When you think of the classics of adventure gaming, you think of LucasArts and Jane Jensen, of Maniac Mansion and Gabriel Knight. We have seen many LucasArts game brought back through TellTale Games, and now Jane Jensen herself has returned to revamp Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers for a 20th anniversary release in mid-2014.
Periods of back trouble can’t slow me down, so I’ve had times when all my writing was done while standing. Many actually feel more productive when working at a standing desk, and I cannot disagree. If you have ever considered using a standing desk, Ergotron’s new WorkFit Sit-Stand Workstations for Apple are worth a look. Check both out here.
While I was unable to successfully ‘go all in’, my family absolutely loves the Samsung 11.6″ Chromebook. It is perfect for writing reports, doing email, Facebooking, and web research; it has been in constant daily use since I got it. Now Google has announced the next version of their budget laptop – the $279 HP Chromebook 11.
I’m so picky about my backpacks, that for the longest I didn’t carry one. I had finally found one I liked well enough, but it’s not the one. I had just about admitted defeat and given up on backpacks, but now there’s no need. Say hello to the Staad, Waterfield’s perfect backpack available in two sizes and multiple color combinations.
In 2005 Susan Bennett went to Apple to record some audio of her saying some words that iOS users know really well. Yes Susan Bennett is the voice of Siri. Susan did not know that she was recording Siri’s voice at the time and imagine her amazement when her friends asked her if it was her. In the story, we also find out that she was also the voice of an ATM called “Tillie” and she’s also done voices for Delta Airlines as well. What other voices do you hear that she may have done?
iPads are cropping up everywhere, from homes to work and even in school settings. But can an iPad truly be secured to the satisfaction of a conscientious IT department? One expert says no, and a high-profile example may prove him correct. The city of Los Angeles has been planning to roll out iPads to their students, but it backfired slightly for them this past week. They initially rolled out the iPads with web restrictions, and within a few days many of the schools realized they underestimated the ability of children to circumvent technological roadblocks. All the students had to do…
My iPhone photo library is a random mix of pictures for work, home, Gear Diary and so on. When I am showing things to colleagues, I really don’t need to skip past silly pictures of my kids dressed up for ‘Spirit Week’ or a screenshot from the latest G5 game. Enter PhotoPresenter, keeping me in charge of what others see. Here is the idea behind the app: “Bastian, our video guru, recently hosted a Boinx workshop. During his presentation, he decided to put together a slideshow that showcased people using Boinx’s iStopMotion. All of the media was located on his…
We can debate whether it’s a good idea to base a decision about driving on a smartphone app and accessory, it’s better than just saying ‘I feel fine’ and getting behind the wheel. Breathometer is a device that plugs into your smartphone and measures your blood alcohol concentration quickly and easily. And the product will be on Shark Tank 9/27! Here is the description: Small enough to fit on a key chain, Breathometer, which is officially registered with the FDA, plugs into a smartphone audio jack, and together with a mobile app, transforms it into a sleek, portable and accurate…
We get so used to Apple introducing products with over-the-top hype and fanfare, so it is always a refreshing surprise when we discover that Apple has … um, refreshed one of its product lines. Yesterday Apple released an update to the iMac line, with upgraded processors, new graphics, next generation Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage options. Faster Processors: the new 4th generation Haswell Intel Core processors are faster with lower power consumption. The standard configurations offer quad-core i5 processors, but optional builds include quad-core i7, which allows hyper-threading for 8 virtual cores. Updated Graphics: even at the bottom end…
To date, I am aware of only one dock for Android and that was the Sonr Symphony. I reviewed an early version of the dock here on Gear Diary. Hale Devices is Joe Born’s new name for Sonr Labs, and the Hale Dreamer picks up where the Symphony left off. Today they are kickstarting the Hale Dreamer Alarm Dock on Kickstarter. The Hale Dreamer combines both a physical dock with software to help control the phone while it’s in the dock. The software enables the hardware features of the dock like a real snooze button and more. It also includes…
IndieGameStand launched as a pay-what-you-want site that featured a new, hand-picked indie game every 96 hours. It remains a great concept, but today the site is expanding to feature a permanent store designed to make it simpler for indie developers to sell games without the hassles of other sites. Now developers can sell games directly and keep more money. To celebrate, the store is putting 14 indie games on sale through October 1, marked down 15% or more. You can read up on those games and the reasons IGS selected them for the launch sale here. The new site will…
