Players Will Be Required to Pay for Xbox One Features

Xbox One console

Was there ever any doubt that Microsoft would go this route?  Not in my mind.  Why?  Simple, because they already do this.  A story reported on today from BBC News mentions that the Xbox One will require the user/player to subscribe to a Live Gold account in order to utilize some functions of the new Xbox One.  Is this really that much of a change?  Nope.

Long story short, here is the deal.  In order to use the following functions, players must be an Xbox Live Gold account subscriber.  Items marked *Currently Required indicates Xbox 360 features that currenly requires a Gold subscriptions well.

-Multiplayer Gaming *Currently Required
-Netflix (or other video streaming services) *Currently Required
-Matchmaking for Online Games (considered a function of online play) *Currently Required
-OneGuide (think of a recommendation service for online media content)
-Access to communicate via Skype.

I don't particularly see anything worthy of arguing about int his list.  As it stands, it doesn't appear that all that much will change between current Live Gold accounts and current-gen Live Gold accounts.  This doesn't mean that changes will not pop up elsewhere, it just means there isn't a whole lot that us current-gen gamers can argue about.

And with Sony also starting to charge for online access and similar features on the PS4, there goes the excuse that paying for online on an Xbox console is more expensive.  Looks like we're all on a level playing field now.  Like it or not.

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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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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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Hotmail for Android

Attention Hotmail user's: there is now an app for your Android device.  If you remember, Hotmail is owned by Microsoft, coincidence?  I guess they figured they needed to put some of the money they make from patents from Android usage to good use.  Especially if their Hotmail user's aren't going to be using Windows Phone 7 devices.

The Hotmail apps includes:
-Push Notifications
-View all Hotmail folders
-Send, receive, and view attachments
-Support for multiple Hotmail accounts

Does anyone even still use Hotmail?  If you do, then swing by the Android Market to pick it up:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hotmail.Z7

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What is Microsoft Smoking?

Seems like they might have lost their minds.  Now it looks as thought they are back peddling and claiming they never dropped support for the Zune?  Um, well you're website said you were...And by telling the world they're all crazy isn't helping Microsoft's case.  I mean seriously folks, if it the news of discontinuing the Zune was a mistake or accident; just release an announcement and clear the air.  Don't make us all shake our heads and think we're crazy.

Today the website claiming discontinued support has vanished and Microsoft tweeted across their Zune Twitter feed the following: "We are still supporting the Zune hardware. No official info has been released stating hardware is being discontinued." via @ZuneSupport

So what's the deal?  Is there a disgruntled employee willing to spill the beans about a possible drop of Zune support?  Did someone accidentally post the discontinuation the other day and now damage control is being done?  Or is Zune Support out of the loop?

Interesting none the less.  But seriously; confusing customer's will only make them go buy iPods.

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Windows 8: Where is the Start Menu?

A few weeks ago Microsoft made the Windows 8 Developer Preview available to the world.  One of the biggest changes coming to Windows 8 is it's user interface.  Swapping the default desktop that everyone has come to know and love; they will be moving forward with the 'Metro' interface.  A quick glance at it will bring to mind the user interface for the new Windows Phones.  I've ranted a little about this in the past, concerning how the interface is probably fine for touch based devices and tablets that will run Windows 8.  But not necessarily for the desktop experience.

So it's no surprise that Microsoft would eventually open up about the new interface and tell us why they decided to change it up.  In simple terms, they found out that Start Menu usage dropped around 11% since Windows Vista hit the world with a thud.  The same thing has been discovered with Windows 7 and that supposedly more user's now than ever are pinning shortcuts to their taskbars.  So, in the way that big corporate American business often think; this usage drop means you have to reinvent the wheel and do something completely different.

In my opinion, I think they were just looking for something to change it up with so they can make a splash with news, headlines, and garner attention from the world.  I interact with people from various industries through the course of every week in my line of work.  And I have never noticed any of these people 'pinning' applications or shortcuts to their taskbars.  

Obviously, Microsoft's aim was to 'dumb down' the user interface so much that using it becomes almost mindless.  Personally, at this rate I have no intention of upgrading to Windows 8 (and it's still far enough out, I could change my mind).  But with this interface and Microsoft's point of view being that their user's are mindless drones who need big square tiles to click on to stay happy...No thanks.  That might be what helps me jump full on into Linux.

