Archive for the ‘Gaming’ category

Let us kicking like we used to…….

April 4th, 2010

Seeing this, my first reaction was what the hell was that? The reason of reaction was because I did not grow here so basically I did not know what an Arcade Cabinet was, yet after reading it and see how easy it can be and how much fun one can have with it. So enough talking let me describe to you what the Arcade can do.

Introducing the iCade iPad Arcade Cabinet, one of the new kit for the Ipad that is going to boost the product to the next level. The old school is definitely is going to love this.

HOW DOES ONE USE IT?
The Icade is so easy to use, what one does is gently sliding the Ipad into the Box, which uses a standard 30 pin connector to link the iPad to the professional-grade arcade controls. See I told you it was easy to use. Once everything is in place and the Ipad is well connected then is time to play get ready to have fun, for I know I will.

These are some of the games that one can play. Donkey King, Dig Dug and Super Steve Bros. One of my favorite is when the Geeks think that if someone is having he or she does not have to stop unless that person wants to, so they included a 10w USB power adapter so one can charge the iPad through any electrical outlet. Now that is a sweet deal. So now it’s time to kick it old school.

WHEN WILL IT BE AVAILLABLE WHAT IS THE PRICE?
The Icade are available since yesterday at the Apple store and the price is $149.99
. So Enjoy your Easter with your love ones by playing games on your new Icade Ipad Arcade Cabinet.

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Posted in Gaming, Mobile Market

The End of the Wii Era???

March 15th, 2010

In the spring of 2006 in Kyoto, Japan, a first look of the Wii console was given to reporters from all around the world. The TIME’s Lev Grossman was one of these journalists and one of his first reactions to the console was that no one would ever buy it. Now Nintendo has sold as many Wiis as Microsoft and Sony have sold Xbox 360s and Playstation 3s put together.

In June of 2009, Microsoft announced a new technology, like the Wii, using motion sensing. But could this new theology named Project Natal actually be better than the beloved Wii? For hard-core gamers the Xbox 360 is great because it has good graphics, games and online service. So what’s the problem? Its casual gamers like myself and many others, who have problems with the controller. It has two joysticks, two triggers, two bumper buttons and much more little unknown buttons. The Wii on the other hand is very easy to manage; it’s just like waving a wand.

Microsoft could have come up with similar technology to the Wii, but instead they took it up a step with Project Natal. Project Natal’s next step up? No controller at all, to deal with. Your control remote is your arms and legs, and other body parts; so the gamer becomes the controller. The module has a camera that tracks where your body is and what you’re doing. Along with all this, it can also find your body’s various joints, keep track of multiple players and can tell apart your clothes from the wallpaper in your living room. This module can even tell when you’re talking to it or amongst your friends. The result is genius, it puts you in the game in a way no other home system has done yet.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1902208-2,00.html

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Posted in Gaming, Hardware

Sony smartphone with PSP capabilities

March 8th, 2010

PSP goThere are plenty of new gadgets to come out in the year 2010 but this new toy is neither  a net book, handheld console or an e-reader, but all three in one!  It has been said that Sony is to be releasing a new gadget that will incorporate all these features in one so that you the consumer will have all the latest games, books, and even access to social networking sites all in hand.

Sony after having problems with sales with their release of the PSPGo is now looking for something new to take away from the IPOD  and IPAD s attention. This Smartphone will be worked on by Sony Ericsson and will definitely impact the mobile market in a big way. This handheld will not need cartridges in order to play games but will connect to an online store such as the PlayStation 3. As of yet no word has been said on whether this new handheld will be able to support 3rd party gaming but I guess we will soon see what is in store for this new gadget that I’m sure will open many doors  for new technology thereafter.

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Posted in Gaming, Mobile Market

Will the Internet Ultimately Kill the DVD?

February 22nd, 2010

In an article I read on Boston.com entitled “Online movie-streaming options may turn discs into dinosaurs” Haiwatha Bray talks about how the dvd and blue ray will eventually go the way of the laser disc and vhs tape  as streaming movies through the internet becomes ever increasingly popular.

