News & Features

News & Features November 3, 2011

TOM BIHN Introduces the Cadet Briefcase for Apple Laptops and iPad

We love TOM BIHN’s bags and are always happy to see them bring out a new design. Today that design is the Cadet, a bag that is a laptop briefcase designed for Apple laptops including the 15″ MacBook Pro, 11″ and 13″ MacBook Air and the iPad 2. The Cadet is designed to carry your laptop or iPad, a few files or magazines, power supplies, pens, notebooks, and other small accessories. The Cadet is also a checkpoint friendly laptop bag. The Cadet comes in two sizes with one designed for a 15″ or 13″ MacBook and the other sized for…

News & Features November 3, 2011

Jawbone Says, “Time to Get UP!” New UP Health Accessory Now Available for Pre-Order

Jawbone, known for their awesome Bluetooth headsets and iPhone accessories, is now shipping their new UP health bracelet accessory. The UP connects with a free iPhone app to track and monitor your movements while challenging you to do more, sleep longer and eat better. The UP combines a neat fashion accessory look with a free iPhone app to push you to live a healthier lifestyle. For example, each UP bracelet has a small vibrating timer that silently tells you to GET UP AND GET MOVING! It looks like the ultimate geek health aid! Here are a few brief snippets of…

eBooks, News & Features November 3, 2011

Amazon Introduces the Kindle Lending Library

Just wanted to get this out to let everyone know of something cool from Amazon overnight – as if Carly’s note about Amazon and Fancy Widget wasn’t cool enough! Bottom line – Amazon has unveiled the ‘lending library’ that was rumored before the Kindle Fire launch. Basically, if you own a Kindle, and are a member of Amazon Prime, you have access to a reasonable size library of works you can borrow one at a time. Here is the description: Today we’re announcing a new benefit for Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership: the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Kindle…

News & Features November 2, 2011

So … How Do YOU Feel About the New Google Reader (& GMail) Design?

Over the last couple of days, Google has released updates for Google Reader and GMail. Each has a new UI, and has further integration of Google +, as well as the removal of Buzz. In the case of GMail, it is mostly about a visual overhaul, as noted on the Google Blog here are the main features: – Streamlined conversations – Elastic density – New HD themes – Smarter navigation – Better search In the case of Google Reader the changes are two-fold: the removal of ‘Share’, and a visual overhaul. To say that the reaction to removing ‘Share’ was…

News & Features November 2, 2011

Random Cool Video: If Quake Was Made Today!

Image courtesy of SodaHead Ask anyone who was playing Doom when it first came out on a gaming computer they bought with their own money, and they will all agree on one thing: shooters have been drastically simplified through the years. The expression ‘dumbed down for console kiddies’ is bandied about, and while it sounds harsh and degrading, the reality is that due to controller limitations and a more casual and social focus of console gaming, traditional PC gamers are often frustrated at how regressive pretty much everything but the graphics are in current generation shooters. Or, as the video…

News & Features November 2, 2011

NaNoWriMo – Get on Board and Write That Novel in 30 Days!

Have you ever wished you could write that novel you’ve had rattling around in your brain for ages? Now is your chance – National Novel Writing Month started yesterday, and they have a great website with loads of resources to help you get started. Better still, there are plenty of tools to help you get started, loads of special deals (including on the awesome Scrivener Mac/PC app), help from other writers and so on. I have joined up (today) and just got started – and plan to do it all on the iPad. I am using iThoughts HD to outline…

News & Features November 2, 2011

Native GMail for iOS Arrives … But Not Quite Fully Baked

If you want to be part of the unofficial beta team for the iOS version of GMail, you can grab it here. Note that it apparently isn’t showing up in iTunes searches, at least from my iPad. Here is the description: Get the official Gmail experience for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. With the Gmail app, you can: ? Receive notification badges for new messages ? Read your mail with threaded conversations ? Organize your mail by archiving, labeling, starring, deleting, and reporting spam ? Keep track of important messages with priority inbox ? Auto-complete contact names as you…

News & Features November 1, 2011

Twelve South PlugBug iPad/iPhone Travel Charger- a Simple but Brilliant Apple Accessory

