Amazon Cloud Player Beats Apple and Google to the Punch

Amazon has launched a streaming music and an online storage service called Cloud Player and Cloud Drive, respectively. Cloud Drive allows users to store music and other files in the cloud (duh). Music can be streamed to any PC or Google Android phone via Cloud Player. The free version of Cloud Drive comes with 5GB of storage. Users can purchase additional space or purchase a digital album, which bumps their total to 20GB.

This is a bold and exciting move by Amazon. While the company’s MP3 store does well, it’s still way behind Apple iTunes. Offering cloud services (not to mention generally lower prices) could help attract more customers away from Apple. Both Apple and Google are known to be readying cloud-based music-services. Amazon has beaten its competitors to the punch and there’s always something to be said for being first.

Furthermore, Cloud Player looks like another facet of Amazon’s future Android strategy. Last week I speculated that Amazon will almost definitely have Amazon-branded phones and tablets running Google Android. Can you picture an Amazon Android phone with perfect integration of Amazon’s Android Appstore and Cloud Player? Wouldn’t a phone or tablet that offered simple purchasing of Amazon goods — both digital and physical — be a potentially huge moneymaker for the company? It seems so brilliant…and scary.

Let me know what you think of Amazon’s Cloud Player and Cloud Drive (please). Are they services you’d definitely use? Or does music in the cloud not interest you?

Chris Jericho Raises His Game on Dancing With the Stars

Last week Chris Jericho looked like one of the Village People on Dancing With the Stars. While I was impressed that he was even competing, it looked like his instructor was carrying him. This week he went from the cha-cha to the quick step…and didn’t look like one of the Village People. I was really impressed with his performance. Check out the clip above — especially around the 2:55 mark — and watch Jericho strut his stuff.

Amazon Android Appstore Offers Nifty “Test Drive” Feature

Amazon’s Android Appstore already offers a compelling alternative to the Google Android Market by giving away paid apps daily. Amazon’s Android Market competitor has gotten even more interesting with its “test drive” feature. This nifty bit of code allows you to try and experiment with an app from a PC using a virtual phone. Allowing users to tinker with possible purchases should lead to higher buy rates. At the very least, it keeps customers on the Amazon site, which can lead to all sorts of purchases.

If you have a chance, check out test drive on the Amazon Android Appstore. I think it’s a fantastic feature that further differentiates the Amazon Android Appstore from the Google Android Market. How about you?

Coffee Talk #326: Debating a Fall Release for the iPhone 5

Since 2008, Apple has announced a new iPhone model at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). It looks like that will not be the case this year. Should Apple continue to launch iPhones in…

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 brilliant mic work by Shawn Michaels, Triple, and The Undertaker on last night’s Raw, Jose Canseco’s evil twin, or Barry Bonds’ ex-girlfriend’s entertaining testimony, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Since 2008, Apple has announced a new iPhone model at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). It looks like that will not be the case this year. The Loop — one of the most reliable sources of leaked Apple info — has reported that WWDC 2011 will be software only. Taking the rumor a step further, TechCrunch’s sources told it that the next iPhone (iPhone 5? iPhone 4G?) will be announced in September for a Fall 2011 release. If the second rumor is true then this could mark an interesting shift in Apple’s consumer electronics strategy.

Traditionally, Apple’s September events have focused on the iPod. With the crazy success of the iPhone and iPad, the iPod has become less important. Some have argued that it makes more sense to release the next iPhone later in the year in order to make it one of the most desirable holiday gifts around. The counter-argument is that Apple already has a hard time meeting demand for iPhones when they’re released in the summer; compounding the release of a hot new product with the holiday rush would be a recipe for disaster.

Does Apple even need a new iPhone this summer? The iPhone 4 (on AT&T and Verizon) is still selling at a brisk rate. Additionally, pushing the release to later this year would give Apple a chance to implement a next-gen LTE radio that’s more battery efficient while allowing the next iPhone to take advantage of the outstanding speeds offered by Verizon LTE. The counter-argument is that over the next few months there will be several Google Android phones with 4G speeds, dual-core processors, qHD screens, and more. Some say Apple has the luxury of time. Others don’t.