I agree with a good amount of what the author is talking about because just like any advancement in technology, something old has to go due to a decrease in usability.  What bothers me though is that she writes “And a Netflix spokesman said his company fully expects to be renting discs by mail for the next 20 years”. I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement because it only took dvds a few years to take over the VHS market and now with the technology available to stream movies straight to Internet ready televisions in pristine 1080p resolution with no lag its only a matter of time before every household will want to use this technology. There is also a huge advantage for the environment by going through the Internet because there will be less dvds being produced which means less broken discs.

I have only had the chance to use the Netflix application through friends xbox 360’s and I was very impressed with it. one part that really impressed me was that the streaming helps the movie studios cash in on compulsive spending because alot of people are willing to watch a certain movie at a certain time but they either do not want to drive to the store or they do not want to wait the 2-4 days it takes Netflix to reach your mailbox depending on your location. Also with dvd by mail you run the risk of the dvd arriving in a damaged state which can be very frustrating because that means another week of no movie while you wait for them to send you a new one

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Posted in Gaming, Movies/TV

Video Game Graphics…Is it too real?

February 21st, 2010

6CAC3LI0VCAQJE2FRCAFRYFWLCAR5NM2ACA8AA3NYCALZED4JCAWBG2Y6CAVA16IOCA1AV3E9CACYER41CACKJ0VPCAHLKA57CA3B81SECAAYD0QLCAJSFVIBCAA7IPEPCAUR744WCAQLVYELCADI5KP0We have come a long way from Atari and Nintendo…In the attached article  “Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression” , the author discusses the connection of possible violence and transgression of young people and adults with the new video games and graphics that are so realistic. Many of the video games are not only geared for children, but are also targeted to the adult poplulation as well. There are warning labels for all ages: “Real-life violence” and “Not appropriate for children 12 and younger”.

However, there are many children that come home after school with no adult supervision because both parents need  to work. Also many children go to their friends’ homes after school or day care provider where the family rules on playing video games may be different from their own. I’m not saying that all children who play video games become addicted and may become violent or angry. Many children can separate themselves from video to reality. Most children that play xbox or other game devices are involved in school, on the honor roll, they play sports, and they remain active.

There are however, children who may be loners, may not have many friends, may be bullied at school, may not have the support of a parent or adult–Maybe they need to find a way to ‘escape from reality’.  They may feel their only way of feeling ’in control’ is by playing video games where there is violence.  It’s a place they can vent their anger or frustration.

This article  addresses the two boys from Columbine who claimed the lives of fellow students before taking their own lives. Although they say no one really knows why the boys did such a horrific act, it was known that these boys were obsessed with the video game ‘Doom’. They had customized their video game to only have two shooters, and also to have enough ammunition –so that their victims could not fight back. A year later, these two boys dressed in trenchcoats and carried out their fantasy into the real world and did an unthinkable act.

I think it’s such a fine line as their are violent television programs, there is ‘reality’ television–which in most cases–is ’not real’, but children have access to hundreds of channels.  The television can be a babysitter to many kids whose parents just don’t have the time to spend with them, and unless channels are screened or blocked, the children have the remote with all kinds of shows–They see and watch violence all the time–it’s in the daily news, the war in Iraq. It’s in their neighborhoods. This article also states, however, that violent video games are more harmful than movies or  t.v. programs they watch because of the interactive and engrossing nature.

Game graphics have improved with age and technology. I think some of these games are extremely disturbing, but I also know that many adults and children play them and enjoy them, and it will NOT have any negative impact on them. I also believe that we, as parents need to have better control on what our children watch. I think we need to monitor the kinds of games they are playing–and I think no one knows more than a parent if their child is well-rounded, confident,  and interacts well with people . I think a parent knows what games are appropriate and/or age-appropriate for them to play.

However, for those parents who may have a child that is insecure, lashes out easily, may be angered or depressed , or maybe the family unit is broken or maybe their child has been bullied, or maybe you don’t want to admit it, but they are the bully. Try and keep communication lines open. Keep an eye on games  and limit the times your child plays them.  Watch and tune into the friends they hang out with. Shut the t.v. off and spend quality time with your child. Talk with them and be open with them. Find suitable age-appropriate games that they find fun and entertaining  and find ones that you can play together.

