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Game Diary, News & Features February 7, 2013

Super Stickman Golf 2 – Gear Diary’s Sneak Preview

What does Super Stickman Golf 2 and The Godfather: Part II have in common? If you guessed that they’re both sequels, well yes, that’s true, but there’s something even better! They are both sequels that are greater than their predecessors. Is it a little too early to call, since SSG2 is only in beta testing? Probably, however the game is already so polished that you can tell how well it’s going to do. There are many great additions to the original gameplay that it still feels like the same game you loved, yet it also feels like a sequel. Noodlecake…

Game Diary, Gear Bits, News & Features February 2, 2013

Get Ready for the Next Chapter with the Star Trek Into Darkness App for iOS or Android

Are you excited for the Star Trek: Into Darkness film opening on May 17th of this year? The teaser trailers have been intriguing and suggested an intensity beyond what the first ‘reboot’ showed us a few years ago. To help fans get ready, a new app for the movie is available for iOS or Android, boasting interactivity with content and a constant release of new material as the movie gets closer to release. In fact, the first ‘surprise’ will unlock during the second quarter of the ‘big game’ (since they can’t say Super Bowl) on Sunday February 3rd. Here are…

Game Diary, News & Features January 30, 2013

Zombie Road Trip Released Yesterday and Super Stickman Golf 2 Coming Soon

Noodlecake Studios, the guys who brought you the original Super Stickman Golf, released Spokko‘s new project, Zombie Road Trip to the App Store and Google Play store yesterday. Zombie Road Trip is very similar to the endless driving game Extreme Road Trip and Extreme Road Trip 2, except that it adds a whole new layer of awesome on top of the existing genre. I was a big fan of the Extreme Road Trip games, so I was happy to take Zombie Road Trip for a test drive. You find yourself driving, pedal to the metal, in order to escape a…

Game Diary, News & Features January 10, 2013

Super Stickman Golf 2 Scheduled to be Released Early This Year

I fondly remember playing Super Stickman Golf on my HTC Thunderbolt after I got it for free thanks to the Amazon App Store’s daily free app promotions. It was one of my favorite games on Android for a long time. I downloaded it thinking it would be an interesting time waster; I never would have paid for the app and probably wouldn’t have even given much thought to it had it not been free that day. Boy, am I glad I found it, though. After playing a few of the levels, I realized what a deal I got. Super Stickman…

Events, Music Diary, News & Features January 8, 2013

Android Mobile Musicians Rejoice – IK Multimedia Accessories Now Work on Android!

IK Multimedia is coming to Android full force this year at CES! Having just announced iRig Recorder for Android, they have opened the possibilities for mobile music-making on the platform. But just having an app isn’t good enough, you need ways to get your music into the app – so now IK Multimedia has announced the compatibility of several of their accessories with Android and iRig Recorder, including the iRig MIC, iRig MIC Cast, and iRig PRE. All of those products will work well in tandem with the just announced iRig Recorder for Android, the easy-to-use recording and editing IK Multimedia app. A couple…

Events, Music Diary, News & Features January 8, 2013

IK Multimedia Brings Mobile Music to Android with iRig Recorder

For me, one of the deciding negatives regarding Android has been the lack of a low-latency core audio system as is found in iOS. And while that hasn’t been solved at a system level, talented developers such of products such as FL Studio have been working on their own solutions. Now IK Multimedia takes the lead! Today at CES IK Multimedia announced iRig Recorder for Android, which allows high-definition, low-latency audio recording. The app also has plenty of built-in tools for editing and exporting your sounds, and will support IK Multimedia accessories such as iRig MIC, iRig MIC Cast and…

Keep Up with CES 2013 News by Clicking Here!

Events, Reviews January 7, 2013

Scansnap iX500 Scanner Review, the Best ScanSnap Scanner Yet

Scansnap’s scanners have been a mainstay of my move toward a paperless life. They have also played a huge role in my digitizing much of my rabbinic library. I wrote about it here and here and here. The hardware is always top-notch and the software integrates with the hardware to create an excellent and seamless workflow. And while I have enjoyed using the mobile scanners I’ve reviewed it has been the desktop versions of the device that have truly been a huge help to me as I have continued to convert my documents and library into electronic formats. The company…

Reviews December 30, 2012

In 2013 Take Better Notes and Be More Organized

From now until 2013, we’re going to take a look at some New Year’s Resolutions and a Gear Diary way to help you keep them. New Year Resolution: Take Better Notes, Be More Organized and Use Less Paper I am loving my Livescribe Sky Smartpen. The Livescribe Sky finally lets me get all the benefits of a Livescribe Smartpen without having to physically plug the pen into a computer to electronically recreate and share notes. (Here’s my review of the Sky Smartpen.) There are, however, times when I don’t want to carry and use the large, rechargeable smartpen- times when…

Reviews December 22, 2012

Epson Expression Photo XP-850 Small-In-One Review

We recently reviewed Epson’s Expression Premium XP-800 Small-in-One Printer. (Read the review.) I was impressed. Judie and I came back from Aruba having taken a huge number of pictures. Many of them can be seen in this post on “Amazing Aruba“. Some of them are so good that I wanted to print and frame them for my home and office. A good quality photo printer is quite handy for doing just that, and while I could have used the XP-800, this presented a perfect time to test out the XP-800’s big brother the XP-850. The Epson Expression Photo XP-850 Small-In-One…

Gear Bits December 19, 2012

What Makes Bluebird from American Express and Walmart Different?

