Articles by Perry Brauner

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…


Game Play Puts Game Boy Games on iPhone 5 Without Jailbreaking

Have you ever longed for the days of your childhood you spent with your eyes glued to the black and grey screen of the Nintendo Game Boy?  Did you pride yourself on beating Super Mario Land?  I know I did.  I don’t know how many countless AA batteries I drained with that handheld.  Now, with Game Play, you can relive those glory days on your iPhone 5 without jailbreaking your device. Typically, Apple has frowned upon emulation apps in the App Store.  Though recently, Gridlee, a thinly veiled MAME emulator within a game, has made its way on to the…


Super Stickman Golf 2 – Gear Diary’s Sneak Preview

What does Super Stickman Golf 2 and The Godfather: Part II have in common? If you guessed that they’re both sequels, well yes, that’s true, but there’s something even better! They are both sequels that are greater than their predecessors. Is it a little too early to call, since SSG2 is only in beta testing? Probably, however the game is already so polished that you can tell how well it’s going to do. There are many great additions to the original gameplay that it still feels like the same game you loved, yet it also feels like a sequel. Noodlecake…


Zombie Road Trip Released Yesterday and Super Stickman Golf 2 Coming Soon

Noodlecake Studios, the guys who brought you the original Super Stickman Golf, released Spokko‘s new project, Zombie Road Trip to the App Store and Google Play store yesterday.  Zombie Road Trip is very similar to the endless driving game Extreme Road Trip and Extreme Road Trip 2, except that it adds a whole new layer of awesome on top of the existing genre. I was a big fan of the Extreme Road Trip games, so I was happy to take Zombie Road Trip for a test drive. You find yourself driving, pedal to the metal, in order to escape a…


Brainwave Controlled Cat Ears and Tail for Those who Really Love Their Pets

I know a lot of people who totally connect with their household pets.  They can tell me what (they believe) it’s thinking, it’s intentions are, and how it’s feeling today.  Those people will do almost anything for their pets; whether it’s throwing a birthday party, baking homemade treats, or building enormous pet palaces for them to sleep in.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a dog lover who has had a dog almost all of his life and I absolutely love my dog, but I’m not going to take her for an all-inclusive doggy spa day with shiatsu massage and…


CasinoRPG, a Browser-Based Tycoon/MMORPG/Casino Game

This Kickstarter campaign is to fund the development of a cross between a Tycoon game, MMORPG, and a gambling game.  This game really intrigues me because I’ve always been interested in a Mass Multiplayer Online-type environment where you can keep building an empire and the game continues ever after you log off.  In games like Minecraft, you can craft some really cool things, but unless you’re on a large public server, you aren’t really sharing that with anyone.  But in CasinoRPG, you get to grow your fortune from the ground up and then other real-live players can interact with your…


Cancel Tonight’s Plans Because Temple Run 2 is Hitting the App Store Today!

One of the earliest mega-hit iOS titles is getting a sequel tonight!  Temple Run was extremely easy to play, with its swipe left or right to dodge, swipe up to jump, and swipe down to slide mechanics.  It was also one of the first endless runner type games and really started the craze, as we’ve seen innumerable games of this genre hit the app store since. Imangi Studios has developed the upcoming follow-up along with help from Fuzzycube Software.  The Temple Run formula seems to have been left unchanged, as you’ll still be tilting to grab coins and swiping to…


Super Stickman Golf 2 Scheduled to be Released Early This Year

I fondly remember playing Super Stickman Golf on my HTC Thunderbolt after I got it for free thanks to the Amazon App Store’s daily free app promotions.  It was one of my favorite games on Android for a long time.  I downloaded it thinking it would be an interesting time waster; I never would have paid for the app and probably wouldn’t have even given much thought to it had it not been free that day.  Boy, am I glad I found it, though.  After playing a few of the levels, I realized what a deal I got.  Super Stickman…


Boogie Board Introduces 2 New LCD eWriter Models at CES

You know about the Boogie Board, right?  It’s basically an LCD notepad that can be reused as many times as you need.  It’s great for leaving a note for your husband, wife, or the kids, or maybe jotting down a phone number at the office.  I know I go through tons of little notepads that I keep next to my phone in my office just taking little notes.  This saves all that paper, plus, all your friends or coworkers would be totally jealous of you.  What’s really cool is that these babies use zero power.  Zero.  They use Reflex No…


College Students Have a Chance to Win a Free Round Trip Flight FromTurkish Airlines

Are you in college?  Is money tight?  Don’t worry, many of us have been there before.  Turkish Airlines wants to help with their “World Travel 101 Sweepstakes”.  The monthly promotion gives students the opportunity to win round-trip tickets to any of Turkish Airlines’ more than 200 destinations. See the information below for sweepstakes details: Who: U.S. college and university students How: Enter via Facebook or the sweepstakes website listed here: Facebook app: https://www.facebook.com/TurkishAirlinesUSA/app_317121841734307 Website: http://www.turkishairlinessweepstakes.com/ * Website is mobile-capable Prize: One (1) round-trip ticket to any of Turkish Airlines’ 200+ global destinations. Two (2) tickets will be given away each…


unu – Tablet, Game Controller, Smart TV Dock in One, Unveiled at CES

Coming a long way from the public’s first glimpse at the device, the unu tablet has been debuted at CES.  The device, called “snakebyte eins” during its production and development, has been given a new name and a warm welcome in sunny Las Vegas at CES this year.  A pre-release version of the device is playable on the conference floor throughout CES. According to the company, Snakebyte, unu is completely different from all Android-based gaming platforms currently available to the public.  And I would have to agree.  unu comes with a docking station, gaming controller, and an air mouse, which…


In the Midst of Some iPhone Rumors, Here is my iPhone wishlist.

I’m not picky.  All I wanted in an iPhone before I finally made the switch from Android to iPhone was a bigger screen and 4G capability.  The iPhone 5 had both; I jumped all over it and haven’t looked back since.  But those were my requirements for jumping the Android ship; others might have had different reasons for switching or upgrading from a previous iPhone model.  Some might just want the newest iPhone simply because it’s the newest.  I don’t think anything besides a massive overhaul will make me upgrade from my iPhone 5 to the rumored iPhone 5S, but…


Raspberry Pi Hacked to Allow Siri to Open Your Garage Door

What a world we live in – We now have computers that fit in our pockets, gorgeous televisions that are 1″ thick, and a dude who skydived from the edge of space.  Continuing along that vein, now you can program your credit card sized computer, otherwise known as the Raspberry Pi, to open your garage door for you using Siri’s voice commands on your iPhone.  Seriously. RaspberryPi.org forum user “DarkTherapy” was able to code his Raspberry Pi saying he used “SiriProxy running on the Raspberry Pi, along with wiring Pi to access the Pi’s GPIO pins and turn a relay…