Today’s Poll: Insuring Your iPhone 5 and Other iOS Products

A number of you have pre-ordered or plan to buy an iPhone 5. A number of you already own iOS devices of some sort. How do you insure your iPhones and iPads? Many people rave about AppleCare+. It’s convenient to get your phone or tablet services at an Apple Store through AppleCare+ and, in my experience, the service is fast. Others prefer using insurance through a third-party company like SquareTrade, which in some cases offers more flexible terms and can be more convenient for people that don’t live near an Apple Store. There are some people that prefer carrier insurance through companies like Asurion, which offers replacements for stolen or lost products. Then there are those that don’t care to get insurance at all.

Kindly take today’s poll and let me know how you insure your iPhone and other iOS products.

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Geoff Johns Writing Arrow Episode, More Trailers

Here’s a bunch of assorted news on Arrow, CW’s upcoming series about DC Universe bow-slinger Green Arrow. Comic-book fans will be pleased to learn that Geoff Johns, one of the most consistently great writers of the last decade, will be penning an episode of the show. On a recent post on DC’s blog Johns is quoted as saying, “I’m thrilled to be writing this episode of Arrow, and while I can’t give too much away, I think comic fans are going to like what we have in store for them — keep an eye out for the Huntress.”

CW has also released some new trailers for the show. The first one is pretty sweet. It makes Oliver Queen look like a modern-day warrior (as opposed to a guy with outmoded weapons and an Errol Flynn fascination).

The next one is…not so good. It’s cheesy and more along the lines of what I expect from The CW.

Hopefully the show’s tone is more like the first trailer and the second is something that’s being used to attract the frau.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the two Arrow clips. Are you excited that Geoff Johns will be writing an episode of the show?

Dragon Age III: Inquisition Details Confirmed

BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah has written a blog post on Dragon Age III: Inquisition. Sadly, it has nothing to do with the lovely musical number from History of the World, Part I. Here’s some of what Darrah had to confirm:

  • The next game will be called Dragon Age III: Inquisition.
  • We won’t be talking about the story of the game today. Though you can make some guesses from the title.
  • This game is being made by a lot of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins. It’s composed of both experienced BioWare veterans and talented new developers.
  • We are working on a new engine which we believe will allow us to deliver a more expansive world, better visuals, more reactivity to player choices, and more customization. At PAX East, we talked about armor and followers… Yeah, that kind of customization. We’ve started with Frostbite 2 from DICE as a foundation to accomplish this.

As a BioWare mark and a fan of the series, I can’t wait for Dragon Age III. While I understood the second installment’s shortcomings, I liked it quite a bit and felt that its criticisms were overblown. One area where the criticism is warranted is its graphics. The majority of BioWare games have had average, though not necessarily bad, graphics. Dragon Age was no exception. I’m looking forward to seeing what DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine (used in Battlefield 3) bring to the table.

The game is slated for a Q4 2013 release. Any of you psyched for Dragon Age III: Inquisition?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s not a lot out this week, but the quality should more than make up for the quantity. Borderlands 2 is set to pick up where the critically-acclaimed original left off. One of the most exciting and popular new franchises this console generation, Borderlands thrilled fans with RPG-infused action and a distinct art style. Fighting game aficionados will want to pick up the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set. In addition to the great games in the series, this bundle includes a documentary, soundtracks, an art book, and a statue of world warrior Ryu (it lights up!).

Any of you picking up new games this week?

American Idol 2013 Judges Finalized

The judges for the next season of American Idol have been finalized! Providing insights, entertainment, and (hopefully) insanity in 2013 will be Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, and Randy Jackson. With the show’s popularity waning, the producers decided to spruce things up with a new set of judges. (Though they couldn’t get rid of Randy Jackson. He must have naked photos of Nigel Lythgoe.)

AI was never able to replicate the drug-addled wonderfulness of Paul Abdul, who left the show in 2009. There’s an extremely high chance that the duo of Carey and Minaj will make the show more insane than it has ever been. The potential for awkward awesomeness is off the charts!

Check out the photo of the new judges below and let me know what you think of the American Idol 2013 team (please!).

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5th Cell’s Run Roo Run (iOS) is Free and Universal

5th Cell is awesome. The company makes cool games and has a hot community manager. One of its latest titles, Run Roo Run, has been updated. This cute and challenging (at the later later levels) iOS game is now free and universal (just like me!). You should download it now because it’s free for the next week only and 5th Cell makes sweet stuff. After you’ve played for a bit, please let me know what you think of Run Roo Run in the comments section.

Apple Sues Polish Online Deli, A.Pl

The Apple vs. Samsung lawsuits are somewhat understandable. There’s a lot of money involved and the two companies compete directly in several areas. Apple suing a Polish online deli seems…not so cool. Yet that’s the case with Apple vs. A.pl. The king of Cupertino is upset with this small, online delivery service because of its name and an old logo it used. The name thing is kind of stupid. “.pl” is the top-level extension for Poland. No sane person is going to go to the A.pl site and confuse it with Apple Inc. The logo…I’m just not seeing the resemblance.

Some people think this is a case of Goliath attacking David. To me it looks like a big company acting like total dicks towards a small company that has no impact on its business whatsoever. What do you think? Is Apple right to be going after A.pl?

Source via PC Magazine

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

In addition to my regularly scheduled Outernauts and Final Fantasy Dimensions time, I’m hoping to add a double dose of digitally downloaded games this weekend. First up is Double Dragon Neon. Justin and I checked out the game at E3 2012. It looked like good, old-school fun with a Zack Ryder-ish twist. Next is La Pucelle Tactics. I’m delighted that Mastiff has rereleased this Nippon Ichi tactical RPG. It rocked on the PS2 and I’m sure it will rock on PSN. RPGs that take place on isometric grids are awesome!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?