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Friday, November 2, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Duo Pinball Brings Classic Pinball Controllers to the iPad
Duo Pinball Brings Classic Pinball Controllers to the iPad
Touch gaming works great for some genres. For others, not so much. This probably why the iPad and Android tablets have had so many controller attachments over the years, such as the iCade and the Moga. Most of these controllers have been about bringing a traditional console experience over to the mobile world. Some are basic and designed for classic 8-bit adventures. Others are made to compete with modern day controllers like those found on the Xbox 360. What about pinball controls? The Duo Pinball is an app-supported controller that is all about giving you the best pinball experience possible.
This thing is pretty bulky, but it’s not unattractive. The Duo Pinball is only for the iPad, and works by docking the Apple tablet into the controller. It then features a spring-loaded plunger for launching the virtual ball and side buttons for keeping it in play.
Although the iPad sits in the housing, it actually doesn’t directly connect. Like many advanced accessories, it makes use of Bluetooth technology. While it is targeted at the iPad, it will also work with iPhone 3GS or newer and iPhone Touch fourth and fifth generations.
For $59.99 this could be the perfect accessory for pinball aficionados. It is only available in the United States but an international release is already in the works.
Is the Microsoft Surface’s Display as Good (or Better) Than the New iPad?
Is the Microsoft Surface’s Display as Good (or Better) Than the New iPad?
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According to Microsoft, the display in the upcoming Microsoft Surface is supposed to be sharper than the Apple’s retina display. Considering the Surface has a resolution of 1,366 x 768 (which isn’t all that high by today’s standard), how is that possible? It lies in the ClearType technology utilized by the Microsoft Surface and other Windows 8 devices- so says Microsoft. Any truth to the claim, though?
According to Screen expert Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies, the answer is “Yes and no”. Sure, ClearType really does work and will likely make the Surface have a much better display than the iPad 2. As for beating out the Retina display in the 3rd generation iPad? It seems much less likely.
You might wonder how the screen expert “knows this”. He doesn’t, at least not for sure. No one has really gotten much time with the Surface yet, but he was able to compare it to a Asus netbook with ClearType technology and the same resolution. While he says it is conceivable that Microsoft has further refined the technology, the Asus device and Surface should still be about the same ballpark.
If the analyst is correct, the iPad 3 is probably going to win when it comes to display clarity. Considering the two tablets are priced the same, why choose the Surface? It has less apps and an unproven ecosystem, so why go with it? Some possible reasons include the touch covers that can be added on, the existence of USB ports – and a large array of potential devices that will work with it – and storage. The Surface had 32GB of storage and microSD for the same price as the iPad 3rd generation’s 16GB version.
Depending on the pricing, those who want the best of both worlds might want to wait until the Microsoft Surface Pro. The Pro will not only work with older Windows software, it also will likely have similar storage advantages and has a display of 1,920 x 1,080 with ClearType technology.
More than likely, that means the Pro will have the best display and will likely be the best device for productivity. Keep in mind that this ‘better model’ will also more than likely start at around $800-$1000 dollars, so it will be quite a bit pricier than the iPad 3rd generation and the Surface RT.
What do you think about the Surface, interested or not?
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Apple Announces the 4th Generation iPad
Apple Announces the 4th Generation iPad
While everyone saw the iPad Mini coming from a million miles away, there was much less talk about the possibility of 4th generation iPad. While the 3rd generation model is just six months old, it also includes a dock connector that Apple is probably trying to get rid of for good.
What do we get with the newest iPad? Double the graphics and processing power, according to Apple, with a new A6X chip. Other improvements include a Facetime HD camera and improved WiFi that is supposedly 2x faster.
While the processor and graphics refresh is nice, this really isn’t nearly as big of a jump as the iPad 2 and iPad 3rd generation are from each other. In case you are wondering, the retina display stays the same in the newest iPad.
The entry-level iPad 4th generation model will start at $499 for 16GB of storage, just like the last model. For those iPad 2 owners that never made the jump, this could be great news. For people who bought a new iPad six months earlier, this announcement might be more than a little irritating.
Is six months way too soon to be refreshing iDevice hardware? What do you think?
NFL Pro 2013 Game Review
NFL Pro 2013 Game Review
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The National Football League is one of the largest sports franchises across the globe, and to top that off, the Madden console series is one of the largest video game franchises in America.
With the growing mobile market, we’ve been in need for a decent mobile football franchise, and Gameloft may have just what we’re looking for.
Gameplay and Controls
If you’ve played any of Madden’s games before, you’ll quickly notice the similarities between the console games and NFL Pro, and I was surprised at how similar the game felt to the first Madden game I had played in 2005. The great thing that Madden captured was the simple pick-up-and play gameplay that managed to incorporate useful tools to create your own strategies whilst keeping all the action focused on the player, and Gameloft have managed to emulate this impressively well.
