Reviews

Hard Candy StreetSkin Review

The relatively new Hard Candy Case company has been turning out new device cases at a pretty good clip lately. In fact, since the company opened for business a year ago this month that have moved quickly enough to now offer an extensive portfolio of products with more being released on what seems to be a monthly basis. We’ve looked at a number of Hard Candy’s offerings in recent months. Today we will be looking at the latest case for the iPhone 4 and then giving away the review units to three lucky Gear Diary readers. So let’s jump right…


iBottleOpener for iPhone 3GS Review

I like beer. This is a fact that I didn’t realize until about two and a half years ago, when I began dating a man who was a home-brewer and all-around beer connoisseur. I’d never really been much of a beer drinker before, so I never had much need for a bottle opener; that has since changed. There are so many fantastic brews available — none of which come with twist-cap, so being able to safely and easily remove a bottle cap when offered a new brew is a necessity. Therein lies the rub: I don’t carry a Leatherman or…


iPhone/iPad Accessory Review: Speck and Zazzle Team Up for 1-of-a-Kind Cases

Inside this package is a one-of-a-kind iPhone 4 cases I have tried. It fits my iPhone perfectly, offers fantastic protection and… is completely and totally unique to me. It is a case that is an absolute please to use AND whenever I look at it it brings a smile to my face. What’s so special about this case? Read on to find out. The case is the result of a joint-project between Speck, maker of some of our favorite device cases, and Zazzle, a company that makes an assortment of unique, self-designed products. For all intents and purposes the case…


Gear Diary Deal or Dud #8: The Perfect Brownie Pan

If you’ve ever made brownies at home you know the toughest part is the cutting.  You basically need a degree in geometry to determine where to make your cuts to guarantee you get finished brownies that are all even in size and shape.  Not to mention the problem of the brownies, which so often end up stuck together. The Perfect Brownie Pan promises to take the guess work out of making brownies.  It features a non-stick pan, divider and stand which combine to create brownie perfection. The pan is available at your local “As Seen On TV” store for $19.99….


iPad Game Review: Destination Treasure Island

Treasure Island is a beloved classic that has inspired many renditions on stage and screen, as well as many sequels and other add-on tales by a variety of artists in a variety of media. The reason it is such a great work to extend and revisit is that the characters are believable, likeable and work very well within their environment. Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are wonderful characters and the tales of bravery, honor, friendship and of course piracy fuel the long-standing love for the pair. Destination: Treasure Island was originally released for the PC back in 2007 and…


Review: iFrogz Mogul DJ Style Headphones

Larry has reviewed iFrogz products many times in the past.  So when these new DJ Style headphones came up for a review I thought I would try them out.  Will I be happy using these headphones for my needs?  Let’s find out. The 50mm drivers are housed in some pretty thick plastic.  The housing feels really nice and a step above the 2XL headphones I also use.  They are connected by a black padded band with the ends of that band being spring-loaded.  Since these are DJ style headphones, you can flip the arm and other driver to one side and…


Review: Caseable Customizable Laptop Sleeves

Have you ever found a sleeve that suited you 100 percent?  Well with Caseables, you finally can with their customizable sleeves.  I was not sent a custom sleeve, but a sample of one of the sleeves that they currently make.  Every stitch on this one is done with the same care and quality as any custom that you can order from Caseable. The inside of the sleeve is covered in very soft white fleece which should protect your laptop from scratches just fine.  I am not too sure about the color inside this one.  With all of the other color choices for the rest…


Gear Games Retrospective: Dungeons & Dragons Tactics (PSP, RPG, 2007)

While I always seem to have way too many games to play for review, I always allow myself time for replaying favorites or classics even if it means delaying completing a game review. Generally the choices make sense – my annual trek through the Star Wars ‘Kyle Katarn’ games, for example, or another play through on Gothic 2 Gold. But just after Thanksgiving I found myself with my PSP-3000 in hand, not playing any of the games on my PSP Go awaiting my attention, but instead replaying the 2007 RPG Dungeons & Dragons Tactics (D&D Tactics). Am I nuts? The…


Apps In a Snap: CardMunch

The other day we were having dinner with some family friends in celebration of my father-in-law’s birthday. One of his dear friends had just gotten her first smart phone and had no clue how to use it. I spent a few minutes with her showing her a couple of key applications that I thought she might find useful. She was wowed by what her new device is able to do. I am which point she made the following comment– “Okay, to tell me something, with so many applications available for this device how the hell would I ever know what…


JAVOedge Editor Quantum Case iPad Case Review: Thin Is In

In case you haven’t heard, thin is in. Don’t believe me? Just look at the popularity of the new line of Mac Book Airs. The thinner a mobile device is, the easier it is to carry around. However, protection is important too. Not many of us want to sacrifice shock and impact protection for something that’s a little lighter in our gear bags. The JAVOedge Editor Quantum case seeks to satisfy both needs. It’s very thin and very light weight yet sturdy enough to provide ample protection from the dings everyday life throws your way. The outside of the case…


