So at midnight (PST) ngmoco:) relleased it “sequal” to We Rule and the Farmville killer “We Farm.” So lets get into my review.
Farmville has only just appeared on the iPhone, and ngmoco is already testing the waters with their own farming sim, We Farm. If you thought We Rule was the developer’s answer to the Facebook farming phenomenon, you were only half right.
Everything about We Farm should be immediately familiar to We Rule fans; from the plot of land you are originally assigned, to the farms (called gardens) you have to maintain, to the Gro (think Mojo) you have to purchase to speed up various processes, there is little initial difference between the two games.
The differences become more apparent as you play through the tutorial which quickly progresses you to a level 6 farmer. Building a coop allows you to raise chickens (and later ducks and, I assume, other fowl as you progress in the game) which you must pet to keep happy. This latter innovation brings a simple type of Tamagochi pet management to We Farm, but it remains to be seen if this is developed at later levels in the game. I’m currently building some of the other farm areas available during the early stages in the game, so it remains to be seen what other new features We Farm will surprise me with.
The overall presentation of We Farm is, if you can believe it, even more cartoonish and exaggerated than We Rule, and the sound effects and music complement this approach perfectly, with frequent interludes of hayseed, down home banjos and harmonicas. It definitely has its charms, but will fans of We Rule want to build a similar mini-society in a similar way? The two games are very much alike.
We Farm is available on all of your iDevices.
Personally I love We Rule and can not wait to level up on We Farm. If you want to add me email me at conner@techgeec.com and I’ll give you my username so we can be friends. I do not want to give it out here because I really don’t want spammers.
Marware, the Florida based electronic accessories company, has sent TechGeec.com the SportShell Convertible case for the iPad to review. The case is extremely innovative with new features that most other hard-shell iPad cases don’t have. The SportShell Convertible has a retail price of $59.99 – a pretty steep price for a case, but definitely worth it once you find out about all of the features it has to offer.
The one feature that stands out the most is the replaceable back. The case comes with two backings – one clear, and one gray (matching the rest of the case). The gray back can be installed if one wishes to not have the back of the iPad visible. If one would like to have the Apple logo, ‘iPad’ branding, as well as the allotted memory visible, then the clear back may be installed to still provide the same amount of protection, but also allow the iPad’s back to be visible. Also, one can place a picture between the iPad and the clear back so as to display the photo.
Another key feature of the SportShell Convertible, is the four “legs”. Two long legs allow for the iPad to be propped up at the perfect angle for browsing the web, watching movies, or searching through the YouTube app, while two much shorter, stubbier legs allow the iPad to be lifted ever so slightly to (try to) make it easier to type on. Personally, I am indifferent when it comes to these shorter legs because it does not prop the iPad up at a great enough angle to make it any easier to type (however, others may find it to be very useful; it depends on personal preference).
The case also comes with a hand strap that may or may not come in handy (no pun intended☺). I don’t find it all that useful and so if one chooses to remove it, the stubs that hold it in place may be removed very easily.
The major downside to the SportShell Convertible is that the case wraps around very closely to the volume rockers/orientation lock and the power button. There’s a slip lip to allow for easy acces to them from behind, however, if trying to access them straight on (how I do) it can be a bit difficult.
One last feature that many may enjoy (while others may not) is that the case does not cover the aluminum bezel on the front of the iPad (in other words, some of the aluminum on the front of the iPad is exposed). Some may like the fact that the sleek aluminum is peeking through, while others would rather have all of the aluminum protected (I enjoy it).
Overall, this case is highly recommend, although the price may be hefty. It’s feature packed, elegant, and most importantly, it will protect your iPad. You can find more information about the SportShell Convertible at Marware.com.
A Note From the Editors of TechGeec: Though all products and services reviewed by TechGeec are “final,” many companies now make changes to their offerings and/or products after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected above.
The OtterBox Defender Series case for the iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod touch 2G/3G, iPhone 4 (coming soon), and the iPad (coming soon) is the most protective iDevice case on the market to date. It’s strength combined with it’s stealth-like design makes it one of a kind and well worth the money. Prices are as follows:
iPhone 3G/3GS: $49.95
iPod touch 2G/3G: $29.95
iPhone 4: $49.95
iPad: $89.95
The case features a hard plastic internal shell coupled with a shock-absorbent exterior silicone layer makes for the perfect combination. The plastic shell holds the device in place while protecting virtually every part of the device while the silicone layer provides added support for drops and such while also covering the 30-pin dock connector as well as the headphone jack as to protect against debris that might find it’s way into those ports.
