Reviews

myKite Brings Brightkite to BlackBerry Review

myKite is the Brightkite application for BlackBerry.  Previously known as “BrightBerry” when it was in Beta, the MyKite app is a social networking tool geared to simplify meeting people based on the places you go. The fact that it ties into other existing social networks  — like Twitter and Facebook — means myKite will compliment, instead of compete with, those more popular social networking tools. iPhone users have had a dedicated Brightkite application since October 2008.  I’ve had a chance to use myKite for BlackBerry since it was officially released last week.  Does the free application translate well to the…


AppBox Pro Review for iPhone/Touch App Review

AppBox Pro™ is huge set of applications which has 18 apps including, > Battery Life > Clinometer(Inclinometer) – Surface/Bubble Level > Currency Converter – 195 Currencies > Date Calculator > Days Until(Countdown) > Flashlight(Torch) > Holidays – 83 Countries > Loan Calculator > Periodic Calculator > Price Grab > Random Number > Ruler > Sale Price > System Info > Tip Calculator > Translator > Unit Converter – 17 Categories, 357 Units > Web Apps Links – Apps are configurable, Arrange, Show/Hide and Rename. New! – 8 New apps introduced, Battery Life, Flashlight, Random, Ruler, Sale Price, System Info, Translator,…


Fate / Unlimited Codes for PSP Review

It is fairly amazing given the fairly thin release schedule for the PSP to think that there might have been two games released in the fighting genre in the last month … so it is simply stunning that we have gotten three! Alongside Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Soul Calibur PSP comes a fighting game from Capcom based on a Japanese adult graphic novel turned anime show called ‘Fate/Stay Night’. Each of these games provides fans of the genre with a satisfying array of the core elements required of any good fighting game, yet they are very different from one another….


Nano Rally for iPhone Update – a Whole New Game

I recently reviewed Nano Rally for the Blue Plate Special.  The game showed promise with great graphics and a cute idea.  There were a few things that I thought could be improved upon.  The controls and camera view were not very intuitive and took a lot of practice to master.  This turned me off to the game because my frustration level advanced faster than my driving skills.  I also wanted other cars on the track to  chase and race.  Well, the developers at Sauce Digital seemed to have listened to their users and recently updated the game. Here is a…



Rentobile Review: The Solution for Phone Freaks and Those Who Don’t Like Contracts?

Imagine Christmas day coming every single month — except without all the hassle of going out dealing with crowds, carolers, fruitcake, eggnog and extended family staying over at your house for just a few days longer than your sanity can muster.  Just the goodies.  Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, if you are into the latest and greatest mobile phones — and you are tired of being bound by your wireless carrier’s contract determining when you can upgrade or swap out phones, then the service from Rentobile seems to come pretty close to becoming your very own monthly…


Review: Icon Rogue 2 LED Flashlight

Not all flashlights are created equal.  Back in 1979, Anthony Maglica created Maglite.   Maglite is the bar where all flashlights are measured, for me.  Almost nothing could top it back then.  Well, Paul Kim, the designer of the Icon Rogue series of flashlights may be the new Anthony Maglica.  The Icon Rogue 2 is the best flashlight I have come across in all of my LED flashlight reviews I have done.   It is that good.


Coghlan’s Flint Striker Review

From the days of the cave man, starting fires has long been something man has struggled with.  The Coghlan’s Flint Striker which is a twist  on a fire-starting technology that is almost as old as time.  Even with today’s more modern technology, you  still might want to use one of these instead of matches or butane lighters. Coghlan’s Flint Striker is a rod made of magnesium with a striker attached with a piece of cord.  It is simple to operate.  You just take the striker and hold it in one hand with the word UP facing the top of the…


Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Week Four into the Rosetta Stone TOTALe Program

¡Hola Amigos! Even though I had the new Dan Brown book, The Missing Symbol, delivered wirelessly to my Kindle DX this week, and even though I have spent every spare moment I could trying to sneak in a few chapters, I still managed to get a good chunk of my TOTALe lesson done. Yay me! Now I can tell you that “Me llamo Judie,” which will probably not sound as elegant as Julia when pronounced properly, since the J’s in Spanish are essentially H’s. Hoolia verses Hoodie…guess which one wins? 😉


The HTC Snap and Sprint HTC Snap Windows Mobile Smartphone Review

[Ed note: This review is being simultaneously posted on Gear Diary and Just Another Mobile Monday.] Quite often HTC will release several versions of a single model, and depending upon whether you buy an unlocked or carrier subsidized version, you might end up with very different features. Such is the case with their new QWERTY Windows Mobile Smartphone, the Snap. I was sent their unlocked European version, and Doug received the US Specific Sprint branded device; my comments will appear in black, and Doug’s will be in blue italics. The Unlocked HTC Snap (European Version) The first thing that impressed…


Techlasers Infiniti II 95mW 532nm Green Laser Pointer Review

Back in late June Judie reviewed the SKYlasers 125mW green laser pointer, providing a fun look at some of the interesting things you can do with a laser such as that. Soon thereafter, TechLasers provided us with one of their 95mW Infinity II 532nm Green Laser Pointers to evaluate for review. Judie also sent me the SKYlasers pointer, so I could do a bit of comparing. I will also attempt to answer a slightly more serious question – why the heck does someone need a 95mW laser pointer?


