News & Features

Game Diary, News & Features November 29, 2012

Battlefield 3 Expansion Pack Aftermath Releases

Battlefield 3: Aftermath, the fourth expansion pack which features a four new maps (Azadi Palace, Epicenter, Markaz Monolith, and Talah Market), three new vehicles (Barsuk, Phoenix, and Rhino) plus modified military and civilian vehicles. Players can also enjoy the new “XBOW” crossbow weapon, and a new “scavenger” mode where players search for weapons while starting with only a pistol. New assignments, dogtags, achievements, and trophies are also included. PlayStation 3 premium members can get this expansion pack now (associated Battlefield 3 game copy required) while it release for Xbox 360 and PC premium players on December 4. Players without premium…

News & Features November 28, 2012

Apple’s Profit Compared to Everyone Else’s Profits

Everyone familiar with the tech world knows that Apple is insanely profitable … but have you ever wondered just HOW profitable? The folks at Statista took on the challenge and made a chart of Apple profits compared to other companies. But if you have looked at similar graphs in the past, you know that Apple is SO MUCH more profitable that there is a lack of perspective! So instead the graph stacks up groups of other companies and compares their cumulative profits to Apple. It is pretty amazing to look at the graph: Apple is more profitable than the combination…

Health and Fitness, News & Features November 28, 2012

Cool Story Behind a Great Picture

Chances are if you or anyone you know is into running, you have since the picture above this week. Running clubs and individuals have picked it up everywhere, but as so often happens it was done without attribution or a link to the original source. Today on my own local Facebook running group there was a link to the original source. In case the image isn’t clear, it says: 50 Fat Diabetic Ahead of you Turns out the picture was taken by a woman who blogs as the ‘T-Rex Runner’, and she tracked down the guy wearing the shirt and…

Crowdfunding, Game Diary, News & Features November 28, 2012

Legend of Dungeon Opens Up Kickstarter Effort, Launches Free Demo

I wrote about the teaser trailer for Legend of Dungeon last week, noting that the title sounded like a joke. Developer RobotLovesKitty got back to me and mentioned that it actually started as a joke – but then stuck! They also mentioned that they were launching a Kickstarter to fund even more features for the game – and offering a free demo! Project Title: Legend of Dungeon game for PC/Mac/Linux Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: 12/16/2012 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robotloveskitty/legend-of-dungeon From the Creatives: As you explore the sparsely lit dungeon, gather items and battle monsters you will no doubt…

News & Features November 28, 2012

Set Aside Four Hours to Check Out Every Apple Commercial … Like, Ever

Apple has created some of the most iconic advertising campaigns in history, including the infamous ‘1984’ and ‘Lemmings’ to ‘Think Different’ to ‘I’m a Mac …’ and more. Of course, there are some real clunkers out there as well. They are all available to watch on youtube – and user EveryAppleAds has rounded up the 485 ads into a single playlist … which will take about four hours to watch! But you can just peruse the list and watch a few here or there. It’s definitely worth checking out! Source: via CultOfMac

News & Features November 28, 2012

SwannSmart Remote Camera Gives You Piece of Mind

We spend summers and many vacation breaks up in Pennsylvania. Much of the year, however, the house is unoccupied. And while we have neighbors who keep an eye on it for us, there’s nothing like seeing for ourselves that everything is okay. The SwannSmart camera should let us do that and a whole lot more. Best of all, set up is simple and quick. As the company explains, the SwannSmart harnesses the power of the cloud to free you from the constraints of a traditional IP camera. There’s no complicated network set up required and your video feeds can be…

Music Diary, News & Features November 27, 2012

Dying to Hear the New Ke$ha Album? Stream It FREE at iTunes!

