Articles by Gear Diary Staff


Battlefield Hardline Open Multiplayer Beta Begins

PC, PlayStation 3/4 and Xbox 360/One gamers go to battle today in the free open multiplayer beta for Battlefield Hardline – releasing on March 17. Do battle with other players amid urban settings and action packed scenarios. This beta ends on Sunday, February 8.



Games Galore Boost the Final Club Nintendo Rewards Cache

Nintendo has totally boosted their game cache and physical rewards as the Club Nintendo Rewards program (North America) winds down. Members can also find their free appreciation download code for Flipnote Studio 3D. All worldwide program will end by September 30, 2015 to make way for a new loyalty program.



Super Bowl XLIX Apps and Gear for the Big Game!

Don’t let “Deflategate” take the wind out of your Super Bowl XLIX (49) fun! Fans can get great experiences from various media, apps and more to celebrate the National Football League’s deciding game. Take a look at more “super” options and ways to get authentic gear.


Club Nintendo Closing Up Shop; New Program Coming

Club Nintendo gave gamers extra real-life items (with free shipping) for their purchases when entering/registering codes as members in this Nintendo customer loyalty program for about six years. Now, Nintendo has informed U.S.A. and Canadian members that they can earn more “coin” amounts before Tuesday, March 31, 2015 and spend their remaining amounts before Tuesday, June 30, 2015.


Mike’s Oscar Nom Picks Before Thursday Jan. 15 Announcement

Get your Academy Award nomination (and win) picks ready for all those Oscar contests and office pools. Here are my picks for this year’s Oscars (a.k.a. Academy Awards) for films released in 2014. Look for prominent first-time nominees, possible double nominations, and a long-time cinematography nod. Nominations will officially announce all 24 categories live on Thursday, January, 15.


Special Madden NFL 15 Marathon Tourney Kicks off Friday, January 16

Think you’re an elite Madden NFL 15 gamer? Duracell will start the “Duracell Longest Lasting Tournament” this Friday, January 16, which will be a 26-hour Madden NFL 15 video game marathon tournament where players battle to hold the longest win-streak until the end. This tournament will be powered by Duracell rechargeable batteries and hosted on Twitch.tv where anyone can watch.


New Gaming Accessories Announced at CES 2015

Gear up gamers for fun, flash and functionality! The Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) is featuring new and upcoming gaming accessories to enhance video game experiences for all ages. Nyko and Mad Catz are familiar names in gaming peripherals and this year brings more great gaming options including a PlayStation 4 data bank, PS4 Type Pad, innovative gaming headset, Xbox One light grip, and XB1 mini charge dock.


PlayStation Now Service Release Date Announced at CES 2015

On Monday, January 5, 2015, SCE President and CEO Andy House presented details on Sony’s PlayStation Now (PS Now) game streaming service at the CES show in Las Vegas, Nevada along with an official North American release date. This new Web service streams full games to Sony consoles, televisions, and other devices while offering game rental and subscription service options.


Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Review on Nintendo Wii U

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is the perfect term for this fun platformer where players scour every inch of the environments as Nintendo expands the Mario world again on the Wii U with the dialogue free Toad characters. This Wii U exclusive, one-player, puzzle-strategy game also features eclectic characters like Toadette, the Toad Bridage, Wingo, and Draggadon along with the familiar Goombas and Shy Guys.


Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Review on PlayStation 4

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris has a “top-down” viewing perspective as up to four players can take on adventures in this quality game exclusively available by download. Our “tomb raider” Lara also has a rivals and ancient evils in her midst as develop Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix craft this sequel to the 2010 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.


Xbox Live and PSN Christmas Day Outage Update

Games will have to wait to play some of their new gifts that require online gameplay after they got a lump of coal yesterday in the gaming realm. Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (PSN) services went out on Christmas Day with a group of hackers claiming responsibility. Both companies acknowledged network issues and are working to restore services.


Sony Xperia Z2 Waterproof Tablet Review

The Sony Xperia Z2 waterproof tablet only weighs one pound, making it the lightest 4G LTE tablet. The Xperia Z2 is also the slimmest 4G LTE tablet with a quarter-inch (6.4 mm) width. This Verizon XLTE-ready device has strong durability in the material construction and great battery life, plus extra features with PlayStation game consoles.


Christmas Release on Wii U for NES Duck Hunt

Duck Hunt, the game that help launched their Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 into the game stratosphere, will finally be released for Wii U this Christmas Day (December 25) in time for new players to discover this mainstay shooting game while veterans get to relive the memories all over again.


Illustrate Word Quiz App Boosts Your English Skills

The new Illustrate Word Quiz increases your English language knowledge using picture and video content that can boost your vocabulary and overall skills with dynamic, varied topics that match your skill level in short, entertaining sessions plus developers are offering a holiday present with special codes for more coins and unlocked topics.


Try 3D Jewelry Versions First with Brilliance.com

It can be a lot of pressure to get that perfect diamond ring or jewelry piece right for that special someone, especially around the holidays. Now there is an app for that – The Brilliance.com 3D Printing Diamond Engagement Ring Program uses their own “diamond finder” app to let customers try 3D versions of the final rings/jewelry before final purchase.


Inateck BP-2001 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

This portable Bluetooth speaker from Inateck functions with various devices as well as PC and Mac computers. The BP-2001 portable bluetooth speaker also boasts quality sound in most applications and has a convenient device placement option on top that puts it a step above the average sound speaker.


EA/Maxis Releases New Free ‘The Sims 4’ Content/Updates

The Sims 4 now gifts new career-related content and a Holiday Celebration pack to their ever-growing set of free content since the initial fall release. The new business and athletic careers branch into two new paths/professions, which unlock four career-reward rooms in the build mode when played through. Sims now get paid time off! Update in-game or on Origin.


Guardian Angel Outlet Review: Protect Your Children

Make electricity safe this holiday season. The Guardian Angel Outlet protects users, particularly young ones, by going beyond simply putting plastic plugs in regular electrical outlets for safety. This easy-to-install outlet temporarily shutting down the electricity using “smart”, “capacitive sensing” technology when potential danger is near while still supplying electricity through the outlet.