When we built our house, for various reasons we decided not to put a TV in every room; we installed one 55″ LED VIZIO on the wall in the living room with all the home theater options, and we called it good. Well, sometimes the best laid plans don’t quite work out. Over time, we realized that it would be handy to have a second television as backup, so that the girls could pop in a DVD when we were watching something “boring” like the San Diego Chargers and Texas football games, or the Tour de France. Because this second TV would have to go on a bedroom wall (space is an issue), the perfect solution… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

G5 Entertainment has been on a tear with tons of new releases on just about every platform, from Fix-it-up: Kate’s Adventure being released today on iPhone and iPad to new Mac, PC and Android releases coming in the next couple of weeks! Here is the trailer for Fix-it-up: Kate’s Adventure: Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort Do I really need to declare my love for the fun city-building game Virtual City again? I didn’t think so! Well, G5 is going to keep me playing with yet another release – this time a sequel! They are bringing Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort to the Mac and PC… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Sometimes all you need is a set of headphones.  No microphone integrated and no bells and whistles except great looks.  The Legion ear buds from iFrogz fit the bill really nicely.  By the way, the name Legion comes from the X-men character.  Will the earbuds fit the name?  Let’s find out. When I first saw these, the look of them reminded me of a turbine or something you might find on the death star.  I loved the look of these buds with the chrome and light blue coloring being eye-catching without being in your face.  They are also available in black/grey and a neon green.  They are a bit manly looking, but since I am… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Yes we are continuing the giveaways in a big way! This time around we have some awesome laptop, gadget bags to give away. Before we get there just a reminder that our Gear Diary at 5 Day 4 Giveaway: iPad 2 Cases Galore! is still going on. We have great cases to offer so check them out and get entering. Details can be found here. Now on to the new giveaway. CASES!!!! Here’s what we have to give away. Number 1   Continue reading on Gear Diary …

If you’re looking for an iPad and don’t need the latest and greatest, Target has an amazing sale right now. They are offering original iPads for as low as $449 for 16gb with 3G! That’s a steal, as long as you can live with the slower processor and no smartcover compatibility. Perfect for a kid, or someone who isn’t too picky about being cutting edge. I also wonder why there’s a big push to suddenly clear out iPad 1 inventory. Maybe Tim Cook has an October surprise up his sleeve? If you snag a discounted iPad 1, let us know in the comments, and commence your shopping at Target’s website! 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. The past month I have been revitalizing my love for music by using MOG music subscription service. In fact, I have spent more time listening to music in that time than I probably listened to more music than the prior year. While laying down for bed recently, I told my wife that I used to love to cue up my favorite mix tape cassette and fall asleep while listening. The cassette would always stop when it reached the end. My iPhone does not do that! When I broke that news to her she replied, “you… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

No … this isn’t a one-day Amazon app store deal that will be of questionable long-term value, but the developer choice to put out their excellent game on Android for free! From the Noodlecake Studios blog: Well, you asked for it. Enough times, in fact, that we decided to just go ahead and make it. We are happy to announce that SSG will finally arrive on the Android Marketplace September 22! The ‘droid version includes all the holes, hazards and heartbreak fans have come to expect from Super Stickman Golf. With over 1 billion strokes taken so far, we are thrilled to bring the challenge to a whole new group of golfers. It’s Continue reading on Gear Diary …

There was considerable coverage of the content of the ‘What an artist makes’ article I did last week, with Digital Music News kicking it off, and Gizmodo and others getting in on the same action. The focus of the article was to show just how much the band would make from their album based on a variety of listening choices, from streaming through buying vinyl. The obvious fact is that the greater the cost and lower the overhead … the more the band made. One message that some have been spreading for a few years is that an outcome of the success of streaming media is made at the… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

(Image courtesy of Apple) The world is a big place. At the turn of the century trying to visit loved ones who lived halfway across the world took months. Now, we can fly from one side of the globe to the other in less than a day. And even when we aren’t physically technology enables us to feel as if we are. I was reminded of this when FaceTime and iOS brought me closer to my wife AND saved us money in the process. My wife and I live in the midwest, but she is from Thailand. She is visiting her family for an extended period of time and we wanted to keep… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Great news! Kindle library books have arrived! What’s really cool is that it sounds like the process will be (mostly) wireless! eBooknewser has the details: Note that you cannot download over 3G, so even though the original Kindle and the K2 can both read the library eBook, you will need to use a USB cable to transfer the eBook. The process for downloading to the Kindle WiFi is pretty much the same as when you buy an eBook from Amazon. First you will need to check out the eBook, and when asked you will need to select the Kindle as your preferred device. This will take you to Amazon, and from here you can Continue reading on Gear Diary …

It seems like every month Amazon is featuring a ‘tweet for credit’ deal. This time it is a credit for the Amazon App Store for Android. The link is here, and here is the description: Click the button below and you will: Connect your Amazon.com and Twitter accounts. If you are not already signed in, you will be prompted to do so. Automatically follow @amazonappstore on Twitter. The message “I just got a $2 credit for Android apps from the @amazonappstore. Click http://amzn.to/tweetapps2 to get yours. #get2″ will be automatically tweeted from your Twitter account. Head to Amazon and claim your $2 App Store Continue reading on Gear Diary …

The folks at iFrogz were kind enough to send me a set of their brand new Vertex line of headphones to check out.  Will they sounds as good as they look?  Follow along for a detailed look at all the features of the Vertex Headphones. It used to be that if you wanted a wired set of headphones with a mic, you were stuck using in ear or ear bud designs.  Several manufactures have started adding a microphone to headphones that are not ear buds now that it’s far more common to use your phone as a music device. The Vertex is one of these set of headphones. Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Jimi Hendrix – ‘Winterland 5 CD Box Set’ Jimi Hendrix – ‘Winterland 5 CD Box Set’ For anyone who has ever played or aspired to play the guitar in the last half century, Jimi Hendrix must surely place on the short list of influences and inspirations. Regardless of what you think about his lifestyle, drug use, or even the music of that era, there is really little debate about the raw talent and visionary approach Hendrix had as a guitarist. But guitar talent alone is not enough to carry a career – and self-destructive behavior certainly never helps! So Hendrix had a great run between 1967-1968 … and meandered thereafter… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

I became excited when IOS apps started utilizing guitar functions. We can tune our guitars, look up tabs, learn new licks and even play them through our devices. Basically, your iPhone or iPad can make you a mobile musician or studio with little equipment to carry. Peavey teamed up with Agile Partners and brought us AmpKit which basically turned an IOS device into an amp modeler, multi-effects processor and pocket recording studio. I reviewed the initial release here a little over a year ago. This Tuesday, Agile Partners kicked up the already awesome application with the 1.2 release. I was fortunate to get a jump and try out a copy a few days… Continue reading on Gear Diary …

Tower defense games come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and approaches, but in general they all involve keeping enemies at one end from getting to your base at the other end. Games like Fieldrunners and Plants vs. Zombies and Defense Grid: The Awakening are great games that exemplify the breadth of the genre – and the various apps stores, casual game sites and digital download houses are filled with generic clones of those games. Now we have a game that takes a different approach – and works surprisingly well! Let’s take a look. The Hype: Tesla Wars is an awesome action and tactic game. Your goal is to defend the last… Continue reading on Gear Diary …