Guildies, Daleks, Labor Day Weekend, Oh My!

I know, I know...It's been quite a while. I hope everyone has been doing fine. It is by no chance that I am making my first post after somewhat of a hiatus on this very evening. After all with this past week being a huge week in tech, gaming, and nerdism alike; how could I possibly stay away?  Since my last post we have seen all sorts of craziness pop up on the interwebs. Aside from all the political jargon us Americans are having to put up with on Facebook and the general media, we have the "he said, she said" lawsuits between Apple and Samsung (for which it looks link Samsung is in deep bantha fodder over), new iPhone buzz and talk of an iPad Mini?! When does it stop? I always considered my iPod Touch to be a mini iPod... I guess Apple has proved me wrong once again.  Well played Apple... Well played.

In other quick news, my Samsung Galaxy Epic Touch 4G (from here on called the "S2") received it's Ice Cream Sandwhich OTA update a few weeks ago...Yay! Nope, no joy could be expressed.  As it appears my perfectly good S2 with great battery life (would go almost a full day of moderate use on a single charge cycle) is now a fancy phone which lags, screen animations hang up, buttons quit responding, and am lucky to pull a 4 hour life from a full charge... Thanks for breaking my phone!! If anybody knows of a good custom ROM, please leave comment with suggestions.

In better news, this week marked the release of "Guild Wars 2". If you don't know what Guild Wars 2 is.... Then you should be fed to the Char. Just kidding. Guild Wars 2 is a sequel to the much celebrated MMO title "Guild Wars". The original GW managed to survive the development cycle of it's sequel during a time when other MMO titles were being closed down or forced to switch to a "freemium" free-to-play business model.  The appeal to the Guild Wars games for me has to be the fact that there is no monthly charge to play the game; unlike other MMO titles. You purchase the game once and access to play is free from that point forward.  See Blizzard, it can be done!

I certainly hope GW2 is able to garner the same success that it's predecessor has let us long time fans enjoy for years now. The original Guild Wars brought us a total of 3 stand alone campaigns (Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall) and one expansion that was not a standalone expansion but helped shape the mold for GW2 (Eye of the North).  The original game still has some players left running through it (I have spent some time in-game over the last several days) so don't hesitate to pay us a visit sometime. I do plan on picking up Guild Wars 2. But it may be a few weeks before I get around to it.

Lastly and most importantly, tonight was the premiere of Season 7 of Doctor Who! It aired 9:00pm EST here in America on BBC-America and will be reairing at midnight tonight. It was a fantastic episode with more clever lines from the Doctor, a special cameo that leaves more questions than it answers, and a wild start to the new season.  Even though we now only have four more episodes till we have to wait for the Christmas Special (and a new companion); this season will definitely be a big one with the season premiere focusing on the Doctor's oldest and most feared enemy: The Daleks!

Wow, all of that was a keyboard full. But there you have it. And on that note, I will bid you all a good night. And for those of us in the USA, I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!  Allons-y, Geronimo, or maybe even a good old fashioned "Goodnight!" will do.

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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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Steve Jobs: 1955-2011

Yesterday evening the world lost one of our time's greatest innovators, Steve Jobs.  As one of the few truly visionary people in the technology world, he set out to make a difference in the way the world used and thought of not only computers but technology as well.  Jobs had been fighting a rare form of pancreatic cancer announced in 2004.  Then, in 2009 he received a secret liver transplant.  And in January of 2011, he took another medical leave.  Eventually leading up to his stepping down as Apple CEO in August 2011.

Jobs was the man in the black turtleneck that became so iconic with Apple products.  Thanks to the vision of Mr. Jobs the world was shown how to think outside of the traditional computing 'box'.  Leading the charge for Apple to jump into the personal media player market with the iconic iPod product line that would eventually jump start the 'tablet craze' with the release of the iPad.  And it all came from rather humble roots; as Apple was literally built from ground up originating out of a garage.

As the CEO of a revolutionary company that has helped change the computing experience for the world over it's lifetime; regardless of your opinion of these products or even Apple as a company, no doubt about it Mr. Jobs was successful in building a groundbreaking company.

As for Steve Jobs, your insight and innovation will definitely be missed.  And our thoughts, condolences, and prayers go out to the Jobs family.

And food for thought:
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” – Steve Jobs’ famous question to John Sculley, former Apple CEO

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Kindle Fire sells how many preorders?!

As expected Amazon's Kindle Fire seems to have taken off; if nothing else, the pre-order numbers seem to look good for Amazon's tablet.  Sitting at 95,000 day one pre-orders!  And spinning the tech-retail world into a tailspin by kicking off what appears to be the first of the tablet price wars that I predicted a few months back to start hitting about now.  Is it just getting warmed up?

It's kind of funny that in the same week that Amazon announces the Kindle Fire, Best Buy drops the price of the HTC Flyer to $299.  Will the other tablet manufacturers follow suit in fear of the Kindle Fire?  Do I think the Kindle Fire will dethrown the iPad as the king of tablets?  Probably not, because Apple has enough money to ramp up ad campaigns and sell more of their devices too.

But as far as casual tablet buyers, looking for a basic entry level tablet to get them into mobile computing.  Yep, I think those people will definitely bypass the iPad.  But time will tell!

