Run Your Own Airline With Pocket Planes For iPhone/iPad

by Kraig Becker on

Pocket Planes, a new game from app developer NimbleBit, allows players to do something that I’m sure many of us at Gadling have always dreamed of – run our own airline. The app, which was released a few days ago, runs on both the iPhone and iPad and features deceptively simple, yet highly addictive game play.

Players begin by first selecting a region of the world they want to launch their new airline in and pick cities for their first routes. In the early stages of the game they’ll only have access to a few small planes, which can be used to shuttle passengers and cargo between a limited number of airports. As they gain experience and cash, however, they’ll be able to unlock busier airports, larger and more sophisticated planes and a host of other options.

Don’t let the game’s cartoony graphics fool you; there is a lot of depth and strategy to be found in Pocket Planes. You’ll have to learn to use your limited resources wisely if you want to turn your fledgling airline into an international powerhouse. Managing your budget can be key and learning to have your planes in the right spot at the right time can help the bottom line too. World events will play into your strategy as well and unexpected bad weather, which can close airports and leave planes grounded. There is even a social element to the game that lets you join forces with others online to acquire more wealth and build an even bigger empire.

The game starts a bit slow but as you add more planes to your fleet and pick up new routes you’ll soon find that you have plenty to do. That’s when the addiction will start to set in as you manage your resources and work to optimize the flights to be more efficient. It all sounds rather droll, but I assure you it is a lot of fun.

Don’t believe me? Why don’t you try the game for yourself? It is absolutely free and available for download in the App Store.


Gadling Gear Review: SuperTooth Disco Portal Speaker

by Kraig Becker on

One of the best things about carrying smartphones, tablets and laptops with us when we travel, is that we are also generally carrying our entire music libraries with us as well. The problem is, the speakers on those devices aren’t usually the best for enjoying that music and we don’t always want to wear headphones to get the best sound. Fortunately a number of companies now make excellent portable speaker systems that do offer great sound and are fun to take with us on the road.

One of those speaker systems is the Disco from SuperTooth, which can stream music from any device that supports Bluetooth 2.0 technology. Once paired with such a device, the Disco pumps out surprisingly loud and clear music, streaming audio, movie soundtracks or anything else that you can throw at it. I was impressed with how this relatively small device could fill a room with sound, serving up distinct highs and lows and clear vocals from a variety of sources.

While the Disco does included a standard wired audio port for devices that don’t use Bluetooth, the best way to connect is wirelessly of course. Pairing my iPhone and iPad with the Disco was simple and took just seconds and once they were connected, it was a breeze to stream my personal music library, as well as audio from Pandora, Stitcher Radio or any other app. It was a joy to listen to podcasts while wandering around my apartment and it was fun to use the speaker system as a mini-home theater while watching movies on my iPad too.All of that great sound comes courtesy of two 8-watt speakers and a 12-watt subwoofer, but the Disco is packing more than just a quality sound system. It also features a built-in rechargeable battery that allows you to take it with you just about anywhere. The tech specs say that the battery is good for anywhere from 3 to 10 hours, depending on volume, and in my testing I was routinely getting 8-9 hours on a moderate setting. That’s plenty of time for most single-day outings, but you’ll want to pack the charger along with you if you take it on a trip.

While I found the Disco to be a high quality product, with better sound than I was expecting, I do wish it were a bit more portable. It is slightly more than a foot in length and weighs in at 2.5 pounds. As someone who likes to travel light, that’s a bit on the heavy side for my liking. I love having it around the home and for day trips in town, but I’m not sure I’d want to add it to my suitcase or backpack when I’m heading out for a longer trip.

SuperTooth saw fit to include a speaker cable and a decent carrying case in the box, but I wouldn’t have minded having a remote control as well. While most of the time you’re controlling the music and volume from the phone itself, it would have been nice to be able to pause, skip tracks and control the bass booster from across the room too. Once you get accustomed to wirelessly controlling your audio, it is a bit jarring to have to cross the room to adjust a setting.

All of that said, this is one of the better portable Bluetooth speaker systems that I’ve come across, particularly for the money. The SuperTooth Disco carries an affordable price tag of just $149, which is actually a steal for a device with these features and high quality sound. In fact, I’ve used systems from competitors that cost much more but didn’t sound nearly as nice.

If you’re looking for a great way to wirelessly listen to your favorite music, podcasts and streaming audio, either at home or on the road, then the SuperTooth Disco is a great option. Simply put, you’ll have a very hard time finding anything else that sounds this good in the same price range.

Traveling With Camera Gear Made Easy With New Backpacks

by Chris Owen on

Traveling with camera gear can be difficult. Delicate, sensitive lenses and other equipment need to be packed securely but in a way that allows it to be checked at security checkpoints. That makes maneuvering through airports take extra time. Now, a new series of luggage makes life easier for the traveling photographer.

Think Tank Photo has a new Airport™ series of travel specific, high-capacity camera backpacks designed to make maneuvering through airports a quick endeavor. The three backpacks – the Airport Accelerator, Airport Commuter and Airport Essentials – all have quick access pockets for both laptops and iPad, a top pocket for boarding passes and three sturdy handles to ensure easy placement and retrieval from overhead bins.

