully equipped desktop remote with a built-in premium 5.1 sound card….

Music Diary, Reviews

Craig Hartley – Books on Tape Vol. 1 CD Review

Innovating in a crowded space is never easy, but there is always room for a talented artist to create an impression even within an established genre. That is exactly what Craig Hartley does with his ‘Books on Tape Vol. 1’ piano trio recording. Great compositions, improvisation and playing; my favorite piano trio yet this year. Musical Genre: Jazz Where to buy: iTunes Artist: Craig Hartley Description: From the artist: This album represents an interpretation of some of my musical and life experiences translated into song. included in the liner notes are brief descriptions of my thoughts and inspirations for each…

Game Diary, News & Features

EA Offers ‘Great Game Guarantee’ Refund System on Origin

Imagine you bought the recent Realms of Arkania game, and within an hour you were horrified at the bugginess. Steam and GoG.com are good about refunds in these cases – but what if it was an acclaimed game like Skyrim, and you just couldn’t connect? Tougher sell for a refund – so now EA’s Origin has a ‘Great Game Guarantee’. The ‘Great Game Guarantee’ is fairly simple in theory: you can return EA full game downloads (PC or Mac) purchased on Origin for a full refund–within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from when you…

Music Diary, Reviews

Keith McMillen QuNeo 3D Pad Controller Review

Being a Kickstarter darling has its ups and downs. QuNeo earned more than 10 times its funding goal of $15,000 then struggled through manufacturing problems, partner changes, and delays before finally launching. The end result shows that being patient and steadfast paid off with a product that is iPad compatible, high quality, affordable, and totally musical! Description QuNeo is the next generation of pad controller. As small as an iPad and more powerful than any other MIDI controller you’ve ever played, QuNeo makes beats, launches clips, remixes and reinvents your musical world. 44 pads, sliders, rotaries & switches Pressure, velocity…

Gear Bits

Trailer for Hotly Anticipates Indie RPG ‘Eschalon Book III’ Arrives!

Back in 2007 I called Eschalon Book 1 the ‘Indie Game of the Year’. In 2010, Book II arrived and was even better, so the final chapter is hotly anticipated by RPG fans – and the trailer has arrived. Enjoy the video, knowing the game will launch in time for the holidays.

Gear Bits

The Secret Society Launches for Kindle Fire & Android, Gets Massive Update!

I reviewed The Secret Society for iPad, noting how it balanced ‘play’ versus ‘pay’ elements. It recently arrived for Android and Kindle Fire with massive updates, and while it feels cramped on my Galaxy S3, on Kindle Fire HD it is perfect (at stealing reading time)! If you have a tablet and haven’t played, check it out free on iOS, Kindle or Android. Here is the trailer:

Gear Bits

Get 1GB Free Storage for Linking Mailbox and Dropbox on iOS!

I’ve been using Mailbox for the past few days – not out of some outstanding desire to revisit the app, but to get a free 1GB DropBox boost. Simply by adding my GMail account to Mailbox, heading to settings and linking my DropBox, I was rewarded with 1GB more DropBox storage! It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re on an iOS device!

Music Diary, Reviews

The O’Farrill Brothers – Sensing Flight CD Review

The O’Farrill Brothers remind me of seeing Harrison / Blanchard in New York City and buying their debut CD ‘Nascence’ – there are interesting songs, a certain rawness and rough edges, an abundance of talent, and apparent influences on display. And like ‘Nascence’, I expect greater and more mature work in the future, but that doesn’t diminish this fun and intriguing recording! Musical Genre: Jazz Where to buy: iTunes Artist: The O’Farrill Brothers Description: The O Farrill Brothers display their astonishing instrumental hard bop virtuosity and a distinctive, coherent ensemble sound with a musical maturity well beyond their young years. Features…

Gear Bits

The Bureau XCOM Declassified

The XCOM universe expanded to include one of 2012’s best PC games and one of 2013’s best iPad games. This week it expands further with a cold war look at a secret agency in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. The image shows it’s loaded up in Steam waiting for me to get started playing – look for my review next week! For now, check out the launch trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8s6yQylyBWs

Editorials, Health and Fitness

Debunking the ‘Running Doesn’t Aid Weight Loss’ Myth – The Monday Mile

I have talked many times about how running has fueled my weight loss and maintenance through the years. Many people take up running but don’t lose weight – and this week I have had the same old report brought up twice about weight loss and exercise. Bottom line – losing weight is hard work requiring changes in eating and exercise. One of my favorite Bloom County comics involves Opus looking at an index of diet books and deciding how to reshape himself, with Milo offering the basic advice ‘how about eat less, and exercise?’. Here it is: Perhaps you have…

Music Diary, Reviews

John Scofield’s UberJam Deux – Can the Sequel Live Up to the Original?

Artists seldom revisit their work, and too often when they do it is a disappointment. Jazz legend John Scofield wanted to take his Uberjam in a new direction, and the resulting UberJam Deux show the mark of everything he had done before or since, and represent a new horizon for the jam-band jazz style he pioneered. Don’t miss it! Musical Genre: Jazz Where to buy: iTunes Artist: John Scofield Description: Uberjam Deux, has been a decade in the gestation, following in direct line of descent from 2002s Grammy nominated Uberjam; not that Scofield has been inactive in the interim, far…

Health and Fitness, Reviews

Science or Not, Wu-Long Slimming Tea is Awesome!

It seems like the science behind weight gain or loss changes all the time, leaving us wondering if today’s health food will be tomorrow’s junk. For thousands of years oolong tea has been a weight loss aid with no negative effects, so weight loss aid or not, Wu-Long Slimming Tea tastes fantastic and is reasonably priced! There are a number of natural herbal products that claim certain health benefits, or have at least been used for that purpose for many years. One such product is oolong tea, which has long been reported to support weight loss. Those claims have…

Game Diary, Reviews

Righteous Kill 2 HD for iPad Review – Better Than the Original

While the first Righteous Kill game pretended to adhere to the basis of the (awful) movie, the sequel is original. Similar to the original game, Righteous Kill 2 is a fairly standard Hidden Object genre game. But unlike the original, Righteous Kill 2 is actually a decent game and worth checking out. Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad, iPhone; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Starz Media / G5 Entertainment Description: Here are some of the features: – 37 intriguing levels – 16 original mini-games – Police files for 11 victims – Heart-pounding…

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…

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…

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….

Articles by Michael Anderson