ArtRage is one of the more accessible natural-media art programs available. It is inexpensive and easy to learn, and available for both Windows and Mac OS X desktop computers, and there are apps for iOS as well. Here's a sneak peek review of ArtRage 4.5, a week before its official release. See the rest →
When I got a good yield from my backyard blueberry bushes this year, I knew I had to make something in the ice cream machine with them. I used a local blueberry wine with blueberries and blackberries for this sorbet. See the rest →
One of my favorite summer beverages is Teavana's Moroccan Mint green tea--sweetened and iced. So refreshing! When I was looking at my last batch of mangoes wondering what kind of frozen treat to make with them, I thought they would pair nicely with the flavor of this tea. And so I came up with this recipe for Moroccan Mango Mojito Sorbet. See the rest →
My latest geek obsession has been making homemade ice cream. Here I share some of the tools I find most useful for making ice cream. See the rest →
Earlier this year, I was in the market for a new portable Bluetooth speaker. My iShower up and died, and my Satechi speaker, though I still like it, began to sound distorted–and it has never had enough volume to use outdoors. The Oontz Angle from Cambridge Soundworks went on sale just in time for my birthday, so I jumped on it. See the rest →
I'm not real big on kitchen gadgets, but the one kitchen gadget that gets used daily in our house is our AeroPress coffee press. All geeks needs their caffeine fix, and here in the hot Florida humidity, we like to get ours via iced coffee in the morning. Here's how we use the AeroPress to make delicious iced coffee in about 3 minutes. See the rest →
This is a comparison of the page layout options in Marvin compared to two of the top eBooks reading apps for iPad--iBooks and Kindle. See the rest →
Ever since I got my first iPad two years ago, I've been grappling with… well, the iPad! Specifically, holding it comfortably and using it in a variety of positions. The Apple Smart Cover is great, but it doesn't let you use the iPad in the portrait orientation, it doesn't help you hold the iPad with one hand, and the two landscape propped positions just aren't enough. I've been through a number of holders and stands for my iPad and have recently found the holy grail. What follows is a summary of all the holders I've tried, what's good and bad about them, leading up to my current holder, the fabulous Gripster. See the rest →
When my bedside cord clutter got out of control, I knew I needed to find a solution. The DOK CR15 is a small power station with a speaker and USB ports for charging up to three devices at the same time. This charging station serves my needs quite well, has reduced my bedside cord clutter, and does not occupy a lot of space on my crowded bedside table. See the rest →
I am very excited about a new iOS eBook reader app called Marvin that has recently arrived on the scene. Even without auto-scroll, the young app Marvin is already vastly superior to every eBook reading app for iOS that I have tried, which is most of them! Learn more about what's so great about Marvin in this article. See the rest →