Video: Let's Install Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

In this video we will cover how to install yet another alternate Window Manager using Ubuntu 11.10.  We will be installing Xfce.  Xfce can also be installed directly from a fresh install by using the Xubuntu release of Ubuntu 11.10.  But for those who maybe upgraded directly from a previous version of Ubuntu only to find out we were being force fed the Unity Desktop than you may not want to take the time to wipe and do a clean install of your operating system.

Why choose the Xfce desktop?  What'ts so great about it?  Well for one, it's pretty fast.  Xfce manages to cut a lot of the excess stuff out of it that you would normally find in a fresh desktop.  The menu effects and extra stuff that tends to use a little more resources is gone.  This is especially nice when you want to use the latest and greatest Ubuntu release, but have an older computer that maybe doesn't play as well with Unity.  The big downside for a lot of people would probably be the appearance of Xfce.  It definitely lacks the elegance and eye candy of other desktop environments.  However, what it lacks in cosmetic appearance it makes up for in speed and low resource usage.

*Note: I do recommend to make sure you have all of your files and data backed up before performing any major install or change to your system just to be on the safe side.  With that being said, we will use the Ubuntu Software Center instead of the Terminal to accomplish this install.

Installing Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

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Video: Let's Install KDE using Ubuntu 11.10

If you have used or upgraded to the latest release of Ubuntu (being 11.10); then you are aware that aside from installing GNOME Shell 3 you are limited to only using the Unity desktop environment.  They did included Unity 2D for older machines.  But what if you aren't a big fan of Unity?  What can you do to make it less painful?

Easy!  Install a different Window Manager/Desktop Environment!  It's easy to do.  It does require a little bit of time but isn't very intrusive.  So this video will kick off a new video set where we will step through installing alternative desktop environments for Ubuntu 11.10.  After all, part of the joy of using Linux is being able to have choices right?

In our first video of this set we will install KDE.  Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on when all of our new videos get posted!

Installing KDE in Ubuntu 11.10

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Android Coming To A Gamestop Near You

Seriously?  Yep, sounds that way.  Looks like taking a bite out of a rather popular fruit/device maker wasn't all that Gamestop had planned.  Just the other month Gamestop announced they would be taking trades and selling Apple's iDevices.  And now it looks as if they are actually branding their own Android based tablet as well.

I for one, fear that they may be too late to this show for anybody to care.  Especially with the controversy surrounding them the last several months.  If they are willing to snatch coupons from game boxes, why would they be willing to do anything better with an actual tablet device.  Even when they are already carrying another brand of a similar type of device.  I'm actually surprised that Apple didn't include in their agreement with Gamestop that they be the only device provider for the game chain.

Anyways, if you'd like to read the entire story, swing by:
TechCrunch

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Facebook Poll Is Up!

Trying something a little different.  I just posted a poll on our Facebook Page!  I want to get some feedback from our readers/watchers here on the site and on our YouTube Channel as well.  So swing by our Facebook Page and vote on which Linux Distribution you'd like to see reviewed!

Be sure to 'Like' our FB Page while your there!

Click here: http://on.fb.me/qwpd4i

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Netflix Shares and User Base Drops

Since we're on the topic of big brand companies going crazy, we might as well chat about Netflix.  Remember a few months ago when they announced the changes to their service pricing?  And remember a lot of people got pretty upset about the matter.  Then after their current customer's were already rocked by the pricing change; they almost immediately announced that they would be moving their DVD Rental Service from under the Netflix brand to the new Qwikster brand name.  Which seemed kind of crazy, but at least they were still supporting the DVD Rental customers.

And yes, a bunch of customer's got equally upset about the name change to Qwikster as well.  This change meant that both your DVD Rental queue and your Instant Streaming queue would be in two different locations and not associated with each other.  The only thing Netflix was looking to add to Qwikster were game rentals for game consoles (like the Gamefly rental service).

Very shortly after revealing the Qwikster brand, Netflix decided to scrap it's plans to even start up Qwikster in the first place claiming they have listened to their customers.  So for Netflix the last several months have been pretty busy with them running in circles and getting nothing accomplished.

And nothing screams 'We have no clue what we are doing.  But we're doing it like a boss' to your customers than to publicly change your business plan so many times and only end up back where you were to start with and leaving your customer's just as empty handed for all the trouble.  And by the way things look, hopefully they learned their lesson.

It was reported earlier this week that Netflix has lost something in the neighborhood of 800,000 subscribers.  I don't care who you are or what your business is.  But 800,000 subscribers is a metric crap-ton of former customers (and lost business).  And due to the all of the fiasco and canceled accounts their stock prices dropped around 37% on Monday alone.  This isn't good Netflix.

So what does it look like going forward?  Netflix has already announced new content would be making it's way to the service over the coming months.  And a bunch has already been added with them scoring deals with the AMC and CW networks.  So as a current user/customer, I certainly hope they continue to add more content.  Especially since their streaming content is still nowhere as large or full as their DVD offerings.  Maybe with time that will change.  And for their sakes, they need to remember lessons learned from the last couple of months when it comes to them looking to mix things up.

