Reviews

Business Card Reader from Shape Services – instant business card recognition for your iPhone for $5.99

Shape Services released an iPhone and iPod Touch application over the weekend that they claim will help convert the mountain of business cards you’ve collected into names in your iPhone address book. The description of the application says it will “import contact information right from business card to your iPhone contacts! Just take a photo of a business card and a New Contact is added!”. So how well does this $5.99 program work in real life?


Voiis Stereo Wireless Music Gateway Review

Stereo Bluetooth is a great innovation for the freedom it grants from cables.  I was quite pleased when Apple finally added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the iPhone.  Not that being connected to a headphone cable is a huge problem, but it’s nice to be able to set my iPhone on my desk while listening to music, and still be able to move around my office without needing to pick up the iPhone and carry it with me if I’m just moving a few steps to get something off a shelf. Mobile Action understands the appeal of eliminating wires. Their new Voiis Stereo Wireless Music Gateway…


Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock – Review

This is one of those products that kind of snuck up on me. It looked like it was one of those electronic curiosities that catches your eye, leads to an impulse buy and then, within a week, is in a box collecting dust. As it turns out the Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock works quite well, is remarkably useful and the review unit I was sent can will remain on my night table once this review is done. Lets take a look at this unusual, and useful, clock. A video demo follows…


Kanex High Capacity Battery for the Palm Pre Review

One of my big complaints about cell phones and mobile devices generally is that the batteries are never able to adequately handle all of the advanced features which tend to be included.  The Palm Pre is a perfect example of this, with its WebOS interface, and always connected email (not to mention Internet, Wifi, 3G, and Bluetooth).  Generally, if I do not have a charger handy, then I am going to lose my phone before my day ends.  Add to that equation the fact that I love to go camping overnight, and the battery is quickly unveiled as typically inadequate.  …


SPB TV for Android Review

When out and about, sometimes you got a few minutes to kill.  SPBTV for Android phones can help you use up a few of those minutes with a little mindless entertainment or a news update from overseas. SPB TV is an application that streams live TV from the Internet directly to your phone.  It has a nice interface and some of the streams even have an on-screen guide to what is coming up next.


2010 Kia Soul built to rock and roll

Apparently, funky is going mainstream in the auto industry. What began as a unique phenomena over at a little startup division of Toyota has now spread across other Asian automaker model lines. Nissan challenged the squared Scion with a Cube and now Kia has put their heart and “Soul” into the mix. (Sorry, had to work the pun in somewhere.)


HyperMac External Battery Review

Every once and a while a product comes along that really catches my eye.  Such was the case when I spotted an advertisement for the HyperMac external battery in a tech. magazine last month.  The HyperMac is currently the only external battery available for use with Apple’s line of Mac Book computers.  And with the new unibody Mac Book Pro and its built in battery the HyperMac might just be a must have for the true road warrior. Hyper Shop, the company behind the HyperMac, was kind enough to send me a HyperMac 150Wh battery for review.  I’ve put it…


Mailtones Redux – Now For Blackberry Too!

I reviewed Mailtones for the iPhone a few weeks back and really like it. The app allows you to assign different sounds to various contacts so that you know who has emailed without even looking at your phone. Now every time Judie emails my phone cheers. Every time Larry emails a fire alarm goes off. And every time my assistant emails there is the sound of impending doom. I love it! Now Mailtones has rolled out a version for the Blackberry. What do I think?? I LIKE!!


Apple TV Software version 3.0 video walk through

Apple has released a major update to its Apple TV software.  The hardware did not change but the new 3.0 software version has been given a full makeover. With a totally redesigned start page, internet radio, support for iTunes LPs and more the new software version, although not the new hardware many people were hoping for, at least gives Apple TV users something new to play with. Here’s a brief video walk through of the new 3.0 software.


Review: Sleek Audio SA1, an Altogether Different Audio Experience

Here’s the dilemma: you’re listening to your favorite music, and outside noises are not only bleeding in, they are making your music less clear. Most people would turn up the volume to block the unwanted noise and amplify their audio. The only problem is that in the process, they might also be causing irreparable hearing loss. Then there’s the matter of bass and treble – sometimes your left ear needs more bass and your right more treble, and that’s not exactly something you can set on an equalizer. How do you handle that? Sleek Audio, a two year old company…


