Gear Diary Staff | Gear Diary

MoviePass Android App Available

Movie fans get their own golden reward as the Academy Awards (a.k.a. Oscars) quickly approach. A special service called MoviePass has expanded to Android mobile device users. This theatrical movie subscription service, which began as an iOS app, offers unlimited tickets at nationwide movie theaters (2D shows only) beginning at $30 a month. The MoviePass Android app is free and represents part of the MoviePass membership. There are no blackout dates for theater viewings. The single monthly MoviePass membership price ranges from $29.99 to $34.99 depending on location. You may not be able to try this service before the Oscars…

Reviews

A Good Day to Die Hard Film Review

Twenty-five years after the original 1988 Die Hard film, this series continually delivers great action and excitement featuring its famous “Yippee Kay Hay” hero who’s at the wrong place at the wrong time. References including Ronald Reagan and cowboys are meant to pay homage to the film series, but only remind audiences how the plot needs more tension and genuine exhilaration plus a high level actor like Alan Rickman to play the main antagonist. Even one of Die Hard’s dialogue lines “Shoot the glass” extends into an action moment familiar to diehard fans of the film series. Since this A…

Editorials

Windows 8 Upgrade Odyssey – When the Poop Hits the Fan!

I have to give you a disclaimer right up front: So far, BOTH computers I have that run Windows 8 have required a complete re-installation of Windows 8. I do not find the OS to be inherently stable, and if you are buying a new computer or tablet that runs Windows 8, I would encourage you to BACK UP FREQUENTLY. If I had the option to choose between Windows 7 or Windows 8 on my computer, I would choose Windows 7 every time. However, for a tablet running Windows 8 that was designed to do so, it is less of…

News & Features

Wreck-It Ralph Early Digital Release

Why wait until March to see Wreck-It Ralph? Today Walt Disney Animation Studios begins the early release of Wreck-It Ralph on HD Digital and HD Digital 3D. The 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, SD Digital and On-Demand will release on March 5, 2013. Bonus features on the physical home video versions will include four alternate/deleted scenes and easter eggs. The Oscar nominated animated short Paperman will also be included on the versions releasing on March 5. The home video landscape continues to change with early release from various services. Several media companies are testing the waters…

Game Diary, Reviews

Need for Speed Most Wanted: Video Game Review for PlayStation 3

This open world, action racing game from Electronic Arts is set in the booming metropolis area of Fairhaven – a fictional environment containing several different environments. The Hype The open-world action in Need for Speed Most Wanted gives you the freedom to drive anywhere, discover hidden gameplay, meet up with your friends or just hang out and toy with law enforcement. Lose the cops … your way. Hit jumps and shortcuts, switch cars, lie low or head for terrain that plays to your vehicle’s unique strengths. Hit the gas and fight your way past cops and rivals using pure driving…

Editorials

2013, A Windows “Upgrade” Odyssey – Part One Preparation & Installation

When Windows 8 was first coming out, I knew I wouldn’t like the Metro IU very much on a desktop computer and so I never even considered “upgrading” my desktop. A surprising set of circumstances brought me a Windows 8 tablet, and that was my first experience hands-on with the new OS. I can say that on a tablet computer with very limited memory, that the Metro UI is actually fun, and is not entirely dissimilar to iOS or Android tablets. The added benefit of actually running a full version of Windows 8 in the desktop mode however, is amazing!…

News & Features

Windows 8 Pro $40 Upgrade Sale Ends 1/31/13

Microsoft’s sale of Windows 8 Pro for only $40 ends on Thursday. If you haven’t taken advantage of the sale, time is quickly running out! If you’ve purchased a Windows 8 (Sadly, not Windows RT) tablet, ultrabook or other computer and you attempt to upgrade directly through the “Add Features To Windows” function, you do not get this discount, and the Pro upgrade price is $70. However, if you have a, XP, Vista or Windows 7 computer that you can run the Windows Upgrade Assistant on, you can purchase the upgrade from your computer, and then STOP and not download the Windows…

Editorials

Cyberlink Ultra FAIL!

