Review: Defender Chronicles – It’s better than Percocet
I thought I’d take a quick moment to give a shout out to Defender Chronicles ($2.99 iTunes link), a game so addicting that it pretty much got me through my 3-day appendectomy stay in the hospital last month and made me forget the pain the way Percocet couldn’t. Since for the most part I was in too much pain to sleep I more or less played Chronicles for 96 hours straight, and was actually a little sad when I was discharged from the hospital because I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would have to go back to work and not be able to play the game every waking minute. Read more
Review: Speck’s CorePack Messenger Bag
Those of you who have been long time readers (you have my apologies) know that I have been searching for the ultimate laptop bag for some time now. Well, I realized the other day that I have been using Speck’s CorePack Messenger Bag exclusively for about 4 months now, and have pretty much stopped looking at bags, so I guess I have found my ultimate bag without even realizing it.
When I first got my new MacBook Pro, I decided I was going to get rid of my giant, bulky laptop bag and streamline my life. I started out trying to make do with a cool laptop sleeve, then moved up to a thin bag, then a medium sized bag, and I have since come to realize I need a big honking man-purse of a bag that can hold tons of things I never use. I am apparently not happy unless my bag weighs around 30 pounds or so, so why fight it? I guess my “always be prepared” boy-scout mentality (that I think I picked up from the Jetson’s episode where Elroy and George went camping on the moon, as I was never a scout myself) is responsible for me wanting to always lug around every possible computer and iPhone cable, disk, and accessory I own just in case anything unexpected should arise. Read more
Review: Scosche’s reviveLITE for iPhone/iPod
Filed under: Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
For years now I have been wanting to charge my iPods and iPhone in dark rooms, but I’ve just been too scared. Well, thanks to Scosche’s reviveLITE, I have been able to take back the night, and can now charge my iPhone with impunity!
OK, that’s a little much. I was going to start this review out by making fun of how companies are adding iPod docks to just about anything these days –including night lights – but the reviveLight actually makes a little bit more sense than some other dock-strosities I’ve seen lately.
Quite simply the reviveLITE is a wall charger for your iPod or iPhone, combined with a light-sensor-activated nightlight, meaning it will turn itself on automatically at night. There’s also a button on the front that allows you to turn the night light feature off, so it can work solely as a wall charger if you’d like. I’m such a fan of sleeping in the dark that I usually have to cover my alarm clock’s digital display to keep me from being annoyed, so I found the night light to be plenty bright enough, although I suppose if you are expecting it to light up a large room you may find it lacking.
Available in either black or white, the reviveLITE has a fold-out arm to hold your iPod or iPhone while charging. This folding design (combined with the folding AC plugs in the rear) allow the reviveLITE to function quite well as a travel-sized charger for on the road charging, especially for those who are afraid of the dark.
I suppose you can use the reviveLITE in any number of locations, but to me the one that makes the most sense would be in a kitchen, as that is a room that has elevated wall outlets (I don’t think I want to bend down every day to charge my iPhone in a hallway outlet) and while a bathroom also has elevated plugs, I’m not a fan of intentionally exposing my iPhone to excessive moisture. I like that the reviveLITE keeps my iPhone off the kitchen counter, away from spills and such, but the kitchen is not really a place I need the night-light feature. I suppose this might be a good fit for a child’s room who owns an iPod (both my kids do) and odds are kids don’t mind plugging an iPod in to a low outlet on a regular basis, but to me I see it more of a kitchen or travel charger.
Issues
The reviveLITE is a pretty simple device, and works as advertised. I only have two issues with it. The first is, my iPhone and iPod touches did not fit in the reviveLITE when in ANY of the dozens of cases I own for them. It’s not a huge deal to take your iPhone out of the case, at least with most cases, but it CAN be annoying, so if the dock had just an extra 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space around it, it would have helped. iPod nano owners should have no problem, however.
Above: The reviveLITE’s sinking feeling.
But the second issue, which despite being less of a functional problem and more of an aesthetic one is, I found the weight of an iPhone 3G appeared to be almost too mush for the reviveLITE to handle, and the device would lean to the left in a not so cool-looking manner. The problem is that the folding AC plug in the back is a two-prong plug, so while a three-prong would understandably have made it harder to fold in, it would have help the unit much sturdier in the outlet, and kept it looking cooler. I should say that with proper, careful placement you CAN get the reviveLITE to usually stay upright for a period of time, but with long charges invariably when I can back the unit had tilted a bit. Given that I have the reviveLITE plugged into my kitchen outlet near rows of straight-lined tiles, the sagging is perhaps more noticeable than if used on a flat wall. If there were a way to add a 3rd prong to the device to help anchor it better, it would alleviate this issue.
Above: Smaller, lighter-weight iPods shouldn’t have the leaning problem I experienced on my iPhones and iPod touches.
Conclusion
The reviveLITE works well as both a folding travel charger and a night light. I found it was best suited for kitchen use, as it helps keep your iPhone off the counter away from spills and such, and it is one of the more commonly used rooms with elevated, accessible outlets. The only real gripes are the reviveLITE tends to sag to one side under the weight of an iPhone, and odds are you will need to remove your iPhone form it’s case to fit it in the rather snug dock.
Price: $39.99
Pros: Works as advertised, holds iPhone up, away from danger, night light is decent (and can be turned off) folds compact for travel
Cons: Not all that convenient outside of a kitchen where raised outlets are plentiful, two-prong AC plug is not sturdy enough to keep reviveLITE from sagging when loaded. Probably about $10 too expensive. Look on Amazon for cheaper price.
Protect your iPhone photos with PhotoMarkr
Above: Don’t even TRY to take credit for this beautiful shot!
If you’re anything like me, you are sick and tired of people taking your iPhone snapshots of cheeseballs and posting them to the web as their own. If only there were some way to add a watermark to your photos while still in the iPhone…
Well, there is. PhotoMarkr (99¢ on iTunes) is a new iPhone app that allows you to easily add custom watermarks to your photos directly from the iPhone.
PhotoMarkr’s intuitive interface allows you to type any text message or choose any image (logo) from your iPhone’s library to use as a watermark. Logos need to be white on black, as seen below, and need Read more
Games you SHOULD be playing: :Shift:
As we all know, I happen to live under a rock (for financial reasons) so somehow I missed hearing about the (apparently) popular online Flash game :Shift:. Well, the game has come to the iPhone (iTunes link :Shift: 99¢), and while I never heard of it before today, I can see why it has a loyal following.
What at first glance may appear to be a simple “run and jump” platformer is actually so much more creative and fun than that. :Shift: is actually more of a puzzle solving game, and it’s its unique controls that make it so fun. The goal of each level is to get to the exit (the door) while avoiding spikey hazards. To do this, you will need to occasionally “shift” (invert) the screen, causing the elements which were black to turn white, and the white ones to turn black. By alternately doing this, you can run and jump your way to the various parts of the board necessary to get to the exit. The idea of shifting may sound a little confusing, but check out the video below (taken from the Flash version) to see what I’m talking about.
The game has wonderfully simple black and white visuals (with an occasional splash of red when you mess up), as well as a great control scheme and overall sense of humor. Even if you are familiar with the Flash version of the game, there is reason to check out the iPhone version, as 25 new iPhone exclusive levels have been added.
If 99¢ is a little too much to part with based solely on my recommendation, then try out :Shift Lite:, the free version of :Shift: to get a feel for the gameplay. In either case, :Shift: is a game you should be playing now.
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