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Below is a list of what we are looking for

• People well versed in the world of tech
• The ability to write easy to understand articles
• Knowledge of a number of operating systems
• Ability to write articles on a weekly basis 

This position is unpaid and is open to anyone. If you would like to apply or have any further questions you can email us at wethegnome@gmail.com

Highway Rider: Review

Every once in a while, some developer in a magical land of computers and energy drinks will release a free app that is truly greater then those before. Well I an proud to say that day has finally come with the release of Highway Rider!
Highway Rider is a driving game focused around dodging obstacles and getting as many near misses as possible without crashing. The controls are extremely simple to use with the only real control being you tilting your device to steer the motorcycle. The game offers both single and multiplayer gameplay with the ability to invite friends and challenge them to see who can collect 50 near misses first! The animations are very well put together and even with this being a free app it shows great graphics. The game can provide you with hours of convenient and enjoyable gameplay. The game also includes a number of customizations that allow you to Change the look of both your rider and motorcycle. But like all great games there is always a downfall and in the case of Highway Rider it is it's lack of level diversity! You are stuck with one level with the scenery changing very if not at all. The addition of new levels and perhaps different gameplay options would be welcomed in a future update. Overall This has proven to be a free app with the ability to compete with those better known apps that cost money! I have no problem recommending this app to those of you searching for a fun app that can can keep you occupied in those boring moments of life!

iOS 5.1.1 breakdown

Just when an iOS 5.1 jailbreak seemed at the horizon for my iPhone 4s apple had to crush my dreams and release iOS 5.1.1! I know that updating the version of iOS is completely optional and that I can avoid it if I'm extremely careful but, I'm one of those people who just can't stand that notification over my settings icon in fact it drives me crazy having to look at that every time I unlock my device. Fortunately a tethered jailbreak has already been proven to work on devices running 5.1.1 while excluding A5 powered devices from the party! Which gives my hope that if I do update the software version then I will be able to jailbreak my iPhone 4s in the near feature. Some of you are probably wondering what this new version of iOS brings to the table, well that's why I'm here!

•Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using theLock Screen shortcut

•Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks

•Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances

•Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List

•Fixes an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase

Quite frankly I don't see this as being an absolutely necessary update and still think my iPhone is fine without it! Especially with the untethered iOS 5.1 jailbreak for A5 powered devices looming closer and closer I think I'll wait and see what the DEV team has up their sleeve before I commit to such an unnecessary update.

What do you think about this update? Share your opinion below!

iPhone 5 Will Not Be Made of Liquidmetal

The rumor of the iPhone 5 being made out of liquidmetal instead of glass are now dead.  The technology is just not there yet for the size of the iPhone.  It may be used for smaller components, for example, a hinge for the MacBook air.  But don't be too disappointed because there is a still a great chance that Apple will be using this technology in a couple years.

Learn more about the liquidmetal technology here:
http://www.liquidmetal.com/
or here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidmetal

If You Gotta Spare Dollar: Ski Safari

Ski Safari is a recently released endless runner game on the App Store. It has a nice art style, upbeat music, and solid gameplay. 

You play as a skier named Sven who is forced out of his slumber by an avalanche. The objective of the game is to ski down the mountain, pulling off back flips, riding penguins, and score points as long as you can before the avalanche overtakes you.

Ski Safari has a one-touch control scheme that works well. Pressing the screen while surfaced will execute a jump, and holding the touch in the air will start your back flip.

Penguins, Yetis, hawks, and snow mobiles serve as power-ups. Penguins will increase your speed while also increasing your gliding capability in the air. Yetis also increase speed, but limit your gliding and back flips slowly.

Overall Ski Safari is a great endless runner with a lot of replay value. It's one of my favorite mobile games in recent memory, and it's only $0.99.

Cloud Storage Showdown!

In our modern tech society cloud storage is all the rage and a month ago Dropbox was your only major option. But this month we have seen the launch of not one but two cloud storage services under the names of Cubby and Google Drive. Both have proven to be true competitors in the cloud storage wars and may be giving Dropbox a run for its money. In this article I will go over my opinion of all three sevices and give you my honest opinion on which one I find the most useful and reliable.

