Reviews

Astraware Casino for Android Review

Reviews

Astraware Casino for Android Review

I reviewed Astraware Casino for Symbian a few months ago, and now it has been released for Android! At the time, this is what I thought of AW Casino: Overall, AW Casino is a great addition to any phone; it offers you a huge selection of games to pass the time, is great for learning the basics of casino games, and is generally very entertaining. If you have a Symbian S60 phone, it’s definitely worth trying. Does the Android version live up to it’s Symbian cousin? Read on for my review and find out!

Pat Metheny - Orchestrion (Jazz CD, 2010) Review

Music Diary, Reviews

Pat Metheny – Orchestrion (Jazz CD, 2010) Review

A few weeks ago I posted a video of Pat Metheny announcing his Orchestrion project. The video – and all of the machinery – were quite cool, but what really matters is the final product. Well, Orchestrion was released on January 26th, and I’ve had the chance to give it several listenings and separate the coolness of the technical accomplishment from the actual musical results.

SlideScreen Android Home Screen Replacement Review

Reviews

SlideScreen Android Home Screen Replacement Review

It took the Android world by storm a few weeks ago…a new style of Android Home Screen. Instead of several desktop style screens with widgets and icons, SlideScreen was only one screen, with sections for missed calls, emails, SMS, weather and time, Twitter, RSS and stocks. All useful stuff, and you could “slide” the weather/time block up or down to expand the information. Francis and I love our Android phones, and thought this had the potential to add a great deal of functionality to our phones, so we each gave it a try. Here was our experience.

Neverwinter Nights (2002, RPG): The Netbook Gamer

Game Diary, Reviews

Neverwinter Nights (2002, RPG): The Netbook Gamer

Neverwinter Nights is a RPG based on the Dungeons and Dragons rules developed and published by Bioware in 2002. Since then it has been patched, expanded, enhanced, gotten loads of community extensions, and patched some more, and remains a favorite game for module developers and multiplayer gamers alike. But is it something for the netbook gamer? Read on for my review of this RPG classic with a special look at how the original game and all of the commercial expansions play on a netbook.

Etre Touchy Gloves Review

Reviews

Etre Touchy Gloves Review

It’s been a problem since the first winter post-iPhone release: How do you use your smartphone with a capacitive screen during freezing cold weather? There’s always your nose, or a quick “yank glove, interact with the phone, throw gloves back on, pray there’s no frostbite.” Etre believes they have a different solution with their Etre Touchy Gloves. I’ve been using them for a few days: do they solve the glove dilemma? Read on to find out!

Customized ZAGGskins for Mobile Devices Review

Reviews

Customized ZAGGskins for Mobile Devices Review

Since debuting in 2005, ZAGG’s “invisibleSHIELD” has been a very popular protective skin for the wide range of devices for which it is made.  The invisibleSHIELD’s military grade film offers good protection from scrapes, dings, and scratches without adding a lot of bulk to the device on which it’s used. Building on the success of the invisibleSHIELD, ZAGG recently introduced customizable ZAGGskins.  The ZAGGskin line is a range of wrap-around adhesive skins featuring decorative designs.  The skins are only 0.3 mm thick, but strong.  While there is a range of pre-made designs, including some newly released designs for upcoming Valentine’s…

Nexus One Desktop Dock Mini-Review

Reviews

Nexus One Desktop Dock Mini-Review

When we heard that the Nexus One Desktop Dock was finally available, I knew that I would have to order one for home and the office. Read on for some thoughts on the dock’s unique features, as well as comparisons to the BlackBerry 9700 and iPhone docks.

Diving Into the Nokia N900

Reviews

Diving Into the Nokia N900

One of the devices that I most enjoyed seeing demonstrated at CES was the Nokia N900. This pocket computer’s impressive specifications, its solid build, its multitasking capabilities, a web browser that looked like it could take on the iPhone’s, and yes, I’ll admit it — the cool little widgets on its personalized desktops had me intrigued. But what I really wanted was to spend a bit of time getting to know one on my own. My contact at Nokia promised that she would send a review unit, and two days ago “mine” arrived. There was a bit of a FedEx…

Mass Effect 2: Video Game First Impressions

Game Diary, Reviews

Mass Effect 2: Video Game First Impressions

On January 26th, one of the most anticipated games of 2009 (before it was delayed) arrived – Bioware’s Mass Effect 2. The original was released for the XBOX360 in late 2007 and for the PC in early 2008, and was met with huge critical and commercial success. Before it was released the game was already planned as a trilogy, so gamers have been eagerly awaiting this sequel. I’ve been playing for several hours and wanted to give some first impressions. Oh, and if you are wondering about the image above, suffice it to say that it is seldom a good…

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars iPhone Game Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars iPhone Game Review

Image courtesy of TechShout So I have written about the announcement of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (GTA:CW fro now on) arriving on the App Store, and of the issues running it on the first-gen iPod Touch. Now I’ve played it, and am ready to review it and let you know how it plays!