And FYI, Microsoft is also claiming that there has been a 54% drop in Control Panel usage as well.  So, I wouldn't count on a common sense place to make hardware/software setting changes in Windows 8 either (just my prediction).  If you want to read the full article swing by (there are more stats listed there as well):

PCMag.com: Microsoft Explains Why the Start Menu Needed to Die

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The End of the Zune

Remember Microsoft's entry into the personal media player market with the Zune?  No?  It's no wonder.  The Zune was one of those devices that was released to compete directly with Apple's iPod product line.  The issues with it where mostly in adoption.  Apple was taking the world by storm; while Microsoft just couldn't seem to get their foot in the door.  In retail stores the two companies product displays were so close to each other that it was easy for anybody shopping for a media player to slide on down to the popularity-growing design of the iPod.  Around this same time period is when the term 'iPod' started to become synonymous with 'MP3' and 'Music'.

I know a couple people who own Zune's and yes, they love them.  For Microsoft, this product seemed to be a day late and a dollar short when it came to already the dominated iPod market.  So what happens to existing Zune customers?  And as of today, Microsoft has pulled the plug from the Zune product line.  Going forward, no new Zune's will be manufactured.  For those who have ordered a Zune prior to today, you'll still get it.  But your Zune is one of the last being shipped.

If you are a Zune owner, you will still be able to use your Zune as you always have.  The Zune brand will roll on through branding of Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.  Just don't look for the latest and greatest Zune once your's bites the dust.  After 5 years of fighting against the Jobs' Apple Empire, it was a valiant fight for the Zune.  But one that was destined to be lost from the start.

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Microsoft's False Alarm

For those of you out there running the Microsoft Security Essentials free antivirus solution from Microsoft and running the Chrome Web Browser from Google, your web browser may kick up a false positive for a virus scan.  So what was happening?

Apparently, due to a 'bug' in their latest batch of virus signatures/definitions that incorrectly tagged the Chrome web browser as the "PWS:Win32/Zbot" virus and proceeded to either block or in some cases completely remove the web browser altogether.  Nice one Microsoft.  We know you're not happy that you're loosing people to other web browser usage; but seriously, this is a little overkill.

As typical with Microsoft a patch was quickly issued; which resolved the false positive report.  Likewise, it was available as a manual download as well.  However, the patch doesn't bring Chrome back.  It only fixes Microsoft's Security Essentials from detecting Chrome as a virus.  User's will have to manually install Chrome again if they want it back or they can wait about 24 hours and Google will attempt to restore Chrome to those who were adversely effected.

If you were affected by this issue, then:
1- Go into your 'Control Panel' and double click on 'Add/Remove Programs'
2- Make sure Chrome has been removed (or isn't visible in the list of programs); if so, then Remove it.
3- Visit http://www.google.com/chrome and re-download the Chrome Web Browser.

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Windows 7 for Starters: Tricks with Windows & Controlling the UAC

Our latest video in the Windows 7 for Starters series has gone live!  In this video we will learn a few tricks and shortcuts for managing open windows on our desktop.

We will also cover how to take control over the User Access Control feature within Windows 7.  For those of you who migrated from Windows Vista, you will already be familiar with the UAC control.  So why not learn how to tame it before it tries to drive you insane?


As always, be sure to visit our YouTube Channel and 'Like' our video and be sure to subscribe to our channel to stay up to date when new videos get posted!  Visit us at: http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts




Also, find us on our Facebook Fan Page: http://on.fb.me/qwpd4i
And on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/techiesmarts

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A little more from the Windows 8 Secure Boot Front

An article on PCWorld seems to have a little more information concerning the Windows 8 Secure Boot feature.  A feature that may have the potential to prevent user's from installing alternative operating systems like Linux or even older versions of Windows.  And it seems like Microsoft may be leaving some of the decision in the hands of the computer manufacturers as to whether or not their products may have the ability to disable the UEFI key and Secure Boot features. 

Secure Boot seems to stem from a good hearted origin; it was put in place to prevent malware from being able to manipulate boot options.  However, I can't help but feel like there are other reasons involved.  Maybe to counter act those who are using non-genuine copies of Windows?  Or to ensure that their operating system will not be replaced?  Both seem to be the byproducts of Secure Boot.  Regardless, if these features are implemented in the final release of Windows 8 (and it's release is still well enough out there); I can imagine someone out there will find a way to circumvent this. 

