Reviews

Trainyard for iPhone/Touch Review

We are all feeling the financial pinch! Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. Yes, I am a sucker for puzzle games on my IOS devices and love to find new games that fit the Blue Plate Special price. Trainyard is currently on sale for $.99 so jump on this one quickly. It is always interesting to see the many ways developers can create a puzzler. I have a soft spot in my heart as a train lover for this one. My dad loves to watch trains and…

Reviews

Gear Gadget Review: The Flipside x2

Last night I went to pay for something. I pulled out my wallet and the woman behind the counter looked at it and said, “Now that’s a nifty gadget!” “Thanks,” I said, “I like everything about it but the color; I wish it were black.” “NOOO! she said, that’s my favorite color. I love it!” As I walked away I thought to myself, “Thanks for the first line of my review!” We reviewed the first iteration of the Flipside Wallet about a year ago. In fact, if you go to the Web site our conclusion that “This wallet is a…

Game Diary, Reviews

PC Game Review: Mount & Blade: Warband

When I reviewed Mount & Blade at the end of 2008, I said “the target audience for Mount & Blade is rather small, but for that group of gamers it scratches an itch that has been around for years, and does so in a very satisfying way. The game provides hours of fun, and an experience that doesn’t get stale.” Fast forward 18 months to the stand-alone expansion Warband, and we find that everything has been improved yet the overall experience is diminished. How does THAT work? Read on and find out! The Hype: Mount & Blade: Warband is the…

Reviews

OtterBox Impact Series iPhone 4 Case Review

No matter what level of protection you need for your iPhone 4 OtterBox has you covered. The company realizes that all iPhone users are different and use their phones in different environments. It’s because of this that they offer three different levels of protective cases for the iPhone 4. Their Defender series offers the maximum amount, followed by the Commuter which offers a mid-range level of protection followed by the case we’ll look at today, the Impact series. The Impact series case is a slim fitting, silicone based case that is meant to protect your device from life’s bumps, scratches…

Game Diary, Reviews

PC/XBOX360/PS3 Game Review: Alpha Protocol

What the HECK took me so long to get my review of Alpha Protocol done? Didn’t I mention months ago having finished the game? Didn’t I later say I was going back and replaying again … and haven’t some months ensued since THAT as well? It is all true, and since then I have gone back again, looking to reduce the ‘two minds’ I have about so much of this game into a coherent review … you’ll have to read on to find out how I did! The Hype: The year is 2009. Worldwide political tensions are at a breaking…

Reviews

All New Powermat Wireless Charging System for the iPhone 4 Review

Powermat was first to bring wireless charging to the iPhone. I was admittedly not a huge fan of their first generation design for the iPhone 3G/3Gs. The large back plate just didn’t look good. Dan had a chance to review the first generation system just about a year ago and came to a similar conclusion. The company is readying their iPhone 4 second generation release and I had a chance to preview it. Boy how things have changed. The new iPhone 4 Powermat is a world away from its predecessor. Small, sleek and thin, the new version is a site to see….

Game Diary, Reviews

Nintendo DS Game Review: Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City

There are some who would have you believe that all of the games for the Nintendo DS are either casual puzzle games, shovelware (bad licensed games) or licensed products such as Pokemon (i.e good shovelware). Since I like neither or those game types and have played and reviewed more than a couple hundred DS games over the last five years, and have a library of over 100 DS games I love to play, it is safe to assume the platform has more to offer. From excellent adventures such as Hotel Dusk to grand strategy games like Advance Wars to the…

Reviews

Flick Fishing for iPhone/Touch Review

I recently took my oldest son fishing with a buddy and his daughter. This was not his first time fishing, but it was definitely our most fruitful adventure. The kids were catching perch and bass as fast as we could get the bait wet and they were having a blast. Luckily, we hooked onto a couple of larger bass and Peyton had to learn to fight and real a fish that could really fight. Being the geek that I have made him, he asked if there was a fishing game on the iPhone on our way home. We decided to…

Reviews

Review: Sandisk Sansa Fuze+ Media Player

Sandisk has long produced the Fuze line of mp3 players and while they aren’t nearly as popular as Apple’s products, they do indeed have a following within certain communities. Since Sandisk has long had compatibility with open codecs such as Ogg Vorbis , the Linux and Open Source community loves them. Many of my friends have them and I purchased the last generation Fuze for my wife. I was impressed with what Sandisk had done with the device as well as with its price. Sandisk was nice enough to send me the new Fuze+ to review. Did it improve upon the…

Reviews

6X Telescope with Crystal Case for iPhone 4 Review

The addition of zoom functionality to the iPhone’s camera was welcomed when it was finally released. Although it’s now possible to zoom in on your subject when shooting pictures with the iPhone’s camera the distance you can close is somewhat limited. This 6X telescope with case for the iPhone 4 from USBfever.com solves that problem big time. With a 6 times zoom you’ll be able to shoot subjects that you can barely see with your naked eye. It’s literally like sticking a pair of binoculars on the end of your iPhone. Inside the box you’ll find the case, lens, cleaning…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Kia Sportage: I like you fine, thanks

I really don’t know much about those sock puppets featured in the new Kia Sportage commercials and I am no expert in marketing but I do know a good thing when I see one, and the completely new-for-2011 Sportage compact CUV is a good thing. I recognize the Kia marketing team’s efforts and believe they have done wonders for the brand. That is not to take away from designers and engineers at the automaker, though, far from it. A clever commercial or two on national television is still not going to insure corporate success if the product does not stand…

Reviews

Campus Quilt Review: All I Got From Running 50+ Races Was This Lousy T-Shirt? Not Anymore!