PC Game Review: Supermarket Mania 2

How hard can it be running a supermarket? In the original Supermarket Mania Nikki found out that is was much harder than she thought – especially with the evil Torg and his robot minions trying to put the store she works at out of business. Yet through perseverance she succeeds and prevails! Now Nikki is back … but so is Torg! Can you help Nikki Succeed in a new location with new challenges? The Hype: Nikki and her friends are back in Supermarket Mania 2! Help her uncle Ross manage and run his chain of grocery stores on the other…


PC Game Review: Order of War

Quick – what pops into your head when you hear ‘Order of War’? Probably that it is a war game, and perhaps that it is a World War II game based on similarity to other game names. But beyond that? With Medal of Honor you got the image of individual heroics that was fitting to the scope of the game. Call of Duty implied a broader action of which you were just a part. Company of Heroes implied an even larger scope with loads of valuable individuals contributing. Order of War for me feels thin and generic. So perhaps that…


Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor Review

[Ed. note – If you haven’t already, please read part one of this review: First Impressions: NOOKcolor] It’s not often that I start a review with a conclusion, but it’s going to be hard to review the NOOKcolor without stating this up front: It’s an absolutely incredible reading device. I was skeptical that a color, LCD device would be a decent reading experience, and admittedly I still personally prefer eInk, but B&N did a fantastic job making reading front and center on the NOOKcolor. How did they do it, and what could be improved for next time? Read on for…


AUTUM Straight Jacket Review: An Insanely Simple Leather MacBook Air Sleeve

Dan mentioned a little while ago that AUTUM was releasing Straight Jackets for the new MacBook Airs and the iPad, which he soon followed with a review of their iPad Straight Jacket. Because Dan and I are now the owners of new MacBook Airs, we have been sent a couple of AUTUM’s MacBook Air Straight Jackets to review as well; I was sent the 11″ version, and Dan has Both the 11″ and the 13″. The picture above shows all three; the 13″ is on the bottom, the 11″ is in the middle, and the iPad is sitting on top….


Mac / PC Game Review: Left 4 Dead 2

After the protests are over, and the boycotts are all done, what are we left with? A game – that is all Left 4 Dead 2 is, a game. Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2) was released in late 2009 for the PC, and recently came to the Mac via Steam. My review is based on having played the Mac version and replaying the PC version for comparison. The Hype: Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel to the best-selling and critically acclaimed co-op multiplayer smash from Valve, creators of the Half-life, Portal, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike game properties. With multiple…


Hewlett Packard Mini 5103 NetBook PC Review

I recently reviewed the Hewlett Packard (HP) Elitebook 8440w and loved it, so when I had the chance to look at the recently released HP Mini 5103 my thought was: ‘take the 8440w and shrink it to netbook dimensions and you have the PERFECT business netbook’! At first glance that seems to be exactly what they did, but of course, I needed to put it through the day-to-day paces of my work life to see how it did. And since I have an unhealthy obsession with trying to shoehorn ‘big PC’ games onto netbooks, naturally I had to see how…


Neuros Control Tablet 1002

Joe Born at Neuros Technology has always been a supporter of Linux and Open Source technology since I’ve known him.  Well Joe came up with a great idea.  How about using a cheap Android Tablet to control the Neuros Link?  Sounds like a good idea, but did it work? The Control Tablet 1002 is very similar to the Eken M002 tablet.  In face, it will run the same builds of Android that the Eken M002 will. Let’s take a look at the specs: • Slatedroid firmware based off of Google Android OS 1.6 • VIA MW8505 350-400MHz • 128MB DDR2…


DS Game Review: A Witches Tale

Have you ever read a book and then saw the movie based on that book, or saw a remake of a classic TV show into a movie, and thought – HEY, how did you people manage to completely screw up such an amazing premise?!?! That is pretty much my review of A Witches Tale, but let me supply you with a few hundred words of context. The Hype: Which Witch is Which? Liddell is a young witch-in-training who wants to be the greatest witch in the world, but she isn’t willing to work for it. One day, she discovers a…


Ingear Polarize Shell iPhone 4 Case Review

I’ve had a fun time over the last few weeks reviewing all the items ingear was kind enough to send me. Today we’ll look at the last of the bunch- the Polarize Shell for the iPhone 4. This case combines full body protection with a slick-looking design that allows the Apple fan-boy in you to show off that Apple goodness logo. Like all the ingear cases I’ve reviewed this one also comes with a screen protection kit which includes one crystal clear screen shield, a small cleaning cloth and a card to help you install the shield.  Considering just how…


PSP Game Review: PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has read the seemingly endless stream of Tower Defense genre reviews I have done in various places over the last couple of years, but when I had the chance to take a look at PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe for the PSP, I jumped at the chance! The game was already highly regarded from the PSN release for the PS3 in early 2008, so it seemed likely that the game would be a great fit on the PSP. The Hype: Be the defender of the forest and defend the pathway of your home…


2011 Ford Explorer, part deux

In the immortal words of “Master” from MasterBlaster, “Embargo lifted.” I hate press embargoes. Many who saw my initial feature last week on the 2011 Ford Explorer probably won’t even see this update, but for those that made their way back, thank you. I will now dive into my experience with and impressions of the “SUV of the 21st century.” (And I thank Ford Motor Company for giving me the opportunity to drive a V-6 version of its competition, the Jeep Grand Cherokee against the new Ford Explorer. My JGC review model last month was the HEMI version and I…