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HP Changes Their Mind & Staying in PC Market

I'm seriously starting to wonder what kind of water some of the bigger companies are drinking these days.  With Netflix throwing their DVD Rental Service under the Qwikster brand only to withdraw almost immediately and leave things alone.  And then with HP deciding to leave the PC market.  As announced back in August, HP decided to look at selling off their PSG Group; which handles the home PC services and product lines.  In order to align themselves more into the business hardware market.  Kind of like IBM did back in the day; which turned out to be a really good move for IBM.

Now however, it looks as though they have changed their minds and issued a stay of execution for the PSG Group.  I am completely aware that the way business has to be conducted has changed.  The way companies operated 10 years ago when compared to now has become drastically different with the changes in the times, technology, cost, government restrictions, etc.  But I don't see how confusing the crap out of current and potential customers is the way to go about things.

As far as the TouchPad goes, I wouldn't hold my breath for it.  Considering nobody bought the device until HP decided to offload them quickly.

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Review: Shadowgun for Android

Yesterday, MadFinger Games released the much anticipated shooter entitled 'Shadowgun' to the Android Market.  The game itself is powered by the Unity Game Engine and it is indeed very sweet.  For those who aren't familiar with MadFinger Games; they are the team behind games such as Samurai II: Vengeance (and previous 'Samurai' titles), 'Bloody Xmas', and a couple others.  To be completely upfront about it, the game is currently going for $4.99 from the Android Market.  And yes, it is worth every penny.  If nothing else but to see how good this game looks on your device.

For starters, the game is basically a third person perspective, cover based shooter.  Meaning you'll basically navigate your way through each area taking cover behind obstacles and shooting it out against robotic gun turrets and mutant soldiers.  If you have ever played games like 'Gears of War' on the Xbox 360 than you'll be fairly familiar with the cover based concept.

You will assume the roll of John Slade, who works as an intergalactic bounty hunter.  Tasked with the mission of hunting down Dr. Edgar Simon, who apparently went rogue and swiped some genetic samples and decided to buckle down on the planet named 'Eve'.  Obviously in the year 2350 (when the game takes place), bounty hunters go by the title of 'shadowgun'.  Hence the game's name.

The sound is about par with any action-shooter title you have probably played in the past.  With gun shots and explosions being the norm through about every room you work through.  Where the game excels in my book are the controls.  You do have the option to use a game pad.  Honestly, I haven't attempted using a controller yet.  Mostly because the onscreen controls are pretty streamlined and are easy to work with.

Much like other shooter style games on Android devices, the controls are 'ghosted' portions of the screen where the digital control stick appear under your left thumb (for movement), while swiping your right thumb aims the cross hair for your weapon.  Running directly up to an obstacle makes your character automatically use it for cover.

You have four other buttons onscreen:
- In the top left of the screen you have the pause button.
- Top right of the screen is your selected weapon (tap the icon to change weapons).
- On the right side of the screen there are two buttons. One for shooting (which becomes an interaction button near mission critical objects).  The second button is for reloading your weapon of choice.

Overall the controls work pretty well.  The only real issue I have had is getting away from an obstacle when under cover.  The idea is that you simply use your left thumb to navigate away from the obstacle.  But sometimes it doesn't quite work the way you think it should.  But that is the only issue I have had, and it doesn't happen often enough to detract from the experience.

There are three games modes (easy, normal, and hard).  There are also collectible icons you can find when playing through the game that unlocks items in the 'Extras' menu.  These items just appear to be profile cards about the characters in the game.  Which provides for background to flesh out the character stories.

All in all, I have absolutely no complaints about 'Shadowgun'.  It looks great and plays smooth.  I'm having a really hard time believing my eyes that this game is running on a mobile device.  I'm running it on my Acer Iconia a500 tablet, and have had no issues whatsoever.  You can swing by the Android Market on your Android device and see if it's available for you.  But if you're a fan of shooter games, or games that require more attention than some of the puzzle games that tend to fill the market, than this game is for you.

To see my previous post about Shadowgun, and see the game's trailer check out:
Shadowgun on iOS...But not Android...Yet!

Results:
I highly recommend this game for anybody who likes a 'heavier' game for their Android Device.  The game is also available for iOS (which received it's release last month).

Pros: Great controls, looks amazing and is fun to play.  From what I have played so far, the difficulty starts off fairly easy and ramps up as you play.
Cons: Occasionally, I tend to get stuck behind cover.  Fiddling around with the controls eventually gets the player loose.  But this doesn't happen often. (BTW, those spider bombs creepily suck). lol

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

To download 'Shadowgun' to your Android Device, visit the Android Market.  The game retails for $4.99 and requires Android 2.2 and up.
Visit: Android Market- Shadowgun by MadFinger Games

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Tablet Owners Not Paying for News, Surprised?

It goes without saying that the way the world consumes content has changed.  Ten years ago, it was very common for people to come home from work and sit down and watch the evening news and read the Sunday paper.  Fast forward to 2011 and how many people do you see sitting in their office at lunch reading the paper.  How many of us actually sit down and watch that television show they call the 'Evening News'?

