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Reviews, Yum Log April 22, 2013

Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer Review – Doesn’t Your Beer Deserve This Bottle Opener?

That question was, of course, rhetorical. Of COURSE your beer (or other bottled beverage) deserves a bottle opener as simple and useful as the Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer that Kaufman Mercantile sent me to check out. Made in Germany, the Hermetus Bottle Opener and Resealer is a metal bottle opener that easily opens any bottle, but then it is also able to glide over the top and make a tight seal that helps keep beers from going flat or spilling. Why would you need such a device? Simple… This IPA is not only strong but it is huge. And…

Reviews April 21, 2013

Phiaton PS 210 BTNC Noise Canceling Headphones Review

I had the opportunity to look at a number of different headphones from Phiaton in recent months. The first pair of Phiaton headphones I reviewed were the Phiaton’s PS 20 BT Stereo Headset. (Read the review.) These wireless bluetooth headphones were incredibly comfortable and sounded great. I found the control module to be a bit awkward. It’s round and the buttons were rather difficult to access times. I also didn’t love the fact that you couldn’t use your own earbuds but, thankfully, the earbuds that came with the PS 20 BT Stereo Headset were comfortable and sounded great. Here’s what I…

Reviews April 20, 2013

Pebble E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android Review

Back in early May of 2012, Dan posted an article about both Judie and him supporting the Pebble e-Paper Watch Kickstarter project. The project became noteworthy in that it became one of the most heavily supported Kickstarter projects in Kickstarter history. Initially hoping to raise $100,000, it meet that goal two hours after going live. In less than a week it raised nearly $5 million dollars — talk about interest in a project! While the concept of smartwatches was not new, the notion of a dual Android/iOS notification smartwatch that could support 3rd party applications and be extremely customizable was very intriguing…

Game Diary, Music Diary, Reviews April 19, 2013

Divoom OnBeat X1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

To be honest, most of my gaming — whether on PC, Mac, DS, PSP, iOS, or Android — is done with headphones or the device muted. There are a couple of reasons for this: first, to allow for ‘gaming anywhere’; the second is that ever since playing games such as Thief in the late 90s, I have appreciated directional sound and the nuances of quality headphones. But sometimes, when playing a shooter, what I really want is a nice booming rattle – but that won’t happen with an iPad. Now Divoom introduces the OnBeat X1 and promises the ‘ultimate gaming…

Reviews April 19, 2013

iSafe Urban Crew Backpack Review – Wired with Protective Lights and a Loud Alarm

In the last few years we have seen reports of violence on college, high school and even grade school campuses. The Virginia Tech and Newtown shootings aren’t necessarily a confirmation of increasing crime on school campuses, but they certainly serve as reminders that we can’t always be with our kids to protect them. While the iSafe Urban Crew backpack will not protect your loved one in overtly violent incidents such as a shooting, it might be helpful in other threatening situations by creating a significant amount of commotion, calling others to you or your child’s aid. How? Simple, the iSafe Urban…

Reviews April 18, 2013

A First Look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

Judie got a first look at the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 during Mobile World Congress, and I was immediately impressed from afar. I love the size of my iPad mini, but I still miss the ability to write on the screen without having to dal with all sorts of vectoring caused by other parts of my hand touching the screen. (I am, after all, left-handed, and it is an ongoing issue for many of us South Paws.) The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 has the S-Pen which lets you write on the screen to take notes, edit pictures and much more….

Reviews April 18, 2013

Turtle Shell Boombox, Is It the Bluetooth Speaker for You?

Bluetooth speakers are pretty much everywhere you look; there’s the granddaddy of them all — the rectangular JawBone JamBox. There’s the strikingly similar rectangular shaped Braven 600 speaker that adds an external battery for charging your devices. If you want the speaker that stands up tall rather than sitting low you might want to check out the SuperTooth Disco 2. If round is more important, then you’ll definitely want to check out the impressive and well-priced JBL Flip. If you want something that’s got more curves than the JamBox and is far tougher, then you’ll definitely want to check out the…

Reviews April 17, 2013

Nuu MiniKey Keyboard for iPhone 5 Review

I trace my history with portable digital devices back to the early days – I grabbed the HP95LX, the first real ‘handheld computer’ when it came out in 1991, and have had a myriad of devices including the Newton, as well as various Psion, Windows CE, Handheld PC, Palm, Pocket PC devices. More recently I have had a string of iPads as well as Android smartphone and tablet devices, and now I have an iPhone. For more than two decades there was one common characteristic on all of my favorite devices — a physical keyboard. I’ve had a few months…

Music Diary, Reviews April 17, 2013

Ches Smith’s These Arches Hammered Review

Ches Smith caught my attention as drummer for Mary Halvorson in her various projects, so when I heard he was releasing a new album I knew I’d have to check it out. The project features familiar names as these artists often help each other out, but the instrumentation is non-standard and the songs and arrangements don’t necessarily suggest a drummer-led band. Let’s take a listen to Ches Smith’s These Arches Hammered! Musical Genre: Jazz Where to buy: Clean Feed Records (Currently CD only through the site) Artist: Ches Smith’s These Arches Description: While my knowledge of Ches Smith comes from…

News & Features, Reviews April 16, 2013

Huawei Ascend Mate Australian Launch Review

Huawei is making a splash in Australia with the launch of the new Huawei Ascend Mate, a 6.1-inch “phablet” to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note II. At the launch today in Sydney Australia, Gear Diary was able to spend some one-on-one time with the phone that Huawei describes as “Designed for a multimedia experience”. There is no question the Ascend Mate is a large phone, with a 6.1” IPS+ display dwarfing even its obvious rival, the Samsung Galaxy Note II. Just as surprising is the price, AU$429 when it launches on April 20, 2013. To put that in perspective,…

