Reviews

Game Diary, Reviews March 14, 2013

Old Clockmakers Riddle for Mac Review

I admit that when I first tried the iPad version of Old Clockmakers Riddle, I was expecting it to be a standard story-based Hidden Object game. But after I started reading the description I was thrilled to see the Match-3 gameplay tied to an interesting story. You find a letter that leads you to a dead down that has utterly stopped, and you need to find gems and clock hands hidden in the houses of town to ‘restart’ them and get to the point of fixing the clock and restarting the town. Type of app: Match-3 Puzzle game Platform/where to…

Reviews March 14, 2013

MonCarbone Black Diamond Smartt Mate Carbon Fiber iPad Shell Review

Judie and I met with MonCarbone during CES 2013. We’ve always liked their wares and were impressed by their current offerings. Not only are they making luxurious cases for iPhones and iPads but they have expanded their lineup to include luggage and speakers made from carbon fiber. The bags are nice but I think their iPhone and iPad cases are still the standout products. Judie reviewed one of the new cases for the iPhone 5 back in February. The iPhone case is nice but the MonCarbone Black Diamond Smartt Mate Carbon Fiber iPad Shell… now that is an amazing carbon fiber case! The MonCarbone…

Reviews March 13, 2013

BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini Review

We loved meeting Ali Yildirim and his team from BeyzaCases during CES 2013. We love their gorgeous leather case and appreciate their advertising on Gear Diary. Their new offerings are the epitome of luxury and make using your various electronic devices even more pleasurable. You can read all about our time with Ali and his team here. We walked away from our time at the BeyzaCases booth with a number of their current products. One of the more unusual is the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini. Available in black, tan, brown and camel. Priced at more than $150 the…

Game Diary, Reviews March 13, 2013

Cognition Brings Chilling Adventure to iOS, Review and Giveaway!

If you are like myself or most other PC game fans, you track the ‘indie bundle’ sites regularly and grab all of the great games these creative developers publish. A couple of months ago I grabbed Cognition Episode 1 from IndieGameStand on the Mac, but never finished playing. Now it is available for the iPad, so before I could get a review code from the publisher I bought the game and played it. I say that Cognition brings chilling adventure to iOS, read on to find out why! Oh, and the publisher came through with a review code as well…

Reviews March 12, 2013

Discovery Trekking’s Ultra-Fast Drying Towels

“Gear” comes in all different shapes and sizes and we do our best to cover as wide a range as possible here on Gear Diary. That’s why, in this review, we will be looking at… towels. Yes, this is a review of towels but, as you might expect, these aren’t just any towels. No, these are special Ultra-Fast Drying Towels from Discovery Trekking Outfitters. These Ultra-Fast Drying Towels come in different sizes and colors and their ability to all but vacuum water from wet skin surprised me- in a good way. (The claim in the previous sentence- mine not the…

Reviews March 12, 2013

Zagg LEATHERskin for the Apple iPad Mini

I ordered a Zagg LEATHERskin for iPad mini last week. (It looked interesting and Zagg was offering a good deal on some headphones with any order I made that day. And… yes… we will be giving the headphones I got away in the near future!) If I look at the way Judie, Mike and I each protect our iPad minis I see three very different approaches. Judie doesn’t mind adding some weight and bulk to her iPad mini so long at the case she uses screams quality. That’s why she is happily using the Orbino miniPadova she purchased a few…

Reviews March 11, 2013

Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio Lets You Be Prepared

When Superstorm Sandy hit last fall we, like so many in our region, were left without power. For Elana and me that meant no heat, no light and no water. (Yes, we live in New Jersey and have well rather than communal water.) The outage also meant we had no way to recharge batteries. Thankfully I had anticipated this happening and prepared by charging all of my various external batteries. I do, however, wish I had had the Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio. The Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio is an all-purpose, rechargeable weather alert radio…

