Reviews

Whoomp! Review: Boost Apple’s Ear Buds for Even Less

It’s not a big secret.  The ear buds Apple provides with all of its iPods & iPhones aren’t great.  Okay I was being kind, they suck!  They do a decent job of providing sound but they often fit poorly.  Apple used to provide the ear buds along with two sets of those foam covers which help keep the buds seated in your ear but they stopped doing so. While traveling last week I came across the Whoomp Ear Bud Enhancers by Comply. The Whoomps claim to better the fit of your iPod or iPhone ear buds along with offering a…


Unboxing the Logitech G27 Racing Wheel!

The Logitech G27 racing wheel is the follow up to Logitech’s wonderful G25 racing wheel that came out a few years back. It is developed mainly for the hardcore gamers who love to experience every bit of the game, and play it in true sense. It is designed to provide the best racing experience to the PlayStation gaming station users and PC gamers. Having used the G25 in the past, I would say I am a very happy owner of the fantastic G25 racing wheel made by Logitech. The G27 racing wheel from Logitech is everything a racing simulation fan…


Trexta Racing Series Case for iPhone Review: makes me go vroom vroom

Snap on back covers are a popular category in the over-crowded iPhone case market.  These simple to put on cases mostly protect the back of the iPhone and keep the phone’s profile slim. Trexta has been making accessories for wireless devices for over ten years but just recently began doing so for Apple devices. Their racing series case, which is made from genuine leather, is inspired by elements straight from the speedway. Since snap on back covers for the iPhone are available in so many variations it’s important that when companies release new versions they offer something different. Does the…


Free Word Warp for iPhone/Touch

I will admit it…I have become a word game junkie on my iPhone!!  It is a sad state of affairs, but lately, my spare time has been spent playing a number of word games.  The latest addiction is Free Word Warp.  If you have played the flash game text twist on your computer then Word Warp will seem familiar.  Lets take a quick look.


SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3: PSP Game Review

I have had a somewhat interesting history with the PSP SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo games. When the first one came out in late 2005, I was skeptical and rented it, and soon thereafter used it as an example in my ‘New Year Gaming Resolutions’ article earlier this year. Here is what I said: “The SOCOM Confirmation of the Coded Arms Games Principle – SOCOM is the type of game I don’t like too much – small single player but mostly multiplayer (see Star Wars Battlefront Principle). So I rented it. Halfway through I was thinking I should have…


Evil Islands (2001, RPG): The Netbook Gamer

If you are familiar with the PC RPG genre and think of games from Eastern European developers from early in the last decade, you will likely come up with thoughts of bug-ridden releases with loads of patches, poor translations, terrible dialogue, and overall sloppy games. Things have come a long way to the point of excellent games such as The Witcher and Drakensang and Divinity II, but it is still worth playing many of the earlier games because what they lack in polish they often make up for in original ideas and gameplay. Of course, sometimes they are junk. So…


Eos Converge Multi-room Wireless Audio System – Review

We live in a rather unusual house architecturally speaking. Built using post-and-beam construction, it may not look like a barn but it is built in the same manner. This means there are no joists or other type of space between one level and the next. The ceiling of the downstairs rooms is the floor of the upstairs rooms. Between one floor and another are just 6 inch thick boards. And every 8 feet there is a solid beam spanning the depth of the house. We love the house and its unusual look and feel. But during renovation it has posed…


PDair’s aluminum Zune HD case Review: offers solid protection at a great price

Image courtesy of Flickr We are no strangers to cases here at GearDiary. PDair has offered many cases in the past for us to take a look at, today we will take a look at the PDair aluminum case for the Zune HD. Over the past two weeks I had a chance to take the case out in the field during the Eastern Snowpocolypse and run it through some everyday situations. I am quite happy with the case so far, and plan on using the case to keep my Zune out of harms way. PDair makes a great aluminum cases…


Primo Bottom Loading Water Dispenser Review

We have all seen them and most use them daily.  The old office cooler.  The place where office rumors are spread and the big game or reality show is discussed.  There is something about that cool clean water that makes the day seem to go by faster.  What about having on in your home?  Some people might, but the main reason for not having one is that they are not exactly attractive.  For those who agree with this, Primo has released a new era of water coolers for the home.  The unit Primo allowed me to review has a stylish…


The JAVOEdge Kindle2 Cases Reviewed

JAVOedge has long been known for their PDA and phone cases, and more recently they have been making eReader cases. Today I’ve got a close look at their new Kindle 2 leather Croc cases, specifically the Book Style and Flip Style. These cases are available in red, black, blue and pink leather with a crocodile skin pattern; I was sent the red and black in Book Style and the blue in Flip Style; even though they open in completely different ways, both cases utilize a holster to maximize security and protection to the Kindle 2. I’ll admit up front that…


Overdrive Audiobooks Come to Android

If you are an audiobook fan, you know how pricey they can get. Audiobooks usually cost around $30-$40 in a bookstore, though many libraries have decent selections on-hand. The best case scenario is when your library supports Overdrive, a company that supplies digital media to libraries, schools, etc. Overdrive audiobooks usually come in WMA and MP3 flavors, but of course, they are all coated with special DRM. Even digital files have limited timeframes (usually 14 days), though at least they just expire, saving you the trouble of driving all the way to the library to return or renew them!


