Fans of the original Fallout games might be split on whether the 2008 addition to franchise was worthy of the ‘Fallout’ title, but most gamers agree that it was a load of fun to play and a worthwhile overall experience. Bethesda also found great success with the various DLC (downloadable content) they released over the last year, and so it was inevitable that a sequel would come along. For the sequel, Bethesda has tapped respected RPG developer Obsidian, who brought unheard of moral and ethical complexity to the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights sequels, and produced the best game writing since Planescape Torment (which many from Obsidian worked on) in the NWN2… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There are not a lot of choices when it comes to maximum protection for your iPhone.  One of Case-Mate‘s newest additions, the Turtle Case, seeks to join the select group. The two-part plastic and silicone construction of the Turtle case means you’ll “have the best armor available for the more delicate iPhone technology inside.”  It features a super tight fit and two levels of shock and impact protection for your phone complete in a stylish design that’s sure to garner some attention. The case comes in four color varieties and is available directly from Case-Mate for $29.99 Click on through to check out my video review.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Well, we all knew it had to end – the mighty PS2, one of the greatest gaming consoles with perhaps the best console library of all, has finally begun to fade into sunset … as the Playstation 3 shows signs of ascendancy a mere 3 years after introduction (that is sarcasm, btw). Oh, and what of the ‘Nintendo Handheld Killer’ Sony PSP, that system that was going to take the world by storm due to superior technology, that only a few days ago John Koller said was benefiting from Apple’s iPod and iPad moves to gaming? Sales of the PSP are in the toilet. Based on year-on-year sales so far, even if the PSP matches last years Q4 sales it would see a drop of 20% in terms of worldwide sales. Wow! The PS3 is seeing a run-rate ~35% INCREASE in sales, and even the PS2 is likely to see sales increase by ~7%. No wonder we’re seeing rumors about plans for a ‘PSP Go Relaunch’!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Mobile World Congress will be kicking off in about a week, and the new device frenzy has already started. One of the items shown will be the Inbrics M1, an Android-based mobile internet device (MID) with a “3 screen plus” media convergence platform”. We’ve been hearing about the M1 since late last year, and it also made a CES debut. Now what some have called “possibly the ultimate Android device” may be that much closer to actually being available for purchase. The M1 has everything you could want in an MID, including Wi-Fi 802.11, an AMOLED touch screen that slides to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G or WiMAX, a 3-megapixel camera on the back, a VGA camera on the front, 16GB of internal Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last year I reviewed the BT-Q1000X Data Logger from Qstarz.  It was an interesting data logger which could fit almost anywhere in your gear.  Now Qstarz has a new data logger that is appropriate for NASCAR and local auto racing enthusiasts.  The BT-Q1000eX can log points up to 5 times per second, which is fast enough to get every subtle difference in how a driver gets around the track.  Drivers can use the data obtained from the Q1000EX to improve their lap times and more.  It also has enough storage to record up to 400,000 records, which is twice the storage of the Q1000X.  For more information, check it out on the Qstarz website.  Stay tuned to… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Some folks (such as yours truly) sign up and spend loads of time serving as a ‘volunteer QA army’ in private beta tests for so-called ‘indie developers’. (My most recent work was on Spiderweb Software’s Avernum 6 which recently launched for the Mac and is coming soon for Windows). Some companies small and large like to have ‘open beta’ tests that serve to ramp up hype for a game while providing developers with a broader array of (less structured and objective) feedback that can help in the final tuning of a release. Soldak Entertainment won many loyal fans with their excellent 2007 RPG Depths of Peril, then targeted casual gamers with last year’s Kivi’s Underworld, and are now getting ready for their third game, the highly anticipated Din’s Curse. In Din’s Curse, the god Din has cursed you to a second life because of your actions causing misfortune and misery in your first life. In your second life you must rebuild your reputation with Din by helping others and ultimately helping solve the major problems facing the town. The entire world is randomly generated – as opposed to most games which only generate dungeon layouts – and there are reportedly [...]

