December 8, 2009

First Impressions of the Barnes & Noble nook

All day I have been perking up at the sound of trucks on the street, each time hoping it would be the UPS truck delivering my much-anticipated Christmas present from my wonderful husband–the brand new Barnes & Noble nook eBook reader. My husband pre-ordered my nook on the very first day, so I knew I would get it before December 9. I did a little dance of joy yesterday to learn that he had gotten the tracking number for the shipment and that the nook was winging its way to me overnight!

Reviews

Review: Blue Microphone’s Mikey iPod Microphone

I have tried at least 2 different iPod recording solutions since the invention of the dock connector. The first one was the Belkin Tune Talk. I loved it and it allowed me to record a podcast away from my computer. Well it met an untimely demise in a toilet. Yeah it got flushed accidently. That’s all I will say about that. The next one was the Griffin iTalk Pro. Griffin no longer makes this, but I loved using it as well. However, a great new challenger has come to challenge Belkin for iPod/iPhone recording microphone superiority. It is from…

Reviews

PC Game Review: Risen

A recent trend in games has been altering the naming structure to try to either dissociate with older games or mask how many games have preceded the release. Recent examples include the indeterminate ‘Wolfenstein’, the third Red Faction game being called Guerrilla, and the removal of he ‘Call of Duty’ from much of the ‘Modern Warfare 2’ advertising. Now we have Risen. Risen is the fourth entry by developer Pyranha Bytes in the classic Gothic game franchise that … what? Huh? Really … are you sure? Hmmm … well apparently Risen is NOT part of the Gothic series. I just…

eBooks, News & Features

Sony Store Moving to EPub

We have an official date for the Sony move to ePub… this Friday, December 11th. Going forward, ALL Sony eBooks will be available only as ePubs, and the proprietary BBeB format will be removed. If you did not opt into the PRS-500 upgrade/trade-in program, be sure to back up your library! Also on Friday, the Sony Reader software is coming to Macs and PCs, so presumably you can read your Sony content on your laptop if e-ink drives you nuts! Finally, Sony is renaming their eBook store the “Reader Store”, to better tie in with their Sony Reader line. What…

Gear Diary’s 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide & Giveaway: Smart, Stylish, and Useful Gifts That Dad Will Love

Welcome to our 2026 Father’s Day Gift Guide, where the goal is simple: help you find something Dad will actually use, enjoy, and maybe even brag about a little. This year’s picks cover the practical, the indulgent, the outdoorsy, the techy, the cozy, and the delicious, because fathers are not a monolith, despite what novelty grill aprons suggest. Whether you’re shopping for a golfer, traveler, cook, camper, audiophile, whiskey lover, or dad who simply deserves a better everyday upgrade, you’ll find plenty of thoughtful ideas here. Be sure to stick around for the giveaway at the end, too.