Search Results for Ultimate ea

RunBike, the Duckbilled Platypus of Workout Equipment

News

RunBike, the Duckbilled Platypus of Workout Equipment

When I saw the RunBike on Runner’s World this morning, it took a good two minutes before I stopped laughing/choking on my coffee. I was speechless, but once I recovered from my initial “WHY!?!” response, some more serious questions came to mind. 1) How on earth do you run uphill while strapped into that thing? 2) How long is a RunBike, and how do you get into it? Do you drop in from the top? Limbo in? 3) Is it street-legal? And do you follow biking laws, where you act like a vehicle and obey traffic laws, or do you…

Music Diary Notes: Why Predictions of Vinyl Out-living CD's Make Sense

Music Diary, News

Music Diary Notes: Why Predictions of Vinyl Out-living CD’s Make Sense

It had been close to three decades since I bought anything on vinyl, as I started shifting my collection from Vinyl to CD. In both cases I was simply recording to tape since my portable system in my college room was a tape-based system – and I wasn’t ready to move my expensive CD system into that environment! But I have maintained the hundreds of records in my collection in pristine condition, but really haven’t played them in ages. That is in stark contrast with my wife, who has always used her records for their given purpose – to play…

Twelve South Introduces BookBook for iPhone

News

Twelve South Introduces BookBook for iPhone

Twelve South makes some of the nicest accessories around. We reviewed their BookBook iPad case and loved it. (My father-in-law stole it for his iPad and still won’t give it back!) We bought and reviewed their Compass iPad stand and I still use it quite often. Now Twelve South is introducing the BookBook for iPhone and it look awesome. The BookBook for iPhone 4 is “a beautiful, pocket-sized wallet that holds both iPhone 4 and your driver’s license, debit card, cash and receipts”. As the company explains, Made exclusively for iPhone 4, this tiny vintage book replaces the need for…

Music Diary Notes: R.I.P. Pop Singer Amy Winehouse Self-Destructs at 27

Music Diary

Music Diary Notes: R.I.P. Pop Singer Amy Winehouse Self-Destructs at 27

This weekend we got the news that bluesy-pop singer Amy Winehouse has died at age 27. While the immediate cause of death is not known, speculation that her rampant heavy drug use came into play are probably not far off. Her drug use and many trips to hospitals, making her song Rehab all-too-biographical, are better known than her songs at this point, as her 15 minutes of actual music fame passed nearly five years ago. Unfortunately, to teens today, she is known as a drunken drug addict with an ironically titled song from years ago. Sadly, anyone who is surprised…

Rant: Trapped in Hell (Okay, Microsoft Support - Same Difference!)

Editorials

Rant: Trapped in Hell (Okay, Microsoft Support – Same Difference!)

image by signap I haven’t posted in a while.  Life has a way of getting in the way of the things you’d like to do sometimes.   I missed writing here – a lot – but the world is a crazy place (a new job, a new city, a new apartment).  Things are finally getting back to a semblance of calm and order.  I finally have some time to start writing again.  In a twist of divine comedy and coincidence, I have run into a support incident that has got me completely annoyed and provided me with an excellent platform…

Forward with Ford: Safety, Innovation, & Being Green!

Events, Vehicles & Gear

Forward with Ford: Safety, Innovation, & Being Green!

I recently joined a group of online and traditional media for the “Forward With Ford” event at Ford’s Dearborn facility for a multi-day event covering trends and technologies that Ford is addressing. Before attending, I was offered the choice of exploring three of the following sessions; I chose the ones with stars next to them. ?Living Green As gasoline prices continue to rise, fuel efficiency has become an even more important purchase factor for consumers looking at buying a new vehicle. In the first four months of 2011, small cars sales jumped from 19% to 25% in the United States….

PC Game Review: Duke Nukem Forever

Game Diary, Reviews

PC Game Review: Duke Nukem Forever

I recently did a retrospective review on Duke Nukem 3D, so that experience was fresh in my mind as I loaded up Duke Nukem Forever and played it. One of the reasons I wanted to do that was because it is very easy for faded memories to turn into inaccurate assessments and then into unrealistic expectations – so by playing Duke Nukem 3D in 2011 I was able to temper my 15-year old expectations for Duke Nukem Forever with the reality of the prior game. So what are my thoughts? Read on and find out! The Hype: Duke Nukem Forever…

iPad Game Review: Avadon: The Black Fortress

Game Diary, Reviews

iPad Game Review: Avadon: The Black Fortress

Avadon: The Black Fortress is an ‘old school’ role playing game (RPG) from ‘indie’ developer Spiderweb Software. I have already reviewed the Mac and PC versions of the game in detail, and since the core game is identical, much of this review will go over the same stuff. The main focus is to detail the ‘iPad experience’ – how the controls work, the graphics, and so on. In other words, I have already established that Avadon is worth buying for the Mac or PC, but is it worth a purchase for the iPad? The Hype: Spiderweb Software brings you Avadon:…

Shine a Light on It with iShuttr

News

Shine a Light on It with iShuttr

Okay, we all know and recognize that the cameras built into our phones are not the best around. Could we do better with a dedicated point-and-shoot? Sure. How about a full-blown SLR? Yeah, of course, stupid question. But the reality is that we use the cameras that are included with our phones because they are convenient. We don’t have to carry extra crap with us; they’re just there, a constant, comforting presence. The best camera you have is the one you have with you. There, I said it. But, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be made better than they…

LinkedIn Explains Why They Don't Allow SD Card Installs

News

LinkedIn Explains Why They Don’t Allow SD Card Installs

Although ‘business social’ site LinkedIn started off slower and with seemingly less traction than Twitter, a recent study showed that LinkedIn is now considered the most important social media network, with 60% of respondents saying that having a LinkedIn account is more important than any other social network. Since so many business users of social media carry smartphones, it seems that one necessary element in any strategy is to have a mobile application for iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices. As many have found, implementing a full-featured interface for sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn is daunting, as is keeping user…

Music Diary Notes: Suddenly the iTunes vs. Amazon Price Difference Matters!