The vast majority of us access our news via online means.  Whether it be subscribing to a news source via online editions or issues or just reading the headlines on Google News.  So it's shock to me when the Pew Research Center released their findings in the study as to whether or not tablet owner's are willing to pay for news content.  And their answer was 'No'.  Something like 14% of tablet user's who use their device for news content polled had actually purchased access to news content.

And while a lot of times these 'polls' can be ignored because they are sometimes so far out there they just don't make sense.  I tend to believe this one.  Seriously, why should we be forced to pay for news content when there are so many reputable places online to get the same stories for free of charge?  I can honestly say that I get into reading the news more now than I ever have.  And it has become a nightly habit to check the headlines before hitting the hay for the night.  I'm sure this trend will continue unless every reputable news source decides to lock down their services for cash.  Which I don't foresee happening anytime soon.

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Apple's New Award: Patented Slide to Unlock

No doubt there are advantages to being first to the game when it comes to a big company making a product.  We all see it every day (and have encountered it for years).  When it comes to Apple, they are currently one of the leading, trend setting companies out there.  They make a design and it takes off with the general public and they make money (lots and lots of money).  So naturally another company comes along and uses a competitors product for inspiration.  That has been the way of the consumer electronics world for many years now.

Well, it looks as though Apple has another win under it's belt when it comes to the 'slide to unlock' gesture that just about every touchscreen device and smartphone now uses to wake it up or unlock the screen so it can be used.  Although the appearance of the 'slide to unlock' screen may be different on various devices (given that none really mimic the exact look of Apple's unlock screen).  But they do require the same gesture to unlock certain devices.

In typical patent battle fashion, the patent name is so generic that it would no doubt encompass pretty much every method of physically touching a screen in any motion just to unlock it.  The patent name is: "Unlocking A Device by Performing Gestures on an Unlock Screen" U.S. Patent Number: 8,406,721.  So what will happen to the lock screens that people have come to know as a defacto standard among smartphones and other handheld touchscreen devices?

I'm sure this will help Apple's crusade against companies who back similar devices to Apple's product lines (essentially Google with their Android devices/system and possibly anyone else who uses this gesture to unlock a device).  This could be a big slap in the face for Google, since a slide to unlock feature has been pretty much built into Android from the very start and with Microsoft already cashing in on patents targeted at Google, maybe Android lock screens will change for the better.

It's been said many times over the last several weeks that Ice Cream Sandwhich (Android's latest iteration) will feature facial recognition to unlock the screen.  Maybe they should run with that.  Just make sure you don't have to physically touch the screen or Apple will get ya!  lol

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GNOME Classic Panel in Ubuntu 11.10

It's no big secret that I'm not the biggest fan of the Unity Desktop Environment being included in the latest Ubuntu releases.  Call me 'old school' or maybe just set in my ways.  But I like the look of what now has been dubbed the 'Classic Ubuntu' look and feel.  Naturally, after Ubuntu 11.04 was released; one of the first tasks at hand was to figure out how to ditch Unity and jump back into good, old Ubuntu as I've always known it.  It was simple, just pick the option at log in to jump into 'Ubuntu Classic'.  And all was well.

Not the case with Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  Looks like with the release of 11.10, the 'Ubuntu Classic' environment was completely stripped out of Ubuntu.  So naturally, I tried to install the Classic Panel in Ubuntu 11.10.  And to be completely honest, it's terrible.  Much of the cosmetic filler that gives the panel a nice smooth appearance is missing.  The time and date is misplaced and over all it just looks bad.

For those who want to check it out for themselves, this video will walk you through installing it.  And who knows maybe it will be fixed by the time you install it for yourself (that would be great).  But as far as my tastes are concerned, until the issues with the GNOME Classic Panel are resolved (if they get resolved); I'll more than likely be using Ubuntu 11.04 in Ubuntu Classic mode for my Ubuntu fix.  It would be nice if Canonical would throw Ubuntu Classic back in for future releases.  But unless enough people complain about it, I seriously doubt they will.  Especially since Unity is the direction Ubuntu is heading anyways.  After all, isn't one of the core foundations of Linux the fact that user's have options to make changes as they need/like.  I'm not a programmer, so aside from a working solution to using GNOME without Unity than this may be a great opportunity to try out some other Linux distributions.  Time will tell.

So with the exclusion of a working 'Classic' mode from Ubuntu 11.10.  This will launch our new video series highlighting ways to install other Window Managers/Desktop Environments from within Ubuntu 11.10.  Later this week our first 'alternate' desktop will be KDE.  So tune in then!

Ubuntu Classic in Ubuntu 11.10

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MC Hammer Launches Search Engine

In his attempts at becoming relevant to the general public once again, the one time 'floppy-pants-rapper' is starting his own web project.  And it is a search engine by the name of WireDoo.  He revealed in San Fransisco's Web 2.0 Summit this week.  So what is his goal?

The goal of WireDoo is to create a search engine that bases it's results not only on keywords but relationships between these keywords. In the example given, searching for the word 'home' would return info and results about your particular geographic location...

