Overnight I heard about two deaths in different areas I follow, and I wanted to celebrate the lives of these two under-appreciated talents in the game hardware and jazz music fields. Jerry Lawson People doing designs for video game hardware or software are seldom recognized – in fact, since the systems became so complex in the 80′s that no single person can claim a design as their own, it tends to be the visionary leaders who get recognized. But in the 1970s things were different, you had Atari and Fairchild, and inside of them you had guys like Alan Alcorn, Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney … and Jerry Lawson, the mastermind behind the Fairchild… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This is my husband’s and my pile of things that needed to be shredded; it started in a drawer, was moved to a shelf, and eventually ended up in a bag under our bed. What’s in it? Everything from those “convenience” checks that credit card companies seem to think we can’t live without, to credit card applications that simply need a signature and mail-back to be approved, to health insurance settlement statements, to all those bit of paper that have numbers, names, addresses and other information that get scribbled down when we are trying to be efficient. Why were we saving them in the first place? Because the cheap shredder that Kevin and I bought at… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Humble Bundle is back … this time with games from developer FrozenByte! Here are the details: Pay what you want. If you bought these four games separately, it would cost around $50 but we’re letting you set the price! All of the games work great on Mac, Windows, and Linux. We don’t use DRM. When you buy these games, they are yours. Feel free to play them without an internet connection, back them up, and install them on all of your Macs and PCs freely. There is no time-limit on your downloads. You can support charity. Choose exactly how your purchase is divided: Between Frozenbyte, the Electronic Frontier Foundation Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I just posted my review of Magicka the other day in anticipation of today’s launch of Magicka: Vietnam. My conclusion: I haven’t encountered a show-stopper bug since day 2 -January 26th. All I have had since then is FUN. The game is great as a solo experience, great with friends, and is fun enough that replaying it on FOUR different systems over the last month was never an issue! For $10 this game is a no-brainer: it isn’t perfect but these are the types of customer-first developers we want to encourage. Creativity and risk-taking are dead at the big studios, and it has fallen on folks like Arrowhead to generate great new ideas Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This Gamestop exclusive gives players the Kinect game Body and Brain Connection with the $149.99 hands free Kinect controller, which already includes the Kinect Adventures game.

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. When iAssociate came out on the IOS, I played through it and enjoyed the game. Some of my students recently asked if I was playing iAssociate2. I had not been playing and decided to download the free application. The next thing I know, I am trying to figure out word associations literally every spare moment I have. In fact, the game has become somewhat of an infatuation with the students. It is… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

We reviewed the Magellan Premium Car Kit and RoadMate iOS program last week. The combination is impressive. The car kit charges your iPhone or iPod Touch, adds GPS functionality to the iPod and serves as a Bluetooth speakerphone as well. When combined with RoadMate, Magellan’s iPhone and iPod Touch application, you get a complete in-car navigation system that can go anywhere you do. We especially like the one touch button control in the application. Our conclusion in the review? What I Like: Car Kit: Let’s the touch function as a GPS; Holds the iPhone or touch securely; can be used when device is in most cases; charges the device; includes Bluetooth speakerphone Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The U. S. Civil War was the bloodiest conflict to ever occur on the lands of the United States that addressed several issues regarding Federal authority versus States rights, but ultimately came down to a single issue: slavery. Today marks the day that the war began as Confederate troops fired on a Union garrison at Fort Sumter. There is a great historical recounting of events here: On April 10, 1861, Brig. Gen. Beauregard, in command of the provisional Confederate forces at Charleston, South Carolina, demanded the surrender of the Union garrison of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Garrison commander Anderson refused. On April 12, Confederate batteries opened fire on the fort, which was Continue reading on Gear Diary …

This summer, T-Mobile will be getting the first 4.3″ screened, aluminum unibody HTC device to feature Watch, “an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos and, if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.” Features include a qHD 4.3-inch widescreen super LCD display, an 8- megapixel camera with 1080p video… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Way back in 2009 Dan posted ‘Flipping for Flip Video’, in which he talked about taking his first iPhone 3GS video and speculated that “Flip better move quickly to add features because this thing is going to be huge.” I had my own lament after recently being unable to capture even 51 minutes of video on a 60 minute Flip Mino HD. More recently he noted the updates to the Flip product line, saying “When the iPhone first gained the ability to shoot video I thought it was all over for the Flip camcorder. When the iPhone began shooting HD video I knew it was all over. I was wrong on… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Did someone say “3D”? Well here is a nice deal on a huge 55″ 3D HDTV from Panasonic The Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST30 55′ Plasma HDTV is VIERA Connect Wi-Fi Ready, features VIERA Image Viewer with 3D Playback, has full 1080p HD Resolution, includes Skype Video Calling, DNLA, VIERA Link, and more. Our Gear Sponsor has found a code that will bring you $218.95 in savings. That brings the price down to just $1,399.95. Better still, it will ship for free and there is no tax in most states. Over $200 Off Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST30 55″ 3D 1080p Plasma HDTV via LogicBUY Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I don’t about your place, but every winter mine turns into a trash heap.  (Well, I have two kids, two dogs, and five cats, so it’s always kinda a trash heap; I mean more of a trash heap.)  And then spring springs, people start wearing scantier clothing, there’s more sunlight, you feel more energetic, and you look around and say, “MAN, this place is a trash heap!  Better take care of that!” Email can be the same way.  I think I have email going back to the Reagan administration, honestly–luckily for me, it’s on a magnetic tape the drives (and drivers!) for which can only be found through some kind of major, nerd version of… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Samsung 46″ HDTV w/ Home Theater Speaker System Bundle A 46″ Samsung HDTV is a beautiful thing. One that comes bundled with a digital home theater system is even better looking. And a bundle that saves you $1300 on the combination, well that’s just gorgeous. And that’s today’s New Gear Daily Deal. Here are the details: LED HDTV: Enhance your digital home entertainment with the UN46C6300 LED HDTV from Samsung. Enjoy the stunning picture quality and amazing clarity with a 1080p full HD resolution. The AllShare™ Sync feature lets you stream your PC audio and video files to your HDTV using your remote and with the help of a wired Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Amazon has just fired the biggest salvo yet in the ebook price wars-a Kindle with “special offers”, ie ads, for $114, or $25 less than the non-ad based WiFi Kindle. It will offer ads on the screensavers and along the bottom of the homescreen, plus Amazon is promising you can “customize” the ads you receive on the “Manage your Kindle” page. This is a brilliant test balloon for Amazon. First, starting with the WiFi Kindle is smart. It’s already near an impulse price, and this brings it closer to the magic $99 price point. Plus, if it fails to bring in enough ad revenue to cover the subsidization, Amazon isn’t on the hook for the cost… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Hello , USBFever fans!  Doug here again with the USBFever release for this week.  And this week, the one that I think looks the coolest is the integrated iPad 2 leather case with Bluetooth keyboard.  I love my iPad 1, but do have to admit that for almost any serious work, you pretty much have to get out the ol’ keyboard to get ‘er done in any reasonable amount of time.  (I’m seriously thinking of jailbreaking in order to get mouse functionality, too.)  Other people have come up with integrated keyboard-and-case solutions (I just use my Tom Bihn Ristretto bag), and if I may be so bold, you would be wise to shop around and see… Continue reading on Gear Diary …