One of my first posts at Gear Diary was the review of the Nintendo DS game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, a game I considered ‘essential and ‘my favorite game of the franchise’, and which remains the best-reviewed DS game. In 2010 I reviewed the game on iPhone and later iPad, and now it is out for Android!
The new Illustrate Word Quiz increases your English language knowledge using picture and video content that can boost your vocabulary and overall skills with dynamic, varied topics that match your skill level in short, entertaining sessions plus developers are offering a holiday present with special codes for more coins and unlocked topics.
I was listening to Tom Merritt’s Daily Tech News Show and they mentioned a great site and app that will help you save money while going home for the holidays. It’s called Fuel my Route, and the goal is to show the price of gas along the route you’re traveling. This in turn should help you find the cheapest gas.
Think about this – interactive ‘build your own adventure’ storybook plugged into a role-playing adventure, based on the classic Jules Verne story ‘Around the World in 80 Days‘. Seems like a lot – but when put in the hands of Inkle Studios, the result is an amazing game that recently topped Time’s ‘Top 10 Video Games of 2014’!
Having two teenage boys, when I heard about the app Snagajob I was intrigued. Snagajob is a service dedicated to hourly employment, and the apps for iOS and Android are simple and easy to use to search for an apply jobs. And now in the full swing of holiday shopping, Snagajob can help college students grab seasonal work during break!
I discovered the Heroes of Might & Magic (HOMM) strategy-RPG game series with the excellent HOMM IV, but quickly discovered HOMM III was the pinnacle of the series. Ubisoft has announced that they are releasing a HD restoration of the game called Heroes of Might & Magic III HD – Restoration of Erathia, coming to PC, iOS and Android tablets.
As a runner I follow a lot of running and ‘healthy living’ blogs, which means that since mid-November I’ve read about 100 variations on the ‘how to avoid holiday pounds’ theme! The reality is that an old adage from the ‘Bloom County’ comic applies – eat less and exercise more. The folks at Runtastic have a new app to help!
As everyone prepares for the holidays, one thing that many of us like to do is put lights. Something that would be smart to add to those preparations is a way to help control those lights as well as measure how much energy they take. Well, D-Link aims to make your holiday light display safer and greener with their giveaway.
BiggiFi is a powerful Android device for your television, with a somewhat silly name. It’s a tiny Android-powered computer within an HDMI stick that’s hooked up directly to your television. You have access to the entire Google Play app library and can run most of its apps using your iPhone or Android phone for control. It retails for $89.
Timex was the watch of my youth. From the watch that ‘took a licking and kept on ticking’ to self-winding watches to the Ironman series that brought ruggedness to the digital age, Timex has been there. Now they have expanded the Timex Ironman line with a connected fitness tracker (X20) and a slimline GPS watch (X20 GPS).
It has been nearly a year since I reviewed The Shadow Sun by Ossian Studios for iOS, calling it “the first original RPG on the App Store that isn’t a port or a pale imitation, and it is actually worth playing”. Now the game is available on Android and the price is $4.99 on both platforms!
At the top of my ‘criticism of Android’ list for literally four years now is the abysmal audio support, leading Android music apps to be at best toys while iOS supports full studio production and mastering tools. Android isn’t there yet, but Samsung has led with audio support and IK Multimedia is taking full advantage with AmpliTube and iRig HD-A!
The past couple of years has seen an explosion in fitness trackers, many with sleep tracking capabilities. But for all of the data, there is a lack of information or actions coming from all of these trackers. Now Runtastic introduces the ‘Sleep Better’ app to help you track your sleep and wake up more rested.
Being new parents, my wife and I are always on the lookout for new and innovative baby products. We recently received the D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera for review, and we are absolutely floored by the 720p HD video quality along with the number of features jam-packed into this little camera. The DCS-825L retails for $179.99.
I described the IOGEAR MediaShair Hub as the “Mobile Swiss Army Knife” when I reviewed it a few weeks ago. I was impressed by the device and surprised that it is available for under $60 [Affiliate Link] here on Amazon. The ideal multi-functional device for travelers, our review sample is up for grabs. Check them out here on Facebook.
So you’re driving down the road when suddenly your check engine light comes on. Not too long ago this meant heading back to the dealership or your local garage for them to roll out their expensive code-reading machine and in turn hand you a hefty bill. An alternative to this is using the Lemur Monitors BlueDriver OBD2 Bluetooth Scan Tool.
Last year I reviewed the iOS and Mac versions of Red Crow Mysteries: Legion and found it managed to wrap together solid adventure game elements and a story worth following. More than a few hours of gameplay, plenty of content, varied locations, a great story, and a fun adventure. And now it is FREE … grab it now!
Most fitness watches share a common element – not GPS, or heart-rate, or step-tracking, or Bluetooth sync. They are pretty uniformly NOT fashion watches. They might work as ‘Geek Chic’, but no one will mistake them for a designer product. Wellograph hopes to change that, with the first wellness watch with a sapphire crystal display and a gorgeous design.
It’s hard to believe it’s been just a little over a year since Google released the cheapest set-top “box” there is, the Chromecast. Initially, I wasn’t too enthused. After hearing how my friends liked it, I figured why not make the jump? It would give me some entertainment when I was on the road as well. Since picking it up, I’ve completely fallen in love.
Apple TV lets you access iTunes or view content from a Mac or iOS device on the big screen. The same holds true for Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV. Unfortunately, each only works with devices in that company’s ecosystem. Looking for something more platform agnostic? Check out the IOGEAR Wireless Mobile and PC to HDTV With WiDi and Miracast.
Judie and I were huge fans of eWallet from its earliest days, back when we used Palms; we synced the info on our Palms to the eWallet program on our desktop PCs. Later on we used eWallet on our Pocket PCs. Once the app became available for iOS, we loaded it onto our iPhones and eventually also on our Macs.