Reviews

iPad Game Review: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (GTA:CW from now on) has had an interesting history – it was originally released in arch 2009 for the Nintendo DS, got excellent reviews and was praised by older gamers who had complained that there were too few ‘mature’ DS games … yet it didn’t sell very well. For me,it remains one of the best games for the DS. Later that year it was ported to the Sony PSP, with better graphics and audio and reworked mini-games to deal with the lack of touch control. Once again great reviews … and once again lousy sales!…

Reviews

Review: Hello Kitty Mimobot USB Flash Drives

I don’t normally go for USB flash drives that are shaped as pretty much anything. I am just as happy with a Sandisk as I am with a Lexar or even a no-name brand flash drive. Unless you have specific needs, they all pretty much work the same and the looks have been secondary to the amount of storage. That was until I came along the cuteness of a flash drive that looked like a Hello Kitty character . Mimoco sent me a 2 GBflash drive that looked like Badtz Maru, the little black penguin with pointy hair. The one thing that…

Reviews

Leather Wallet Case for Dell Streak Review

One of the downsides of being an early adopter is the lack of good accessories for your new device. When the Streak was released, Dell seized the opportunity to fill in the gap and issued their own leather wallet case for the Streak. Given the limited options available so far, I purchased Dell’s Leather Wallet Case to protect my Streak when we recently went on a family vacation. While the simple cloth bag that comes with the Streak is okay when I’m carrying the Streak in a dedicated pocket in my briefcase, I needed something with a little more strength…

Reviews

Gear Diary Deal or Dud #6: The EZ Cracker

It’s time for another episode of “Gear Diary, Deal or Dud?” This month I take a look at the As Seen on TV EZ Cracker. This kitchen tool promises to make egg cracking effortless and mess free. It also comes with a special add-on attachment that helps separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Here’s what the As Seen on TV website has to say about the EZ Cracker….. The EZ Cracker cracks eggs with one simple motion and separates eggs whites in seconds. There’s no mess, no fuss, no shells in your food. Just place the egg in…

Reviews

Review: Arctic Hub 4 Port USB Hub

USB devices have become the standard for geeks and technophobes alike. If you plan on using modern technology, you are almost guaranteed to be utilizing USB ports for many devices. Of course, none of my computers come with enough hubs, so I must find other ways to plug all my gear in. I have tried many expandable USB hubs with varying success. One problem I have had is the size as well as space for plugs. I have one hub that has three spots on both sides equaling six. There are very few cords or drives that will plug in…

Reviews

Review: Philips Multimedia Speakers 2.0. Cute But Party Hard!

I remember a day when listening to music meant a stereo was in the room with you. Since today out music is completely mobile, the old fashion stereo unit is almost extinct. I find myself listening to a computer or my iPhone. I have learned that a nice pair of powered speakers is all that is needed to listen to music or even watch streaming television and movies. I actually prefer powered computer speakers around the house to iPhone dock stereos. I recently received the Philips Multimedia Speakers 2.0 to try with my computer as well as around the house…

Reviews

Review: Splash ID for iPad

Think about how much information we use on the internet that cannot be avoided, but could be devastating if it landed into the hands of a hacker. I know I have many log ins and passwords that I keep track of. Some of these are to sites that allow for automatic purchasing or may even contain valuable financial information. Then there are bank and credit card accounts and other important information. With all of these different pieces of information, it is hard to keep up with and even harder to keep safe. Consider Splash ID a safe for all of…

Reviews

iPad Case Review: Acme Made Slick Case

Both Judie and I reviewed the Acme Made Courier laptop bag, and it remains one of our absolute favorite laptop bags. The bags are nicely designed, well made and have both stood up to some serious use (and abuse) since I did my “second opinion” post as a follow-up to Judie’s full review. Well Acme Made also offers a variety of cases for eBook readers and the iPad. Today we’ll take a look at the Slick Case for Apple iPad. Is it as stylish and well-made as the Courier? Read on to find out… From Acme Made: The perfect solution…

Reviews

Kindle Case Review- Waterfield’s Suede Jacket and Kindle Slip Case

I love Amazon’s new commercial for the Kindle 3. It’s funny, a bit on the harsh side, and absolutely true. The iPad is an amazing device and it has taken over so much of what I normally do. Unfortunately when you’re outside in the sun it’s all but useless. It’s hard to read and it overheats relatively quickly in direct sunlight. So if you live in a dark cold climate you have no problems. If you live anywhere on the planet Earth however you will encounter issues relatively quickly. Since I enjoy beach vacations it quickly became clear to me…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Good is as good does, and good is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

“So – what’s good?” Oh, don’t I wish I had a nickel for every time I am asked this question about new cars. And “good” can mean so many things to so many folks. A quick check over at thesaurus.com gave me some 250-plus ways to describe “good.” I would add to the list the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s good – darned good. I guess good minds think alike in Detroit these days as both Jeep and Ford are delivering completely new vehicles carrying each automaker’s iconic SUV moniker. Ford is readying a new Explorer later this fall and…

Reviews

Bioserie iPhone 4 Case Review: Made from Plants

I’ve reviewed a ton of cases for the iPhone over the last few years. Cases made from leather, silicone, plastic, metal, felt, fabric and polycarbonate. But the Bioserie case for the iPhone is the first case I’ve reviewed that’s made entirely from advanced bioplastic materials which are derived entirely from plants. Here’s some technical information from Bioserie on how this is done. Bioplastics are a variety of plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as plant starches or microorganisms, rather than fossil-fuel plastics which are derived from oil. Bioplastics represent a relatively new and very promising field of modern biotechnology….