When it comes down to it, the whole scenario feels like the freedom of your hardware is starting to drift away more than it ever has before.  I say as long as the OS is genuine leave us alone.

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New Video Series Launches! 'Windows 7 for Starters'

It's official! Our latest video series has just kicked off! It's entitled: "Windows 7 for Starters" and will start with a step by step guide on How to Install Windows 7 on your PC. This series is designed for those who are new to the Windows 7 operating system.


Maybe you are coming from an older Windows XP computer and are sort of taken back by the look and feel of Windows 7. Or maybe you only use the computer for simple tasks and are curious about some of the other features built into your Operating System that you never knew were there. Or maybe you just want to learn new ways to get certain tasks accomplished in a quicker or easier way.

If any of the above situations describe you, than feel free to jump right in. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop me a line either here on the blog or over on our YouTube channel; and I will do my best to help!

The video is already live on my YouTube channel and will be posted here within the next hour or so.

And for those dedicated Ubuntu fans out there! Don't worry, we are still working on the 'Help!: Ubuntu' video series as well! We decided that our Windows fans out there needed some love too!

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What does the new PSN Terms of Service Agreement Contain?

The other I day powered on my PS3 for the first time in about a week to play a little 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution'.  And I was greeted with a prompt to accept the new PSN TOS before I could login.  Not a big deal since 'Deus Ex' doesn't feature online play.  But I do like to browser the PSN Store on occassion to see what's new.  So I decided to be a good little PS3 owner and do as I was being told by Sony.  Like many user's, I rarely read the entire TOS agreements.  Simply put they are long and drawn out.  And in the case of my situation, I have a smaller television and the small print this agreement is typed up in (and some game text as well) makes it absolute murder to read onscreen.  So, I scroll down and click on 'Accept'.

So what was in it that was so noteworthy I needed to accept it now?  Simply put, a little 'cover-their-butt' strategy by Sony.  In layman terms, the new Terms of Services agreement will prevent customer's from filing class-action lawsuits against Sony.  If you digg around enough there are a few loopholes to the new agreement, but if you want to play on their device you have to accept it.

So what about those involved in lawsuits for this past summer's PSN outage and data leak?  Those people aren't covered under this new TOS for that lawsuit since it occured before the new TOS was issued and put into action.

Here is where the red flag jumps out to me.  After this summer's issues that impacted not only Sony, but game publisher's market wide and customer's alike.  What has Sony discovered (if anything) that would cause them to go out of their way to issue this TOS now?  I would fully expect either something crazy to hit the headlines soon about a new internal issue or a drastic change to existing services that may impact customer's experience with their products?  Time will tell.

I love my PS3, and haven't had any real issues or qualms about Sony (with the exception the events from April/May 2011).  And one reason I jumped ship from the Xbox 360, is Sony doesn't charge for online access.  But with all the controversy flying around the last several months, I have to ask myself: "Is a single, dedicated platform for any service really that good of an idea?"

And my answer is "No".  It only benefits the companies behind the platform.  As demonstrated in April and May, a dedicated platform can be brought down and can greatly impact not only transactions and business conducted via the product, but also completely shut down the online portions of games people just wanted to play.  This is where PC gaming is mostly different.  Most PC games feature hosts for online playing.  Where the game servers are not dependent upon a e-commerce platform to operate.  So you may not be able to by a player skin for your character, but at least you can play.  I completely understand that this is not how Sony or Microsoft has setup either of their platforms, but moving forward maybe it is something that should at least be considered.

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Windows 8 News of the Week

Windows 8 has a new BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)

The previous look of the BSOD

If you have ever used a Windows computer, ever; you have probably seen a BSOD or Blue Screen of Death at one point or another.  If you remember right, it has always been somewhat scary looking in appearance and layout.  To the average computer user, it is full of crazy looking numbers and terrifying white text on a blue background.  But to the computer tech it is filled with useful information about what failure occured to cause the BSOD and what the Stop error is.