The Callpod Chargepod 6-way Charging Device Review

Reviews

The Callpod Chargepod 6-way Charging Device Review

It seems to be a never-ending issue for me, having more devices that need charging than I have outlets available. The Callpod Chargepod touts itself as a “charging device that allows you to charge multiple cell phones, PDAs, headsets, and most other mobile electronics with a single power cord.” Without tripping a breaker or messing something up? This I’ve got to see …

booq Taipan Shadow Review

Reviews

booq Taipan Shadow Review

I tend to be a huge fan of notebook bags and cases. I carry my MacBook Pro with me most days and, as result, having a good, usable bag is important to me. Having a usable, well organized, high-quality bag that is also good looking is a bonus. And, thanks to my work here on Gear Diary, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a number of superb companies and their products. One of my favorites is booq. Their cases are stylish, superbly designed and great to use. I have been using one of their newest — the booq…

My Child ID from Amberalert.com Review

Reviews

My Child ID from Amberalert.com Review

Having a lost child is never good.  The amber alerts that now go out can save precious time in the recovery of a child, be it a child who is just lost or a child who is abducted by strangers or people who know the child.  Part of what makes this work is accurate information given to law enforcement agencies.  One way for parents to make sure this information is with them is by carrying a My Child ID from AmberAlert.com.

iFrogz Custom Fallout Headphones Review

Reviews

iFrogz Custom Fallout Headphones Review

Custom accessories are uber-popular right now.  We’ve seen several of our favorite accessory manufacturers bring custom offerings into their collections over the last few months.  One of the best of the bunch, iFrogz, has several items in its inventory which the company allows you to custom build to create your very own, one of a kind, item. Before I left for CES 2010 iFrogz allowed me to custom build my very own pair of their Fallout headphones which I picked up while at the show.  I’ve had a chance to uses them for a while now and wanted to share…

Puzzlings for iPhone/Touch Review

Reviews

Puzzlings for iPhone/Touch Review

Puzzlings first came on my radar as it quickly rose to the top of the app list.  I heard several podcasters proclaim their addiction to the game so figured I better check it out.  To my surprise, the game had become free when I decided to download.  As my reviews have shown, I am a sucker for a good puzzle game.  Puzzlings is what I would call a strange game with a great puzzle aspect. Read more after the break…

Teavana Perfect Teamaker

Reviews

Teavana Perfect Teamaker Review

Being the gadget freak that I am, I like to have gadgets in the kitchen almost as much as I do in the office or on the go.  I am a big fan of drinking tea (both hot and cold), but often I only want one mug of tea at a time, not a whole pot.  I was looking around at tea flavors I wanted to try when I happened upon the Perfect Teamaker from Teavana.  It seemed like the perfect solution, so I promptly added it to my Christmas list.

Wii Thrustmaster Motion Plus Elite Fitness Pack - Review

Reviews

Wii Thrustmaster Motion Plus Elite Fitness Pack – Review

Almost a year ago I was sent a Nintendo Wii as a birthday present by a good friend. About a month later my then six-year-old niece and nephew heard about it and were excited to send me, via their mom, my sister, a Nintendo Wiifit pack. Some time ago I was sent the “Wii Thrustmaster Motion Plus Elite Fitness Pack”. It contained a number of accessories to work with the Wii fit system. Here is the confession — I played with the Wii for a few weeks and then didn’t touch it again for quite some time. I opened up…

Switch Easy Nude for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

Reviews

Switch Easy Nude for iPhone 3G/3Gs Review

Want to keep your iPhone’s form factor as close to the way it was when you first pulled it out of the box but still protect it? There are skins that will do it, but these are often hard to install. The Switch Easy Nude case measures at only .08mm of thickness.  It comes in 6 colors and includes two crystal clear screen protectors. At only $19.99 this case offers the absolute closest thing to a naked phone that I’ve seen. Check out my video review below then head to the Switch Easy web site and grab one.

DuaLink from CableJive Review

Reviews

DuaLink from CableJive Review

If you’re anything like me, chances are you juggle a few Apple devices around.  Personally I use an iPhone, iPod Touch and an iPod Classic.  Each device uses Apple’s dock connector on the bottom, to which I insert a charge/sync cable when it comes time to either hook the device to iTunes or add some additional power to the battery. I’ve got one Apple charge and sync cable hooked up to my iMac which means I can charge or sync one of my three devices at any one time. At least that used to be the case……. Thanks to the…

The Sleek Audio SA6 W-1 Wireless Earphones Kit Review

Reviews

The Sleek Audio SA6 W-1 Wireless Earphones Kit Review

Late last year I was introduced to Sleek Audio, and among their earphones’ features, I was impressed by their unique method of insuring a customized listening experience through the utilization of removable and interchangeable in-ear ports – even on their entry level model, the SA1. While I enjoyed the SA1 earphones very much and was quite impressed with their quality, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to use one of their more specialized sets, specifically the Sa6.

PDAir's New Motorola Droid Cases Reviewed

Reviews

PDAir’s New Motorola Droid Cases Reviewed

PDAir makes cases and accessories for a wide range of mobile devices.  Their products are typically well made and reasonably priced.  We’ve reviewed PDAir cases on Gear Diary before, recently reviewing a couple of their iPhone 3G/3GS cases.  So, when PDAir offered to provide Gear Diary with a couple of their new Motorola Droid cases to review, we said yes. As a still relatively new device, there is a fairly limited range of cases available for the Droid.  Sure, you can pick up snap-on covers for the Droid at the Verizon store, but they don’t offer much protection for the…