And word of advice, if you're looking to get a Kindle Fire before the end of the year, it might be a good idea to go ahead and pre-order with numbers like those.  It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a shortage of Kindle Fire tablets before they even hit the street.

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Affordable Remote PC Support using Teamviewer

I ran into an issue quite a while back in which I needed to login to someone's computer remotely.  It was a friend and they were having some issues with their computer that they just couldn't convey to me over the phone.  And honestly, I didn't feel like driving half an hour away to their house at 8:30 in the evening.  So, I decided to give Teamviewer a try.

It was by far one of the easiest remote clients I have ever used.  In my case, I simply emailed my friend the client listed on their site as 'For the Instant Customer'.  Which weighs in at 2.5MB's, so it is very small and a quick download for them.  Meanwhile, I had already downloaded the full client on my PC.  It was literally as simple as asking them to run their client and give me the 'User ID' and 'Password' numbers.

I then had to launch my Teamviewer client and choose to 'Create Session'.  In the Partner ID field you simply enter you're friend's 'ID'.  It is a numeric string that consists of three sets of three digit numbers.  Then select what type of connection you want to use.

-Remote Control

-File Transfer

-VPN

For most of my uses so far, Remote Control is the only feature I needed, so that is what I chose.  On the next screen you will be prompted to enter your friend's password which will consist of four digits.  And the password is randomized every time you launch the Teamviewer client.  This is to ensure user's have explicitly granted access themselves for the remote session.  Basically so you can't come in later and try to spy on them or do other malicious acts.

Once you have access to their system you will be able to navigate their machine as if you were in front of their physical computer.  In the past I have used a couple other services.  But this seems to work the most fluent in my situation.  In one case I was even able to troubleshoot my computer at home from a friends house via my Android Tablet running the Teamviewer client (I had set up the User ID and Password prior to leaving the house).  And it worked fine.

So if you are looking for a free way to handle remote access, this is my way of choice.  It's also cross platform.  There are clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even iPhone/iPad and Android!

Pros: Several different types of clients available.  I usually send my friends the 'No Install' client.  They simply download and run it.  And I use the full client to gain access to their systems.  And it's free for home user's (businesses must pay).  Cross platform support!

Cons: None that I have personally encountered.  Unless count the ad that pops up when closing the client.  But it isn't that intrusive.

To try it out for yourself visit: http://www.teamviewer.com

I give Teamviewer (as a service) 5 out of 5 stars!

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Shadowgun released yesterday on iOS...But Not on Android yet?

Yesterday marked the release for Madfinger's Shadowgun.  Why is this game significant?  I can easily answer that question with the obvious.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  The graphics looks outstanding.  The game was built on the Unity 3D engine and is a cover based third person shooter for mobile devices.  Yep, that means it will run on smartphones and tablets equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra chipset (and currently on iDevices).

And as of yesterday, it is running on iPhones and iPad's.  According to TegraZone, we should expect to see the Android port sometime in October 2011.  For those who haven't heard of Madfinger yet, you should check them out if you have a device capable of running Samurai II: Vengeance.  Which is a gorgeous looking hack and slash, samurai game.

Here is the backstory for Shadowgun.  You play as John Slade (a strangle blend of Gears of War style with Bruce Willis); who is the universe's toughest bounty hunter.  And you are hired to hunt a Dr. Edgar Simon who controls a crazy, mutant army.

Nothing sounds to unique about the story.  But seriously, a mobile game that looks like this, screw the story.  I'll play it strictly for the visuals alone.  If you're still not sold, be sure to checkout the game's trailer:





Look for a full review once this game hits the Google Android Market!

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HP is doing what? Is the PC Market Approaching Death?

So by now you've probably heard that HP is selling of it's Personal Systems Group.  Basically, that includes PC/laptops/smart phones, and that little HP TouchPad tablet that all of the cool people are advertising but nobody is buying.  So what does this mean?

This is obviously a huge turning point for HP as a company.  Until now HP was primarily known as the computer and printer company.  They are one of the 3 leading PC manufacturers in the US.  But suddenly they are getting out of that market?  What are they thinking you may be asking?  It is very obvious that computers are becoming faster, smaller, and in the case of this story cheaper.  As the hardware gets cheaper, of course the profit margin that these manufacturers tap into is of course getting smaller.

Ten years ago, a PC half as powerful (if that) as an average use computer is now, would cost well over $1,000. My first Dell (purchased in 2004) cost me $1,100.  It was a Pentium 4 running 2.4GHz, with 1GB of RAM and an older Nvidia Gforce card (I can't remember it's specs).  My current rig is an Intel Core 2 Duo running a 3.0GHz with 2GB's of RAM with an nVidia 8600 GTS built almost 3 years ago for $400 with parts from Newegg.

The only company that seems to be able to make a rather substantial profit from their hardware sales appears to be Apple.  And they sell quite a few less machines, but make more money on what they sell than any other PC manufacturer in the US.  So, how do they do it?