However, with the upcoming Windows 8 making news lately, a screen shot of the new BSOD from Windows 8 has been leaked from what is supposedly the Windows 8 Developer Preview.  And let me go on the record to say, as a PC technician; if I were to service a computer for someone who kept getting the new BSOD, it would be a bad day for all soon thereafter.  Take a look:

Windows 8 Developer Preview BSOD

Yep, that is a frowny face.  And another thing to notice is there is very little information on this BSOD about what the issue is that caused the error.  There is a reference to a an error (in small printer under the frowning face and apology for the issue).  But we all know Windows errors can be somewhat vague.

So, to Microsoft I say: "Thank you for removing a tool many of us use to help your existing customer base keep a happy computing experience..."

And I will also go on record to say that I haven't seen the developer preview of Windows 8 (I'm not a developer so no surprise to me).  But this is the first report of the new BSOD so take it lightly (at least until more confirmations are made to be on the safe side).  Plus, if this is indeed from the Developer Preview copy, there is no guarantee that it won't change between now and release day (at least somewhat).
Source: TechCrunch

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Microsoft shows love to ARM devices

Second in Windows 8 news from the week, Microsoft has made another announcement about Windows 8.  One that will not surprise the world as heavily as the new interface layout did; however, is huge from the business standpoint of things.  Previously, manufacturers could only ship products (i.e.: computers) with Windows preloaded if they adhered to the Intel x86 architecture.  Since we already now that Windows 8 will be fitted onto tablets, and there are a lot of tablets out there (and upcoming release products) that are running on the ARM architecture, Microsoft will start allowing ARM products to be shipped with Windows 8 loaded on them.

Source: CNN

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Future Windows 8 ARM devices can't run x86 Apps?  WTH?


So this week Microsoft now doubt dazzled the world by releasing the info that Windows 8 will run on ARM devices.  ARM devices are typically mobile devices of some sort.  Usually in the form of small notebooks and tablet devices.  So, it's great that Microsoft is spreading the love right?  Well, sort of.  They back pedaled somewhat when they added an addendum to that release note.  Even though Windows 8 will run on ARM architectures, there isn't the compatibility there to allow it to run x86 apps (applications from the PC).  So, if you were hoping to grab a copy of  something like 'Adobe Reader'; unless the software developers directly port it over to the new architecture, you'll only run it on an Intel x86 based machine (i.e.: your PC).

I'm sure Microsoft will be one of the first to port their software, otherwise you'll not be able to run very much besides the operating system at launch on these ARM devices if they don't.  Will other developers follow suite?  I'm sure they will.  But I'm also sure for a while at least; there will be some slow adoption from some software developers to make sure people have a demand for these ARM devices running Windows 8.  After all, it takes time to port software and re-write code; and time is money in the corporate world.

Source: SlashGear

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New Windows Tablet Can Run Android Apps?

We've heard this one before from Blackberry right before the PlayBook was released into the wild.  And from what I understand the feature was more the undelivered.  Now ViewSonic is saying their latest Windows 7 tablet will employ 'BlueStacks'; which is an emulation layer that would provide a means of running emulated Android apps without rebooting the device.  The device will allow you to run Android 2.3 as well (looks like a vanilla version without any vendor specific UI overlays).

If you desired to run Android on the tablet, you could switch between Windows 7 and Android.  This sounds like a nice feature.  However, I have my concerns.  For one, how well would Android perform in this mode?  Second, how well will the Android Apps perform?  Third, what will happen to Android as we know it if devices start popping up basically turning any Windows 7 device into an Android Compatible device.  Would we start to see Android becoming more of an application which offers a form of sandboxing or would it remain prominent as a mobile operating system.

Of course the repercussions this feature could have probably remains to be seen to due whether or not the device sells.  And whether or not people would decide to buy the device based on this feature.  Time will tell. We'll be keeping our eye on the ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro.

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Backing Up Your Data...Part 2

The Importance of Backups-Part 2: Local/Offline Backup

So in our first article of the 'The Importance of Backups' series, we covered one of the easiest methods of backing up your personal data (Online Backups).  Today we're going to cover how to do a local backup on some form of external media.  There are several options for performing a local backup:




-Using a file sync program to do periodic backups of user specified files and directories
-Using an automated method of performing backups that runs without user intervention
-And using automated tools that come with external hard drives.

