Reviews

iPad/iPhone App Review: G5 Games Navigator

One thing most of us can agree on – finding games on the iTunes App Store (or Android Market or Amazon Appstore or Microsoft Marketplace for that matter) can be a daunting task: if you know the exact name you will have no problem … but if not, you are in for quite a challenge! Hoping to help navigate at least their own corner of the App Store as well as Mac and PC games, G5 introduces the G5 Games Navigator. Let’s take a quick look! The Hype: Find quality casual games in the App Store! Stay updated on G5’s…

Reviews

Android Powered Tablet Review: Vinci Tab, Early Learning System for Children

There is no denying that our kids are growing up in a constantly changing digital world. My two boys have developed the same connection with gadgets and digital devices as I have, only at a much younger age. I have been careful when turning them loose with my devices but often let them play with the iPad or iPhone, and they love it. Since they could barely walk, they have been able to use our IOS devices easily and without much instruction. While most of us remember the first time we used a TRS 80 or Apple IIe in school,…

Reviews

iPhone 4S Case Review: Element Case Vapor Comp

A phone as awesome as the iPhone 4S ought to have a case that is equally awesome. Right? So when I knew my iPhone 4S was on the way, I reached out to Element Case to see what they recommended. The response? The company’s Vapor Comp would be just the thing! We’ve had a chance to check our Element Case’s offerings before but the Vapor Comp offered something new. It LOOKS like the Vapor we previously reviewed, but it has an entire non-metallic side that ensures the best signal strength possible. It also has a new bumper-type insert running along…

Music Diary, News & Features, Reviews

Music Diary Notes: The Smiths Complete (8CD Box Set)

I remember hearing The Smiths back in college when they had first come out, but since I was already deep into my avant-garde jazz I never paid all that much attention to them aside from noting the catchy jangly tunes. Later when my (future) wife and I started dating, I discovered that she was a big fan of The Smiths and had a bunch of their stuff on tape. Fast forward twenty-something years and we still listen to those same tapes and vinyl and a few digital songs I bought years ago and occasionally come across songs on Slacker. But…

Reviews

Review: TruConnect ‘Pay as You Go’ Laptop/Tablet Internet Service

Recently I stopped carrying a laptop with me when we do family travel: my Android smartphone, iPad and iPod are enough to allow me to do everything I need wherever we go. There is almost always free WiFi available, and if not I have my smartphone. But what about those in an area without WiFi access, or those who want to use a laptop or tablet in a car? For them there are wireless hotspots such as the MiFi available from most carriers – but those all require expensive monthly access charges with huge overage fees. What about the lighter…

Game Diary, Reviews

Mac Game Review: Tiny Token Empires

As more and more games hit the Mac App Store after finding success as iPad games, sometimes actual full-sized Mac games get lost in the shuffle. Take Tiny Token Empires, for example. It has a bright and charming style and ‘Match 3’ combat system that might make you think it is a simple game, but underneath there is a full sized game to match the full sized $25 price tag. Let’s take a look and see if it earns that paycheck! The Hype: Tiny Token Empires is an amazing mix-it’s a puzzle game, « Match 3 » game and turn-based…

Reviews

iPhone 4 Gear Review: The Etón Mobius Rechargeable Battery Case with Solar Panel

Can you picture yourself out camping for a week? Your car is parked in a lot miles away, and you have been hiking for days. You’ve got everything you need in your backpack, and you’ve been eating those freeze-dried dinners that they sell at REI. Civilization is nowhere near, and you are looking forward to having a shower … in a few more days. You want to stay in touch with your family, but there are no chargers built into the side of the trees you’ve been passing, and your iPhone died yesterday. What do you do? Okay, I am…

Reviews

Home Audio Review: Orb Music Streaming System

Elana is all but sick of hearing my content refrain of “Have I told you how much I love our Sonos System?” It is at that point that she reminds me that, while she enjoys the music when it is on, the Sonos system is definitely my baby. She’s right. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Here is the thing though: the Sonos system worked for me for two reasons. First, at the time I didn’t have a serious music system in the house and, second, I was willing to make the investment to set…

Virtual City Playground Gets a Major Update

Game Diary, Reviews

Android Game Review: Virtual City Playground

A couple of months ago G5 released the iPad version of Virtual City Playground, and I noted it was like ‘Sandbox mode set free’ and really enjoyed playing. Now it has arrived on Android and iPhone. Read on to find out what I thought! The Hype: Your favorite Virtual City gameplay is now FREE in Virtual City Playground! Make even your most ambitious dreams a reality! Build the city of your dreams… and then run it. • Play sandbox mode for FREE! No predefined missions • Over 85 new optional quests • Over 90 new buildings, landmarks, and decorations, including…

Reviews

iPhone Battery Case Review: Third Rail System For iPhone 4 & 4S

We’ve discussed it before — battery life is the Achilles heel of mobile electronics. Devices are faster and more powerful than ever, and battery technology just can’t keep pace. Now word comes that, despite claims to the contrary, the iPhone 4S may not have battery life that is on par with the iPhone 4. So what are those of us who depend on our smartphones for just about everything supposed to do? There are some great tips and tricks for saving battery life, but most require temporarily crippling some of the phone’s features. But who wants to constantly be tweaking one…

eBooks, Reviews

eBook Review: Star Wars Heir to the Empire 20th Anniversary Edition

There is nothing like curling up with a great book … or an ebook nestled in an Oberon leather case! Books can be like old friends, and by association we grow to feel a certain kinship with the author of works we enjoy. I love revisiting favorite books from time to time, to see what new things I can learn based on my frame of mind, age, and where I am at in my life. Last month I wrote about the release of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire 20th Anniversary Edition by Timothy Zahn. Since it was released I…

