September 2011
11 posts
5 tags
Daily iOS Tip #7: Enable Emoji Keyboard
by Adam Meshell
Apple will (hopefully) soon release iOS 5, the next iteration of their mobile operating system, and with iOS 5 an emoji keyboard (you know, cute faces and other icons) will come standard just by activating it as an international keyboard. Until then we have to settle for a little hack. First step, hop onto the App Store, next download Emoji Free!, and lastly navigate to...
4 tags
Review: Doodle Jump for iPad
by Adam Meshell
We can all breathe a sigh of relief because the wait is over, Doodle Jump has finally hit the iPad and for those of you that don;t know what it is, crawl from under your rock and listen up. This game, developed by Lima Sky, is a member of the “endless genre” and, in particular, it is an endless vertical jumper.
You guide the...
2 tags
Dear Netflix, What are you doing?
Written by Drew Greene
In case you haven’t heard, the onset of September brought with it some major pricing changes from Netflix, as users now have to choose between internet streaming services or getting actual DVD’s in the mail. The price increase was quite significant, yet I did not mind. I feel that Netflix, as a service, was already under priced. I believe this market...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Drew’s Pick: Opeth - Deliverance
Opeth’s “Deliverance” is the “heavy” side of a two album concept (the other “Damnation” is much “softer”, a first for the band) that was released in 2002. While many feel this record falls short of the grand awesomeness of earlier albums (“My Arms, Your Hearse” and “Blackwater...
5 tags
iOS Tip #6: How To Kill Apps
by Adam Meshell
OK, so this is one for the true newbies out there, the person who bought an iPhone 4 because you thought it was cute and all your friends have one too. Running many apps at once can cause a huge draw off your battery life and also slow your phone down, here’s whatcha do: just double tap the home button (that’s the cute little...
Daily iOS Tip #5: Quick Scrolling To Top of Page
by Adam Meshell
Hey guys and gals, I’m back today with a little iOS tip for you. This is for when you are looking at a website or a text conversation and want to go back to the top of the page. All you do is tap the status bar (the bar at the top of the screen) and your device will rapidly take you to the beginning. This is also very effective for when...
5 tags
Happy 65th Birthday, Freddie Mercury!
by Adam Meshell
Today we celebrate the 65th Birthday of the former frontman for Queen and one of the greatest songwriting and vocal talents to ever live. Born on September 5, 1946 as Farrokh Bulsara, he was known for a brief time as the pseudonym Larry Lurex where he release a very poor received single titled “I Can Hear...
Daily iOS Tips #4: Fast Return to Main Home Screen
by Adam Meshell
This is an easy one for those of us who have many pages of apps, it will quickly return you to your main, or first, home screen. Say you are on page six of your apps, there is no need to swipe all the way back, just tap the home button and it will swiftly bring you back to page one.
5 tags
Daily iOS Tip #3: Screen Captures
by Adam Meshell
Is there something on your iPhone’s screen that you want to quickly capture or take a picture of, whether it be a sweet text you wanna use as blackmail later or a pic of that a precious kitty you just can’t live without? Just tap the sleep button (the one on top) and the home button (you know, the only other button) simultaneously and BLAMO! you have a screen...
7 tags
Review: Jetpack Joyride (iOS)
by Adam Meshell
So those amazingly evil geniuses over at Halfbrick have done it again, they’ve managed to create another game to suck the hours from our days and keep us all savagely addicted. Jetpack Joyride, formerly Machine Gun Jetpack, is an endless cave shooter where you are Barry Steakfries, basically the company’s mascot, who has become tired of the day...
8 tags
Daily iOS Tip #2: Setting Volume Limits
by Adam Meshell
Here is a little something that will keep your ears happy and hearing for a long time to come. Did you know you can set a volume limit on your iPhone/iPod so the music is never too loud for you, well, you can and here’s how: Tap the settings icon on your iDevice, now scroll down to iPod (when using an iPhone) or music (when using an iPod) and you’ll see an option...
4 tags
For once, the Government does something right.
Written by Drew Greene
Rejoice Team Magenta! There is hope. The Department of Justice filed today to block the acquisition of T-Mobile by Ma Bell. Now I’m not one to favor the government much, but I must admit that I am quite surprised by this swift action from the DOJ. I fully expected the merger to go forward in the same way that all these mergers go, typically the parties involved...
August 2011
14 posts
4 tags
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Adam’s Pick: We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
We Were Promised Jetpacks, with their debut album ‘These Four Walls’, are a boisterous, energetic band with a lively musical style and anthemic, highly accented vocals. Their music centers around face-paced guitar riffs and hammering drums and are definitely influenced by The Twilight Sad and...