First, if you're pretty sure you don't need a solution to do a full system backup every week (or every month) that a simple program to sync files to an external hard drive or USB flash drive may be the best solution for you.  And there are many, many available solutions (some paid and some free).  For the sake of convenience we'll be looking at some free solutions for the home user.  I highly recommend using an external hard drive to run periodic backups for several reasons: convenience, ease of use, and accessibility.

So assuming you have an external hard drive (or even a USB Flash Drive would do in a pinch) you can look into a free solution from Microsoft called: SyncToy 2.1.  It's an extremely easy to use solution, that is free and when used in conjunction with the built in Windows Task Scheduler you can quickly and easily setup a customer backup routine to fight your needs.  Check out the video below on how to download and setup SyncToy 2.1.





To follow this video you'll need to download SyncToy 2.1 from:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=15155
And you'll need to be running Windows XP or newer.


This same solution can also be used for other backup programs that may not offer a way to schedule a backup job.  Some of the more fancy solutions allow this scheduling fairly easy.  It is solely dependent upon the software solution being used.

Another method of performing a local backup would be to use an external hard drive.  A lot of external hard drives come with a software utility for backing up your files.  I presently use a WD MyPassport Drive which came with their 'WD Smartware' software packge.  I don't currently use their built in solution for backups; however, it is extremely user friendly and easy to configure.  The only catch is of course the drive has to be connected to it's dock or USB cable for the backup job to complete successfully.  If you're in the market for an external hard drive, be sure to do your homework on what utilities certain brands may provide.

There are of course plenty of other apps out there that can be used for offline/local backup; however, this is only one of many.  If you have a preferred backup method, leave a comment and tell others about it below.  Our next Backup Article will cover Hard Drive Ghosting/Imaging for a quick rollout of your operating system install in event of a critical problem completely destroying your current install.  Check back soon!

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Last Tech News of The Year! Kinect & WoW, Bad Frogger, OGA, and Duke Nukem!!

This will be the last tech news for 2010.  It seems like we just rang in 2010.  Now it's time to bid it farewell.  And with it, we have a great list of topics for this weeks news.
-Kinect Meet World of Warcraft...
-Playing Real World Frogger can be hazardous to one's life expectancy.
-Linux News on the Front Page of Google's Tech News today!
-Bye-Bye Office Genuine Advantage...Says Microsoft.
-Duke Nukem Fan-Film...And yes, it's awesome!

-First up is what will sure to be a warm meeting indeed amongst WoW players who own/want a Kinect.  If you have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, the Kinect is the new motion control camera available for the Xbox 360.  Yes, it looks sweet.  Even more interesting are the advancements being made in the PC communities about integrating Kinect with personal computers.  This particular implementation actually sets up a form of emulation that allows you to map movement to keyboard shortcuts.  See for yourself:


Personally, it looks awesome.  Would I want to run around an open world MMO like WoW while moving around my room.  Probably not, on the other hand it would cut down on the time a person would spend in the game before becoming to tired to play.  As always, it's fun watching the different ways Kinect is being utilized in the PC communities.


Secondly, on Monday December 27, 2010, a South Carolina man and some of his buddies decided to try and play 'Frogger'.  However, instead of breaking out the game console or iPhone.  The decided to play using real world traffic and a road.  I'm sure this sounded much more fun than it actually turned out to be.  He was struck by a Lexus SUV and is in stable condition.  Word of advice, for the younger generation of gamers...This guy is 23 years old and should no better.  Under NO circumstances whatsoever should a person ever attempt anything in the real world, that they can do in the video game world.  Whether it is play 'Frogger', attempt Mortal Kombat fatalities on a younger brother, emulate anything in a GTA style game, etc. This will always end up in a 'poor-life-decision'.  Play smart, and use your brains.