????? ‘Tis The Season to Spend Money, fah lah lah lah, lah lah lah lah… ????? The other day we brought word about Bluebird, a new joint initiative between American Express and Walmart. Bluebird lets you make direct deposits, pay bills online, deposit checks with your iPhone or Android device, set up Sub-Accounts, and more. As I noted in that first post, we were invited to open an account and try out the service. This is a sponsored series of posts, but the observations and experiences I’ll be documenting in the coming weeks are mine and mine alone. In this…

Editorials, Health and Fitness November 21, 2012

Shocking News – Some Smartphone Health Apps Are Totally Bogus, and Most Are Shaky at Best

It seems like a perfect fit – we all want to be more active and eat better, and more of us than ever are using smartphones … so it only makes sense that there has been an explosion of health and fitness apps on iPhone and Android devices. Don’t get me wrong – there are some great apps out there, things like RunKeeper, FoodUcate, Lose It, Couch-to-5k, and more. Those apps use the GPS, or maintain a great database that is based on established health science, and so on. In other words, they are good health program – made mobile….

Game Diary, Reviews November 19, 2012

ShadowGun Deadzone for iOS and Android Hands-On Review

Type of app: First/Third Person Shooter (FPS) game Platform/where to buy: iPad (Android version here); available in the App Store and Google Play Developer: Madfinger Games Description: Prove your courage and challenge your friends. Experience heroic multiplayer battles that have never been seen on mobile device before. Enjoy console quality multiplayer game with awesome graphics on your phone and tablet. ? Experience intense tactical multiplayer combat with up to 12 players connected online. ? Choose from two popular game modes – Deathmatch and Zone Control, various maps and from 10 playable characters ? As a character’s ranking increases, new elements…

News & Features November 19, 2012

Common Sense, Please! Apple is NOT Releasing Android Apps on Google Play

I know I shouldn’t even have to say this, because the news IF Apple was going to port something like GarageBand to Android would be so huge that no one would be surprised when it landed. But this weekend some Android users managed to get tricked into thinking that Apple had ported and released some of their key iOS apps to Android … and paying ~$5 – 10 for the fake apps. It isn’t clear whether those buying the apps were refunded, and what was done to the people who posted the apps – it is the downside of the…

Game Diary, Reviews November 16, 2012

Deadly Dungeons for Android Review

Type of app: Dungeon Crawler game Platform/where to buy: Android; available in the Google Play Store Developer: Jacob Ensign Description: Deadly Dungeons is a first person RPG developed exclusively for the Android platform. This Android RPG is influenced by classic dungeon crawler games such as Dungeon Hack, Eye of the Beholder, and Nethack. Your purchase supports indie games development. After being separated from your adventuring party, you must navigate a deadly dungeon, and fight your way through hordes of creatures in a desperate attempt to escape alive. What first begins as a simple escape to the surface turns into a…

Game Diary, Reviews November 9, 2012

Masters of Mystery Crime of Fashion for Android Review

Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: Android; available in the Google Play Store Developer: Big Blue Bubble / G5 Entertainment Description: The brutal murder of a famous designer shakes the high-stakes world of New York fashion. Join Detective Carrie Chase and use interactive forensic tools to explore crime scenes and find evidence. Follow the twists and turns in the case , crack the crime and stop a serial killer in Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion. 500 Objects to find with 4 unique interactive tools 25 Stunning locations in 3 chapters 6 Fascinating puzzles…

Reviews November 8, 2012

ViewSonic’s VSD220 21.5” Display Review

When I was at a Pepcom Holiday Event a few weeks ago, one particular item caught my eye — ViewSonic’s VSD220 21.5” display. You see, this isn’t any old display. No, this is a display and a huge Android tablet in one. That’s right, the VSD220 (sexy name right?) comes with Android Ice Cream Sandwich baked into it. That means you get a 21″ monitor and “computer-free computing” in a single device, one that can either sit on a desk or hang on a wall. I was impressed, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the reality of actually using it…

News & Features November 8, 2012

Angry Birds Star Wars is EVERYWHERE!!!

In case you didn’t hear, Angry Birds Star Wars releases today. For many who are tired of BOTH Angry Birds and Star Wars this represents a black hole of interest. But for everyone else, Rovio has made sure that they have made the game as widely available as possible to maximize sales while people are interested. Versions are out for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Kindle Fire HD specific versions, Mac, PC and Windows Phone 8 (WP7.5 support coming later). Angry Birds Star Wars for iPhone and iPod Touch (Apple, $0.99) Angry Birds Star Wars HD for iPad (Apple,…

Gear Bits, News & Features November 1, 2012

New Amazon Android App Lets You Update Your Photos to Your Amazon Cloud

Everyone wants to get you storing your files and photos on their service, because that gets you into their ecosystem and infrastructure. So with Apple there is iCloud, Google has Google+ and others, DropBox and others offer auto-uploads, and Amazon has their own Cloud Drive. Now Amazon has an app that manages your photos and automatically uploads them to your Cloud Drive and can share to Facebook and other sites. Here is the description: Never lose the photos from your phone again. Get 5 GB of free storage to protect and store your phone’s photos with Amazon Cloud Drive. Access…

Game Diary, News & Features October 30, 2012

Classic RPG ‘Chrono Trigger’ Launches on Android!

Square Enix has a reputation for making awesome RPG games … and a reputation for re-selling the same game over and again … and for having the most expensive games on the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Games such as Final Fantasy III still command $16 nearly two years after release on the iPhone – after releases on a host of other platforms including the Nintendo DS in 2006! And pretty much NONE of their games are universal, so you need to buy both iPhone and iPad versions where available. Nearly a year ago Square Enix released their classic…

Gear Bits, Music Diary, News & Features October 25, 2012

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 October 22, 2012

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…