Skooba Design Checkthrough Roller Feview

It is not a so-well-kept secret that I travel quite a bit for my day job. While 2009 has seen a slow down in travel for me, I still will easily make my American Airlines Platinum status for the 4th year in a row. As a reminder to everyone: Airline status is not something to be proud of. It means that you spend too much time on airplanes and that you know exactly which seats and rows have power outlets… but I digress. Since September 11, 2001 the single biggest challenge with air travel has not necessarily been the airlines…


Hexplore (1998, RPG) Review

There are many games from the history of computer role-playing games that deserve the attention of a full retrospective, looking back in-depth at what made the game great and putting it into a modern context. However, for every ‘Ultima IV’ or ‘Arcanum’ there are a hundred games like Hexplore – minor releases that added something at the time but were not significant enough to merit much attention even a year after they came out. Certainly, I had never heard about it until recently when it was mentioned in a thread on a PC RPG forum. As part of my love…


NASA for iPhone/Touch App Review

What geek does not love space?!?!  Over the past few months, my iPhone has gained a handful of apps for space enthusiasts.  My 5 year old son and I love to sit and look at these apps to learn about the planets and solar systems.  One night this summer he asked why we cannot look at space ships while we were looking at the stars using pocket universe.  I did not really have an answer.  NASA has come out with their own FREE app to follow current space missions.


MobiValet Review

When I saw an advertisement for the MobiValet in a tech. magazine I was recently reading I immediate had one of those, “now why didn’t I think of that” moments. My car has plenty of cup holders.  But often times every single one of them is filled with a drink belonging to one of my children, snacks, sunglasses, toys etc.  When I do find an empty one to stick my iPhone in I’m usually hesitant to do so.  The iPhone is slimmer than what’s meant to go inside a cup holder and this results it in being tossed around as…


SmartSwipe System For Online Shopping Review

“Hey D,” Elana said as she came down the step the other night, “did you spend $170 at Macy’s yesterday?” “Macy’s??” I asked, “No way. I mean, when was the last time I went shopping for any non-tech item without you? Why do you ask?” “Because AmexEx emailed and was checking up on a suspect purchase.” she said shaking her head. Yup, YET AGAIN someone was trying to use one of my cards to make purchases. (The last time it was caught much later by the company whose card had been compromised.) As luck would have it I was just…


HAVA Review: Live TV for PC and iPhone

When I saw the press release announcing that HAVA was coming to the iTunes App Store and that it was an application which allowed for live streaming of your home television, I was intrigued.  I like to think I’m pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the live TV options available for the iPhone but I have to admit I’d never heard of HAVA. I’m currently running both a Slingbox Solo and an EyeTV Hybrid in my home office.  The Slingbox allows me to view live TV on my Mac as well as my iPhone and doesn’t require the connected computer…


Speck Protects… Your iPod Touch and Nano In Style

I’m a huge fan of Speck’s cases. They always offer great style, excellent value and superb protection. They recently rolled out some new cases for the new iPod touch and iPod nano, and they were kind enough to send along some units to review and then use. Let’s take a look…


Review: 2XL 4 Corners Headphones

It’s been a while since I reviewed the Brickyard headphones from 2XL.  I really like  them even though their over the ear  style design can become warm on the ears. 2XL has solved the sweaty ear problem with a new style of headphones in the new 4 Corner Style of headphones. The design of these new headphones is unique in that instead of round like traditional headphones of this style, these are square. The square shape of these headphones do not make them at all uncomfortable.


Review: WinX DVD Ripper Platinum (and comparison to Free version)

Recently I was preparing to take a business trip over a weekend for a conference, and figured it would be a nice opportunity to watch a couple of DVD’s that the rest of the family didn’t have any interest in seeing yet again – Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Ran’ and The Marx Brothers’ ‘Night at the Opera’. My assumption was that I would use the Mac program Handbrake, which has done very nicely getting video from our DVDs to our kids’ iPods for long trips. At the same time I had the opportunity to look at WinX DVD Ripper Free Edition, and…


X-Mini Speakers Review

X-Mini makes some really functional and really small speakers which are meant to be used with your multimedia devices. The company was kind enough to send over a both their X-Mini II & X-Mini Max II for review. Do these tiny speakers pack enough punch to rock out too? Read on to find out.


With ReelDirector App Flip Loses Key Advantage Over iPhone

The iPhone shoots video that is “good enough”. The Flip UltraHD shoots video that is better. That allows the Flip to maintain a slight edge over the iPhone but just slight. The HUGE advantage the Flip series had was the inclusion of built-in editing software. Once plugged in to a computer, the software popped up and allowed you to trim video and add credits. That key advantage is now GONE thanks to the $7.99 app ReelDirector. It is pretty impressive…