How do you think things will shake out? Will the iPhone be announced at a later date this summer? Or will it be announced in September? Should Apple continue to launch iPhones in the June/July? Or will it make more bank kicking things off in September/October? Kindly vote in the poll and share your thoughts!

[poll id=”108″]

4G Shootout: Sprint vs. T-Mobile vs. Verizon

American mobile carriers are in another pissing contest. This time around it’s all about 4G broadband — or really 4G-like speeds, since none of the technologies being used today are actually 4G. Sprint, using WiMax, was the first carrier out of the gate. T-Mobile followed by upgrading its network to HSPA+. Verizon recently launched its LTE network.

3 Carriers + 3 “4G” Technologies = Confused Customers

To give you an idea of the real-world performance offered by Sprint WiMax, T-Mobile HSPA+, and Verizon LTE, I ran some speed tests in three cities. I used a Sprint Epic 4G, a T-Mobile G2, and an HTC Thunderbolt at LAX (Los Angeles), SFO (San Francisco), and JFK (New York) —  you know, the three American cities that matter *joke*. Here are the results.

Los Angeles

Ping Download Upload
Sprint Epic 4G 333 ms 3.85 Mbps 1.52 Mbps
T-Mobile G2 87 ms 1.25 Mbps 0.89 Mbps
HTC Thunderbolt 91 ms 13.4 Mbps 27.74 Mbps

San Francisco

Ping Download Upload
Sprint Epic 4G 371 ms 7.11 Mbps 1.53 Mbps
T-Mobile G2 114 ms 0.91 Mbps 0.87 Mbps
HTC Thunderbolt 83 ms 16.31 Mbps 27.77 Mbps

New York

Ping Download Upload
Sprint Epic 4G 80 ms 4.10 Mbps 0.96 Mbps
T-Mobile G2 80 ms 3.09 Mbps 1.72 Mbps
HTC Thunderbolt 108 ms 13.55 Mbps 32.34 Mbps

As you can see, Verizon’s LTE network beats the crap out of Sprint’s WiMax and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ networks. However, there are several things to keep in mind. First, Verizon LTE just launched and there aren’t many devices available for it. As more users pull from the network, speeds will go down.

T-Mobile’s results at LAX and SFO were interesting and a sign of the network’s limited range; I regularly get great speeds on T-Mobile in the actual cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the airports were another matter. The company has also started rolling out a faster version of HSPA+ that hits a theoretical max of 42 Mbps. It’s only available in three cities at the moment, but should hit 25 markets by mid-2011. Early tests show that real-world speeds of “HSPA+ 42” are inline with Verizon LTE speeds.

Most importantly, there are several reports of Speedtest.net not handling LTE upload tests properly. Verizon claims that uploads on the Thunderbolt hit anywhere from 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps. I would ignore the the upload results I pulled on the Thunderbolt.

As always, it comes down to network performance where you live, work, and play. These are just data points from three airports. While they show the relative performance of three 4G networks in these areas, the results could be very different in your neck of the woods.

If you have any questions about the results and my 4G experiences, fire away in the comments section!

RPad.tv Merchandise Sale — Two Days Only!

All RPad.tv merchandise is on sale Monday and Tuesday! From shirts, mugs, water bottles, and more, you can save up to 30% on RPad.tv swag. As always, your support is totally appreciated. Every purchase helps the site stick around for a little bit longer. Here are the instructions from my vendor.

Coupon Code: MondayBlues
Discount: 10% off the base price! No Minimum!

Coupon Code: BigMondayBlues
Discount: 30% off subtotal of $50+

Please enter coupon code MondayBlues or BigMondayBlues before completing checkout. Discount is applied to the base price subtotal and does not include shipping, taxes, or additional charges. The maximum qualifying discount will AUTOMATICALLY be calculated by the website. Email us if you have questions. This offer may not be combined with other offers and only applies to your account. Coupons valid from 3/28/2011 to 3/29/2011 11:59 pm Mountain Time.

Browse the exotic merchandise here (please)!