MacSpeech Scribe Review

I use a number of different voice to text transcription methods in my daily life. When I’m on my iMac or my MacBook Pro I use MacSpeech Dictate. It works quite well. When I’m on my iPhone I will either use Nuance’s Dragon Dictation application or Jott. Both of them work well and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. (Like the 30 second limits on speech before it needs to be transcribed.) Today a new method of transcription came online– MacSpeech Scribe– and I’ve begun to use it. What do I think? I am impressed by the accuracy of…


Samson Go Mic Compact USB Microphone – Review

For quite a while I used MacSpeech Dictate with the built-in microphones and both my iMac and my MacBook Pro. Recently, however, I began using a microphone whenever I dictate. While I find it a bit inconvenient to set up and use a microphone every time I want to dictate something, especially when using my MacBook Pro, the increased accuracy of the transcription more than makes up for the few seconds it takes to get ready. I have been using a number of different microphones but one of my current favorites is the Go Mic from Sampson. The microphone is…


Siri Assistant for iPhone Review

The iPhone has many applications to find restaurants, taxi cabs, movies or weather.  Each of these apps have a unique UI to find these places or events.  Siri has brought yet another interesting method of search and discovery. No more endless clicking on links and pages to get things done on the Internet. Delegate the work to Siri and relax while Siri takes care of it for you. Need a table for 2 at your favorite restaurant next Thursday? Just ask Siri. Need a taxi right now? Just ask Siri and with a single request the cab’s on its way….


The AT&T LG eXpo Windows Phone with Pico Projector Review

This is a joint review between Jason and Judie. Jason’s comments will be in black; Judie’s will be in blue italics. I recently got to spend a few days with the AT&T LG eXpo.  Quite honestly, the main attraction for wanting to use this Windows Mobile 6.5 packin’ phone is its ability to be used with a Pico Projector add-on for presentations, demos, or home movies.  As misfortune would have it,  the demo unit I was sent shipped without the Pico Projector.   Arggggghhhhh! : -( I received the LG eXpo a little over a month ago.  Just like Jason, I…


Aperion Home Audio Link Review

Sometimes you just want to place your speakers in a different spot than your audio source.  The Aperion Home Audio Link just might be a option.  Let’s see how it works.


Pleasantly Waste Time with Onmsoft’s Squaree Puzzle Game

I’m a big fan of puzzle games, especially ones that don’t have a time element involved.  (Or preferably don’t require excellent twitch reflexes and small muscle coordination.  Glyder is about the fastest-paced game I can handle.  I have this neck injury, see . . .)  I’ve spent hours playing everything from Scrabble to Myst to Bejeweled.  So when Onmsoft came out with a new puzzle game that didn’t have a time element–or at least let you choose a non-time-element option–I wanted to check it out.


Bookeen Cybook Gen 3 Review

The Cybook Gen 3 is a few years old (it was released in 2007), but about six months ago it received an update allowing it to read Adobe ePUB files, giving it new relevance in an increasingly ePUB focused ebook world. Thomas sent me his Cybook to update with the new firmware and review, so let’s take a look! Does it stand up well against my Kindle? Is the Cybook worth the $350 Bookeen lists it for? Read on and find out!


Mass Effect 2: Video Game Soundtrack Review

I recently reviewed the full soundtrack for Dragon Age: Origins, and a large part of my criticism was that it wasn’t a great value – it released well after the game was out, and suddenly made folks who paid for a ‘deluxe’ version aware that the ‘Soundtrack’ they got was really a sampler. Now the Mass Effect 2 Soundtrack has arrived, how does this one measure up, both musically and as an overall value?


Review – Danglets iPod Neck & Wrist Strap

Apparently in Japan and some other countries it is very popular to wear your cell phone on a neck strap – especially when using it as a media player. That trend has not hit North America. Now Collins America hopes to make it more popular through the introduction of the Danglet, an accessory that clips into the docking connector of any modern iPod or iPhone device and allows you to keep it readily available around your wrist or neck. So how does it all work?


SplashID for Android Review

We’ve previously reviewed SplashData’s password protection program, SplashID, in various formats and generally given it favorable ratings (here, here, and here).  I’ve used it as my standard password protection program for a while now.  When I recently acquired a Motorola Droid, in addition to checking out some new, great programs for the Android operating system, I also wanted to see which of my standard programs were available for Android. SplashID, which is also available for iPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm, Series 60, and BlackBerry, is SplashData’s first Android application.  The Android version shares a lot with the other platforms, so anyone…