Reviews

Review: iLuv 9.7″ Neoprene Sleeve for iPad

Last week, I joined the ranks of new iPad owners.  Yes, I’m a little late to the game, but you do what you have to!  The device is all it is made out to be; it is a beautiful piece of gear.  The first thing that crossed my mind when I pulled it out of the box was how to protect this beauty.  I was not completely interested in a large case to carry the iPad by itself.  Since I have a gear backpack, I thought it would be best if I just had some sort of sleeve to hold…


Review: Sound Mac-hine for iPhone

Sure, using an iPhone or Blackberry for work is great, but you need to have some fun too. And, let’s face it, deep down we’re all little kids who love laughing over a good sound effect or fart joke. Enter an app like Sound Mac-Hine. It’s essentially an app full of sound effects, ranging from various Howard Stern show regulars to oldies but goodies like “Beetlejuice” and “The Three Stooges”. Personally, my favorite was “The Three Stooges”, though I think my fiancée and dog were less impressed when I played the same effect 15 times. Of course, there’s more to…


ABBYY Business Card Reader- iPhone App Review

I’ve tried a number of different business card scanning apps that let you take a picture of a business card with your iPhone camera and automatically pull information from it in order to create a new contact. It is a great idea but I have thus far been a bit disappointed in the accuracy of them. After all, it is not a time-saver if you take a picture, scan it and then have to manually edit almost all the information fields. When I say that ABBYY, one of the leaders is optical character recognition was entering into the ring I…


50 PC RPGs That Defined a Decade

As we enter a new decade in 2010, it is worth taking a look back at the last decade and what has been happening in the PC role playing game genre (and no, we won’t debate whether or not 2010 actually starts the new decade). Certainly the 2000’s have been a decade of change for PC gaming in general, as the decade started with the PC as the only real place for shooters and large open-area games, went through a perceived crisis in the middle of the decade based on a large impact from piracy and DRM and the advent…


The Newer Technology NuGuard Leather Hard Shell for iPad Review

One of the first things I did after getting my iPad was purchase a screen protector, but it wasn’t long after that before I started thinking about whether I might need a case or not. On the one hand, a case would mean better corner and screen protection in the event of a fall; on the other hand, it would also mean extra weight and bulk added to my otherwise almost perfectly sized device. I liked the idea of a protective layer between the back of my iPad and any surface that I might lay it upon, which is why…


ZAGG InvisibleSHIELD for iPad Review

When getting a new device, I always like to protect it from scratches, both front and back.  Screens have become a lot more durable on high-priced devices, but even so, I get nervous.  Further, some of these devices have high-gloss screens that can be hard to read because they are highly reflective and show fingerprints and smudges easily. ZAGG has been in the business of protecting mobile devices for several years now and have released a new version of their well-known InvisibleSHIELD for the iPad.  The InvisibleSHIELD is available in two versions: front (screen) protection only and all-body protection.  ZAGG…


Flip Video Slide HD – Review

I like Flip’s products a great deal. I bought the original Flip and loved it. I loved the on-board software that let you edit and share videos as soon as you plugged it into a computer. And because the software was on the device it didn’t matter what computer I plugged into. I then got to review the Flip Mino and the Flip HD Ultra. Each got better and better. Then came the iPhone 3GS. It shot video. No, it wasn’t HiDef video but it did the job and, thanks to an assortment of apps and the ability to upload…


Greed – Black Border PC Game Review

Game reviewers play so many games across various platforms and genres that it is often easy to forget one important detail – we all got started with a love of games and a passion stoked by games we loved playing to the point that we began sharing our thoughts with others in written form. So when the sci-fi shooter action-RPG Greed – Black Border came along, it was right up my alley as a PC shooter and RPG fan … so I had already pre-ordered it even before the review version came along. That adds some benefits as you’ll see…


Disney Princess & the Frog Digital iPad Book Review

There’s no denying that the iPad is a revolutionary device.  What it can do and they way it goes about doing it is just amazing.  However, to my disappointment application developers have not been quick to release programs for the iPad that take advantage of everything the device has to offer.  There are a few applications currently in the iTunes App Store that do though, and when you load one of these onto your device you immediate just get it. Such is the case with Disney Publishing’s newest digital interactive book.  Recently released in the iTunes App Store, Princess and…


Review: High Sierra Cirque 30 Daypack

One of my favorite activities during the spring and summer months is to go hiking.  I don’t mean just for a afternoon hike, but all day.  Just pack a lunch, thermos full of coffee and a bagel and head out the door for a long hike in the woods.  Of course you have to make sure that you have a jacket, some raingear, sun block, a hat, water and maybe even a tent and bedroll for a quick overnight in the woods.  Some daypacks barely have enough room for this kind of activity and  if you are a scout leader…


Knocking Live Video for iPhone App Review

  This weekend, my brother Sam asked me if I had that app that you knock on somebody’s phone and then can see what their camera sees. When I told him I did not, he was excited to actually have an app recommendation for me. I was also surprised to find out the app did not require the 3GS.  The app actually creates a live stream to another iPhone using the built-in camera. Now this Blue Plate recommendation is sort of a mixed review and your mileage may vary. We quickly tested the app both ways with fairly good results. …


