Well, now, what do we have here?  Generally a software company, SplashData has now taken one of their best known software products and merged it with a hardware product.  The SplashID Key Safe is a 2 GB USB drive made to fit on your keychain, but featuring a portable version of SplashData’s well-known password protection program, SplashID.  We’ve reviewed various incarnations of SplashID on this site a number of times in the past and we’ve always had good impressions of it.  I’ve always liked SplashID because it’s available for so many different platforms. The Key Safe includes many of the features of the desktop version of SplashID, such as: The same Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Last year it seemed like the hot new item was ebook readers. Everyone and their brother seemed to be offering one, but those projects quickly gave way to a veritable army of Android-based tablets after the iPad was released. Some of these are relatively generic tablets, but lately we’ve seen a rash of tablet-esque devices designed around the reading experience. One of the newest (and most budget-conscious) of these devices is the E FUN NEXTBOOK tablet, a reading-oriented tablet with Borders eBookstore integration. Is it worth pursuing over a NOOKcolor or an iPad? Read on for my full review! Let’s start with the hardware. The… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the things I love is when something is spread throughout the Blogosphere that is just common sense. You know, those tidbits of news or rumor that you hear and you just think, “Well Duh????” Two that have been floating around today really caught my eye. The first… Did you know that the iPad two will likely be thinner, lighter and have two cameras??? I know… I know… Shocking. I mean… It isn’t as if Apple has constantly been working to make their notebooks thinner and lighter, or they have added cameras to devices after the first or second generation. It isn’t as if one of the main criticisms people… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

GamersGate offered a sweet deal where you got copies of both Red Faction and Red Faction II for free with a Red Faction Guerrilla pre-order. Red Faction was a 2001 game that gained tons of attention during previews for its destructible environments, and Red Faction II was the critically pummeled 2004 follow-up. So by the time I received my review copy of the game I had replayed both of the original games on my netbook, which allowed me to put those games into proper perspective as I played the new addition to the series. The Hype: Set 50 years after the climactic events of the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

One of the biggest items that Android fans used to lord over iOS users was the marketplace policy regarding refunds.  On iOS, if you purchased an app and wanted to “return” it for a refund, good luck, and start groveling to Apple or the developer. On Android, if you purchase but uninstall within 24 hours, you get a full refund automatically! No need for as many “lite” versions of programs and it gave you a chance to really kick the tires before you committed your cold hard cash. Well, as of last night, that window has dropped from 24 hours to 15 minutes. No, you’re not sleepy, and you read that correctly. 15 MINUTES. So basically if… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes I think game and manga creators in Japan have my 15 year-old daughter on some kind of closed-circuit cam, where they closely observe everything that makes her pupils dilate as she plays games and read books and engages in chat with her friends.  (The truth is probably much weirder and, no, I don’t want to know about it, thank you very much!) Why do I say that?  Why, games like Doodle Lab101 from FunTribe.  Doodling.  Manga-style interface.  Cute cartoony stuff.  Lots of pink.  And only $0.99 on iTunes.  There’s no doubt in my mind that if Maggie gets a look at this, it’ll be added to her iTunes “wish” list.  And then Papa gets to do… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s difficult to find a decent travel mouse, honestly.  I think Sami has tried out something close to half a dozen and every single one of them has ended up as a “toy” for our son Joseph’s elaborate games of Transformers vs. Bionicles (using Hot Wheels and Legos–he’s a very egalitarian guy, Joseph).  My hands aren’t particularly big, and even I have trouble with a lot of them.  (I mostly use my iPad when I’m in transit.) SmartFish has a potential answer:  their Whirl™ Mini Notebook Laser Mouse.  SmartFish has done considerable ergonomic tweaking to the mouse, and they think it gives you a lot better response with lower chance of repetitive stress for your… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Few artists in any field can claim a career that had them active and vibrant across 8 decades. Yet that is the legacy of James Moody, the genial and fabulously talented saxophone and flute player and bandleader who made his first recordings in 1948, and was working right up until his health made it impossible earlier this year. Early this year we learned that Moody was seriously ill and had to undergo surgery, but it was only last month when we learned more details from his wife Linda: “Some of you know that Moody has been ill for quite sometime,” the letter begins. (Everyone has called him him “Moody” for as long as I Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Given that the PSP Minis are meant to be bite-sized games with a smaller scope and focus, Sudoku seems like the perfect candidate … well, other than all of those ports of iPhone games. The game itself is a classic Japanese number puzzle that is simple to understand conceptually, but challenging and wonderfully addictive. The Hype: This one is bound to keep you coming back for more, even if you aren’t into Sudoku or maybe just never played it before. Life time statistics for each difficulty will have you comparing your skills with friends and family. Newspaper mode is a great addition considering you could easily just hop online and pick any puzzle from… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The calendar says we haven’t hit the first official day of winter yet and your mind may be displaying visions of sugarplums in preparation for the quickly approaching holiday season. But should there be an interest in a convertible in your near future – especially a convertible with a German accent – you might want to start thinking about cheaping-out on gift giving this season so you can save your pennies in time to enjoy topless cruising weather when the northern hemisphere welcomes the return of the sun’s warmth. BMW makes a very nice little hardtop convertible on the 3-series platform but calling it affordable may not be an option for many folks. Leasing may make… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This is one of these amazing cognitive dissonance items: November sales of the PS3 were abysmal, and yet the PS3 exclusive Gran Turismo 5 has an amazing sales run going, moving 5.5 million in under two weeks! So let’s get right to it! Gran Turismo 5 Incredible Sales Numbers Huge sales of a game aren’t news in and of themselves, but this isn’t just any game. Gran Turismo is one of the best loved and best selling franchises on the PlayStation, selling more than 60 million copies since the first game launched in 1997. But the latest game has been through massive delays and other troubles, to the point where some… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

