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Reviews May 28, 2009

2 Games from Astraware Review

I’ve always been a big fan of Astraware. As a former Palm Pilot user I can remember playing Bejeweled on my IIIc. It’s been a long time since the days of Palm games and Astraware has come a long way since the introduction of Bejeweled. They’ve turned a blockbuster handheld game into a mega-gaming company with tons of popular titles. When Astraware asked if I’d be interested in reviewing a couple of their games for the iPhone and iPod Touch I jumped at the chance. Today I’ll be reviewing their latest game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Bubble Babble…

Reviews May 27, 2009

Tap Tap Revenge Review: Dave Matthews Band

There’s no denying the popularity of the video console games Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Even my daughters, who range in age from 3-8, love to jam along to tunes on Rockband. Tapulous has carried over the fun that is playing a musical instrument to one of your favorite songs over to the iPhone with its game Tap Tap Revenge Dave Matthews Band. Tapulous decided to honor the release of a the band’s newest album with their latest version of the game. Tap Tap Revenge DMB showcases one of the U.S.A’s most popular bands, the Dave Matthews Band.

Reviews May 26, 2009

Gogo iPhone 3G Cases Review

Do you want to keep the form factor of your iPhone 3G in tact but still protect the back from scratches and scuffs? Gogo makes high quality snap on back covers for the iPhone 3G. The have a variety of lines and styles to choose from. The best part about Gogo cases is they’re scratch proof. Weighing at 1 ounce and adding less than 1 mm of bulk to your iPhone, these cases keep the shape and feel of your iPhone. I was recently sent cases from their Mirror Series and from their Royal Series to review.

Reviews May 25, 2009

iPopperz Review: Headphone or Fashion Accessory?

iPopperz are an earbud/ ear-canal headphone with added decoration. That sounds like a negative comment, but it’s not as they do not detract from the other. I have been using the headphones I was supplied with for a week on my PC for music, my laptop for Skype and on my Zune for music.

Reviews May 24, 2009

Picsmatch Facial Recognition Software Review

You know that itch you get when you buy a new digital camera, the type of itch that makes you capture everything from kids to office supplies, at least I hope other people do that too :o) My wife is one of the smartest people I know, but I couldn’t count the times when I get a scream from the computer room, with her trying to manage all of our digital photos or asking me how to find certain pictures…that’s where Picsmatch facial recognition program comes to the rescue!

Reviews May 24, 2009

Little Tool That Packs a Big Punch

I’ve been using the Leatherman Skeletool CX for the last year or so. It goes with me everywhere I go. I thought it was light weighing in at a mere 5 ounces. Now Leatherman has one-upped themselves again with the release of the Freestyle CX. This little knife/tool hybrid is packing one heck of a material list. To start, the Leatherman Freestyle CX features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance, making it great for those adventures that really put your gear to the test. Next the premium 154CM knife blade holds its edge three-times as long as traditional stainless…

News & Features May 23, 2009

PhoneFace Adds Improved Contact Search Integration

PhoneFace, the Photo Speed Dial application for BlackBerry and Android, has been updated for improved contact search integration to select your friend’s photo ID based on their Facebook or Twitter profile pics — or selecting a photo that you saved directly to your phone. Simply start typing the name of your contact, and PhoneFace will bring up the listing of all of your contacts’ photos to quickly locate the person you’re looking to reach. PhoneFace has a free 7-day Trial. The full, unlocked application is $ 9.95 (Pssssssst. CrackBerry.com currently has PhoneFace available for $7.95 until June 1st for…

Editorials May 22, 2009

Is Greed Good on the Internet?

[begin rant] Why does everything have to be about money? Why is someone always looking to get something for nothing? Free this, free that, promotional item here, promotional item there. Has capitalism ruined the beauty of some of the things that are free on the internet? I do video reviews on YouTube. Earlier this week I posted a chat video I recorded, about some of the things which were bothering me about YouTube reviews. I haven’t been doing video reviews long, and I have small following so far. And that’s fine. I do it because I enjoy it. I do…

Reviews May 22, 2009

Key-Port Unboxing: The Journey Continues

Earlier this week, I wrote a Gear Diary entry about my experience over the last two years with KeyPort. I mentioned in the article that I had asked Key-Port to return my keys to me, and later that day, I heard from a Key-Port representative who assured me they’d send them back. I heard from a few “doubters,” including our own Wayne Schulz, who, jokingly, I think, wondered if I’d really ever see my keys again, and if I did get them back, what condition would they be in.

Reviews May 21, 2009

iSkin Revo 2 for iPhone 3G Review

The iSkin Revo was one of the most popular cases for the first generation iPhone. How does the Revo 2 for the iPhone 3G measure up? There’s no denying the Revo 2 is jammed packed with features. It offers several layers of protection and comes in a variety of color combinations.

