Macenstein

Review: iHome’s iD9 Portable App-friendly Rechargeable Speaker System for iPad/iPhone/iPod

Given that I very rarely move more than 10 feet during a given day, it’s odd how obsessed I am with portable iPhone speakers. I guess it’s sort of like how on the night before the first day of school each year I would run my hands across all those brand new school supplies, with thoughts of the potential of what might be. Similarly, portable speakers conjure up visions... Read More

Review: Epson WorkForce 635 All-in-One

In case you never got the memo, the days of buying a stand alone printer, scanner, copier or fax machine are officially over. There was a time when the idea of buying an all-in-one device was a risky venture, as not only were they expensive, but if any one (or two) of the components crapped out on you, you were left with an expensive and bulky device that now needed an extra bulky... Read More

Games that don’t suck: Helsing’ Fire

GAMES THAT DON’T SUCK is a feature dedicated to games that I think are well worth your hard earned money, but not worth me sitting down and spending 3 hours crafting an in-depth review (these things are 99¢ after all). However, you can rest assured that any game bearing Macenstein’s GTDS rating is worth buying, sight unseen, based solely on my expert opinion. Helsing’s... Read More

David takes on Goliath in iPad publishing biz

Michel Elings and Jochem Wijnands These days the big news seems to be that media moguls the likes of Richard Branson and Rupert Murdoch have decided to make the move from traditional print publications onto the iPad. While this is all well and good, there are a slew of smaller, unknown digital publishers looking to break on to the iPad as well, some with offerings every bit as... Read More

Review: QYG-Power with Click Stand for iPhone 4G

I have no idea why, but I am a sucker for external iPhone batteries. Given my agoraphobic, anti-social ways (and my tendency to rarely leave my cave house) you’d think I’d never need one, but perhaps it is my shut-in mentality that causes me to fear being away from a power source for too long. Whatever the reason, my heart or my shoes (Grinch reference anyone?), I... Read More

Review: iPhone 4 Vapor case by Element Case

I can’t think of a more visually drool-worthy iPhone case than the Vapor case from Element Case. Machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum and then anodized to create a hard protective coating, it is the only iPhone case I know of that still has a 6-week waiting period a full few months after going on sale. Starting at $80 and going up depending on options... Read More

Review: iHome iB969 charging station

iHome has a long history of supplying innovative, well-designed, and horribly named accessories for Apple gear. The iB969 continues these traditions. What is it? Well, you wouldn’t know from the name, but the iB969 is a 4-in-1 charging station designed to charge pretty much any portable device out there, although it throws a definite nod to the iPod, iPad, and iPhone. The... Read More

Review: Ballistic HC case for iPhone4

When it comes to (somewhat bulky) uncompromising protection, Ballistic’s HC case for iPhone4 is perhaps tied with Otterbox’s line of cases in the interweb’s collective mind – but I must say, I think I would give the edge to the Ballistic. In fact, I would give it a solid edge over the Otterbox case in general if it weren’t for one thing… Read on... Read More

Review: OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 4

Given that I have somehow gotten by for this long without a case of any kind for my iPhone 4, it might seem a bit odd that the first case I tried out is one of the most famously protective cases in iPhone history – Otterbox’s Defender case for iPhone. Yet here I am, finally placing my sleek, glass-backed iPhone into not just a case, but a veritable fortress. So, how does... Read More

Review: Fun in the Sun with the Eco Extreme All-Terrain MP3 Speaker

Ever since the app store first opened, I’ve pretty much become addicted to internet radio. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons I’ve chosen to keep my unlimited data plan for the iPhone – I pretty much have to have music everywhere, common courtesy and Wi-Fi be damned. And this summer one of my favorite places to listen to tunes is at the Jersey Shore, Snookie-watching.... Read More