Tech Critiques Tech Reviews

iPhone 4 Bumper Case

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:40:27 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 156

This week in the news we talk about the Apple press conference held Friday July, 16. Apple is holding this press conference to talk about the iPhone 4 antenna and reception issues when the phone is held in a certain way. Also in the news Picnik's online photo editor has been rolled into Google's Picasa Web albums. Now Picasa users can quickly edit their photos online without having to switch to a PC application to edit their photo and then re-upload the edited image. Google debuts their App Inventor tools for everyone. These new App Inventor tools are designed to allow anyone to quickly create a Android App for their phone. Maybe this will be the thing that helps to bring more cool apps to the Android Market Place. Your HDMI cables could soon be replaced by a new HD cable technology. Know as HDBaseT, this new cable technology allows HD video to be sent over standard Cat5e and Cat6 Ethernet cables. Lite-On has some new light bulb technology that uses LED's. The cool thing about Light-ON's new LED light bulbs is that they can stay on even when the power goes out, giving you about 2 hours of light.

Eco-Vue for iPad
The Eco-Vue is a stylish eco-leather folio case for iPad that delivers 3 solutions in 1. A tuff leather case, a cool horizontal stand and unique hand strap that makes it easier to hold your iPad.
Review Grade = A-

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AppleJack
AppleJack is a user friendly troubleshooting assistant for Mac OS X. With AppleJack you can troubleshoot a computer even if you can't load the GUI.
Review Grade = A

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Microsoft Kin is Dead

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 19:40:31 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 155

This week in the news we talk about the Microsoft Kin is dead. It barely even got started and Microsoft has decided to kill off the Kin line of mobile phones to concentrate on Windows Mobile 7. It looks like Hulu Plus will be coming to the PS3 also as a download able application. But at a extra cost to Hulu Plus users you will also have to have a subscription to Playstation Plus. We go over a interesting article that describes the 5 things old media still doesn't get about the internet. The old media companies are definitely stuck in their ways and need to catch up with the times. An iPhone 4 camera was used to shot an entire HD commercial. They even mounted the iPhone 4 to a remote control helicopter to get some really cool shots for the commercial. We also talk about the iPod Touch could be coming with a front and back facing camera this time around.

Comics by Comixology
A multi publisher comic book store on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It’s the coolest way to read digital comic books.
Review Grade = A

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Predators for iPad
A cool futuristic top down game that is playable on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
Review Grade = A

Phone Disk
Mount an iPad, iTouch or iPhone to USB disk mode on a Mac or PC.
Review Grade = A

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iPhone 4 Reception Fix

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 16:01:56 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 154

This week in the news we talk about the Apple iPhone 4 reception issues. And how Apple is going to fix the problem also why something as major as this was not found before the iPhone 4 was shipped out. Amazon and Barnes and Noble are cutting the prices on their respective ebook readers to better compete with the Apple iPad. The rumor of the new Hyundai Equus luxury car including an Apple iPad is true. Hyundai is axing the idea of a printed user manual and is instead giving it’s customers a digital version on the iPad. It kind of makes you want to buy a Hyundai. Radio Shack has a new electronics trade in program that includes iPhones. Customers can trade in their old iPhones for store credit towards the new iPhone 4. Also the iPad camera connection kit is a hot item on Ebay right now. With a 4 week wait to get one direct from Apple, the camera connection kit is going for double and triple the retail price on Ebay. Lastly Hulu has announced a new mobile app Hulu Plus for the iPhone and iPad that lets you watch Hulu but for a price.

iBooks
An interesting way to read and buy books from your iPad or iPhone.
Review Grade = A

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Hulu Plus
More of your favorite shows in HD, now on iPhone, iPad, TV and much more.
Review Grade = A

iWork.com
iWork.com is a simple and secure way to share your documents online with friends and family.
Review Grade = A

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E3 2010

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:22:35 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 153