You’ll be able to choose different formations for your team before the start of each play, which can then be adjusted to your liking within 30 seconds before play. It’s easy to choose any formation, and there are even options to auto-pick formations for you, but there are plenty of possible strategies and formations to choose from manually, allowing those with a bit more knowledge on managing football games to play at their best potential.
Depending on whether you’re defending or attacking, you’ll have different formations available to use. For those unsure about football tactics, defending may end up being a lot down to luck, as unless you manage to sack the opposing quarterback yourself, there’s little you can do to help your team whilst defending.
When your team has control of the ball, it’s a complete different story. There are plenty of run and throw formations to choose and it’s really easy for new players to find formations best appropriate for their situation. If you throw the ball, you’ll be taken into a first person view and will then be able to tap numbers on the screen corresponding to different team members on the team. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s often hard to see your other team members past all the others in front of your vision there isn’t any way to change your viewing angle, making it easy to be caught off guard by the opposing team.
When running with the ball, you’ll have a joystick to control movement of your character, and a sprint, dodge, and block button, which are all extremely useful for getting past opposing players, and timing them correctly will greatly improve your chances of scoring a touchdown.
Stats and Experience
Downloading NFL Pro 2013 is free, and it’s a mobile game, so we’ve got to accept that some features in the game are going to be hard to get without paying for. NFL Pro 2013 has an interesting leveling system that earns you experience for doing different actions within a match. Your experience will level you up and you’ll be able to unlock more formations. When you first start playing at level 1, the formations available are very basic, and you’ll either have to unlock them all by leveling up, or by paying for them with real cash. There are also separate stats for each one of your team members, and they also follow a similar rule to the overall leveling system.
You’ll also be able to access interesting stats within the game menu such as longest distant rushed and total touchdowns. The menus from the title screen also give you other management tools such as an option to change the difficulty level.
There are many more great games from Ladbrokes to play on your phone. Whether it’s Android, Apple or any of the other popular phones, they are all available to either download as an app or to play in the browser. Play here and receive some great promotions.
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Graphics and Audio
Aside from the commentators that often monotonously repeat the same phrases after each play, the sounds in NFL Pro are extremely immersive. All the sounds relating to player movement and other background noises you’d expect in a stadium are very realistic and life-like. The title screen music is also very catchy and is one of those small changes that add to the overall gameplay experience.
The graphics in NFL Pro 2013 aren’t stunning, but for an Android game they’re very pleasing and in terms of appearance, you could say they out surpass games from the original xbox or PlayStation 2. Some animations in the game are a little clunky, and you’ll sometimes see jumpy transitions between player animations, but other than that, NFL Pro 2013 certainly has a very professional feel to it.
Summary
Pros:
- Easy to Learn
- Lots of strategies and formations
- Exhibition and Playoff modes
- Intuitive leveling system for both your team and each character
Cons:
- Few animation bugs
- Formations are hard to unlock without spending money
- First-person view is difficult to use efficiently
- Replayability is limited after completing your first season
Download NFL Pro 2013 for Android on Google Play or iOS on iTunes
Editor’s Note: Although this review was done on the Android version, the iOS version is very similar.
Rumor: The Nexus 10′s Display May Outshine iPad’s Retina
Rumor: The Nexus 10′s Display May Outshine iPad’s Retina
Google’s Nexus 7 is essentially the most successful Android tablet to date, though the Kindle Fire does follow closely behind it. With that in mind, would Google be wise to attempt to enter into the 10-inch tablet world with a Nexus 10? They certainly seem to think so.
Google is planning a special product event in New York City on October 29th and while we know that we’ll see the Nexus 4, odds are the Nexus 10 is also going to join the party. So what do (we think) we know about the Nexus 10 so far? For starters, it will be built by Samsung. We also believe it will more directly compete with the Retina iPad line.
According to the rumor the Nexus 10 will pack an extremely impressive 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 300ppi. This is excellent and, if true, will give the newest iPad a run for its money. For those that don’t know, the Retina display on the iPad has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and outputs around 264ppi.
Adding even more to its competitive abilities, rumors claim it will run Android 4.2 and feature a new multi-user ability that will make sharing a tablet with family and friends easier than ever before. If the Nexus 10 is at least a little cheaper than the iPad 4th generation and packs a similar display, would you consider the Samsung-made device or not?
Samsung Nexus 10 versus Apple iPad: Which is right for you?
Samsung Nexus 10 versus Apple iPad: Which is right for you?
