Reviews

Kobo Reader Review

In the ebook world, the Kindle and nook are the 100 lbs. gorillas. Everyone uses them as the yardstick; does an eReader offer the same features, does it have a store affiliation, is the screen as sharp, etc. At the same time, there’s still something to be said for simple ebook readers. No bells and whistles, just a thin device and your books. The Kobo Reader aims to fill that gap, with sleek looks, a low price, and basic features. Does it fit the bill, or should you pass in favor of its flashier competitors? Read on for my full…

Reviews

Headset Review: FREETALK Handsfree Headset

I have a number of headsets that I use on a regular basis. Some are relatively inexpensive deals such as the buds Apple includes with each iPhone, and others are far more expensive units such as the Etymotic HF2s I have been using for about two years. When FREETALK reached out and offered a review unit of their new FREETALK Handsfree headset, I was intrigued. Their site describes the unit as “The only headset you’ll ever need“. That is a pretty bold statement to make, and I just had to see for myself if it was anywhere near the truth….

Reviews

Speck Fitted iPhone 4 Case Review

Speck has been making quality accessories for the Apple iPhone since the first generation device was released. Admittedly I was not a huge fan of the 3G version of the Fitted case. However, that all changed when Speck retooled the Fitted for their 3GS release. Speck was kind enough to send me the iPhone 4 version of the Fitted and I’ve had some time over the last few weeks to put the case through its paces. Does the new Fitted retain the same fit and quality that the 3GS version did? Read on to find out. The Fitted case comes…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Suzuki Kizashi SLS Sport: Something great is coming?

Something great is coming, that is what Suzuki is telling me with the arrival of its all-new sport sedan Kizashi (pronounced Kee-Zah-Shee) model. So let me get this straight, this new vehicle is the something great or this car is the messenger telling us something great is coming? Either way, in my opinion something great is already here – the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi SLS Sport. Many hold strong to the “first impressions are usually right” theory and my first impressions of this car are very positive. I remember Kizashi arriving in concept form a couple of years ago and looked…

Reviews

iGo Charge Anywhere Review

No matter how long you think your mobile devices can maintain a full day’s charge, you’re going to be put to the test. It’s always going to be a race to find an outlet or to boot up your computer as your phone’s battery starts to fade out completely. It’s happened to me plenty of times. When I’m at a conference. When I’m at a meeting. When I’m rushing to catch a flight. No time is a good time, either. When that battery does go, you’re in a lonely world. No email, no calls, no texts, no twitter or Facebook…

Reviews

Ace Flashcards for iPhone/Touch Review

As an educator and parent of a kindergarten student, flashcards are always a part of my life. Many of my students make them for each test for a variety of subjects. Coincidentally, the students who put the time in to make the cards seem to always make above average grades. My son is learning to read and has a couple of sight words added each week. We have two sets of flashcards at home and constantly quiz him on his words. In Texas, students must pass a standardized test called the TAKS test which includes social studies in the 10th…

Reviews

Review: Pelican 1015 Laptop Overnight Case

Some of my favorite movies over the years have been movies like Spies Like Us, WarGames, True Lies, Under Siege and the 007 Movies. In some of those movies, you’d see the hero or the antagonist slam a case on the counter and unlock it, flip open some heavy-duty double throw latches and open up a watertight, dust proof container and get a computer or some other equipment out. These are the images that came to mind as I opened Pelican’s 1015 Laptop Overnight Case or the 1015 LOC. Pelican is synonymous with robust and strong cases of all sorts for storing and…

Reviews

T-Mobile G2 Review: Is it better than the Nexus One?

The T-Mobile G2 is the first true successor to the phone that started it all, the T-Mobile G1, over two years ago. I have been carrying two Android devices (a Google Nexus One, and a T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide) because there has not been a single Android device that met my needs. Does the T-Mobile G2, with its increased storage capacity, support for the faster HSPA+ network, with its innovative keyboard design and stock Android experience meet my needs? Read on to find out.

Reviews

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z All-In-One Desktop Computer Review

photos by Kevin Lenovo recently sent me a 23″ touchscreen ThinkCentre M90z all-in-one desktop computer to use for long-term evaluation. Because of its similar form factor to the ThinkCentre A70z (which had a 19″ non-touchscreen monitor), I already knew that I would like its space-saving design. But what I didn’t expect was how much I would come to appreciate the touchscreen; having a desktop computer with a touchscreen has never seemed that important to me before, as I am used to more traditional methods of input. As with the A70z, the M90z came packaged in a ThinkCentre bag; minimal cardboard…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Reviews: What’s Old is New Again Edition

Welcome to another edition of Music Diary Reviews! Wait – what Music Diary Reviews, you ask? I have been doing a series of short CD reviews grouped into full-scale articles, and seem to have no intention in stopping, so it was time to give them a real name! The basic idea is the same – a short capsule review of new release music with some highlights, a track selection and some buyer advice … and a quick video if I can find one. What started as just another set of reviews took on a particular theme this time: there are…

Reviews

iPad Case Review – TwelveSouth BookBook for iPad

Here are a few of my books… in this picture alone there are over 100 different books. 16 of them are of the dead-tree variety. The rest are in the Kindle app on my iPad. Yup, that’s my iPad right in the middle of the picture. It is sitting safe, hidden and secure in its new BookBook for iPad. The BookBook for iPad is one of the offerings from TwelveSouth. TwelveSouth is the company behind my favorite iPad travel stand, the Compass. (Reviewed here on the site.) While the Compass had a lean modern look to it, the BookBook goes…

