News

Be Safe When Running with Headphones On!

Do you run with headphones on? Personally, I don’t, and I haven’t since I lived in a town that believed sidewalks were optional, and that SUVs have the right of way over the entire road, especially the shoulder where I was running. But I know many friends who do, and I hope they’re careful out there, especially after some recent tragic news out of Dallas, Texas. Over on the Runner’s World forums, someone shared the news about a young woman out running on a multi-use path, who was wearing headphones and turned left abruptly and went directly into the path…


iPad App Update of Note- Amazon Kindle for iPad Gets My Favorite iBook Feature

A number of months ago I realized that I needed to choose an e-book platform and stick with it. It made no sense for me to buy some books through Amazon’s Kindle portal and other books through Apple’s iBooks. I needed to choose one or the other and stick with it so that I was consistent in where my books were and how I could access them. Ultimately I decided to go with the Kindle application. My reasons for this were quite simple and clear. First, I already owned a huge number of books that were sitting in my Amazon…


Because Being a Nag Isn’t Always a Bad Thing…

Poor “Nag.” The word almost always has a negative connotation. Think about it: can you recall a recent conversation in which you’ve heard “nag” used as a verb and not had it mean something unpleasant? Well, Electric Pocket’s new iOS app might just cast “nag” in an entirely new light. Just the other day, our friends over at Electric Pocket, makers of BugMe! and BookLover, sent us a note announcing their latest iPhone app, appropriately titled “Nag.” It’s a simple app that nags you at a time of your choosing. Seems simple enough, and it is. I downloaded the app,…


Guitar + iPhone = CASTIV’s Guitar Sidekick

The iPhone and iPad have spawned hundreds of apps for guitar players.  It has been truly exciting seeing the genre build and develop over the past year.  I have actually reviewed several of these apps and use them regularly while I jam at my house.  PocketAmp AmpKit Amplitube Tab ToolKit Guitar ToolKit The only problem I have found with these apps is where to place my iPhone.  I usually balance it on my leg or leave it on the couch.  Either way, I end up in an awkward posture which is a terrible habit to form as a guitar player. …


iPhone 4 Case Review- XtremeMac TuffWrap

XtremeMac makes a host of accessories for Apple’s various products. They have been, and will continue to, roll out accessories for the iPhone 4. We have a few early examples to share with you over the next few days so let’s jump in with the first one… the XtremeMac TuffWrap for iPhone 4. The TuffWrap is a simple, form-fitting case for the iPhone 4 which, at an MSRP of $19.99 is an affordable way to protect the delicate device. From XtremeMac- Protect your iPhone in style. Tuffwrap is a durable silicone case available in a variety of the latest colors….


iLife ’11 Includes iOS Compatible Apps? But How Would That Work? I Have One Idea…

A post over on 9to5 Mac points to a new book over on Amazon UK that suggests iLife ’11 is due in November and, surprise surprise… includes iOS compatible apps. That’s all very interesting and would be a nice turn of events, especially since there are a number of tasks I much PREFER to for using an iOS app than on an iMac, but there is one problem… iOS apps are designed for multi-touch. I have to imagine that trying to make them mouse-enabled would be, at best, inelegant. Then I got to thinking… I ALREADY HAVE a multi-touch device…


Morning WOW!- Apple On Way to Replace Exxon In Top Slot on Standard and Poor’s 500

Apple’s stock closed at just over $280 on Friday. That places it at about 12% shy of overtaking Exxon in the top slot on the Standard and Poor’s 500 market index. That means Cupertino’s market value may soon be greater than the oil behemoth. That’s particularly amazing when you consider the fact that the companies that have held that position include GE, AT&T, IBM and, of course Exxon. So think about it. The little company in Cupertino may well join the ranks of huge, diversified companies like GE. It boggles the mind, especially when you consider the fact that Apple…


Delta to SCOTTEVEST- “Sorry but Carry-On Revenue > Ad Revenue in Delta Sky Magazine”

Ever wonder if those fees airlines are now charging for carry-on items actually bring in serious revenue? Well, thanks to Scott Jordan and SCOTTEVEST we now know the answer — they bring in TONS of cash. Turns out that while SCOTTEVEST clothing appears in the SkyMall Magazine in the pouch in front of each seat on each Delta flight, a recent ad the travel and gadget clothing company wanted to run that reminded people they can beat the ridiculous new carry-on baggage fees with the right garment hit a bit too close to Delta’s pocketbook. Delta rejected the full-page ad,…


iPad App Update- GoodReader For iPad Gets Even Better

Since I use my iPad for work a great deal of the time I have tried a host of productivity apps over the six months I have owned it. This includes my checking out almost every PDF reader in the App Store. Eventually I settled on GoodReader as my PDF app of choice. The reasons for this are numerous. It is easy to use, full featured, constantly improving and… most importantly for me, it renders pages quickly. This is especially important for me since I have replaced most every book- include my prayerbook- with my iPad. I NEED it to…


Amazon’s New Pirated Book Policy

(image courtesy Houston News) Just  last year. there was a pretty serious controversy over how Amazon handled pirated books in the Kindle store. Since anyone can upload a book to Amazon, a version of 1984 was uploaded and sold without the copyright holder’s permission. Amazon took an unfortunate stance of removing all copies without warning, only to find a huge internet uproar emerge from the “big brother” behavior. Luckily, Amazon has learned from those mistakes. Their Australian store mistakenly sold a book under Jamie Oliver’s name that was not actually written by or affiliated with the chef. Rather than yank…