5 tags
Daily iOS Tip #1: How to Pause an App Download
by Adam Meshell
Hey, I bet you didn’t know you can pause the downloading of an app or, if you’ve got several in queue to download, you can pause one to begin another. It’s so simple!!!! Are you ready?
On any iDevice, once you’ve made your purchase or update from the App Store the...
2 tags
TML's Podcast Revue: My Brother, My Brother and Me
by Adam Meshell
My Brother, My Brother and Me, often referred to as MBMBaM, is a comedy advice podcast hosted by the brothers McElroy, that’s Justin, Travis, and Griffin. Justin and Griffin are best known for their work on joystiq.com as video game journalists. Justin was also one of the hosts of the now defunct Joystiq Podcast where Griffin...
4 tags
TML's Podcast Revue: The Smartest Man in the World
Written by Drew Greene
Comedian Greg Proops (His Royal Ambassador, his preferred title), has been working in entertainment for years. He is most known for his quick wit on the improv show, “Whose Line is it, Anyway?”, that was popular in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Those skills have not declined, and are in clear display on his podcast “The Smartest Man in...
4 tags
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Drew’s Pick: Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin’
Raphael Saadiq (@rayraysaadiq) has had a long and winding career. He is a former member of the 80’s soul group Tony! Toni! Tone!, and then has continued on to become a popular writer/producer/performer extraordinaire. In the early “aughts” he started to release solo records, and really started to carve out and perfect his...
5 tags
Google buys Motorola for $12.5 billion: What this...
by Drew Greene
Well if you’ve been locked in your tech-cave for the last couple of days, you may have missed the GIGANTIC news that Google is buying Motorola Mobility for the princely sum of $12.5 billion. This has obviously sent shockwaves through the mobile industry, with the consensus seems to be that this is a defensive move by Google to protect Android from further patent...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Drew’s Pick: Kaki King- …Until We Felt Red
Kaki King is known mostly for her amazing guitar playing. Seriously, if you’ve never heard of her, I beg you to youtube, download, or whatever her and watch her perform live. This record is even more remarkable, in that this is the first full band record (complete with vocals) she made. It’s dark, beautiful, and dynamic. Her...
TML's App Review: Evernote
Written by Nick B.
Are you forgetful? Did you forget that job interview or to get those crabs checked out?
Well guess what? There’s an app for that!…..or maybe there isn’t…..I don’t remember…..let me check my notes…..oh wait, there is!
There are many notepad and sticky note apps on the market, but few come with the backup power of the cloud. It will...
5 tags
Review: Fruit Ninja Kinect (XBOX 360)
by Adam Meshell
Fruit Ninja’s jump from portable devices to my huge television was an amazingly exciting announcement and has finally arrived as Fruit Ninja Kinect. Many casual games have attempted this, with some success, and this game is no exception.
The addition of motion controls here are welcome and there could not be a better, more intuitive way of playing...
7 tags
TML's Podcast Revue
Written by Drew Greene
Are you tired of listening to the same music over and over again? Overwhelmed with all the news in the blogosphere? Or maybe you’re feeling down and just need a good laugh? Well, worry not, podcasts are here to help. Podcasting has been around since the nascent days of the digital music revolution. The name comes (obviously) from iPods (remember those?), and it was...
2 tags
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Adam’s Pick: The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead
Hailing from Scotland and containing ex-Mogwai band members, The Twilight Sad are a haunting experience. Musically they are capable of producing an overwhelming wall of sound effect that can fill a room and exercise your ears; the guitars are repetitious and the drums are even more so. This seems to create an interesting sense of...
7 tags
A Closer Look At the Endless Runner Genre (iOS)
By Adam Meshell
The endless runner genre of video games definitely has exploded in popularity over the years and the life of flash games and mobile devices. In these games you find your character, whether it be human, dinosaur, pig, etc., traveling down a never-ending path usually to escape a grim fate but inevitably failing. With so many to choose from you may find yourself endlessly running...
2 tags
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Drew’s Pick: Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
If you are a fan of jazz, you have probably already spent time with Mr. Davis and his wonderful records. If you are like me, and never really got around to checking some of these classics out (with the exception of his stunningly melancholy Kind of Blue); Bitches Brew will destroy what you thought you knew about music....
July 2011
13 posts
2 tags
TML's App Review: Spotify
Written by Drew Greene
As you may have heard, Spotify, the long awaited internet music streaming service, has finally come to the United States (and if you haven’t heard, well, now you have). While the free service is still “invite only”, the invites are not that hard to come by. If you just need to scratch that 15 million song itch, you can sign up for either of their paid...
4 tags
The Apple Core
Written by Adam Meshell
In this week’s Apple Core I am going to shortly point out a couple odd, interesting iPhone/iPad games. All of these apps are awesome, weird, and, best of all, free.