Reviews

Lan Gear’s SFF “Da Box 100 Blackheart” Gaming Case Review: Little Package with a Big Heart

Image courtesy of Lan Gear Back since I bought my first caddy load cd drive I have been building my own computers for personal use and gaming. Since IT is now my career, the past few years I don’t do as much gaming but still like to keep my home system up to date with at least a current video card and cpu. This year I already had a pretty nice base system but decided to replace the Case and Video Card. My fascination with Micro Atx components always presents challenges when building a decent gaming system due to lack…

Game Diary, Reviews

Gear Games Reviews: Freemium Fever! LotR Online, D&D Online, Quake Live

Image courtesy of the freemium blog I have had such great feedback from my ‘quickie’ music reviews that I thought – wouldn’t it make sense on occasion to apply the same logic to video games? I mean, I will give a full review to Civilization V, but not everything needs such an extensive treatment, and sometimes games can easily be grouped together in a theme. With that thought I turned my attention to the so-called ‘freemium’ business model. I think the image at the top sums up Freemium pretty well – your product combines a Free segment with Premium content….

Reviews

Rocketeer for iPhone/Touch Review

The last two weeks, I reviewed apps that were kind of off beat and different from the usual Blue Plate Special choices. As I searched and scraped apps this week, I ended up returning to a familiar genre. I have the biggest game of our season to date so things are a little stressed. Getting a minute to escape is important to keep my insanity, so I was continually drawn to finding more games. I stumbled across an interesting game that is currently on sale for free! I recommend picking it up quickly if you plan on trying it out. …

eBooks, Reviews

Blio eBook Reader Review

The Blio ebook reader program debuted today. Since Blio has a special deal with Toshiba, I downloaded the Toshiba-branded “Book Place” version for my NB205 netbook. Since Blio is a very unique program, with 3D page turns and other eye candy, I took the above video to demo the features. Here’s the summary/commentary to the video: Blio is dreadful. It’s incredibly slow, it feels horribly cramped on a netbook screen, many of the page view features are more gimmicky than useful and did I mention it’s slow? The page turn options were annoying, though the 3D and two-page layouts were…

Reviews

Naked iPad? No, Speck SeeThru!

I suspect most folks will agree that the iPad is a nice looking device. So why would you want to cover it up and obscure all that aluminum and glass beauty? I mean, would you put a rubberized case on the Picasso in Daley Plaza? No, I don’t think so. With this in mind, the folks at Speck must have said, “hey, let’s cover the iPad, but not cover the iPad.” So, voila! Here’s the Speck SeeThru. According to Speck, the SeeThru features: One-piece flexible hard case for a seamless look, feel and functionality Rubberized front edge and button covers…

Reviews

The Genius MousePen M508 Review

Just about a year ago I reviewed the G-Pen-M609X from Genius, and I used it with my netbook. Yes, back then I was using a netbook, but then again, that was “BiP” … Before iPad. My conclusion was quite positive. I wrote Overall I have been impressed with the G-Pen M609. Used as a pen-enabled mouse/trackpad it allows me to sit back in my chair and browse on my iMac or my netbook. Used with any pain program it reminds me just how untalented I am but would be a welcome computing addition for anyone who is artistic. The tablet…

Reviews

iPhone 4 Accessory Review: Speck CandyShell Case

The newest member of the popular Speck CandyShell line is their new CandyShell iPhone 4 Case. No surprises there, right? But what might give you pause is the case’s combination of hot colors, good looks and protection on the iPhone 4’s sides and back. The interior of the case shows how the CandyShell is actually two layers, composed of a “thin, hard-shell coating with soft rubbery interior lining, bezel, & button covers.” The iPhone slips into the CandyShell where it is securely held. There are cutouts for the mute switch, sync & charge port, speaker, microphone, camera with LED, and…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Ford F-150: The Power of Four

The Ford F-Series pickup has led the sales chart for what seems like forever and is still the top-selling truck and top-selling vehicle in North America. So one might think the automaker is taking a huge gamble by totally revamping the powertrain lineup in a single strike. This is the first time any manufacturer has ever completely replaced every engine and Ford is going “all-in” with a pair of sixes and a pair of eights. Ford F150 team members hosted media from all over the country to introduce the automotive press to the new powertrains. An entire day was devoted…

Game Diary, Reviews

ArcaniA: Gothic 4 Demo Impressions

I have written about ArcaniA: Gothic 4 before here, here, here and here … and with each new notice I am feeling more and more positive. From the ashes of the awful Forsaken Gods expansion to Gothic 3 in the wake of its separation from Gothic developer Piranha Bytes, publisher Jowood and new developer Spellbound seem to have been shaping a reasonably worth while successor. Late last week I got to put that to the test in the form of a demo. Since I have had such ‘trust issues’ with Jowood since the Gothic 3 debacle, I wanted to give…

eBooks, Reviews

Book Review: The Man Who Lied to His Laptop

Talking with Clifford Nass is a real treat. He clearly loves what he does, and his passion for his work comes through in his stories and anecdotes. Not everyone gets to talk to Cliff Nass about his studies, but luckily he’s written a fabulous book, “The Man Who Lied To His Laptop”, that shares some of his best work and theories. The basic idea behind many of the studies Nass and his team do is that people respond to perceived emotions and intentions, even if it’s presented by a (supposedly) neutral party like a computer or television. From there, Nass…

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