The good folks over at 2K have released in-game screenshots of the new 2K13 game. The game looks to be shaping up to be even better than last year’s version. Check out the below shots of your child-hood favorites. I feel so old saying that since I grew up watching each of these players. They’ve got AI, Shaq, Kemp, and others for starters. They also added the ’92 Olympic Dream Team as well as this year’s 2012 Men’s Olympic team. The sound track looks like it’s shaping up to be pretty monstrous as well- just check the titles below (Artist/Title). Jay-Z himself handpicked all the tracks.
The Hours
Ali in the Jungle
Too Short
Blow the Whistle (Main)
Eric B. and Rakim
I Ain’t No Joke
Phoenix
1901
JAY Z
Pump it Up (Freestyle)
Puff Daddy and the Family
Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)
Daft Punk
Around The World (Radio Edit)
Santigold
Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)
Kanye West
Amazing
JAY Z
Run This Town
The Dirty Projectors
Stillness is the Move
Nas
The World is Yours
Coldplay
Viva La Vida
Roy Ayers
We Live in Brooklyn, Baby
Justice
Stress
JAY Z
The Bounce
Kanye West
We Major (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
Mobb Deep
Shook Ones, Pt. II
Meek Mill
Ima Boss – Instrumental
Kanye West
Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz)
If you are like me, then you are cautiously optimistic about the next installment in the Metal Gear Series. The next game will follow Raiden as the main character and his exploits as the coolest ninja to ever walk the earth. This game doesn’t look like it will follow the traditional Metal Gear path, instead giving the user more of an open field to play in. Raiden can cut pretty much anything in the game, and the moves are ridiculously outlandish.
The story takes place three years after the events in Guns of the Patriots – so don’t worry about this new game messing any of the story line up. I’m excited about the game to say the least and can’t wait till February 19th 2013.
Samsung launched it’s latest ten inch tablet today in the US. It looks like the company is trying to enter an area spurned by Apple in emphasizing pen input. There is a reason many tablet makers are leaving that space alone – read on to find out whether or not Samsung has got the right formula.
At the press event, there were a few guests who lauded the tablet for it’s different approach to creativity and functionality. Baz Luhrmann the Australian Director of films like Moulin Rouge and Australia talked about how it was a “creative toolbox” that helped him to share in real time while Zac Posen, the designer talked about how the tablet facilitated his creativity. Both have upcoming projects, so I think that didn’t hurt either, but I had a hard time fully digesting everything they were saying as it really did seem too good to be true.
Test driving the device was a different experience. Below are a few key elements about the tablet.
Specs:
GENERAL
• Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
• Processor: WiFi®, 1.4GHz quad-core
• Memory: 2GB RAM & 16GB On-Board Memory
• microSD™ Card Slot (Up to 32GB)
• Display Screen: 10.1″
• Display Resolution: WXGA (1280 x 800)
• Display Type: TFT
• Battery Type: Li-Polymer
• Battery Capacity: 7,000mAh
• Color: White
• WiFi®: 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Camera 5MP AF + 1.9MP FF
• Flash (Power LED)
• GPS
• Bluetooth 4.0 (LE)
• Supports USB 2.0 Connectivity (with an adapter sold separately)
• Audio: Built-in Front Dual Speakers
• Built-in Infrared Blaster (Smart Remote)
• Speaker (Stereo)
• Antenna (Integrated)
• Ear Jack: 3.5mm (Line-in Mic)
• IF Connector: 30Pin
• Multiscreen
• Video Pop Up Play
• Drag and Drop
• Dropbox
• Handwriting Recognition
• Enhanced Customizable Keyboard
• Built-in S Pen
Key Differentiators:
What makes this tablet different from it’s predecessors is – mainly – the pen input. The success of the Galaxy Note seems to have prompted this device. It comes with a built in “S-Pen”. They were careful not to call it a stylus because it has a few more tricks up it’s sleeve. For one, it is pressure sensitive so your strokes look different depending on how hard or softly you write. Second is that i works with “electromagnetic response” which allows for more accurate positioning.
Samsung has a slew of proprietary programs that come bundled with the device like S-Note, Pop-up Play, and its partnership with Adobe for Photoshop Touch. They had some artists sketching attendees. See my sketch below.
My initial thoughts on the device were that it is great conceptually. They really thought about the design with the speaker placement, note-taking capabilities, and true multi-tasking concept. However, while playing around with the device, I felt like the many great things I was looking forward to – just didn’t work the way I expected it to and came away wanting a more polished experience. For instance, it took me forever to get acclimated to the note taking process and didn’t really feel like it replaced my physical pad and pen. The S-Pen did perform fairly well, and writing with it was legible, however, I couldn’t visualize myself using it very often. In the productivity sweet there is the ability to smooth out shapes with “shape match” which comes in handy when drawing diagrams. Yet, I don’t draw diagrams on a regular basis so I wasn’t as excited about that – however, I could see it being useful in an educational setting. That along with the formula look-up which recognized formula’s as you wrote them down. Switching between modes got kind of confusing and you ended up just wishing you could just type it all in. There was text recognition as well which allowed the program to convert your scribble into a legible font. It took a little too long to actually be useful though and again, the machine was slow to my commands which was puzzling given the amount of power under the hood. It has 2GB of RAM and a 1.4GHz Quad Core Processor. I get the distinct feeling that Touch-Flo is the cause for the lag.
