Category: Mobile Tech

Coffee Talk #555: 2013 Consumer Electronics Wishes

Continuing our discussion of nerd hopes and wishes for 2013, I was wondering what you wanted to see in the consumer electronics space. Are you hoping for advancements in PCs, mobile phones, tablets, or software? If so, what specifically are you having gadget dreams about?

As for me, I’m hoping to see Apple take some bold steps with iOS. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a simple and powerful operating system that is the gold standard and has certainly gotten better over the years, but many of the recent changes have been subtle. Meanwhile, the competition has been catching up and, in some cases…more

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 existence of Scary Movie 5, praying for a United 1K challenge, or dreading losing 1K status after January, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Continuing our discussion of nerd hopes and wishes for 2013, I was wondering what you wanted to see in the consumer electronics space. Are you hoping for advancements in PCs, mobile phones, tablets, or software? If so, what specifically are you having gadget dreams about?

As for me, I’m hoping to see Apple take some bold steps with iOS. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a simple and powerful operating system that is the gold standard and has certainly gotten better over the years, but many of the recent changes have been subtle. Meanwhile, the competition has been catching up and, in some cases, surpassing iOS.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone has become a boldly different alternative, mostly because it had to be in order to compete. Android has gotten exponentially better over the last two years, but that’s partially because it had so much catching up to do. As someone that uses and enjoys both Android and iOS, I see a lot of features on Android that are better than their iOS counterparts. Android apps, however, are another story. I’d love to see more Android apps have the level of polish that their iOS counterparts have.

Now it’s your turn! Fire away in the comments section (please).

Warren Ellis, Gun Machine, and the iPad

Renowned comic-book author Warren Ellis wrote a blog post on how he used the Apple iPad to write a large portion of his upcoming novel Gun Machine. The post was a response to another one of my favorite comic-book scribes, Greg Rucka. Ellis used the iPad along with a “Logitech Zagg Keyboard Case for iPad,” PlainText, iA Writer, QuickOffice Pro HD, and the outstanding Dropbox cloud service.

There are a few takeaways here. First, I’m reminded of tech pundits that dismissed the iPad as a content creation tool. While I always viewed the iPad more as a consumption device (which is what most people use it for, primarily), I’ve been blown away by the amount of great apps that allow for content creation. There are some truly (insanely?) great music, office, and image editing apps out there. There have been several days when this blog has been updated through a combination of Clean Writer, Filterstorm, and WordPress. As far as content creation goes, the iPad has exceeded most people’s expectations.

Secondly, Warren Ellis has always been one of the coolest cats writing comics. (You must read his run on The Authority!) The fact that he wrote a large chunk of his novel on an iPad makes him even cooler.

Source

Coffee Talk #546: Best Gadget of 2012

Out of all the “Best of 2012” picks, this one required the least amount of thought. The third-generation iPad was easily my favorite gadget of the year. Like my iPad 2, I love it for being an incredibly diverse entertainment device that allows me to read web sites, read comic books, watch movies, play games, and more. The third-generation iPad kicks things up a notch by offering an incredible 2,048 x 1,536 screen that’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s actually hard to look at the iPad 2 after…more

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 potential of 48p movies, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending spree, or praying for Google Fiber to come to your home town, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Out of all the “Best of 2012” picks, this one required the least amount of thought. The third-generation iPad was easily my favorite gadget of the year. Like my iPad 2, I love it for being an incredibly diverse entertainment device that allows me to read web sites, read comic books, watch movies, play games, and more. The third-generation iPad kicks things up a notch by offering an incredible 2,048 x 1,536 screen that’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s actually hard to look at the iPad 2 after getting used to the resolution of this year’s iPad. The outstanding hardware is complemented by the most robust selection of apps and media around, thanks to iTunes. It’s just a perfect blend of hardware and software.

Once again, Apple has owned the tablet market with the iPad and once again the company has completely owned me with its amazing tablet computers.

Now it’s your turn! What was your favorite gadget of the year? Whether it’s a phone, tablet, television, or some other piece of consumer electronics, please share your choice in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #542: Your Cyber Monday/Black Friday Loot

For many Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday has become as much about discount shopping as it is giving thanks. Millions of people love Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday deals. (Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals are still going on this week, btw.) Today’s column is simple: I want to know what you scored on Black Friday and Cyber Monday…more

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, learning to enjoy fake eggs, standing workstations, or whether Jeremy Lin has figured out how to shoot, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For many Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday has become as much about discount shopping as it is giving thanks. Millions of people love Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday deals. (Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals are still going on this week, btw.) Today’s column is simple: I want to know what you scored on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

What were you looking for? What did you end up buying? Is there anything you didn’t find? Did you concentrate on games, electronics, clothes, or something else? Please leave your Black Friday and Cyber Monday loot in the comments section!

