CompuLab Trim-Slice

Posted on January 19, 2012 by mike

“For the last few months, I have been pontificating the seismic shift in the application development world thanks in part to the accelerating momentum behind tablet computing. But even with these new client user interfaces, there remains the need to connect to a remote back-end to allow the clients to do something interesting and worthwhile. If your needs are specific and highly targeted, and you also want to benefit from a quiet running computer with very low power needs, Israeli-based CompuLab has an attractive offer for developers to consider. Its Linux-friendly Trim-Slice desktop system is available in an aggressively priced developer configuration that is worthy of a closer look.”

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Spark Headphones

Posted on January 12, 2012 by mike

“It’s not often that a manufacturer attributes their product’s design inspiration from an automobile spark plug, but that’s the case with id America’s Spark headphones. Do these headphones bring a spark of excitement to your audio or do they shock your ears with a blast of voltage?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Just Mobile Highway

Posted on January 12, 2012 by mike

“The Just Mobile Highway is billed by the manufacturer as “the high-design, high-performance in-car charger for iPhone, iPad and other USB-powered devices.” Is this high-end, Apple certified charger worth the price?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

techBASIC and Seeed Studio’s HiJack Dev Kit

Posted on January 5, 2012 by mike

“After posting my series on Post-PC development, I was contacted by several vendors who have already made the leap into the on-tablet application development space in a big way. One of these companies is Byteworks, the developers behind the recently released techBASIC for the iPad.”

Read the full article.

Posted in Hardware | Tagged | Leave a comment

XtremeMac Zip Folio

Posted on January 3, 2012 by mike

“Yet another iPad 2 case has come to market, but unlike the dozens of others, the XtremeMac Zip Folio features a zipper that protects all sides of the iPad, not just the inside edge as is the case with most iPad cases. In addition to the zipper, the Zip Folio also houses interior pockets for business cards, paper notes, pens and other styli. Is it worthy of consideration in the crowded case category?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Optrix Helmet Camera Mount

Posted on January 2, 2012 by mike

“I have reviewed a number of mounts for the iPhone, but the Optrix Helmet camera mount is the first one I’ve tested that bolts the iPhone to a sports helmet. Designed primarily for fans of intense sports benefiting from a first person perspective video recording, the Optrix encases the iPhone or 4th generation iPod Touch in a plastic housing that protects Apple’s hardware from the elements.”

Read on to learn how the Optrix performs in the real world.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Grace Digital Audio Eco Pod

Posted on December 30, 2011 by mike

“iPhones and iPod Touches are well constructed devices, but they weren’t designed to directly take on the harsh elements of rain and snow. For those like me who prefer an active outdoor lifestyle, encasing the iPhone in a durable, waterproof container is just as important as listening to podcasts and music on the go. Fortunately, the folks at Grace Digital Audio recognized the same needs and created the Eco Pod case to protect the iPhone from the more electronics-unfriendly external environments.”

Read the full review.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Scosche fitRAIL

Posted on December 29, 2011 by mike

“If you use the iPad everywhere you go like I do, one of those places is the gym. But the problem with most stationary workout equipment like stair climbers and treadmills is that their display shelves were designed to hold inexpensive paper magazines, not a five hundred dollar plus tablet computer. Scosche, a company well-known for its stellar audio products, has designed a bracket to address this very limitation. How does their fitRAIL hold up throughout a heavy workout?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Satechi R1 Tablet Stand

Posted on December 27, 2011 by mike

“In addition to cases, stands for iOS devices represent a very crowded market. There are many configurations and designs to chose from. In order to be seen above the ocean of products, a designer has to hit a sweet spot that satisfies what others have not. Has Satechi’s R1 tablet stand hit that spot?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Three Quick App Reviews

Posted on December 21, 2011 by mike

“As this holiday season reaches its crescendo, thousands of iOS developers worldwide are releasing new applications in hopes that their work will be recognized and appreciated by hundreds of thousands of new iPad or iPhone gift recipients. This post takes a brief look at some of the latest diversity of app releases available today: an app for your health, for your time and for your leisure.”