Not sure, personally I believe it is smart implementation of their peripheral products.  Namely, the iPod brand.  Think about it.  Before Apple released it's very first iPod music player, Apple computers were basically commonly found in graphic design offices.  Applications were pretty scarce for it, and since their computers ran the older Power PC processors they were incompatible with anything else on the market.  Then came along the iPod and a small program called iTunes.

Now people who never thought about Apple were picking up iPod's and using iTunes.  The next step of course would be for a new customer to see what else Apple makes that might interest them.  So they get into the older iMacs or early MacBooks.  Fast forward several years, Apple makes a deal with Intel and replaces the Power PC processor for Intel.  Now you have the ability to pick between Windows or Mac OS X.  You can virtualize Windows using Parallels.  Now that their machines are 'Intel-Based' more software is being developed for their platform.  All the while, they continue to upgrade and build features into their devices that are based around apps like iTunes, easy use with their iPods.  Meanwhile, iPods are getting bigger and better and being turned into phones and tablet devices.  So in my opinion the iPod helped direct a lot of attention back to Apple over an extended period of time.  Instead of being one of these: "Hey, look what we have, shiny new tech" and then a couple years later they fizzle out.  Fast forward to 2011, people who own a Mac computer absolutely adore them.

Does this build up over time explain why Apple can sell a laptop and ask a substantially higher price for it and make more profit off of a single sale?  Maybe, I'm not market analyst but this makes sense to me.

As of late HP hasn't made the best business decisions, but at least they have taken risks other companies may have stayed away from.  For instance, remember when they bought out Palm?  They bought Palm for $1 billion dollars the other year.  Pretty much to strip out the webOS developed by Palm for the smart phone devices (which had a hard time selling) for use in future products.  Fast forward to now, they have released the HP TouchPad which has snazzy commercials being about the only thing going for it.  And in the meantime, will someone decide webOS is still valuable enough to invest in from HP?  Time will tell.





BTW, I love the Russell Brand 'Ostrich Commerical' for the TouchPad.  HP tried to do exactly what RIM did.  Both companies attempted to bring a tablet device into a market completely owned by Apple and Android at the moment.  As RIM found out with the Blackberry PlayBook, other devices are having a difficult time breaking through the crowd of Android devices and iPads.  Sure, they are nice devices.  But let's face it, why not go with the flow and ride the cash train while we can.  And it's at the point now that even Best Buy is trying desperately to be rid of the TouchPad.

So what does this mean for HP as a company?  Well, they are doing pretty much what IBM did years ago.  They are going to be focused more towards enterprise solutions where the sales are typically larger with a larger profit margin.  And for the most part, this has worked pretty well for IBM.

And what does this mean for the home PC market?  Is it dead?  Not quite.  There will always be a need (at least in our foreseeable future) for PC's.  After all, even devices that rely solely on the cloud (looking at you Google Chromebooks) without a PC or Server sitting in a data center somewhere, those devices will not have a reason to access the 'cloud'.  And let's face it, sure mobility is great.  But there comes a time (and some tasks) that a mobile device just can't handle yet.  Would Pixar be able to render another sequel to 'Cars' solely on an iPad?  Not currently.  Would Netflix be able to serve millions of subscribers using a data center of Android Tablets (definitely not at the rate they allow these devices access to their services).   So as far as I can see, PC's are going to be around for a while to come.  This doesn't mean they will be the most popular or most practical form of computing.  But they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Maybe one day a form of cluster computing may emerge that allows the internet to become a thriving, mobile entity as many devices are trying to make it now where everyone's computer serves everyone else's.  But that is a whole other security story in itself.  In the meantime, don't expect to see many TouchPad's floating around and the household HP Pavilion Laptop appears to be going the way of the dodo bird.

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Tablet Price Drops In the Near Future? Very Possible.

DigiTimes reported that tablet makers are expected to go through another "Tablet Price War"  probably by the end of September.  This is obviously excluding the iPad.  Apple obviously has no plans on budging on it's pricing.  But other vendors may very well be fixing to make some price cuts in order to minimize damages due to unsold inventory.

Does this mean tablets are going extinct?  Nope, it just means that the current price point for the devices is still too high for the average consumer to digest.  I think Barnes & Noble proved the point when they released the Nook Color.  I know a handful of people who have that devices and purchased it primarily to root it and run a version of CyanogenMod on it and turn it into a full fledged tablet device; and it even came to the point where the Nook Color received an official update with it's own tablet offerings.

Motorola proved that an alternative to the iPad could work (even if sales were modest it sent a message to the 'Big-A', i.e.: Apple).  And other vendor's followed suit by releasing a device similar to Motorola's Xoom but cheaper.  That is the natural progression of the lifecycle of consumer electronics.  Sure it happened fast, but right now vendor's seem to be hard pressed to rollout a device with a decent hardware configuration and keeping the price point under $350 to $400.

Would this upcoming price war bring down the price points even further, it's very possible.  Analysts are expecting some tablets to drop to the $350 price level for the average device, and could experience drops even lower than that (some think possibly $300 could be a future going price for some devices).  And by lowering the price point for these devices, it is very possible that people will feel more comfortable investing in one.

