I’m always happy to give you all news of free stuff (FREE!), and so even though I’m not real big on web-based multiplayer games, I’m still pleased to point you to Nexon American’s PopTag! game, which has added new functionalities that include . . . penguins!  Check it out: Water balloon battlers itching for a frosty challenge can now enjoy the newly added Monster Mode in  Nexon America’s PopTag!,  where they can try to defeat the Emperor Penguin and his minions. As with the previous Monster Mode, players will select a map and go through two stages of defeating minions before they can battle the deceptively cute Emperor Penguin boss monster.    In order Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There’s getting to be more productivity apps and more games available for the iPad–although I am surprised at how slowly they seem to be getting released.  But life isn’t all working on things with Docs to Go and surfing the web; sometimes you need to goof out, too.  So maybe it’s time for you to try “facepadding”. The press release tells us: A new website is aiming to bring some fun to the iPad scene by creating a gallery of users ‘Facepadding’.  www.appDebut.com – a website which allows users to see and discover apps before they’re released, has enabled a section of the site called Facepad!  Facepadding is the hip new pastime where owners Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote does it all. It features a Touch screen, an ergonomic design, rechargeable batteries, IR remote control and backlight buttons for ease of use when watching tv or a movie in the dark. The remote has an MSRP of $249.99 but our GearSponsor found a coupon code that will knock $100 off the price. Sure, the remote in “Dented Box” condition which means the packaging has cosmetic damage but the remote itself is new and fully warranted. That means you can get this Gear Deal for just $149.99. It even includes FREE shipping. For more information or to order on visit LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re anything like me, you’ve seen the video of lang lang playing the piano version of “Flight of the Bumblebee” on an iPad.  And if you’re a music maven, maybe you’ve wondered what other music performance-related activities you can use the iPad for.  Me, I’ve wondered if you could display your sheet music on there, and just turn the page with a quick tap.  Well, apparently the folks at Etude–who already had an iPhone version of something similar–were thinking along the same lines: Etude for iPad is here! When we released our newest app Etude in March, it was the first iPhone app to let you take hundreds of scores in your pocket, but Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Feur is the German word for “fire.”  Being a firefighter I’m sure it’s not surprising that I often visit various firefighting related blogs & web sites. During a recent visit to one I stumbled upon a link the Feuerwear web site. Feuerwear is a German company who takes out of service fire hose and turns it into bags, wallets and belts.  Since the hose they use to make their products was actually used in the field, each item they produce takes on its own individual look.  Fire hose often gets dragged through the elements and exposed to extreme heat and extreme cold.  Feuerwear throughly cleans each piece of hose they Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Something interesting about the games from Spiderweb Software: I have been fortunate enough to be on the beta-test teams for the last few iterations of both the Mac and PC releases of the Geneforge and Avernum games. This means having access to the code early, getting loads of play time in before release … and yet in all cases I find myself writing reviews months later. I attribute that to the difference between playing to test for issues, and playing as a gamer figuring out what I do or don’t like about the overall experience. So here I am in May reviewing a game that was released in November for the Mac and January for… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

From the good folks at LeaseTrader.com came an e-mail announcing their picks for the top car leasing apps for smartphones. While I personally have not explored the depths of the auto lease, I know it is a choice many consumers have made. Not to kill their thunder, I got to wondering that with summer upon us, and folks turning their attention to vacations, what about those of us just looking for a temporary detour from the reality of the daily drive. You know, a very VERY short-term lease.… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Barnes and Noble really wants the nook to stand out. And now they’re making it a significantly better value for a limited time! They are offering a $50 gift card with every nook purchase, which is pretty huge. It’s a great way to kick off your ebook collection, and it’s clearly timed to attract father’s day presents and new graduates. I also think the timing is fairly suspect, given that the Kobo Reader will be launching with Borders in a few short weeks. B&N is rightly trying to get ahead of a competitor who is offering a decent product at a much lower price point. Even though the “savings” go right back into B&N’s pocket, it still… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

[GlaDOS voice] Hello and again welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper. Before we start, however, keep in mind that although fun and learning are the primary goals of the enrichment center activities, serious injuries may occur. For your own safety, and the safety of others, please refrain from … [/GlaDOS voice] The Hype: Portal is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you are like most iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch owners who like to use apps and play games on your device, you have been frustrated trying to find stuff in the massive iTunes App Store. There are several websites out there such as AppShopper that try to help with better focused lists and contextual information and so on. But even with these getting some idea of exactly what app for your specific niche interest will best suit your needs can be a daunting task. For example, I am a huge fan of ‘Western-style’ RPGs (as opposed to jRPGs represented by games such as Final Fantasy) – and in the early days of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Case-Mate has released 5 new Barely There cases in support of Gay Pride Month. The new cases are available for the iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod Touch 2G, Blackberry Bold 9700 and the Blackberry 8520 and combine an awesome time-proven design (I personally love the Case-Mate Barely There series of cases) with bold new graphics. The designs include: • Bear Pride Flag • Interlocking Female & Male Symbols • Rainbow Equality Sign • Rainbow Flag • Inverted Triangle (Pink… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Borders is all about ebooks these days, and they aren’t settling for just the Kobo Reader. They announced they’ll also be carrying the Aluratek Libre, a very barebones reader. The Libre is very, very similar to the Jetbook Lite I reviewed recently, from the button placement to the “ePaper” LCD screen. Unlike eInk, there’s no flash between page turns and the refresh rate is better. Plus, it’s clocking in at an almost impulse buying price: $119.99. Not bad for a barebones ebook reader! I am, however, a little concerned about how Borders plans to create an ebook area within their stores. It’s a great idea, but Borders has a terrible track record with these types of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

After trying a variety of different Internet radio offerings, I settled on Slacker Radio and paid for a Slacker Plus subscription. I even spent an evening creating a custom Slacker Radio station that let me revisit the ’80 music of my teen years. I’m a huge fan of Slacker, and with the release of the Slacker Radio 2.0 app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch it just got even better. The big feature of Slacker Radio 2 is the ability to cache radio stations. This feature is only available for Slacker Plus subscribers ($3.99 per month) and can be checked out without risk… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Carly (our eBook/eReader maven) and I often talk about which eBook reading software we prefer, and for what reasons.  I’m a big fan of the Barnes and Noble eReader software–the interface is clean, it’s fully-featured, and (for me) best of all there’s the capability to highlight text and look it up in WikiPedia.  Carly likes the B&N feature set, but since most of her books are in the Kindle format, she usually uses that. Well, there are some pretty slick music apps out there now, too, that give you significant “value add” (as we say in the tech biz).  I love Shazam, for example, which gives you the capability to just… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This HP Pavilion has a14″ screen, is just 1″ thick and weighs on 4.4 pounds. AND… it is loaded! “Loaded” as in 4GB DDR3 RAM. “Loaded” as in a Core i5 processor. “Loaded” as in 512MB ATI switchable graphics card. “Loaded” as in Wireless N WiFi and a 6-cell battery. The best news??? Thanks to our GearSponsor this loaded HP Pavilion dm4 doesn’t come at a loaded price. The recommended configuration on the notebook has an MSRP of $1099 but with two stackable coupon codes available through LogicBUY you can get the computer for just $704.99. It will even ship for free. To configure yours and order visit the LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …