News & Features

Teach Me Sushi for iPhone Sounds Tasty

I’ve flirted with making my own sushi, but I can never seem to get my rice just right or my rolls just so. If you are in the same (sushi) boat, then here’s an app that might be able to help. The new app offers helpful tools and over 45 minutes of instructional videos demonstrating how users can make advanced sushi rolls in their own homes. The Expert offering takes the lessons a step further, teaching users to create advanced rolls including Shrimp Tempura, Volcano Rolls and Spicy Crunchy Tuna Rolls. And just like that … I am now craving…


SpookyTones Helps Your iPhone Get Its Ghoul On

If you are a fan of both Halloween and customized ringtones for your mobile devices, then what we have here is a bit of convergence for you.  If you want to “spookify” your iPhone a bit, point your broom toward Electric Pocket’s space in the iTunes App Store and check out SpookyTones, a Halloween version of its MailTones app. SpookyTones allows you to assign distinct, frightening tones to your contacts, and then, rather than the traditional, boring email alert, your iPhone cackles, thumps, or rattles its chains.  Prefer giving the ghouls the silent treatment?  SpookyTones will also let you set certain…


Balanzza Intros Mini Luggage Scale to Help Avoid Added Luggage Fees

Airline luggage fees have been on my mind this week ever since I spoke to Scott Jordan about his dealing’s with Delta Sky magazine. (Heck, Scott even announced a new product, the Carry-On Coat to take things to the next level.) The fees for bags and extra weight keep growing and the free allotments keep diminishing. In a travel environment like this it is more important than ever to make sure your luggage doesn’t go over the weight limit. A new product makes it easier than ever. The Balanzza Mini, the lightest digital scale in the market, weighs less than…


App Update Alert: TabToolkit For iPhone/Touch/iPad

One of my favorite and most used guitar apps is TabToolkit from Agile Partners.  I love the ability to search, download and read guitar tabs on my iPhone and iPad.  The application actually knows when a tab is available on the page and will download and store it with a simple tap.  As great as this app is, a huge update just went live in the app store.  This is a considerable update to an already amazing app.  Click here to read a full review of TabToolkit. Some of the new features: Guitar Pro 6 file format:  Many TabToolkit customers…


Random Cool Gadget: Earos Cell Phone Ear Cushions

A few months ago I had a prolonged layover coming home from a business trip, and coincidentally my wife had an afternoon class she was teaching canceled so she was home. As a result, we took the opportunity to chat for quite a while and catch up on the stuff we never got to talk about during the week. By the time I hung up my ears were quite uncomfortable from pressing my Droid against my head for so long! Now Yanko Design has a solution for just that type of problem: Earos! These ear cushions easily slide over most…


Random Cool Gadget: Double Barreled Marshmallow Shooter

My younger son bought my older son a cool Nerf gun with easy-load clips for his recent birthday … my younger son already has a chain-load Nerf blaster he got for his birthday earlier this year. The result? A weekend filled with Nerf darts flying everywhere! And – especially with the new one – those things can still hurt when they hit! Last summer our kids had built PVC-pipe marshmallow launchers, neither of which worked well, but they looked cool and still get used as guns and other weapons on a regular basis. It was against this backdrop that I…


Random Cool Video: Airplane With No Jokes …

And surprisingly enough, it is pretty good! Of course, it is also only 15 minutes long! When you think about it, the core story of airplane is a classic – literally! The production team bought the rights to the 50’s drama Zero Hour!, which allowed them to use anything they wanted from the script. Check this summary out: Ted Stryker is an ex-World War II squadron leader and fighter pilot who, 10 years after the end of the war, is still haunted by a decision he made that resulted in the death of several of his men. He’s been unable…


Yet Another Reason to Switch to eBooks: Airline Fees!

We told you a few weeks ago about Scottevest’s ad rejection by Delta. Of course, Delta is far from the only airline with restrictive baggage fees. It seems like every company has extra charges for heavier bags, less room for carry-ons, etc. So what do you do if you’re a voracious reader? John Naughton of the Guardian UK stumbled on this particular issue. He was looking to bring books on vacation but realized his reading list would have eaten up a big chunk of the weight restrictions on his Ryanair flight. So he broke down and bought a Kindle, despite…


Love Is In the Air at Gear Diary!

This has been a celebratory two weeks for Gear Diary, as we have just seen two of our writers get married! Dan is officiating Carly and Sarah’s wedding today … probably right as you are reading this! And David and Tish were married on October 1. Please join us in wishing Carly & Sarah, and David & Tish a very happy, very wonderful, and very much loved rest of their lives!


Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of John Lennon’s Birth With A Live Concert Recording

Today John Lennon would have turned 70, had he not been shot in December of 1980. In November of 1980 he released his last record, Double Fantasy, after 5 years on hiatus from music recording. This week on iTunes they have a massive collection of his newly remastered work, including a free version of Starting Over from Double Fantasy. There is even a 11-CD ‘signature box’ with loads and loads of extras. If you want to listen to some great live Lennon, head on over to Wolfgang’s Vault John Lennon Tribute, where they are featuring a 1972 John Lennon concert…


Random House Loves eBooks, but Not iBooks

(image courtesy psdgraphics) Random House was the only major publisher last year to hold out and refuse to work with Apple on an “agency pricing” system. They basically said setting prices was not their job, but that of the retailer, and if Apple wanted to sell books they could set the prices too. Apple refused, and Random House has famously been absent from iBooks. As it turns out, it doesn’t seem to be hurting Random House much in the ebook department. Markus Dohle, their CEO, recently stated ebooks are currently 8% of their revenue stream, and it looks like it…


TravelTeq’s TRIP Will Pack You, Seat You, Carry You and Rock You

… and it will cost you. 😉 Nothing is more tiring than the journey anymore; getting to airports hours early, waiting in long lines, being herded like cattle through security only to find that there are no seats left for your oversold flight at the already over-packed gate … ugh! But the ends justify the means, right? And whether it is for vacation or business, we continue to endure the pitfalls of modern day travel. With that in mind, I found this product interesting when it landed in my email this morning; the TRIP is a carry-on suitcase that carries…


New Study: Body Image Stereotypes Cost Women Money at Work … But Benefit Men

There seems to have been quite a bit of talk and writing about how we should be reinforcing positive body images to young kids, girls in particular. So much talk and focus on how unhealthy it is for girls under 21, who are still changing physically, to be looking for plastic surgery … and also so much focus on the unhealthy sizes of fashion models. There has even been quite a bit of recent focus on the impact of Photoshopping advertisements by companies like Ann Taylor and others. That is all good, so what is the problem? Apparently the workplace…


The Lunacy of eBook Pricing – Example from the Forgotten Realms

Considering I am a huge fan of classic role-playing games, greatly enjoy the whole Dungeons and Dragons universe, have read and enjoyed some of the popular book series from author R. A. Salvatore including the Icewind Dale Trilogy and the Cleric Quintet, and have been intrigued by the recent announcement of the upcoming online-but-not-MMO computer game Neverwinter … you might say I was a ready-made target for the new book Gauntlgrym: Neverwinter Book I. Naturally I wanted to read it on my iPad, because as many others here have noted – it is just a great way to read things….


Is THIS The Droid App You Are Looking For? Verizon Brings Empire Strikes Back to Android!

Of course, not the whole movie … nor the classic arcade game … but some ‘other stuff’ for a questionable value of $2.99. But for the Star Wars fan with an Android device from Verizon, this might just fit your needs for more cool TESB stuff during the 30th anniversary year. Here are some details from TheForce.net: Looks like the rumor was correct, but with a slight delay. Originally slated to launch on October 4th, the Verizon Empire Strikes Back Android app ended up launching a day late on the 5th. While the app itself is free, the full range…


Looking for a Job AND Trying to Save the Planet? Here is Where You Should Live!

I have been lucky in my current job that in addition to making cell phone screens more durable and presentation projectors that can fit in your pocket, I have also been able to work on things with specific objectives of cleaning up the environment. It is satisfying when work you love also benefits the planet. At the same time I have friends who have still been unable to find work that is at the level they had before the recession, some still burning through savings and others working at whatever they can find. So it was interesting to read “Top…


Urbanears New Headphone Colors Revealed as Colorful Music Lovers Cheer

Out with the old and in with the new; say hello to the colorful new Urbanears 2010 Fall / Winter collection. Urbanears headphones have a 3.5mm jack and remote compatible with most devices including Nokia, Blackberry, HTC and iPhone giving them the additional functionality of a headset. In conjunction with the turn of the season, Urbanears has revamped its color offerings. Seven colors have been dropped from the line and are being replaced with seven brand new sleek colors. As seasons and fashions change, Urbanears will continue to introduce and drop colors every six months. … Currently, these colors are…


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. …