Let's face it, tablets are basically a hybrid between our cell phones and laptops.  For $400 to $600 you can buy a heck of a laptop, and for how many people really pay full retail price for their cell phones?  Not many.  That's right, a lot of those fancy smart phones on the market come with price tags in the $300 to $500 range. However, you're cellphone carrier usually gives you steep discounts on the hardware in order to make that money back on the service charges through the course of your contract.

So why would you pay that kind of price for a similar device?  Makes sense to me, drive the cost down.  Sales may pick up, which means more companies may get into the tablet market and generate competition.  Let's face it, right now if you're looking at tablet you're looking at (aside for the iPad):
-Asus
-Acer
-Motorola
-Samsung or
-Toshiba

There are cheaper tablets, but they come at a cost.  With either an older outdated version of Android, or significantly lesser hardware and resistive touchscreens.  And they often times have a poorer user experience. So I encourage the vendor's to do what they need to help drive the price down.  This can only help their sales, the end user's experience, and a means of further extending the Android (or similar) Operating System. And I see a lot of value for these Android devices and only hope that the market for them doesn't crumble around itself to due to over priced and underused devices.

Read the main article at: http://bb875c41.tinylinks.co

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Should I Buy a Laptop or a Tablet?

I get asked this question at least once a week.  So I figured I'd take a moment and elaborate on my answer for those online who may be wondering the same thing.  I personally own an Android based tablet (Acer Iconia a500), have access to an iPad (first generation), and of course my desktop pc, and my wife's laptop.  So coming from the standpoint that I have access to each of the major methods of common, everyday computing; here is my advice.

The argument for a PC (personal computer) is a completely valid argument.  Let's be real, in this day an time you have two types of computers: the Windows based PC, and a Mac.  What you're looking at from the PC standpoint is probably a Windows 7 based PC.  If you want to spend more, get pretty good customer service, but be somewhat limited to the software you can run; go Mac.  Nothing against Apple or their Mac's; I just happen to bump into about a dozen Windows-based PC's and laptops for every 1 Mac I see in the wild.  Those who have Mac's absolutely adore them; so no Mac hate here.  lol

With a PC (or equivalent) you're looking at running a wide selection of software applications, the common web surfing and everyday computer usage.  Maybe some Facebook or Farmville, and you have the ability to either buy software from a brick and mortar store, or downloading from an e-store online.  You'll have the ability to hook up to a local or network based printer, and have the option to go either Wireless or Wired networking.  Most PC's are upgradable so adding things like memory and large hard drives later (or the need to add a new graphics card for gaming) becomes a better solution than replacing the unit at a later time.  Some upgrade options aren't available when using a laptop (such as a videocard upgrade); however, adding more RAM or a larger hard drive later is a more viable solution.

The argument for a tablet (or equivalent) is also a very valid point.  Tablet's are designed for one thing: mobility.  Yes, many of them do look pretty sexy and sleek too.  However, they are meant for the mobility and convenience of a laptop or netbook, but without the bloat.  There are some Windows based tablet floating around out there, that use a current version of the Windows Operating System but optimized for the touch input.  However, most tablets you see with either be running a version of Android or will be an iPad running iOS from Apple.

What can you do with a tablet?  Pretty much any of your basic, every day computing can be thrown at any of the modern tablets on the market right now.  It all comes down to which side you want to lay down your rifle for.  With Apple's iPad you're looking at paying for the device and for most of your apps you can download that are iPad optimized.  From my experience looking around Apple's App Store, some of their iPad version apps are more expensive than the iPhone versions.  However, with the iPad and iOS, it just works.  Right out of the box.  There is very little room for error (as long as you don't jailbreak it).  That opens a whole new door that can be awesome, or cause headaches depending on your goal.  But from a stock standpoint, the iPad is a very competent tablet style device.  It has great accessories available and plenty of apps to keep you busy.

The other side of the tablet world right now revolves around Android based devices.  Most of the $400-$600 range Android tablets now are dual-core processor based tablets.  They are more than competent for web surfing, gaming, and media consumption.  They aren't quite as smooth as the slide, tap, and use method that the iPad employees; meaning it feels like a computer more than a big iPod.  The same can be argued about Android apps.  There are plenty of apps in the Google Android Market to appease your appetite.  However, the actual "Tablet Optimized" category is pretty low.  With that being said, many of the other apps in the market will work on a tablet without any trouble.  Many times the Android tablets are comparable if not cheaper than the iPad.  Available accessories are out there, but it depends on which tablet you use as to the level of what is available for it.

Personally, I find a tablet to be a great complement to my daily computer usage.  I use a desktop PC for most of my work and gaming based tasks.  Then when I need to casually surf, check me email, or compute on the go; I roll out with my tablet.  If you are looking to replace your PC with a tablet, I'd hold off for the time being.  I just don't think tablet's are designed with that intention just yet.  If you are new to the computing world, and only have needs to surf the web or read a book; by all means, a tablet may be best for you.

It all comes down to your personal needs.   My wife uses her laptop a couple times a week for Facebook access and web surfing.  For her, a tablet would be ideal.  Simply because, she doesn't need to level of usage that would warrant a full sized PC or Laptop.  But would give her the similar features.  But for me, I have to still use a desktop at least until I give up some of the PC only games I play.  :)

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Feeling Jilted over NetFlix? There are other choices out there...