The Defender Series has a cutout on the back to display the Apple logo, however, it has a plastic film on it so that logo’s area is not exposed. There is also a “built-in” screen protector which will still work with a separate screen protector that may be already installed on the device.
The one and only downside that this case has, is the fact that it adds so much bulk, but that is to be expected with such a protective case. I highly recommend picking this case up for yourself and out of the twenty-or-so cases I own, this is my preferred case.
A Note From the Editors of TechGeec: Though all products and services reviewed by TechGeec are “final,” many companies now make changes to their offerings and/or products after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected above.
The Xtand by Just Mobile is a fantastic iPhone/iPod Touch stand. The Xtand has the look and feel of the iMac’s stand and so it compliments all aluminum-bodied Macs terrifically. The one stand-alone factor that makes the Xtand so great, is the fact that it’s constructed for actual aluminum. It is capable of holding the iPhone 3G/3GS as well as the iPod Touch 1G/2G, provides cable management, and allows you to swivel the device a full 360 degrees.
A great design aspect that went into the stand, is that the device will never touch the aluminum part of the stand, only the four rubber grips that hold on to it. Also, there are two rubber feet on the bottom so that it doesn’t move with a gentle nudge. Here are the five main features of the Xtand:
All solid aluminium construction
360 degrees rotation
Adjustable viewing angle
Cable management
Non-slip feet
What I like most about the Xtand is the fact that it goes so well with my MacBook Pro and so it provides for a very elegant setup. The cable management comes into play when you choose to charge or sync your device. You simple fish your charging cable through the hole on the back of the stand and move the extra cable out of sight. I use the Xtand on a daily basis now and it really does not bother me to have to remove my iPod Touch from it’s case so that I can go ahead and place it in the Xtand.
The Xtand retails for a fairly steep price of $39.90 USD, however, as of the date this article was written (December 23, 2009), Amazon is having a 27% off sale on the Xtand. To find out where else you can purchase this and other Just Mobile products, please click HERE.
Giveaway: In order to be entered in the giveaway for the Xtand for the iPod Touch 1G/2G, you must be following us on Twitter, click HERE to go to our Twitter Page. Once that’s done, simply tweet this message: @iPT2gGeec Xtand Giveaway. Once you do that you’re automatically entered! The giveaway will end on December 30, 2009.
A Note From the Editors of TechGeec: Though all products and services reviewed by TechGeec are “final,” many companies now make changes to their offerings after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected above.
I have, yet again, another review from Distinctive Styles. The Superior Soft Pouch is a simple pouch meant to be used with the iPhone 3G/3GS, however, it will work with all Apple iPod models. The pouch is an incredibly simple product but provides a big punch for what it is mean to do – protect your device.
The pouch is made from a durable material called flannelet, a material similar to that of felt. The fabric is incredibly soft and will do no harm to the device, nonetheless, it will attract dust and pet hair. Other than that, the rest of the product is spot on. It will protect your device 360°, from the face of the device to the back of the device. On the front of the pouch is Distinctive Styles‘ logo (a simple and elegant addition that I personally find rather appealing). The Superior Soft Pouch also includes a lanyard so that you can go right ahead and hang it from your neck if you choose to do so. For an incredibly low price tag of $8.26, I recommend going ahead and picking one up for yourself. They also come in your choice of six different colors: black, blue, gray, yellow, and green(all colors of which have a pastel-like tone).
**If you are interested in entering this giveaway to win the blue Superior Soft Pouch, simply watch the video below and follow the instructions on how to enter.
A Note From the Editors of TechGeec: Though all products and services reviewed by TechGeec are “final,” many companies now make changes to their offerings after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected above.
DSstye’s Twill series case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS as well as the iPod Touch 2G and 3G is and amazing case. It is available in both black and white leather. This case has a unique feature to it, though. The leather is interwoven giving it a carbon fiber look and feel. Not only does this provide for aesthetics, but it also strengthens the case making your device that much more protected.
