Category: Mobile Tech

Today’s Poll: Engraving Consumer Electronics Devices

So I’m getting an iPad 2 for work purposes. I should head to one of the two local Apple Stores and buy it so that I can quickly take video, do some benchmarks, and set it up. However, I don’t want to deal with any lines (it won’t be that bad, will it?) and I like to get my Apple products engraved. I think it’s cool that Apple let’s you add custom messages to its products.

What do you think? Is engraving cool or lame? Is it worth waiting an extra couple of days for a more personal touch? Kindly take today’s poll and discuss!

[poll id=”105″]

Coffee Talk #312: Giving Up on Android Gaming (Almost)

As an avid Android user and a gamer, I’ve been greatly interested in learning more about Android game developer issues. While I expect the quality of quantity of games in the Android Market to improve…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your body conveniently holding up until the last day of a conference, Sam Kennedy’s immediate plans for 1Up.com, or being unable to say no to tequila shots with legendary Japanese game designers, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As an avid Android user and a gamer, I’ve been greatly interested in learning more about Android game developer issues. As mosts of you know, Apple iOS is way, way ahead of Google Android in the games department. While I expect the quality of quantity of games in the Android Market to improve, I don’t think it will ever come close to iOS gaming. What I’ve learned from various Google panels and conversations with people that create games for Android and/or iOS has me ready to give up on Android gaming.

On the iOS platform, developers have to worry two screen sizes, three resolutions, and a relatively homogeneous CPU/GPU family. On Android, developers have to worry numerous screens sizes, numerous (and sometimes non-standard) resolutions, CPUs from different manufacturers, GPUs from different manufacturers, differences in accelerometer speeds, and more. From what I’ve learned in the last year, Android game developers just have a lot more to worry about than iOS game developers when it comes to crafting code. What often ends up happening is that Android games are coded for the lowest common denominator and the results aren’t as impressive as they could be.

Developers would love to take advantage of Android’s rapid growth and the open experience of the Android Market, but some feel that the coding challenges aren’t worth it. Google has done a great job at reaching out and trying to support game developers, but I’m not sure it’s enough. Some of the developers I spoke with said that it’s just too difficult.

Game Developers Conference 2011 left me down on the state of Android gaming. I’m almost ready to give up my dream of a robust Android gaming market that rivals iOS gaming, but one hope remains. That, however, is another story.

iPad 2 is Smaller, Faster, and Dual Wielding

At a recent press conference, Apple announced that the iPad 2 will be available in America on March 11, 2011. The new iPad features…

At a recent press conference, Apple announced that the iPad 2 will be available in America on March 11, 2011. The new iPad features:

  • 1GHz Dual-core A5 processor
  • Lighter and thinner design — 0.34″, which is thinner than the iPhone 4!
  • Dual cameras — rear for pictures/video and front for video chat
  • Mobile chip for AT&T and Verizon service

It looks like a beautiful and powerful upgrade, but some people are bummed out that it still uses the same screen resolution as the original iPad. Tech enthusiasts were hoping for double the resolution and a look similar to the vaunted “Retina Display” on the iPhone 4.

I’m probably going to get one for work purposes, but I really wish the resolution were higher. How about you? Anyone interested in buying an iPad 2?

Coffee Talk #311: Apple Aggressively Invading Gaming?

There’s an interesting Apple vs. Nintendo buzz at GDC 2011. A lot of people in the business thought it was brazen or dickish for Apple to hold its iPad 2 presser around the same time as Nintendo’s GDC keynote…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, dinner/drinks with your favorite developers, hand numbered tequila, or Charlie Sheen’s ridiculousness, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There’s an interesting Apple vs. Nintendo buzz at GDC 2011. A lot of people in the business thought it was brazen (at best) or dickish (at worst) for Apple to hold its iPad 2 presser around the same time as Nintendo’s GDC keynote. It’s really bigger than that though. Apple has become a major player in games through the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad…and it looks like the company is being even more aggressive about staking its claim in the business. But is it going too far?

In addition to Apple’s last-minute iPad 2 scheduling, the company is holding its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) during the same time as E3 2011. Apple has used the event to announce new iPhone models and everyone expects the iPhone 5 (or whatever it’ll be called) to make its debut at WWDC 2011.

Apple stole a lot of Nintendo’s spotlight with its iPad 2 announcement. The Nintendo keynote has been scheduled for months, while the iPad 2 event was announced last week. There were a lot of mainstream television crews covering the iPad event. You figure some of those crews would have been covering the Nintendo keynote — full of 3DS wonder — if they didn’t have to choose. Similarly, I expect the iPhone 5 announcement to take some of E3 2011’s thunder away. Gaming and tech enthusiasts will follow both shows, but the mainstream consumer will likely hear more about the iPhone 5 than any E3 2011 announcements.