Read the reviews here.

Posted in Applications | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Interview with Martin Odersky

Posted on December 18, 2011 by mike

My interview with Scala language designer Martin Odersky where we discuss the new version of the Typesafe stack, built on Scala, which could revolutionize distributed computing. We also discussed Scala on Android, the Scala IDE for Eclipse, and more.

Watch the video.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Coding in a Post-PC World, Part 4

Posted on December 18, 2011 by mike

“This is the fourth and final installment on writing code for a post-PC way of life. Part 1covered the hardware.Part 2 covered the software. Part 3 covered the cloud. When all these aspects come together, they work harmoniously. But baby, we still have a long way to go before developers will leave behind their laptops en masse and opt for this early glimpse of what the future holds for those who love to code.”

Read the full article.

Posted in Development | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Coding in a Post-PC World, Part 3

Posted on December 7, 2011 by mike

This is the third installment on writing code in a post-PC environment. In Part 1, I talked about my hardware of choice. Part 2 reviewed the software used to run on that hardware. This post discusses the cloud-based services I use to keep my app development in sync. The two services I link into the most when developing with a little help from the cloud are Dropbox and a variety of virtual machines.

Read the full post.

Posted in Development | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Gum Max

Posted on November 29, 2011 by mike

“Just Mobile, a company predominantly known for their iPad and iPhone stands and holders, also has a line of products to provide backup power to those devices. With the release of their Gum Max backup battery, Just Mobile offers iPad users a solution that’s hard to pass up. What makes the Gum Max better than the various other external battery backup solutions?”
Read on to find out.

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Coding in a Post-PC World, Part 2

Posted on November 24, 2011 by mike

“Welcome to my second installment on writing code in a Post PC environment. In Part 1, I talked about my hardware of choice. This post discusses the software I use on both Android and iOS devices to achieve my programming objectives.”

Read the post here.

Posted in Development | Tagged , | Leave a comment

OtterBox Latch

Posted on November 23, 2011 by mike

“As the number of cases available for the iPad continues to expand, manufacturers are continually challenged with finding creative designs that differentiate their products from the competition. Some case manufacturers focus on durability, others on aesthetics and still others on specific use cases. OtterBox, a company known for its nearly indestructible gadget containers, has chosen a sturdy holder and sling approach for The Latch. Does it work as intended?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Case Logic iPad Attaché Review

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mike

“As I continue to convert my computing lifestyle into the Post PC era, I find myself still weighed down by power bricks, cables and keyboards. Fortunately the designers at Case Logic have developed the perfect solution for my needs.”

Read on to learn why Case Logic’s iPad Attaché rules!”

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment

Coding in a Post-PC World, Part 1

Posted on November 11, 2011 by mike

“The latest trend that has captured my attention is the impact of a Post-PC world on software development. I’m not talking about how we are using our PCs to run mobile device emulators and simulators to write software for those platforms. I’m talking about actually using those new hardware devices to write code.”

Read the full post.

Posted in Development | Tagged , | Leave a comment

IK Multimedia Extravaganza

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mike

“IK Multimedia has been a company on a roll lately, with a slew of hardware and software products tailored for amateur and prosumer musicians. Whether its stands and clips for iPhones and iPads or multitrack recording and sampling software for the iOS platform, IK has been expanding their catalog at a prodigious rate. Their latest releases include a MIDI hardware connector for the iOS platform, a sound sampler app and a iPad version of their popular VocaLive software.”

This review will take a closer look at each.

Posted in Accessories, Hardware | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Universal Tablet Headrest and Twist360

Posted on November 3, 2011 by mike

“With the rapid ascent of tablet popularity, headrest mounts are quickly becoming a means to convert a tablet into an inexpensive, high-end in-car entertainment system. Getting a bracket that is durable, reasonably priced and firmly holds the tablet in place can be a challenge. Do Bracketron’s two headrest mount products exceed these baseline expectations?”

Read on to find out.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged | Leave a comment