Along with the new Kindle Fire HD and HDX models, Amazon introduced a few other interesting items. These include a new Kindle Fire OS, Offline Streaming of Amazon Prime videos, and an always-ready video help system called ‘Mayday’. With these value-added features Amazon hopes to distinguish itself and move beyond just being an Apple alternative by taking a leadership role. Amazon OS 3.0 ‘Mojito’ Amazon announced ‘Mojito’, Kindle Fire OS 3.0. The new OS brings native Android App compatibility, HTML5 app support, in-app purchase support and more. One of the biggest features is the new ‘Mayday Button’, which I’ll explore…
Overnight, we got word from Amazon that they were releasing a new line-up of Kindle Fire models. The current 7″ HD becomes the low-end, and they fill out the high-end with new quad-core based 7″ and 8.9″ HDX models. This is huge news in terms of features and pricing, but also a clear distinction between Amazon and Apple. The two Kindle Fire HDX models are packed with loads of updates including new productivity apps for email and calendar, new X-Ray for Music, and ‘Second Screen’ which let’s you send contents to a smart TV or Playstation 3/4. You will also…
Saying Microsoft’s Surface failed to penetrate the market barely scratches the surface – the software giant took a $900 write-down on crappy sales. Now Microsoft has announced the second generation of Surface tablets, largely focused on improving the specs of the tablets with similar pricing as previous units. But the big surprise was the music-centric Surface Music Kit. Let’s take a look at the Surface Music Kit before quickly discussing the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Microsoft Surface Music Kit Everyone knew that the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 were coming … the big surprise was the…
Last night JBL and Harman International formally introduced their new JBL Synchros line of headphones in a rather unusual way. They had the amazing performer Trixie Whitley offer up a small, intimate concert with Trixie, her keyboardist, and all in attendance wearing the new flagship S700 headphones. The sound was amazing, and the music was too. Here’s a look … Here’s a bit of Trixie performing in the S700 headphones and then some details on each … JBL Synchros S700 are the top of the Synchros line. These premium powered over-ear stereo headphones are “built for those who know…
What did your kids do this summer? One family challenged their kids to come up with an app idea that their iOS developer father would help them make real. The result? Pic It! With tagline ‘A word is worth a thousand pictures!’, Pic It is a multiplayer game where you submit a picture based on a word to get points. Pic It reminds me of a variation of Apples to Apples – one person starts a round and chooses a word. The others in the game submit pictures based on that word, and the person who started the round chooses…
Monster, best known for their headphone lineup, just jumped into the low-price tablet market. The Monster M7 tablet will be available exclusively at Walmart.com for just $149. The M10 tablet will come later this fall. Available in a variety of colors, the M7 is optimized for sound and actually has some decent specs for the price. Check it out. The Monster M7 tablet has a unique non-skid surface. It comes in eight custom “candy” colors that match the Monster N-Tune headphone line. You can choose from Candy Blueberry, Candy Tangerine Orange, Candy Grape Purple, Candy Apple Red, Candy Lime Green, Cotton Candy…
I just got a subscription to Parallels Access, and although I will be doing a full review I had to share a quick post because… “It is all kinds of awesome!” Minutes after creating an account, I had full access to my Mac from my iPad. The gestures are amazing. There’s no lag time. It just works. Check it out. I’ve used LogMeIn Ignition for some time. I like it a good deal and didn’t think I needed or even wanted Parallels Access. But after trying out my reviewer’s access to the service, I’m blown away. The biggest difference? In…
I wrote about the Kickstarter and early development of Legend of Dungeon, noting the title made me roll my eyes – but the trailer made me smile! I called it “a classic, lo-fi dungeon-crawling, rogue-like, real-time, beat-em-up, co-op romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously?” I’ve played some and it is fun, and now it’s available on Steam for $9.99! Here is the basic description: As you journey deep into the dungeon, you will find weapons, items, and long forgotten magic.. ..if you’re lucky, it might help you to fight off the droves of mysterious creatures you will encounter. There…
Just to be honest, my initial exposure to WiFi2HiFi was anything but positive. I had won a copy in a website contest, but actually getting the company deliver took more than a month. But the app itself was pretty cool and provided useful functionality, and now they have released a new upgraded version, cleverly called WiFi2HiFi 2. So what IS WiFi2HiFi? Well, the concept is simple. You load an app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. You install the ‘master’ app on your Mac. You pair the two, and then your iOS device shows up as a ‘device’ for…
Think Tank Photo had taken its expertise in creating fantastic camera bags and applied it to a new line of bags and accessories for people using Apple Devices. MY 2ND BRAIN is a series of bags for tablets and laptops. Powerhouse is a line of accessory pouches. The MY 2ND BRAIN bags start at $74.75 for the tablet version and goes up to $99.75 for the MacBook Pro bag. Each bag comes in Black, Harbor Blue, and Mist Green and features: Easily accessible iPhone mobile digital device pocket with plush lining and earbud pouch Front pocket with plush pouch for…