Over the last three years I’ve run over 50 road races. From local 5-Ks to finishing 12 full marathons and every other distance in between. If there’s on thing that all of the races have in common, besides the running, it’s the “race-shirt.” For as long as I can remember road races have always rewarded their participants with a t-shirt which not only commemorated the event but also allowed for sponsors to get their names out to the public too. As you can probably imagine with all the running I’ve done I’ve accumulated a lot of t-shirts. For a long…

Reviews

iPhone 4 Case Review- iSkin Solo

When my wife Elana finally let go of her Palm Centro and made the move to BlackBerry she grabbed an iSkin case I had lying around to protect the handset. More than a year later I can’t get her to try another case. She loves it. She loves the simplicity, the great protection it offers and the way it feels in her hand. I can’t disagree. iSkin’s cases tend to be high quality, rather simple affairs that get the job done and, in the process, add a bit of style and color. I’ve been checking out a few of iSkins…

Reviews

Review: Philips Notebook SoundBar

Like many of you, I rely heavily on my laptop. Even with an iPad, I use my MacBook Pro all day and every evening. As much as I love this computer, one thing that totally annoys me is the speakers. It is not that I expect theater sound and booming bass, but half of the time I just cannot hear. When I am watching Hulu or Netflix I want to know what is being said and not strain to be able to pay attention. I have tried many laptop speaker solutions, but the Philips Notebook SoundBar is a clever and…

Game Diary, Reviews

iPhone Game Review: Virtual City

The game SimCity came out in 1989, but its presence is still felt in every corner of the gaming industry. From new incarnations on consoles and PDAs and phones to new versions for PC and other platforms to influenced games for a variety of platforms, it is clear that Will Wright had SOMETHING right! The iPhone and iPad have been home to a number of games in this style, and I have just found my new favorite – Virtual City from G5 Entertainment! The Hype: Build a city of your dream – a residential paradise or an industrial center. Build…

Reviews

iPad Case Review- Hard Candy Candy Convertible

So you have an iPad and you love the design, feel and functionality of the Apple Case. The only problem is… you aren’t a huge fan of black. No, your style leans more toward something brighter. You know, you want a case in something like… say… red. Well you are in luck! The Hard Candy Candy Convertible has the feel and function of the Apple Case for iPad but it comes in bright red! (Oh, and it comes in black too!) Let’s take a look. From Hard Candy- The Candy Convertible iPad case combines the practicality of a flip folio…

Reviews

The All In One Nest Case for iPod Touch & iPhone Review

There are plenty of solutions out there for propping your iPhone or iPod Touch up when it comes time to watch a video. Or how about when you want to use your iPhone or iPod as your bed side alarm clock? Yep, plenty of things for that too. However, most of these come in the form of a stand and that makes for one more item which you’ve got to store in your gear bag or tote around in your pocket. The Nest Case solves this problem by incorporating a stand, which allows for your iDevice to be displayed in…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Fun around every corner in Honda Civic Si

Bold would be an adequate way to describe some of Honda’s design choices in recent years. Ridgeline? Bold. Element? Bold. Civic? You guessed it – bold. Honda took a giant leap of faith when redesigning their popular small vehicle lineup a short while back, but that is what the automaker has been doing well over the past couple of decades – taking giant leaps of faith followed by success of nearly all of those choices. As energy prices soared ever higher, droves of consumers headed down the model lines to units they probably once sought to intimidate from behind the…

Reviews

eHolster Front Pocket Wallet iPhone Case Review

Since winning a recent bout with back pain, I’ve begun, at the recommendation of my chiropractor, carrying my wallet in my front pants pocket. It lives on the right side of my trousers, while my iPhone lives on the left. That presents a problem when it comes time to place my keys somewhere. I don’t want to put my keys in the same pocket as my iPhone for fear that they will scratch it, and there isn’t much room left in the pocket where my wallet is stored. The result? I often times carry my keys on my belt or…

eBooks, Reviews

Kobo Reader Review

In the ebook world, the Kindle and nook are the 100 lbs. gorillas. Everyone uses them as the yardstick; does an eReader offer the same features, does it have a store affiliation, is the screen as sharp, etc. At the same time, there’s still something to be said for simple ebook readers. No bells and whistles, just a thin device and your books. The Kobo Reader aims to fill that gap, with sleek looks, a low price, and basic features. Does it fit the bill, or should you pass in favor of its flashier competitors? Read on for my full…

Reviews

Headset Review: FREETALK Handsfree Headset

I have a number of headsets that I use on a regular basis. Some are relatively inexpensive deals such as the buds Apple includes with each iPhone, and others are far more expensive units such as the Etymotic HF2s I have been using for about two years. When FREETALK reached out and offered a review unit of their new FREETALK Handsfree headset, I was intrigued. Their site describes the unit as “The only headset you’ll ever need“. That is a pretty bold statement to make, and I just had to see for myself if it was anywhere near the truth….

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