Android Apps

FL Studio for Android Coming in 2013 (Maybe), Developer Posts Update Video

I have been very vocal about what I see as the shortcomings of Android tablets, with one in particular getting my ire: audio latency issues and the lack of a ‘core audio’ solution that makes the entire Android platform totally useless for people trying to make music of any reasonable quality. Sure there are a few apps out there – but they are all base-level crap. Sorry, but at best they are work-arounds that are inelegant, or perhaps work on one or two hardware platforms, but in general I don’t report on specific Android music apps for a very simple…

Editorials, Game Diary

New Kindle Fires Bring Android Fragmentation to Amazon!

Look at the image above, which is for VeggieTales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (Kindle Tablet Edition) from the Amazon App Store. Yes, I know with teenage boys I should be done with Veggie Tales, but I still enjoy them and with the $0.99 sale … just shaddup. Anyway, in the image you will see it is the ‘Kindle Tablet Edition’. Based on this I simply clicked ‘BUY’ and then later in the day I grabbed my Kindle Fire HD and went to install the app – but it wasn’t listed. It showed up when I searched the store from…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Cobra iRadar Smart Detection System Review

The iPhone is the great disruptor of personal electronics. It has crushed the stand-alone camcorder, taken a huge bite out of the point-and-shoot camera market and made buying an after-market automotive video entertainment system a ridiculous waste of money. And, issues with Apple maps aside, thanks to the iPhone there is less reason to buy a stand alone GPS unit. The list goes on and on. Yes, the iPhone (and other smartphones) turned many once must-have products into “why have” items of yesteryear. There are, however, some rare occasions when the iPhone not only doesn’t disrupt the need for a…

Game Diary, Reviews

Defense Zone 2 HD for Android Review

Type of app: Tower Defense Strategy Game Platform/where to buy: Android (phone & tablet); available in the Google Play Store Developer: Artem Kotov Description: The creators of Defense Zone, a popular Tower Defense game with beautiful graphics and finely balanced levels, today announced the release of Defense Zone 2 HD. The new version offers even more detailed and impressive visuals, three more weapons and 13 levels of absorbing gameplay. Defense Zone was originally developed as a better alternative to traditional Tower Defense games with unbalanced difficulty settings and confused interface. Highly appreciated by Tower Defense fans, Defense Zone required strategic thinking,…

News

Intuit Releases Quicken 2013 with Ties to iOS/Android Apps Through ‘Quicken Cloud

I have been using Quicken for a long time – since sometime way back in the 90s when I was still using a Mac Classic with a 9″ screen! And so for the past 20 years when it came to check out my finances or pay bills or whatever … I always turned to Quicken. Now they are back with their latest version Quicken 2013 – and have added mobile apps as well! Here is the press release: With the new Quicken® 2013, from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU), people can get their financial lives on track and know exactly where they…

Game Diary, Reviews

Zaxxon Escape for iOS/Android Review

Type of app: Action Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad or Android Developer: SegaDescription: It’s been thirty years since gamers first took on the evil robot Zaxxon, and Zaxxon Escape continues the story of what happened after his defeat. Players must escape a crumbling asteroid base by shooting, swiping, and tilting their spaceship through an ever-changing maze of corridors, guided only by their reflexes and handy powerups like auto-pilot and tractor beams. Find out if you have what it takes to survive the total destruction of Zaxxon. Major features: I was a huge fan of Zaxxon back in the early 80s (it…

News

iPhone 5 Plus NeatCloud Plus NeatMobile Helps Keep You Organized

As I work harder and harder to get away from using paper, I’m finding that a number of digital solutions are key to the process. For example, my iPad now lets me gather and read not only all my books but also many of the PDFs that I use. In fact, as Carly mentioned in a post last year, I use my iPad as my prayerbook when leading services. It’s convenient, it forces me to think through all of the specific cues beforehand (not that I wouldn’t anyway), and it’s easier on my damaged hands and wrists. This was the…

