Review- Power Support Sleeve: Designed for the iPad 1, Works Great with the iPad 2!

When Judie was in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress she met the folks behind the Apple accessory company Power Support. (Theirs is a great, inspirational story and we look forward to sharing it with you soon.) The company was kind enough to forward a number of their products so that I might take a closer look. Among the items they sent was their Black Sleeve for the iPad 1. They describe the leather sleeve this way- Constructed with premium quality leather, this sleeve protects while complimenting the amazing aesthetics of the iPad. The sleeve’s soft inner lining prevents scratching while using…

Game Diary, Reviews

Mac Game Review: Avadon: The Black Fortress

Since its beginnings in 1994, Spiderweb Software has focused on bringing classic story-rich role-playing experiences to gamers. The earliest Exile games were rudimentary and seem quaint now, but the Avernum and Geneforge series have offered gamers comparable experiences to the best so-called ‘AAA’ games for a lower price. Of course, the focus is on story and character and combat system over graphics and sweeping soundtracks, so it is subjective to what you are looking for out of a game. I had written an article for a defunct site years ago about why Avernum IV was better than Oblivion in all…

Music Diary, Reviews

CarTunes for iPhone/Touch Review

We all hear the dangers of texting while driving and how our devices create dangers during travel. These dangers are real and hopefully everyone is taking steps to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel and leave their devices alone. Using my Mogo Talk and voice recognition applications has helped me pay attention to the road, but one area always poses a problem. Using an iPhone or iPod Touch to listen to audio while driving can also take your attention. Changing tracks or play lists can be just as dangerous as sending a text message. With…

eBooks

IDC Reports eBook Sales Numbers with Some Surprising Results

IDC has done some number crunching, and their ebook sales numbers are…interesting, to say the least. They say Amazon is #1, but surprisingly Pandigital has a very strong showing against B&N, coming in third for the year but second for the fourth quarter. That’s a huge shocker, though Pandigital did flood the market with several models over the course of 2010. I do wonder why IDC didn’t include Pandigital under media tablets, since even though they’re marketed as ebook readers they all run various flavors of Android. Even more interesting, Sony’s numbers were up 80%, which sounds great…until you find…

Editorials

Verifone vs. Square, a Perspective

The recent Square vs. Verifone kerfuffle/gymkhana/embroglio/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is, I think, a pretty important one. Not just for itself, but for what it says about the tech industry. (This also happens to be my industry.) There are a number of companies right now trying to muscle and/or bully their rivals out of the marketplace– Twitter is a recent example with their attempt to be the only one offering a Twitter client etc and, of course, there is Apple’s involvement in the eBooks space. (Carly has talked about this a few times already and things are just getting started!) Frankly it honks me off….

Game Diary, Reviews

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds PlayStation 3 Game Review

The ten year wait is over for series fans of Marvel vs. Capcom with this latest installment subtitled “Fate of Two Worlds”, produced and directed by Ryota Niitsuma, where the playing field is even for novices and experts.

Gear Bits, News

GD Quickie- A Public Service Announcement Regarding the iPad 1

Do you have an iPad 1 and plan to stick with it even though the iPad 2 has arrived? If so, we have a brief Public Service Announcement for you. Consider this your first, and final, warning.

Editorials

Adventures in Customer Service- Zinio Edition

When the term “customer service” seems more like “customer lack-of-service” we like to call the company in question out. We did so with regard to AT&T Wireless. We did so with Amazon’s Kindle policy too. We’ve even done so with Apple. (Although, to be fair, both Apple and Amazon are usually amazing in the Customer Service arena.) Yes, when a company lets us down we aren’t shy about saying so. We WANT others to know! But what happens when a company goes above and beyond? What happens when a company has a glitch and, rather than trying to ignore it…

Music Diary

Music Diary Songs of Note Special Edition: R.I.P. Drummer Joe Morello at 82

When you look at the history of jazz drumming, there are many towering figures with names like Williams, DeJohnette, (Jo) Jones, (Philly Joe) Jones, (Elvin) Jones … and a guy from Springfield, Massachusetts names Joe Morello. Morello was a gifted drummer who had a great sense of time and adding appropriate color. His longest gig was with Marian McPartland’s band … But he is best known as the drummer laying down the tight beats on Dave Brubeck’s Time Out recording. The song Take Five was generally used as a solo vehicle for Morello in live performances, such as the Carnegie…

Music Diary

Music Diary Songs of Note: The Song Behind the Song

If you watched the Grammy Awards and saw the segment featuring Eminem, you might have noticed that Rihanna was terrible ‘singing’ Love the Way You Lie. In fact that whole song was pretty lousy, and it only got better when it transitioned into Dr Dre’s section. And even then for me the highlight was the haunting voice of Skylar Grey. She had some feeling reminiscent of Sinead O’Connor tied in with her own haunting and fragile sensibilities. Since then I was sent a link to a YouTube video of the original demo for the song by Skylar Grey who actually…

News

Apple’s iPad 2’s Camera Placement and Software Features Show Apple Still “Thinks Different”