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s a pretty huge week in the videogame business. The Nintendo 3DS launched and is selling briskly, though it’s not nearly as hard to find as the Nintendo Wii was during launch week. Wrestling fans that want to set up dream matches pitting current WWE Superstars against old-school wrestlers will want to pick up WWE All Stars. As much as I’ll enjoy the gameplay, I think my favorite part will be hearing Jim Ross’ commentary. Racing fans have two styles of automotive action to choose from in Shift 2 and NASCAR The Game 2011. If you prefer motorcycles over cars then you might dig MotoGP 10/11. Fans of adulterers and golf will have a blast with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky looks like a great old-school RPG.

Last, but not least, is a PSP game that I’m incredibly psyched for: The 3rd Birthday. As a Parasite Eve fan, I’m really looking forward to Aya Brea’s next adventure.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

14-Year Old’s Astute iPad 2 Analysis

I was really impressed with JP Teti’s analysis of how the iPad has opened up computing to more people than ever. So many tech writers focus on the iPad’s limitations and Apple’s “walled garden”. Few of them write about how it has made personal computing more accessible to a broad audience. I don’t agree with all of Teti’s points, but most of his arguments are sound. Here’s an excerpt:

The iPad is actually opening up technology to more people. None of this crap about it being closed is accurate. By giving people freedom to explore the app store without having to worry about anything (except their wallets), Apple has possibly made the best move they could make — by locking down the iPad’s installation sources. That’s the one that’s the most helpful for the general state of technology. Apple is encouraging people to explore and play around. The iPad only does less than a regular computer to us geeks. To everyone else, it does more. This is what Motorola and Google and Samsung and BlackBerry and everyone else, with the sole exception of Apple, do not get about “open” computing. It’s powerful, but for ordinary people, it’s too powerful.

Tech writers — especially those in San Francisco — often get caught up in their own little world. It’s funny that an eighth-grader was able to see something that escapes so many people that are paid a lot of money to cover Apple products.

Source via Daring Fireball

Amy Adams to Play Lois Lane in Superman Reboot

Warner Bros. has announced that Amy Adams will be playing Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman movie. This is a brilliant casting decision. Adams is known for being able to play delightfully airy characters (Enchanted) and edgier characters (The Fighter).  I can totally see Adams deftly switching from an obnoxiously aggressive newspaper journalist to a damsel in distress.

I fully expect Adams to be the best Lois Lane ever. Margot Kidder did a fantastic job in the original Superman films, but Adams has already proven to be a more capable actress. Kate Bosworth was completely tepid in Superman Returns; if Adams is breathing, she’ll surpass that performance. As long as she has a good script to work with, I have no doubt that Amy Adams will take Lois Lane to new heights.

What do you think of Amy Adams playing Lois Lane? Do you think she’ll kill it? Or will she pull a Kate Bosworth?

Source

Coffee Talk #325: Homosexuality in Games

I was surprised to find that several Dragon Age II players are bothered by the homosexual romance options in the game — particularly the male romances. Some players are uncomfortable with…

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 NCAA basketball final four, Wyclef Jean getting shot, or a Montanta Radio Shack offering free guns with Dish Network, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I was surprised to find that several Dragon Age II players are bothered by the homosexual romance options in the game — particularly the male romances. Some players are uncomfortable with their male Hawke being courted by Anders and Fenris. Some players wish that there was an option to turn off homosexual romances. I found these sentiments a bit backwards and homophobic, but I”m trying to understand why these gamers feel the way that they do.

I think it’s great that gamers have the option for their male Hawke to have a relationship with a whiny male apostate like Anders. I think it’s wonderful that players can have their female Hawke fall in love with a filthy pirate wench like Isabela. If players rather have a heterosexual relationship, those options are there too, of course. This is a role-playing game and I appreciate the diversity of romantic roles Dragon Age II offers. I don’t understand why some gamers have a problem with being hit on by a character of the same sex. If that’s not what you want then respond accordingly, no?

Do any of you have issues with the homosexual romances in Dragon Age II or other games? Does it make you uncomfortable? Or do you not care? I’m curious to hear your opinions. Let’s share and have a candid discussion. No judging please!