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EXOGEAR Exolife iPhone 4 battery case review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
Since the iPhone 4 form factor was such a radical redesign from the iPhone 3GS, one annoyance was that cases fitted for the previous device simply don’t fit the new one. Makes sense, but for us that meant parting with our Mophie Juice Pack, which we’ve been rocking for a couple of years. The great thing about it is that it’s basically a case that doubles the power of your iPhone, and it’s indispensable when you are out on the road or traveling. Mophie’s been saying that an iPhone 4 case is coming soon, but they’ve been scant on details, and it looks like a company called EXOGEAR has beat them to the punch with the Exolife iPhone 4 Rechargeable Battery Case. We’ve been using it for a while, and have our thoughts for you after the jump.
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Weekend Reading: Vince Colletta, Gene Roddenberry, Tezuka and Zombies!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics, Independent,
Welcome to the Labor Day edition of Weekend Reading, with a few extra links to help you cope with the extended weekend. Let’s get it started; I’ve got to make the rounds of quite a few barbecues.
Comic Books For Kids: You know who everyone should thank for the influx of great graphic novels for kids? Jeff Smith, creator of Bone. Robin Brenner at Early Word explains, and also points out that while a number of librarians are nuts about graphic novels from NY’s publishing icons, they are somewhat ignorant of the kid-friendly graphic novels actually produced by traditional comic book publishers.
Vince Colletta: I don’t think there’s an inker around who polarizes people as much as the late Mr. C. Scoop reviews The Thin Black Line, a new biography of the inker who “saved the bacon of many an editor.”
Gene Roddenberry: Frederik Pohl remembers his time with the “great bird of the galaxy.”
Superman: Randy Johnson, the writer not the retired baseball pitcher and mustache-worshipper, reviews Jeff Mariotte’s 2007 DC Universe novel Trail of Time. “The real fun for me were the chapters labeled May, 1872. They detailed the gradual coming together of four DC western characters, Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, El Diablo, and the Scalphunter, along with an able assist from Johnny Thunder.” Needless to say, he liked the book, and who among us wouldn’t? I’ve already ordered my copy.
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Vince Colletta, Gene Roddenberry, Tezuka and Zombies!
Epic 4G review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
The Samsung Epic 4G is the second phone from Sprint to take advantage of their speedier 4G service, the original being the EVO 4G. The Epic 4G is part of Samsung’s Galaxy S line of Android smartphones, although visually it’s a departure from others like the Samsung Captivate, Fascinate, and Vibrant from other carriers. You do still get the TouchWiz 3.0 interface, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display. So what’s different, aside from the phone being able to access Sprint’s 4G network? Well, it’s a Galaxy S phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. So, is it worth your time—and more importantly—your money? We’ve got our full review for you, so click on through.
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Amazon Kindle 3 review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews, Wireless / WiFi,
With the release of the iPad, many started writing off dedicated eBook readers like the Kindle and the nook, saying there was no place for devices that were dedicated to doing just one task when there are more powerful devices that can do the task just as well, while also meeting a myriad of other needs. Sure, in theory, that sounds about right; but you have have to take things like price into account. With the third generation Kindle, Amazon decided they’d rethink the price structure for the Kindle eBook reader, while also revamping the design a bit. Rather than going full color like many were hoping for, Amazon instead made the decision to try and make the best eBook reader on the market, and to sell it at an extremely competitive price. They announced the third gen Kindle a month ago, and it has finally started arriving on the doorsteps of eager buyer. So, how’d they do? Read on for our full review.
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Weekend Reading: Breyfogle, Batman, Whedon & Wild Cards
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Interviews, Reviews, Television, Independent,
Welcome to the back to school edition of Weekend Reading. Here are a few things better than homework, unless your homework includes classes at MoCCA.
Everything’s Archie: Norm Breyfogle is interviewed by Matthew Price over at NewsOK. The subject? Archie and the gang at Riverdale.
George R.R. Martin: You know what’s coming up in November, back in print after a decade? Wild Cards 1, expanded with new stuff.
Witchblade: Author Paul Bishop has a favorite Forgotten Book. It’s the Witchblade tie-in novels based on the short-lived TV series with Yancy Butler that was based on the Top Cow comic book without Yancy Butler.
Batman Under the Red Hood: SF Signal has a review of the just-released DVD.
Donald E. Westlake: Whether writing under his own name or his many pseudonyms, Westlake is one of my favorite crime-and-caper writers.
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Breyfogle, Batman, Whedon & Wild Cards
Vampire PA: J. C. Vaughn, Brendon & Brian Fraim
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Independent,
“I finally had the guts to ask Dee-Dee out, but only after she saw me drive a stake through the heart of a vampire.”
That’s Dean Marklin, vampire hunter in suburban Pittsburgh, the star of Vampire, PA, the new 3-issue mini-series from Moonstone. The series is created and written by J. C. Vaughn and illustrated by Brendon and Brian Fraim. Dean’s found himself in the middle of two warring factions of vampires, and one of the vampires, Jocelyn, may be trying to play him for a sucker. Dean’s already killed her once and he may have to do it again.
This “Fistful of Dollars with vampires” set-up delivers the goods, in large part because of the characters. Dean treats his nighttime vampire hunting as a job – a thing that has to be done to clean up his hometown. He goes about it with precision and good-natured humor, and drags along his friend Scuba Dave and girlfriend Dee-Dee. And, except for the wooden stakes and Super-Soakers filled with holy water, he’s got a normal life – he’d like to get married and re-open the town’s aging movie theater. He’s not some super-human guy either – he’s simply doing the best he can to rid his town of these creatures and is still learning as he goes.
Click to continue reading Vampire PA: J. C. Vaughn, Brendon & Brian Fraim
Weekend Reading: App TV, Scott Pilgrim, Scooby-Doo and Brian Keene
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Movies, Reviews, Television, Independent,
If you want to know where the future of TV and games is headed, check out this piece at Gaming Business Review by my old buddy Chris Ulm. A co-creator of Rune, co-founder of the Ultraverse (it was his idea), and now the CEO of Appy Entertainment, he thinks a lot about those kinds of things.
This’ll get you started: “The living room right now is a no-man’s land of standards and cables, universally poor and inconsistent user interfaces, huge numbers of channels, multiple boxes of hardware, hated cable companies, and multiple video game systems, each with its own proprietary hardware and expensive software.”
Scott Pilgrim: John Scalzi explains the failure of Edgar Wright’s movie in terms we can all understand: the value of nerd-love.
The Cleveland Show: Tom Spurgeon’s brother interviews voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson, the voice of Cleveland Jr. and countless other characters.
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: App TV, Scott Pilgrim, Scooby-Doo and Brian Keene
Magic Trackpad review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews,
Apple’s Magic Trackpad is an interesting, although not unexpected, move for the company. For a company that seems to have invested in multitouch as the core foundation of its future, it only makes sense that they’d want to bring it over to the desktop rather than relegating it to their iOS devices and notebooks only. In its simplest description, the Magic Trackpad is a laptop trackpad that you use with your desktop Mac. The question is, is it any good? Is it more awkward to use than the natural trackpad on a Mac notebook? Even more importantly, can it (and should it) replace your mouse? We’ve been using the Magic Trackpad for a couple of weeks, and we’ve got some answers for you. Read on for our full review!
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Cyber Acoustics IC-1000BK iPad case stand review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
The interesting thing about the iPad is that so many people use it in so many different ways, that there are a myriad of different case designs available. For us, we like a case that doubles as both a low stand for typing, and an upright stand for viewing video content. That’s why we generally liked the Apple iPad Case (see our Apple iPad Case video review) that the company released alongside their tablet. The folks over at Cyber Acoustics thought they could improve upon Apple’s take on the case stand with their iCover Leather iPad Cover/Case (IC-1000BK) accessory. It’s leather for starters, which is a nice touch, but is it worth it? Our thoughts after the break.
Click to continue reading Cyber Acoustics IC-1000BK iPad case stand review
Bleeding Edge TV 359: Bartleby’s Book of Buttons Vol. 1
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Apple, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Software, Videocasts, Videos,
We visit the Monster Costume offices to get a look at their awesome new iPad app, Bartleby’s Book of Buttons Vol. 1: The Far Away Land. Aimed at children and parents, Bartleby is a new take on what a book can be when you have the power of the iPad and its multitouch screen at your disposal. Rather than focusing on pages, the book focuses on interaction with the story, character, and elements.
We also chat about the potential future of interactive books in general, and where Monster Costume sees that they can take their publishing platform in the future.
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