Reviews

iPad Cases From Vintage Comic Books

Etsy is one of my favorite web sites. If you’re not familiar with the site it’s a place that brings people who make things together with the people who want to buy them. A few weeks ago while browsing it I came across the “store” Vintage Covers. They turn vintage comic books (40-50 years old) into cases for the iPad (and other devices as well.) Here’s how the store’s proprietor, Randy, describes it. For those who want to go high tech but still stay classic, I am making covers from vintage books, comics and magazines, for the iPad, Kindle, Kobo,…

Game Diary, Reviews

PC/XBOX360/PS3 Game Review: Dragon Age: Origins – Witch Hunt DLC

Last month I reviewed the Golems of Amgarrek DLC, the month before that I reviewed the Leliana’s Song DLC, and the month before that I reviewed the Darkspawn Chronicles DLC with each one representing very different types of gaming experiences within the context of the Dragon Age universe: one was combat driven and narrow, one was a character study that got us behind the scenes with one of the main characters from the main game, and the most recent one was a high-level combat-centric module. I also noted that the final DLC was coming, called Witch Hunt, which was supposed…

Game Diary, Reviews

DS Game Review: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (RPG, 2010)

There is one thing for certain – hardcore console gamers do not like anyone to think of handheld gaming systems as equal to their favorite platform. Back in 2006 Square Enix announced that the next main Dragon Quest game would launch on the Nintendo DS, and the console gaming world pretty much exploded. But from the initial reactions when the game launched in Japan last year it seems that it wasn’t so bad after all. Now the game has been released in North America and I have put over 100 hours into it! How does it work? Read on and…

Reviews

Friendly-Facebook Browser for iPad Review

My iPad is the first gadget I have owned that seems to constantly grow and change the more I use it. At least once a week I find a new use and grow ever more dependent on my magical little device. I still use my MacBook Pro for most of my writing and heavy computer use, but the iPad is my main media consumption and gaming device. As many of you know, IOS apps are fantastic with the added real estate, and many companies and websites are utilizing the UI and space. With all of the goodness, there is still…

Reviews

The Able Planet EXTREME Foldable Active Noise Canceling Headphones with LINX AUDIO Review

Able Planet has made a name for themselves by manufacturing quality noise canceling headphones which are both comfortable to wear and produce excellent sound. Their Extreme headphone line combines their LINX AUDIO technology with fashionable colors and in the case of these bright pink earphones, a cause*. LINX AUDIO “creates high frequency harmonics that enhance sound quality and speech clarity of difficult to hear words or notes, and increases the perception of loudness without increasing volume.” The hope here is that if people can clearly hear spoken words and music when listening, they won’t feel the need to crank the volume louder, which can…

Reviews

iPhone 4 Case Review- Dexim CYL Premium Silicone Case

Cases for the iPhone 4 have been rolling out in huge numbers. Regardless of your taste and aesthetic sensibilities there is now a case for you. Here’s a quick look at one of the newer ones. It comes from Dexim and is a new take on the traditional silicone skin. Is it the case for you? Read on to find out. The CYL Premium Silicone Case for iPhone 4 comes with the case itself, a screen protector, a squeege-card for applying the screen protector and a cleaning cloth. It comes from Dexim’s “Color Your Life Collection’ and is described on…

Reviews

izozzi FormFit iPhone 4 Case Review

There are plenty of “artsy” cases for the iPhone 3G/3Gs and it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing our fair share for the iPhone 4. I only hope that the cases that are to come are as cool as the ones I just received from izozi.com The company takes the work of real-world artists and slaps it onto the back of their cases. The iPhone 4 case is made from a high-quality thermoplastic and features and anti-scratch, anti-glare polycarbonate window where the artwork shines through. The case reminds me of a cross between the Incase Frame case…

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: the Just Mobile AluPen

One of the first things I wished for when I first got my iPad was a way to use it as a tablet computer. The iPad’s large screen was simply begging for handwriting input, and programs like PenUltimate, SketchBook, Brushes, and photo editors like ColorSplash were ripe for a better input device than my pointer finger. Because of the iPad’s capacitive touch screen, any old stylus would not do, plus I wanted a stylus that wasn’t too pointy. I’d seen quite a few capacitive styli that would work, but I thought they were pretty homely when compared to my iDevice’s…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Reviews: Dogs & Cats Living Together Edition

Over the last few months I have done dozens of short CD reviews articles here, here and here. I continue to get great feedback about this ‘Quick Review’ format, so I plan to keep using it as a way to give a brief overview of a number of new releases all at once. Last time I changed things up a bit by looking at a couple of not-so-good releases. Fortunately I have some great stuff to review this time – but am changing things up again! Did you notice the title doesn’t say ‘Quickie Jazz CD Reviews’? That is because…

Reviews

USB Fever Compact Keyboard Review

If you spend time on the go, you’ve gotten used to laptop size keyboards and small trackpads. Personally, I’ve actually found that having the trackpad nearby as I’m typing to be more convenient than using a separate keyboard and mouse. So when I had the opportunity to review the USB Fever Compact Keyboard with Trackpad, I jumped at the chance. The keyboard is very light and solidly constructed. There are no creaking or awkward seams. I’ve used some wireless keyboards that are flimsy, which makes for poor typing on a lap or on the go, and so I’m extra picky…

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