uBooks xl is another one of the very few auto-scroll eBook reading apps for iOS. uBooks xl is a universal app, so it works on all iOS devices including the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iPad mini. This review covers version 2.4.3 of uBooks xl. See the rest →
This is a follow up post regarding the issues and problems encountered when syncing Outlook data with iOS using both iCloud and Microsoft Exchange. After a month of trying Microsoft Exchange to sync with iOS, I am back to using iCloud, now that version 2.0 has resolved many of the problems in the first version. See the rest →
If you are an iOS user who enjoys reading eBooks with auto-scroll, there aren't a lot of apps offering this feature. This review explores Tomes, one of the few auto-scroll reading apps for iOS. I have used Tomes regularly for more than a year, and while it has some quirks and annoying behavior, it's gotten much better with recent updates, and I prefer reading books with Tomes over any non-auto-scroll eReader app. See the rest →
Do you take showers? Do you enjoy listening to music? Have you ever wanted to combine the two? If so, the iShower by iDevices just might be the thing for you! iShower is a water-resistant wireless speaker which works with any Bluetooth-enabled portable such as a smart phone, mp3 player, or tablet. It's also great for other damp environments such as poolside, at the beach, or in the spa. Learn more about the iShower speaker in this detailed review. See the rest →
If you've got an iPad, you know that the built-in speaker is not very loud. The speaker faces to the rear and slightly to the side of the device so the sound is not aimed directly toward you. I'm going to show you a simple speaker volume booster that works similarly to accessories like SoundBender, SoundJaw and tabAmp, but which is easy to carry with your iPad at all times, won't get lost, and won't take up any extra space. Best of all, you can make it yourself and it will cost next to nothing! See the rest →
This is a continuation of my dumbphone chronicles which began with my article on why (as a geek) I still have a dumb phone and continued in a dumbphone dilemma. In my last post, I concluded that I was ruling out the iPhone on Page Plus due to the risk and the cost. Well, all that has changed and I am now using an iPhone 4s on Page Plus Cellular and I am thrilled with it! This post will explain the thought process that led me to this decision and tell you how I made it happen. See the rest →
If you are an Outlook user who wants to sync your contacts, tasks and calendars with your iOS devices using iCloud, you may have been frustrated with some of its… um, deficiencies. The primary issue is that iCloud moves all your contacts and calendar data into a special iCloud data folder which is not fully compatible with Outlook, resulting in a slew of difficulties. This article will explain how to switch from using the troublesome iCloud to using Microsoft Exchange for syncing Outlook data with iOS. See the rest →
Yesterday's announcement of the iPhone 5 got me thinking again about how to get an iPhone on a prepaid, pay-as-you-go cell phone plan on the Verizon network. Not because I lust for an iPhone 5, but because I knew its release would be bringing older models of iPhones (4 and 4s) to market, which I thought could work with a bring-your-own-phone plan--if one existed. So I started researching, and I found out about Page Plus Cellular, which presents some interesting options. See the rest →
Not even a month after I wrote about my journey to musical bliss and my beloved Squeezebox system, I received news that the idiots in charge at Logitech have pulled the plug on the Squeezebox, discontinuing the entire product line. On the evening of Tuesday, August 28, I was browsing my Twitter feed and saw an announcement from @LogitechUE about “something big” to come the following day (Logitech UE is the brand resulting from Logitech’s acquisition of Ultimate Ears). Being the optimist I am, I was hopeful that this would be something to breathe new life into the Squeezebox product line. Boy, was I ever disappointed on Wednesday morning... See the rest →
Funny musings from Odd Thomas on porkpie hats and Justin Bieber. From the Dean Koontz novel, Odd Apocalypse. See the rest →