What do you think of the matter? Is Apple being “dickish” with its scheduling? Is it being too aggressive with its expansion into the gaming world? Or is it being smart? Maybe Apple doesn’t even care and is just doing things on its own schedule while living in the reality distortion field. I’ve heard GDC attendees call Apple’s presser “underhanded”, “shifty”, and “dickish”. I agree with those assessments, but I’m completely biased since I love the gaming business and GDC. I’d love to hear your opinion on the matter. Please let me know!

[poll id=”104″]

Coffee Talk #309: What Do You Want to See in the iPad 2?

The iPad 2 is set to be announced on March 2, 2011. Today I wanted to see if any of you are interested in an iPad 2 and what features you’d like it to have. While I’m sure it’ll have…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Miami Heat’s inability to beat elite teams, Charlie Sheen’s insane interviews, or when Miley Cyrus will go all Britney Spears, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The iPad 2 is set to be announced on March 2, 2011. The original was a crazy success, selling 15-million units in less than a year. Some analysts have pegged the sequel to sell twice as much. Today I wanted to see if any of you are interested in an iPad 2 and what features you’d like it to have. While I’m sure it’ll have a front-facing camera, more RAM, and a faster CPU, it looks like it won’t have the feature I really want — double the resolution.

On a side note, what’s up with Apple taking all the heat away from gaming conferences? The iPad 2 announcement will be during Game Developers Conference 2011 and the rumor is that Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (think iPhone 5 announcement) will take place during one of the same days as E3 2011.

So have at it (please)! What features do you want to see in the iPad 2?

MacBook Pro Gets Sandy Bridge, AMD GPUs, and Thunderbolt

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro line of notebooks with new Intel CPUs, new AMD GPUs, and a rebranded version of Intel’s Light Peak technology called Thunderbolt. While the prices and form factors are the same as last year’s models, the under-the-hood changes are pretty significant. Let’s break it down (the Degeneration X theme song should be playing in your head now).

Intel CPUs: MacBook Pros are now armed with Intel Sandy Bridge processors, which are the the true second-generation “Core i” CPUs. These new babies are more powerful and more efficient than their predecessors. The 15-inch and 17-inch models get some quad-core action, while the 13-inch model “only” gets a dual-core update. The new CPUs are blazing. You want one.

AMD GPUs: The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros are now armed with AMD GPUs, in addition to integrated Intel 3000 chips. The low-end choice is a Radeon 6490M with 256MB of video RAM, while the high-end option is a Radeon 6750M with 1GB of video RAM. The 13-inch model only has integrated graphics. The GPUs are more powerful, but what really interests me is how this will impact Nvidia, as the company struggles with stiff competition on multiple fronts.

Thunderbolt: This is a new i/o port with some fantastic potential. It allows you to connect multiple devices with throughput that exceeds USB 3.0 (in some cases 2x faster). Imagine transferring gigabytes of data in seconds — that’s what Thunderbolt offers. You’ll be able to connect multiple monitors, hard drives, video cameras, etc. on one Thunderbolt connection. There aren’t any Thunderbolt products on the market at the moment, but the space should blow up in 2011. As someone that edits video, the thought of a Thunderbolt external hard drive to use as a Final Cut scratch disk is drool inducing.

Those are the three major updates to the MacBook Pro line. What do you guys and dolls think? Anyone tempted to buy one? Any of you have a rich uncle that could buy me one?!? Ha!

Coffee Talk #306: Your 2011 Dream Phone

During my weekend work trip that took me from LAX to SFO to ORD to MCO to LAX, I brought several mobile devices with me for a video feature. This caused visions of my next phone to dance in my head. As much as I love my…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Justin Bieber’s new haircut, Nonito Donaire’s brutal knockout of Fernando Montiel, or overnight trips to Orlando, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

During my weekend work trip that took me from LAX to SFO to ORD to MCO to LAX, I brought several mobile devices with me for a video feature. This caused visions of my next phone to dance in my head. As much as I love my T-Mobile G2, I’ve been dreaming about a new phone since CES 2011. Taking bits and pieces from each device, I’ve imagined my 2011 dream phone. It would be something like this.

Dual Core Processor: The power of dual core is awesome, but the real kicker is efficiency. Dual core chips offer improved performance and battery life.

Four-Inch Screen or Larger: After using an Evo 4G, Droid X, Fascinate, and Epic 4G last year, the 3.7-inch on my G2 took some getting used to. I’m fine with it now, but I miss the extra real estate from those larger screens. I want my next phone to have a screen that’s at least four inches. It can be Super LCD or Super AMOLED — there are pros and cons to both technologies. What I’d really like is the killer pixel density of the iPhone 4. The real estate of a large screen coupled with the readability of Retina Display sounds brilliant.

LTE: You’ll see some numbers in my upcoming 4G shootout video feature, but for now I’ll tell you that I was floored by the performance of Verizon’s LTE network. Sure, I expect those numbers to go down as more LTE phones become available, but even slightly decreased numbers beat the crap out of the test results I got on Sprint’s WiMax and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ networks.