Reviews

iPhone 4/4S Case Review: Aranez iPhone 4 Mirage Leather Case

Can you see a case on this iPhone? Sure you can but you have to actually look closely to see it and that is the point. Aranez’s iPhone 4 Mirage Leather Case protects the sides and back of your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S yet has a low profile that all but disappears. Better still, while most minimalist cases are made entirely from synthetic materials this case has a back plate made of kangaroo leather. The company sent review units of both the black and the white version. If you like a minimalist approach when protecting your iPhone and you…

Reviews

The Fila Skeletoes 2.0 Review

To best describe Fila Skeletoes, you need a bit of background. When I started running last year, I became enamored with the barefoot running concept but found my feet just couldn’t adjust to it. So I tried Vibram Five Fingers, which were great for walking around but didn’t work well for me for running. After a great deal of experimenting with shoes, I finally settled on a lightweight pair of normal running shoes, paired with wearing Vibrams for casual use. It puts me in the odd position of being neither fish nor fowl; not really part of the “barefoot running”…

Game Diary, Reviews

Deus Ex: Human Revolution PlayStation 3 Review

The Deus Ex game series continues with engaging themes involving modified, or “augmented” humans in a futuristic world, set in 2027, amid various international settings, amazing musical score, and “choose-your-own-adventure”-type decision making format.

Reviews

iPad 2 Keyboard Case Review: Belkin Keyboard Folio

Yesterday I was speaking with someone who, at one point, pulled out his iPad 2 and looked up an address. I asked him how he liked the tablet and he replied that he loved it. He then went one to share with me that his company had given every employee one and, since doing so, very few are actually using their laptops anymore. It is a story that is being repeated in business after business, school after school and home after home. He also told me that while he likes typing on the on-screen keyboard, many colleagues don’t and they…

Reviews

iPad 2 Case Review: Beyzacases Executive II

Finding the perfect iPad 2 case can begin to seem as impossible as finding a golden pearl in a sea of clams, but if you keep looking then you may find your oyster. I’ve watched Dan go through one iPad case after another; every once in a while he’ll find one that he truly likes, but there was ultimately always an issue: “this one makes the iPad too fat”, “this one makes the iPad too heavy”, “this one doesn’t close the way I’d like it to, but I like the materials”. It’s all very “The Three Bears”, isn’t it? And…

Reviews

iOS App Review: MyTunes from SRS Labs

In my experience, new iOS applications fall into one of a number of categories. There are “Wow” apps; these are the ones that are released into the iTunes App Store that blow you away from the very start. There are “Ow!” apps; these are the ones that are released into the iTunes App Store, and you wonder how they ever got through Apple’s screening process in the first place. Then there are “Not quite now” apps; these are the applications that show a great deal of promise but are not quite there… yet. You want to keep them on your…

Reviews

Bluetooth Headset Review: Jabra SUPREME

I have been using one specific Bluetooth headset in my car for the past year or so, but I lost it a few weeks back. Okay, I didn’t exactly “lose” it but, rather, my wife Elana took it. I was thrilled to have her take the headset because: A. She’s my wife, and I like her to have stuff she wants B. She’s my wife, and I wanted her to have and use a headset so she would be safer on the road C. I knew I had a headset on the way that would be just as comfortable and…

Reviews

The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player Review

I love Sandisk’s Sansa line because they are cheap, use standard connectors and work on just about any OS. So when they offered to send me the new Clip Zip to review for Gear Diary I jumped at the chance. Will it be as nice as their past devices? Let’s find out. The Clip Zip is the next version of the Clip. My friends in the Linux community have much love for the Clip. It’s cheap, supports Ogg Vorbis codecs, and it connects to your computer as conveniently as any flash drive. That means you can us any OS that…

Reviews

iPad 2 Accessory Review: Cygnett CarGo Car Mount

Using the iPad as an in-car media system isn’t a new idea. No, it is as old as the iPad itself. (Okay, so that means it is kind of a new idea. Whatever…) We’ve seen a number of systems that allow you to use the iPad in just this way and, over the past week or so, I’ve taken a look at yet another one. The Cygnett CarGo Car Mount for iPad 2 might fall right in with the pack except for two things that stand out. First, it offers a quick-connect system that lets you put it in place…

Reviews

Convenient Gadgets’ Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet Review

If you drink a lot of mass-produced cold beverages that come in bottles with twist caps, then you probably don’t often need a bottle opener. Similarly, if you drink a lot of beverages that come in aluminum cans, then you might have a bottle opener … located somewhere in your junk drawer. But if you like to drink bottled-beverages that don’t easily twist open, or if you regularly run into twist-caps that don’t seem to loosen easily, then you no doubt keep several bottle openers placed around your kitchen and back patio … and you have probably had moments when you have not been…

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