Last night for Sarah’s birthday we went to see “Spider-Man: The Musical”. It was supposed to have officially debuted by now, but due to some unfortunate accidents they’ve pushed back the official debut, so what we saw was still the preview. However, it was still a fantastic experience, both for Sarah (as a theater geek) and me (the comic book geek)!
I recently reviewed Korg DS-10 Plus, the analog synthesizer for the Nintendo DS that emulated a Korg MS-10 analog synthesizer. Now Korg is back – this time with the iMS-20, a full translation of the classic Korg MS-20 for the iPad. The Hype: KORG iMS-20: Transform your iPad into a complete analog synth studio! Product Highlights: – A complete recreation of the legendary Korg MS-20 analog synth – Built-in 16-step analog sequencer to control the sound – Music production studio with the MS-20 mono synth, a six-part drum machine, and a mixer – Kaoss Pad function allows intuitive performance and…
The original Rock Band for the iPhone was a decent hit in spite of trading real-feel instruments for tapping on a screen. This is because it was designed to look and feel like the console game and had a good selection of songs to go along with a well designed and functional interface. Now Electronic Arts is back with the next entry in the series … Rock Band Reloaded! Let’s see how they did, and whether it is worth paying again for the new game. The Hype: – PLAY 33 SONGS! Instantly launch into 15 legendary tracks, with additional FREE…
Way back in high school I took four years of Latin. I know, I know – the common wisdom now is ‘why learn a dead language’ unless you are going into medicine? Yet Latin taught me more than a single language – it is the basis of many of the modern languages, and has helped me learn other languages more quickly through the years. So when I saw a full-featured Latin app, I simply HAD to check it out! The Hype: SPQR is the ultimate app for Latin lovers, Latin teachers and Latin students who want to immerse themselves in…
Everyone has that one friend or family member that seems to be the guy you go to when having car troubles. CarCheckup recently sent me their latest automotive scanner and data logger to review, so I happily obliged and ran it for a few days in a late model Mazda 3. The CarCheckup is kind of like swiss army tool for your automotive computer and does a great job exporting the data to a very usable and readable format. The device is a small plastic module that connects to your OBDII port under your dash which is a direct link to the…
Last August I reviewed the DS and PC versions of Puzzle Quest 2. The quick summary of my review is that “the game made good as a true sequel to the “Casual Meets Hardcore and Loves It!” surprise hit from 2007″. In early December Puzzle Quest 2 arrived on the iTunes App Store in the form of a Universal app with Game Center support. So how did it do in the translation? The Hype: Puzzle Quest 2 marks the return of the world’s leading puzzle adventure series and its trademark blend of match 3 gem-based gameplay and fantasy role-playing. Rewarding…
Destination Treasure Island has point-and-click adventures with a great storyline, automatic save points, and considerable inventory management system.
It would be no exaggeration to say that after I placed the ElementCase Vapor 4 on my iPhone 4, no other case felt quite right. I loved the heft that my iPhone got with that ring of aluminum around it (because yes, I am weird like that), and the colors available made the iPhone unmistakably mine. Unfortunately, that ring of aluminum also managed to nearly kill my iPhone’s reception, and at the end of the review process the Vapor 4 had to come off. Since then I have tried quite a few cases — wooden, plastic as well as some…
If you have been following along here at Gear Diary you probably have seen Carly’s review of the NOOKColor. The NOOKColor was noted as Barnes and Noble number one seller for the holiday season and it’s pretty easy to understand why. I am not really an eBook user and don’t often find myself reading too many books, but what I do enjoy is pretty much anything Android and the hardware that it runs on. So far you’ve seen what the $250 devices gets you, a full featured, beautiful color screen eBook reader powered by Android 2.1. It was not days…
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…
Aluratek has brought out a cool little boom box that might just come in handy on your next camping trip. Aluratek sent me one so I could play with it and see what makes it tick. Initially when I opened the box, I was expecting their AWS01F which includes a wireless speaker as well. However when I opened it, the instruction book indicated it was the AMS01F. The only difference between the two packages is the wireless speaker. Otherwise the rest of it is the same. The first thing you have to do is charge the radio up. You simply…
