Apple TV

Sinister City Vampire Adventure HD for iPad Review

Between the latest Twilight movie and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the vampire craze shows no sign of slowing. And that is a good thing, as the mythos provides plenty of room to explore in all realms of entertainment. The most recent addition is a new hidden object game called Sinister City: Vampire Adventure HD for the iPhone and iPad. The big news – aside from the focus on vampires – is that this is a first person game, so let’s take a look at how all of it works! The Hype: Travel to the astral plane and save your love…

Reviews

TP-Link AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter Starter Kit Review

WiFi, 3G, and 4G connections to our devices have frequently spoiled us with almost universal access to data. Nine times out of ten, if I am connecting to the internet it is in a wireless fashion. However, there’s always that one old desktop that you want to run Linux on or an old non-connected game system. Or maybe you just want to set up another wireless access point on the second floor of your home, but you don’t have a wire or a way to run a wire through your wall. That’s all changed with devices like TP-Link’s AV500 Gigabit Powerline…

Gear Bits, News

Amazon Instant Video Comes to the iPad!

Yesterday when we talked about Hulu coming to Apple TV, my comment was that if Amazon Instant Video was also available, I would no longer have a need for the Roku. Guess what? Amazon Instant Video is now available! Here is the description: Watch thousands of titles available from Prime Instant Video at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership and over 120,000 videos available from the Amazon Instant Video store by installing the Amazon Instant Video app. Download purchased and rented videos from Your Video Library for offline viewing on airplanes, road trips, or any time a WiFi…

News

Hulu Plus Comes to Apple TV… Finally.

Both Mike and I use Hulu Plus… a lot. In fact, I find myself watching more and more of my shows through Hulu than through my cable box. Yes, so long as the shows are available through Hulu that is where I am watching them. I especially love the ability to watch pretty much anywhere, on my iPhone, on my iPad or on my TV through my Roku box. Well, as of today there is another option. Yes, Hulu Plus comes to Apple TV today. New subscribers get a week free trial when creating a Hulu Plus account. You can…

Gear Bits

Why Cable Companies Should Be Afraid of Airplay

Despite the fact that the operating system was released just a few days ago and there have been some issues with getting redemption codes and downloads, an amazing number of Mac users have already upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion. Having used it since shortly after the OS was released I can honestly say that it is, by far, the best update I’ve seen to OS X. I love the integration with iOS, the features of the new Safari and, of course, I am thrilled to have the, admittedly limited, ability to globally use voice recognition by simply pressing the…

News

With Dragon 12 Voice Recognition Gets Smarter… and Faster

The global voice recognition in Apple’s new Mountain Lion operating system is already by far my favorite feature. It is incredibly fast, quite accurate (when I speak slowly and clearly in a quiet room), and it’s so easily accessed (you hit Fn twice) that it makes voice recognition something you don’t even need to think about before you start using it. No matter what you are doing it’s right there (so long as you have a data connection). It is not perfect, however, and if you need something more powerful than simple, small pieces of voice-to-text recognition, then you will…

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

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….

Reviews

Satechi BT MediaRemote Review

Let’s begin this review with a summary of it: Do you need this Bluetooth accessory? NO! Do you want this Bluetooth accessory? MAYBE! Do I recommend you purchase this Bluetooth accessory? ABSOLUTELY! When I first saw the Satechi Bluetooth MediaRemote I really didn’t understand why I would want to having something like this. After using it for a time however I really find it to be one of the more useful accessories I have purchased in a quite some time. Yes, this was no review sample. This is something I purchased on a whim and am glad I did. As…

Gear Bits

Streaming Video and the Deaf Communtity: The Good and the Bad

I am fascinated by the ways technology can open up the world and make it more accessible for people with disabilities. What is a convenience for you and me may be a life changer for someone else. Unfortunately, sometimes technology outpaces itself, and leaves the accessibility features playing catch-up. It is something of a mixed bag in many areas, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing community. According to Slate, closed captioning is not required on Netflix, Hulu, and other digital media options. While Netflix does offer some closed caption titles, not all of their library is set up…

eBooks

Should eBooks and Privacy Be a Concern for Us?

Here’s another reason for eBook haters to complain about the digitization of the written word — your reading habits are no longer secret. While it is not surprising to assume Amazon, B&N and Kobo are watching what you read, the Wall Street Journal has a very detailed account of just how much is being watched. From the Journal: Publishing has lagged far behind the rest of the entertainment industry when it comes to measuring consumers’ tastes and habits. TV producers relentlessly test new shows through focus groups; movie studios run films through a battery of tests and retool them based…

Music Diary, News

Five People, One Guitar, and a Better Version Than Gotye

If you have recently turned on a radio or network TV, entered a shopping mall or grocery store, or simply been in any position to hear music … chances are you have heard the song ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ by Gotye featuring Kimba. What initially caught our attention when we heard it on the ’80s, 90, Now’ channel of Slacker was how the voice in the chorus sounded like Sting. This weekend we discovered a cover version of the song that was interesting both musically and visually. The group is called Walk Off The Earth (also on Facebook)….