(image courtesy of Apple) Apple’s iPad 2 adds new hardware, including a front and back camera. What is interesting is the difference in where and how their front facing camera works, compared with other upcoming tablet offerings. Apple, in typical Apple fashion, was “thinking different”. Rumors that Apple would be adding front and back camera to the iPad 2 were circulating for months, and now we know it is true. Apple almost had to put both cameras in, as all other tablet manufacturers are putting them in. It’s essentially become a “required” feature. So, what makes Apple’s approach so different…

Reviews

iPad Accessory Review: Powis iCase

We are huge fans of companies that take the time to thoughtfully design beautiful, elegant and functional device accessories. We’re even bigger fans, however, of those companies who take the time to thoughtfully designed beautiful, elegant and functional device accessories and then are open to going back and further refining their product even after it is out on the market; that is exactly what happened with the Powis iCase for the first-generation iPad. Judie received one of the early samples of this incredibly functional case at the end of 2010. She began the review and then was notified by the…

News

The 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: How You Can Help

all photos courtesy of mlive.com unless otherwise noted This morning many of us awoke to news of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that had struck Japan’s northeast coast at 2:46:23 p.m., their local time. Aftershocks, tsunamis, fires, mudslides, flooding and other resulting disasters have been (and are still being) reported nonstop today from locations affected, including our own west coast. When massive disasters occur, I think that people’s first reaction is generally to look at what’s happened, reeling as feelings of shock and awe threaten to overwhelm. But now that we’ve had a moment to take it all in, and as we…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Call of Duty and C.O.D.E. Help Educate our Vets

Image courtesy of ClubLakers. Thanks Kobe. It’s always good to see organizations so willing to support our troops and veteran soldiers, and it’s even better to be a part of it yourself. After returning from a conflict or war, sometimes soldiers need help gaining their civilian life back and often times need to find new employment. Call of Duty Endowment is a program spearheaded by Activision Blizzard to increase awareness for our veteran soldiers. CODE often aids with large grants and donations that assist troops in getting back on their feet. We all know the video game Call of Duty…

Reviews

11″ MacBook Air Accessory Review: Waterfield’s MacBook Air Wallet

My wife Elana is not a gadget person, not in the least. She would prefer to read a physical magazine or book and spends as little time working on a computer as she can. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not averse to technology but she doesn’t get excited by it the way some *cough cough* do. That noted, she has now had her 11″ MacBook Air for about 2 1/2 months, and she continues to gush about it. She loves it and describes it as “the best computer she has ever used”. The 11″ MBA is an amazing computer, and…

Editorials, Game Diary

Gear Games Quickie: Want to Play Dragon Age 2? Don’t Upset an EA Forum Moderator!

I pretty well tore a hole into Dragon Age 2 the other day, including about the whole need to be logged in everywhere. But there was one thing I didn’t even think about – that an inability to login could prevent you from playing the game! But apparently that is EXACTLY what has happened to at least one person according to a report at BluesNews! Please review the EA Community Terms of Service, particularly sections #9 and #11. There are two levels of enforcement here: 1. BioWare community bans are forum-only and can be for as little as 24 hours….

eBooks, Gear Bits

eBooks Really Are Getting Cheaper!

Over at Teleread, they have a very interesting, if unscientific, analysis of eBook pricing over the years. By taking prices from 2004 and comparing them to prices today, Chris Walters determined that there has been a slight drop in overall pricing, even if it doesn’t feel that way with the Agency Model taking away $9.99 price points! In a nutshell, Chris argues that the same books bought for $280 in 2004 would cost $213 today. Yes, it’s a subjective analysis, but as a random sampling, it’s somewhat helpful. And he further points out that the average price for fiction titles…

Editorials, Gear Bits

On the Eve of iPad 2…

Posted January 29, 2010 So here we are on the eve of the iPad 2 release. The anticipation of the release of the iPad 2 prompted me to go back and look at some early posts we did on the iPad over a year ago. I hate to say it, but I think we largely nailed it early on. (OK, actually I don’t hate to say it… We pretty much nailed it early on! Yes, we knew this was going to be an amazing device from the moment El Jobso introduced it.) At the time of the initial announcement, we…

Reviews

iPod Touch 4th Generation Accessory Review: Infinity Carbon Texalium Silver Case

Judie recently reviewed the Infinity Carbon 2×2 Carbon Fiber Twill Case. She loves it. The review started with this: We spend a fair amount of time reviewing accessories here on Gear Diary because all of us enjoy using products that enhance our gear experience. When I buy a new smart phone or tablet, the first thing I generally do is order an anti-glare screen protector for it … and immediately afterward I start looking at cases. The screen protector serves two purposes: much as wide tape placed across a window will help strengthen it during hurricane, I’ve learned through experience…

How to Do It Yourself!, Vehicles & Gear

Long Playing Long Gone an In-Vehicle USB-powered Turntable

I read a story the other day about how automakers have finally axed putting cassette players in new vehicles. Lexus was the final brand to do so and that went away with the announcement of the SC430 being discontinued. As I look around my office area here at home I am reminded of other technology gone the way of the Dodo bird. Nearby sits an old 8-track tape and in the other room is a “stack of wax” as DJs of days gone by described them. LPs. Long-Playing Records. This past Christmas I bought a USB-powered turntable to turn some…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Mortal Kombat…the Joy is Back

Mortal Kombat continues a gory media revitalization campaign with a limited edition Mortal Kombat Fight Stick controller.

« 1 … 587 588 589 590 591 … 752 »