In my review of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the iPad I said: To repeat what I did with the iPhone version, I will once again rank the four versions of GTA: Chinatown Wars, I would do it as follows: – The DS version has the most balanced overall experience … but worst graphics – The PSP version has the best movement controls. – The iPhone version is the worst version but still a solid value – The iPad version is the best value, has best graphics, solid controls and is my overall favorite Once again, let me reiterate that I think all four versions of the game are excellent, and think that Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes you might have your phone in a pocket or in your gear bag.  That’s not too bad if you have the phone’s ringer on, but what if you forgot to turn it on?  That’s where the Buzzband MB20 comes in. The Buzzband MB20 looks like a fairly simple device that can help you keep that ringer off but still be notified when you get a call.  To get started, the first thing you have to do is pair it up.  To do that, all you have to do is press the only button on the band until its LED lights up steady.  Then, go to your phone… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I just heard someone say ‘I could care less’ … and for some reason it drives me insane! So, as a public service I am putting this up as a reminder: ‘I could care less’ means that you could, in fact care less. I couldn’t care less, on the other hand … The image is one I always have at hand since I found it a long time ago … sort of like ‘Captain Obvious’ and the tin-foil hat ‘conspiracy’ guy… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There has been loads of coverage of the Verizon iPhone release pretty much everywhere, with even my local morning news noting that Verizon had ‘sold out’ on pre-orders for the phone. Now electronics trade-in site Gazelle.com has a special offer – be one of the first 5000 customers to trade something in and claim an extra 10% bonus by using the coupon code “VZW5000“. It is a great deal if you were planning to recycle some older electronics!… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It’s early February, and that means, time to panic! Yup, you thought you made it through the holiday gift-giving season unscathed, and now along comes another holiday where you’re supposed to show good sense, good taste, and a sense of what your partner likes.  And if you think you’ve got it bad, I’ve got three birthdays–four, if you count my deceased Dad–in the same time period!  Not to mention the anniversary of the day I asked Sami to marry me [the 5th], and the anniversary of my Dad’s passing [the 2nd].  It’s a weird month. But worry not: Gadgets and Gear has your back.  This year, they’ve got a couple of glowing… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

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. I have been a fan of HDR photography for a few years. One of my first projects when I purchased a DSLR was to learn the basics of taking these kinds of photos. High dynamic range photos are a combination of a range of different exposures to make the entire photo look as if it is lit properly. With my camera, I take three photos. One that is under exposed, one is… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

When I was asked if I would take a look at the Atomic9 RumbleBuds I was intrigued. I’ve had the opportunity to check out a wide range of different kinds of earbuds but these were the first that claimed to be “gaming” earbuds that give you a “totally immersive, deep-reaching soundscape you love about your games and music.” Let’s take a look GD Quickie-style… From the Company- Just because you’re on the go doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice that totally immersive, deep-reaching soundscape you love about your games and music. Feel the good vibrations of subwoofer-style bass Continue reading on Gear Diary …

No game will remind you of the importance of having a large HDTV better than a little game known as the Super Bowl. Yes, who wants to watch the game (or the commercials) on a small, dinky TV? Large HDTVs have comes down in price significantly and when you add in the savings like our Gear Sponsor finds such TVs can start to look downright inexpensive. That’s what today’s deal brings us… Today’s deal is on a 42″ 1080p LCD HDTV from Vizio. The TV features Full HD 1080p resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 50000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, has two built-in 10W speakers, sports 4 HDMI inputs and more. Normally this TV is… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

all photos courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine When I was growing up, one of my most beloved books was a translation of Anne Frank‘s Diary. Then and now, the story of her life before her family went into hiding and what happened after they were betrayed evoked feelings that are impossible to describe. In 2007, my daughter Sarah and I visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. If you are ever in Amsterdam, you must go … simply must. Ernie Colón and Sid Jacobson, the duo behind The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, again teamed together and accepted the “challenge of rendering the much-mythologized figure of Anne as a credible, real-life child and adolescent.” Their… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

So the day has finally come for the Notion Ink Adam to become a reality. On pre-order day I ordered myself a Pixel Qi WiFi model and my brother a LCD WiFi model. Unfortunately due to some broken hardware reported during initial shipping, mine has yet to even post a ship date. Today the LCD model arrived on our doorstep and so far I can tell you it was worth the wait. After all the bad mojo Notion Ink was experiencing, I think the tablet was well worth the wait and heartbreak, well at least as far as I can tell only handling it for about an hour or so. Here are my initial thoughts about… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

After Notion Ink’s long bumpy road to actually shipping out tablets, today marks the day I finally will have my hands on one. Shipping was postponed for a while due to FCC clearance and finalization of the tablet, but I now have an LCD model in my possession. If I was home when the delivery man showed, he probably would have gotten a hug and possibly a 6-pack for after-hours enjoyment. I ordered both the LCD model and Pixel Qi model, but with shipping damages reported, I have no idea when the Pixel Qi will show. I’m giving my brother (@joescar) the honors of opening this one up since I ordered it for him. Stay… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have been reading drummer Bill Bruford’s autobiography lately after reading an article announcing it at AllAboutJazz. I had thought about doing an actual review, but the WAY in which I read the book told me I should do it differently. This is a true autobiography – not like one of those unattributed, ghost-written Sarah Palin books. The style varies between academic, allegorical, conversational, formal and casual. The writing won’t have you shelving your James Joyce (I had actually just finished re-reading Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man … so there was a bit of a difference). But for me that was all for the better – it all felt… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

SBSH Mobile Software has released Cuckoo. Cuckoo has been available for S60 phones and now it is available for iOS devices. In fact, in the first few months it was available on the S60 platform it was downloaded by more than half a million people. The idea of Cuckoo is rather simple – it gets your iPhone/iPad to chime hourly. It runs in the background and, like a grandfather clock, lets you know when another hour has passed. Here’s the App Store description… Keep track of time with Cuckoo! Turn your iPhone or iPad into a grandfather clock or electronic desk clock or wristwatch! Choose from several sound options, and Cuckoo will chime every hour Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I have a new favorite case and it comes from iSkin. It has the familiar (and personally favored) folio styling. It looks good and feels great in the hand. Its styling is conservative enough for using the iPad in a business setting yet stylish enough that it is anything but boring. And, despite its seemingly simple design, it offers tremendous flexibility with regard to use. Yes, iSkin’s aura for iPad has it all… Including a high price tag. So is it worth it? Read on and decide for yourself. Bear in mind however; “I have a new favorite case and it comes from iSkin.” … Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Fitness fans can experience physical football all year long by tackling this Wii exclusive game with friends, online alone, or try the NFL Combine 60 Day Challenge.