With all of the great features of the Twill series, there is also one fault that I have found and that is that with the iPod Touch version, the case goes above the top of the device (as seen in the video review below). Although this is not a significant problem, it can pose a problem when one would want to press the power/sleep button. Other than that one fault, the rest of the case is virtually flawless.
In order to use the Twill with your device, you simply slide your device into the case from the top. The inside of the case is lined with a felt-like fabric making sure not to scratch your device, and surprisingly enough, despite how easy it is to insert the device, it will not fall out of the case on it’s own. There is also a cutout on the front of the case for the home button, a cutout on the bottom the case exposing the headphone jack and 30-pin dock connector, as well as a final cutout on the left hand side exposing the volume rockers.
Overall, for a case that only costs $28.09 $31.42, I highly reccomend for you to go ahead and take a quick look at it over on DSstyle’s website. Even if the Twill series doesn’t appeal to you, check out some of their other cases, I’m sure you’ll find one that you like.
A Note From the Editors of TechGeec: Though all products and services reviewed by TechGeec are “final,” many companies now make changes to their offerings after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected above.
I am sure that many of you have thought about purchasing a stand for a number of your devices but you just weren’t sure which one was right for you. Let me tell you that the iZel is the best multimedia device stand on the market today. It’s safe, sturdy, and relatively inexpensive. For a price of $24.95 you pick one up over at MyiZel.com.
One of the greatest features of the iZel is that it is portable. It is capable of unfolding into a flat 0.3 inch piece of plastic and rubber which can easily fit inside many pockets, purses, bags, or pouches. Another great feature is that the iZel can hold it’s shape due to two small plastic pegs which fit into two small holes. If you wish to have the iZel‘s “legs” closer together (preferably for a portrait view) insert the pegs into the inner-most holes. For the “legs” wider (for a landscape view) simply insert the pegs into the outer-most holes. The stand can also support a variety of devices such as the iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, Zune, BlackBerry, Amazon Kindle, Nintendo DS, PSP, and many other devices.
The iZel can be used for a variety of occasions. Some examples may be on an airplane (watching videos on your multimedia device), at a table while eating (watching videos while eating), on a small table/desk to display a slide show of pictures. Personally, I mostly use it to display my iPod Touch 2G and my LG Voyager on my desk while charging them.
You can guarantee that your device will be safe while using the stand, too. Although it is made out of plastic, all of it’s edges are coated with a flexible elastomer so that it will not scratch your device while also provide a stable, slip resistant support. The iZel also features a ratcheted adjustable support that can be easily extended or retracted to modify the viewing angle of the device’s screen by a range of up to 30°.
If you travel a lot, readily have people visiting, or enjoy watching videos on your multimedia device, it is highly recommended to check out the iZel over at MyiZel.com for a price of $24.95.
TechGeec.com was given the opportunity to review another iFrogz product. The Earpollution ThrowBax headphones give you more bang for your buck. They provide you with bumping deep rich bass and smooth stereo sound. They come in a variety of colors consisting of red, lime green, blue, pink/white, as well as orange. You can’t get much better headphones than the Earpollution ThrowBax heaphones which retail for $29.99 USD.
Here are some of the main features of the ThrowBax:
Driver Unit: 44mm
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 108db+/-3db
Frequency Response: 5Hz to 20 KHz
Cord Length: 1.2M (roughly 4 feet)
Plug: 3.5mm
These headphones offer magnificently painted metallic coated speaker cups along with metal side rails so that you may have the ability to adjust the size. The ThrowBax offer designated left and right channels with the cord only coming out of the left channel. This is a huge advantage because having only one cord to worry about lessens the chance of the cord becoming tangled. The headphones also have padded leather speaker cups to add extra comfort. The speaker cups are large enough to fit around one’s ears so that the is more noise isolation providing for better sound quality. The inside of the speaker cups feature an elegant Earpollution design. The padded leather headband features an embroidered Earpollution logo with matching side stitching. The color of the embroidery is based upon the color of the speaker cups.
As I said previously, these are the best headphones that you can get for the price. What many people do not realize is that headphones provide much better noise isolation as well as sound quality than you will ever get with a pair of ear buds. These headphones are definitely durable as they rarely show scratches and/or scuffs. The volume is even fantastic. Truthfully, these headphones are louder than the built-in iPod Touch speakers and the “old school” style of the ThrowBax is superb.