My wife likes to call Ke$ha a guilty pleasure similar to Nickelback – she would never call it ‘good’, but enjoys grooving to the tunes on occasion. I reviewed 2011’s Cannibal here, and called most of it ‘garbage’ – which is an opinion I still hold. Now she has a new album ‘Warrior’ launching on December 4th, but you can stream it for free on iTunes right now! But considering I like pretty much all of Cannibal more than the lead song ‘Die Young’ from Warrior … my expectations were pretty low – and based on sampling the stream I…

Music Diary, News & Features November 27, 2012

Pyle Audio Drums up Partnership with Wiley to Create First Drums for Dummies Kits

For decades now, the ‘For Dummies’ book series has shown itself to be much more than just basic advice on computer and home tasks. I had done a comparative review between an ‘Idiot’s Guide’ and a ‘For Dummies’ book – on music theory, no less – and found both to be excellent resources. Now the publisher Wiley has teamed up with renowned audio product maker Pyle audio to bring drumming to the masses! Pyle has produced two drum kits to meet the needs of users at all levels. There is the tabletop drum kit for $179.99 that features 7 pressure-sensitive…

News & Features November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving from Gear Diary!

We all have so much to be thankful for; it’s good to take a day off to remind ourselves about what — and who — is most important to us. We wish everyone a day that is full of love, good memories, and a stress-free time spent with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Health and Fitness, News & Features November 21, 2012

Things You Didn’t Want to Know – THIS Is One Serving!

I have generally had two thought patterns about Thanksgiving and eating: when I am thin and health-conscious I choose to eat whatever I want for Thanksgiving dinner and maintain my normal eating and exercise routine otherwise … and when I am neither thin nor health-conscious I choose to eat whatever I want for Thanksgiving dinner because – well, just because. Based on my weight and general eating habits, my portions and servings will vary, but regardless I have certainly never really considered my real-world servings compared to ‘single serving portions’. Over at Greatist, they take a pictorial look at the…

News & Features November 19, 2012

Common Sense, Please! Apple is NOT Releasing Android Apps on Google Play

I know I shouldn’t even have to say this, because the news IF Apple was going to port something like GarageBand to Android would be so huge that no one would be surprised when it landed. But this weekend some Android users managed to get tricked into thinking that Apple had ported and released some of their key iOS apps to Android … and paying ~$5 – 10 for the fake apps. It isn’t clear whether those buying the apps were refunded, and what was done to the people who posted the apps – it is the downside of the…

Editorials, Gear Bits, News & Features November 18, 2012

Does that ‘Unsubscribe’ Button MEAN Anything?

I know that I am not unique, but I will say it anyway – I get too much email! And I get it across six different accounts, not even counting the .Mac/.Me/.iCloud stuff as separate. So a few weeks ago when the Black Friday sales email flood started, I decided enough was enough. I mean, when was the last time I bought something from Circuit City? (answer: when they had stores) I have never bought from Wal-Mart based on their emails. Same for Tiger Direct, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and many of the other places – some of…

News & Features November 16, 2012

iLuv’s Stylish ReF Line of Headphones Make Clear, Music Is Fashion

Headphones are fashion and are now music to your eyes, just as they are music to your ears. Recognizing this fact, iLuv has just introduced their ReF line of premium headphones. As Brian Kim, Global Product Marketing Manager of iLuv’s Premium Headphone Division notes Headphones are quickly becoming a part of the language of fashion, and we at iLuv recognize that consumers are searching for quality headphones that also feature a stylish design. That is why we are introducing Fashionology®, a combination of fashion and technology. Headphones traditionally appealed to a small group of audiophiles and technology enthusiasts, but that…

Music Diary, News & Features, Reviews November 16, 2012

iGrand Piano for iPhone and iPad Review

Type of app: Music Making Software Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version here); available in the App Store Developer: IK Multimedia Description: iGrand Piano puts an entire gallery of the world’s finest pianos right at your fingertips with studio-grade quality never heard before in any other app that stands up to the most powerful virtual instruments available on a computer. iGrand Piano features: – 8 world-class, multi-velocity stereo grand and upright piano instruments (including one by registering) – Expandable library of 9 additional studio-grade instruments instantly available via in-app purchase – Intuitive instrument edit controls including ambience, lid, brightness, release,…

Music Diary, News & Features November 16, 2012

RIP Ambient and Electronic Music Pioneer Pete Namlook

This week we learned of the passing of electronic music giant Pete Namlook. His real last name is Kuhlmann, with Namlook being the sound of that name pronouced backwards. He was 51. I am often amazed at how I come to listen to certain artists – it is like a game of ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ at times. Pete Namlook is one of those. As my musical horizons began to expand in the late 70’s and into the 80’s I discovered a great number of musicians, and as a bassist I was directed to Bill Laswell. Laswell released a solo…

Music Diary, News & Features November 16, 2012

IK Multimedia Releases iPhone 5-Friendly AmpliTube 2.7!