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ideas. That’s how Twelve South’s new PlugBug strikes me. The accessory lets you use one plug to charge both your Mac and your iPad. “Simple”, “fast” and “clean” are the words that came to mind when I got the announcement a few minutes ago. Deciding to order one for myself was a no-brainer. So what exactly is the PlugBug? Let’s let Twelve South explain. PlugBug… piggybacks onto a MacBook Power Adapter, allowing you to charge a MacBook and an iPad/iPhone simultaneously from one power outlet. The ingenious PlugBug connects to all MacBook Power Adapters. Simply…

News & Features October 30, 2011

Sena’s Quality Leather Plus the iPhone 4S’ Power Makes for a Winning, Luxurious Combination

I’ve always been a fan of Sena’s leather cases. They are consistently well-made and come in a nice range of styles that can fit pretty much every need. They have a host of cases for the iPhone 4S that are now available and many look great. As the company shared, Sena is pleased to announce our iPhone 4S Series collection. Created to enhance functional design and protection with modern flair, the collection showcases hand-crafted, stylish accessories for the Apple iPhone 4S. The exquisite craftsmanship is showcased in the company’s beautiful collection including nineteen designs for the iPhone 4S w/ the design…

News & Features October 28, 2011

Twelve South’s BassJump 2 Pumps Up the Bass!

The folks at Twelve South always have a way of surprising us. They make awesome leather cases like the BookBook for iPad or iPhone but they also make an amazing iPad stand called the Compass. (I use mine all the time.) Now they have something even more outside the box- the BassJump 2 speaker. The new BassJump 2 is a portable, USB-powered subwoofer that “turns MacBook Pro or MacBook Air into a travel-friendly sound system”. Powered by a single USB connection, the BassJump 2 uses proprietary software that “blends the sound output of the BassJump subwoofer with the output of…

News & Features October 28, 2011

Redbox Raises Prices by 20%

Redbox has raised their prices, but it’s unlikely they’ll receive the ire from customers that Netflix did! First of all, prices are going from $1.00 to a $1.20. It just sounds more exciting to point out that it’s 20%. Second, Redbox is easing the price increase for existing customers with a grace period of $1.00 for the month of November. Sarah and I tried Redbox for the first time last weekend, and it was a smooth experience. We spontaneously decided to see if “Bridesmaids” was available at our local Redbox kiosk; I signed up online, and we tried to rent it…

Music Diary, News & Features October 26, 2011

Pop Goes the Music Diary: Angstrification

Bad Meets Evil is a pseudo-duo including Royce da 5’9? and Eminem, first heard on the song of the same name from The Slim Shady LP in 1999. The duo have recently gone back into the studio and popped out another EP, this one featuring Bruno Mars in a generic pop-rap-combo song that is all the rage these days. For other examples, see pretty much anything with Bruno Mars in a supporting role, anything at all with Pitbull, BoB and so on. The song that has gotten the greatest amount of attention is ‘Lighters’, which as I mention features Bruno…

News & Features October 26, 2011

What’s for Breakfast? Hopefully NOT One of These 20 Unhealthy Cereals!

As a kid you don’t worry too much about how healthy your cereals are. I mean, I remember being a kid and having Cookie Crisp come out (in 1977, apparently), and thinking ‘OH YEAH’! Then there were some other faves like Crunch Berries, Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry. They were all nice sugary junk-food breakfast cereals we all loved … and far more appealing than the healthy alternatives such as Shredded Wheat (not the frosted stuff), Grape Nuts – or at best ‘compromise’ cereals like Cheerios or Rice Krispies with generous help from the sugar bowl. Then –…

News & Features October 25, 2011

Playmobil Teaches Kids About the Real World with “Security Checkpoint” and “Safe Crackers” Sets

Are you concerned kids toys coddle them too much? They’re all bright colors and happy people, but what’s the world REALLY like? Playmobil doesn’t want kids to just assume the world is all animal nurseries and magic princess castles — there’s a serious side too. So serious, in fact, that they want kids to play Security Checkpoint, just like mom and dad do at the airport! No, this isn’t a joke. It’s a real Playmobil set. Before you buy, though, be sure to check the reviews: 3.0 out of 5 stars Great lesson for the kids!, September 9, 2005 By loosenut (Seattle, WA)…