The three new backpacks meet international carry-on size requirements with the two smaller bags, the Airport Commuter and the Airport Essentials, designed to fit under the seat in regional commuter planes.Promising a light, adjustable, contoured harness to provide comfort along with lumbar support, Think Tank Photo hopes to raise travel accessory standards. The bags also offer air mesh paneling to keep backs cool. A height-adjustable sternum strap, a removable waist belt, side water bottle pocket, tripod/monopod mounting system and seam sealed rain cover look to extend their versatility.

[Flickr photo by dareppi]

Popular Guidebooks Go Digital

by Chris Owen on

Frommer’s has a new series of guidebooks out. Nothing new there; that’s what they do. Unique to Frommer’s new “Day by Day” series though is that they are digital guides, which allow users to search, bookmark and navigate through the content easily.

Enabled by Inkling (the interactive textbook people), the Frommer’s “Day by Day” digital books retail between $10 and $15, and are available as individual apps or within Inkling’s app. Travelers can purchase them once to use them on both their iPhone and iPad. They contain hundreds of maps and thousands of Retina Display-ready photos, which makes it easy to plan upcoming trips on the new iPad.

Said to be far more useful than paper guidebooks, the new Frommer’s digital books contain both indoor maps for locations like museums, as well as outdoor maps that point to interesting destinations in their respective locations.

Also unique is a crowd-sourcing function that brings some of the social elements from sites like TripAdvisor on top of Frommer’s professional travel guide data.

Frommer’s “Day by Day” paper pocket guides have been popular with travelers for years. Odds are “Day by Day” digital will be too.


[Flickr photo by Let Ideas Compete]

Gadling Gear Review: G-Form Extreme Portfolio And Extremed Sleeve 2 For iPad

by Kraig Becker on

Last fall we favorably reviewed the G-Form Extreme Sleeve for the iPad, lauding it for its ability to protect our expensive devices while traveling. In developing that product, G-Form created new materials that are designed to stiffen on impact and absorb up to 90 percent of any impact. That ability was demonstrated very effectively with a video that shows a 12-pound bowling ball being dropped on the product from a height of three feet, leaving the iPad completely unscathed.

Since then, Apple had released a new iPad and G-Form has some new offerings of its own. The company has continued to refine its technology and now offers expanded options for other products as well. But the core of their business is still centered around their “Reactive Protection Technology” (RPT) and its ability to protect our gadgets while on the go. Here are a couple of those products that iPad users will find particularly interesting.

Extreme Sleeve 2
The Extreme Sleeve 2 is the evolution of the product we first reported on last October. It features a slightly larger interior that can accommodate both the new iPad and iPad 2 while equipped with Apple’s Smart Cover. In our previous review we noted that the Extreme Sleeve was too snug to fit the original iPad outfitted with Apple’s first case, and it had issues with Smart Covers and the second-generation tablet as well. Those issues have been addressed in the new sleeve, allowing iPad owners to travel with double the protection.

A larger interior isn’t the only upgrade to the Extreme Sleeve either. G-Form has also added an extra layer of their RPT material to the case and that layer now extends under the zipper, providing edge-to-edge impact protection for the iPad inside. The result is an all around better product for travelers who want to take their iPads with them without worrying about damaging it in transit. Those who like to travel light will be happy to hear that these new enhancements have not added weight or thickness to the product either.Extreme Portfolio
G-Form has also introduced a new Extreme Portfolio case that works with all iPad models or any other 10-inch tablet for that matter. Larger and thicker than the Extreme Sleeve, the Portfolio provides even more protection against external impacts while also offering functionality that isn’t available in the more compact sleeve.

Unlike the Extreme Sleeve, the Portfolio features a zipper that runs around three of its four sides. This allows for better access to the interior of the case, making it easier to take your tablet in and out as needed. The iPad is held snugly in place by rugged corner pieces, made out of G-Form’s proprietary RPT materials that enhance protection along the device’s edge. The front face of the case even includes an internal polycarbonate layer that adds yet another level of protection for the beautiful, yet fragile, Retina Screen. The result is a lightweight, yet tough, product that provides a satisfying level of security for tablet computers.

The Portfolio has a few other tricks up its sleeve as well. For instance, it includes a nice internal pocket for carrying important documents and folders. It also has the ability to act as an easel of sorts, standing the iPad up in either landscape or portfolio modes. This is a nice feature to have when watching videos on a plane, making a Skype call from your hotel room or giving a presentation at a meeting.

Both the Portfolio and Extreme Sleeve are water resistant, which adds yet another layer of protection for the electronics inside. This is good news for travelers, as the case easily keeps out liquids from accidental spills or surprise rain showers. Just keep in mind that they are water resistant and not waterproof, which means that while these products will repel a lot of moisture, immersing them completely in water probably isn’t a good idea.

I personally like to slip my iPad into the Extreme Sleeve before putting it into a backpack for travel. This gives me a good sense that my tablet is well protected while stuffing it under an airplane seat or in an overhead compartment. I think other travelers will appreciate that same sense of security when traveling with their tablets as well and considering the price of a replacement iPad, the $69.99 investment for the sleeve is well worth it. The Portfolio will set you back $89.99, but as indicated above, that case has a few extra features that could easily make it worth the extra twenty bucks.

Adventure travelers will especially appreciate both of these products as they allow you to take an otherwise fragile device with you to places you might not normally take it. For example, I can’t imagine visiting Everest Base Camp without the Extreme Sleeve and it would come in handy when trekking the Andes, climbing Kilimanjaro or cycling through the Alps too. If you’re visiting extreme places, you’ll probably want an extreme case to go with you. I recommend these two products.