More and more apps are being released that take advantage of the new iPhone 5 (and iPod Touch) screen, and it is great to see that they are actually taking advantage of the screen rather than just filling out the space. Today IK Multimedia announced that their popular AmpliTube app for iOS has been updated to take advantage of the larger screen. Here are the details from the press release: AmpliTube 2.7 takes advantage of the extra screen size and the Retina Display to deliver stunning graphics, which accompany IK’s industry-standard sounds and features. The app comes with 24 gear…

News & Features November 15, 2012

Waterfield’s New Indy Is Just the Right Size for the iPad mini

Judie reviewed the Waterfield Indy bag for the iPad when it was first released. (Read the review.) I then stole it from her and, ever since, it has been my favorite bag when I want to travel light. I like how thin and light it is and, with Raiders being my all time favorite movie, it kinda sorta appeals to me in a geeky way. (Come one, admit it, the opening scene with the big rolling ball is only outdone by the Nazi’s face melting.) I love the Indy, but now that’s am carrying the iPad mini as my daily…

News & Features November 15, 2012

Assassin Nuns and Body-mulchers Rule as Conan Takes on HitMan Absolution

My favorite movie genre? Zombie flicks. My favorite gaming genre? Shooters. My favorite game franchise? The Hitman series. I’m not kidding. The newest game in the Hitman series has all the elements needed for success. It’s funny, violent and definitely not for kids. Add in assassin nuns and body-mulchers and you’ve for the formula for success. Check out this episode of Conan the Clueless Gamer for a closer look… and a laugh. Hey, if a game can get Conan to scream “I’m a scarecrow in a cornfield mother$%^%er”, it can’t lose right? Conan’s final thought… “We’ve rated numerous games and Hitman…

Game Diary, News & Features November 15, 2012

Check Out the Legend of Dungeon Teaser Trailer

I have to confess that when I heard the name ‘Legend of Dungeon’ I rolled my eyes. Then I checked out the trailer and smiled … now THIS looks fun! A classic, lo-fi dungeon-crawling, rogue-like, real-time, beat-em-up, co-op romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously? Sign me up! Sadly the game isn’t done yet and there isn’t an announced release date or price, but the trailer should help keep your interest. Check out the none-too-serious trailer: For more info and to keep up-to-date on Legend of Dungeon’s progress: Robot Loves Kitty’s dev blog Robot Loves Kitty’s main site Robot Loves…

News & Features November 15, 2012

Evernote 5 for Mac Adds 100 New Features to My Must-Have Productivity Tool

Evernote 5 for Mac has arrived, and it is ready to take rings to the next level. This is a major redesign that includes: A new left panel for easier than ever access to shortcuts (new!), recent notes, notebooks, atlas and more Major search improvements, including type ahead search Easier sharing with better notebook integrations and improved activity stream Improved note editing, such as plain text options and new framing And much more. Here’s the company’s walk-through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_9tHtxOCvy4 According to the Evernote blog, The Evernote desktop experience has evolved significantly over the years. We’ve changed things in response to new…

News & Features November 15, 2012

Lightning Strikes with Two JBL Speakers Sporting Apple’s New Lightning Connector

Accessories equipped with Apple’s new, smaller Lightning Connectors are finally beginning to roll out. The other day we brought news of Belkin’s lightning-equipped car charger. Today we get word that JBL has announced two new speakers that also work with the iPhone 5, iPad mini and other current generation iOS devices. Priced at $99 and $199, one of the speakers is great on the go, while the other will happily take up residence in your kitchen or next to your bed. Both feature the updated connection; here’s a look. The JBL OnBeat Micro is …an ultra-portable, acoustically sophisticated speaker that…

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