Heavy Metal: I want my next phone to have a body that’s primarily metal and glass. I hate plastic. The plastic Samsung Fascinate felt flimsy compared to the mostly metal Droid X and G2. Compared to the beautifully constructed iPhone 4, it felt like a toy. I wish more phone manufacturers did a better job at ripping off the industrial design of the iPhone or Nokia’s high-end phones.

Dockable: Motorola’s Atrix 4G is one of the most unique phones on the market due to its laptop docking option. It’s just smart and clever. I’d love to see more phones do this. I don’t see that happening, but it’s my stupid dream so I’ll throw out any feature I want.

Operating System…Undecided: I love Google Android from a productivity standpoint. The Gmail and Google Voice integration are close to perfect. Those apps are so important for my work that Android is the best mobile operating system for me, in terms of getting stuff done. The gaming and entertainment options are still a frickin’  joke compared to what iOS offers. I’m getting tired of waiting and Google has improved its iOS products a great deal…though not quite enough. If iOS 5 is more interesting than the next major release of Android then there’s a good chance that I’ll switch to an iPhone as my primary device.

WebOS and Windows Phone 7 have some great features, but I don’t see developers flocking to either platform. A Windows Phone 7 on Nokia hardware with Nokia’s (terribly underrated, terribly explained, and terribly named) Ovi Internet services is potentially awesome, but I’m not yet convinced that these two companies will bring out the best in each other. Right now I’d say there’s a 45 percent chance of me sticking with Android, a 40 percent chance of me going with iOS, and a 15 percent chance that a NokiSoft 7 device will win me over. Then again, I’m still pissed at Google for canceling my AdSense account and, more recently, a PR snub. Maybe I’ll switch to iOS out of spite (unfortunately, I’d still use all of Google’s apps).

Anyway, those are some of the ingredients to my 2011 dream phone. Now tell me about yours (please)! If you could buy a new phone in 2011, what features would it have?

The #1 Mobile PC Manufacturer is…Apple?

Would you have guessed that the leading seller of mobile PCs in Q4 2010 was Apple? Sounds crazy, hey? Microsoft Windows is still the dominant operating system worldwide, but when you combine MacBook and iPad sales, Apple sold more mobile computers in the last three months of 2010 than anyone else. That’s the story according to the analysts at DisplaySearch.

MacBook sales were solid throughout 2010, but the refreshed MacBook Air really kicked things up a notch. The iPad was one of the most popular holiday gifts. When you add all of that up, it’s no wonder that Apple killed it in Q4.

Source

Sony Ericsson PlayStation Tablet (Android) in the Works

Engadget has a hot scoop on an upcoming Sony Ericsson tablet that runs Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and Sony PlayStation Suite. The rumor follows the official announcement of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, which offers Google Android and PlayStation Suite in a mobile phone. Here are more details on the Sony Ericsson Google Android PlayStation tablet (you must use all six words):

Although the tablet looks like a hollow 9.4-inch capacitive touch panel sporting a 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution from the distance, the space between the the front and back wrapped panels is actually stuffed with a battery and circuitry including a Tegra 2 processor. As such, you won’t be hanging it from the towel rack. It also features both front- and rear-facing cameras as well as a USB-A port that plays host to USB thumb drives or media devices. The only physical buttons — volume and on / off — are located on the edge of each indented side. There’s also the possibility that the S1 will feature a “Q” (for Qriocity) button but that decision has not been finalized, according to one of our sources. Oh, and there’s an IR port built-in allowing you to control devices other than your Bravia TV. The front face is finished in a high-gloss black that sits flush with the display and continues in one unobstructed sweep to the back of the tablet where a subtle dot matrix texture is applied to enhance the grip. The underside is a matte-silver color creating a nice contrast. All materials, we’re told, feel very premium though it’s unclear if we’re talking plastic, aluminum, or something else.

The rumor isn’t surprising considering how hot the tablet market will be in 2011. It’s nice to see Sony wisely expanding the reach of the PlayStation brand through its Sony Ericsson branch. It’s about time those folks started playing nice together.

Any of you interested in a Sony Ericsson Google Android PlayStation tablet (isn’t it fun to say?)? Would you get one over an iPad, BlackBerry Playbook, or HP WebOS tablet?

Source

Mike Capps Talks Epic, Bulletstorm, Infinity Blade, and More

Here’s a really fun and informative interview with Epic Games president Dr. Michael Capps. Not only is he an incredibly sharp man, but he’s also a super fun guy to hang out with. I’ve always been impressed with how nimbly Epic has evolved from PC to consoles to mobile. Capps addresses that issue, as well how Infinity Blade caused Apple execs to curse in excitement, Bulletstorm, his mother’s reaction to his shower scene in the “Bulletpoints” marketing campaign, Kotaku’s Brian Crescente looking like that guy from Deuce Bigalow/The Scorpion King, me punching Cliff Bleszinski in the face, and more!

Special thanks to RPadholic smartguy for his question about Bulletpoints!