I have no problem letting it be known that I was more than a little torqued off about the 60 percent Netflix price hike.  Personally, I have been a NetFlix subscriber for quite some time now.  We only occasionally would rent a physical DVD, and between my wife and I; I was the primary user for the NetFlix streaming through my Wii and PS3 (occasionally through the iPad).  The previous pricing for their subscriptions was nice.  Basically, streaming account with one DVD rental at a time via snail mail for $2 extra.  Bringing it to a $10 cost each month.

Even though we didn't use it that much, it was nice to have when you do want to waste a Saturday afternoon.  Therefore, for the extra $2 bucks a month it wasn't worth my trouble to change my account to a streaming only setup.  However, now that the price has basically rocketed up from $10 to $16 ($15.98 to be spot on).  I'm re-evaluating our options.  So, I figured I'd make my thoughts public in this post.  This is me 'think out loud' about our current streaming/DVD options.

For DVD Rentals:
RedBox is a pretty prominent offering here in my area.  It's nice because you can reserve and hold movies for pickup. And their kiosks are everywhere in this area.  So going out of the way to return a DVD isn't a problem, and I have a couple kiosks closer that the post office is (where I'd normally return my NetFlix DVD's).

If RedBox doesn't have what we are looking for, there is a really good video store about 5 minutes from the house.  Their selection is huge, and they are one of 2 or 3 rental stores still left in our county.  They have movies ranging from the newest stuff to really old (and even some VHS for VCR lovers out there).

And the chances of us adapting to this method for DVD/BluRay rentals is a nonexistent problem, because we have been using these two sources all along.  So we'll continue doing this.

For Streaming:
This is where it gets a little messy.  I like to stream video from the web.  It's just simple to do it.  Find a good site with a nice offering of shows to stream and I'll have a blast.  At least until I watch most of their catalog that strikes my interest or until they quite updating it.  Currently, my streaming options include Crackle.com, Hulu.com, and OVG Guide for searching for shows to stream.

These are all nice offerings, but Crackle is very limited.  And Hulu has a good selection, but I'm not sure if it's worth the $8 a month for a Hulu Plus account.  I liked the fact that with NetFlix Streaming I could watch all of the old Doctor Who episodes.  And I've yet to find a different source for those.  But not a deal breaker for me.

My wife has a smartphone, and I have an iPod Touch, access to an iPad, a PS3, and my android tablet.  Which supposedly all have access to Hulu Plus except for my android tablet (as of this writing).  And I know my wife would use it to watch more current shows than she could find on NetFlix streaming.

I know there are other options, but I may ended up rolling through the free week trial of HuluPlus and seeing what they have to offer as far as selection goes.  Watching ads isn't a big deal to me, especially since I won't be living and breathing on their website all the time.  My other options include: video rental on my Xbox 360 and PS3.  I'm not a big fan of how Apple has setup their Apple TV offerings, so I'll be staying away from that option as well.

Other alternatives if you're shopping around too:
Green Cine: a mail order service much like the NetFlix DVD service starting at $9.99 a month.  I don't know much else about this service.  But here you go. http://www.greencine.com/main

Mspot Movies: they work off of a club or credit style service.  And you can rent digital movies starting at $1.99 and going up to about $4 to $5.  Not bad for the occasional rental, but could get pretty costly with prolonged use.  They do have a Rental Club you can join as well. http://www.mspotmovies.com/

And of source Blockbuster has a mail order style service and some On Demand stuff, as well. 1 Disk at a time will cost you $9.99 a month and 2 at a time will set you back $14.99 a month.

And Amazon has an offering now as well that is pretty limited but is likely to grow: http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime which is $79 a year.

So if you know of any other legitimate sites that can act as a NetFlix replacement, drop us a line in the comments section and let us know!

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Coming Soon?

Life has been fairly busy over the last few weeks.  Between work and being on vacation (away from any and all internet connections, yes I survived) my blog hasn't been very accessible.  So what's ahead for the TechieSmarts Blog?

One of the things I'm hoping to do in the near future is be able to bring a full review of Android Honeycomb.  I'm aiming to get my hands on one of the very nice Honeycomb tablets.  More than likely it'll be the Acer Iconia Tab (unless ASUS spits out a few Transformer tablets and they happen to land in my town, chances are unlikely).

With the access to Honeycomb I'll be able to review Android apps as well (most apps apparently run under Honeycomb) so I'll be able to cater to the Android crowd along with the iDevice crowd as well.

I'm looking forward to making blog posts and videos for this site using solely the Honeycomb tablet (I accomplished this on the iPod Touch and the iPad already).  I'll chronicle this adventure as it happens.

Along with mobile apps and capabilities, I plan on reviewing both 'Global Agenda' and 'Lord of The Rings Online' in the near future.  Especially since both of these titles now have Free2Play offerings, if you've been looking into getting in an online game this is a good time to do so.

Overall it's a fantastic time to be a tech freak and gadget fan.  Holding true to my gaming roots look for more reviews from the mobile genre to be coming soon.  So, sit back and relax and drop by soon for some fresh new content.

Happy surfing!

