Articles by Travis Ehrlich

Game Diary, Reviews May 16, 2012

Flick Home Run! for iPhone and Touch

Now that baseball season is upon us in full swing and summer is approaching, I found it proper to feature a baseball app in this week’s Blue Plate Special. My kids have been playing tee ball and coach pitch and making dad proud; we have already made it to a minor league game in San Antonio. Baseball is in our blood and a beloved summer activity. I actually learned about Flick Home Run from one of my students that thought I might enjoy it. Boy were they correct! Now I am able to take a little batting practice anytime I…

Reviews May 8, 2012

SportsYapper for iPhone Review

Through many events in our lives, we follow a feed. Twitter, Facebook, Google+. Whatever your flavor is, there is a way to share experiences and let people know what is going on. It is often fun to follow Tweets or friends’ status updates during your favorite game, especially during the playoffs. What if there was a service that allowed fans to comment on certain games or follow all current games being played? SportsYapper promises to do just that. The app for talking sports! SportsYapper is the place to chat with friends and fans while you’re watching the game, and discuss…

Reviews May 7, 2012

Logos Quiz Game for iPhone/Touch

The gaming experience on iOS devices can be much different from the old console days. Most of the games I get hooked on are simple and can be played in small spurts during random times of the day. Many of these games become wildly addicting, even if for a limited amount of time. Last week, a student came to me and showed me a picture of the Atari logo and asked if I knew what that was. While I was blown away that he did not know this logo that brought me so much joy as a child, I also…

Reviews April 26, 2012

Casellet Wallet Case for iPhone 4/4S Review

If you were a fan of the hit show, “Seinfeld,” surely you can remember the episode when George has back problems from the giant wallet he was carrying. That episode struck a chord with me and actually inspired me to look into getting a front pocket wallet. For years I have only carried a wallet in the front, relieving my hind end from sitting on a giant lump. Call me spoiled, but even a front pocket wallet is often too much for me. I never carry it on the sports fields where the freedom to move easily is imperative. One…

Reviews April 24, 2012

Pic Stitch For iPhone

Despite owning a digital SLR, my iPhone is always one of my favorite photography tools. Many believe that the best camera to use is always the one with you. While this is certainly true and makes an easy case for iPhone photography, the phone itself is actually a good camera. Simply taking photos is usually not enough for me, I love to edit and change them using applications on my phone. It really is pretty amazing that I can take some photos, edit them and share them from virtually anywhere without a computer. Pic Stitch allows users to combine multiple…

News & Features April 11, 2012

Bracketron Universal USB Power Dock Pro Flex Now Available

Where to set my phone when I drive? That seems to be a problem I often have. Lately, I tend to just lay it in my lap which usually sends it crashing to the floor board after each stop. If I am not connected to the auxiliary cord, it often goes forgotten and crashes to the pavement when I hop out of the vehicle. I have tried setting my phone in the cup holder and in other places but just cannot seem to find anywhere that works well. A flexible dock that keeps my phone in a convenient position to…

Outdoors, Reviews April 10, 2012

Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Review: A Hunter’s Best Friend

Spring turkey season has been in full swing for several weeks. My buddies and I have been spending countless hours in our pop up blinds on the weekends, both morning and nights. Mother nature has blessed south Texas with some much-needed rain this spring, making the land green and wildflowers colorful.

News & Features April 10, 2012

Casellet iPhone Case Is Both a Case and a Wallet

I absolutely hate carrying items in my pockets. This probably stems from the fact that I spend most of my time on sports fields and courts, but keys and wallets are usually not with me while I work. Unfortunately, I am connected to my iPhone like a vital organ, so I have become used to always carrying it with me. This habit finds me in situations where I forget to grab some cash or my debit card, and I get stuck borrowing a few bucks or waiting until I get back to my wallet. There are solutions that turn an…

Reviews April 9, 2012

Motivational Poster for iPhone

You have all seen them, the posters with a black border and a motivational saying matching a pretty picture. I have no clue when or why these types of posters began, but they have been popular for some years now. These posters can be found to suit virtually any subject and are available with thousands of images. Using these posters for comedic reasons has also become popular if my Facebook newsfeed is any indication. Recently one of my buddies was laughing at one of these ridiculous posters and said, “I wonder how people make their own versions of these.” I…

Reviews April 1, 2012

MOG For iPad Review

There was a time when I was totally against the idea of streaming music services. I was stuck in the old ways of thinking I must own all of my media and had a large collection. Due to a hard drive issue, I decided to give MOG a try and never looked back. Having a much larger library of music at my disposal than I could ever collect which is available on all of my devices anytime has been awesome. While there can be a separate discussion/debate on which service is the best, this post will simply focus on the…

Reviews March 27, 2012

Angry Birds Space for iPhone/Touch

I cannot tell a lie. I have spent countless hours flinging various birds at devious green pigs on my iPhone and iPad. Until recently, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio had kept me free from boredom and often avoiding tasks around the house to complete three stars in just one more level. For several months, though, the games had become stale for me. Even with new updates and levels, I just was not interested in playing much. I guess the three games were different, but it was just the same old gameplay with newer levels. I cautiously…

