iPhones With Micro USB Coming in 2011

Way back in June 2009, major phone manufacturers agreed with the European Commission to make Micro USB the standard charging port for mobile phones. The participants included Nokia, RIM, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and — wait for it — Apple.

The thought of an Apple iPhone using a standard port seems crazy. I’m talking Brian Fellow, “That’s crazy!!!” Apple makes a ton of money licensing accessories that use its proprietary port (that dates back to the iPod). Accessory manufacturers enjoy the premium price associated with iPhone and iPod accessories. That said, I don’t think it really impacts accessories outside of chargers. I envision the iPhone 5 having both the proprietary iPhone port and the Micro USB port. While it’s smart to play ball with the European Commission, in my head Steve Jobs hates it and is thinking something like:

God damn frogs (not that I believe in God)!!! We bail their asses out of war decade after decade and they repay me by forcing an extra hole on my beautiful products?!? Damn it Jony Ive! Get your people to rescind this stupid frickin’ agreement (and learn to cook some food that doesn’t taste like crap). My iPhone should not have anything in common with inferior phones (i.e. any phone that’s not an iPhone). Everything about it is better and more beautiful — including the charging port! Micro USB is just the first step on the long road to communism.

Also, I wonder what happens if a phone manufacturer doesn’t comply with the agreement? Will they go to European Commission phone jail? Or just be fined a lot of money?

Source

PSN Tetris Out Tomorrow: RPad.tv Invitational Anyone?

Here’s a friendly reminder that Tetris for PlayStation Network will be available tomorrow. I’m super excited for the multiplayer. Are any of you interested in joining me for some RPad.tv Invitational action later this week? It would be excellent playing with you guys and gals. Hrmmm, I better find my Aliph Jawbone so that I can chat it up. Anyway, let me know if you’re up for playing (please)!

Today’s Poll: Will The Miz Be Champion at WrestleMania 27?

The Miz (Mike Mizanin) has been WWE Champion for a little over a month. Some of you think he’s “unworthy” of being WWE Champion, yet he’s drawing real heat and getting all sorts of mainstream exposure. Do you think he’ll keep the strap going into WrestleMania XXVII (April 3, 2011)? Or is he merely a transitional champ that’s keeping the title warm for Randy Orton or John Cena? Kindly vote in today’s poll and discuss!

[poll id=”93″]

Vizio Announces Via Android Phone and Tablet

A lot of you are familiar with Vizio as a company that offers quality televisions at a relatively affordable price. Get ready to know them as an Android phone and tablet company too. Vizio has officially announced the four-inch Via phone and the eight-inch Via tablet. Both products feature Google Android (looks like Honeycomb) and special connectivity with Vizio televisions. Here’s a clip from the press release:

The Vizio Via Phone features a 1 GHz processor, 4? high-resolution capacitive touch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, a MicroSD card slot for memory expansion and HDMI output with HD video playback. It also features a front-facing camera for video chats and a 5 megapixel rear camera for photos and HD video capture.

The Vizio Via Tablet also features a 1 GHz processor, with an 8? high-resolution capacitive touch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, a MicroSD card slot for additional memory expansion, HDMI output with HD video playback, and a front-facing camera for video chats. It also boasts a unique three-speaker design for stereo audio in both portrait and landscape modes.

Both devices include HD video playback with HDMI video output, high quality audio processing and built-in universal remote control app that make these the ideal handheld companions to the HD entertainment experience.

There are several interesting things in play here. It’s interesting to see that a consumer electronics company that isn’t known for making portable devices is taking a stab at the phone and tablet market. It will be interesting to see if the Vizio brand and connectivity to its televisions will attract consumers. While I don’t expect many tech geeks to flock to these phones, Vizio has been successful with general consumers at retail outlets like Costco and Sam’s Club; perhaps people that bought Vizio televisions at these stores will be attracted to an Android product (and universal remote) from Vizio too.

What do you think of the Via? Are you surprised that Vizio is getting into this game? Do you think the company’s Android venture will be successful? Or will it be a flash in the pan? Any of you own Vizio TVs? Does an Android phone or tablet that works a universal Vizio remote appeal to you?

Larry Sanders Show and Judd Apatow’s Greatness

I spent a large chunk of yesterday watching The Larry Sanders Show marathon on IFC. A lot of people love the show for the fantastic performances by Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, and Jeffrey Tambor. One of the men behind those performances was Judd Apatow, who directed, produced, and wrote several episodes of the show.