News & Features October 25, 2011

The ObiTalk Obi110 Review

Sarah and I didn’t have a landline for a long time. If people needed to reach us, they could call our cell phones. However, when we switched cable providers this summer, we found it was one of those “it’s cheaper to get the phone+WiFi+cable” bundle. Great, but we weren’t about to give away the new phone number to anyone since people knew to reach us on our cell phone numbers or my Google Voice number. But it was handy to have a dedicated handset…that’s where the ObiTalk Obi110 comes in. First, the ObiTalk service does a great deal more than…

Music Diary, News & Features, Reviews October 25, 2011

Music Diary Notes: The Smiths Complete (8CD Box Set)

I remember hearing The Smiths back in college when they had first come out, but since I was already deep into my avant-garde jazz I never paid all that much attention to them aside from noting the catchy jangly tunes. Later when my (future) wife and I started dating, I discovered that she was a big fan of The Smiths and had a bunch of their stuff on tape. Fast forward twenty-something years and we still listen to those same tapes and vinyl and a few digital songs I bought years ago and occasionally come across songs on Slacker. But…

News & Features October 25, 2011

Rocking Accessories for Fall Cookouts and Tailgating

Fall is upon us, but there are still plenty of great days left for grilling while tailgating at the game or barbecuing at home! If you want to extend your summer and bring a little bit of head-banging to your grill, then look no further than the BBQ Guitar Spatula and the BBQ Rockin’ Fork available from GAMA-GO. Both the spatula and fork are full-size heavy stainless steel utensils, and they can be had for $20 each. As an aside, they will go perfectly with the Roast My Weenie grill tool that Wayne posted about some time ago. 😉

News & Features October 24, 2011

As the Global Population tops 7 Billion, Some Interesting Facts

This month the world will cross over the 7 billion mark – more than 7 billion people alive at one time on the planet by estimates. That is an amazing number – when I was born 3.5 billion was a long way off, and even when I graduated high school we were nowhere near 5 billion. Yet in spite of dwindling fertility, global population growth continues unchecked. In ‘celebration’ of the milestone, SmartPlanet has put together a list of seven things to note about this population milestone: It took humans until 1800 for the world’s population to reach 1 billion….

News & Features October 24, 2011

Star Wars Phantom Menace 3D Trailer Arrives, Coming to Theaters Feb. 2012

There are few things that split opinions and ignite heated debates like the Star Wars prequels, yet at least as visual storytelling they remain impressive achievements. LucasFilms has long been known to be bringing the movies back to theaters in 3D format, and now we have the first look! This weekend as one of the trailers before the (abysmal) Three Musketeers, viewers got to see the first trailer for the 3D re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The movie is slated to return to theaters in 3D on February 10th, 2012! Source: TheForce.net

News & Features October 24, 2011

HTC Giving All New Phone Buyers 5GB of DropBox for FREE!

Smartphone maker HTC has unveiled a plan with cloud storage company Dropbox to give 5GB of free cloud storage to new HTC Android phone owners. According to reports, the deal is tied to phones using HTC’s new ‘Sense 3.5’ UI overlay. Drop Box gives users 2GB for free, so this is an extra 150% for free – plus HTC will pre-load the DropBox app on all new phones. This appears to be yet another reaction to Apple’s iCloud service, which offers 5GB free storage to anyone using an iOS 5 device. Microsoft offers 25GB of SkyDrive storage to Windows Phone…

News & Features October 24, 2011

Sound ID is Back with the Sound iD SIX, a Siri-Ready Bluetooth Headset

I have had the opportunity to review each generation of Sound iD’s Bluetooth headsets. The first was a small but excellent device and with each generation the devices have gotten better and better. Now the company is back with their Sound iD SIX Series headset and it looks great. Here’s what the company has to say about it: Sound ID redefines the Bluetooth experience with the new SIX. Destined to be your go-to headset, the SIX boasts a sleek look and more than one new audio trick, resulting in a true marriage of outstanding sound, true comfort and advanced technology….

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