Reviews

Gear Bits, Reviews January 21, 2011

The BulletTrain Express Keyboard Platform; Thankfully Someone Was Listening

I have been using a Mac laptop of some kind for a relatively short amount of time — only since March 2008, but since then there has always been a MacBook nearby, whether it was the 15″ MacBook Pro, a first generation MacBook Air, a second generation MacBook Air, a 17″ MacBook Pro, or more recently an 11″ MacBook Air. I’ve been pretty vocal stating my opinion that Mac makes some of the best hardware available, even if I am pretty agnostic about whether their operating system is better than Windows or not. Beyond the all metal bodies and slimmer…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear January 21, 2011

iCarBlackBox: Like Having a Lawyer Riding Shotgun?

A new little app called iCarBlackBox caught my eye this week. It was introduced by a company of the same name and the press release from its spokesperson even included a YouTube video link. Now, besides the fact that the movie clip includes what appears to be bootlegged copyrighted crash scenes, the information provided delivers some of the bad news about this product. First, one must activate the app on the smartphone each time you prepare to hit the road. And the only thing that will be recorded on video is what is in view of the lens. If you…

Reviews January 21, 2011

iPad Accessory Review: Inno Pocket Transformer Case for iPad

I know that there are tens of thousands of new iPad owners since early this morning for each and every new iPad app or accessory will bring a sense of wonder. And for good reason. There are so many applications and so many accessories available for the iPad and so many of them have their own unique way of bringing more functionality to the wonder device. We’ve reviewed a lot of iPad cases here on the site so there are many from which to choose but this particular case surprised me. While it has familiar features, it has a unique…

Reviews January 20, 2011

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M75e Review: a Small Form Factor Desktop Computer

It has been a while since I have used a desktop computer, and even longer since I used a desktop computer running Windows. Truth be told, the last time I had the opportunity to use a Windows desktop computer it was not the most pleasing experience. Yes, it was in the days of Vista, and despite decent hardware I felt like the computer was more trouble than it was worth. With that in mind, when I had the opportunity to review the ThinkCentre M75e Small Form Factor computer from Lenovo, I was initially a bit conflicted. On the one hand,…

Reviews January 20, 2011

iPhone 4 Accessory Review: Tekkeon myPower Extended Battery Case

There are plenty of companies that make extended batteries for iPhones; after all the iPhone’s battery life is notoriously bad, especially when running WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G at the same time. Everyone who owns an iPhone becomes a master of battery management by necessity, and after their first bad experience of having a low battery at a critical time, many will invest in at least one extended battery or extra charging cable. One of the most unobtrusive ways to maintain a charge is to keep the iPhone in an extended battery case, and while there are plenty of extended battery…

Music Diary, Reviews January 20, 2011

Music Diary Reviews: Welcome to the New Disco Era!

Welcome to another edition of Music Diary Reviews! This time around I look at a pretty broad mix of pop, rock dance & rap music. The title is a bit provocative, but recalling my recent article looking at the state of rock music relative to pop in 2010, it is pretty clear that dance-centric techno-pop ruled the airwaves last year. Listening to stuff like Ke$ha and the Black Eyed Peas really does hearken me back to the disco era of the late 70’s. I wonder if this music will suffer the same backlash as the music of that era? I…

Game Diary, Reviews January 20, 2011

Over the Rainbow for iPhone/Touch Review

When I play games on iOS devices, I usually prefer puzzle style games. I noticed Over The Rainbow was on sale for free so I figured it could not hurt to download and give it a try. Despite the cute, childish theme and design, it was quite fun for an old football coach. As you will see, the game is super easy to play, but becomes challenging and addictive as you work through the levels. Let’s take a look! Over The Rainbow puts the player as a cute water droplet that is dropped from a rain cloud. The goal is…

Events, Reviews January 19, 2011

CES Snippets: Mogo Talk XD iPhone 4 Case and BlueTooth Headset in One – Review

Sometimes you have to see a product up close to actually appreciate it. That was the case for me with regard to the MoGo Talk XD. Judie had mentioned this headset and case in on to me a few months ago and I scoffed at it. “After all,” I thought, “who needs a case that actually HOLDS the headset in it?” The idea struck me as an example of “just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it.” Then I saw the Mogo Talk XD at CES and ate my words. The idea of a case and…

Game Diary, Reviews January 19, 2011

Michael Jackson The Experience Nintendo Wii Game Review

This amazing dancing game celebrates Michael Jackson’s amazingly inventive moves while players get some entertaining exercise.

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear January 18, 2011

2011 Scion xB: Which Way Funkytown?

When Toyota first launched its Scion division of vehicles aimed at younger, hipper consumers the buying public threw them for a loop. The funky new box on wheels (dubbed “xB”) was actually being snatched up by boomers hand over fist.