Reviews March 11, 2013

Braven 570 Charges Your Smartphone and Ears On the Go

We met with Braven at CES 2013 (check out the post) and had a chance to see their new speakers. We watched as the Braven BRV-1 went for a swim and checked out the budget-priced Braven 570. Now we’ve got out hands on the Braven 570 for a hands-on review. Before we jump in though take a look at the BRV-1. If you’ve used one of Braven’s speakers or checked out our head-to-head match between the Braven 600 and the JawBone JamBox (read the post) you are already familiar with the design of the Braven 570. It is a rectangular…

Reviews March 10, 2013

Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Add Bling to Your Phablet

Some smartphone accessories have a clear purpose and reason for existing. The purpose of other accessories is… less obvious. Case in point- the Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The Note 2 has a Home button and it works just fine on its own. Why then would one spend $10 to buy three different metal buttons to place over the stock Home button? Well, if you have a Verizon branded Samsung GALAXY Note 2 there is ugly and stupid Verizon branding right on the button. The Spigen SGP Home Buttons for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 cover the…

Reviews March 10, 2013

Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2 Provides Tasty Protection

So you’ve entered the land of phablets and bought yourself a Samsung GALAXY Note 2. You love carrying one device that serves as both (a freakin’ huge) smartphone and a (tiny tiny) tablet and you take it everywhere you go. That’s great but a device getting that much use and abuse needs t be protected. Fortunately Speck has you and your Note 2 covered with their Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2. It is a great way to add color while keeping your Note 2 safe and secure. The Speck CandyShell for Samsung GALAXY Note 2 comes in two…

Game Diary, Reviews March 9, 2013

Tomb Raider Review for PlayStation 3

In Tomb Raider, adventuress/archeologist Lara Croft returns in her ninth video game…the first in four years. Was it worth the wait? Definitely. Developer Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix push current consoles to their limit with this impressive reboot. The Hype A Survivor is Born When the first ever Tomb Raider game launched in 1996 it was a revolution. Outstanding in terms of graphics, gameplay, and storyline, it changed the way that video games were played and developed forever. Fronting the games assault on the world was the central character, Lara Croft. Lara was also to have an incredible impact,…

Reviews March 8, 2013

Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones First Look

I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones for some time. Jabra describes the Revo Wireless Headphones as combining “amazing sound clarity with peerless build and durability”. The videos on the Jabra website show just how tough the headphones are, and a live demonstration at CES 2013 reinforced the message. Yes, the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones promise to be incredibly durable. If the sound quality is similarly impressive, then Jabra will likely have a hit on their hands. The bad news is that we don’t yet have a final price or release date on…

Reviews March 8, 2013

Zagg ZR-SIX Earbuds Review – Promising Awesome Sound for Under $60

If they’re not the best sounding earbuds you’ve experienced… we’ll give you your money back. That’s what Zagg says on the product page for theIR ZR-SIX earbuds. It is a bold claim to make under any conditions, but considering the ZR-SIX earbuds are under $60 it is actually a remarkable claim; I am left wondering if the claim can hold up in real-world use. Are Zagg’s new ZR-SIX earbuds “the best sounding earbuds I’ve experienced? Read on to find out. Inside the box you’ll find the ZR-SIX earbuds, two additional sets of ear cups, and a nice zippered protective case. I…

Reviews March 8, 2013

PowerSkin PoP’n Battery Review – It Should Be in Your Gear Bag

We’ve said it over and over and over again — battery life is the Achilles Heel of today’s mobile devices. Speeds have improved, screen resolution and size have too; battery technology has, unfortunately, not kept pace. The result is that many of use have to either carry our wall adapter and charger cable or an external battery. And there are some people, me for example, who carry both. These days I’m carrying the PowerSkin PoP’n battery in my jacket and another battery in my gear bag. Here’s why the PowerSkin PoP’n battery is so useful. The PowerSkin PoP’n battery has an…