iZup (pronounced, ingeniusely enough, ‘Eyes Up’) is a mobile application developed by Illume Software that aims to help drivers avoid distractions caused by their mobile phones.  iZup holds text messages, e-mails and calls while you’re driving, yet always allows unlimited access to 911 and a list of authorized phone numbers.  Incoming calls are directed straight to voicemail and incoming texts are held while a vehicle is in motion.  Application use and web browsing are also prohibited while driving.   If texting or use your mobile phone while driving is too much of a temptation for you to bear, this may be the solution for you and your loved ones. Being software based, there’s no expensive equipment or installation required — and this is where iZup differentiates from many other safe-driving alternatives.  iZup is currently available for BlackBerry and Android smartphones.  Illume Software has been targeting parents, employers, and insurance agencies with their solution; recently partnering with Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation to make iZup available at a discounted price for their policy holders.   To make it even more appealing, there’s currently a holiday special allowing you to use iZup for $0.99 per month (typically $2.95 per month for a single user, or [...]

We are all feeling the financial pinch!  Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99. It seems that most of my Blue Plate Specials as well as other games I purchase are puzzle games.  When I am not playing puzzle games, they are often racing or shooting games and almost always contain insane graphics and loud explosions.  Very seldom does a cute game catch my eye.  I saw that Dizzypad was on sale for free and thought it looked interesting, so I downloaded.  To my surprise, I… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Brrr … it sure is cold here! I know it is December and SUPPOSED to be cold, but not quite this cold yet! Of course it isn’t ‘officially’ winter yet, but between the cold weather, the constant holiday sales, and the flurry of holiday concerts at school you wouldn’t know it! Anyway, as the weeks roll on, there is no sign of the game sales abating! As usual, I am getting deals from emails from the various digital download sites, as well as the excellent Deals4Downloads who does a great job rounding up everything! There are just so many deals I can only give a sample from each… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

As more and more people get and begin using their iPad in places where they might have previously used a netbook or laptop the need for easy mobile printing continues to grow. Apple began addressing this need with the addition of AirPrint but it has been rather limited for many people thus far. There is good news today in this arena however as Epson America and Thinxtream Technologies have announced the PrintJinni for Epson mobile printing App. The free app will offer native support for the iPad and make printing on the go fast and simple. PrintJinni for Epson… …allows Apple iPhone®, iPod Touch® and iPad users (iOS 3 and 4) to easily print Microsoft® Continue reading on Gear Diary …