Reviews

Deal With SWAGG for Deals, Gifts and a Lighter Wallet

Sometime ago I moved most of my credit cards over to an application that is stored on my iPhone and my iPad. The application is highly secured and encrypted, and it allows me to have all of my credit card information with me all the time without having to carry the credit cards themselves. I love using the app, and I see myself doing this more and more. This thing is, my credit cards aren’t the only cards that I carry. I also carry an assortment of different store cards and gift cards. For example, I was recently given a…


Review: Boogie Board LCD Writing Tablet: Go Paperless

When I saw the Boogie Board at CES 2011 I was intrigued. The device is small, thin and amazingly light. It is a touch-sensitive LCD screen that truly makes it possible for you to never use notepaper again. Since it is always on you simply pick it up, jot your note and go. When I saw one at Brookstone yesterday I knew I just had to have one so… I bought it. It is a neat device that does exactly what it saws. And yet it is going back. Why? Read on to find out. From Boogie Board- The next…


A Lifesaver in Barcelona, the Tru Enabled BlackBerry Bold 9700

I wanted to put in a quick mention for Tru, the service that offered to send me an international BlackBerry Bold 9700 to use for Mobile Congress Week along with their Tru SIM. The ultimate goal is that we’ll compare what I would have spent on the same amount of Tru usage versus AT&T’s best international rate (since they are my regular carrier) after Mobile World Congress is done. Here’s where it gets even better, though. DHL came through and got the BB Bold to me before I left. Because Tru was worried that it wouldn’t arrive in time, they…


Review: HTC Desire HD / AT&T Inspire 4G

Mitchell Back in early 2010 I reviewed the HTC Desire, and I liked it a lot. I liked it so much that I actually bought one the day that it was launched here (which lined up well with the day the review unit went back). Unfortunately the love affair ended about 2 months later, and I returned to my iPhone. Why? Apps. Not just the selection of apps, but the polish that so many iOS apps display that other platforms didn’t at the time. My iPhone also had the major advantage of being jailbroken so it was even better. As…


WritePad for Android Review: It Has the Write Stuff

[Sigh]  I miss Graffiti. I was pretty fast writing with Graffiti on my old Palm devices. I’ve never been very speedy typing with my thumbs. I carried a BlackBerry for years because that is what my employer supported, but I never was all that fast (or accurate) typing with a thumb keyboard.  The BlackBerry keyboards were great, but, you see, I’m just not all that coordinated. Of course, more recently voice recognition has gotten much better and is now being deployed for mobile devices – and I love it – but still, there are situations in which you just aren’t…


iPad App Review: Weird Worlds Return to Infinite Space

I have always been a fan of space being a Star Wars fanatic (not a Star Trek guy though). How fun could it be to take a sweet spaceship and buzz around the universe visiting strange and uncharted worlds. With that said, most any space game has always been entertaining to me. Whether it means blasting ships and aliens or making friends with them for business reasons, space is always a fun place to game. I jumped at the chance to review Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space for these very reason.  Let’s take a look. Choose between three ships…


Intel’s AppUp Reviewed: So Many Apps, So Little Time; Intel’s Here to Help

These days it is all about the apps. There are apps for iOS. There are apps for Android. There are apps for Windows Phone 7. Now there are apps for Macs, and thanks to Intel, there are apps for netbooks … and a great new way to find what’s out there. Intel’s AppUp is “Your source for netbook apps”. It is a great resource for anyone who has a netbook, and it is worth checking out even if you don’t. AppUp is a free download for Windows XP, Windows 7 and Moblin that lets you find, download and update all…


iPad Accessory Review: Kensington PowerBack Battery Case with Kickstand and Dock

One of the more unusual iPad accessories that we saw one meeting with Kensington representatives at CES was the Kensington PowerBack. The PowerBack is described as a “battery case with kickstand and dock”. Effectively, the power back serves as a case with a built-in stand for hands-free viewing when the iPad is in landscape and it contains a battery that adds an additional 50% runtime to the iPad. That translates to being able to use the iPad for about 15 hours without ever having to worry about charging the device. I have been using for about two weeks so let’s…


Gun Bros for iPhone/Touch Review

It has been one of those weeks. While searching for this week’s Blue Plate Special, I had one requirement. The application had to be mindless fun. I needed some entertainment and fun with explosions and guns make it that much better. As luck would have it, a game called Gun Bros turned out to be mindless fun with cool guns and space fighting. Since the game is free, I figured we had a winner. Let’s take a look. Gun Bros is the story of two brothers, Francis and Percy who are the sole members of F.R.A.G.G.E.D., which stands for, Freakishly…


iPad Case/Accessory Review- Joby gorillamobile Yogi for iPad

I love the products put out by Joby. The first time I saw them their rather unusual tripod, the gorillamobile, I wasn’t sure what to think. It didn’t look like any tripod I had seen and I quickly discovered that it wasn’t. Each leg had numerous segments which allowed it to be more flexible than any tripod I had ever used. It has seen a good deal of use and the legs have not loosened at all. When I saw the company come out with a number of iPad cases I was not surprised to find that they did not…


