Articles by Travis Ehrlich

Weather Doodle for iPhone/Touch and iPad

I admit it, I am a weather freak. Part of this is due to the fact that most of my job requires being outside and weather plays a huge factor in how my day or games will go. Another part is due to living in Kansas for a few years as a young kid. Basically, I was scared into learning and being interested in weather. Our county is currently in a drought worse than was experienced during the dust bowl and there does not seem to be any relief in the near future. Yesterday evening we were still at 100…


Big News from Monster and Earth Wind & Fire

Last night the folks at Monster Cable were kind enough to invite Gear Diary to a special event held in San Antonio at the amazing Bjorn’s store. Monster brought in the legendary members of Earth Wind & Fire for a meet and greet with a special announcement: Verdine, Phillip and Ralph are celebrating 40 years of making music together as the band, and they have teamed up with Monster for a special product coming out soon. The band members were interviewed by Bjorn about their history and the formation of the band. It was a great experience to listen to…


Analog Game Review: IcoSoKu

It seems like almost everything many of us use today is digital or electronic. I do not read books from paper anymore or play card games with physical cards. Almost any type of game or activity can be replicated with our digital devices. Puzzle games and brainteasers are some of my favorite time wasters and I have many on my iPhone. What about actual physical games? You remember, the puzzles you actually hold in your hand and move to solve. I recently tried IcoSoKu from Recent Toys to challenge my mind and bring me back to the days of analog…


iPhone Gear Review: Third Rail System

It is no secret that mobile power has become a huge issue for most of us. IOS, Android, Blackberry…we may all argue about whose is better, but the bottom line is that we all need extra power for our devices at one point or another. My job takes me on the road several nights a week — without charging possibilities — so this is a big issue for me all of the time. I have numerous external batteries and even a solar-powered charger that I carry with me in my gear bag and in my athletic bags. One problem I…


Shooting Gear Review: X-Rest by Montie Gear

Here at Gear Diary, we write about a huge variety of products and services. One area that we rarely touch on is the hobby of shooting. Living in South Texas and being a country boy means that I have done my fair share of shooting. I love to hunt, despite rarely getting the chance and I love to shoot targets. To be able to shoot well, you must practice. It just so happens one of my best buddies is a gunsmith and NRA registered 600 and 1000 yard F-Class shooter and 1000 yard bench rest shooter. He has a target…


Sudoku 2 for iPhone/Touch

I have loved playing Sudoku since it became a craze appearing in newspapers. My wife bought me a book full of puzzles one year and I would often print some out for my students to work on if they had down time in class. I love word and number games that require higher level thinking skills. I believe that it is like working out your brain and leads to increased brain power in many areas. Sudoku games have had a home on my phone as long as they have been developed. While the game itself does not change, not all…


Portable Speaker Review: The Bomb from iFrogz

I cannot tell a lie. I love speaker solutions. With music being totally mobile and always available in my pocket, I love having many ways to listen to my audio content. Some options are quite expensive and include bluetooth connections and high-end audio, but sometimes I just need something inexpensive, easy to carry and convenient. iFrogz has introduced a speaker system that fits this category and they call it, “the Bomb”. I have been able to spend a little time with the Bomb so let’s take a look and see how it sounds. The Bomb is a reasonably priced speaker…


iPad App Review: TallyTots

I have reviewed several apps for the iPad that have been both fun and educational for young kids. The iPad is actually a wonderful tool for educating students or children of all ages. The interface is intuitive and the younger generations seem to magically know how to navigate the device without any instruction. When I think back to the excitement I had for using TRS 80 and Apple IIe computers, I can only imagine how exciting using an iPad would have been. As you have seen in various posts and reviews, my two young boys have inherited their dad’s love…


Castle Runner for iPhone/Touch

I remember a day when gaming was simple. The graphics were simple but made the point and game play required timing and easy actions to get as many points as possible. It is not that I do not love new games with fancy graphics and complicated game play, but sometimes it is fun when I have a few minutes to kill to go old school with a nice side scroller where timing is the name of the game. Castle Runner does just this and in a truly challenging manor. Let’s take a look. Castle Runner is an action themed side…


Headphone Review: iFrogz EarPollution Luxe Bud with Microphone

Other than cell phones, one of the most common gadgets I see are headphones. Kids and adults alike love to carry their media with them and seem to be listening to it in public more and more. I always check out headphones when someone has them in, since I am a geek and gear head and always see a variety of style and sizes. Headphones and earbuds are one of those things that you can pay as little as a couple of dollars or up to hundreds. I was able to test out a pair of Luxe earbuds from iFrogz….