There are a few minor downsides, however. The main one is that the headband seems to have a bit less padding than I would like it to. If you happen to wear these headphones for possibly an hour or more, they may start to feel discomfortable on your head. Also, because the plug is larger than most, you may have a hard time using it with a device that has a case on it. The last flaw is that I find that the plug can come out about half way with the slightest tug. When this happens, audio will only be expelled through one of the channels (most likely the left).
Overall, if you are in the market for fairly inexpensive quality headphones, go for the iFrogz Earpollution ThrowBax. They provide amazing sound quality and style. Scroll down for some HD photos and scroll all the way down if you would like to see a video review of the headphones.
I was given the opportunity to review Core Cases’ Aluminum Slider case for the iPod Touch 2G. Core Cases does make this case for other Apple products such as the iPhone, iPod Classic, as well as the iPod Nano (4th generation). Core Cases does, however, make another type of aluminum case for the iPod Shuffle. There is no doubt that all of their cases will protect whatever device you may be using.
The Aluminum Slider case for the iPod Touch 2G is a great case… one of the best in fact in terms of protection. It does fall a bit short, though, functionality wise. Because the case is made from 100% brushed anodized aluminum, it can withstand almost anything that get’s in it’s way. The inside of the case is fully lined with EVA foam to add a snug fit along with some shock protection from unexpected drops. The exterior holds up fantastically against scratches and dents while the interior keeps your device from getting any type of scratches. As you can see in the image to the right, the case has cutouts for the volume rockers on the left, one for the power/sleep button on the top, another one to reveal the WiFi antenna on the back of the case in the upper left corner, as well as one long cutout on the bottom to expose your 30-pin dock connector along with the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. There is also a small, curved cutout on the bottom, front face of the case to better display the home button.
I have found that due the curved shaped of the iPod Touch 2G, the case did not form to the device as well as I would have liked. Of course this is understandable considering the fact that it is hard to shape solid aluminum around a curved piece of technology. Because of this, at times it can be hard to access the volume rockers as well as the power/sleep button. From personal experience, this was much better on the first generation iPod Touch. The front section of the case does cover some of the front of the device as seen in the pictures above. Because of this, if the device is dropped face down on a flat surface, the screen will not be affected unless of course it happens to fall on a corner or elevated rock, as is with all cases. The 30-pin charging cord along with the 3.5 millimeter headphone input fit in to their designated inputs without flaw thanks to the bottom cutout. There is also two very small cutouts on the bottom right-hand corner so that a lanyard/string may be attached.
The case is applied to the device by simply placing the back half of the case onto the back side of the device. Once that is done, the front half of the case can easily slide onto the front part of the device. This is better explained and demonstrated in the video review below. The case features one small metal “bump” on the bottom of both sides of the back half so that the front half of the case can stay securely fastened. I have found a minor flaw with this, though, where if the bottom of the case is not resting on any part of your hand, the bottom will slip out slightly if too much pressure is applied while pressing the power/sleep button, again, featured in the video review below. I also noticed this flaw in the first generation iPod Touch model.
Overall, for being made from aluminum, the case will protect the device indefinitely along with providing for a nice design. The case is priced at $24.95 $14.95 (you save $10) and comes in brushed silver, brushed black, or deep purple. For the price being relatively low and the amount of protection you get from this case, I would recommend this case to anyone who primarily is concerned with protection over functionality. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this case or Core Cases please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us at contact@techgeec.com.
Giveaway
It is extremely simple to be entered into the giveaway for a Core Cases Aluminum Slider case in deep purple. Here are the rules: 1. You must be subscribed to iPT2gGeec’s YouTube channel which you can find HERE 2. You must be following iPT2gGeec on Twitter HERE 3. You must leave a comment on the video review, HERE, starting with your Twitter name followed by your comment. For example, “@iPT2gGeec – I want that case”
The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on August 31, 2009. Comments posted on this web page will not be eligible.
Everything about We Farm should be immediately familiar to We Rule fans; from the plot of land you are originally assigned, to the farms (called gardens) you have to maintain, to the Gro (think Mojo) you have to purchase to speed up various processes, there is little initial difference between the two games.
