Reviews

Kingston Wi-Drive Review

There are some smartphone accessories that make you go “huh? Who would buy this?” And then sometimes there are ideas so smart you think, “Wow! Why didn’t anyone do this sooner?” Finally, there’s the “GREAT idea, poor execution” accessory. The Kingston Wi-Drive fits into one of these categories, but you will have to read to the end to find out which one!


2012 Toyota Yaris Marks Forward Progress for Automaker

Toyota is working feverishly to recover from a few setbacks in global production last year. Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the automaker in the Asia-Pacific regions in 2011, and at a time when Toyota was releasing new or redesigned product. One such re-launch is the 2012 Yaris. Toyota has found that 70 percent of new car buyers in the subcompact segment prefer the liftback (hatchback) body styling. It is because of this that the Yaris sedan is gone from the lineup with 2012 models arriving in base LE three-door or, as in the case of our recent tester, a five-door…


PDFpen for iPad is Powerful and Simple to Use, Review

Smile software makes some of the mainstay apps I use on my Mac. Their PDFpenPro is an amazing application for working with PDFs and I’m honestly not sure what I would do without their TextExpander application. It lets me create shortcuts for terms, phrases and especially HTML code that I use all the time. Now, for example, if I want to put in the site’s URL instead of typing out the entire thing I simply type “ggd”. TextExpander sees it and replaces it with the address. There honestly isn’t a post or an email I writer where TE doesn’t jump…



Sling Media Brings SlingPlayer to Kindle Fire!

Sling Media, makers of the SlingBox, today announces the availability of the SlingPlayer app for the Kindle Fire. What is the SlingBox? It is a device that works with all of your various set-top boxes to: allow folks to watch their TV from wherever they are with their PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone. And now, with SlingPlayer for Kindle Fire, they can bring their living room TV experience to their Kindle Fire tablets. The SlingPlayer software is already available for Apple iPhone and iPad devices, Android Phones, Android Tablets as well as for the Blackberry, Windows Phone and other devices….


Montie Gear Precision Gun Rest Review

As a South Texas Country Boy, I am an avid rifle and bow hunter, fisherman, camper and all around outdoorsman. Technology and gadgets have come to play a huge role in the outdoors lifestyle, and we hope to bring more reviews and news of this type of gear in the near future. When you see the Camo Gear Diary logo, you know it is Country Boy approved! As an avid shooter and hunter, I love to spend time at my friend, Travis’s place sighting in rifles or just working on accuracy. A while back I reviewed the X-Rest from Montie…


Plantronics GameCom 780 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset Review

Most modern games come with some use of stereo sound, and games with higher budgets make use of Dolby Surround Sound to provide realistic experiences of being surrounded and FEELING the impact of what is going on around you. If you are using a pair of Apple earbuds in your gaming laptop … you are really missing out. I recently looked at another set of Dolby enhanced headphones, but to truly get the experience you needed entirely too many cables. Now we have a new headset from Plantronics that offers Dolby 7.1 surround … but only requires a USB connection!


Shootout! Touchscreen-Friendly Gloves – iTouch Touchscreen Gloves vs. Agloves

Cold weather and touchscreen don’t go together. More accurately, they did not go together until now. Yes, if you use an iPhone, Android device, Windows Phone or tablet there are now a host of touchscreen-friendly glove options on the market. We take a look at two such offerings in this video. From iTouch Touchscreen 3 in 1 Gloves: Stay Warm and Stay Connected: iTouchTM Touchscreen Gloves with conductive yarn in the fingertips allow you to use your iPod, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, eReader Touch and other touchscreen devices without having to take your gloves off in the cold weather. Witness the…


Belkin Portable Power Pack 1000 Cell Phone Charger Review

One of the biggest problems with our ever-growing love of smartphones … is that everything we do with them seems to consume more and more battery. As a result we are always struggling with the battery life of our smartphones. As a result we keep chargers in our offices, our cars, and so on. But what about when you are on the go and don’t have access to a wall plug – or are in an airport where everyone is huddled around the few remaining outlets? Belkin seeks to solve this with the Portable Power Pack 1000 – let’s see…


iRig MIDI Interface and Recorder Software Review

The folks at IK Multimedia have been at the forefront of developing great hardware and software tools for iOS devices ever since that capability was introduced. I have been a big fan of their products since iRig and Amplitude launched, so when I was offered a chance to review their new Sample Tank product I jumped. But wait – this isn’t about Sample Tank! I know – as part of that evaluation they also sent me their iRig Midi interface and software, and it is was so awesome I just had to post a quick video hands on! The Hype:…


iGrill + Omaha Steaks’ Steak Time App = Meat Magic

Now far be it from me to tell a man (or a woman for that matter) how to use their BBQ grill. Like politics and religion, grilling is a topic where advice is rarely appreciated or even more rarely followed. I’m sure you’re great at cooking a steak over charcoal or gas, and I wouldn’t tell you to your face if I thought otherwise. A. because you’re feeding me and B. because you probably have fire and sharp BBQ tools within arm’s reach. Maybe you’re one of those people who can judge a steak’s doneness by comparing the surface of the…