Events, Game Diary, News

E3 2012 – Smart Glass for XBox

Microsoft launches SmartGlass, an application for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and other portable devices that connects phones, PCs and tablets with your Xbox 360 console to make your entertainment smarter.

News

iPad-mini? iPod touch HD? iPhablet? A Gear Chat

The new… iPod Phablet I blame Francis. After all, he got the ball rolling when he asked the team: Apple 5″ device, how likely are we thinking? I still have my bets on a smaller iPad, but not sure about 5″. Carly jumped in with: Unless they bump the iPod touch to 5in to differentiate it. Chris then said: I could see them doing that to the iPod touch possible, but not the iPhone. I (Dan) then commented: That’s the post I was roughing out- the case for the iPod…

Reviews

IPEVO Perch, Small, Medium and Large… and All are Awesome! Review

IPEVO recently contacted Judie and me to see if we wanted to begin reviewing some of their products. The company was new to us but, after trying out two of their Perch stands for the new iPad, there is no doubt we will be keeping an eye on them to see what new products they introduce. Yeah, I’ve been using a small and a medium Perch for the past few weeks and I’m sold on it. The medium size is particularly useful for me and I’m even considering the purchase of a large size Perch to use as a…

Reviews

Logos Quiz Game for iPhone/Touch

The gaming experience on iOS devices can be much different from the old console days. Most of the games I get hooked on are simple and can be played in small spurts during random times of the day. Many of these games become wildly addicting, even if for a limited amount of time. Last week, a student came to me and showed me a picture of the Atari logo and asked if I knew what that was. While I was blown away that he did not know this logo that brought me so much joy as a child, I also…

Game Diary, Gear Bits, News

With $99 XBOX Subscription Bundle, Microsoft REALLY Enters the Smartphone Gaming Era!

Image courtesy GamesLive OK, so maybe the title is more than a bit of a stretch, but look at it this way: what product costs more to make than what you pay to buy it, but that lowered cost is subsidized by a two-year monthly contract? A cell phone … and now an XBOX360 bundle including the Kinect according to a report from TheVerge. Check out the details (emphasis mine): Microsoft is planning to launch a $99 Xbox console package with a monthly subscription as early as next week, according to our sources. The software giant will offer the 4GB…

Reviews

AT&T’s HTC One X Android Smartphone

HTC has really upped their game with the new HTC One line of Android smartphones. Each of the three devices in the series looks great, is super fast and offers a range of features that makes them some of the best smartphones currently (or soon) available. Judie had a chance to see them they day they were announced at Mobile World Congress, and I spent some quality time with them the next morning. We were both impressed. A few weeks later I got my hands on the T-Mobile-branded HTC One S. I liked the look… and the feel… and found…

Music Diary, Reviews

Gary Husband Delivers State of the Art Fusion on ‘Dirty & Beautiful Volume 2’

Gary Husband – ‘Dirty & Beautiful Volume 2’ I reviewed Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1 early last year, concluding : There is no fluff here – perhaps that is why this is ‘volume 1?, as the next volume is due in 2011 sometime. And while I might have appreciated getting more time to get to know each grouping on the record, this is Husband’s project, and if the goal was to show how vital and vibrant and versatile fusion can be in 2010 … and if that wasn’t the goal he should review the original goal! Because this record takes…

Reviews

Gear4 AirZone Series 1 AirPlay Speaker Dock Review

Back in January, Judie and I spent some time with the folks from Gear4. We got to know a bit more about the company and its vision, spent some time with their current products, and we even got to see one or two items that were not yet released. We were not, of course, allowed to photograph or discuss the latter items, but were assured that when they were released we would get to discuss and potentially review them. Gear4 were good on their word; they sent over one of their new AirZone Series 1 wireless home stereo systems. At…

Reviews

HTC One S, a First Look

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go into Manhattan on a Monday morning and get an early look at HTC’s new line of phones, the HTC One. There are three phones in the series: the HTC ONE X, the HTC ONE V, and the HTC ONE S. The latter will soon be released on T-Mobile, and for the last 48 hours I’ve been able to run one through its paces. (Check out more info on the HTC ONE, here.) It’s far too early to be able to give a full review of the device, but it certainly…

Gear Bits, News

Nyan Cat Gets an ‘Adventure’ for Its First Birthday

Hard to believe that the meme that is Nyan Cat is only one year old today! It is a sign of the fast-moving times that these things go from nothing to everywhere to nothing again so quickly! Here are the basics from Wikipedia: Nyan Cat is the name of a YouTube video uploaded in April 2011, which became an Internet meme. The video merged a Japanese pop song with an animated cartoon cat with the body of a Pop-Tart, flying through space, and leaving a rainbow trail behind it. The video ranked at number 5 on the list of most…

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