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Mobile App Review: TuneIn Radio

Every once in awhile, I seem to stumble upon really cool stuff.  And this is no exception.  Over the weekend I was at Best Buy playing with their Android tablets.  My wife took the Motorola Zoom for a spin and loved it.  While playing with it, she found "TuneIn Radio".  She installed it on her HTC Evo 4G (and absolutely loves it).  So I figured why not see if it is available on my iPod Touch.  And it is.

So, what does it do?  Easy, it streams radio stations from the internet (both AM and FM stations; for those who need AM access).  But that's not all.  It can use your location to compile a list of radio stations local to where you are located.  If you want to branch out a little, you can search for radio stations or specific songs/artists.  Are you a podcast fan?  I am.  And guess what?  You can also stream podcasts (without having to sync them via iTunes).  Playback is nice and smooth and sounds great.  The app also identifies the name of the song and the artist while it plays.  If you're using it on a iDevice with the iOS 4 update, you can multi task with it.  You can also record a desired station for playback later.

The app is free for Android users (requires Android 1.5 and up).  Drop by the Market to get it for Android: https://market.android.com/details?id=tunein.player&feature=search_result

For your iDevice, requires iOS 3 and up.  And it is currently $0.99 cents from the App Store.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tunein-radio/id319295332?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

The app is extremely easy to use, and allows you to have a list of your favorite streaming stations in one place on your mobile device.  It's also available for other devices as well.  It's supported hardware list is:


Mobile

• Android
• Palm
• BlackBerry
• Samsung Bada
• Windows Phone 7

Other Devices

• Google TV
• Yahoo TV
• Roku

Check it out.
I'd give this about 4.75 stars out of 5.

*All images are copyright of Synsion Radio Technologies

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Tablets, iPads, and other Manufacturers...Oh My!

Looks like the old motto: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em", isn't one that Dell & HP exec's are even considering.  Instead, they decided to go the "All-American" route and start smack talking.  That's right.  We all know that Apple has been pretty much dominating the tablet corner of the technology market ever since the iPad was released.  Myself, not such a huge fan of how Apple keeps their gadgets locked down.  I like having the freedom to do what I want with my tech.  With that said, is iOS bad?  Nope, it's a pretty good system for a mobile device (all Apple based restrictions aside).  And it is very simple for people to use; people who may very well shun other forms of technology.

So, with the recent release of the iPad 2 by Apple; we are starting to see the feathers on their competition start to rise a little.  No doubt other manufacturers are starting to take notice that they are quickly losing ground in the tablet industry.  Recently, HP's Senoir VP of America's Solution Partners spoke out for his distaste in how Apple handles their business relationships with their partners.  Going on the record to say "Apple's relationship with partners is transaction, completely" and carrying on to say "Unlike Apple, HP is a very friendly channel" in an interview with CRN.  The point of his interview eventually leads up to his concern for their new line of tablets that will be touting the webOS.  Personally, I feel he should be very concerned about the upcoming system.  Reason being, if you follow technology you may have heard of webOS.  The system was developed by Palm (the makers of the once famous PDA brand); and was used in their debut phone: Palm Pre.

The Pre was a good phone, and the software got great reviews.  Much like Android it is running on a Linux kernal.  However, it seemed that the Pre couldn't stand it's ground against the iPhone.  Eventually Palm was facing a dire future, and HP acquired the company.  Now they are using the webOS for their mobile devices. And how many advertisements do you see on the web or tv for webOS?  Not many, if any.  I know their tablet line hasn't released yet.  But the PR departments are going to have to start feeding the public some pictures and footage of how this works within their products and start building fanfare.  Without that, I'm affraid a lot of people will set webOS on the backburner.  That would be bad.

Why?  Easy, another company competing in the tablet market will create even more competition.  Competition is good for us (the consumer) because it helps drive down costs as we raise demand.  Maybe then we can actually get a decent Android tablet under the $500 mark without having to buy an e-reader and mod it.

Enough on HP's stance, what is Dell saying?  In a recent interview with CIO Australia, Andy Lark (Global Head of Marketing for Dell) believes Apple will fall and Android will reign (not a direct quote) in the mobile market.  There is even room for Windows there too.  I have to hand it to Dell.  They have been supporting multiple operating systems for some time.  At one point, they allowed purchase of new systems with choice of Linux or Windows.  And it appears that they will continue that mentality with their newest tablets (which are slated to come out later this year).  Mr. Lark went on to say that their strategy is "multi-OS"; meaning they will offer Windows 7 or Android's latest rollout of Honeycomb on their tablets.  That is also a good thing.  People like choice and options.

Right now, it seems most mobile device users are either fans of Apple or Android devices.  Is there room for another player (HP/webOS) in this market?  Will Apple's iPad eventually get larger than itself and drop from it's high place?  Will their be an Android uprising in the future?  My answer, who knows.  But one thing is for sure, the future for computing is exciting and it's a great time to be a gadget lover.

My only hope is that we can eventually get our hands on a tablet without shelling out $500 or $600 dollars for the low end model.  My opinion, that should be the target price for the high-end models of these devices.  And somewhere are current Netbook costs should be where we see the devices price points sitting.  It's coming, but all in good time.  Until then, Happy surfing!