It’s not very often that I can get excited about a universally fitting mobile phone sleeve, mainly because most of the ones I’ve reviewed in the past were pretty utilitarian. But when I received an email from Oberon Design, the company responsible for some of my favorite Kindle2, Kindle DX and iPad cases ever, asking if I’d like to review their new cell phone sleeve, I was happy to oblige. Our cell phone sleeve is offered in twelve cropped versions of our most popular designs and accommodates many different smart phones and regular cell phones. As in the past, the…
A few months ago, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the iPhone 4 version of The Elements, a book/media/textbook/app that describes and demonstrates the Periodic Table of the Elements (with pictures of examples that could be manipulated). I loved it. In fact, I ended up absorbed in it so much that it put me behind on other reviews, because I had to tell you all about it. Now the same development company, TouchPress (Get it? It’s on iOS, so you can “touch” and “press” the app, but it’s also a publishing company, so “press” has a…
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…
When looking back on the list of cars I have driven this year there are a few that resonate driving enjoyment and would be nameplates I would like to see in my own driveway permanently. One of the biggest surprises was a Volvo – yes, I said Volvo. The new S60 sedan, delivered to me in All-Wheel Drive form, stood out enough to best the likes of BMW 3-series’ and Infiniti G. And while delivering one of the best-looking products in quite a long time, safety does not take a back seat with the new model. As Volvo has slowly…
When I first caught wind of Revena’s ELEMENTS AXIS system for the iPad I was intrigued. Rather than having a case, a stand, a wall-mount and a car mount the system gives you all of them in a totally integrated package. You get one shell/case and then can use the iPad on a desk, on a wall or in the car. It looked neat and I was thrilled when the company sent one out for review. You can buy each piece separately or buy a packaged system; so let’s take a look at each piece of the system and the…
For the last few years I’ve had a large iMac sitting on my home desk. It’s been my main computer since shortly after I got my first iPhone. Initially I had a 20 inch iMac but eventually I upgraded to a 27 inch dual core iMac with eight gigabytes of RAM. It was an impressive computer to say the least. The screen was big and beautiful and although it wasn’t one of the new quad-core versions of the all-in-one computer it had plenty of speed. The 1 TB hard drive didn’t hurt either. Yes, it did make a bit of…
Christmas time can be an incredibly stressful time of year. Some of the reasons for this stree may be seeing family you haven’t seen in a year. Or perhaps facing a long drive with a car full of kids. Or even the stress of finding the perfect gift for that hard to buy for loved one. We all need a way to de-stress. Emwave sent me their desktop software to test. Will it help? HeartMath’s emWave Desktop is a desktop version of the portable heart math tool. Heart Math or heart coherence is a technique that many have proclaimed helps reduce stress…
Imagine if you could simply tap a button and both the audio and the video loaded on your laptop or desktop could be sent to your large HDTV? Sure, Apple’s AirPlay has brought us partly there. In fact, just the other night I wanted to watch a movie I had rented on my iPad and decided to view it on my large Samsung TV instead. I started the movie on my iPad, tapped the AirPlay button and, within a few seconds, it was being streamed from my iPad to my Apple TV to my HDTV. It works seamlessly. The only…
Since I got my iPad last spring I have increasingly moved toward working in a “paperless mode”. In fact, a few days ago I needed to write something down with a pen and it took me a good few minutes to find one to use. I am not, of course, in the majority. I know that most of the people who have iPads are not using them to displace pen and paper or reading “dead tree” books and magazines. For most people the iPad is another layer on top of the way they’ve worked previously. That’s where a case such…
When I’m at home I prefer to use my Galaxy Tab in the sleekest, slimmest, most lightweight form I can manage. However, I’m also a realist. With three small girls around and a dog my Tab needs some sort of protection. I keep an anti-fingerprint screen shield on the front and have been using the Snap-On Protective Leather Case on the back. This case comes in two leather color variations. The tan color I’m personally using as well as black. I choose the tan color, which reminds me of a baseball glove, because it’s just different. I’ve got so many…