Game Diary, Reviews March 8, 2013

Fate of the Pharaoh for Android Review

Over the past few years working with G5 games as they have grown into one of the more successful casual games publishers on smartphones, I have seen a fairly standard formula: they publish for iOS first, then Android and finally for the Mac (and occasionally PC). But with Fate of the Pharaoh we get a first – G5 is releasing an Android game before the iOS version! How does it play? Let’s take a look! Type of app: City-Building game Platform/where to buy: Available for Android systems (including Nook and Kindle Fire tablets); available from Amazon AppStore, Google Play, or…

Reviews March 7, 2013

DRY-ALL Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit to the Rescue

“I just dropped my iPhone in the sink” Elana said. I jumped into action, went to the cabinet, pulled out the DRY-ALL Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit, pulled the SIM from the phone and sealed it inside. I then put Elana’s SIM into one of the review phones I had lying around and, within a few minutes, she was up and going on an HTC Windows Phone 8 handset. “Give the DRY-ALL Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit 48 hours to work its magic. Judie reviewed this back in 2011 and it worked perfectly for her.” (Read the review.) It was a good…

Game Diary, Reviews March 7, 2013

Epic Adventures Cursed Onboard for Mac Review

I reviewed the original Epic Adventures: La Jangada here, which was based on the Jules Verne’s story ‘The Raft’ (direct translation of La Jangada). My opinion of the original was that it was an interesting story but hampered by glacial pacing and a dreary palette. Does the sequel Epic Adventures Cursed Onboard deliver where the original failed? Read on and find out! Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: Mac; available in the Mac App Store Developer: Urchin Games / G5 Entertainment Description: Here are some of the features: 25 Eery locations 10 Unique mini-games…

Reviews March 7, 2013

Mailbox App Review – Is Email Conquered for Good?

It has been a little over a week since I started using the Mailbox app as my main email organizer, and I have finally settled into a rhythm and have a handle on how it works. It’s incredibly easy to grasp once you get it set up, and I am still as smitten with it as I was last week in my first impressions post. But here are the real question: is it worth the long wait to gain access? And is all the hype that’s surrounded it since before its launch justified? Read on for my take! First, let’s…

Reviews March 6, 2013

Trina Turk iPad Cover Review – Promises Pretty Protection

I recently reviewed the Trina Turk by M-Edge Macbook Case and iPhone 5 case; this Trina Turk iPad Cover rounds out the trio of accessories currently offered. The Trina Turk iPad case appears to be built on an M-Edge Revolve 360 Case chassis, which is smart because the Revolve 360 is a great case. As the name implies, the Revolve 360° allows you to rotate your iPad 360° when it is in the case, thanks to the unique plastic holster design that securely holds the iPad while protecting its corners. The iPad clicks into the four corner brackets, and once properly installed…

Reviews, Yum Log March 6, 2013

Starbucks Blond Roast Veranda Blend Is Yummy

I love coffee. When I used to eat ice-cream, coffee was my favorite flavor; by that I mean the coffee ice-cream that really tasted like coffee, not that subtle flavored stuff some brands offer. And when I used to eat cake I loved anything with mocha. And each morning I still brew a pot of coffee in my Cuisinart coffeepot and polish it off before starting my day. In addition to liking coffee, I also happen to like convenience; that’s where my Keurig coffee maker comes in. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Starbucks Blond Roast Veranda Blend in it. It has…

Game Diary, Reviews March 6, 2013

Spirit Walkers Curse of the Cypress Witch for Mac Review

Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the Mac App Store Developer: Orchid Games / G5 Entertainment Despite weekly releases of hidden object, strategy and adventure games G5 continues to put out amazing quality games as well as a great quantity.When I reviewed Spirit Walkers Curse of the Cypress Witch for the iPad, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Now they have ported it to the Mac, and it looks to be a great translation of this significant and interesting plot wrapped around a hidden object adventure. Let’s take a look! Description: Here are…

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