Review: iSteve

Let me start by saying that in the first 10 minutes this movie revealed itself to be the dumbest telling of the Steve Jobs story it is possible to make.  While boasting an all-star cast( Justin Long, Jorge Garcia), the writing is attrocious, and liberties were taken with the story that will have all of geekdom up in arms.

From Wozniak being an overweight outcast who could barely talk to Steve Jobs and was constantly the third-wheel in every conversation, to Bill Gates opening MicroSoft in Palo Alto across the street from Apple there is not a historically acurate detail to be found.  While I respect the time honored tradition of parody in the american ethos, to be called a parody I think humor is required and if this is supposed to be funny it falls woefully short of it's mark.

Let's hope the world fails to recognize this movies coming

Review: Fila's Skele-toes Virtuous Running Shoes

A few years ago Vibram released a line of what they coined "Finger Shoes", lightweight minimalist shoes that allow for total freedom of movement including seperation of your toes.  They feel like you are barefoot, and people who wear them swear by them.

Enter Fila, who in 2011 released their Skele-Toes.  They successfully countered a lawsuit from Vibram by pointing out that by using their four toe "Easy Slide" design they were not in violation of Vibrams patent for "FiveFinger" articulating shoes.

Now Fila is trying to inovate again, combining the four toed "Easy Slide" design with a traditional running shoe sole.  Called the Men's Fila Skele-toes Virtuous Running Shoes, they are hoping they are the next wave of comfortable shoes.  As you can see from the pictures above it makes for a unique design.  The downside is a shoe that loses the best part of a barefoot shoe, it's light weight and barefoot feel.

I didn't mind the fit, and the extra cushion was comfortable for an extended day on my feet at my high school reunion this weekend.  However I found myself wishing I had worn my earlier model light-weight skele-toes.

Some might prefer the extra cushion and support, but I am going back to the originals.

Review: Google Chromecast

On July 24th Google held a press conference, and the world expected to see the new Nexus 7 tablet for the first time.  What no one expected was for Google to make another play for the TV and connected devices market, but that is exactly what they did with the announcement of the Chromecast.

The focus of the Chromecast is much like Apple's AirPlay with the Apple TV in that new Android apps will now have an API available to allow for video to stream to your TV.  The twist is that you can also stream video from the Chrome browser on any computer or device for which it is available, meaning every operating system and most mobile devices on the market today.

Setup was very easy.  Simply plug the Chromecast into an open HDMI port on your TV and switch to that input, then point your Chrome web browser to the setup page.  Download the Chromecast application and you will connect to the device to join it to your wi-fi network.

That is all it takes to get your Chromecast up and running.  Now any video that you can stream over the internet or even web page can be sent to your TV with the click of a button in your web browser. 

The ChromecastPackaging includes power supply, micro-usb cable, and HDMI extension if neededThe Chromecast's configuration software is dead simple to useThe amazing thing about this announcement is that it included three free months of NetFlix service (a $27 dollar value) for the $35 pricetag.  That means that this device really only costs you $9.00, an incredible bargain by anyone's standards.

Video controlled by the Netflix app on my Galaxy Note and displayed via the Chromecast

Kickstarter Project: Sound Band

A new company named Hybra Advance Technology, Inc. from Traverse City, MI has launched an interesting KickStarter project called Sound Band.  It is a wireless headset that uses sound surface technology instead of speakers for better sound without negatively impacting your ability to hear sounds around you.


They have already completed three design revisions, and are looking for funding to enter production with the fourth design, and have already reached their funding goal in one week.  This is a great project and an interesting new move in wireless portable sound.  Take a look and consider backing them!

Review: LifeProof Nüüd for iPhone 5

LifeProof, the company who has won numerous awards and industry acclaim for having the best protective cases for electronics on the market have come up with a winner this time; a case that is water, dust, shock, and snow proof WITHOUT covering the screen.

By placing a high pressure seal around the edge of the screen they have kept the protection they are famous for without the cause of most criticism for cases in this category: lack of responsiveness to touch.

LifeProof was the first company in the marketplace to achieve IP68 durability certification from the US government, and the design and attention to detail on this product shows many of the reasons why this startup was bought out by the industry leader for many years, Otterbox.

Creative Marketing: Fab.com

Received the latest marketing "catalog" from Fab today, and am impressed enough by this one I had to post. Printed out like '70s era Polaroids are pictures posted to their Instagram feed of hip new items for sale. On the back are descriptions and info on the items pictured, along with a URL to find them quickly.
They may specialize in crazy hipster shopping trends, but they have marketing down to a science.