Articles by Perry Brauner

Phonebloks – Groundbreaking Smartphone Idea, Pipe Dream, or Both?

Phonebloks is a conceptual solution to a very real problem. Electronic waste is a big concern, as today’s electronics are not built to last. Phonebloks is a concept that uses interchangeable “bloks” that can be switched out when it either fails or you’re in the mood for an upgrade. But can this seemingly simple idea really be produced? With this design, you can theoretically just swap in and out any number of components from the camera, processor, gyroscope, memory, WiFi, even the screen and replace them wherever you’d like on the base. Sounds like an incredibly simple way to fully…

Crowdfunding

JUICIES+ Lightning and Micro USB Power Cables Looking for Funding on Kickstarter Now

The folks at Juicies may have come up with a way to improve upon Apple’s lightening cables as well as the typical Micro USB cable. The JUICIES+ cable is made of anodized aluminum, wrapped in a tangle-free woven cable, and is a foot longer than the typical power cables. A $20 Kickstarter pledge lands you one power cable of the future. Project Title: JUICIES+ for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones Status: Currently Funding Closing Date for Funding: 11/1/13 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laudowicz/juicies-for-iphone-android-blackberry-and-windows Product Overview: JUICIES+ incorporate a few great cable designs that I’ve been looking for in a…

Gear Bits

GearTag Helps Ensure You Never Lose Track of Your Gear Again

GearTag, now funding on Kickstarter, is a neat way to keep track of your gear. These small wireless tags can be clipped to a purse, tucked into a wallet, or attached to your keyring. From your smartphone or computer, you can ‘page’ your tag or view it’s last known location. Reserve yours for a $30 pledge. GearTags use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to communicate with your smartphone. This uses little battery life while also giving you a range of 100 yards. Each GearTag has it’s own unique QR code printed on one side, like a fingerprint. If the tag…

Gear Bits

Custom Video Game Covers Class Up Your Video Game Library

I can’t imagine I’m the only guy who’s video game library outnumbers his actual book library 2-to-1. I also can’t imagine I’m the only guy who’s wife would prefer he keep his video game library downstairs, out of sight. For $6, you get 3 custom video game covers from Etsy. Now my video games can look like a librarian’s paradise! In exchange for your $6 JamesBit will provide you with a PDF of your customized video game covers for you to print out at home. If you have a ton of disks that need new, classier covers, he will drop…

Gear Bits

HDMI 2.0 Announced, Supports 4K Video at 60fps, 32 Channel Audio

HDMI Forum, Inc. announced a new upgrade to the HDMI connection standard, today. HDMI 2.0 will have a bandwidth capacity of up to 18Gbps, enough room to transmit 4K video up to 60 fps, which is 2160p. This is 4x the clarity of the current 1080p video resolution. It will also carry support for up to 32 audio channels. This is big news considering the expected boom in Ultra HDTVs in the near future. Additional features of HDMI 2.0 include “dynamic auto lipsync” and additional CEC extensions. The new HDMI 2.0 connectors will remain unchanged from the original HDMI specification,…

Reviews

MyTVChoice Review – How to Watch Live TV Without Commercials

Are you a sports fan who can’t stand sitting through annoying TV commercials? Or are you afraid of your children seeing some of the more explicit commercials airing these days? MyTVChoice monitors the live broadcast and automatically switches to a “safe” channel whenever your preferred program goes to commercial. The MyTVChoice service costs $9.99 per month. Hardware MyTVChoice comes with a free gateway device, which is powered by an AC adapter plugged into the wall. You’ll want the gateway to have a clear line of sight to your cable box since it is what will eventually change the channel automatically for…

Gear Bits

PhatWare’s WritePad for iOS Adds Google Drive Sync Functionality

WritePad, a note taking and handwriting recognition app for iPad and iPhone has just added Google Drive syncronization funcationality, allowing you to take hand-written notes on your iPhone or iPad and automatically sync them to Google Drive. This brings the number of cloud services that WritePad syncs with to 6! WritePad goes for $8.99 on iPad and $3.99 on iPhone. WritePad, using PhatWare’s handwriting recognition software, can understand the user’s handwriting in their own style and convert it to computer text. WritePad also syncs with other cloud services such as: Box, DropBox, Evernote, Google Drive, iCloud, and Skydrive. WritePad also…

Gear Bits

New Cable Transfers Photos From iPhone 5 to iPad 1, 2, or 3 in a Flash

USB-Fever.com has just released a new cable to directly connect your iPhone 5 to your iPad 1, 2, or 3. The cable has a lightning connector on one side and a dock connector on the other. Once you plug in your iDevices, you can transfer your photos back and forth with ease. This cable retails for $12.99. If you want to physically transfer your photos from a lightning connector device to a 30 pin dock connector device, without using Photo Stream, this appears to be a very easy way to accomplish that. There are ways to email multiple photos, as…

Gear Bits

I’m Batman? Petition to Remove Ben Affleck from Upcoming Man of Steel Sequel Garners Over 50,000 Supporters

Let’s face it, this whole Ben Affleck as Batman thing has been wayyy overblown, hasn’t it? Nobody thought that Heath Ledger would provide such a legendary performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight, in fact, most of the population who had an opinion on the matter thought that the casting of the Brokeback Mountain star was a joke! Well, once again, the internet is up in arms and a petition has been posted to Change.org asking Warner Bros. to remove Ben Affleck as Batman from the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. I, for one, am slightly concerned considering what…

Game Diary, News & Features

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…

News & Features

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…

Reviews

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…

Reviews

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…

Gear Bits, News & Features

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…

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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…

Reviews

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,…

News & Features

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…

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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,…

News & Features

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…

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