Doesn't Google already do this to an extent?  Next thing you know Vanilla Ice will start his own Frozen Yogurt Label...

It seems to me like Mr. Hammer is trying to reinvent the wheel here.  But, hopefully it will go smooth for him.  After all we are now at a generation where the majority of the young people haven't been exposed to 90's greats like: 'Can't Touch This' or 'Too Legit to Quit'.  On another note, I can only hope that the search sound in his commercial's (similar to Bing's tv spots) would be something of a 90's throwback.  Or maybe give us an 'electric sliding' status bar...

Anyways, if you're looking to jump into WireDoo you can sign up for the Beta here:
http://wiredoo.com/global/signup.html

One last Hammer reference to closeout the article: Keep it 'legit' Hammer, 'too legit to quit'.
Okay, I'm done with the bad jokes now.  :)

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Review: Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'

This past week Canonical rolled out the latest version of Ubuntu with version 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  Right off the bat, you'll notice some really nice changes to the system.  I absolutely love the new login screen.  It looks really sharp.  For fans of Unity, you'll love this release because by default (and short of using the GNOME 3 Shell) Unity is all we get as far as a desktop environment is concerned.  This time around they have stripped out the 'Ubuntu Classic' desktop completely.

Otherwise, you'll immediately notice that the Unity bar looks a little better.  We have lenses built into the Dash that allows you to download more lenses to extend the Dash's functionality (I really like this idea).  And finally, the Ubuntu Software Center has had a huge makeover and looks and functions a lot smoother than previous versions.  In my opinion, this release would probably have to be one of the most user friendly versions ever released if being approached from the standpoint of someone new to Ubuntu.  But for those of us who have used Ubuntu for years and are set in our ways, (at least for me) it isn't the easiest to get used to.  But it does look nice.

So checkout my review:



Review: Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'

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How To: Upgrade Ubuntu 11.04 to Ubuntu 11.10

In our latest video we will discuss one of the easiest ways to upgrade an existing Ubuntu installation to the latest Ubuntu release.  Whenever Canonical rolls out a new Ubuntu release many people flock over to the Ubuntu site or other sites (like DistroWatch) to download the latest ISO and rip a Live CD to use for installation.  Unless you are absolutely sold on reinstalling from scratch everytime a new release hits the web, you may be wasting some time.

You can actually use the Ubuntu Update Manager (the same program that checks for software updates/patches) to help you update your Operating System's Release version.  For example, in this video we will start off running Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal' in VirtualBox.  By using the Update Manager we will upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  This process is pretty much the same for most versions of Ubuntu.

It will take a little time (depending on your internet connection's speed) and I highly recommend backing up all of your files/data before upgrading just in case something goes wrong.  Although, I have never bumped into trouble doing an 'In-Place Upgrade' using Ubuntu.  It's just better to be safe than sorry.  If you're ready to upgrade, go ahead and follow along with our video:

How To: Upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10
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LibreOffice is Growing! Coming to Android & iOS!

Ever heard of LibreOffice?  If not, it is a free and open-source office suite that rivals the Microsoft Office Suite.  It has many comparable components and makes a great office solution for those who lack the pocket money to purchase MS Office, or those who just like using open-source software (I fall into both categories lol).  LibreOffice originated as a fork of the OpenOffice.org project and is simply outstanding.  Not to mention it is cross platform meaning you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems (it comes default with Ubuntu 11.04 and up)!

Just the other day the development team working on LibreOffice announced that they are aiming for a mobile client for both Android and iOS tablet devices (with phone support rolling out later); as well as offering an online counterpart to their offline software (probably something similar to Google Docs).  This is great news for the LibreOffice project because with expansion we see that the project is building steam among it's users (with a growing community as well).  Look for it heading to your mobile device late 2012 (maybe even early 2013).

If you haven't checked into LibreOffice yet, I would highly recommend doing so.  If you do check it out you may want to watch my previous video about how to set the default file formats to Microsoft Office compatible formats after installing to ensure everyone can open your documents.

Download: http://www.libreoffice.org/
My LibreOffice Video Post:
http://www.techiesmarts.com/2011/09/help-ubuntu-making-libreoffice-play.html

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Ubuntu 11.10 Video Review Coming Soon!

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for my Ubuntu 11.10 video review!  Hopefully incoming soon!  I'm downloading the ISO now and should have a decent review in a couple of days once I've used it for a little bit.  So look for it coming soon!

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Star Legends Chrome Store

A while back I did a review of an awesome MMO for Android and iOS devices.  The app reviewed was that of 'Star Legends: The BlackStar Chronicles' link.  It is an awesome game and it's free in the Android Market.

It was announced this past week that this game will be making it's way to the Chrome App Store.  Meaning, if you run Google's Chrome Web Browser; then you're in for a treat.  This is a great game for the casual gamer.  And yet it is still an MMO.  As MMO titles typically have the stigma that they have the ability to take over your life.  All the while, if you are one who likes to completely get sucked into a game, you'll find hours of fun to be had in Star Legends.

