Review

Wireless routers are the unsung heroes of the home Wi-Fi experience. We tend to buy them, set them up, then forget about them. Yet the performance of that network isn’t just a matter of the speed you get from your ISP, it has everything to do with that wireless router. If you haven’t updated yours in a few years or you’re lucky enough to have devices using the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi spec, it may be time for an upgrade. And the Linksys AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi wireless router would be a solid choice. After replacing my own wireless router with the Linksys for a week, I came away impressed with its performance and network management tools —and I don’t even have anything that takes advantage of its 802.11ac capabilities.

There are very few game series’ I’ve enjoyed more in my lifetime of gaming than the Professor Layton one.  It always excites me to no end to get to unwrap and solve another couple hundred puzzles, and I always keep going back for more.  I don`t have to explain how excited I was to hear that the final installment of the prequel to the first trilogy is finally available and also how much I`ve been anticipating having it in my hands.  I did get it, and click below for my thoughts.

Western Digital (WD) has been around since 1970 and is one of the world’s largest hard disk drive manufacturers. I have two Western Digital external hard drives for backing up my computer and they have been great! But WD makes other devices including media streaming devices, which they have had a lot of success with. I recently had the opportunity to test out the WD TV Live Media Player, which is their third generation device so they have continually improved it. Since I already have an Apple TV and a Roku device, I was able to compare the WD TV Live to its’ competitors, and it did extremely well.

Fujifilm has just released a water-resistant camera that can work in sub-zero temperatures. It also comes with a host of new features never before seen on any of the highly rated X-Series, including a monster of an electronic viewfinder!    Today photographer Justin Morrison gives us his thoughts on Fujifilm’s latest rugged release: the X-T1.

One of Nintendo’s oldest bad guy turned good stories is back for its first spin on the Nintendo WiiU!  Donkey Kong, the one time maniacal girlfriend stealing gorilla retired to his Island Paradise in 1994, and with his new found heroism has launches one of Nintendo’s best-selling gaming franchises.  20 years after the first one came out, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has landed, bringing with it some old faces, new tricks and a world where pirate penguins and owls pick on our jungle friends.  Come check out my review of the latest edition of the franchise and see if it’s a worthy pickup for your Nintendo WiiU collection.

As we await the premiere of season 4, we will simply have to settle with season 3 of the highly rated HBO show, Game of Thrones, which is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. Settle? Sorry, I mean indulge. 

  Never be without your music with Altec Lansing Bluetooth Portable Speakers!

Once in a while a piece of technology comes along that blows your mind. For me, a gadget which takes the drain out of a task I dread and makes it simple, easy, and gets me through it fast will score 5 stars in my book, and there is no task I dread more than doing my taxes every year.   That’s why the Neat Receipt mobile scanner is my new best friend, and it’s one of the few I’ve immediately texted about to friends and family for two reasons – one, they know the sad story of my mountain of receipts and my yearly struggle to tame them, and two, I had the joy of telling them I’m actually finished with my taxes a month before the deadline and I’m also caught up on sorting my receipts for next year. Thank you so much Neat Receipt mobile scanner.  

What has been one of the most anticipated RPG launches since its debut in Japan in 2012, Bravely Default is a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, and a kickback to longtime RPG gamers, bringing back elements we’ve not seen for a long time (like job designations.)  With numerous gameplay options and difficulties, and one of the best blended Streetpass systems for the 3DS yet, is this one for the ages?  Read on to find out.