1.    Dropbox

Dropbox is already fairly well known for in the cloud storage community and even though it may lack features people have fallen in love with the ability to sync up to 5GB of data across all their devices for free. Dropbox offers the very basics of cloud storage but has recently added on to their amount of features by giving their users the ability to share media with a url address for anyone to download and see. Dropbox has been extremely reliable and stable over the last couple months  and has made the experience of cloud storage so much more enjoyable. Dropbox is a free service with the ability to pay for more storage which storage ranging from 5GB to 1TB. You can download it today for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

2.     Cubby

Cubby is the second newest cloud storage option and continues to impress me day after day. Cubby was launched by LogMeIn at the beginning of this month as a beta service and has already seen wide spread adoption. It has by far giving me the best experience out of all three options with its easy to use desktop application and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Like Dropbox, Cubby gives you 5GB of free storage without the ability to increase your storage. Cubby offers some very nice features such as the ability to share a folder privately with certain people or with a url address. Even though Cubby is still in a beta phase it holds great promise in the cloud storage world. Cubby is also free to use and you can download it today on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

3.     Google Drive

The newest member of the cloud storage family is Google Drive. Now we all new Google would have to release a cloud storage service in order to keep up with their competitors. Sadly Google drive is only available on Windows, Mac, and Android without any option for iOS use. But what Google Drive lacks in software it makes up in features, with the ability to sync between all your Google services such as Google Docs. While Google always seems to do great jobs with their software, I Don’t believe Google Drive is anywhere close to being as good as it could be. Overall it is an excellent service that I’m sure will only get better in the near future. You can take advantage of this free5GB storage by downloading the free application on your computer or Android phone.

4.     Who wins?

All three services offer something that the other doesn’t. Dropbox is the most stable, Cubby is the most user friendly, and Google Drive offers the most features. Overall Cubby has proven to be the better service of all three. Even though the service is still in beta I have been overly impressed with its easy to use interface. This service is surely going to take off when the full version of the software is released. I highly recommend Cubby to anyone who is trying to find the perfect cloud service that will fit their needs.

Minecraft pocket edition now includes crafting!

You can now craft in Minecraft pocket edition! The update began rolling out today across android and iOS devices and has already seen a huge amount of publicity! If you are unfamiliar with the Pocket edition of Minecraft it is essentially a very bare bones version of the popular computer game Minecraft!
But the last two updates for the app have brought the mobile version closer and closer to becoming the real thing. I have yet to spend enough time playing with the new updated version but I can tell you that fits perfectly and really has changed my view if the game. If you have not yet done yourself the favor of purchasing the game you can do so via the app store and play store for the one time fee of $6.99. Be sure to check back later for the full recap of the update!

Cubby Full Review

I’ve had the opportunity to use the service Cubby for the past week and I am pleased to say that I have had an excellent experience! There is so many things that Cubby does right which has made me completely cease using popular cloud service Dropbox. In the video below I will show the basics of Cubby and share my opinions!

What do you think about Cubby? Share your opinion in the comments below!

Why Get A Mac?

The answer to the question in the title is pretty obvious.  They are simply amazing, incredible computers.  I personally own a MacBook Pro and it is the best computer I have ever used.  Sure there was a small period of time it took to get used to Mac OS X, but it was worth it.  Yes I know I sound like a huge Apple fan boy right now and that is probably because I am one.  Macs are so smooth and elegant yet extremely powerful and user friendly.  The only catch is the big price.  These computers will take a large chunk out of your bank account but they are worth it! Mac users almost never have trouble with their computers that require funds to be fixed.  Lots of people complain they can't play games on Macs.  I am telling you this is not true.  Developers are now making versions for Windows and OS X because Apple has gotten so popular.  There are a few games and other programs not available for Mac but dual-booting takes care of that.  Windows computers simply cannot compete with Macs.  So don't let the price point and negative criticism discourage the purchase of a Mac.

Air Droid: Remotely Access Your Android Phone From Your Computer

One of the great perks of Android is its openness and with this openness you get an uncountable amount of perks! While searching through the endless pit we refer to as the Play Store I stumbled across the app Air Droid, which promised the ability to stream my Android content over the internet and back to my computer. Thinking that this was an outrageous claim I decided to call their bluff and download it! But, it actually worked and I mean it worked really well seeing that it was being streamed. So what Air Droid actually does is gives you a web address which you type into the web browser of your choosing. Once you have done that you will be prompted to enter a password which is provided to you by the Air Droid app, you can even setup a custom password if you feel the need to. Once you have entered the necessary credentials all your media that is on your Android device is made available to you in an easy to use desktop interface. There is a number of things that Air Droid allows you to do such as sending and receiving text messages, transferring media between computer and device, download and install applications, get info about your device, and edit your devices contacts all from the comfort of your computer! Air Droid is still a beta service but you can download the app for free from the Play Store.