So what is such a big deal with this game hitting the Chrome App Store?  Easily put, the game allows cross platform play.  Meaning you can play against people using mobile devices running the game (Android or iOS) as well as other gamer's using the Chrome App version.  This in itself is a huge step and if successful maybe other mobile developers will start thinking along the same lines as SpaceTime Studios.

And this is what you can look forward to:


To read how the app played via my review, visit:Star Legends Review

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Batman Arkham City's Official Launch Trailer!

If there is one game that has been highly anticipated, than this has to be it.  Batman Arkham City is due for release in just a few days.  And it looks like this title will definitely trump it's already awesome precursor: Batman: Arkham Asylum.  In the first game from the Arkham series gamer's were treated to a version of 'game Batman' that we had never seen before.  Rocksteady managed to blend the detective Batman with the action Batman almost to perfection.  And it made for an outstanding game.

With Batman Arkham City, it seems as though old enemies are even making a cameo.  In the trailer we see not only Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Hugo Strange.  But we also see appearances by Poison Ivy and Bane.  And in one scene of the trailer we even see what looks like Batman fighting alongside Bane?!  Overall, this game looks absolutely insane!  And I already have a bunch of questions, like how did Bane survive getting thrown into the bay under the Batmobile in Arkham Asylum?  How did the Joker survive his mutation, even though he looks like crap?  And better yet, how will Batman get out of this one?

Honestly, when I heard the premise for this game I almost shuddered.  And I am guilty of thinking, 'Well it was good while it lasted...' when thinking of how awesome the first game was.  I mean, the thought of a big portion of Gotham being turned into a giant prison run by inmates just didn't seem to strike the right cords with me.  However, now that we can see some of it in action.  It looks awesome!  If you haven't seen the official launch trailer yet, take a gander:

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Google+ Games: Do You Play?

Honestly, I've been a little behind in my exploration of Google+ the last few weeks.  This afternoon I had some time to kill and noticed a button on Google+ I hadn't previously noticed.  And when clicking it, I found it threw me right into their 'Games' section.

Looks like they have definitely gotten the clue from Facebook that people want to play games.  I have played around with some of the games on Facebook and I haven't found anything there that warrants special attention from me.  If I have a little downtime I may play a round or two of Tetris on Facebook.  But that's about it.  And I have yet to start getting any of the spammy game requests from people in my Circles on Google+.  Which tells me that the people I'm following aren't playing that many games either.

Did Google jump into the social game sector a little late?  Maybe, after all I have noticed a huge drop in Farmville Requests from my Facebook Friends.  And I know many people who no longer play Farmville because they felt burned out.  Doing something in your free time should never give you that 'burned out' feeling.  After all, that's why it's called free time.  So do you think games will help populate Google+?

Their offerings are somewhat slim right now.  With the following games being offered up:

Personally, Google will need to bring in more games/talent to catch anyone's eye for this to become a reason for people to spend more time on Google+.  However, this is just the starter games being offered there are more games on the horizon.

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Tablets Owners Do Play Games!

If you own a tablet, do you also play games on it?  My answer is definitely yes!  Why would you carry around a device with an awesome display, and plenty of horse power to play games.  And then not play them?  That sounds crazy to me!  And with mobile gaming becoming more competent as weeks go on; making them attractive to more than just the casual puzzle gamer.  Why not?

Well, apparently a study was conducted for the month of September that concluded that 23% of U.S. tablet owner's played at least one game every day on their tablet during the month.  This equates to two-thirds of tablet owner's enjoying mobile gaming goodness.  Other popular activities enjoyed via tablets inlcude: listening to music, YouTube, streamed online content (like TV shows), and of course using their tablets as e-readers.  Whether it be magazines or ebooks.

What does this tell us?  The numbers seem to suggest that more and more people are using tablets.  No surprise there.  But one thing comes to my mind when we see these kind of studies.  If tablet use is becoming so prevalent; then how come we don't see people at Starbucks and at the Mall sitting around messing with their tablets?  Around my area I see plenty of people sitting around playing on their smartphones.  But not so many tablets.  I, for one would rather sit at home and jam away at a game, rather than actually play it on the go.  Mostly because out in public there is some much going on I find it hard to concentrate fully on tasks like games and reading lengthy articles.  Just not my cup of tea.  But sitting on the couch with my feet kicked up...That's game time around my house.

For more info on the exact study and statistics visit: http://8b08ac42.tinylinks.co

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Motorola Targets Families With Xoom Tablet

Motorola announced yesterday that they will be selling a Xoom tablet that will be geared towards families.  It will go on sale starting Sunday and will be exclusive to Best Buy.  It will retail for $379 and is basically the same hardware that the Xoom has been sporting all along with one exception.  It will only be available in a 16GB model (instead of 32GB's).  Motorola also said the tablet will come preloaded with some family friendly apps as well.  Apparently, this isn't an ongoing offer as the announcement also points out that this will be a limited time offer.