Editorials, Music Diary

Music Diary Notes: Suddenly the iTunes vs. Amazon Price Difference Matters!

Until this week I wouldn’t have even thought twice – legendary vibes player Gary Burton just released a new album yesterday, so I headed to Amazon.com to grab the MP3 album. But then I stopped and thought – if I buy this on iTunes I know it will be saved and available for any of my devices, will be stored on iCloud without penalty, and so on. But if I go to Amazon’s MP3 store to buy, I *should* be able to use iTunes Match in the fall which will allow the album to be tracked and not incur a…

Music Diary Notes: Quick Look at iTunes Match & iCloud In Context

Editorials, Music Diary

Music Diary Notes: Quick Look at iTunes Match & iCloud In Context

At the WWDC Keynote, Apple talked quite a bit about Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and iCloud. Of the three, iCloud was the least known and newest reveal. Here is a bit about iCloud: iCloud is so much more than a hard drive in the sky. It’s the effortless way to access just about everything on all your devices. iCloud stores your content so it’s always accessible from your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.* It gives you instant access to your music, apps, latest photos, and more. And it keeps your email, contacts, and calendars up to…

Vertu Constellation Quest Review - Vertu's First QWERTY Smartphone

Reviews

Vertu Constellation Quest Review – Vertu’s First QWERTY Smartphone

Last October we posted about the then upcoming Vertu Constellation Quest, Vertu’s first QWERTY keyboard phone, a phone which compared to all of their previous models was a veritable smartphone. Half-jokingly (or perhaps presciently), Larry stated that it might be my next phone, and when we were in Vegas for CES this January, I stopped by the Vertu boutique, so I could see one in person. I thought it was lovely; I asked for a catalog, I fantasized about putting one on my American Express for a minute or two … and then I stepped away from the boutique and…

Pop Goes the Music Diary: Kenny G ... Musical Hack & Necrophiliac

Music Diary

Pop Goes the Music Diary: Kenny G … Musical Hack & Necrophiliac

I have gotten some flack from folks who see bias in my choices between ‘Music Diary Songs of Choice’ and ‘Pop Goes the Music Diary’: in short, they see me giving jazz and rock high praise, while being brutally critical of pop music. Well, given that one category is made for the money while the other is made for the sake of the music (if someone is playing jazz for the money alone they are terribly deluded), that shouldn’t be surprising. But there are more than a few examples of dreadful jazz music made for the sake of pandering to…

Home Audio Review: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air

Reviews

Home Audio Review: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air

As I have noted elsewhere on the site, I find myself listening to more music than ever these days. Much of the reason for this has to do with the fact that I’m always carrying at least one, if not two or three, devices that are able to stream a whole host of different types of music from a variety of different sources. A fair bit of the time is spent listening through headphones, but I much prefer listening to music coming from a set of speakers. The sound is richer, the music more all-encompassing — and I’m able to…

iPad 2 Case Review: Case-Mate Barely There

Reviews

iPad 2 Case Review: Case-Mate Barely There

I love a minimalist case for my iPad and iPhone. I appreciate being able to add some protection to the somewhat delicate devices without losing the slim, light look and feel Apple has been able to achieve. It is the reason I have been a fan of Case-Mate’s Barely There series  cases since they first appeared on the scene, and I have been lucky enough to review one for pretty much each of the devices I have owned since. The company has released the iPad 2 version of the Barely There and were kind enough to send a review sample…

The Linksys E4200 Max Performance WiFi-N Router Review

Reviews

The Linksys E4200 Max Performance WiFi-N Router Review

A few months ago Linksys announced their new E4200 Wireless N router. Linksys was kind enough to send out a review unit, which I have been using for a few weeks. The dual band router sports both a 2.4 and 5 GHz radio setup and a six-pack of internal antennas to maximize wireless coverage and throughput. Wireless N is pretty much the standard these days, and as you all know the force behind WiFi N is the need for streaming media. With all the new web connected TV’s and streaming media services, the last thing you want is your router…

Is Intermittent WiFi on iOS 4.3.3 an Issue?

Gear Bits

Is Intermittent WiFi on iOS 4.3.3 an Issue?

Two things happened on the same day a couple of weeks ago: 1) I bought an iPad 2 and, 2) Apple released a firmware upgrade for iOS. Unfortunately, the latter all but enfeebled the former. Like a good little Apple fangirl, I upgraded to iOS 4.3.3 on both my new iPad 2 and on my original iPad. Within a few hours I noticed a problem: the WiFi kept dropping its signal on both devices. Here’s how it seemed to go: I’m using the WiFi and it suddenly hesitates, ultimately grinding to a halt and up comes that dreaded “no connection”…