Kickstarter: Tony La Russa’s Baseball with Fans

Legendary baseball manager Tony La Russa is teaming up with legendary game designer Don Daglow for Tony La Russa’s Baseball with Fans. The two have collaborated several times in the past on the popular Tony La Russa Baseball games for PC. This time around, the dynamic duo is working on a mobile game with a strategic slant. Here are some details from the game’s Kickstarter page:

  • A new kind of Baseball game that lets you challenge your friends to see who really knows how to handle those tough calls in the dugout.
  • An interface and design created “from the ground up” just for touchscreens, not re-purposed from existing mouse or console systems.
  • On-field play that’s based on a physics-driven 3D engine, but displayed in a way that makes the action easy to follow on a smartphone screen.
  • A single-player option that lets you prove your managerial prowess by challenging Tony La Russa, with AI that Tony himself designed.
  • A game that kids and casual baseball fans can play and enjoy, but that offers depth and subtlety for sophisticated Baseball experts.
  • Stat and roster displays designed for fans, not CPA’s, with more detailed data a tap away.

Concept art and graphics aren’t available yet, but expect more visual details in future updates.

As a total mark for Don Daglow, I’m really psyched for this game. I’m also intrigued by a managerial baseball game for mobile devices. Considering the limitations of touch controls, a full-on baseball sim doesn’t work for me, but a managerial game has a ton of potential.

What do you think of a strategic baseball game for mobile devices? Any of you interested in Tony La Russa’s Baseball with Fans?

Source

Pokemon Pokedex Hits Japanese iTunes App Store

Well look at that — an official Nintendo gaming product on a competing platform. I’ll be damned. That’s right boys and girls, The Pokemon Company has launched Pokedex For iOS. The app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users through the Japanese iTunes App Store. While it’s not exactly a game, it’s certainly a gaming product. And a Nintendo gaming product released for a non-Nintendo platform is a pretty huge deal, don’t you agree?

Do you think this is the beginning of Nintendo releasing more products on different platforms? Or do you think it’s a sign that the world is ending?

Will You Play Google Ingress?

Google has launched Ingress, a location-based game that melds aspects of puzzle, strategy, and MMO games. It’s really hard to describe, but hopefully the launch videos below will give you a better idea of what the game has to offer. On paper, it sounds ambitious and intriguing…but many location-based and alternate-reality games sounded ambitious and intriguing, and most of those games weren’t any fun. Before I go on, here’s an excerpt from the game’s description: Continue reading “Will You Play Google Ingress?”

Steve Jobs Movie Covers Macintosh, NeXT, iPod Launches

Steve Jobs had a colorful life and was responsible for products used by millions of people around the world. With that in mind, there are so many chunks of his time on Earth that could be covered in a movie. Super-scribe Aaron Sorkin revealed that the biopic he’s penning for Sony Pictures will revolve around three product launches: the Macintosh, the NeXT Computer System, and the iPod. Here’s more from The Verge:

Sorkin revealed that the movie will be comprised of three, 30-minute sections that each take place backstage in the moments immediately preceding some of Jobs’ most iconic keynotes.

“This entire movie is going to be three scenes and three scenes only that all take place in realtime,” Sorkin said. “A half hour for you in the audience is the same as a half hour to a character on the screen.” The three presentations that will serve as backdrops in the film will be the original Macintosh, the debut of NeXT, and the first-ever iPod reveal in 2001. Sorkin says he chose the timeframe intentionally, with the classic “Think Different” commercial serving as a potential end point for the film.

In many ways, Sorkin’s idea reminds me of Ali. That Muhammad Ali movie featured some of his most famous fights and ended with “The Rumble in the Jungle” vs. George Foreman. As many of you know, Ali had many fights after that one, including memorable scraps with Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton, as well as the historic and brutal “Thrilla in Manila” vs. Joe Frazier. Like Ali, Jobs’ accomplishments are too vast to contain in a single two-hour movie. The centerpieces Sorkin is using cover the rise, fall, and rebirth of Steve Jobs nicely.

What do you think of Aaron Sorkin basing his Steve Jobs movie around the Mac, NeXT, and iPod keynotes?