We all watch TV.  Its what we do when we aren’t online or going out into the real world.  We just thought it was for watching the Lost premiere or that special episode of Mythbusters, but now, TV has gone and done something different.  In this new world of digital convergence, you can now download an application from your television.  Specifically, you can download the Weather Channel application for Android to your Android phone from the television.  How cool is that?… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Here’s a GearDeal that looks downright awesome. The new HP TouchSmart 600 is an all-in-one pc with a quad core processor, a 23″ screen and… it is touch-enabled!! Our GearSponsor found a deal that will get you a free 6GB memory upgrade (DDR3 of course) and a free 1TB harddrive upgrade. Other specs include 1GB GeForce GT 230M, a 6-in-1 card reader, integrated speakers, a wireless keyboard and mouse and more. With this deal you can knock at least $400 and an additional 5% off the base price of $2099.99. And of course free shipping is included. HP TouchSmart 600 Quad Core i7 23-inch All-in-one Touch-enabled PC Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! Ah, those innocent days of yore!  Reagan was President, U2 and REM were just getting started, people had big hair (and mullets!), and they still played music on MTV.  Yes, yes, yes:  it was The 80s. And if you were a kid in the 80s, think of the toys you played with.  Rubik’s cube and Rubik’s snake!  The first Game Boys.  Yamaha synthesizers (“Anybody can be a musician!”).  And . . . the Big Trak!  The programmable six-wheel tank, with a front-mounted “photon” cannon!  The kind of thing Andy would have Buzz Lightyear fight in Toy Story 1.5.  And now it can be yours again, just by surfing on over to Find Me a Gift and placing your order for $67.  Maybe you can’t relive the past, but you can try, eh? Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(image courtesy TechCrunch) TechCrunch is reporting on a new theoretical iPhone security hole, one that is potentially very messy. Essentially, it takes advantage of the over-the-air configuration process, creating a false certificate that claims it is installing a security update from “Apple Computer”. Of course, the download is not from Apple, and it can theoretically change all sorts of proxy settings on your iPhone. From TechCrunch: The particularly nasty part here, however, is that the anonymous hackers reporting the flaw were not only able to make the configuration file report back as “Verified”, but also indicate that it was straight from “Apple Computer” themselves. From that point, a pinch of clever web design and Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The other day I was stuck in the midst of what had become a very heated debate regarding video game DRM (digital rights management), DLC (downloadable content), disks, downloads, rights, and piracy … and was amazed that in spite of strong opinions and polarized stances that the heated discussion stayed pretty respectful and stayed away from foul language, personal attacks, and other things that typify a ‘flame war’. It was in stark contrast to a discussion I briefly entered late last week that began as a discussion of the merits of the new GTA: Chinatown Wars for the iPhone compared to the existing PSP and DS versions. That quickly degenerated into an unreadable flame-war where not only… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Amazon is proving they’re taking rumors of Kindle’s demise less than seriously. In fact, they are proving their commitment to the platform by giving the development team a big present: a touchscreen company! Yes, it’s everything the Kindle development team wanted and more! Now they can compete with the Sony Touch and Daily Editions on one end, and the iPad on the other! Supposedly the touchscreen has excellent clarity, which is huge if Amazon sticks with e-ink; compare a Sony Touch Edition and a Pocket Edition and it is shocking to see how much the touch overlay can affect the screen.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

My wife and I coach an Odyssey of the Mind team through our kids’ school. Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem solving program focused on teamwork and kid-only solutions of challenged they work on all through the school year. (I coached Destination Imagination back in Massachusetts for several years, and it is very similar). Our team this year has a problem they are solving, and their solution has led them to events that happened in 1985, and as such they have been looking at the popular culture ‘way back then’. We have plenty of music from the 80′s in our record, tape and CD collections, but I came across a bargain ‘Billboard Top 100 of 1985′ collection when we were shopping, so I grabbed it and ripped it onto my iPod. Now each time the team meets we shuffle up some 80′s music … and they say things like ‘fer shure’ and ‘neo maxie-zoom dweebie …’. So what were the hits of 1985? Read on for a list and a few top videos for the year!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Every now and then you come across a product that promises to do things exceptionally well for a lower price than you would otherwise expect and… it actually exceeds your expectations. That’s the case with the Sleek cell phone booster for Wilson Electronics. We had a chance to meet with representatives from the company when we were in Las Vegas for CES and, thanks to them, I’ve been using a review unit of the Sleek for the past week or so. The unit is small, surprisingly inexpensive and it works phenomenally well. I live in a part of New Jersey where the cell reception can drop off to nothing at a moment’s notice. It is beyond frustrating to be in the midst of a call and constantly worry that you’re about to be disconnected. Since I started using the Sleek I haven’t had any of these issues. In addition, I have found the unit to be the best window mounted car cradle I have ever used with my iPhone. It holds the phone securely, doesn’t require you to “click” the phone into place, and it can be used with the iPhone of whether the phone is in a case or [...]

The iPhone has been great for the aftermarket battery business. I don’t know any power-user who does not carry at least one additional method of charging the device. I’ve tried, and been impressed by many. Most recently PhoneSuit sent me one of their Primo Micro Batteries to try out. The last product from PhoneSuit that I had the chance to review was the Mili. It had a design similar to the original Mophie Juice Pack. I liked it a lot and got a good bit of use out of it before giving it to a friend. The Primo takes a different approach. It is your more traditional “clip on the bottom via the dock connector” battery. That means it is great for use with my iPod touch as well as my iPhone. The thing is… the battery only offers 800 mAh. As compared to the 2000 mAh of the Mili this thing is small… really really small. Usually the diminutive size would have made it a battery I would take a pass on but, in fact, I’ve taken to keeping it in my bag. Let’s take a look… Continue reading on Gear Diary …