Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: Vogel’s RingO Universal iPad Mounting System

I am a big fan of the combination iPad case/stands that began appearing towards the end of the original iPad’s production run. This is especially true for those case/stands that are actually modular systems that extend the ways and situations where you can use the iPad. And although the original iPad is no longer being produced there continues to be a healthy market for used and refurbished units. For that reason it makes sense to look at a few of the combination cases/stands that are still available and worth considering if you have picked up one of the discounted refurbished…


iPad Case Review: Sena Florence for iPad 2

I am a huge fan of Sena’s gorgeous leather cases and have used them on pretty much every device I have owned going back many years. The reason for this is quite simple. Sena consistently uses the best materials, consistently constructs them with the greatest of care and consistently brings new designs to market that are visually interesting but also take into account that most of us actually USE the devices we want to protect. In other words, time and again, Sena seems to be able to strike the right balance between interesting style and practical use. Add in the…


Moshi iVisor AG for iPhone4 Review: It Works!

When I first got my iPhone4, I chose a set of screen protectors for it that I was familiar with from using on my 3GS. One issue I had with both was how difficult it was to install totally bubble-free. Another issue is the glare and that sometimes my finger would not glide smoothly across the screen. Moshi has come to my rescue. Their new iVisor AG for the iPhone4 is a knockout. When I first received an email from the company handling PR for them I scoffed. Bubble-free, yeah right. First, I love the company name. Moshi. Don’t know…


Smartphone and Tablet Accessory Review: The i-Microphone Voice Recorder

I do a tremendous amount of writing using voice recognition and if there is one thing that makes or breaks the accuracy is the microphone you use. Both my iPhone and my iPad do fine on their own but I do see a significant improvement when I use a high quality headset. That’s why I was interested in the i-Microphone. It is a small attachments that promises good audio recording without the hassle of a wides headset. It isn’t expensive so I thought I might order one and check it out. Fortunately the company was kind enough to send along…


Car Audio Accessory Review: XtremeMac InCharge Auto iPhone and iPad Chargers

If you spend a fair bit of time in the car, it makes sense to have a car charger for your electronic devices. I know I have always kept one handy for my iPhone, since topping off my iPhone when I drive from place to place is always useful — especially on long days when my iPhone would otherwise NEVER make it through the day. Things became a bit more complicated when the iPad was released, since it requires a 10w charger, and most of the previous adapters aren’t up to the task. XtremeMac has rolled out a few car…


Headphone Review: iFrogz EarPollution Luxe Bud with Microphone

Other than cell phones, one of the most common gadgets I see are headphones. Kids and adults alike love to carry their media with them and seem to be listening to it in public more and more. I always check out headphones when someone has them in, since I am a geek and gear head and always see a variety of style and sizes. Headphones and earbuds are one of those things that you can pay as little as a couple of dollars or up to hundreds. I was able to test out a pair of Luxe earbuds from iFrogz….


iPhone / iPad Game Review: Supermarket Mania 2

I loved the PC version of SuperMarket Mania 2, and now that it is available for iPhone and iPad I wanted to take another look and see how it would work as a port! Read on and find out how they did! The Hype: Nikki and her friends are back in Supermarket Mania 2! Help her uncle Ross manage and run his chain of grocery stores on the other side of the country. Keep the supermarket shelves stocked up, floors clean and customers coming as you work on improving the stores and increasing profits. It’s not all peachy though, as…


Frisbee Forever for iPhone / Touch / iPad

This week’s Blue Plate Special was spotted by my son. He was browsing the app store on my wife’s phone and came to ask if he could play frisbee. He said, “Dad! I have to get this frisbee game! It looks so cool and I promise it is free!” He had a point, it did look cool and was in fact free, so I let him download it. When he later told me how much he liked it, I added it to my phone then to my iPad since the application is universal. Let’s take a look. With summer coming…


Tablet Accessory Review: Verbatim Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard

One of the pleasant surprises I found when I first started checking out the BlackBerry Playbook was the fact that it is a fantastic blogging tool. Unlike the iPad, which continues to fall short in the mobile blogging department, the PlayBook is a complete blogging system that works beautifully. The rear camera is surprisingly good, and the file management allows you to upload images to the web just the way you would from a full traditional computer. Sadly it is one of the only pleasant surprises since, weeks later, there are still little to no useful apps for the PlayBook….


2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Made For Summer Travel

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the luxury marque’s first foray into the world of hybrid technology. It goes without saying this technology is borrowed directly from the Ford Fusion Hybrid. What does need said is this is a very good package. Since first driving this hybrid powertrain arrangement in the Fusion a couple of years back I knew the engineers at Ford were on to something. Fuel economy figures (41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway) have continued to impress the automaker and consumers alike, especially in the wake of once-again-higher fuel prices. Wrapping the Fusion in Lincoln luxury was…


Wet Circuits Waterproof Power Strip Review

Next in my “Kids, don’t try this at home” series of tests I examine the power strip sent us by WetCircuits.com – the Wet Circuits Waterproof Power Strip to be precise. Initially I thought this was a joke, especially with the image they provide of a person holding a pair of metal tweezers inserted into an outlet while the power strip is energized. CRAZY. Like a fox, actually. This thing works. While I did not drop it into the bathtub with me and the rubber ducky, I did take it out to the greenhouse, a normally moist-to-wet environment that should…


