Author: Brian Nelson

  • Untappd: An Android App Every Beer Geek Should Have

    Untappd: An Android App Every Beer Geek Should Have

    If you’re into craft beer, chances are good that you spend a good deal of time bragging to your friends about different beers you’ve tried or have on tap. Take, for instance, my text message conversation with my good friend last weekend. Friend: “At a place with Three Philosophers on tap.” Me: “How about you…

  • Four Android Apps to Get You in the Halloween Spirit

    Four Android Apps to Get You in the Halloween Spirit

    Halloween is sneaking up quickly, and you need to get mentally prepared for the occasion — and I don’t mean going to Target to admire the vast array of candy. Start honing your Halloween spirit with these four Android apps that are sure to leave you entertained, if not ready for some ghost-busting on the…

  • Diggnation Ends In December–What Can Fill The Void?

    Diggnation Ends In December–What Can Fill The Void?

    Love it or hate it, Diggnation is a popular podcast that has helped put web-based television on the map. The premise is simple: two dudes (Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose) sit on a couch, drink beer, and discuss some of the top news from the social news bookmarking website Digg.com. Unfortunately, the days of Diggnation…

  • How To Fix the Google Nexus S ‘Search Button Auto-Fire’ Bug

    How To Fix the Google Nexus S ‘Search Button Auto-Fire’ Bug

    I’ve had my Nexus S for a little over two months now, and my general opinion is that while it is very pretty, some of the software issues (Android 2.3.4) make it almost impossible to use without some considerable donations to the swear jar. Perhaps the most gut-wrenchingly annoying problem is the well-documented ‘Search Button…

  • New Features Added to Google Presentations — Can I Finally Ditch PowerPoint?

    New Features Added to Google Presentations — Can I Finally Ditch PowerPoint?

    Google recently announced some improvements to their Docs platform, particularly to the Presentation app, a free alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. New drawing tools, slide transitions, collaboration features… and suddenly I’m left wondering “Can I finally ditch Office for good?” Google Docs has been making steady gains over the years and I’ve finally gotten to the point…

  • Google Looking to Finance Yahoo! Acquisition — Yahoogle on the Way?

    Google Looking to Finance Yahoo! Acquisition — Yahoogle on the Way?

    Yahoogle? Well, not exactly. The years haven’t been kind to the once mighty Yahoo! but after the ungracious firing of ex-CEO Carol Bartz, the fourth most visited website in the U.S. is getting downright desperate. Unable to keep pace with Google in search and advertising, Yahoo! has been looking for help from investors to inject some…

  • Diaspora Seeks Donations, PayPal Freezes Account

    Diaspora Seeks Donations, PayPal Freezes Account

      UPDATE: After some prodding and community outcry, PayPal released Diaspora’s account. Remember Diaspora? The group of NYU students that asked for $15,000 on Kickstarter.com to create a decentralized alternative to Facebook, and made headlines when they garnered a shocking $200,000 instead? Yeah, they’re still around, and to my surprise, they have some pretty cool stuff to…

  • Real-Time Search and Improved Hashtags Now Supported in Google+

    Vic Gundotra, the mind behind much of Google+, made a rare video appearance recently to show off two new features that will keep Facebook on its toes and probably elicit a disgusted groan from Twitter. Real-time search and improved support for hashtags will help Google+ contend with the established utility of Twitter by allowing users…

  • Use a Gamepad for Any PC Game with Xpadder

    Use a Gamepad for Any PC Game with Xpadder

    I play a lot of video games on my Xbox 360, but occasionally I’ll switch things up and buy something to enjoy on my PC. Recently I picked up both Fallout 3 and New Vegas on sale, but I was disappointed to find they didn’t support my Logitech F310 USB gamepad. This isn’t a big…

  • How to Create an Audio Podcast with Professional-Quality Sound

    How to Create an Audio Podcast with Professional-Quality Sound

    Podcasting is a fun and increasingly popular form of online entertainment that has seen steady gains in the number of viewers in recent years. Companies like TWiT and Revision 3, homes of Leo LaPorte and Kevin Rose of Tech TV fame, have shown that fully web-hosted television is a viable business model. Interestingly, many of…