I’ve been working to recover from a major hard drive crash. Fortunately, I knew it was coming…those telltale crashes from nowhere and other glitchy warnings. I have what I thought was a pretty safe backup set up, and so I haven’t “lost” anything exactly. I got my backup drive up and running, but decided that I was going to take the plunge and prepare a different drive to upgrade to Windows 8. To get ready, I got a different hard drive, and did a completely clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate. I’ve actually never done that before. My backups all…

Game Diary, News & Features

Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta Begins January 29

The open multiplayer beta for the sandbox shooter Crysis 3 game starts January 29 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where players can battle the corrupt Cell Corporation. Players can try out the new superpowered Nanosuit, which features cloaking, vision, and armor properties. Players also get two team-based modes (eight in full game), two maps (12 in full game) and the new New York social feed, which lets players share their accomplishments. This beta ends on February 12. Besides the nanosuit, players will encounter powerful equipment and weapons including the typhoon assault rifle that fires 500 rounds per second….

Reviews

8Gadget Pack Review – Bring Back Sidebar Gadgets to Windows 8

I know not everyone is enamored of the Windows Sidebar and Gadgets, but I use them all the time, on every computer I own. I like the CPU monitoring as well as Hard Disk monitoring, so that I can easily see at a glance if my computer is doing something in the background, or if it is really frozen and needs a restart. This is especially true on my Windows 8 Atom tablet, which is much slower at processing things that my i7 desktop and laptop! 8Gadget Pack is a free utility that you can install to bring back the…

News & Features

Thermometer for the Naturalist that Will Leaf the Competition Behind

For those seeking escape from the mechanical, desiring a more natural space, yet have the nagging desire to have an idea of what the approximate room temperature is in you sanctuary, Gizmine may have the thermometer for you. The aptly named Leaf Thermometer not only looks natural and realistic, it actually gives you a rough idea of how warm or cold it is by changing its color accordingly. No more straining eyes at small gradients on glass thermometers or glancing at digital readouts … just check the color! Henry David Thoreau would have been proud to have one while loitering…

Game Diary, News & Features

Former Atari CEO to Save U.S. Operations from Bankruptcy?

In the world of games there are always winners and losers … recently Atari’s U.S. operations lost the financial game to use one of their lives to win the possibly win the survival game later. After some nice anniversary celebrations last year for the 2600 and Pong, Atari made their Chapter 11 announcement on January 20, 2013. The reason? Separate from their French parent holding company Atari S.A. (formerly Infogrames). In 2010, Atari leveraged their popular game franchises to shift its work from retail game titles to digital games for Android and iOS and Android. The method worked as they saw…

Game Diary, Reviews

‘The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game Series’ Review

Ever since winning Spike TV’s 2012 Game Of The Year award, Telltale Games has been topping yearly ‘best of’ lists like crazy. Yet, with all the press, there’s still a fundamental question to be answered: what’s so good about the new Walking Dead game series? It’s just a tie-in, right? How can a licensed, downloadable title be anything more than a cash cow? As it turns out, Telltale Games had an answer. The studio, while previously known for its mediocre, licensed work (CSI, Back To The Future) has finally done something remarkable. They’ve crafted an episodic series that manages to…

Game Diary, Reviews

Adidas miCoach Game Review on PlayStation 3

Looking to stay in shape after the holidays? Adidas miCoach connects fitness fanatics to professional trainers in multiple sports and existing Adidas media. The Hype Why leave your house when you can train with the pros right in your own living room? Take your fitness training to the next level, train with word-famous athletes, receive feedback in real-time and get the results you want with Adidas miCoach. Hook up your PlayStation Move and get ready for personal training like you’ve never experienced before. Automatically share your progress via miCoach.com Training Games: Move around your living room with fun sport-related games…

