Review

Pacific Rim review: giant mechs and sea creatures battling? Yes please!

Today is the perfect day to write a review of the iOS version of the Pacific Rim game. I just watched the movie last night. I won’t give anything away for those of you who have not yet seen the epic tale of robots and monsters. But I will tell you that some of the features in the game make more sense after seeing the film.

Pacific Rim is a battle game that pits enormous weaponized robots against colossal sea-dwelling aliens in a melee fight for the possession of humanity…

Isometric lets you create beautiful geometric art

There is something interesting about a rhombus. It looks like a square that has had its corners stretched out through a game of tug-of-war. When you put three of them together, you can make a three-dimensional object.

Isometric takes the interesting aspect of the rhombus and turns it into a fun art app. You can create simple design logos or abstract, chaotic drawings just by tapping your screen…

Audiofly headphones are your new favorite pair [review + giveaway]

Always on the hunt for the perfect pair of headphones, I spent a lot of time at CES digging around with audio companies that made iPhone compatible options. I noticed Audiofly received a CES 2013 Design and Engineering honor and made it a point to stop by the booth. That visit may have been my best choice of the whole show.

Before going any further, I will put my disclaimer in the introduction. These are probably the best earbuds I have ever had the pleasure of using, or reviewing. To prevent everyone from thinking I am getting paid by Audiofly for this review, these are my honest and open opinions, as always. I receive no compensation from the company for my posts, merely the media sample. If you are further concerned, I suggest you read our official review disclaimer.

Moving along, these are extremely impressive earbuds. I am shocked at their balance, tone, clarity and high profile design. Take a step inside for a gushing review of the AF78's by Audiofly. Most importantly, I present to you one of the best giveaways on iDB. To help one of you experience the incredible sound, I worked with the company to provide a giveaway model of the AF78's. Headphone connoisseurs rejoice...

Review: HeadStand from Just Mobile

The fine folks at Just Mobile have always made good products for a variety of Apple devices, but this latest accessory will work in a variety of scenarios. The HeadStand is the company's attempt to create a stand that works well with a pair of over the ear headphones, and it's a product that I've been using on a daily basis for quite a few months now.

If you own a pair of cans, then you either already own a proper stand, or have probably always intended to invest in one. I know I was in the same boat for quite a while, and I didn't actually have a proper stand until Just Mobile sent one over. How does the HeadStand perform? Take a look inside as I break it all down on video...

Carved improves handmade wooden case line for iPhone

iPhone cases vary from waterproof to minimal skins and all variations in between. Interestingly, there are several options that combine the beauty of nature, in stark contrast to the cold feel of anodized aluminum and glass. Carved is one of those companies that pours completely customized and natural elements into each case.

Utilizing wood, Carved hand selects each piece of grained material in their Indiana shop. The whole process takes place in their shop, including the CNC machining and even the shipping. If you want your product double checked by hand, Carved may be your new favorite case company, assuming you love wood...

Seagate Central: a great storage solution for your Connected Home

Always moving forward, Seagate continues to reinvent current solutions. This time, Seagate took a hard look at their previous NAS drive, the GoFlex Home, and decided it left a few things to be desired. In an effort to impress, Seagate tore down the Home and seemingly started from scratch on the Central.

Overall, I am fairly impressed with Seagate's changes to the new hardware and corresponding software, online dashboard, and revamped media app. After speaking with the engineers behind the drive at CES, there appears to be a more prevalent focus on user experience with the new 2013 product line, of which I previously reviewed the Wireless Plus. Leading the charge for a user friendly product, this previously complicated network drive enables even novice users to go from box to operational in less than ten minutes...

PhotoNova 2 gives you a powerful collection of mobile editing tools

I take a lot of pictures. I always have. I’m not a professional. I just like keeping visual representations of my memories. When I got my first iPhone, I was excited to see how many image-altering apps were available in the App Store to help turn my otherwise-mundane vacation photos into something special.

Now, there are so many photo editing apps that it is hard to weed out the good from the bad and find interesting and innovative ones.

PhotoNova 2 is one of those special apps that offer something a little bit different than your typical photo filter app. With it, you can add effects to specific areas of a picture, giving you more control over how you manipulate your images…

Cal by Any.DO review: a simple and beautiful calendar for iPhone

If you are one of those iOS users that has gotten tired of Apple’s 6-year-old operating system design and are on the edge of your seat waiting for iOS 7 to drop, you will be happy to know that app developers are already on the move, making apps that reflect the whiter, flatter look that we will be seeing in a few weeks.

Cal by Any.DO is one of those apps that is taking on the cleaner, more minimalistic look. This calendar app looks so much like iOS 7’s native app that it is a wonder Apple even approved it…

Fast Toggles offers shortcuts to your most used Mac actions

When you spend every moment of your workday in front of a computer, and every second is money made or lost, optimizing productivity is essential. Whether you need to lock yourself out of Facebook or clean up your desktop, distractions can be a disease on efficiency.

Fast Toggles is a system of buttons that give you shortcut access to some of the actions you use the most on your Mac computer. Instead of taking two or three steps to access files and features, hit a Toggle button and get it done in one. It is like having iOS 7 Control Center on your Mac…

Blendamaze adds color to a traditional wood labyrinth game

Back in 2010, I remember getting really excited about iOS wood labyrinth games. My grandmother had a real one one that I loved playing with when I was growing up. So, having one on my iPad was just too cool.

Blendamaze is a wood labyrinth style game that adds the element of color. Not only do you have to get the ball into the hole, but you also have to make sure that it matches the exit portal color by dipping it in paint first…

Saidoka dock cradles iPhone 5 at the perfect angle

Review fans will be quick to recognize the Bluelounge company name as an accessory manufacturer we tend to frequently cover on iDB. Regularity is due to the creative products Bluelounge designs and produces on a continuing basis. The company is an international design studio that creates relevant and well detailed accessories for Apple products. The creative director, Dominic Symons, believes Bluelounge products should solve a problem, look great, and be well built.

To that end, today, Bluelounge announces the Saidoka desktop iPhone companion that is "docked by your side." The clever and streamlined design utilizes a minimal footprint and is an officially licensed MFI dock with a Lightning charging pin assembly built into the cradle. Thanks to a friend at the company, I enjoyed playing with the dock before its public release...

Keep your Lightning cable handy with Nomad [review and giveaway]

Running out of the house with an empty iPhone battery can be catastrophic. We have all been there, stuck in the office, out of town, on a long car ride, when the low battery indicator pops up begging for more juice. Despite many 21st century successes, smartphone batteries still weigh us down. Unfortunately, this causes me to keep a Lightning cable near my nightstand, at the iMac, around the office, and in my car.

To prevent such problems, Kero developed the Nomad cable. Cleverly designed as a keychain, Nomad is a 3", fully Apple certified lifesaver. The seemingly simplistic resolution to an everyday problem prevents charging headaches...