Cubby First Impressions

Dropbox has finally met a proper opponent in the cloud storage wars, and I’m not referring to Google Drive. I am talking about the newly released Cubby, currently in beta. Cubby has the ability to do all that Dropbox does with the addition of many useful features. Right out of the gate you are granted with a generous 5GB of cloud storage, but are also given unlimited storage if you are syncing data between two computers! Something else that Cubby has over Dropbox is the ability to share a “cubby” with people whom you want to share your data with. This can be a useful feature within both small and huge businesses who wish to make all their information available to all employees. But one of the greatest parts of Cubby is its deep integration with both iOS and Android through their newly released apps. This is a great feature allowing easy file transfer between both your computer and phone. Being that Cubby is still in beta, you have to sign up to be a beta tester by registering with your email at Cubby.com. The process of becoming a beta tester is fairly simple and I was able to download Cubby after a week of waiting.

Cubby iOS app

Cubby desktop app

Call of Mini: Last Stand Review/iOS

In our society there isn’t a teen out there who can’t find any greater pleasure than sitting down with a good old zombie game. Well the folks over at Trinity Interactive Limited have added on to that seemingly unending list by pushing out the app Call of Mini: Last Stand for iOS. While this game has been available for a while, it is just now beginning to pick up speed as being an all-around great game. This is actually one of the three available in the Call of Mini franchise, with the others holding a strong focus on multiplayer gameplay. The primary objective of the game is to fend off incoming zombies while protecting survivors who are trying to reach the church, or the “safe zone”. As you progress through the game you will face even harder zombies and you will also have the opportunity to upgrade your weapons as you gain money. The game is actually extremely enjoyable with great graphics and a simple to use control setup. But all games have their Achilles heel. In the case of Call of Mini, it is the fact that the game lacks the ability to partake in multiplayer gameplay and has only one level which can make the game feel repetitive after a few hours of gameplay. It also makes you think that Trinity Interactive Limited could have done a better job if they merged all three games in the franchise, especially since each game offers something that the other doesn’t. You can pick this game up from the app store for free with other versions of the game reaching .99 cents

Have you played Call of Mini: Last Stand? Share your opinions in the comments below!

Max Payne Mobile Impressions - iOS

Back in 2001 and 2002, the original Max Payne released on all major platforms. Now in a mere decade, you can find it on your phone. Crazy right?

I am pleased to report that (like the GTA3 iOS release) due justice has been done to the tragedy-stricken New York cop on the iPhone and iPad.

Visuals: The visuals have been much improved, adding a higher overall resolution and widescreen.

Controls: The controls are about as good as you can ask for on the platform. You have a shoot, jump, and bullet time button, along with two virtual analog sticks to control your movement and camera. The nicest feature of the controls is the ability to move all of the buttons to whatever position you find comfortable.

I've only invested about an hour into the game so far, so all opinions are subject to change. You can pick up Max Payne Mobile now on the iOS store (Android Store on April 26th) for what I find to be a very fair price of $2.99.

RageWars: the dumbest yet most fun iOS game

What do you get when you cross rage comics with heavy duty all American weapons of pure destruction? Well the answer is the game RageWars! At first glance the game seems like a nasty mesh of horrible graphics and those creepy rage comic characters but once you really get into the game you will find it hard to take your eyes off the screen without having feelings of regret! The game is focused around a student who upsets his teacher and in order to get his revenge the teacher kidnaps the students girlfriend, oh yeah and he also releases a herd of killer zombies! Because everyone knows that a game without zombies is like thanksgiving without the stuffing. The game does however offer two game modes one being story and the other being arena mode. The only real point of the game is survive the countless number of zombies that are released upon you during each level while collecting different weapons along the way. The game does sync with game center allowing you to keep track of your score while also comparing with friends. With this game being free i highly suggest it to every iOS user.    