This week in the news we talk about E3 2010 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). And all the new gaming hardware and software that was announced this week at the show. Microsoft has released their new Xbox 360 slim console to replace the older larger version. Which was also prone to dying with the red ring of death that required you to replace your Xbox. Microsoft also revealed their new motion based controller for Xbox called Kinect. It was formerly called project Natal but is now know as Kinect. Sony has released their new premium Playstation Network called Playstation Plus. Which will offer some premium downloadable content for a monthly or annual fee. The word is still out on whether people will sign up for Sony's new premium service or if it's worth the price of admission. Sony also announced an official release date for Gran Turismo 5 November 2, 2010. It turns out the rumors were true about Nintendo coming out with a new Nintendo 3DS. The new Nintendo 3DS has some interesting new features along with the ability to play 3D games without any 3D glasses

Safari 5
It has innovative new features that improve the way you view the web. And powerful new tools to help developers enhance and customize the browsing experience altogether.
Review Grade = A-

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Sheepsaver
What is SheepShaver? SheepShaver is a MacOS run-time environment for BeOS and Linux that allows you to run classic MacOS applications
Review Grade = B-

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WWDC 2010

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:17:30 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 152

This week in the news we talk about the WWDC 2010 (World Wide Developers Conference). And all the new products that Steve Jobs announced (iPhone 4, iOS 4, Safari 5, and FaceTime) at this years developers conference. We also discuss a major Adobe bug in their Flash player, Acrobat Reader, and Acrobat. The bug in these Adobe applications is so critical because it allows your computer to be remotely taken over by a hacker. Adobe has quickly released a update for their Adobe Flash player that closes this security hole with Flash. We should expect a update from Adobe for Acrobat Reader and Acrobat in the near future. Also this week Microsoft has released their free web based MS Office applications for Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote. Also I make an announcement about me switching platforms, listen to the podcast to find out which platforms I am switching from and too.

Microsoft Office Live
Microsoft’s first web based Office software. Designed to allow you to view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote documents online.
Review Grade = C

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JayCut
Engage your audience with the world's premier online video editor seamlessly integrated on your website, or edit your own videos on JayCut's community.
Review Grade = B

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All Things Digital

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 19:52:08 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 151

This week in the news we talk about what happened at the All Things Digital D8 conference. Where Steve Jobs and several other technology CEO's spoke and gave their views on the current state of the industry. Apple is planning to open a second Apple Store in the Columbus, Ohio area. This new Apple Store is near the Tech Critiques Lab but still not close enough for our needs. Google has decided to stop using Windows based computers. This decision comes after last years security breach of a Windows based computer at the Google corporate headquarters. GM (General Motors) has announced that they will be partnering with Google and using the Android OS for the new Chevy Volt hybrid car. Also the Android OS will be used to update the GM OnStar Telematics service so that it can better compete with Ford's Sync system. RIM (Research In Motion) is partnering with BMW to allow their iDrive system to control a BlackBerry smart phone. The new iDrive system will be able to read emails to the driver. Target department stores is launching a new phone based coupon program. Customers will now be able to get coupons on their phone that will scan at the store when they make a purchase. And lastly AT&T has changed their iPhone data plans from unlimited to be capped at 2GB per month but they will now start to allow tethering your iPhone for an additional fee.

Ccleaner
CCleaner is the number-one tool for cleaning your Windows PC. It protects your privacy online and makes your computer faster and more secure.
Review Grade = A

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BioDefense HD
A real-time strategy game where you're defending your base against waves of relentless zombies.
Review Grade = A

Space Station: Frontier HD
A well-rounded and well-designed game that's perfect for any strategy gaming fan.
Review Grade = A

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Google TV

Fri, 21 May 2010 19:17:13 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 150

This week in the news we talk about Google TV and what this will mean for the current TV industry. Will Google be able to change the way we all consume television with Google TV and their new WebM video format. Sony is rumored to be announcing at this year's E3 conference a premium PSN (PlayStation Network) service. It is not known what features the premium PSN service will have but we will find out next month at E3. Universities are now second guessing their decision to go with Gmail as their email provider, because of security concerns. The university of California, Davis has stopped using Gmail for it's faculty and staff members. T-Mobile is making major changes to it's pricing on mobile phone data plans. Which will be good news for consumers and high data users on mobile devices. A California hospital has decided to roll out iPads to some of their doctors and staff members. The iPads will let doctors spend more time with patients and it could replace some staff laptop computers. Also Google honors the 30th anniversary of Pacman by turning the Google logo into a playable web version of Pacman.

Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware. It includes a number of features, including a built in protection monitor that blocks malicious processes before they even start.
Review Grade = A

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7.0 Megapixel Camera
Turn your iPhone into a powerful camera with fantastic 7.0 MPX and 5.0 MPX resolutions and many more features!
Review Grade = A

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EA Sports It’s Not in the Game

Fri, 14 May 2010 19:27:30 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 149

This week in the news we talk about Electronic Arts and their planned new Online Pass feature for all of their future sports titles. EA will now start charging consumers an extra 10 dollars for the privilege of being able to play their games online. Opera has joined the Flash Wars and sided with open standards and not Adobe Flash. Opera believes the future of the web is open standards and Flash is not an open web standards technology. iPad users on Windows are being targeted with a new malware threat. Windows users are getting emails designed to trick them into downloading a fake iTunes update, which can take over thier computer. A new study has come out that shows the Sony PS3 console has the highest percentage of online systems in the US. This probably has something to do with the PS3 online price FREE. Also some car fans are finding ways to put their iPad into their car's. We have a interesting video of an official iPad car mount from Scosche.

Reviews include
Aviary Myna
A next generation web based online audio editor that rivals some desktop audio editing applications. Use Myna to remix music tracks and audio clips.
Review Grade = A-

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Bryce 3D
For over a decade, artists of all mediums - print, video, multimedia or the web - have known Bryce, the affordable 3D software for achieving breathtakingly realistic imagery.
Review Grade = A

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Super Street Fighter 4

Fri, 7 May 2010 19:48:45 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 148

This week in the news we talk about the video game company Capcom. And the possibility that they could be coming out with DLC (downloadable content) for their Street Fighter 4 iPhone game. Rumor has it that there will be more characters coming to the game soon via a software update. A TV station in Georgia is giving their employees iPads to reduce wasted paper. And to potentially save money on printer consumables and printer repairs. The Cub Scouts have introduced a new merit badge for video games. Now they can receive a badge for doing what the love. HP has just bought Palm for a large sum of money. We discuss what we think the future holds for Palm and the Palm OS. If you are in China Apple is not selling the iPad there yet. But you can get some really in-expensive iPad knock offs that run Windows 7. Doug talks about jailbreaking his iPhone and iPad.

Reviews include
Super Street Figher 4
The critically acclaimed 2-D fighting game returns. Super Street Fighter® IV packs in new fighters, new Ultra-Combos, several new Online modes, and the return of the famed Bonus Stages - all for only $39.99.
Review Grade = A

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Spirit Jailbreak
Spirit is an untethered jailbreak for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch on the latest firmwares. Spirit is not a carrier unlock.
Review Grade = A

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McAfee Anti-Virus

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:30:29 -0400

Tech Critiques Episode 147

This week in the news we talk about McAfee anti-virus and their release of a bad virus definition update. Which caused Windows XP computers to repeatedly reboot. We reveal some of the hidden secrets of iPhone OS 4.0. These hidden features were found while playing with the iPhone OS 4 beta that was released to developers. It looks like Sony is taking away the ability of the older PS3 systems to run multiple operating systems like Linux. The latest PS3 firmware update 3.21 from Sony will remove this feature from your PS3. The FCC has released a mobile application to help consumers test wireless broadband coverage in their area. Some Canadian networks are testing inter-carrier video calling. Could this be a sign of what's to come for the next generation iPhone, especially since now we know it will have a forward facing camera.

Reviews include
Actiontec GT701R
The Actiontec GT701R is a full rate ADSL 2/2+ modem and a router, capable of networking up to 256 computers using wires.
Review Grade = A

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Air Video
Air Video can stream videos in almost any format to your iPhone and iPod touch. You don't need to copy your videos to the device just to watch them.
Review Grade = A

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