When it comes to 10-inch tablets, most consumers certainly think of iPad as the most powerful option out there. Sure, there are other high-end 10-inch tablets that are running on Android or Windows 8/RT, but they don’t have the display power of the Retina and probably aren’t as cutting-edge in processing and graphics as the newest 4th generation Apple iPad. This dynamic is now crashing down thanks to the newly announced Samsung Nexus 10.
In the 7-inch world, the iPad Mini recently arrived and while pricier than alternatives, it doesn’t compare to the power of many its rivals like the Nexus 7. Of course it is still likely to do very well among many consumers. Now the same thing will be true in the 10-inch world. The Surface is already starting to do pretty well in the 10-inch category, and now the Nexus 10 is going to give Apple even more solid competition.
So is the Nexus 10 really in the same league as the Surface or even the iPad 3rd and 4th gen? Let’s find out.
Processing Power and RAM
While the iPad 4 runs on a dual-core Apple A6x processor and features 1GB of RAM. As for the Nexus 10, you get 2GB of RAM and a dual-core Exynos 5 processor. Clearly the Nexus 10 is a winner here when it comes to RAM at least. As for graphics, both do quite nicely here and might come close to a tie.
Storage Options
If you are looking for a 64GB storage option, the iPad 4 wins. If that doesn’t matter, they both also have a 16 and 32GB version. In storage the iPad does have a bit of an edge. Neither of the tablets have any way to expand the internal memory either.
Cameras
Love taking pictures, recording videos or talking via webcam? Both devices have a 5MP rear cam, but the iPad 4 does have a weaker 1.2MP front cam versus the 1.9MP front cam in the Nexus 7.
Connectivity
If you want mobile broadband, the iPad wins. For now, Google and Samsung aren’t announcing a 4G/3G version of the Nexus 10. As far as GPS is concerned, they are similar here, but the iPad DOES NOT have NFC and the Nexus 10 does… so it really depends on what you need here.
Weight and Size
The Nexus 10 weights SLIGHTLY less than the iPad 4 at 1.32 pounds versus 1.33 pounds- obviously not enough to notice though. As for the overall dimensions, the Nexus 10 is .35-inches thick while the iPad 4 is slightly thinner at .34-inches.
The Nexus 10 weights SLIGHTLY less than the iPad 4 at 1.32 pounds versus 1.33 pounds- obviously not enough to notice though. As for the overall dimensions, the Nexus 10 is .35-inches thick while the iPad 4 is slightly thinner at .34-inches.
Pretty comparable here, to be honest.
Display
The display is where things get real interesting here. The 10.055-inch Nexus 10 has a 300ppi display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600. The slightly smaller 9.7-inch IPS LED display on the iPad 4th generation model has 264ppi and a display of 2048 x 1536.
There is no easy way to say it here, Apple just got dethroned when it comes to screen technology.
Battery
According to Apple, they have a 42.5 watt-hour battery in the iPad 4. The Nexus 10 has a 9000 mAh battery. Do with that what you will.
Ecosystem
Apple has the iTunes and iOS ecosystem. There are more apps here and many consumers like the interface in iOS over what you get in Android. This will honestly come down to preference.
Google has Google Now, the Apple has Siri. Both have powerful operating systems and decent marketplaces for consumers to get apps.
Pricing
With specs so close, you’d probably guess the Nexus 10 and iPad 4 are both $499. You would be totally wrong. The Nexus 10 is $100 cheaper, starting at $399 for the 16GB model or $499 for the 32GB model.
With cheaper pricing and similar hardware, could the Nexus 10 be the first true iPad killer? Probably not. This is a solid looking tablet and will likely sell quite well, but it will likely come down to whether you prefer Android or iOS. Current iOS fans would probably not go with Android no matter how great/cheap the tablet was, and the same goes for Android fans when talking about iPhone/iPad.
The real war here will be fought for those who are platform neutral and simply want a tablet that does the job well without costing a fortune. What do you think of the Nexus 10 so far?
App Review: Twitch.tv
App Review: Twitch.tv
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Combine the love of gaming with live streaming and you have Twitch.tv. Twitch allows gamers of all levels to join for free and stream themselves playing their favorite games for free. The website gets hundreds of thousands of views per day from people watching and helping their friends to professional gamers playing in national tournaments. Twitch.tv nearly holds a monopoly in the category of video game live streaming.
A logical step for Twitch.tv was to make an iPhone app. You cannot stream games from your phone using the app, but you can watch your favorite streams. When you open the app you are met with a list of the streams you are following and the games with the highest number of streamers at that time. You can use the search bar to search for a streamer or game, or you can browse all the games. Push notifications also inform you when a streamer you follow goes live. The Twitch.tv app also includes the ability to sync the app with an Apple TV to watch it on a big screen.
PROS
The Twitch.tv app allows you to stream in Wi-Fi or in 3G. Stream anywhere your phone has service? That is a great feature for the app. Viewers are not restricted by service when their favorite streamer or game goes live.
