Reviews

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Dragopolis is not going to win any design or gameplay awards, but it will win the heart of any Drag Race fan. In Dragopolis, players must save the Pit Crew from the evil Apocalypstyk by jumping over drag trash, sliding under flying high heels, and dodging Mimi Imfurst (I don’t think it’s officially Mimi, but it sure looks like her) while still looking fabulous. Players can earn in-game money to spend on new outfits, wigs and power-ups by completing levels and participating in photo shoots. This is very important because you better don’t show up on the runway twice in the same outfit. You can also buy upgrades with real money, and unlock Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx and Yara Sofia for $0.99 each. Hopefully more RuPaul Drag Race contestants will be added in future updates. I suggest adding a dunk Roxxxy mini-game, and getting more queens to do voiceovers. It would be great to hear Willam tell you, “you are not doing that right” every time you screw up.

Even with the lack of guest stars, the developers did a miraculous job of including all the important RuPaul-isms and capturing the true outrageousness of RuPaul’s Reality TV series. RuPaul’s Drag Race has been slowly climbing its way into the hearts of pop culture fans and outcasts since its debut, and while not a masterpiece, Dragopolis is an excellent addition to the RuPaul universe. Unlike other lackluster apps based on celebrities, RuPaul’s iOS game manages to capture the charm and magic of RuPaul and the queens that have been captivating fans on Logo since 2009.

Spruce up your reminders with a handy countdown app. Reminder & Countdown free covers all the bases when it comes to displaying how much time is left until an event or holiday. Anything at all can be logged with a time and Reminder & Countdown will automatically alert you before or when it happens.

Reminder & Countdown free version 1.5 requires iOS 5.0 or later and is optimized for the iPhone 5 display. The app is supported by small banner ads at the bottom of the screen, which don’t interfere with the reminders or functionality of the app. Upon first opening Reminder & Countdown the master list of events appears along with real-time countdowns.

Though it came as a surprise to absolutely no one, along with the Apple iPhone has come an absolute barrage of accessories and other products to pair with your iPhone, leaving all of us with a sea of merchandise to sort through and evaluate. Slowly but surely, feedback will be available on all of these products. Some things, however, are important to be informed about right from the get-go. Depending on the person you're asking, virtually any mobile phone accessory can be considered essential.

ZAGG is known for making high quality products that protect your mobile electronics without bulk. We've done in-depth reviews of the invisibleSHIELD for iPhone in the past. iPhone 5 owners are now concerned about Scuffgate and the anodized aluminum possibly scratching to expose bare metal.

One way to protect the iPhone 5 and avoid the extra size and weight of a case is to install an invisibleSHIELD from ZAGG. Not only are these premium screen and body protectors durable, they are actually made of the same material used to protect military helicopter blades.

The best way to start this review is with a disclaimer: if you're looking for an audiophile review of Audyssey's South of Market Audio Dock, this is definitely not it. This stems directly from the fact that I am definitely not an audiophile. I can't espouse the virtues of silk dome tweeters or tell you what I think of the 4-inch long-throw woofers the dock offers, simply because I don't know what those things are. What I can do is tell you how I, someone who has seen and heard countless iPhone docks, was struck by the Audyssey South of Market Audio Dock.

The independent and nonprofit magazine Consumer Reports sent some mixed signals after testing the iPhone 4. Reception issues resulting from touching the lower left corner of the device have been verified in Consumer Reports' labs. First the bad news. The magazine said it "can't recommend" the iPhone 4 due to the problem, which they cited as a design flaw in the external antenna.

When held so that a gap between the two antennas is covered the signal drops up to 20dB, which Consumer Reports explains is "enough to drop a call." Reception problems were improved with the addition of non-conductive tape to the affected corner of the iPhone 4, which prevents the metal from coming in contact with the user's hand.

Did you know that 80% of all iPhone failures are due to accidents? The problem is that most mobile carriers will not cover a smartphone like the Apple iPhone under typical insurance contracts.

SquareTrade, a licensed insurance provider, offers the only iPhone protection that fully covers accidents from handling. The company has been in business since 1999 and has sold over one million iPhone warranties.

According to SquareTrade, "drops, spills, water damage, battery failures or any other failures from normal use or accidental damage" are all covered under their plans. This is the key difference between SquareTrade's insurance and other coverage options such as AppleCare.

Don't Drop That iPhone

Your iPhone comes with 90 days of technical support and a one year warranty from Apple, and many users have extended this coverage to two years with AppleCare. Unfortunately, if your iPhone is dropped and damaged or accidentally gets wet, Apple will not cover the repair.

The Core Cases aluminum slider is a sharp looking hard case for the iPhone 3G. Although the product is a little expensive at $30, it's made of aluminum for strength and low weight. After using the Core Case for seven months, here are some observations.

When the aluminum slider case (brushed black) first came out of the box, I was impressed. Unlike some other hard cases, there's an EVA foam layer on the inside to protect the plastic back of the iPhone 3G from scratches. Installation was easy, just place the phone in the back, and slide the front down until the side tabs click into place.

ZAGG is now offering Z.buds on their website at a discount. Buy one get one half price! Not only that, in the time since we reviewed the Z.buds on this site, ZAGG has introduced two new nylon cord colors, yellow and pink.

ZAGG is offering the discounted price until February 28th... but wait, there's more. Ordering two pairs ($79.99 + $39.99) makes your order with ZAGG over $100, so they throw in a FREE USB dual car charger!

All products from ZAGGaudio come with a 45 day money-back guarantee, and ZAGG's lifetime trade-in guarantee. If your Z.buds should ever fail you, ZAGG will replace them for a $20 deductible that covers diagnostics, repair/replacement, disposal, processing, and shipping and handling.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the iPhone is capable of producing quality audio. If you're going to spend money on accessories, a headphone upgrade is essential. The stock earbuds are functional, but let's face the facts. The white plastic earbuds that everyone wears don't sound that great. They're not very comfortable to wear for long periods, and the cord gets tangled after two seconds in a jacket pocket. Getting a pair of Z.buds is like getting a whole new iPhone. Let me tell you why.