Third in the news is a surprise...I was doing my typical news checking routine this afternoon when I surfed past the Tech News frontpage on Google.  And to my surprise there was a Linux headling about halfway down the list of recent articles.  It read: "How You Know When It's Time to Switch to Linux".  This is a great basic Linux article that lists 10 reasons you know it's time to switch to Linux.  If you have ever been curious as to what advantages you have by switching, do yourself a favor and read this article.  Check it out at:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/214929/how_you_know_when_its_time_to_switch_to_linux.html


In other recent news is the revelation that Microsoft has discontinues the Office Genuine Advantage antipiracy tool.  Good riddance.  I have bumped into more than one issue with the OGA tool saying that a user was using a copyright version of Office.  When in fact they weren't.  Looks like Microsoft has decided to halt that practice.  Windows still has the WGA check to make sure you're using a legit version of Windows, but as far as Office goes, you'll just need to activation key now.  Should you decide to skip the activation process the software will still function but somewhat of a limited capacity.  As always, there's nothing better than the real deal so use legit software.  If you feel you need free software checkout open-source.  There are great, free alternatives which takes us back to the "How You Know When It's Time to Switch to Linux" article above.  For more info checkout:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20026196-75.html


Lastly, in the news is somewhat of a light hearted topic.  On Christmas Day a gift was given to the world from from Finnish Film producers New Dawn.  They released their fan-film teaser for 'Duke Nukem: Fate of Humanity'.  Okay, so what's in the film?  Aliens, action, violence, etc.?  Nope.  Not an alien to be found.  Just the lone Duke, sitting in a strip club.  When a loud crash and earth shaking rumble occurs.  We see Duke grab his pistol and slow-mo run out of the club.  Despite the fact that no pig cops are shown.  we get to see a pretty convincing take on Duke.

Check it out, but keep in mind this is probably borderline NSFW and shouldn't be viewed by children.



Okay folks, that's it.  I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year and let's make 2011 the best, geekiest year ever!  Happy surfing!

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This Week In The News: E-Ink gets Color, 3G Ipod Touch Adapter, Ask.com Troubles and more!

We have several newsworthy topics this week.

Finally, E-book Reader enthusiasts finally get color screens!

E-Ink and LG Display showed off their color electronic paper screens today in Japan.  Until now, user's who preferred colored screens over traditional e-book readers with monochrome screens have had to go the route of the iPad .  Some retailers (namely Best Buy and Kmart) have been carrying color Android-based ebook readers as well.  However, after some hands on time with the Pandigital ebook readers in Best Buy.  I'd have to say that the touch screen capabilities aren't quite what they could be.  Of course, this could also cause cost to go up as well.  One of the biggest deterrents in displaying color with e-paper displays is the lack of a light source behind the display panel.  The screens rely on 'ambient' light for display.

With the color screens this hasn't changed. Of course, this feature is also a huge contributor to the battery life of the device.  So, common sense tells me that if you like your e-book reader, and would like to see shades of colors.  Go ahead and look forward to this.  However, if you are looking for something more on par with a display experience of say a laptop or netbook.  You may be better suited for the time being with an iPad or one of the Android e-reader options.
Source: http://bit.ly/bfu4ew

3G iPod Touches coming soon to the Sprint 3G Network...

I am a proud owner of an iPod Touch.  I have had mine for a couple of years now, and truly don't remember how I ever got along without one.  I use it for everything from listening to music, to checking my email, and in some cases my Netflix viewing; depending on where I'm at.  Earlier this year, you may have heard about the guy who developed a case for the iPod Touch that would basically turn it into an iPhone.  Now, Sprint in cahoots with Chinese based company ZTE are bringing a case-like accessory that will allow 2nd and 3rd generation iPod Touchs to have access to Sprint's 3G data services.

This eliminates the need to have to seek out a wi-fi hotspot whenever you need to go online with your device. This connectivity however, does come with a price.  As they say 'you have to pay to play'; it still holds true.  This device will sale for $79.99and will run $29.99 a month for service.  On the bright side, there is no annual contract for using the device.  On top of adding the 3G connectivity, the device will also allow up to 2 other devices access online.  So consider it a cross offering comparable to the iPad 3G plan AT&T offers (monthly pay-as-you-go usage) with a device like a 3G Mi-Fi for internet connection.  Look for the ZTE Peel in your Sprint Store on November 14th.
Source: http://bit.ly/b3iOhO

Ask.com Got Spanked....By Google?

Remember back in the day there was this cool little Search Engine called AskJeeves.com.  To do a web search a user could surf over to their site, and punch in their query phrased as a question.  Like "Do monkey's really eat bananas?" and it would kick back you search results.  The Jeeves apparently got kidnapped or feel of the face of the planet because they eventually turned into Ask.com.

