Review

Mobile electronics like smartphones and tablets are great, but it doesn’t matter who makes them, they all share one weak spot: the display. That big, bright screen is prone to scratches and with touch operation, it’s a magnet for fingerprints. Annoying as they are, the smudges can at least be cleaned off, but once your display is scratched, it’s scratched. The only real option you have is to replace it —and that is an expensive proposition. The ZAGG Invisible Shield Glass is an ultrathin slab of tempered glass you apply on top of your display for complete protection against scratches and resistance to fingerprints. I tested out versions for the iPad Mini with Retina Display and iPad Air and ZAGG Invisible Shield Glass is now on my must-have list for future device purchases.

It’s been a really long time since Wolfenstein was a thing, though for many FPS gamers, it was the first. Some 22 years after the original Wolfenstein 3D graced our 286 computers and sound blasters, Bethesda are now the rightsholders and bring it back in Wolfenstein: The New Order. But was it worth the wait, and is this just poorly rehashed nostalgia? Read on to find out.

Wi-Fi has become the common link between a huge range of the devices we use at home, but it can also be the weakest link. Especially if your router is an older model. If your Wi-Fi network doesn’t seem to be performing up to snuff and there are dead zones where the signal is weak, then you could replace the router. Or you could turn to an alternate solution, such as D-Link’s DAP-1650 Dual Band Gigabit Range Extender/ Wi-Fi Upgrade kit. That name is a mouthful, but in a nutshell, this is a device you can use instead of replacing that router. It’s a less expensive option, for most people it will mean less fuss than having to configure a new wireless router and it delivers many of the upgrades available in the latest Wi-Fi technology.

There are many reasons you might want a wireless networked camera for your home. The primary attraction is security, of course. Being able to record or get a live view of what’s going on inside or outside your home at any given time makes for peace of mind. Being able to open an app on your smartphone or tablet and pull up a live view —from anywhere and at any time— is even better. The cool thing is you don’t have to invest in having a professional security system  installed or pay monthly monitoring fees. D-Link offers wireless cameras to cover just about any home use scenario. In this post, I review the DCS-2330L Outdoor HD wireless camera and the Cloud Camera 2200 HD Day/Night network camera. Both are from D-Link, both are easily configurable and both offer 720p video on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Intel doesn’t usually get involved in PC manufacturing. Components —especially the CPUs that power computers and mobile devices— are its bread and butter. But with the NUC (or Next Unit of Computing), Intel is going most of the way towards offering its own, intel-branded PC. I say most of the way because what you get out of an Intel NUC box isn’t a functioning PC, but a kit that provides much of what you need to build a capable computer, in a tiny package. Lacking essentials like storage, RAM, Wi-Fi card and an operating system, the Intel NUC is about as barebones as retail PCs get, yet its elegant design and powerful CPU make for a very capable little mini PC —once you assemble the pieces you need and install them.

Sometimes your HDTV needs a little help. Sony’s new generations of Blu-ray players deliver a crisp picture and great sound to your HDTV. I tested both the Sony Wi-Fi Blu-ray Player BDP-S3200 and the Sony Wi-Fi 3D 4K Blu-ray Player BDPS-6200 to see how they performed.  Both offer a solid combination of a responsive Blu-ray player and a streaming device.

I just played the new Mario Kart 8. As good as all of the previous games have been, Mario Kart 8 for the WiiU is a cut above.  Quite simply put, it may just be the best Mario Kart game ever made.  Come find out why.

I was both excited and skeptical when I heard that Roland was releasing the F-20. I was excited because of the sub-$1,000 price point for a weighted-action, 88-note digital piano. I was skeptical for the same reasons.   The appeal of a digital piano is unmistakable – especially for families who want to start piano lessons, but are hesitant to invest in an expensive instrument. The Roland F-20 seems to make the commitment to music a bit less painful.

It began with a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 that successfully brought in over $300K in funding from more than 1,700 backers. Since then, it has become a major competitor in the emerging smart watch market. I’m talking about the MetaWatch STRATA, and I recently had an opportunity to take one for a test drive. 

Hit the links with this all new addition to the Mario Golf series! A staple of the Mushroom Kingdom brand of gaming, Mario Golf has been crushing balls for a long time. Now on the 3DS, Mario Golf: World Tour branches into the realm of the third dimension, and with online and local multiplayer, this is one little golf game that isn’t so little.