The Lexar USB JumpDrive Secure II Plus Review

Can you ever have enough memory? These days the answer always seems to be ‘no’. Whether for our computers, our smartphones, external backup drives, camcorders, cameras, digital music players, laptops, netbooks, digital picture frames, or any other device that is meant to hold data, the need for more memory continues to be never-ending. But we don’t just need more memory, we need ways to keep the stored data secure. Which brings us to the Lexar JumpDrive Secure II Plus, a USB flash drive available in denominations from 2GB all the way to 64GB which has built-in 256-bit AES encryption; I…


Ford F-150 expanded portfolio: Harley and Raptor

If it seems like reviews of certain brands seem to come in waves it is because I get the vehicles by brand in waves. There are five companies regionally located here in north Texas that rep for the major automakers. A couple of them only handle families of brands, i.e. the Ford office delivers Ford/Lincoln/Mercury product and the agency working for Toyota only brings Toyota/Lexus/Scion models. As I have been on the rotation schedule with Ford recently, my columns seem to be leaning heavily with Ford headlines. And here is another. This spring saw the arrival of a pair of…


iPad Camera Connection Kit Review

Unlike many of Apple’s devices, the iPad has seen a host of accessories released along with it.  In the past Apple has relied mostly on its third party manufacturers to create cases and other peripherals for the iPhone, iPod etc.  For the iPad Apple is offering a case, a power adapter, a dock, a keyboard dock, a display adapter and the camera connection kit, the last which we’re going to look at today. Right about now you’re probably asking yourself, “what do I need the camera connection kit for?”  And I did the same thing as I stood in the…


Speck CandyShell for Apple iPad – Review

The good folks at Speck are rolling out a multitude of ways for you to protect your iPad in style. The latest Speck case I’ve had a chance to try out is the Speck CandyShell for iPad. The CandyShell retails for $49.95 and offers… “Hard Shell. Soft Center. Looks Sweet.” Let’s take a look… From Speck… Our award-winning CandyShell just got bigger! This iPad case has a thin, hard-shell coating with soft rubbery interior lining, bezel, & button covers. The flip-back panel for dockability is the sort of Spexy little detail that makes CandyShell the tastiest, most functional iPad case…


Twitter for Android Review and Comparison

Twitter released their “official” Android app on Friday afternoon, and I’ve been using it for a few days. Is it enough to unseat my current favorite (Touiteur), or even match up Twidroid and Seesmic? Read on to find out. Let’s start with the basics. Twitter offers the usual complement of “check for new tweets at x intervals”, and notifications appear in the status bar. You can set for an LED flash as well as an audible alert. All that works great, although the LED flash seems to be a bit buggy. The big downside is that when you are notified…


Dragon Age: Origins Mac Game Review

Not too long ago I did a review of Dragon Age: Origins, looking at the PC and console versions. Back when I was first playing the PC version the Mac version was announced and released, and I started playing – knowing that I would come back to provide a review on the port at a later time. The Hype: From BioWare, the makers of Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur’s Gate comes Dragon Age: Origins. An epic tale of violence, lust, and betrayal, Dragon Age: Origins is a single player role-playing game (RPG) set in…


GelaSkins for iPad – Review

The iPad needs protection. It is big. It is beautiful. And it will get knocked around and scratched up if you aren’t careful. So yes, the iPad needs protection. Larry has this down to a science. When his iPad 3G came on Friday he didn’t open it. Instead he hopped in the car and drove to the mall near him to have a Clear Coat put on the device. Half an hour later his iPad was wrapped in a clear protective layer that ensures his device will be unmarred for months to come. The WiFi version of the iPad that…


WirelessGround iPad Silicone Skin Review

So you just dropped a couple of hundred dollars on your new iPad right?  While there aren’t a ton of case options for your new device yet (many are starting to pop up, but the iPad is still new after all) those that are available are expensive.  You still need protection for your iPad though right? Still with me?  If you’re down to your last $20 because your iPad tapped you out what you need is an affordable case that protects your iPad from bumps and dings, keeps the overall form factor of the iPad unchanged and one that looks…


Uniden Wireless Power Charging System Review

Though I’ve never had the opportunity to use a Palm Pre, one thing I know I would like from it is the optional Touchstone charger. The ability to just put down the phone and have it start charging, then pick it up when a you want to use it without having to disconnect cables is a great idea. When I was offered to try Uniden’s new wireless charging system I was looking forward to seeing how handy it really is. The Uniden Wireless Power kit consists of two components: the wireless base, and the adaptors that link the base to…


FastCrawl (2006, RPG): The Netbook Gamer

Got any plans for lunch hour? Let me show you one of the best dungeon crawlers you can start and finish before going back to work! It seemed that 2006 was the ‘year of the casual game’ … everyone was attributing the success of the DS and the allure of the Wii to the desire for quick, simple and fun gaming experiences. That isn’t a new thing, really – just ask anyone who has missed lunch playing Bejeweled or Zuma or Minesweeper. Now you can add FastCrawl to that list. FastCrawl is a simple concept – quick ‘dungeon crawling’. A…