It's no surprise that Motorola is doing this.  With the release of the Kindle Fire, most of the tablet manufacturers have been forced to play their hand at price cutting to keep their products as relevant as possible in the sea of cheaper tablets.  Hopefully, this will help Motorola's position in the tablet market.  The Motorola Xoom was the first Honeycomb tablet on the market and was awesome.  However, it didn't take long for competitors to overshadow the Xoom with other offerings.

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Microsoft Completes Skype BuyOut

Back in May, Microsoft announced that it would be working with Skype in attempt to complete an acquisition of the VOIP software company.  I remember the day when you had a bunch of different companies all offering the products and software to their users and customers.  Nowadays it seems like the better concepts/business a company has going for it; there is always a much bigger company ready to snatch it up and either close it down or integrate it into their existing offerings.

I guess this business concept is becoming more the way of the world in this changed economy we all live in now.  Sometimes it's for the better.  And sometimes it is for the worse.  In this case, we can only hope that Microsoft stands by Skype and anything that becomes changed will hopefully be considered an improvement.  As we all know, not everyone loves the idea of change.  And anything drastic may  cause a big dip in the number of user's using a product.  No matter how good it once was.  It will be interesting to watch and see where 'The Big M' and Skype go from here.

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Ubuntu 11.10 Now Available!

Yesterday marked the release of Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  So what is the big deal?  What's been changed?  For starters Unity has been updated, and GNOME 3.2 shows up too.  Mozilla's Thunderbird is now the default mail app as opposed to Evolution (from previous released).  The Ubuntu Software Center received a makeover along with Gwibber.  And Firefox 7.01 is the default web browser.

For those of you fellow 'Ubuntuers' (haha, I just made up a word); swing by the Ubuntu website and download the latest release at: http://www.ubuntu.com/download

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The Buzzkiller: Google

As part of the reorganization of Google products that started several months ago when they killed off Google Labs; they have now killed Buzz.  Not a big deal to me as I never used it.  But it just goes to show that Google definitely seems to be reorienting themselves since the launch of Google+.  It's a good sign to see a company being progressive.  But it also makes you wonder how they decide which projects to close.

Anyways, Bradley Horowitz (Google's VP or Product) commented in a blog post that they will be aiming to bring something 'truly awesome to Google+'.   And with the number of user's on Google+ seemingly starting to drop a little, it's probably a good idea if they would unleash some of the awesome a little sooner than later.

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Run Android Apps In Windows

Don't mind if I do!  I recently signed up for BlueStacks; which is a project that allows you to run Android apps from within a Windows Operating System.  I'm not so sure how well this will work out.  But figured it could be a fun little project.  I'm currently downloading the client now, so look back for a report in the next couple of days to see how it went!



For more info on BlueStacks visit: http://www.bluestacks.com

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The Avengers Official Trailer!

So today Marvel decided to throw the world a bone and let us see what we've been building up the last couple of summer's to see; a first look at none other than: The Avengers!  In what equates to nearly a 2 minute trailer we get a great trailer for the upcoming flick.  In it you will see the team of superheroes in all their glory.  From Captain America, Iron Man, HawkEye, Black Widow, Thor, and of course Mr. Nick Fury.  And we finally get to see some shots of Banner transforming into The Hulk!  We also get a few shots of Loki; but still nothing concerning the Skrulls.  And Marvel hasn't confirmed the Skrull's involvement in the movie either; it's purely been speculation as to whether or not this flick will show us Loki's alliance with the Skrulls.

We also get a few quick glimpses of some strife within the group with Tony Stark antagonizing Steve Rogers and even shots of a fight sequence between Thor and Captain America.  The common denominator: Captain America doesn't get along with others, I guess??  Anyways, the flick looks awesome and I absolutely can't wait to see it.  For those who haven't seen the trailer yet, enjoy!

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New Roku Streaming Set Top Box Revealed

Today, Roku has revealed it's newest product.  For those who aren't familiar with Roku, they make a sweet little set-top box that is basically like a cable box for your internet streaming needs.  There are currently several Roku devices on the market, some just stream video from different streaming services like Netflix and Hulu (and a whole bunch more).  While some of their newer offerings can also handle apps like Angry Birds.

The new Roku LT is a slightly smaller version of the Roku 2 HD.  They have stripped it of Bluetooth and microSD features (that the Roku 2 HD has); and it will output video at 720p.  They have also announced that HBO Go would be making an appearance on Roku boxes as well.  If you are a current HBO subscriber, you get free access.  They have yet to announce what the cost to new subscribers (or non-subscribers) will be.  The Roku LT will retail for $49.

For more info on Roku visit: http://www.roku.com/

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Search Box is Fixed!

For those who have noticed, thank you for the notes.  The search box towards the top of the website has been fixed.  It now works.  Thanks again for the heads up!

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Netflix Scraps Qwikster Plans

Announced today that Netflix has already killed Qwikster.  Yep, you read that right.  Apparently, they listened to their customers (about freakin' time). That managing two websites with two different movie queues would be too much of a hassle.  So, Netflix decided to pull the plug on moving the DVD Rental portion of their business over to their new brand: Qwikster.