Game Diary, Reviews January 18, 2011

PC Game Review: Majesty 2: Kingmaker

Last week when I reviewed Majesty 2 I gave it a strong recommendation and pretty much fawned all over it. I was quite fond of the game when it was released in late 2009, but something happened since then. In order to play the Kingmaker expansion I had reinstalled Majesty 2 on my new laptop and needed to plow through the original again – and I found myself enjoying it more than ever! The mix of the joyfully light-hearted feel and intense challenge was very rewarding, and I couldn’t wait to see what Kingmaker had to offer. The Hype: What…

Game Diary, Reviews January 17, 2011

PC Game Review: Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

While I had heard of the original Majesty, I never played it back in 2001 when it was released and never caught up with it. So while fans of the game might have different thoughts based on comparisons with the original, I got to be amazed for the first time at this wonderful combination of city builder, RTS and RPG. Since then, there have been two expansions I have played and enjoyed and a third about to release as I write this. After those other expansions were released I went back through the whole game once more. And I have…

Gear Bits, Reviews January 15, 2011

iMainGo Portable Speaker Systems More Than Just Portable

Portable Sound Labsis the company behind iMainGo, a portable external speaker kit for your portable device such as an iPhone or touch. They sent me a test unit quite some time ago ,and somehow it made its way into the back of the closet. Since that time they have released an updated iMainGo 2 and now the iMainGo X for more lifestyle integration. So, why my oversight? To be honest, I do not lead that portable of a lifestyle. Mine is more mobile – actually mostly mobile. When I am not test-driving new cars I am driving a fleet vehicle…

Game Diary, Reviews January 13, 2011

Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge for iPhone/Touch Review

My good friend and combat hero, Travis and I were watching the Military Channel yesterday when we saw a commercial for a new version of the Cannon Challenge game. Before purchasing, we decided to download and play the older, free version of the game. Travis is a full iPhone and soon to be Mac convert so I like to send plenty of ideas for apps and games. Discovery Channel Cannon Challenge is the perfect game considering we were watching similar subject matter. Let’s take a quick look. Cannon Challenge allows players to take control of their very own NLOS cannon. …

Game Diary, Reviews January 13, 2011

Wii Game Review: Hasbro Family Game Night 3

Over Thanksgiving my wife’s sister and her family visited, with kids in their early 20’s, nearly a decade older than ours. Yet when the eight of us sat around the kitchen table playing Apples to Apples, all differences disappeared and we had an absolute blast. So when we went to visit them for Christmas, I brought along the Wii version of Hasbro Family Game Night 3 to see if we could have a similar night of fun. The Hype: Hasbro Family Game Night 3 is a classic board game compilation for Wii that allows players both new and an experienced…

Music Diary, Reviews January 13, 2011

Music Diary Reviews: All New Stuff Only!

Recently I have been mixing in reissues with new releases in these review articles … but this time around there is just way too much new stuff to step back in time. But don’t worry, I’ll be doing a separate look at some re-releases … and a separate look at some late 2010 pop & rock stuff … and also a focus article on a couple of truly superlative recent releases! Another thing – in the past I have tended to simply list the reviews randomly … but no more. You can be assured that if a CD is first…

Game Diary, Reviews January 12, 2011

Nintendo DS Game Review: Call of Duty Black Ops

Alongside the juggernaut console versions of Call of Duty Black Ops that have led the sales charts since release comes a version for the Nintendo DS. This one didn’t get the attention of its console brethren, which is too bad because it is a better game. The Hype: – Seventh installment of the Call of Duty series, based on the live fire conflicts of the Cold War era – Diverse variety of play settings ranging from urban air and ground combat in SE Asia, to snow combat in Soviet region and jungle combat – Blending of traditional COD, and new…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear January 12, 2011

2011 Chrysler Town & Country: Long Live the King

The king is dead … long live the king! Chrysler announced last week that its “luxury” minivan, the Town & Country, has once again taken the top spot in segment sales leadership and this week came the “better-late-than-never” launch of an all-new version at the North American International Auto Show. OK, it still looks like a minivan and Chrysler has chosen to stay away from drastic styling upgrades such as brought on by imported competition this year. Toyota, Honda and Nissan all radically redesigned their minivans recently. For Chrysler it appears about refining what has brought them back to the…

Reviews, Travel January 11, 2011

VinniBag Review

I am not a wine connoisseur at all. However, back in the day I was into drinking good beers. I remember one trip where I visited a Rock Bottom Brewery restaurant where I had some of the best beer I have ever tasted. They had beer that I could have taken home in bottles, but because I flew into Denver and was flying out the next day, I could not take any home with me. If I had the VinniBag it would have been a piece of cake! VinniBag is a wine bottle-shaped bag that has a few interesting features. First, it…

Game Diary, Reviews January 11, 2011

PSP Game Review: CLADUN: This is an RPG

I am just going to warn you in advance … some of the text of this review will make you wonder if I messed up at the end with my positive recommendation. No – the rating is correct: CLADUN: This is an RPG is a game with plenty of flaws … but one that offers a great overall experience in spite of those flaws, and is very much worth buying. The Hype: Cladun is a retro style dungeon crawler game. Players can create their own main character from scratch using a graphics editor and the dungeons that you will be…

Reviews January 10, 2011

MeeGo 1.1 Review

It’s been a little while since Intel and Nokia came together to merge Moblin and Maemo together to create the MeeGo project. Moblin started out as a project by Intel and the Linux Foundation to produce a Linux-based OS, interface and application stack for mobile internet devices. In February of 2009, they merged with the Maemo project that was used by Nokia in the Nseries tablets like the N770, N800, N810 and the N900 smartphone. Intel was nice enough to send me a Lenovo S10-3t convertible netbook with MeeGo preloaded so I could get a look at the state of MeeGo in version 1.1….

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