Game Diary, Reviews March 21, 2012

Zombie Highway for iPhone/Touch and iPad

As I watched the season finale of The Walking Dead Sunday night, one of my kids hollered from the other room, “Why does everything have to do with zombies?” We do not let them watch the show of course, but he knew I was watching what he calls, “that zombie show.” Even though he had a point, I did not have a good answer. I simply replied, “because killing zombies is so fun.” He definitely agreed and told me there are some fun games where you have to kill zombies. It just so happens that I also found a game…

Reviews March 17, 2012

Sportiiiis Heads-Up Display System with Heart Rate Monitor for Athletes Review

I spend most of my days designing and executing workouts. With our football players, we concentrate more on raw strength and fast twitch muscle fibers, but for myself, heart rate is the important factor. If time is to be taken to workout, it is important to make sure the exercise is maximized. If your heart rate is too low, there will be no benefits, and if your heart rate is too high, the workout becomes dangerous. Maintaining target heart rate will bring the most results safely. Since I am no spring chicken anymore, the safety issue is really important for…

Reviews March 12, 2012

Everki Titan Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Backpack Review

If you are anything like me, there is plenty of gear that you carry everyday. All of this stuff may not be used daily, but it has to be available since you never know. I am totally guilty of carrying too much stuff with me back and forth from work or on trips. With that said, carrying the gear is an important task. My favorite choice of bags is always a laptop backpack. Maybe it is the fact that I spend the majority of my time at a school so backpacks are everywhere or maybe I just like the way…

Reviews March 10, 2012

Pimp Your Screen – Your Device Never Looked Cooler for iPhone/Touch and iPad

We all know that iOS is not the king of customization, but sometimes a little change is a breath of fresh air. I have been through the jailbreak stage with plenty of themes and fancy alternate icons, each time causing my phone to become deathly slow. About the only way iOS users can set their devices apart is through custom lock screens and backgrounds. It is fun to have some pictures of my kids or a cool Apple background, but it still is not exactly custom. As I scoured the app store this week I came across a little gem…

eBooks, How to Do It Yourself! March 6, 2012

How To Replace a Kindle Keyboard Battery

On a recent game day, I charged up my Kindle in anticipation for the long trip since it was not my turn to drive. I planned on staying relaxed before we played while following the adventures of Katniss Everdeen fighting to survive in the arena, but when I laid back with my neck pillow, the Kindle refused to let me into the depths of the Hunger Games. It would be another long, boring ride without the comforts of the Kindle Keyboard. Upon arriving at home, I plugged it back in and once again charged overnight only to discover it would…

Gear Bits March 4, 2012

1983, an LP by Chris King and a Kickstarter Project

We have covered several Kickstarter projects here at Gear Diary ranging from the Kammock Roo to ASL Tunes for the deaf to new 3D Glasses. Kickstarter is a website that is used as “a new way to find and follow creativity.” Basically, an artist, writer, inventor etc… can fund new projects through the help of anyone who feels inclined to donate to the cause. Most projects do offer packages donors will receive according to the amount they pledge. The capital must be promised before time runs out or the project will not be funded. This is actually a project for…

Reviews March 1, 2012

Voxer Walkie-Talkie PTT For iPhone/Touch

I am sure, like me, few of you are ever without your phone. Basically, we have all come to rely on the ability to contact each other 24 hours a day. Texting is probably the easiest since a quick message can easily be sent with the understanding that the receiver will answer at fist convenience. Sometimes a text just does not convey a message that requires a certain tone. A small group of my hunting buddies like to communicate via voice messages. It is not always convenient to call and leave the message, so we rely on phone apps. After…

Editorials February 26, 2012

Hoarding! Why Can I Not Clean Up My iPhone?

I spend much of my time browsing for iOS applications. Finding new apps on blogs or finding reduced price and free apps is kind of a hobby of mine. Often, I will download apps with no intent of using them, but to collect them in my iTunes just in case. A few of my friends like to make the, “there’s an app for that” joke almost anytime I talk about my phone. Some of my students were recently discussing the show about hoarders. You know the program where people stack random items in their houses until it is basically not…

Game Diary, Reviews February 25, 2012

Fly with Me for iPhone/Touch

We have all flung birds at enemy pigs and used our tiny wings to navigate the hills of an unknown world but how many of us actually get to fly on our iOS device? Do not ask me to explain it, but bird games seem to be fun. As I was scouring the Appstore trying to bring you the best of the bargain apps, Fly With Me jumped at me. I knew being from EA and having a bird as the main character I could not go wrong. The app is actually free as of this writing, on sale…

Reviews February 17, 2012

Squrl for iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch

That’s right, its baaaack! After a short hiatus, the Blue Plate Special is back! I will be tweaking the format a bit to hopefully bring you more applications more often. Some of the apps may be on sale and require immediate download for the low price and some posts may contain several apps. Get your phones, iPads and iPod touches ready and check back often for the best deals in the app store! Without further ado, let’s get to saving! There are tons of options for everyone to get news and blog posts on a daily basis. Just look up…

« 1 … 20 21 22 23 24 … 33 »