Game Diary, Gear Bits

iOS Hit “Subway Surfers” Launches on Android

Need a new game to waste all your time at work? Here you go. Meet Subway Surfers, a colorful, free-to-play, action game. The iOS version, developed by Kiloo Games, has garnered over 25 million players. Now it’s time for Android users to get in on the fun. Did I mention it’s free? At its core, Subway Surfers is an infinite-runner with a graffiti-inspired look and cartoon aesthetic. The gameplay revolves around switching between three train-tracks while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. You swipe the touch screen to jump, roll, and switch between tracks. It might sound boring, but like…

News

Pogoplug – My Own Private Cloud With 1TB Online Backup

I am always on the lookout for simple and secure backup solutions and good methods for syncing personal files across multiple devices. I use Dropbox and Google Drive, but have always liked the idea of my own personal cloud solution for more confidential information. I have been using The free Tonido program on my home Mac, iPad, iPhone and Google Nexus 7 for a few months, and it has worked quite well. I have not purchased the Tonido Plug, but had been considering it for a few weeks until Pogoplug announced a great deal on the Pogoplug Classic device and storage….

News

CVS Mobile App Update Brings Same-Day Photo Printing

Since last year when Walgreens (the pharmacy closest to my house) and my company’s health insurance provider failed to reach an agreement on prescription medication prices, I’ve found myself in a CVS pharmacy a lot more frequently. And you know, they’re pretty good places. I haven’t used them for much other than pharmacy purposes and picking up the odd item or two, but given the improvements they’ve just made to their mobile app, I may just start using them for photo printing. CVS’ updated mobile app will allow customers to print photos directly from their smartphone camera or their CVSphoto.com…

How to Do It Yourself!, News

How to Root the Nexus 7; And Some Good Reasons Why You Should do it

The Nexus 7 is no doubt one of the hottest tablets to hit the Android Community. Running a bloat free Google OS on top of a Tegra 3 platform has proven to be a crowd favorite. So why take the possibly “warranty voiding” steps to gain Root access to the device? Even if you are not an enthusiast there are many benefits to rooting the tablet past the obvious flashing of custom roms and themes. Some of the best Android apps require root access to work, so without root you can pretty much use the tablet to its full…

News

With Nuance’s Nina “When in Doubt, Just Ask Your Phone”

Between Siri, OS X Mountain Lion’s global voice recognition and Google’s voice to text not stinking on Android any longer, the days of tapping out your messages are rapidly coming to an end. Yes, voice recognition is becoming commonplace, accurate and fast. And more and more people are finding that it’s a great way to create text. (Hell, even Elana is using voice recognition on her iPhone.) But there’s more going on here than simple voice recognition. Siri, for example, is intelligent voice recognition – voice recognition that actually does more than simply create text from the words you speak….

Music Diary, News

Spotify Brings Free Radio to Android!

Last month Spotify launched a free radio service for iOS devices, marking a departure for the company as previously only Premium users ($9.99/month) had access to the service on mobile devices. Today Spotify has launched the free radio for Android devices as well. Here are the details: Play everywhere ? Tap into millions of songs wherever. Just like the desktop, mobile radio has the entire Spotify catalog to choose from. Just create stations ? Create stations based on any artist, album or playlist, and Spotify brings users one great song after another. They can skip a song if they don’t…

How to Do It Yourself!