Arctic Gear Review Pt 2: P301 Professional Stereo Headset

Image courtesy of Arctic Last week in Pt 1 of the Arctic reviews, I took the P531 5.1 Surround Headset for a spin, and found that they were indeed impressive. This week I am checking out the P301 which is your basic 2 channel with adjustable microphone. I again turned to my gaming roots and suffered through a few more hours playing Black OPS on my PC. I like testing sound equipment with games because of the many different types of sound and how precisely you can measure the smallest of details. Black OPS has a quite the soundtrack, and…



2011 GMC Acadia Denali Brings the Bling

Glitz and glamour are no longer reserved for the Cadillac bunch. Denali packages have been offered on GMC Sierra pickups for years and bring a certain sparkle to the lineup. That sparkle is being spread. The “Professional Grade” division of General Motors has added the top-of-the-line Denali trim package to its Acadia crossover utility vehicle. Acadia is GMC’s larger-than-mid-sized CUV that is made for families who want the capacity of a big ute but not the heft usually associated with frame-based models such as the Yukon. The Acadia is unibody construction, powered by a slightly more fuel-efficient V-6 engine and…


iPad Accessory Review: Speck CandyShell Wrap

Speck’s CandyShell cases are among the company’s most popular and protective cases. The CandyShell style is available for a host of different devices including the iPad. The CandyShell does a great job of protecting the device’s back and sides but, because of its design, it does nothing to protect the screen. That change with the recently released CandyShell Wrap. The CandyShell Wrap has all the tasty goodness of the original CandyShell for iPad PLUS it adds in a removable cover that not only protects the iPad’s screen but also creates a stand that holds the iPad at the perfect angle…


PC Game Review: Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania

Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania was released just over six months after Majesty 2: Kingmaker and only a year since of the original Majesty 2, long enough for me to have played loads of games … but soon enough that playing the new expansion Battles of Ardania feels like returning home to see an old friend. The Hype: When there is peace in the kingdom, and nothing has happened in a month, any good King would itch for war. And even if not a full scale war, then at least for a skirmish; and if there is no skirmish, then…


Review- Altec Lansing inMotion Air Speaker System

I had the opportunity to spend some time at Altec Lansing’s headquarters in Milford Pennsylvania the other day. They were kind enough to let me see the inner workings of the company and to visit some of their sound labs. While I can’t go into detail on much of what I actually saw I can tell you that I came away from the visit more than a bit impressed. The company puts so much care, concern and expertise into their products; and it shows. Perhaps the best way to summarize the difference between the company and some of their many…


SCOTTEVEST Women’s Trench Review

When done correctly, a woman’s trench coat is the perfect jacket. A trench keeps its wearer warm, but it isn’t too heavy; trench coats are belted, so the woman wearing one gains an instant hourglass figure — whether she has one or not! The right trench coat can add instant sophistication to even the most basic outfit; but best of all, a well-cut trench coat can hide a multitude of figure flaws while taking an outfit from day to night. Scott Jordan let us know last October that SCOTTEVEST would be coming out with a women’s trench coat, and the…


iPad Accessory Review: DigiPower Coffee Clutch Carrying Case and Stand

Are all iPad cases starting to look the same to you? If so fear not, the DigiPower’s Coffee Clutch will break you out of your “iPad-case-alike doldrums” with ease. The case/stand takes an unusual approach to protecting the iPad while adding an ever-present stand and a great “grab and go” handle. Let’s take a look. From DigiPower: The Coffee Clutch is both a versatile carry case and a lightweight portable stand. Its unique and fun style makes it a must-have accessory for the iPad. Among the features: Easy to use on your desktop or on your lap Grab and go;…


Bluetooth Vibrating Bracelet Buzzband MB20 Review

Sometimes you might have your phone in a pocket or in your gear bag.  That’s not too bad if you have the phone’s ringer on, but what if you forgot to turn it on?  That’s where the Buzzband MB20 comes in. The Buzzband MB20 looks like a fairly simple device that can help you keep that ringer off but still be notified when you get a call.  To get started, the first thing you have to do is pair it up.  To do that, all you have to do is press the only button on the band until its LED…


TrueHDR for iPhone Review

I have been a fan of HDR photography for a few years. One of my first projects when I purchased a DSLR was to learn the basics of taking these kinds of photos. High dynamic range photos are a combination of a range of different exposures to make the entire photo look as if it is lit properly. With my camera, I take three photos. One that is under exposed, one is over exposed or blown out and a third that is the normal photo the camera would take. The photos are then sent to a computer application that combines…


GD Quickie Review- Atomic9 RumbleBuds

When I was asked if I would take a look at the Atomic9 RumbleBuds I was intrigued. I’ve had the opportunity to check out a wide range of different kinds of earbuds but these were the first that claimed to be “gaming” earbuds that give you a “totally immersive, deep-reaching soundscape you love about your games and music.” Let’s take a look GD Quickie-style… From the Company- Just because you’re on the go doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice that totally immersive, deep-reaching soundscape you love about your games and music. Feel the good vibrations of subwoofer-style bass wherever you…