Techno Kitten Adventure: Let’s start with this one, Techno Kitten Adventure. It’s a simple one-touch game where you are a kitten with a jet pack and have to navigate a maze of sorts while...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Drew’s Pick:
Fragile [Expanded] Yes | Format: MP3 Download (106 customer reviews)Price: $9.99
Available for download now
Are you bored with the glut of overly simplistic pop and rock songs on the radio? Then it’s time to dust off the classics. If you’ve never sat through this record, I strongly suggest that you set aside an afternoon, close your eyes, and get right...
Android 101: Apps
Written by Nick Butitta
So, what’s the coolest thing about a smartphone? It makes phone calls. What’s the second coolest thing? Apps!
Apps are what makes a smartphone fun, educational, and sometimes hilarious. It also is a way to personalize your Android with wallpapers and launchers. In this article we’re gonna stick to the basics. The essentials you need to manage your...
The Apple Core
Written by Adam Meshell
My goal here is to write a short weekly article about some simple and probably overlooked features in iOS. I know that I’m a little late to the game on this sort of thing but for every new iOS device that is bought comes a new group of people for whom this information will be relevant. This weeks installment will cover just a few of these features.
iPod...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Adams Pick:
Little Hell City And Colour | Format: MP3 Download (12 customer reviews)Price: $5.00
Available for download now
City and Colour is a side project of Alexisonfire frontman Dallas Green. ‘Little Hell’, the third and latest album, is a welcomed breath of fresh air compared to the boisterous screamo band from which he is best known. Unlike his other two records,...
6 tags
Android 101: Launchers
Written by Drew Greene
In my first article, I introduced you to launchers. Launchers are the interfaces you interact with on your phone. I know this may be a bit confusing at first, but try to think about Android like a cake. The top layer is your launcher, the lower layers are what hold up the top layer (I know the metaphor is a stretch), but are basically independent of the top layer. The...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Adam’s Pick:
The National is a creature of habit and like any of their other albums, High Violet the band’s fifth, is very dark and brooding. This mood stems from singer Matt Berninger’s low, musky vocals combined with repetitive, understated guitar work. The songs on the album are about regret, hate, self-loathing, and love(if only the darker end of that spectrum). All of these...
'8-bit Rally' (iPhone/iPod/iPad)
Rad Racer. Does this name ring a bell, and if so, does it get you excited for challenging retro racing action? 8-bit Rally for the iPhone and iPad has the same fun and fast-paced gameplay that sold us all on video gaming in the early 1980’s.
Presentation
As the name implies, 8-bit Rally has the classic look from the good ol days. The graphics are slick and the smooth framerate provides...
4 tags
Android 101: The Beginning
So, you got a “Droid” (more on that in a bit). Whether you were blissfully unaware of what you were buying, you wanted an Iphone, but couldn’t get one, or you were like me and wanted one, you may be surprised at the capabilities that little machine in your pocket has. And worry not, for you are not alone. With 500,000 new Android devices activated everyday, it won’t be...
Bioshock Infinite!!!!
there are no words…….
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Well folks, you are in for a treat. I know its been longer than a week, and that is why we have decided to give you more than one.
Drew’s pick:
Bon Iver [+Digital Booklet] Bon Iver | Format: MP3 Download (32 customer reviews)Price: $7.99
Available for download now
I know that I am late to the Bon Iver party, nonetheless, if you are in the mood for a chill-out record, this is a...
2 tags
Google+, wtf?
Well, after much consternation, I finally managed to sneak in through one of the cracks of Google’s latest project. My first impressions:
Getting oneself and others into the service right now is downright confusing. I understand the need to control the roll-out of this product, but don’t leave the back door open a bit if you really want to control it. Many of us are still not sure...
June 2011
3 posts
2 tags
Google+, ftw?
Google+
Article From Wired
In case you haven’t heard, Google announced it’s new social network yesterday, and it’s called (oddly enough) Google+. It sounds very compelling, promising to solve a lot of the problems people have with Facebook, while also seamlessly rolling the litany of Google apps into the service. Hit the link to check it out.
Also, there is a great article over at Wired,...
TML's Weekly Music Recommendation
Well, we promised music suggestions/mandatory listening, so here it is for the week.
Beyond the Horizon People In Planes | Format: MP3 Download (9 customer reviews)Price: $7.99
Available for download now
1 tag
Welcome to TML
Hello there. This little project is the brainchild of three friends who love three things; technology, music, and arguing (most of the time about those two topics). So we decided to impose our arguments on the world. Besides bickering, we also plan to bring you tips and trick on how to maximize your daily life with that beautiful little piece of tech in your pocket. So stay tuned, as we try to...