How to get Amazon Prime Streaming Media and Flash Content to Play on your Nexus 7

Amazon Prime Streaming “Ronin” on Nexus 7 Flash is dead…or is it? Although Adobe Flash is no longer support on the latest version of Android 4.1 (Jellybean), that does not mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of Flash content and movies. The move from flash-based content to HTML5 has been long underway but the truth is that the internet is still riddled with flash content including the one of the “King’s of Media”, Amazon Prime. Without Flash it is simply impossible to stream Amazon content to your new Nexus 7 tablet. When you go to the Play Store and…

$Total ArKade Software Conjures Up Major Update for AbraWordabrA for iOS and Android$

News

Total ArKade Software Conjures Up Major Update for AbraWordabrA for iOS and Android

Back in the dim, dark past of the latter portion of the last century, learning math was a laborious, tedious job for me. It likely wasn’t all that exciting to my friends and classmates back in the day either. Improving our math skills consisted largely of poring over printed material and flash cards, with an occasional rare foray into a few educational programs on TV. For the most part, learning math was often BORING. The upshot is that we got to inhale the sweet odor of the blue mimeographed quiz/test papers, part of the educational rites of a bygone era….

Gear Bits, News

MOG Music Service Aquired By Beats

I used MOG as my subscription music service for a time but have settled in on Spotify and am quite happy with the decision. I have, as a result, been wondering what would happen when these various music services began to shake out. Who would survive? Who would close? Who would be acquired. Well it turns out MOG is the first to go. They have been acquired by Beats and, while they will continue to operate as an independent company, it clearly means we will see some changes coming. As the acquisition notice states Fellow Music Lovers, My first love has…

Reviews

a-JAYS ONE+ Headphones Review

In recent years we have seen an increasing number of headphones that use tangle-free, flat cords. They really do help you avoid having to deal with the tangled mess that is wired headphones. Plus, they look and feel neat. That’s why I was excited to review the a-JAYS One+ headset when it was offered to me. After all, not everyone can afford $150 for in-ear headphones, and that’s what I’ve been reviewing lately. At $59.99, the a-JAYS ONE+ look like a bargain. I was even more excited when I saw the box. It is unusually done in oval-shaped plastic., and…

Reviews

Sonos SUB Reviewed; It Brings “Soul-Shaking Sound and Heart-Pounding Design”

If there is one line of products with which I have been totally enamored it is the Sonos system I purchased a bit over a year ago. To recall my experience with Sonos: I had long been interested in the company and their wireless audio system, but I had never actually seen or heard one in action. I reached out to the company, and they were kind enough to send a loaner system for review. I got it, opened the boxes, set up the system (it took me just a few minutes), and turned it on. I listened, then listened…

Editorials, News

Did Google Pick Up Quickoffice for Integration with Google Docs/Drive?

When I first migrated from Windows Mobile to Android, my Android phone had a lite version of Quickoffice pre-installed and as a result I became a frequent user of the software suite. Right now I have Quickoffice for Android, WebOS and iOS, to maintain a semblance of consistency across my multiple platforms, so I therefore took pause when I contemplated the news that Google acquired Quickoffice the other day. On the one hand, I had a brief bit of sorrow on seeing another independent company absorbed by a much larger entity, but at the same time considered the potential tangible…

News

Can You Hear Me Now? Dragon ID Lets You Log In by Voice

For years Nuance, makers of Dragon Dictation, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and, although unconfirmed, the force behind Siri, has been collecting data on how we speak, what is different from one voice to the next etc. Data collection is a big deal but, unlike Google collecting data so they can better target ads and generate revenue off you, Nuance has been collecting data in order to advance their voice-recognition technology. (Of course they want to advance their voice recognition technology in order to generate income but that middle step is an important one.) In recent weeks we have seen Nuance begin to…

News

Zinio Interviews Judie! (And Dan!)

Zinio recently introduced their Zinio Magazine Minute. In it “Notable figures in magazine publishing and technology share their thoughts exclusively with Zinio. Explore their favorite articles, magazines, and find out what inspires them.” They reached out to Judie and me and interviewed us both. Judie’s interview is already live and I thought I would share it with you. (If you want to see it on the Zinio page click here.) Question: What recent article(s) on Zinio had the most impact on you? Answer: National Geographic, June 2011 – “Too young to wed, the secret world of child brides” Smithsonian Magazine,…

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