Frisbee Forever for iPhone / Touch / iPad

This week’s Blue Plate Special was spotted by my son. He was browsing the app store on my wife’s phone and came to ask if he could play frisbee. He said, “Dad! I have to get this frisbee game! It looks so cool and I promise it is free!” He had a point, it did look cool and was in fact free, so I let him download it. When he later told me how much he liked it, I added it to my phone then to my iPad since the application is universal. Let’s take a look. With summer coming…


Review: Lowepro Compuday Photo 250 Backpack

I love gear bags, especially backpacks. The great thing about a gear bag is that I can carry more of my stuff. I have a backpack for my DSLR as well as a backpack for my MacBook and all of the items that go with it. Just the other day we took a short family trip and my wife was amused that I had to carry two backpacks with me. She asked why I did not just find one that could fit all of my stuff I was taking. Well, lucky for me, I was able to review the Compuday…


Clowning-Around for iPhone/Touch

As a huge fan of Angry Birds, I have come to love puzzle/physics games. I really enjoy the thought process to release an item on the screen to begin a series of events that solves a goal. The games take planning, critical thinking and a bit of skill. As I searched the app store Clowning-Around caught my eye reminding me of the Atari 2600 game Circus. Upon further inspection, it actually reminded me of Cut The Rope and Angry Birds all rolled into a cool circus theme. Let’s take a look at Clowning-Around for the iPhone/Touch. Roll up, roll up,…


iPad Accessory Review: Breffo SpiderpodiumTablet

Anyone with a tablet has probably learned that it can be somewhat of an awkward device to use when not in an easy to hold position. It is not a problem while sitting on the couch or at a desk, but what about when cooking or laying in bed, or riding in a car — or when trying to use one anywhere else you can imagine that does not involve simply sitting in a chair. Some products act as a stand, kind of like a frame or book stand. Those products work well, but they are not exactly multi-functional. Breffo…


Genius Scan for IOS

I recently needed to send a copy of some history key words to a friend for his class. I was not near a computer and did not have a copy on my phone or in drop box. I tried taking a picture of the document, which got the point across, but was not exactly a great way to send the copy. I use Evernote all of the time for similar purposes but it is still just a photo of the document. With this all in mind I began searching for an app that may improve the process. Genius Scan had…


Review: Aluratek Cinepal HD Personal Media Player

Something has changed with my use of all of my devices. Due to memory issues, I have gone back to using dedicated devices. I listen to music on an iPod rather than my iPhone and have been looking for a better way to show off my photos and videos than the iPad. It is funny how I have gone full circle with the devices back to a day where I kept many things separate. The Cinepal HD Personal Media Player is a product that could solve some of my issue of photos and video. Let’s take a look. The Cinepal…


iAssociate 2 Review

When iAssociate came out on the IOS, I played through it and enjoyed the game. Some of my students recently asked if I was playing iAssociate2. I had not been playing and decided to download the free application. The next thing I know, I am trying to figure out word associations literally every spare moment I have. In fact, the game has become somewhat of an infatuation with the students. It is not rare to be sitting in class or walking down the hall and hearing “What is a 7 letter word that goes with crazy, insane and mad?” I…


iPad App Review: Swapsies

I am slowly warming up to having my two boys, ages 3 and 6 use my iPad. It is not that they cannot understand how it works, but that I see all of the things they tear up and choose for my gear not to be one of those items. The iPad has proven to be a wonderful tool for children with the number of learning apps and games. I recently had the opportunity to review Swapsies using my sons as my trusty sidekick reviewers. Let’s see what they thought. Swapsies is a matching game app for kids three years…


HellOut!-Volcano Adventures for iPhone/Touch

I started checking out this game searching for my Blue Plate Special app and was not sure if it could make the grade, but after a few minutes of playing I started getting hooked and found myself trying to beat more and more levels. HellOut!-Volcano Adventure reinforces my theory that simple, fun game play along with easy controls makes for an enjoyable IOS playing experience. Let’s take a look. The idea of this game is quite simple, but conquering it has proven to be another story. Your job is to guide a small dragon up to the top of the…


Review: Everki Flight Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Backpack

As the amount of gear I carry increases, the ability to carry it with comfort and style becomes more important. I have recently reviewed several products from Everki including the Camber Netbook Case, Beacon Backpack, Track Messenger, and the Agile Slim Laptop bag. I have loved the design and quality of Everki products, so I was excited to have a chance to review the new Flight Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Backpack. Not only is carrying all of your mobile gear important, but also being able to travel easily, especially when catching a flight. Let’s take a look. The Flight is the…


Mr AahH for iPhone/Touch

I remember a day when searching for a game I worried about 3D graphics and realistic gameplay. Of course those things are nice and cool in a game, but IOS has brought me back to the day where simplicity and fun were more important than realistic explosions. I recently tried to explain to some of my students how fun gaming was “back in the day” when graphics were terrible, but the games were just fun and could be replayed over and over. This idea has proven true for me again with IOS games where simplicity, enjoyable game play and the…