Articles by Perry Brauner

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Released on iOS Today!

Popcap and EA Games have teamed up to bring you the greatly anticipated follow-up to the original Plants vs. Zombies.  The premise of the Plants vs. Zombies series is that you’re a homeowner who is trying to defend his house against a horde of the undead.  Your weapon? Plants.  Good Luck! Plants vs. Zombies 2 is out now for free on the App Store. After a lengthy beta testing period and a soft launch in New Zealand, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is finally available to all of us Americans.  This time, instead of only defending your own home from the…


Seidio’s Ledger Cover now Available for Galaxy S4 and HTC One

Seidio has announced a new fashionable way to protect your Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One device, the Ledger.  This clam shell case offers a sleek and stylish way to protect your Android device from drops and scratches as well as spying eyes.  The nice thing about the “book” style of case is that while your phone is sitting on the table, not being used, the cover protects your screen from being read by others when you receive notifications.  The Ledger also protects your phone from all angles, leaving no fragile area exposed. The Ledger is crafted from Italian Polyurethane…


Griffin Survivor + Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 Review

Let me start off this review by admitting that I am somewhat biased when it comes to iPhone cases.  I carry my phone in my pocket at all times, I rarely drop my phone, and I rarely bring it near water.  With that in mind, I’ve always leaned towards bumper-style cases that are small enough to protect my phone and do not to add too much bulk to my pocket. Still, I think I’ve found a great option for those who carry their phone in their pocket and also want great drop and water protection.  The Griffin Survivor + Catalyst…


Synology DiskStation DS213j NAS Review

Lets talk about NAS, dear readers.  “What the heck is that?” you may be asking yourself, but don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for!  It stands for Network Attached Storage.  NAS is the term generally used for an enclosure that contains one or more hard drives which is connected to a network and can be accessed by multiple computers on that network.  Compared to a traditional file server, NAS devices typically provide faster read/write speed and a more simple setup and configuration.  The nice thing about an NAS is that you can set the hard drives up in a RAID…


Tired of Waiting on Hold? Try Get Human’s Call-Back Feature to Have Them Call You Back!

GetHuman.com has always been a favorite website of mine for getting in touch with organizations with annoying telephone menu systems or extremely long hold times.  Earlier today, I was trying to contact United Airlines regarding my upcoming honeymoon to Hawaii and was told that I would have to wait 45 minutes for the next available agent.  After hanging up the phone in frustration, I decided to check out Get Human and see if there was an alternate number I could call.  Unfortunately, there were no alternate numbers to reach an operator faster, however, I noticed for the first time a…


SETA Smartphone Stand Review

When I first set eyes on the SETA Smartphone Stand, I was initially underwhelmed.  Not knowing anything about the product before receiving the review sample, I saw the simple stand thought, “What’s the big deal?”  Then, I did my research and realized that this stand is more than just something to lean your smartphone against.  Once I peeled off the plastic protective cover and placed my phone on the pad, I was instantly impressed.  The SETA Smartphone Stand may be one of the best smartphone stands on the market.


Designed by M AL13 AeroSpace Aluminum Bumper for iPhone 5 Review

This is my kind of iPhone case.  I absolutely hate bulky, oversized phone cases.  This is a very personal feeling, of course, being that I don’t tend to drop my phone very often.  I lean heavily towards bumper-style cases since I always keep my phone in my pocket and do not want any added bulk in the pocket of my jeans.  As soon as I started opening the shipping box that this bumper came in, I was impressed by a packaging design that signified the product was designed with care.  The AL13 AeroSpace Aluminum Bumper by Designed by m is…


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,…


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…


Kinivo BTX350 Digital Wireless Speaker Review

I’m a big fan of Bluetooth enabled, wireless speakers in this age of cell phones, tablets, and computers.  We’re always on the go, always have our mobile phones with us, and therefore, many of us carry our music collections with us as well.  Even if you don’t carry your MP3 collection on your cell phone, most of our phones can use Pandora, Spotify, or any number of mobile music apps.  The market is ripe for great sounding, decently priced Bluetooth speakers.  Unfortunately, the Kinivo BTX350 does not meet that first criterion.


Pocket Informant Pro for iOS 3.0 Sneak Preview and Review

Let me start off by saying that I’ve never used Pocket Informant.  I knew of its existence, but I hadn’t given it much thought because the built-in iOS calendar app worked well enough for me … how wrong I was.  But when Alex Kac, CEO and Founder of developer WebIS, invited us to check out a sneak preview of the 3.0 version of their productivity app, I couldn’t resist.  As soon as the app was installed, I was instantly impressed with how detailed this tool can get with my time and task management. As soon as you install the app,…


Oregon Scientific Launches ATC Chameleon Dual Lens Action Camera

Remember that awesome review I wrote about the ATC Chameleon dual lens action camera?  🙂 Well, the ATC Chameleon dual lens action camera finally being launched at several major national retailers, including Target, Best Buy, and Costco.  Now is your chance to grab this adaptable action camera that can capture two videos at one time.  Whether you’re hitting the slopes (like I did), kayaking, mountain biking, or just fooling around with the family in the backyard, the ATC Chameleon is a great way to capture the action in your life. The two wide-angle lenses each capture video in a resolution of 1280…


PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android Review, Part 2

Welcome to the second part of Gear Diary’s review of the PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android.  Here, we will review the user experience and actual functionality of the PhoneSuit Lightplay.  Feel free to head over to Part One of this review, where Dan thoroughly reviewed the Lightplay’s hardware and included accessories. Before we get into the meat of this review, let’s quickly recap some of the highlights that Dan talked about in his hardware review.  The PhoneSuit Lightplay is a pico projector, the size of your palm, that has Android built right in.  It comes with a gyroscopic remote/keyboard…


iLuv Neon Sound IEP336 Earphones Review

  If you’re wondering what spring has to do with headphones, the answer is: nothing, really.  However, to test the noise-isolation design of the iLuv IEP336 Earphones, I took them outside and mowed my lawn while listening to Pandora.  Let me tell you something, these earphones fit so nicely inside my ear, that it really did remove a lot of the noise from my gas-powered lawn mower and allowed me to enjoy the music I was listening to. The iLuv IEP 336 High-Performance Earphones have a few nice features that set them apart from your everyday, run-of-the-mill earphones.  These earphones…


Pelican ProGear Vault Series iPhone 5 Case Review

When you make the decision to go for a rugged iPhone case, the choice usually comes with a few trade-offs.  In order to protect your case from drops, water, or other unfriendly conditions, bulky cases are usually needed.  Typical trade-offs with these rugged cases include things like diminished physical button functionality or a less sensitive touchscreen due to the install of a protective layer.  As you might expect, the best rugged iPhone cases make their owners accept the least amount of trade-offs; the Pelican ProGear Vault Series CE1180 makes a few too many trade-offs. I’ll first explain that I’m more…


The Lifesaver Bottle Is the Filtered Water Bottle That the World Needs

The problem with most consumer filtered water bottles is the fact that they are really only good for everyday uses; like removing Chlorine, Lead, Mercury, etc, and making the already mostly safe water taste a little better.  You would not want to trust those bottles to keep yourself safe while out for a hike without access to clean, trustworthy water.  I use a filtered water bottle every day at work in order to improve the taste of the tap water and to cut down on the amount of plastic water bottles I use. The Lifesaver Bottle takes a whole new,…


RHA SA950i Wired Headphones Review

Hey everyone, listen up!  See what I did there?  Anyway, corny jokes aside, these headphones pump some serious tunes.  The $60 RHA SA950i is a set of wired on-ear headphones that also include an in-line remote and microphone on the fabric braided cable.  The Glasgow-based company has found a great balance between price point and sound quality with this set.  The RHA SA950i wired headphones boast professional grade 40mm titanium coated mylar drivers, adjustable headband with padding, along with a detachable cable with in-line remote and microphone. These headphones deliver excellent sound quality through the 40mm titanium coated mylar speakers. …


Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon Action Camera Review

If I had a dollar for every time I said “Dude, you had to have been there, that stunt was epic!,” I’d have, well, about $1, because let’s face it, I’m not very adventurous.  However, if I were one of those adrenaline seekers, there would be only one camera on my wishlist.  I recently had the opportunity to take the Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon action camera out for a spin. This unique camera has two, count ’em, two lenses.  You’re able to film a first-person view as well as a secondary angle.  Each lens shoots in 720p and has a…


Super Stickman Golf 2 for iOS and Android Review – Download it Now and Thank Me Later

Did you download it yet?  What are you waiting for?  Fine, I’ll tell you a little bit about the game, first.  Super Stickman Golf 2 for iOS is the highly anticipated sequel to the extremely popular, award-winning title of the same name from developers Noodlecake Studios.  The series, on the surface, plays like a golf game where the goal is to hit a golf ball into a cup on a putting green in the fewest amount of strokes possible.  However, deep down, the game is truly a 2-dimensional physics puzzle game where you must figure out the shortest possible path…


Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon Dual Lense Action Camera Gives You Eyes in the Back of Your Head

We’ve all seen those first-person action videos of guys and gals flying down the slopes, jumping out of planes, or slashing through the whitewater on their kayaks.  These videos are entertaining and provide the viewer a peek at exactly how it would look if you were risking your own neck out there, without all the danger and adrenaline.  The problem with these videos, however, is that you can only capture one angle on the action, unless the camera is behind held in hand.  Oregon Scientific is looking to change this with their new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon camera, the world’s…


Stanley Highwire iPhone 5 Case by Incipio Review

Incipio has entered the rugged iPhone case ring with their new line of Stanley iPhone cases, including the Stanley Highwire iPhone 5 Case by Incipio.  These cases are clearly targeted toward folks in construction jobs or other hands-on work where you’d rather not worry have to worry about the safety of your high priced smartphone.  I think the Highwire case fits the bill, but let’s first let’s look at a video and then talk about what comes in the box. Inside the retail packaging, you’ll find the Highwire case along with a belt holster into which the case fits fairly…