PhoneSuit Primo Power Core Rechargeable Battery Pack for Tablets and Phones Review

Electronic devices always seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times, don’t they? Figuring out ways to keep those devices powered for as long as they are needed is key. Whether you are a regular road warrior or simply away from the office for the day, if you aren’t going to be near an outlet or power port, and if you carry multiple devices that will require energy doses at random times, carrying a portable power supply is the best option. Many times, these power supplies can best be described as bricks.


iPod touch Accessory Review: mophie juice pack air for iPod touch 4th Generation

When mophie first released their juice pack air for the iPhone it was a revelation. At least it was a revelation for me! For the first time I could wrap my iPhone in a case that brought with it both protection and far far better battery life. A short time later the company updated the juice pack to use a soft-touch material that even made holding the iPhone a pleasure. And that was a few iPhone’s ago! Since the first juice pack came out I have had one for every iPhone I have had. In fact, my juice pack air…


Review: Belkin Conserve Insight

With the economy in the state it is in we are trying to conserve what we spend anyway we can. Whether we are turning the thermostat down, turning off lights or buying compact fluorescent bulbs that use less electricity, we are all trying to save what we can on our electric bill.  All of this got me wondering: how much power your laptop really uses?  How about my TV?  Do compact fluorescent bulbs really save any money over standard incandescent bulbs?  With Belkin’s new Conserve Insight finding the answers was simple. The device is simple and easy to use.  All you…


Retro Camera Android App Review

I recently noticed an influx of funky old-timey photos on Facebook.  After asking around, it appears that most people I know are using Retro Camera. According to Urbian (the developer), the app lets you take “delicious old-school pics your friends will drool over” and it delivers an “off-the-hip analog look.” Now, in general I consider myself to be pretty cool, but I am a far cry from a hipster.  I own neither over-sized 1980s glasses nor a t-shirt depicting three wolves howling at the moon.  Regardless, I felt compelled to give it a try. I installed it on my Droid…


BlackBerry Playbook Case Review: Case-Mate Barely There

I’m a huge fan of minimalist cases and that tends to hold true for pretty much every device I use. I want something as thin as possible on my iPhone 4. I want something that doesn’t add too much bulk to my iPad 2. And I want to get a case for the BlackBerry PlayBook RIM gave out at the launch event that adds some protection but doesn’t remove the key advantage this “completely and totally unfinished but still has potential” device has over the iPad and other 10″ tablets: its small size and light weight. That’s where Case-Mate’s Barely…


Audio Accessory Review: iSkin earTones Earbuds

Every now and then a product comes in for review that surprises me… in a good way! That’s the case with iSkin’s new earTone earbuds. They are bright, colorful earbuds that use the company’s Microband, a technology that inhibits the growth of odor, fungus and stain-causing bacteria on the earbuds and remote. At an MSRP of $39.99 I figured the earbuds, which come in a rainbow of colors, were largely a fashion-statement product with the Microband as an add-on for extra hype. I was wrong. The little things sound fantastic, are super-comfortable and, at under $40, they are a great choice…


iPhone/iPad Game Review: Legendary Wars

I have a long-standing love of ‘tower defense’ (TD) games, so when there was an opportunity to check out Legendary Wars from Liv Games, there was only one possible answer: YES! Let’s see how they did! The Hype: Welcome to Legendary Wars. Take command of your heroes. Build up massive armies to destroy the undead forces of the Netherworld! It’s time to fight back! Legendary Wars Features: -Huge world to Explore -Unique Gameplay: Action-RTS-RPG -Gorgeous Retina graphics and animation -ZOMG Monsters! -New gear and attacks -Epic Soundtrack The Reality: Legendary Wars isn’t strictly a TD game – but most games…


iPad Case Review: PixelSkin HD Wrap for iPad 2

So you got yourself a shiny new iPad 2. (Finally!) How are you going to protect it? Think about it: you want a case that protects the iPad as much as possible but you also do not want to lose the nice curves and the thinner design it offers over its predecessor. Speck has started rolling out their offerings and we are going to take a look at a few of them. First up is the Speck PixelSkin HD Wrap case for iPad 2. The PixelSkin HD Wrap case for iPad 2 builds on the company’s familiar Pixel Hd design and…


Review: Belkin Conserve Valet

As time goes on I seem to gain more and more devices that charge off of a USB port.  My phone, my iPod, Bluetooth Headphones, Kindle and even the Zi8 that  I recently reviewed all charge off of a USB port.  So it just makes sense to start to see devices like the Super Travel A/C USB Wall Charger I reviewed a while back.  That’s fine for travel and works well.  However, it sure would be nice to actually have a place to manage the cables as well as to hold the devices as they charge.  That’s why I was…


iPhone Case Review: Speck ToughSkin Case for iPhone 4

klutz noun \?kl?ts\ Definition of KLUTZ : a clumsy person Are you a klutz? Do you have a tendency to not look where you are going and trip over the smallest of things? Do you drop your iPhone more than your iPhone drops calls? (Okay, we know THAT’S not possible but still…) If you answered yes to any or all of these questions this is the iPhone 4 case for you. Yes, Speck has produced an iPhone case for the klutzes among us. It offers amazing protection and a good bit of varied use scenarios. Here’s a close look at the Speck…