As a wise old man once said to me,  ”Everything in moderation”. I think that’s true with everything we do…

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Posted in Applications, Education, Gaming

Sixth Sense Technology

February 1st, 2010

We have seen the potential of Xbox’s “Project Natal” a revolution in controller-less gaming. Being able to “talk with your hands” has its obvious advantages, but how can this technology prove useful in the real world? Unfortunately Xbox’s system is bound by an add-on peripheral that isn’t exactly portable. Luckily there are geniuses out there like MIT student Pranav Mistry, who can take this technology to the next level. He started out building his own gesture controllers out of mice, (the computer kind) and what he ended up with was a completely portable and versatile computer system that can interact with almost everything in your everyday life. The Sixth Sense technology has so many functions and possibilities that it is hard to describe in words, you need to watch the video to really understand.

Sixth Sense Video

Essentially this technology is composed of just a mini projector coupled with a camera and a cell phone. All of the information is stored on the web, but displayed through the projector. You can use any wall or object as a display, and just like Xbox’s project Natal, the controllers are replaced by your own hands. The camera picks up your gestures and uses them like a mouse. That is only the beginning of the potential that this system has. Unlike a normal computer system today, the only display you get is the screen in front of you. The Sixth Sense technology has unlimited possibilities by recognizing objects in front of you and using them as the display. Want to know if your flight is delayed? Just hold up your boarding pass and the information will be projected on it. The camera recognizes the object and sends the information to the internet where it is matched up; then, depending on its function, the projector will provide a visual aid. Is it the next big thing in technology? Probably.

The functions of this system are limitless. For example, if you want to take a picture, just use your hands as the viewfinder, and make a square with your fingers. Want to know what time it is? Just draw a circle on your wrist and a watch will appear. In a sense, you’re not actually removing the controller from the scenario, but you’re using everything around you as a controller. Pick up a book you might like and before you know it a projection of the rating will be on the cover, and then you can use the cover of the book just like a touch screen monitor if you need more information. Think about newspapers or paintings, the Sixth Sense system can project a real-time video in place of where a picture might be, and you don’t even need magic from Harry Potter!

-John Symonds

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Posted in Gaming, Hardware

Gesture Technology: Never Worry About Losing Your Remote Again!

February 1st, 2010

The introduction of Microsoft’s Project Natal recently has spawned a whole new way of thinking about technology.  No longer will we need to use hand held devices to communicate with our computers or televisions, all we will need is our own bodies. Microsoft is set to release the fruit of Project Natal later this year as a response to the wildly popular Nintendo Wii game system.  The new technology will become a part of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 system and will require absolutely no controllers.

This technology is not just for gaming systems, however.  Hitachi is set to launch a television later this year that will have gesture technology built right into it. This technology will eliminate the need for a remote control, which could be a godsend to all of those people (myself included) who have a tendency to lose remotes.  The gesture technology that will be built into these televisions can also control the heat and air conditioning in your house, turn the lights on and off, answer the phone, and control your computer. These televisions will essentially do everything except make you a sandwich (you’ll still have to get up off the couch to get that done).

The technology that will make this all possible is based on 3D digital cameras.  Essentially a very small 3D camera will be built into your flat screen TV.  This camera can read specific hand gestures, which will be used to control different functions of the TV.   The microchips that make this type of three dimensional viewing by a camera possible were developed by a Silicon Valley company called Canesta.  The software that will run on these chips, and therefore make the recognition of one hand gesture (such as the channel-changing gesture) recognizable over another (the volume-changing gesture) was developed by GestureTek, a company that has been working on this technology for over 20 years.  The camera’s technology will also allow it to tell the difference between two people in a room, paying attention to one person over the other depending on how the camera is set.  The camera will also discriminate between “meaningful” hand gestures and gestures that are not meant to control the TV so you won’t inadvertently change the channel while gesturing wildly at a football game.  A video describing the new technology can be seen here:GestureTek on The Today Show

Gesture technology is certainly not perfect, at least not yet, but it is a far cry from having to worry about misplacing three different remotes just to turn on your TV.  This technology has the potential not only to revolutionize the gaming industry, but also to revolutionize the way that we interact with the technological systems in our lives.

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Posted in Gaming, Hardware