Reviews April 16, 2013

Ronco Coffee Time Brew System Review

As you know, we at Gear Diary love our coffee. My Keurig is still a great system, but I love to make coffee pretty much any way I can; that also includes on ice. Quite some time ago, I was exposed to cold brew coffee by one of my local coffee shops. I only had a small sample, but what I tried was amazing. So I looked up devices like the Toddy T2N and other systems for making cold brew including tryin to make it in the brewers I already have. The Toddy was what I was planning on…

Reviews April 16, 2013

SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz Phone 5 Case Review

SPIGEN SGP has done it again with their Linear Blitz for iPhone 5. Yes, the company has been on a roll with their iPhone 5 cases, and the SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz for iPhone 5 is yet another case that brings qualities, plenty of “extras” and good protection at an impressive price. How impressive is the pricing on the Linear Blitz? For under $32 you get a case with a real aluminum back plate, a quality screen protector, a cleaning cloth and three Jelly Bean Home Buttons; I would say that is a remarkably good value! Here’s a video look at…

Music Diary, Reviews April 15, 2013

Justin Timberlake 20/20 Experience Review

There is a line somewhere between drawing inspiration from the past and simply leaning upon the work of others as a crutch; so while Stray Cats or Adele took what came before them and reimagined it through the lens of a new era, Bruno Mars basically doing an 80’s era Police knock-off with a crappy chorus is just pandering. So what does this have to do with Justin Timberlake? If you caught his performance on the Grammy Awards, you know he is pushing a retro feel, so let’s take a look at his new Justin Timberlake 20/20 Experience album to…

Game Diary, Reviews April 13, 2013

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition Review for PlayStation 3

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition, the 16th release in this game series, offers players an in-depth, rewarding golf experience. This high quality golf game features improved graphics, PlayStation Move controller capability, real-time weather system, and Legends of the Majors mode. Players can now create their own unique experience facing Tiger Woods or his fellow golfers, past and present like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Bubba Watson. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition includes tournament practice facility, extra content, online pass (broadband connection required), The Masters’ green jacket ceremony and five additional courses in additional…

Game Diary, Reviews April 13, 2013

Where Angels Cry HD for iPad Review

In the world of hidden object games, there are a number of paths a developer can take, including purely hidden object screen games – which come in a variety of types – as well as more adventure oriented games. Many of the G5 games bridge both major types, often pulling in ideas from multiple sub-genres. The new release from G5 games is more oriented to the adventure side of the genre, which can be tricky because it means that you need to integrate a story and plot development and milestones with hidden objects and puzzles. With that frames, let’s take…

Reviews April 12, 2013

MiPow Boom Bluetooth Speaker Review

We posted our review of the MiPow Boom mini the other day. (Read it.) The speaker is tiny but the sound is anything but tinny. I’m impressed by the sound such a small speaker is able to pump out and I still can’t believe that, after using the speaker pretty continually since we got here to Jamaica, I still have not had to charge it. There is no question in my mind that MiPow’s battery rating is more than a bit conservative. The company also sent me the first ever review sample of the MiPow Boom. This speaker, the larger…

Gear Bits, Reviews April 12, 2013

Facebook Home App Arrives on Google Play, Hands-On First Look

We have been hearing about Facebook Home since the Facebook event last Wednesday which we covered here. The general consensus was that Home was pretty much just another launcher – but a Facebook centric one. Now as the Facebook Home app arrives on Google Play, we have installed it and taken a quick look. The big question from the post we had about the event is ‘who cares’? In other words, exactly what market does this app serve? I always thought that was obvious but had two angles – it serves the Facebook crowd, and pretty much does NOT serve…

Game Diary, Reviews April 12, 2013

Art Mogul for Mac Review

Art Mogul puts you in the role of an art collector seeking to maximize your collection and your profits, traveling the world visiting galleries; getting the best price and rooting out fakes along the way. At its core Art Mogul is a hidden object game, but it plays almost like a simulation game in some ways. Your goal is to make the most money to build your art collection value. You start off going to a gallery with some money, where you can purchase a painting that is guaranteed to be authentic. But you want to drive down the price,…

Music Diary, Reviews April 12, 2013

Kris Davis Capricorn Climber Review

For all of the grand debate about ‘music discovery’ going on with regards to services such as Slacker and Spotify right now, I continue to have success with the same method I have been using for decades. I find an artist I like, note sidemen I like from their recordings or find recordings where they are sidemen, and check those out. Sometimes that leads to me discovering a sideman from an artist two or three times removed from the original person – such as Kris Davis. Davis plays piano on Ingrid Laubrock’s Anti-House, whose new release I wrote about here….

Reviews April 10, 2013

MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth Speaker Review

I will admit to having gone into my review of the MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth speakers positively inclined toward both products. After all, when Judie and I met with Brian Holmes, vice president and general manager of MiPow, back at CES in January we were immediately impressed by the attention to quality and detail the company put into their mobile accessories. During our meeting we got to check out their range of external batteries and liked what we saw. We learned about their Bluetooth headsets and were anxious to try them out. And, at the end of CES, we…

Reviews April 9, 2013

AKG K391 NC Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

In an ever-more crowded market filled with noise cancelling headphones, it can be a challenge to find the right balance of noise cancellation, comfort and audio quality. I was so impressed with the sound and comfort of the AKG K551 over-the-Ear headphones I reviewed recently (read the review), that I wanted to check out a pair of their noise cancelling offerings. They were kind enough to send a pair of the AKG K391 Noise Cancelling Headphones for review, and my first impressions are excellent. The AKG K391 NC Noise Cancelling Headphones have an MSRP of $249.99, but they are widely…