How to Do It Yourself! May 21, 2009

Loading Windows 7 on an Acer Aspire One D150 is a snap – once you know the secret

My friend Mark contacted me via GTalk video chat three days ago to test out his new Acer Aspire One that he purchased for $349 at Costco. I was so impressed that he was able to connect and video chat without difficulty on a Netbook that cost so little that I immediately ordered one for myself on Amazon. Last night I put Windows 7 Release Candidate on the machine by creating a bootable USB drive (I used a 16GB drive – instructions here – that I bought for $35 from Staples). The USB thumb drive was the easiest way for…

Reviews May 21, 2009

Audible for BlackBerry Review

Audible is an online audio bookstore. You can download audio books to burn to a CD or transfer to your favorite MP3 player (or Smartphone) of choice. Audible just released their BlackBerry application. So, how is it? It is a total exercise in frustration…

Reviews May 18, 2009

Flight Control for iPhone and iPod Touch Review

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be an air traffic controller, without all the stress often associated with the frenetic position? Flight Control from Firemint puts you in the seat of air traffic controller responsible for landing planes at your own airport. Get each plane to its proper runaway without crashing into another plane and you earn points. The more points you earn, the harder the game becomes. Flight Control has been in the list of top 20 paid iTunes App Stores apps for weeks. It’s a highly addictive and very challenging game. Let’s take a look.

Reviews May 18, 2009

CoverBee Netbook Case Review

Netbook popularity continues to grow every day, but cute netbook cases are still pretty hard to come by. I love my tech toys, but I also love to accessorize them. I like cases that look fresh and feminine, something different than the traditional, boring flat black leather or neoprene. There is no reason that cases can’t be both functional and attractive! There are a few companies out there that understand the desire for a pretty laptop case, and CoverBee is one of them. CoverBee is a company from Holland that is dedicated to creating functional, fashionable cases for laptops of…

Editorials May 17, 2009

Keyport Key Fob – Product Vaporware

Promises, promises, promises. At one time in my life I worked for a small, start up company. For the entire first year the company existed all we did was market. We had no product to sell, only a few working prototypes. We traveled the world displaying these prototypes at trade shows to very interested customers. We had the prettiest booth and the best brochures but nothing to sell. We even promised release dates. But these quickly came and went and eventually our potential customers became upset. They lost their patience. They wanted the product and they wanted it now. When…

Reviews May 17, 2009

VR+ Voice Recording App for BlackBerry & iPhone Review

ShapeServices has been very busy lately, releasing a wide variety of new and updated mobile applications. You may have read Adrian’s recent review of ShapeServices’ Mobiola xPlayer, or Wayne’s coverage of their popular all-in-one instant messenger, IM+. This week I’ve been using their VR+ voice recording application, which is available for BlackBerry and iPhone/iPod Touch. VR+ lets you create voice recordings — or even entire podcasts — on the go, and share the recordings via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Blogger.com.

Reviews May 16, 2009

iSkin USB Power Charger Review

The iSkin USB power charger is a convenient way to charge all of your USB powered electronic devices. From your iPod to your iPhone to anything in between (providing it’s a low powered USB device with an input power rating of 5 Volts) The charger has a glossy black and gray look and it folds away for easy storage.

Reviews May 15, 2009

Griffin Reflect Mirrored Case for iPhone 3G Review

Do you have a white iPhone and are sometimes jealous of the black? Do you have a black iPhone and want to protect it while maintaining a little bit of its original look and style. The combination of black and chrome is undeniably a sexy one and the Griffin Reflect Mirrored case from Griffin Technology puts the two together in a sleek and functional case for the iPhone 3G.

How to Do It Yourself! May 13, 2009

How to Run the Slingbox iPhone Application on 3G

When Mac Rumors first leaked the story that the Slingbox application for the iPhone was set to launch cries of joy rang out from iPhone users everywhere. That is until they read further and learned that the application would only run on a wifi connection. For fear of overloading their network AT&T apparently asked Apple to restrict use of the Slingbox application. Luckily for those users who running Jailbroken iPhones there’s a nifty utility called “VOIPover3G” which tricks applications into thinking there is a wifi connection present when in fact there’s only a 3G. This allows the Slingbox application to…

Reviews May 11, 2009

Mophie Juice Pack Air Review

If you’re a hardcore iPhone user chances are you struggle with battery life sometime during your daily life. You get too involved with a game, see an extraordinary amount of e-mails, do some serious web surfing and before you know it your battery level has dropped to dangerously low levels before dinner time. There are several external battery choices in the iPhone accessory market. Some clip to the bottom and just charge the phone, others are more like cases, some even have lights and lasers. Out of all of them the Mophie Juice Pack Air is arguably the most functional…

Reviews May 11, 2009

Otter Box Impact Case for Blackberry Curve Review

After purchasing a bright shiny phone, I don’t leave it naked too long. I receive as much pleasure from purchasing the case as I do from purchase of the phone. In my opinion, the case needs to protect the phone and maintain all the button functions; if it can add to the coolness of the phone, the case is a winner. Otter Box has just released a case for the BlackBerry Curve that does all three.

Articles by Gear Diary Staff