Iron Baby was floating around the ‘Net yesterday and I wanted to make sure you caught it. This Iron Man spoof was made by Patrick Boivin and stars his adorable baby daughter. It’s very cute and very well done. Check it out!
Pokemon Black and White Confirmed for Spring 2011 in America
Nintendo has confirmed that Pokemon Black and Pokemon White for Nintendo DS will ship in spring 2011. It also confirmed the Western names for the new legendary Pokemon. Gracing the cover of Black will be Reshiram, while Zekrom will be on the cover of White. Here’s a snippet from the press release:
The launch of Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version follows the incredible consumer response to Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, which have sold more than 8.4 million units combined worldwide to date. The Pokémon video game series has sold more than 200 million units worldwide since it was first introduced 14 years ago.
I’m always down for more Pokemon RPGs. I’ll just have to sing a few lines from the cartoon: “Pokemon! It’s you and me. I know it’s my destiny!”
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
I think I’m finally over my Scrabble phase (well…mostly). This weekend I want to jump back into the world of gamers’ games! I have Alan Wake
As always, I want to know what you’re playing this weekend!
Skype with Video Chat Coming to Android Market (and My Evo 4G)
My biggest problem with the HTC Evo 4G is the lack of a proper Skype client. If you’ve been reading my stuff for awhile then you know that I rely heavily on the UMA features of my BlackBerry Curve 8900 and Skype app on my iPhone 3GS while traveling internationally. The lack of a full Skype client on the Evo 4G is the only deal-breaker issue I have with the phone. With Verizon’s exclusive agreement with Skype, I didn’t think it was coming. Thankfully, I was wrong. Skatter Tech received an email from Skype PR spokesperson Brianna Reynaud that said:
Skype envisions a world where video plays a larger role in the way we communicate. The next generation innovation involving video calling will not be bound to the computer. We’re seeing a proliferation of video calling shared between all kinds of connected devices. It’s on computers (today 1/3 of all calls on Skype happen via video), televisions (Skype bringing video calls to living rooms via Panasonic, Samsung & LG partnership), and it will eventually be coming to mobile devices too. We’re betting big on video, and we intend to set the bar on mobile video calling, and it’s something we’re going to do this year.
We will be bringing a direct to consumer app to the Android marketplace later this year. This application will be available for all consumers globally to download regardless of carriers. (i.e. similar to how we offer the iPhone app today)
Obviously this is exciting news for me as an avid Skype user. It’s also exciting for people that are planning to buy an Evo 4G. The phone has a front-facing camera and allows for video chat. Skype has years of experience with PC-to-PC video-chat and I expect the company’s solution to be one of the best out there. I want this app now! Hopefully “later this year” is closer to now than it is December.
Mark Hamill to Retire as The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum 2
Actor and nerd icon Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker, Cocknocker) has done a tremendous job voicing The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Arkham Asylum
This will be my last, there’s no question about that. But it’s the last hurrah.
As a huge mark for Hamill (see what I did there?) and Kevin Conroy, I’m sad that the duo won’t be sharing the screen again. They are absolutely brilliant together. Like most people that grew up on Star Wars, Hamill was pretty much the coolest person on Earth to me as a kid. When I grew up and found out he was a comic-book nerd, my respect for him increased tenfold. I’m sad that he won’t be back as The Joker. On the plus side, I’m looking forward to Arkham Asylum 2 more than ever!
I know a few of you are big fans of Batman: The Animated Series. Are you going to miss Hamill? What are some of your favorite moments of him as The Joker? Did you think he meant he was retiring as The Joker for good or just from the videogame series?
Mafia II Shows Off its Nvidia PhysX
Here’s a video of the PC version of Mafia II
Mafia II will include NVIDIA PhysX technology in all platforms of the game. Particularly, the Windows PC version of Mafia II will feature a thorough integration of NVIDIA PhysX and 3D Vision technology into 2K Czech’s Illusion Engine. The integration of PhysX and NVIDIA APEX technology, including the APEX Clothing and Particle modules, enable the city and personalities of Empire Bay to truly come alive on Windows PC. With the implementation of NVIDIA APEX Particles, players are engulfed in lifelike explosions that are bigger and brighter, including weapon fragments, in-game debris and destructible environments that are amplified in both quantity and realism through the integration of APEX Particles.
Check out the clip and let me know what you think (please)! More specifically, is Nvidia PhysX enough to nudge you to play the PC version of the game?