StickWars 3 review

One of the most popular games on iOS and one of my favorite games in general has added one more chapter to their ever growing franchise. StickWars 3 was released recently an I have had difficulty putting my phone down. StickWars 3 has done a good job at kepping the classic StickWars gameplay but now tells the story of Dark Lord King Maelnik who has been the enemy in prior StickWars games. . The game has actually seen some improvements such as graphics that are nicer to look at and a greater integration with campaign. The game does have its downfalls however which include lack of game mode options and some what aging characters. But who knows maybe in StickWars 3 we will see some major improvement. I highly suggest this game to all iOS users and with this game being free there is no reason that you should go pick this up!

Burnout Crash App Review!

When I first saw this app I was overjoyed because I used to have hours of fun playing the Burnout games on my old PS2.  Crash was my favorite game mode and the most popular.  The object is to crash your car into an intersection to create a huge pileup and cause millions in damage.  This game is not very realistic but is hilarious and a lot of fun.  Like most other apps they are not as good as the console version.  In my opinion this app is not worth $4.99.  But don't be afraid to try it out!

Rate: 3 of 5 Stars

Get it now: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/burnout-crash!/id473262223?mt=8

Apple Unibody Headphones Sound Snazzy!

The thing with Apple headphones is that you either love them or you hate them. Most people actually find the Apple headphones poorly mad with horrible sound quality, I on the other hand have as deep of a love as you can have with these headphones before it becomes creepy. Earlier this week Apple actually applied for a patent to allow them to sell a so called "unibody" headphones which has stirred up some mighty fine conversation within the ever growing tech community. I actually do think that it is time for Apple to upgrade their headphone line as the whole design of the current headphones have seen little change since they were originally launched. These headphones are said to be made by a process called ultrasonic bonding which sounds cooler then it actually is, it will probably just be made by the process of putting multiple pieces together and sanding out the connecting points. But how will apple market these headphones? These headphones sound like they are going to be extremely nice and well made but they are probably going to cost quite a bit more to assembly which could mean that Apple might market these as an entirely separate product such as they did with there not so popular in-ear  headphones. But then again maybe they will be released with the ever imminent iPhone 5.

Are you happy that apple is finally updating there aging headphones? Share your opinions in the comments below!

My New Obsession: Cordy for iOS/Android

So when it comes to mobile gaming it takes a lot to impress me! But I have found a mobile game that reaches my overly high standards, it is called Cordy and it's available for both iOS and Android. Now there are a number of reasons why I love this game the main one being that it gives users such a great experience. This game comes complete with gorgeous 3D graphics that really help the player get fully engulfed with the unique gameplay. The main purpose of the game however is fairly simple and just consists of making your way to the end of the level while collecting gears, charging up your player, and avoiding obstacles. Although the game has a great interface and excellent experience I feel that the graphics are still a little clunky and are definitely not completely optimized for the gorgeous retina displays of the iPhone and iPad. But even with these issues I still find the game extremely enjoyable and highly recommend it!


What do you think of Cordy? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Why Facebook buying Instagram does not matter!

Well, this past week the social media giant Facebook decided it wanted to get into the photography business so they decided to purchase the picture giant Instagram. To be I honest I really don't think that this will matter to us Instagram users! Facebook knows that if you have something good than you shouldn't go messing with it much like MySpace did, if you guys even remember when MySpace was cool. I actually think that this is a great move on Instagrams part do to the fact that Facebook has over 850 million users with this huge amount of users I think that Instagram will see tremendous growth within the coming months. In fact I think that Instagram will get better and not at all worse. So for all you kids out there complaining about how Facebook is going to potentially ruin Instagram, you guys just have to give Facebook a shot and see what happens! Do you like or appose the purchase? Share your thoughts jn the comments below!

Frameograph vs. Jittergram (stop motion cameras for iPhone)

Now I am a huge fan of stop motion videos in fact not to long ago I actually reviewed the app Frameograph. But one day as I was exploring my passion for iPhone photo apps I stumbled upon the app Jittergram. Jittergram is essentially the same as Frameograph but it doesn't hold a .99 cent price tag like Frameograph. Both offer some very nice features to ensure that you take the best stop motion video possible on your iPhone. Such as the ability to use onion skin which shows the outline of the previous picture taken. While these are both great apps Frameograph does have a better put together interface with much faster frame capture. But the greatest advantage that Frameograph has over Jittergram is the ability to save a video to the camera roll and be able to watch it, while Jittergram does allow you to save it to the camera roll the video isn't in the right format to be played on your I device. Which one sounds like a better deal? Do you not mind not being able to save your videos to your camera roll with Jittergram or does its free price-tag make it worth it? Shout out your comments below!

frameograph

Jittergram

Burn The Corn App Review

To be honest I had finally gotten tired of slicing fruits and vegetables to find pleasure, but then I found something that fueled my need for destruction and burning food! I am referring to the app Burn the Corn. This game brings the enjoyment of burning popcorn to your iPhone and iPad! It's fairly simple with the only point of the game to pop as much popcorn as possible with your flaming finger. For those of you who are familiar with the somewhat ancient game Fruit Ninja then you will feel right at home with this easy and simple style of gameplay. The game is free and you can download it now in the app store.