Swingline Stack and Shred 80X Handsfree Cross-Cut Shredder Review

Who in the world would get excited about a shredder? ME, that’s who. So when Judie posted a review of the SwingLine Cross-Cut Shredder last year I took note. You see, as bad as Judie and Kevin’s stack of “waiting to be shredded documents” was, Elana’s and mine is worse. How much worse? Let me put it this way. In Judie’s review she began with the following, This is my husband’s and my pile of things that needed to be shredded. It started in a drawer, was moved to a shelf, and eventually ended up in a bag under our…


Incipio M&M’s feather Case for iPhone 4S Review

Aren’t these just the cutest iPhone 4S cases EVER!?!?! These are the Incipio M&M’s feather cases and they are more than just a tasty-looking way to protect your iPhone. The cases are based on Incipio’s popular feather line of cases. The feather is “Incipio’s answer for a low-profile protective cover. Measuring approximately 1mm in thickness, the feather is our slimmest case, offering sleek protection without the added bulk of traditional cases.” Read on for a closer look and a chance to win one!


Spirit of Wandering – the Legend, HD iPad Game Review

I was still warm in the afterglow of the awesome iOS game ‘Letters from Nowhere’ from G5 Games when I started another hidden object game from G5 Games called Spirit of Wandering. Given the innovative style of the former game, I really didn’t expect Spirit of Wandering – a stock standard hidden object adventure – to live up. Let’s see how it did! The Hype: Sail the seas with a pirate captain in search of her missing love in this adventurous, hidden-object quest! After an attack by the Flying Dutchman, the crew of the Spirit of Wandering and captain’s companion,…


vlock Video Clock for iPhone/iPad: Watch Videos and Time Go By!

Back in the ’70s and ’80s there used to be a series of commercials for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that featured a person with a chocolate candy bar and another with an open container of peanut butter.  The inevitable collision of the two oblivious eaters resulted in them exclaiming “You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!” and “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!” resulting in the product slogan “Two great tastes that taste great together.” That’s what came to mind as I played with vlock (v. 5.1) from XVision. There are a number of clock apps available…


iTunes App Store App Review; PDF Forms Impresses!

We’ve come a long way since Thomas published his amazing post How To View PDF Files on an iPad. Now you can’t just view them but you can edit and manipulate them too. There are a few options in the iTunes App Store for editing PDFs and a new one was just announced. PDF Forms lets you sign a document, add text, highlight text, surround text and images and more. This was just going to be a news post until I actually tried the app.


The Phosphor Appear Rose Gold Crystal Watch with Clear Nylon Bracelet Review

I reviewed the red Phosphor Appear last year, and I had so much fun with it that I bought one in black. Recently Phosphor began combining their popular Appear watches with nylon bracelet wristbands, and the result has been a bit of a transformation. Before, the Appear relied upon a leather wristband that had to be bucked — in my case on the last hole; now there is a lightweight and fashionable bracelet which can be sized (by removing individual links) to perfectly fit even the smallest wrists. The bracelet Appear features a modern, fashionable resin band finished with a metal deployment…


Sony Bloggie Live at Hoover Dam, a Video Demo

Image taken with the Bloggie Live Judie received a Bloggie Live video recorder last week at CES and we brought it along with us to take some images and video while at Hoover Dam. As the video demonstrates, this diminutive Bloggie Live takes some amazing video and is incredibly easy to use.



Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky PSP Game Review

I often say that I don’t play my PSP nearly as much as I used to, and don’t touch my DSi at all anymore. Recently that changed with the PSN release of Final Fantasy VI (which I will be reviewing soon). Before playing that game I needed to clear out some storage space on my PSP Go and wound up starting to play The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky gain. I had played the UMD version of the game and reviewed it elsewhere when it came out nearly a year ago, and subsequently bought the PSN version ……


Letters From Nowhere iPad Game Review

How much did I like the new iOS game ‘Letters from Nowhere’ from G5 Games? Enough that after the cliff-hanger ending I immediately went to Big Fish games and grabbed the Mac version of Letters From Nowhere 2! Let’s dig right in! The Hype: Mysterious letters and a sudden disappearance keep you on your toes in this Hidden Object journey that is filled with unexpected twists and turns. When Audrey learns of her husband’s disappearance, she struggles to keep hope alive. She has all but given up when mysterious letters begin arriving at her doorstep. Plunge into this dramatic story,…