Analyst Says PlayStation 3 Will Overtake Xbox 360 in Two Years
DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole believes that the PlayStation 3’s global installed base will surpass the Xbox 360’s in two years. Since the PS3 received a price cut in 2009, its momentum has been surging. In North America the price cut was accompanied by a marketing campaign that was far better than anything Sony has done since the PS3 launch. While Cole is confident in the PS3’s future, the one X-factor he cited was how well each console’s motion-console devices will sell. He told Industry Gamers:
Right now our forecasts are that the PlayStation 3 will have the momentum and is poised to overtake the Xbox 360 over the next two years. However, based on what we learn and see more specifically about Natal that could be subject to change. I would just say right now we haven’t seen anything yet that would make us change our mind.
What do you think of Cole’s statement? Do you think the PS3 will eventually overtake the Xbox 360? Will motion controls be a big factor in the race? Analyze that!!!
Android Kicking iPhone OS’ Ass? Don’t Believe the Hype!
I touched on this when I posted Fake Steve Jobs’ hilarious anti-Android rant earlier today — I just can’t believe how many tech writers and gadget enthusiasts have written off Apple iPhone OS and crowned Google Android the king of the smartphone world. Whether it’s Gizmodo, ZDNet, The Next Web, or millions of forum ranters, you’d think that Apple has no chance at “catching up” to Google. Ninja please!!!
Don’t think I’m an Apple fanboy or anything. I love Google Android. I think it’s a fantastic operating system and a wonderful platform. In several respects, it does things way better than iPhone OS. Of course iPhone OS has several advantages as well. The bottom line is that they’re competitive products that offer different things that appeal to different consumers. Just because Google announced a bunch of great Android 2.2 enhancements at Google I/O 2010 doesn’t mean that it has suddenly left Apple in the dust.
Remember, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is right around the corner. You can bet that Steve Jobs’ keynote on June 7 will be full of excellent iPhone sorcery. Yes, a lot of iPhone OS 4 details were revealed in April, but do you really think that’s all Apple has up its sleeve? I fully expect Jobs to wow consumers with great iPhone hardware and software features. I have no doubt in my mind that he will unveil a few things that will make Android users jealous.
Google has done a marvelous job with Android in a very short period of time. The OS has matured nicely. The development community has grown rapidly. Don’t think I’m dismissing those things. That said, iPhone is still the best mobile platform for media consumption. It still has the larger app catalog. It still has a sexiness that — rightly or wrongly — a lot of mainstream consumers buy into. Android is in an excellent place at the moment, but saying or implying that it’s trouncing iPhone is just preposterous.
So yeah! (I use that phrase because Eddie Izzard uses it, btw.) Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that online journalists are being reactionary and sensational. I just think it’s misleading to proclaim Google Android as the new king of the world when the reality is that it’s a competitive market now. And really, that’s great for consumers looking for a smartphone. It’s going to be all Magic vs. Bird with the two companies pushing each other to greatness.
Megan Fox Replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers
Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntingon-Whiteley has been signed to replace Megan Fox in Transformers 3. Naturally, I thought this would be a good time to look at some photos of this beautiful woman. According to her IMDB entry, she has no acting experience, but it’s not like she’s replacing Meryl Streep or anything. Here’s the scoop from E!:
Multiple sources confirm to E! News that model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will be replacing the MIA Megan Fox as Shia LaBeouf’s love interest in Transformers 3.
“She’s accepted the offer, and I think they’re just waiting for her to get her work visa since she’s British,” says a source close to the production.
Man, that Shawn LeBeef Shia LaBeouf kid sure gets to make out with some sexy women. I’m pretty sure he’s my hero.
Verizon Confirms Tiered Data Pricing for LTE
Enjoy your all-you-can-eat data plan while you can because mobile data’s future is tiered pricing. In a sign of where the industry is headed, Verizon has confirmed that its 4G LTE network will not use the “unlimited” model that’s in place today. Instead customers will be charged for buckets of data. PhoneScoop has the…uh…scoop:
Speaking at a conference this week, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said that it will not offer unlimited use of its Long Term Evolution network, and will instead use tiered pricing programs. McAdam indicated that customers will “buy buckets of data by the megabyte.”
RPadholic smartguy felt that this is what 4G would lead to and I agreed with him when he mentioned it. This is the first time I can recall an executive from one of the “big four” mobile providers confirming tiered pricing for LTE. While it costs a lot of money to deploy new technology, it will actually be cheaper for mobile carriers to send and receive data with LTE than it is with current tech. I’m curious to see what the new pricing schemes will be like; the cynic in me sees mobile carriers making more money than ever with data-hungry phones and tiered pricing. *sigh*