Here's the scoop, Barry Diller bought Ask.com for $1.85 billion dollars.  Not a bad turnover for the seller.  Mr. Diller's main goal was to give Google a run for their money.  That was in 2005. As we all know Google has basically exploded to 'super-search-engine-service-offerer status' since then.  With the inclusion of services like:

• Gmail
• Google Voice
• Wave/Buzz/Orkut
• Google Maps/Google Earth
• The now dead Goog411 project
• Blogger
• and to mention just about everybody on the planet now uses Google

It was sure to be a hard race.  According to the article at Bloomberg.com, Google holds around 65% of all search traffic.  While Ask.com holds around 2%.  Granted, not many have attempted to go up against the search giant that Google has become.  Now that Ask.com has had to unfortunately downsize their staff.  They are going to concentrate on their Q&A services that they were known for back in the day.  Does this mean that they cartoony Jeeves character will make a come back?  Don't know.  But one thing is for sure, they need to get the ball rolling.  Because by admitting defeat in predominately Google territory and going back to doing what they were good at before the whole 'let's challenge the big dog' mentality came about, they have to essentially make up for lost time and efforts.

Source: http://bit.ly/9WCiuC

Kinect on Linux!

Lastly today, I will hit on a topic that caught some attention from the opensource community last week. With the launch of Microsoft's Kinect for the Xbox 360, the company Adafruit offered a $2,000 'bounty' for anyone in the opensource communities who could crack the Kinect and make an opensource driver.  Hector Martin has done so.  Checkout his video linked on OMGUbuntu for more info.

For those not in the know, the Kinect is a motion detecting camera that grants gameplay similar to what you experience with Nintendo's Wii.  Yet, you hold no controllers.  It works by sensing depth perception and motion tracking.  Once this device gets some real world implementation with Linux I may definitely check into one.

Source: http://bit.ly/bpBIZq

Until next time, Happy Surfing!

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Weekly Tech News: Microsoft wants to sell us Games, AT&T is learning, and more!

To be honest, I have been pretty slack this week in keeping up with the news.  So, in advance I apologize.

-Microsoft wants to sell us Games...Online
Well, looks like Microsoft still has plans to grow their online commerce presence by opening selling games via the Games for Windows Marketplace.  This site has in fact been around for a while, but in a state of choas.  Personally, I have yet to buy any software from Microsoft online.  I have purchased titles via Xbox Live for my Xbox 360, which all in all works pretty well.

This following line is for Microsoft: why are you reinventing the wheel?  We already have digital distribution sites that specialize in selling PC games.  For example: Direct2Drive, sites like GoG.com (Good Old Games), and Steam (except Steam requires a standalone client be installed).  These sites are successful, in part because they specialize only in gaming.  They aren't also selling Office, Windows, or various other Windows products.  Personally, I wish them the best of luck.  But unless they are willing to deliver an experience similar to Steam or the ease of use when purchasing via Direct2Drive, I'll probably stick with the services I use and trust.  Once again, Microsoft seems to be on a path of conquest.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/22/businessinsider-microsoft-to-sell-windows-games-online-2010-10.DTL




-AT&T is learning...How to cope beyond the iPhone.
What does this mean?  Simple, since the launch of the iPhone, AT&T has pretty much had it made.  Due to the exclusivity of the iPhone from AT&T, if you wanted one (unless it was jailbroken and unlocked) you had to use AT&T service.  With all of the buzz over the last couple of weeks, and the future of iPhone a jump to Verizon in 2011; what will become of AT&T?  What is their new 'trump card'?  What phone will they be able to offer that can compete with the iPhone? 

Apparently, they are bringing in Windows Phone 7 compatible handsets and Android based phones to try to offset the 'hardware shock' they will probably experience.  In my area, I have heard more than one iPhone user complain about their AT&T service.  How will AT&T fair if these user's jump ship to Verizon, and decide not to part with their beloved iPhone?  Let's face it, people use the devices they care about.  And they aren't always willing to make a move to another device; especially once they learn to use what they currently have.

I was able to break my wife of her Blackberry about a month and a half ago.  She adored her Blackberry, and she was looking for a new phone (since we could upgrade hardware).  She played with Sprints HTC Evo and absolutely fell in love.  This isn't always the case with people.  She was open for a change, AT&T better pull off some magic, because at least around my town the only reason to have AT&T cell coverage is for iPhone use.