Source

Green Throttle Wants Your Phone To Be Your Console

Bay Area company Green Throttle Games aims to combine the portability and power of mobile phones with a full-on console experience. The company was formed by executives with experience at RedOctane, Nokia, Palm, and more. How Green Throttle works is that you connect your phone to your television and connect a Bluetooth controller — dubbed Atlas — to your phone. It will have first-party games that take full advantage of the setup, while also offering tools to help third-party developers make their games compatible  with the controller. There will also be an Android app that will help users find games that are compatible with Green Throttle.

Leading the way is CEO and co-founder Charles Huang. He was COO and co-founder of RedOctane, famous for the Guitar Hero games. Huang is accompanied by president & COO Matt Crowley, who has product experience with Nokia, Palm, and Philips Electronics. Rounding out the team is vice president & CTO Karl Townsend, one of the founders of Handspring with experience at HP and Palm. As you can see, the company has experience in both gaming and mobile. Huang helped create one of the biggest videogame crazes in the last decade, while his COO and CTO understand the mobile space and working with mobile developers.

The early reactions to Green Throttle have been interesting. Some pundits think it has a big advantage over the competing Ouya system in that a separate box isn’t required. Some believe that Green Throttle’s first-party games are the make-or-break feature of the system. Technology and convenience will only get you so far. Systems like Green Throttle and Ouya need great games in order to thrive.

What are your thoughts on Green Throttle. Are you interested in the product? Do you think it will succeed? Please let me know in the comments section!

Coffee Talk #531: 5 Major Improvements in Android 4.2

In addition to unveiling the Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 10 tablet, Google released details on Android 4.2. Advertised as “a new flavor of Jelly Bean,” some people are under the impression that this is a minor update to Google’s mobile operating system since it’s not getting a unique codename. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Android 4.2 has several significant updates. Here are five major features in Google’s latest OS…more

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 glorious start of the 2012-2013 NBA season, TSA horror stories, or why so many female Halloween costumes are slutty, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In addition to unveiling the Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 10 tablet, Google released details on Android 4.2. Advertised as “a new flavor of Jelly Bean,” some people are under the impression that this is a minor update to Google’s mobile operating system since it’s not getting a unique codename. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Android 4.2 has several significant updates. Here are five major features in Google’s latest OS.

  1. Miracast: This is Android’s equivalent of Apple’s AirPlay, but with potentially broader support. It allows users of Android phones and tablets to wirelessly display their content on televisions. This is fantastic for games, movies, and Brazzers TV shows. Initially, this feature will require a separate box that plugs into a TV’s HDMI port, but there will be upcoming televisions and boxes with Mircast support built in. Enterprising game developers will want to take advantage of Miracast’s independent screen use, allowing the phone/tablet to serve as the controller while the action takes place on a television.
  2. Gesture Typing: As a Swype user, this is the feature I’m looking forward to the most. Gesture Typing is Google’s take on gesture-based keyboard-entry. It allows Android users to trace words on screen. It also uses a prediction engine, bringing up possible words you might use next. Last week I was jazzed to learn about SwiftKey Flow, which offers these same features, but I rather not have to rely on a third-party keyboard at all. With Gesture Typing, there’s a good chance that the stock Android keyboard will have everything I want.
  3. Improved Camera Software: This has long been a weakness with stock Android. Tests have shown that two phones using the same optics will produce different results, with images from phones running vanilla Android coming out worse than those from phones running third-party software. Given the popularity of mobile-phone photography, that’s an inexcusable deficiency. In addition to improved image quality, the new camera software has been tweaked for easier one-handed use.
  4. Multiuser Support: This is a tablet-exclusive feature that’s great for families or households with multiple Android tablet users. Using a simple login system, Android tablets can be customize so that each user has their own unique apps, widgets, backgrounds, and more. While I personally detest sharing my consumer electronics (I consider them extensions of my arm…and soul), I appreciate how useful this feature is for families.
  5. Lockscreen Widgets: Many Android fans point to widgets as one of the biggest advantages Google’s OS has over Apple iOS. Widgets will be even more useful in Android 4.2, since they can be placed on the lockscreen. Being able to see information without having to unlock your phone is a wonderfully convenient feature. Some Android fanboys believe that widgets on the lockscreen also negates the advantage Windows Phone has with its live tiles. While I wouldn’t go that far (live tiles are pretty cool), this is an undeniably useful addition.

Those are just some of the new features found in Android 4.2. How do you guys and dolls feel about the latest and greatest in Google’s new OS? What’s the coolest new feature in your opinion? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).