reviews

tl;dr: A great (and very inexpensive) alternative to an Apple-branded keyboard. You get what you pay for, and a little more.

Ever since Apple introduced its first 'chicklet-style' keyboards on laptops, I've been a fan. I love the feel of a loudly-clacking Apple Extended Keyboard II, but I can type much faster and more accurately on Apple's newer keyboards, like the $69 Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. I also like the compact footprint and durability of the aluminum-bodied keyboards, even with the larger Apple USB Keyboard with Numeric Keypad ($49).

tl;dr: Offers little more than the built-in iPhone microphone, but it's a good mic for the price, and is very useful in certain situations.

Since adding my comprehensive overview of audio input and microphone options for iPhones a couple years ago, there have been many purpose-built microphones that are made particularly for smartphones. IK Multimedia's iRig Mic Cast microphone is one of these purpose-built devices.

tl;dr: The iPhone microphone I've been waiting for, just a little more expensive than I'd hoped!

[Note: You can win a FREE smartLav, courtesy of Server Check.in (an awesome website monitoring service), by posting a comment on this blog post.]

tl;dr: Excellent modern security system that's relatively easy to set up, and is almost infinitely expandable.

I was recently in the market for a home security system, and the two top contenders for me were the GE Simon XT and the Honeywell Lynx Touch 5100 systems.

I liked both of these systems for a few reasons:

tl;dr: For the price, these cans can't be beat. Durable, simple, and powerful.

In 2005, I bought a pair of Audio Technica ATR-M30 headphones. After helping a band record an album (Lost in Ecstasy, by the Priestie Boyz), three trips to Europe, and hundreds of hours of listening enjoyment at home, nothing except the pads on these headphones has needed replacement (and those are cheap and simple to replace—I bought a set of replacement pads for $10).

tl;dr: The best value for a 60w replacement LED light bulb on the market, but doesn't dim very well. LED lighting still has room for improvement.

Left to right: 100W incandescent bulb, old style CFL, Philips AmbientLED, new 'micro-mini CFL', and a 43W halogen bulb.

tl;dr: Odds are 725:1 you'll love this book! If you enjoyed Star Wars (IV-VI), if you want to learn about moviemaking, if you appreciate art—you'll love this book by J.W. Rinzler.

I've watched the original Star Wars trilogy too many times to count. My Dad introduced me to the series in the late 80s, and since then I've watched the movies as they were adapted for VHS, TV, LaserDisc, DVD, and now Blu-Ray.

I have strong opinions about who shot first, which of the trilogy was the best movie (this has changed as I've grown), the proper viewing order of all six existing Star Wars motion pictures, and which cut(s) of the film(s) were best (I don't believe the 'original theatrical cut' was the best—and I wonder how many people who advocate such a release realize that there were more than one...).

tl;dr: Apple's steady, incremental improvements keep crushing any hope of a competing product with as much polish and panache.

The iPhone 5 is another hit in Apple's line of incrementally-improved iPhones. The iPhone 5 is noticably faster, lighter, and more seductive than the 4S that preceded it. It's aluminum (or 'aluminium' if you're from the UK) case is much more resilient and sleek than the 4/4S's glass back, and it looks much sleeker than the old plastic back on the iPhone 3G/3Gs.

Looks to Kill

tl;dr: A solid value for a reliable wireless mic solution. Perfect for most uses up to 35', and usually good even further away.

The Audio Technica Pro-88W lavaliere microphone system is a very good wireless lavaliere microphone system for a very low price (in comparison to most quality UHF systems). I've been able to use a wide variety of wireless gear, costing from tens to thousands of dollars, and for my money and my projects, I'm quite happy with the Pro-88W.