Source Article: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/03/30/dell_hp_execs_lash_out_at_apples_ios_successes.html

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Mobile Game Review: Zombies Ate My Baby for iPod Touch/iPhone

Since Halloween is just a couple of weeks away, I thought it was only suiting that I review a few Halloween themed games.  This weeks review is for 'Zombies Ate My Baby' for the iPhone/iPod Touch.  I know, the title sounds kind of bad, but it isn't quite what you're thinking.  The premise is, a girl and her boyfriend were on a date, and her boyfriend gets killed by a zombie while trying to protect her.  So, she kills the zombie and to her surprise, she finds that killing zombies is kind of fun.  So she sets out for revenge against the undead.

Controls:
The controls are pretty simple, basically the player character stands in the middle of the screen and pivots to aim in any direction around the screen.  You can control the character via taps on the screen or via tilt.  I was using the touch method to play.  And it plays pretty good.  Zombies approach from all sides/corners of the screen and simply tap on them to shoot them.  You'll end up fighting through about 20 waves of zombie attacks.  Meanwhile; guns, grenades, and health packs will spawn on the screen to help you out as you play.  The levels go by pretty fast, and at times the action on the screen can be flat out hectic.  But it never ceases to be fun.

Graphics:
The graphics are presented in a cartoon style.  The story progresses between levels by way of a comic strip; which is short, but conveys the story in a fun way.

Other Features:
The game features everything you'd expect from fun, yet simple gameplay to even offering achievements via OpenFeint.  As you play, you will of course unlock achievements.  Even if you aren't trying for achievements.  You're eventually going to see the achievement pop-up on-screen.  And you can post your achievement to Facebook at that time is you so choose.

The achievements are pretty neat as well.  I was able to unlock the 'Berserker' achievement by killing 499 Zombies, 'Straight to Hell' by taking 299 points of damage, 'Rambo' by firing 999 bullets, and 'Nurse' by healing 299 wounds.  All of these wear achieved within just a couple of levels.  Once you unlock the achievement, you can later access the Trophy screen from the main menu to see them listed.

Boss fights are pretty simple, but often challenging.  The first boss fight is against a zombie-soldier.  He will pace up and down the left end of the screen and toss grenades at you.  Meanwhile, you are on the right edge of the screen using a baseball bat to smack them back at him.  Once he is defeated you get to save a cool picture that can be used as a unlock screen wallpaper later.

Final thoughts:
This game is a fun way to kill a few minutes.  With the twitch based gaming it offers, I can't see myself spending extended periods of time playing this title.  But for a satisfying burst of quick game time, it will more than suffice.  At 99 cents from the App Store, this title is a definitely download for some instant fun.

Zombies Ate My Baby from the Apple App Store
Requires iOS 3.0 or later and it compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

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Unreal 3 Engine Makes Debut on Apple's iDevices!

Been pretty busy as of late, so I have some catching up to do.  Last week an app by the name of 'Epic Citadel' arrived on Apple's App Store.  No big surprise, new apps show up all the time.  But two things picked my interest: 1- the name of 'Epic' being included in the title and 2- it runs off of the Unreal 3 Engine.

I downloaded it on the iPad right away.  And I must say, that I was immediately blown away.  For some time there has been rumor and speculation that the Unreal 3 engine would eventually bring forth a 'mobile' version.  But honestly, I wasn't sure how well it would hold up in the transition from being a major pc/console graphics engine to making the jump to small, handheld, mobile device.  But to be honest, it is pure awesomeness.

The app is pretty much a tech demo.  There are no goals or achievements to accomplish.  The app simply lets the player explore this lush environment.  And it is great.  From the fine details to the shaders.  It's all sweet.  There are no other players/people/npc's wandering the worls, so it feels a little lonely.  But keep in mind, it's only real purpose is for Epic to be able to show off what can be done with it's diverse graphics engine.  

From what I have been reading 'Epic Citadel' is actually a game that is in development, that should be arriving on the iDevices by year's end.  This app was Epic's way of showing us their hand of cards.  And I must say, it's pretty freakin' awesome.  Personally, at this point; I don't care what the final game will be about.  Story set aside, replayability set aside; I will purchase that app once it hits the App Store.  By the way, the 'Epic Citadel' demo is free.

Check out the section on Epic's site about this awesome app: http://www.epicgames.com/technology/epic-citadel

and the link to the Itunes App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/epic-citadel/id388888815

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This Week In The News: In A Galaxy...wait My Living Room?

This week in the news we have several newsworthy events.  We have a new announcement from George Lucas, the iPad has finally been set free into the wild, HP is going after the iPad, Xbox 360 Update, and my short review of 'The Clash of The Titans-3D'.

First up, this week Mr. George Lucas (yes, of Star Wars fame), has made an official announcement.  There will be a new 'Star Wars' heading our way in the future.  However, don't look for a Sequel of Prequel or the Originals.  Instead, look for a 'Star Wars' based sitcom.  That's right folks, apparently if you can't beat'em, join'em.  For years now, other shows/comedians have been polking fun at the 'Star Wars' Universe.  Remember all of the Family Guy one-liners and even the 'Blue Harvest' cartoon (all of which where awesome).  Even 'Robot Chicken' has had it's fun with the series.  According to the article at the 'Chicago Tribune', Mr. Lucas will be gaining assistance from Seth Green (also from Family Guy and Robot Chicken) to bring this comedy to light.  What will Lucas do next?  Only those strong in the Force can tell...