This has got to be one of the quickest company deaths in history (aside from children's lemonade stands), lol

Anyways, existing and future Netflix subscriber's will continue to be able to use and access the queues from the traditional Netflix website as they always have.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Lord of the Rings Online: Mithril Edition!

For fans for the Free to Play MMO: Lord of the Rings Online, hold on to your hats!  There is a new retail edition heading your way.  You heard that right, it's a retail version of a free to play game.  It will retail at $29.99 for the Mithril Edition of LoTRO.


So what does it include to be worth retailing at a healthy chunk of change at $29.99?
-Game Disk's
-Starter Guide
-Keyboard Map
-Bonus Quests
-Exclusive Mount
-2,000 Turbine Points for the LOTRO Store

That's a pretty healthy offering if I must say so.  Especially since it already includes the game's client installer (which can be a hefty download with a long wait time for some of us).  Of course you'll probably be prompted to download patches once the game has been installed.  I am an existing LOTRO player, and the game is truly one of the best free to play titles out there right now.  So I promise if you have the hardware to run it, you'll not be disappointed.

For more information on the LOTRO: Mithril Edition visit: http://mithril.lotro.com/

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Minecraft Now On Android Market!

For those of you who just can't get enough Minecraft and are running an Android device; you should be thrilled! Minecraft has been released on the Android Market as: Minecraft-Pocket Edition!  Honestly, I haven't tried this app yet out of sheer fear that I will get hooked.

Minecraft took the world by storm earlier this year as a game with extremely simple graphics but extremely addictive gameplay.  Essentially providing an outlet for gamer's to build their own worlds and environments as they see fit using an assortment of blocks.  Beware, if you are looking to purchase this app it sells for a whopping $6.99; however, there is a free demo available on the Android Market as well.  The demo doesn't save the world between sessions, limits player's to 18 of the 36 blocks, and multiplayer worlds can't be copied to your device.  So; as you can see it is rather limited, but should give you a taste of the game anyways.

If you're interested, swing by:
Minecraft-Pocket Edition on the Android Market

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Playstation Long Live Play!-Michael Trailer

Over the last several weeks Sony has been ramping up to a big announcement for this past week.  With the news of Steve Job's passing; some things were slid on down the headlines, as was to be expected.  One of these headlines concerned Playstation's 'Long Live Play' campaign.  This wasn't anything more than a commercial; but I have to go on record and say that Playstation serves up some pretty good commercials.

Sure, a lot of people were somewhat disappointed that the announcement wasn't anything bigger.  But it was awesome.  Simply entitled 'Michael'.  We get to see some of modern gaming's most beloved characters (from the Sony consoles, so no Master Chief or Marcus Fenix, sorry).  From Kratos to Solid Snake to SackBoy; they're all their.  And a heart felt speech delivered by a soldier from Medal of Honor, we see that as much as we honor our game hero's; they honor the players behind them.  It's pretty cool.

Check it out:

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US Drone's Infected by Spyware

It was reported on Friday that some of the U.S. Air Force's Predator and Reaper Drones have been affected by spyware.  The drone's hardware isn't directly infected; however, the controlling computers are.  The virus has been identified as a keylogger.

For those who aren't familiar with virus/malware/spyware terminology, a keylogger is a nasty little program that sits quietly in the background of your computer and records every keystroke that is made on your keyboard.  Usually this nasty software is used to capture personal data about the user.  Whether it be usernames and passwords or bank account information.  Once the computer is infected it becomes extremely easy for the bad guys to harvest the information (usually it's sent via an automated form of email or transmission).

The U.S. Air Forces released a statement making it known that the spyware has resisted their attempts at removal; however, it's presence isn't interfering with their missions.  Also, it isn't known whether or not the infection was accidental or not.  Either way, that isn't a good thing.

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Sinestro Corps Batman is PS3 Only

If you have been keeping up with news concerning the upcoming 'Batman: Arkham City' game, then you have probably seen all of the different character skins available via preordering.  Well, looks like people who buy the Extended Blu-Ray edition of this summer's 'Green Lantern' flick will get a PSN download code to get access to the Sinestro Corps Batman skin.

Yep, a yellow and black take on Batman's character skin.  I'm all about options and love the fact that we will see skins from pretty much every incarnation of Batman's costume from the "Adam West" color scheme to Batman Beyond.  Not to mention the several takes on Robin.  But a reference to a cross -comic story arc that only some will understand...That may be taking it a little far. 

This skin will be exclusive to PS3 owner's (but will probably show up on 360 for purchase at some point later on as most DLC seems to show up on both systems eventually).

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What Is Your Single Favorite Android App?

Earlier I sent out a tweet across my twitter feed at:  http://www.twitter.com/techiesmarts asking what is your favorite Android app?  And I would like to open the discussion to our blog readers.  Leave a comment below or tweet us a message with hashtag #techiesmarts via Twitter and let me know!

Only one condition, you have to pick only one app from your collection to suggest and whether it is for a smartphone or tablet device.  I will pick up to 5 of the suggested apps and will credit your twitter handle in the review if you'd like!  We will leave this topic running for the next 24 hours to give people a chance to chime in.  So let's chat!