Apatow has been in the entertainment business for decades, but he only recently received mainstream acclaim for movies like The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. His television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared were loved by critics, hipsters, and nerds alike, but didn’t perform well in the ratings department. While Apatow is a household name these days, he flew under the radar during The Larry Sanders Show’s wonder years. Looking back at the the show’s deft writing and directing, it’s clear that Apatow was capable of great and hilarious things. It just took  a long, long time before he struck gold (on his own) with a mainstream audience.

Out of curiosity, do you enjoy any of Judd Apatow’s movies or TV programs? Share some of your favorites (please)!

Sunday New Year’s Housekeeping

– I hope everyone had a fun and safe new year’s eve! Let’s try to make 2011 better than 2010. Although last year was better than the last three months of 2009 for me, it still wasn’t a good year. With some luck and support, 2011 will rock.

– November 2010 was the best month ever for the site — both in terms of traffic and Amazon purchases. December was also very good, but traffic dipped expectedly during the holidays. Thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, and purchasing!

– The first three months of 2011 will be vital to the future of RPad.tv. There are a lot of great content opportunities for me, but I need to scrounge up some money for travel. Hopefully it all works out and I’ll be able to serve up some great video content that will take the site to new levels.

– The video content continues to perform well for the site. In addition to being more lucrative than written content, video is getting linked and embedded from a variety of sites. Thanks to everyone that uses Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools to promote my content! It really makes a difference and I super appreciate it.

– Here’s an annoying reminder that in addition to Amazon purchases, you can help the site make it through another year by buying/gifting some RPad.tv merchandise and asking your rich uncles to donate to the site via PayPal.

– Let’s all conquer 2011 together! I wish all of you the best of luck with life, love, and work.

Coffee Talk #276: Your 2011 Gaming Resolutions

Earlier in the year a bunch of you made 2010 gaming resolutions. Did you follow through? How about for 2011? Will you join me in making a gaming resolution?

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 holiday travel nightmares, why 49F feels like a sub-zero temperature in Los Angeles, or your new year’s eve party plans, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Earlier in the year a bunch of you made 2010 gaming resolutions. Did you follow through? How about for 2011? Will you join me in making a gaming resolution? I plan on giving casual games more time in 2011. It’ll be tough because I love traditional console games, but mobile and social gaming are becoming huge parts of the gaming market. It’s an important space to follow and with any luck playing more mobile/social games will help me make actually money in 2011 (a novel idea).

Heck, I’m going to get started now! I’ve just installed Lord of Ultima for Chrome OS. I’ll play some in my Chrome browser and my Google Chrome Cr-48.

How about you? Any 2011 gaming resolutions you’d like to share?

What Are You Playing Over New Year’s Weekend?

What games will you ring in the new year with? As for me, it’s the same setup as last week. My friend Kenny is in town and he’s a casual PS3 gamer. I figure we’ll play some X-Men Arcade and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on my Xbox 360. Plus, this will be a good excuse to download the Knives Chau DLC.

What’s on your new year’s weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #275: CES Developments and You

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is right around the corner and all sorts of exciting (tech nerd) developments are about to be unveiled. What are you looking forward to at CES 2011?

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, Brett Favre’s slap on the wrist, the best cut of steak (it’s rib eye), or random closing thoughts on 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is right around the corner and all sorts of exciting (tech nerd) developments are about to be unveiled. What are you looking forward to at CES 2011? Televisions are a huge part of the show, with 3DTV and advanced LED implementation leading the way. Android phones should be a major slice of the CES pie, with Verizon set to announce an LTE Android phone from HTC. Video chat through phones and televisions should cause a stir. There will be several Windows ultra-portable laptops on display from numerous manufacturers looking to duplicate the success of the MacBook Air. Tablet computers will be tremendous too, with several vendors serving up Apple iPad alternatives.

What are you looking forward to the most? Kindly take today’s poll and discuss in the comments section (please!).

[poll id=”92″]

2010 Videogames: The Year in Review

In case you missed any of these excellent videos starring 1Up.com’s Sam Kennedy, Gamasutra’s Christian Nutt, and GameFly Media’s (Shacknews) Garnett Lee, here they are! Let’s start with their favorite games of 2010. Find out why these three excellent writers felt that Bayonetta, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and Red Dead Redemption were the cream of the crop.

Next, find out why Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, and Gran Turismo 5 were the most disappointing games of the year to Christian, Sam, and Garnett.

Discovering sleeper hits is always a fantastic thing. There are games we all love that don’t get the attention they deserve. In the following segment, my dynamic guests tell you why Split Second, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Bayonetta should have your attention.

Last, but certainly not least, is the biggest gaming news in 2010. In a truly fascinating year for the business that kicked off tons of change, Garnett, Sam, and Christian reveal what news they thought had the biggest impact.

If you have any closing thoughts on videogames in 2010, speak now or forever hold your peace!