Teen Girls More Likely to Text While Driving

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently found that teen girls are twice as likely to whip out those cells while driving. They did this by filming 50 Californian families by observing how teen driving activities changed after they had become an independent driver. They also found that girls were 10% more likely to be distracted, 25% more likely to eat and drink something, and 50% more likely to reach for something. So all you teens out there especially the females remember that distracted driving isn't cool!

Google Chrome is the Best Browser Ever.

Tablets in Schools

Let's face it, technology is the biggest distraction for students today. But how would that change if students learned from technology? Tablets are starting to be slowly allowed in schools across the country and have showed great results. Some people can't see or don't know the functionality that tablets in school would offer. It would allow students to have a lighter load to carry around with all the books in a convenient 3 pound device. Tablets would also give students a new way of learning with the ability to interact with the device while also giving increased note taking functionality. But there're a few downfalls to having tablets in school. Tablets are expensive with some reaching upwards to a 1000 dollars. Also all the tablets that offer true functionality with textbooks such as the iPad all have a hefty price tag. While other tablets such as the kindle fire or Nook tablet have a much less expensive price point but also don't have true tablet functionality. The perfect tablet for schools would have to be a sub 200 device that still maintains textbook abilities. But this might not be possible unless manufactures realize that in order for tablets to be widely accepted in schools that they would need to lower the prices and still include functional software.

Do you use a tablet in school or do you wish you could? Leave a comment below and share your opinion!

Google Maps 8-Bit, April Fools!

Check out this hilarious April Fools Day joke google made.  You can use it for real in Google Maps by clicking on quest in top right corner.  I stumbled upon this yesterday without knowing what it was until I saw this video today.  Watch it for a good laugh :)

How to Get Free iOS Apps

First of all, I must say this is an informative guide only.  I do not recommend doing this.

Also you must have a Jailbroken Device.

1. Open Cydia

2. Go to Sources, Edit, Add

3. Enter http://hackulo.us/


4.  Search "AppSync"

5. Select and Install Correct Version matching Your iOS
          -  To find your iOS version, go to settings > general > about > look for version

For device only skip to step 12. For Device and computer continue to step 6.

6. On Your Computer Go to http://apptrackr.org/

7. Search For the App You Want

8. Scroll Down and Click a Download Link.

9. When download has finished, move file into your iTunes Library
          - This location may vary for some but mine is Music > iTunes > iTunes Media > Mobile Apps

10. Double Click the Downloaded File to Add it to Your iTunes Library

11. Sync for Device

If you want to know how to do this without your computer keep reading

12.  Back on Cydia Searc Intallous and Download That

13.  Go to Your Home Screen and Open Installous

14. Search the App You Want and Touch Download

15. Touch a Download Link

16.  When it is Finished It Should then Install

WARNING: The apps that you download on your device only will be erased when syncing your device.
To avoid this, either use steps 6 - 11 first or before syncing follow steps 6 - 11 to keep the apps from being erased.

Just remember I do not recommend doing this and this is only for information.

Gnome Tech is on Twitter!

Would you love being kept up to date with all the latest from Gnome Tech? Well, that day has come because Gnome Tech is now on twitter!!!! Show your support and follow us @gnome_tech thanks for your ever growing support!!

Best Android Tablet Keyboard

Android tablets come in many shapes and sizes but there is one Android keyboard that I find superior above all the rest for android tablets. This keyboard is called thumb keyboard and it is amazing! What it does is separate the keyboard onto both sides of the screen making it exceptionally easier to type on while your device is in portrait mode. It also still keeps the spacebar and certain common letters on both sides which other keyboards lack. Overall this is a great replacement for the stock android keyboard that works exceptionally well on 10 inch devices.
Which keyboard do you prefer? Share your opinions in the comments below.