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Fiverr: What Can $5 Buy You?

I know this doesn't have much of anything to do with technology but this was too good to pass up mentioning.  I recently heard about a site where you can literally get about anything you want done for $5.  I had to check it out.  And to be completely honest I haven't used the sites' services yet, so I have no clue how the actual experience is.  But from an entertainment point of view it looks like a lot of fun.

So what will $5 bucks buy you?  Seems like just about anything on  Fiverr.  From getting a video intro made to getting a guy in a chicken suit to video himself shouting anything you want in public.  It's all there.  There are a bunch of really talented people on Fiverr doing things like web design work and multimedia design.  Some people are offering voice-over work and some are even doing the simple: "I'll write your business name on my face for $5".  It is entertaining to look through the listings and I even have a few prospects of some services I'd like to try out.

There is a feedback rating for everyone offering a service and with services set at $5 it almost makes it an easy gamble to try it out and see what type of talent is going unnoticed out there.  So if you have a unique talent you could offer or whether you are looking for someone to sing a birthday wish for you.  Swing by  http://fiverr.com/  and at least see what's going on over there.

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Netflix + Iconia A500 Hands On!

Now that I have had my hands on a working Netflix app on my Acer Iconia a500 for a couple of days I figured it would be good to post a follow up to see how things are going with it.  And I am happy to report that it is working just fine.  The Netflix Browser Interface resembles that of any other mobile device's Netflix app.  Once the streaming has started I have experienced some fuzzy video for the first few seconds of the flick I'm watching and then it clears right up.

I can only assume this is due to the app adjusting video quality to the available network connection.  Regardless, it doesn't detract from the experience.  I have encountered no force closes or crashes either (my iPod Touches Netflix app is crash happy) which is awesome.  All in all the app has been a great experience and I'm so happy the guys at the XDA Developers forum took care of it!

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How fast will Ice Cream Sandwhich be Adopted?

This is a common question I keep seeing pop up across the web over the last couple of days.  So here is my small opinion on the matter.  Like every other Android release for any device already on the market, user's are forced to wait for the update to rollout to their devices.  Some manufacturers are better at this than others.  So obviously the adoption rate of Ice Cream Sandwhich; at least as far as existing devices out into the wild are concerned, will solely rely upon how fast smartphone and tablet manufacturers take to go through it and optimize it for their devices.  And no doubt add their own mix of bloatware to the update prior to sending it out to customer's hardware.  And as far as manufacturers are concerned they will obviously place the majority of their attention on their new products and filter the update to existing devices once that is done.

If manufacturers made it easier and more accessible to manually update our devices then you would see a much faster adoption rate for every future Android release.  But I definitely don't foresee that ever happening.  Just some food for thought.

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Google and Samsung Cancels Unveiling

Google and Samsung cancelled their unveiling scheduled for October 11th.  It is speculated that they would be announcing the release of Android's latest iteration: Ice Cream Sandwhich.  As well as Samsung's latest smartphone.  It was initially unclear why the unveiling was cancelled.  However, in an announcement made earlier today it was stated that both Google and Samsung felt with 'current events' it wasn't a good time to announce a new product.  Now whether this is out of respect to Steve Jobs or whether they are trying to give the headlines some time to cool down before their announcement hits; is yet to be seen.

Either way, I'd expect something from them probably next week.

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Help Ubuntu!: Speed Up Ubuntu

The latest video in our 'Help Ubuntu!' video series has gone live!  In this video we will cover a few basic tips that will help us speed up our Ubuntu 11.04 installation.  And we will not have to uninstall any software packages or even touch the Terminal!

Who would need to do this?  Anyone running older hardware that seems to have issues keeping up with the new Unity desktop environment or the speed demon who is constantly trying to get their computer to boot as fast as it possibly can.  Let me go on record to say that there are more advanced ways to speed up Ubuntu by removing some packages, language packs, etc.  This is probably fine for the more experienced Ubuntu user.

But for those who are newer to the operating system and may not be ready to jump into the Terminal and hammer out a string of commands for which they have no clue what it does, only on the promise that it will work, we'll try to start you off easily.  That way when you get to the point where you can understand what Terminal commands handle what functions, it will make that learning experience a lot easier (trust me, I've been there).

So, without delay see our latest video below.  Feel free to leave a comment or visit and subscribe to our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts

Help Ubuntu!: Speed Up Ubuntu

Be sure to follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/techiesmarts

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The Walking Dead stalks Netflix!

Beginning today a deal was made between AMC and Netflix that grants Netflix the exclusive rights to streaming 'The Walking Dead Season 1'.  That's awesome!  Especially with Season 2 fixing to fire up with more zombie goodness.

I was a huge fan of the first season and will probably go back and rewatch the first season prior to the Season 2 premiere.  This is a multi-year deal signed between AMC Networks and Netflix directly.  This opens up the door for all future seasons of 'The Walking Dead' to be stream and I'm sure they will be building upon the AMC content library.  Netflix already has rights to two other AMC hit shows: 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad'.

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