Secondly, on April 3rd we got the hear Mr. Steve Jobs yell: "Release the...iPAD!".  Yep, it's on the streets now.  I'm sure there are a lot of happy iPad user's out there in love with their iPads.  However, I can forsee that the fun isn't over quit yet.  Now that Apple took the initiative to release the first tablet device (not including the notebook tablets that have been around for several years); it will be interesting to see how the market follows suit.  Remember when the iPhone was released?  There were several manufacturers that attempted to make 'iPhone Killers' or at best worthy competitors.  Will the same happen in the tablet market?  Most certainly.  There are smaller companies that we haven't heard much about until now (i.e.: FreeScale).  FreeScale; for example, is attempting to create a table device that runs: Android, Chromium OS, or Linux Operating Systems.  And they are trying to roll it for a $200 retail pricetag.  Check it out: FreeScale's $200 Tablet.

Also in Tablet News this week; move over Apple, here comes HP.  This week HP released details for their new tablet called the "HP Slate".  The device does look promising.  HP's tablets boasts HDMI-Out, Usb Port, Webcam, 3MP camera, and SD-Card Reader.  Some are saying it's a netbook minus the keyboard.  Check out more details at: HP Slate Details.  Keep in mind that yes, Apple made the first tablet; however, hopefully competition will jump in a follow suit.  This will help drive down some costs for end-consumers like you and me.  Competition is a good thing for us, the consumers.


Third, with the release of the new Xbox Update user's are finally getting support for external USB Storage.  Great, now what's the catch?  The USB Storage device can be no less than 1GB and the maximum is 16GB.  Also if you think this is to actually help gamers out...I'd think again.  Microsoft is currently working with SanDisk to bring a Xbox branded USB Flash Drive to consumers for $40 (8GB Flash Drive) and $70 (16GB Flash Dive).  Microsoft seems to have figured out another way to over charge for a regular item.  Way to go guys!

Lastly I thought I'd post a quick review of 'Clash of The Titans-3D'.  I broke down and finally shelled out the money for my second 3D movie (my first was 'The Christmas Carol').  I had been looking forward to seeing this flick, and since I was one of the few who missed 'Avatar' in 3D in theaters, I didn't want to miss the chance.  In short, I should have missed it.  I thought the film was great.  The story and special effects were pretty freakin' good.  And you have to love 'THE KRAKEN'!  But the use of '3D' in the film was pretty scarce for me.  During the opening of the film there was a scene were water is splashed and it looks as if you actually need to clean your glasses.

My intial thought was: 'Sweet!'.  But after that the '3D' started taking a quick backseat to what was going on in the movie.  And eventually I found myself not being 'Wowed' anymore and then the '3D' seemed to stop altogether.  I'm getting on my soapbox now...Producers and Moviemakers: If you want us to pay the extra to see your '3D' movies...Please make them '3D'.  Common sense to me.  I guess I can still hold out hope for 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' later this year which is supposed to be '3D' too.  We'll see.

But all in all, go see 'Clash of The Titans'.  But save the extra coin and see it in 2D.  You'll be glad you did.

Till next week!  Have a great one!

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You Guessed It...More iPad News...

Apple started taking preorders today for it's new iPad.  According to the preorder site, customers who are in the market for the 'Wifi' only models will see that line of the iPad shipping on April 3rd.  The iPad is available in three different storage capacity sizes: 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), and 64GB ($699).  Also, Apple is limiting the number of preorders to 2 units per customer.  Apple has also announced that they will be shipping the preordered units for free.

For those interested in the Wifi + 3G line of the iPad (same capacity sizes only 3G is added), you'll have to wait until they ship in late April.  The Wifi+3G line is somewhat more expensive: 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), and 64GB ($829).  And the 3G data plan is not factored into the purchase price, this is sold seperately.

Apple will also throw in 90 days of complimentary telephone tech support, the hardware and it's accessories (yes, there are iPad accessories available too) all carry one year of waranty coverage.  The AppleCare Protection coverage is available as well for those who wish to buy it.

I love peripherals and accessories.  They help me geek out my stuff to my liking (as much as Apple let's a customer customize anything).  And the iPad is no exception, much like ebook readers there is a iPad cover/case and an iPad dock (both will ship for April 3rd), and an Apple keyboard dock will be available later in April; as well as other charging cables and a VGA adapter cable as well.

As far as other features, looks like the 3G features are a 'no-contract' offering.  Which means you can subscribe monthly to the 3G service without being tied to a contract with AT&T even though the service is provided via AT&T.  There looks to be two 3G plans available: 250MB/month ($14.99) or Unlimited ($29.99); as well as, access to the majority of the App Store apps, introduction of iBooks (surprised?), and the overall benefits of the larger size of the device when compared to the iPhone or iPod touch.

So hurry!  And go preorder one: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad?mco=OTY2ODA0NQ.  And let me know how it works when you get it ;)!

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