Astraware Casino for Symbian Series 60 Review

I love casinos, but I am terrible at gambling. Flashing lights, lots of bars, video games; essentially casinos are just a grown-up version of the boardwalk arcades from my childhood. Of course, my problem is that I don’t understand how to gamble; I just tap screens, pull levers, and pretend I understand how poker works until I run out of money. Luckily, Astraware Casino for Symbian offers many of those games with virtual money; we’ll be taking a look at this versatile game set today.


Scosche soundSCREEN – Review

There are a lot of options for listening to your iPod sans headphones but this is one of the more interesting and useful designs in my option. The Scosche soundSCREEN wraps around the your iPod like a picture frame (it is particularly good with the iPod touch which is a perfect fit) and lets you watch or listen to music, video and more hands-free. Let’s take a look…


All Weather for iPhone and iPod Touch Review

I have a number of weather apps on my iPhone. Overall, they are OK, but I’ve generally had two complaints: 1) They never seem to be as accurate as the information I find at the Weather Underground, and 2) They always seem to want to display the temperature in Fahrenheit OR Celsius, but never both at the same time! I grew up in Detroit where they often broadcast both (because Detroit is on the Canadian border). Additionally, I have friends all over the world. It’s nice to be able to talk about today’s weather without having to reset all the…


Apple MacBook 13″ Unibody Suit – Review

The new Unibody MacBook Pros are gorgeous. They are sleek, refined and… well they just look awesome. And while it is a shame to cover up those good looks, there is a lot to be said for keeping the beauties pristine… especially if, like many of us on the site, you tend to cycle through devices frequently and therefore rely on keeping resale value as high as possible. So if you ARE going to hide the unibody MacBook behind a protective shell, the least you can do is hide it behind an awesome looking one. On this front Case-Mate has…


Neoprene? No, Neogreene!

We’re all familiar with neoprene laptop cases, phone slipcases, etc. The slightly rubbery feeling material is pretty much a permanent part of any self-respecting geek’s arsenal. And anyone who has spent time around neoprene knows that it has a distinct chemical odor – kind of like new car smell for your computer.


DivPro from NoJoke.com Review

A few weeks ago Judie asked the question “are you that guy?” She was posting about the NoJoke.com Shotgun KeyChain. Well NoJoke.com has another product, which although does have the ability to turn any can into a ready to shotgun chugger also has some really useful functions out on the golf course. The DivPro is 6 tools in 1; think of it as the Leatherman of the links.


OttoSkins Review

OttoSkins are protective decal skins which when applied to your electronic gadget provide protection from scrapes and scratches while offering you a personalized look. The skins are available in a variety of patterns and designs for a wide range of gadgets. From iPods to iPhones, netbooks, laptops and gaming consoles, there’s probably an OttoSkin for at least one device you own. Let’s take a look at a few of the skins OttoSkins was kind enough to send me to review.


Everyone needs a good time waster on their iPhone

I own a ton of games for my iPhone and iPod Touch, but I always seem to be looking for new ones.  Lately I’ve been looking for inexpensive games that don’t take long to learn or play.  Ones that although seem simple are both challenging and more importantly addictive.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Madden 10 and Sandstorm but everyone needs a good time waster on their iPhone, too. Instead of taking tons of screen shots, I’ve decided to show you three of my favorite games of late on video. Remember, these games aren’t super graphically…


Slime Army For iPhone/Touch Review

Overview One day in the peaceful Slime world, the king of monster commanded his army to attack the Slime empire and forced those slimes to be his slaves. The Slime empire was plunged into chaos. The Slime King commanded his gereral (Colonel Slime) to control the army to fight against the enemies. You who have a role of Colonel Slime, have a mission to defeat the monsters and bring the peace back to the Slime world. Swap adjacent slimes to match three or more same color slimes in order to summon slimes to help you fighting in the battlefield. The…


Plantraco Micro Butterfly Review

When I got this  airplane in the mail, I was shocked that this little tiny thing can actually fly.  I am happy to say that this little airplane not only flew, but flew very well even outside where I tested it. Let’s go over all the pieces of this  plane. The plane itself is constructed mainly of a carbon fiber wire for it’s fuselage and durobatic foam for it’s wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizers.  It doesn’t sound like much, but the plane is very durable even though it looks like you could and can crush it.  In normal use, it…