Articles by Travis Ehrlich

Reviews February 24, 2011

Ringtones Maker for iPhone Review

Just the other day I was approached by a friend who just replaced all of their family’s flip phones with iPhones. The first question she asked was, “how do my daughters make their songs into ringtones?” This is a common request from people switching to the iPhone so I decided to find a way to do this. I came across Ringtones Maker which happened to be marked down from $19.99 to free. I figured it was worth a look at that price. Ringtones Maker takes .mp3 or .m4a from your iPhone library and turns them into custom ringtones. Please remember…

Game Diary, Reviews February 18, 2011

Super Ball Escape for iPhone/Touch Review

I have a running joke with one of my students about the iPhone being so much better than her Android phone. We joke about battery life and applications and games. The other day she was so proud to show me a new game where you tilt the phone like a board to guide a ball around a maze to. I laughed and told her IOS has plenty of games like that and some of them were much more involved than just moving the ball around the maze. She asked to see one so I searched for something cool. I stumbled…

Game Diary, Reviews February 12, 2011

iPad App Review: Weird Worlds Return to Infinite Space

I have always been a fan of space being a Star Wars fanatic (not a Star Trek guy though). How fun could it be to take a sweet spaceship and buzz around the universe visiting strange and uncharted worlds. With that said, most any space game has always been entertaining to me. Whether it means blasting ships and aliens or making friends with them for business reasons, space is always a fun place to game. I jumped at the chance to review Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space for these very reason. Let’s take a look. Choose between three ships…

Game Diary, Reviews February 11, 2011

Gun Bros for iPhone/Touch Review

It has been one of those weeks. While searching for this week’s Blue Plate Special, I had one requirement. The application had to be mindless fun. I needed some entertainment and fun with explosions and guns make it that much better. As luck would have it, a game called Gun Bros turned out to be mindless fun with cool guns and space fighting. Since the game is free, I figured we had a winner. Let’s take a look. Gun Bros is the story of two brothers, Francis and Percy who are the sole members of F.R.A.G.G.E.D., which stands for, Freakishly…

Reviews February 4, 2011

TrueHDR for iPhone Review

I have been a fan of HDR photography for a few years. One of my first projects when I purchased a DSLR was to learn the basics of taking these kinds of photos. High dynamic range photos are a combination of a range of different exposures to make the entire photo look as if it is lit properly. With my camera, I take three photos. One that is under exposed, one is over exposed or blown out and a third that is the normal photo the camera would take. The photos are then sent to a computer application that combines…

Reviews January 31, 2011

iPad App Review: Lightning Was Here: My Puzzle Book

My three and six year old sons are definitely a chip off the old block. They are both gamers (even though we limit them) and love technology and all of my gadgets. They both are heavy iPhone users with the oldest even being able to search for free apps on the app store. I do not let them use my iPad unless we are using it together since replacing it is not in my budget, but when they get a chance, they love to get their hands on it. I also love being able to review kid friendly items and…

Editorials January 28, 2011

It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Hurt: Using Gear for the Bad

Imagine this situation. The phone rings with the caller id displaying your significant other. You gladly answer the phone but the voice on the other line sounds strange. The caller id never lies, so you believe it is who the phone says it is. A horrible, sinking feeling comes over you as the caller confesses to cheating with your best friend, complete with gory details. Your life is instantly falling apart with feeling of rage, sadness and confusion overwhelming you as the caller laughs and hangs up. Later, the complete conversation is found for all to see on Facebook with…

Game Diary, Reviews January 26, 2011

muBlip for iPhone Review

This week was time for something new for the Blue Plate. I wanted something entertaining, yet entirely different. My search brought me to muBlip. It caught my eye since it was a memory game that used musical principles. As a musician, I enjoy games with a music theme but as a guitarist I have never been into guitar hero type games. muBlip uses beeps and soothing music combined with shapes to deliver an entertaining and addictive game. Let’s take a look. muBlip is a memory game that combines musical beats and shapes. Music from para9 and Duchess Says set the…

News & Features January 25, 2011

Speck Introduces CandyShell Wrap for iPad

Any of you who own an iPad know there are two main issues. Protection and how to hold it. Of course we want to carry the gorgeous device with us, but all of that screen real estate leaves plenty of room for mishaps and broken glass. There are probably thousands of options for both protection as well as stands, but few combines both. The problem with all of these options is finding good quality and well thought design. As you have seen with many of our reviews, the Gear Diary Team and editors love the design and quality of Speck…

Reviews January 24, 2011

iPad App Review: Interruption

I usually only get to use my iPad at home when I have a WiFi connection. My first order of business is to check all of my news feeds, from Mac and tech blogs to actual world news. My number one problem with most readers is they are just too messy for me. There are several popular apps that have corrected that problem, but I just cannot get into using them. I have a lot of feeds I check and it just seems overwhelming most days. The developer of The Chalkpad contacted me about Interruption and it looked promising. Let’s…

News & Features January 22, 2011

Arctic Releases Land Rider 300 RC Racing Car Series

Arctic has developed into a company who primarily made cooling solutions for computers to a company who releases high quality products of everything from speakers and keyboards to now hobby items. I have reviewed many items from Arctic and have yet to find something that was not high quality while staying affordable. Their newest line of RC toys. As you can see in a post here, the first offerings were all service related vehicles. They are now announcing a new line of Land Riders for those with faster tastes. Take a look at the full release and product line. These…