CONS
- Most streams freeze or do not load at all. A lot of times you are forced to close the Twitch.tv app and reopen in attempt to correct the problem. I found that a lot of non-partnered streamers (the gamers that stream for free and are not partnered with Twitch) do not open. The video remains black.
- Video quality changes frequently, despite having exceptional service. Regardless of viewing in Wi-Fi or 3G service, quality will drop from high to low. The quality change often reverts the stream back five to ten seconds, which causes major delays. Sometimes, the video quality change can cause the Twitch app to crash.
- The app has no replay option. If you miss a stream, you can watch the backlog of videos from the streamer’s channel on your home computer. That option is not available in the mobile app.
Overall, the idea of the Twitch.tv app is sound. Currently, as of version 2.1.1, too many issues exist with the app. While it is a free app, I find myself getting too frustrated with the freezing, crashing, and low quality streams. I would much rather wait until I can view a stream on my home computer. The Twitch.tv app would benefit from having the replay option and an option to manually control the quality of a video. At the very least, once the crashing and freezing issues are fixed, many more people will enjoy watching video games being played live where ever they are.
Download the Twitch.tv app here.
US Govt: Legal to Jailbreak iPhone, Still Illegal to Jailbreak iPad?
I’ve always figured that I could tinker with my mobile devices however I see fit, as long as I’m not infringing on some other laws about invasion of privacy or anything like that. It seems that the United States government agrees with me, because it has now been ruled that jailbreaking an iPhone is perfectly legal… however, the same isn’t true when it comes to other devices, like the iPad.
According to the US Copyright Office, the act of jailbreaking a mobile phone does not violate any copyright laws. If you happen to use a jailbroken iPhone to side-load some illegally-acquired applications, that’s still illegal, but the actual jailbreaking itself is fine. However, the US Copyright Office does say that this ruling does not apply to tablets, including the iPad. They say that the “category of tablets is difficult to define,” so they haven’t made any sort of over-arching statement about that product category yet.
The issue at hand was described as thus:
“Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute lawfully obtained software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications with computer programs on the telephone handset.”
The idea is that smartphones could get tied down the manufacturer or carrier to block the installation of certain “software applications,” so the act of jailbreaking to allow this installation becomes fair game under the DMCA. Realistically, given that tablets can be subsidized by carriers and such, I don’t see how they’re legally all that different from their smartphone counterparts. Your thoughts?
iRock is the Rocking Chair that charges your iPad
iRock is the Rocking Chair that charges your iPad
You may have been to a science exhibit where they have a stationary bicycle connected to a lightbulb. You pedal harder and the light gets brighter. What if you just want to relax, but you still wanted to generate some electricity? That’s exactly what you do with the iRock Rocking Chair, which is designed to work with the Apple iPad.
The idea here is actually brilliant in its simplicity. As you rock back and forth in the rocking chair, it generates power that is then sent to the iPad docked in the right side arm. The current design uses the 30-pin dock connector, but there’s no reason why this couldn’t be altered to support other devices or possibly even the new Lightning connector for the iPad Mini or iPad 4. They say that an hour of rocking will give back 35% battery capacity to a third-gen iPad.
But the power generated isn’t just for the iPad. Located in the headrest portion are a couple of stereo speakers that can also get the juice generated from your rocking motion. This creates an all-encompassing iExperience for watching movies or listening to music. The iRock is a high quality rocking chair too, handmade from Swedish oak with five layers of paint.
Of course, all this style and power doesn’t come cheap. Micasa Lab of Zurich says that the iRock Rocking Chair will retail for about 1,300 Euro ($1,685 US) when it ships in late 2013.
Samsung Nexus 10 Might have a 64GB Version After All
Samsung Nexus 10 Might have a 64GB Version After All
The Nexus 10 was originally announced to only sport 16GB and 32GB storage sizes with no way to expand beyond that. While this might be good enough for some consumers, what if you want and need more? The good news is that your wish might be coming true. Apparently a Korean press release on Samsung’s website also mentioned a 64GB version of the new Samsung Nexus 10. Since then, the image showing the 64GB model has been edited to remove its mention.
This means one of two things. The first possibility is that this was totally a mistake and no 64GB version exists. The second option is that a 64GB model does in fact exist but for whatever reason Google is holding off its announcement and Samsung accidentally let the cat out of the bag.
It is really hard to guess which of these scenarios will prove true. That being said, having a 64GB offering might round out the Nexus 10′s options and help it compete with the iPad on nearly every level. If this is true all we need now is a 3G/4G version of the Nexus 10 as well.
What do you think, would you buy a 64GB Nexus 10 if this proves to be true?
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