Game Diary, News & Features

Indie Project ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ Brings Magical Realism to Games

Indie developer Cardboard Computer has just released ACT I of their IGF-nominated five-part game series. Entitled ‘Kentucky Route Zero,’ the work is being described as a ‘magical realist adventure game.’ The project was awarded finalist status at the Independent Games Festival, and looks to become a promising piece of modern art. As far as gameplay is concerned, players will be treated to classic point-and-click adventure-style puzzles. Imagine a fusion of ‘Monkey Island’ with elements similar to those found in “Like Water For Chocolate” or “Love In The Time Of Cholera.” As described by the studio themselves, the game will be…

Gear Bits

Adobe Creative Suite – Subscription vs. Retail

If you work in a creative industry, chances are you use software programs from Adobe’s extensive creative suite. The issue, of course, is that these applications are insanely expensive. Interested in image-manipulation through Photoshop CS6? MSRP will cost you $700 for that program alone. You can grab it off Amazon right now for $560, but that’s not exactly a bargain. What about Illustrator? Dreamweaver? After Effects? The list goes on and on. How can anyone possibly afford to keep a solid library of digital tools? Here’s the answer: Adobe Creative Cloud. Subscription services have been around for ages, but software-based…

Reviews

Dropbox “Official” app vs. Box File Provider app on Windows 8 (Modern UI)

A couple of days ago, Dropbox added their app to the Windows Store for use in the Modern UI of Windows 8. Before this app became available, I had been using Box File Provider to access my Dropbox files via the Modern UI. If you are using an RT version of Windows, a Modern UI version is critical, as the desktop function is severely limited on the RT versions of Windows 8. There is always the option to access your files stored in Dropbox through the web browser interface, but I find that to be kludgy and not as easy…

Editorials

How Well Do You Trust Online Reviews?

Image courtesy of XKCD I recently read a very interesting post by Andrew Leonard about online reviews, and attempts by software companies to (as we say in the high tech world) productize them. The question is valid: In an online world with an overwhelming wealth of information about almost everything, how do you weigh reviews and make a buying decision? Certainly the online world is swamped in reviews. But in my view, there’s a huge problem with reviews on the Web. There are almost always just two types: The rave, and the pan. That is, either you see posts that…

Events, News & Features

Stay Connected With ConnecteDevice’s COOKOO Watch

ConnecteDevice Ltd, an unpronounceable global tech company, has just announced the worldwide launch of its COOKOO™ connected watches. These designer devices combine standard analog movement with a connected digital display to keep people updated to the happenings on their iOS smartphones. Incoming and missed calls, Facebook notifications, calendar reminder, and more can be mapped to the watch and displayed digitally. Even better, the COOKOO line doesn’t require regular charging. So how does it work? Users must first download the COOKOO App™ (available on the App Store). People can then pick and choose which updates they want to receive on their…

Events, News & Features

Audi to Include Tegra-Powered Infotainment Systems in Select Vehicles This Year

If you are an Audi enthusiast and in the market for a new Audi, you are in for a treat. Audi today announced they would be including the MMX computing module based on the NVIDIA Tegra Visual Computing Module in select models starting in 2013. This latest iteration of the Audi MIB will enhance Audi connect, permitting the live updating of satellite imagery for both Google Earth and Google Map Street View. Audi drivers with the new NVIDIA Tegra hardware will be able to see 360° street panoramas as well as pull up real-time gas prices, the latest weather forecasts…

Game Diary, Reviews

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask Game Review on Nintendo 3DS

Outstanding puzzles and great storylines continue creating a potent, mystery-adventure game mix in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, the fifth overall installment in this “prequel” game series. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is the second game in a new prequel trilogy (fifth overall) and was first released in 2011 as a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS within Japan. It is also the first game in the series for the Nintendo 3DS while previous installments released on the Nintendo DS. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, which primarily takes place one year following the events of Professor Layton…

Articles by Gear Diary Staff