Game Diary, Reviews January 20, 2011

Over the Rainbow for iPhone/Touch Review

When I play games on iOS devices, I usually prefer puzzle style games. I noticed Over The Rainbow was on sale for free so I figured it could not hurt to download and give it a try. Despite the cute, childish theme and design, it was quite fun for an old football coach. As you will see, the game is super easy to play, but becomes challenging and addictive as you work through the levels. Let’s take a look! Over The Rainbow puts the player as a cute water droplet that is dropped from a rain cloud. The goal is…

News & Features January 14, 2011

PocketLabworks To Release iRiffPort Taking Mobile Guitar To The Next Level

I have several iPhone/iPad to guitar interface hardware products. All of them work well and allow players to use their IOS device to plug in a guitar and add effects. The products are awesome for practice, but the sound quality probably is not good enough for recording or true performances. PocketLabworks is planning on releasing some hardware designed to improve the audio quality while using an IOS device for the guitar. About iRiffPortTM 24 bit Digital Audio Guitar Interface for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad PocketAmp and PocketGK work with several adaptors listed on our website. However, iRiffPort offers the…

Events, News & Features January 13, 2011

iGrill Wins 6th Annual Bluetooth SIG Best of CES 2011 Awards – Best New Product

I know most of you are stuck inside looking out at the snow. If you like to BBQ, your pit is probably frozen in a drift of snow right now. One thing great about living in Texas is the fact that I can BBQ almost anytime of the year. In fact, last night I grilled steaks and Brats. Maybe that is why Texas has the best BBQ! As a dedicated griller, the idea of joining two of my favorite hobbies, the barbecue pit and my IOS devices sounds like an amazing idea. The iGrill does just that, allowing all of…

News & Features January 13, 2011

New Mobile App Transforms Guitar Players into a Rock Prodigy

I cannot describe how exciting it is to see the advancements for guitar players on IOS devices. Changes are coming so fast, they are difficult to keep up with. My good friend Travis has recently picked up the guitar and I am assisting in his learning. His iPhone is playing a vital role in his guitar education. Rock Prodigy is one of the newest methods of honing your skills. Using your actual guitar, the app will even score your playing making each song better knowing what mistakes were made. I hope to take a good look at the app very…

Game Diary, Reviews January 13, 2011

Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge for iPhone/Touch Review

My good friend and combat hero, Travis and I were watching the Military Channel yesterday when we saw a commercial for a new version of the Cannon Challenge game. Before purchasing, we decided to download and play the older, free version of the game. Travis is a full iPhone and soon to be Mac convert so I like to send plenty of ideas for apps and games. Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge is the perfect game considering we were watching similar subject matter. Let’s take a quick look. Cannon Challenge allows players to take control of their very own NLOS cannon. …

Reviews January 9, 2011

Review: GlowCrazy Glow-In-The-Dark Fun

Despite being a gear geek, I still want my kids to have activities for inside that are not on a television or video game system. In their life, most of what they know come either of those ways. We do play with Lego toys, slot car tracks and board games, but those get old to the boys. What we need is something unique that seems magic. Enter GlowCrazy which happens to be both unique and does seem like magic. The good folks at GlowCrazy sent me and my boys a sample for review. My boys play hard and are self…

Events, News & Features January 5, 2011

Video Exclusive: ioSafe Rugged Portable Hard Drive Given a Hard Time!

We just posted the release of ioSafe’s newest hard drive product right here. Just like last year, Dan, Judie and Larry were able to see the ioSafe perform in person. Last year, the demo showed how well their products stand up to fire which was right up Larry’s alley. This year they dragged one behind a van then shot it! To make it even better, the Gear Diary editors get to take the shots!!! Of course, I am saying Judie and Kevin took the best shots since they are fellow Texans and all. Watch the video and I promise you…

News & Features January 5, 2011

Astraware and Digital Eel launch Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space on the iPad

Along with all of the gadgets at CES, some new games are also being released this week. Astraware has just released a new iPad game, Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space. This is the iPad take on the Mac/PC game of the same name. The iPad seems like a great platform to engage in space combat. Here is the complete release from Astraware. Watch soon for a full review. Astraware and Digital Eel launch Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space on the iPad Staffordshire, UK – January 5th 2011 – Astraware® is excited to announce it’s going to be a…

Reviews December 31, 2010

ToonCamera for iPhone/Touch Review

The iPhone 4 has a really good camera and it shoots HD video. I have come to be pretty dependent on the phone as a camera device as well as my only video device. I have collected quite an array of camera and video apps. In fact, I have started my third folder full of photography apps. One problem with these apps is that they rarely qualify in price for the Blue Plate Special. I recently came across ToonCamera which happens to be a simple, yet fun app for both video and photos. Let’s take a look. ToonCamera is exactly…

Reviews December 29, 2010

iPad Accessory Review: EFO iPad Bluetooth Keyboard with Folding Case

One of my favorite gadgets of not only this year, but also all time is the iPad. The hardware is elegant and the technology is amazing and cutting edge. There are some limitations or concessions that must be made using the iPad instead of a conventional computer. One of the main changes is the use of the software keyboard. We have all learned to use software keyboards and I actually prefer them on a phone. The iPad is somewhat different since it is able to be used for tasks commonly performed on a laptop or desktop computer. Several options are…

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