8 Month Old Deaf Baby’s Reaction To Cochlear Implant Being Activated

A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The cochlear implant is often referred to as a bionic ear.  According to Wikipedia, as of April 2009, approximately 188,000 people worldwide had received cochlear implants; in the United States, about 30,000 adults and over 30,000 children are recipients. There has been an ongoing debate in the deaf community over the use of this procedure.  For some deaf individuals cochlear implants are an affront to their culture, which as they view it, is a minority…


Just in Time for Halloween, Batman’s Utility Belt Can Be Yours

I’ve been making jokes about BatBelts for years – usually when referring to the way so many of geeks will carry a plethora of items clipped to their waist. And now, for $149,  geeks everywhere can have a real BatBelt of their own. Composed of polished bronze leather with silver studs, this isn’t some cheep plastic wannabe — it’s the real deal with usable and movable pouches. Fantastic for Halloween and cosplay, the TDK Batman: Utility Pouch should also make an interesting addition to your “Casual Fridays” attire. And for those of you who are thinking “But it’s gold! Too…


A Most Awesome Video: the History of Rap with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake

There are no words! Dieter Bohn (@backlon) just tweeted this, and I thought it was so awesome that I had to share. See if you can name all the songs and artists Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake go through; the imitations are spot on, fun to watch and the whole experience is hysterical! Unfortunately this video is Flash, but if you can’t watch it on your mobile device it is worth clicking when you get back to a computer. Kottke.org


Something Worth Supporting: The ‘It Gets Better’ Project

Regardless of where you stand on anything related to gender issues, I don’t think anyone can help but be appalled by the news coming out of Texas last week – that a 13 year old 8th grader killed himself after YEARS of bullying including accusations of being gay and being pushed down the stairs in the days before he took his own life. It is stories like that, and also the recent suicide in Indiana by Billy Lucas, a 15 year old who was bullied and tormented about perceived sexuality and even told to kill himself by others, that led…


UPDATED! Tales In Packaging Insanity- Default Case

Larry has commented on Default Case a few times. Most recently he made the case that Default Case needs to stop talking and start doing. I agree- good customer service and a funny one-liner only go so far. After Larry’s first encounter with Default Case I ordered four more of the cases. Two came fairly quickly and then… nothing. Then I got word that one of the two remaining cases had finally shipped. It came today. The first issue I encountered was the fact that, unlike my first black case, this new white one is loose on the iPhone. There…


Gear Chat #17 Is Live…

On Gear Chat #17 Larry and Dan talk new iPods, iPad apps and more. Dan sent his iPod nano back and explains why… Larry finds that the iPod touch has the worst single feature of ANY Apple product and offers details. That and much more on the 17th episode of Gear Chat. Intro Music- Lean On Me- Sounds From the Ground Solarstone’s Chill Out Remix… Editorial note- we refer to questions as to whether or not the Apple TV was delayed during the episode which was recorded prior to said devices shipping earlier today.


AMC Theaters Goes ‘Back to the Future’ With 25th Anniversary Release!

While I sort of lost track of the sequels, I definitely remember seeing the original Back to the Future in theaters back in 1985! I saw it with a bunch of friends who were, like me, home for the summer from college but busy working as much as possible to earn whatever we could for the coming year. And while the screening at a campus the following spring elicited some derisive chuckles over the ‘flux capacitor’ – since flux means change and capacitor is for storage – the room was packed with folks who really loved the film. And why…


Work Gear Review- The Ergotron WorkFit Sit-Stand Desk

I have a bad back, and when it goes out I have a very difficult time sitting for extended period. This can be more than a slight problem in light of the fact that, between my work as a rabbi and my work on the site, I do so much writing. At times I’ve ended up placing my keyboard on a box and typing … and that way works, but it’s not the best solution. That is the reason I was thrilled when Ergotron reached out to me and asked if I might be interested in reviewing one of their…


iPad and iPhone App Update- Dropbox-Powered Elements 1.1

I’m using DropBox more and more these days, thanks to a recommendation from Thomas a number of months ago. One of the key apps on my iPad that makes Dropbox even more powerful is Elements. The universal app lets you use Dropbox as a note-taking application on any iOS device; it is a great way to take notes on the go and ALWAYS know exactly where to find them. When Larry first recommended the app to me, it was good… but extremely limited. You could make notes and do some minimal formatting, but that was it. Now Elements has been…


Old Meets New as iPad Becomes Essential Tool for… Archeaology!

My background is in archaeology. Long before I became interested in theology or moved heavily into tech, I loved excavating.  I worked on a dig on the Mediterranean Cost when I was 17 and spent two summers excavating the ruins of a major city in the Galilee. Yes, my favorite fictional character was and remains Indiana Jones. This is a Roman house we excavated during one of the dig seasons. (And yes, that is me… a long, long time ago.) During one of the summers were excavating in the Galilee, there was a second team of archaeologists digging in a…


Zinio Replaced Paper Magazines and Now… Catalogues!

I’ve made no secret of my fondness for the Zinio iPad app. It is a great way to browse, buy and read an ever growing variety of top magazines. I love always having a wide range of magazines with me. And I love the convenience of having an email show up weekly or monthly telling me that my new issue of RollingStone, Macworld or a new favorite, GreenSource, shows up. Well now Zinio has expanded their range of offerings to include three of Macy’s fall catalogues. It is a first for Zinio and a great new way to use Zinio….