In other quick news for the the December issue of PC Gamer hit, and it covers a huge section on Guild Wars 2.  So, until next week.  Happy surfing!

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E3 2010 Coverage: Microsoft

Several things have come out of the Microsoft tents at E3.  The most notable being 'Project Natal' now has a real name.  It will be called 'Kinect'.  And a new version of the Xbox 360 will be in stores later this week (in the US).  The new Xbox 360 is smaller than the original, referred to as 'whisper quiet', sports built-in Wifi, and a 250GB Hard drive.  It will be priced the same as the former Xbox 360 Elite models.

Checkout Pics of the new 360: http://www.joystiq.com/photos/xbox-360-slim-live-shots/#/0

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Tech In The News: Pac-Man Eats Time, Microsoft's Team Lineup Change, PS3 Only?

This week in the news we have several notable stories.  The did you know that Pac-Man is the eater of time.  A couple big guys leave Microsoft, Insomniac Games brings games to Xbox 360 as well as PS3, and Facebook to Modify it's Privacy Settings Again?!

First up is Pac-Man.  Pac-Man has been around for a long time.  But thanks to his resurgence in Google's logo last week, he has proven that he is going to be around for quite a while.  For those not in the know, Google created a Pac-Man logo for Pac-Man's anniversary last week.  During that time period, countless millions played the interactive doodle.  Google had such a great response they have brought the doodle back permanently.  You too can give Pac-Man a spin by visiting: http://www.google.com/pacman/ and clicking the 'Insert A Coin' button to play.  And according to an article posted on PCMag.com the short duration in which the doodle was on Google's homepage killed a little less than 5 million hours of time.  Think about that, that's roughly 200,000 days worth of time.  Gone, never to be seen again.  This tells me Pac-Man still has it!  Rock on!

Secondly in the news, Microsoft has had some change in it's internal batting order as of late.  First was the 'sabbatical' of J Allard and now Robbie Bach.  J Allard had a huge hand in the workings of the Xbox division at Microsoft.  Meanwhile, Robbie Bach was president of Entertainment & Devices Division (which handles Zune and Windows Phone projects to name a few).  J Allard was onboard at Microsoft for about 19 years; while Bach was onboard for 22 years.  It will be interesting to see what direction Microsoft takes and the further development of these respective product areas take.  Best of luck to J Allard and Robbie Bach.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/technology/26soft.html

Thirdly, Insomniac Games has inked a deal with Microsoft which will allow them to bring a new unnamed game project to the Xbox 360; as well as, the PS3.  Insomniac Games are the guys who bought the world the 'Resistance' games for the PS3; and who were formerly a PS3 exclusive developer.  This will be interesting to keep an eye on as well.  http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/05/insomniac-signs-multi-platform-deal-with-ea-partners.ars

Last up in the news this week: Facebook changes Privacy Settings Again?!  Go ahead and cringe.  I know I did.  Anyone who has ever used Facebook knows about their privacy settings fiasco.  Their privacy settings have been pretty confusing for most people for a while now.  For example, I post a picture.  I can edit the privacy settings for that picture to determine who can see it.  This is great at it's most basic form.  However, the settings go on to allow you to control how friends of friends see it, and how people viewing friends pages see your content, etc.  Whatever happened to: 'Keep This Picture Private' (Only Friends See it) or 'Make the Public' (for anybody to see it).  This is pure crap from a development stand point.  It's obvious that Facebook has trumped MySpace, there are other Social Sites out there.  But none that are so widely used as Facebook.  The population of Facebook isn't college kids anymore.  Now people of all ages use it.  From children to grandparents.  For this reason, Facebook is going to have to keep it simple in regards to permissions and privacy settings.  The current system is something that a webmaster using a Content Management System might see (individual privacy/security settings for individual components).  Security is very important, especially with the sheer amount of everyday user's who access Facebook.  So yes, it needs to be safe to protect everybody.  But at the same time, Facebook is taking our information and selling it to other sites.  Which in my opinion is wrong.  I understand they are in business to make money.  But they already do that by ad placement on their site pages; which are viewed billions of times a day.

Facebook better straighten up, because I can certainly live without Farmville.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177321/Facebook_to_simplify_privacy_settings_Wednesday

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