I also noted that Palm Block support was helpful with Samsung Apps and totally didn’t work with Adobe Photoshop Touch or any other non-Samsung application which means you have to stay within Samsung’s ecosystem to experience all the benefits. I was super excited about true multi-tasking, but was a little disappointed with it in practical use. It was noticeably laggy while working in two apps at the same time. This makes me sad because I really want a tablet to handle that functionality well and Samsung’s execution seems to have almost gotten it right.
The device launches with Ice Cream Sandwich and not Jelly Bean, which isn’t a huge disappointment, however, the upgrade should come before next year. Lets just hope its not in December!
You can purchase the device tomorrow and it will run you $499 for the 16GB Tablet, while the 32GB version will cost $549 and it comes in white and sexy deep gray. Check the full press release further down.
Game-Changing Device Hits U.S. Store Shelves Tomorrow
New York, August 15, 2012 – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced its highly anticipated GALAXY Note 10.1 for the U.S. market. The device will be available for purchase tomorrow – August 16th, 2012 – across the U.S.at authorized retailers.
At a launch event in New York City, Samsung will be joined by fashion designer Zac Posen, who has created looks for the most elite stars, and acclaimed writer, producer, director Baz Luhrmann (William Shakespeare’s Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge and the forthcoming The Great Gatsby). Each will provide a window into their own creative process, and how the Galaxy Note 10.1 will unleash new levels of inspiration in their work.
The GALAXY Note 10.1 extends the GALAXY Note category, building on the success of last year’s worldwide hit smartphone – and delivering the functionality and precision of a pen and paper by combining the S Pen with a 10.1-inch large display.
Adobe’s premium creative application, Photoshop® Touch is preloaded and optimized for Samsung’s S Pen to deliver unprecedented precision and control.
The device also introduces the game changing Multiscreen feature, which allows users to actually operate two different apps side-by-side, simultaneously, on the same screen.
Thanks to a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2 GB RAM, the Galaxy Note 10.1 can handle it all without missing a beat.
“Our goal with the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 was simple – redefine the tablet experience,” said Tim Baxter, President, Samsung Electronics America. “The S Pen offers both active content creation as well as passive content consumption, while the Multiscreen capability finally enables true multitasking. For the user, the resulting experience is completely new and quite unexpected.”
True Multitasking with Multiscreen Feature
With GALAXY Note 10.1’s Multiscreen feature, users can effortlessly utilize two different applications side-by-side simultaneously for true and easy multitasking. Users can view Web pages or videos, or launch other applications while writing or sketching ideas with the S Pen on the other half of the screen – no need to toggle back and forth between apps.
Further, users can even capture and crop images from an app on one side, and drag them to an app on the side – for enhanced creativity and productivity.
Apps supported for Multiscreen are S Note, Internet Browser, Video Player, Email, Gallery and Polaris Office . The Galaxy Note 10.1 thus meets the increasing needs of a growing mobile workforce, from interfacing with customers to creative sharing.
The GALAXY Note 10.1 also offers the Pop up Play feature first introduced on the GALAXY S III Smartphone. With it, users can play back videos in a floating window that can be overlaid anywhere on the screen, providing a “picture in picture” experience. New for the GALAXY Note 10.1 is the ability to adjust the size of the video window.
In addition, GALAXY Note 10.1 offers a mini-apps tray that can launch a selection of mini-app on top of others apps and freely moved around the screen. These include Alarm, S Note, Music Player, Email, Calculator, World Clock.
S Pen & S Note Make it Personal
Featuring an advanced S Pen with 1,024 levels of sensitivity, GALAXY Note 10.1 is designed for natural and intuitive content creation. The S Pen is embedded directly into a slot in the device and when removed, activates a taskbar with quick access to optimized S Pen apps such as S Note, Adobe® Photoshop® Touch and Polaris Office. Alternatively, users can easily set their preferred application to be launched instantly.
The S Note application is a unique tool that gives users the ability to combine notes and sketches with other digital content in ready-to-use templates. Shape Match converts hand-drawn shapes such a square and lines into clean and perfect versions – perfect for creating charts. Formula Match can actually solve formulas hand-written with the S Pen.
S Note is also integrated with knowledge search engines so that users can search for content, obtain information, and easily drag and drop content onto S Notes without having to switch between screens.
Adobe Photoshop Touch – Edit Photos Like Never Before
Adobe® Photoshop® Touch, normally a $9.99 purchase, is preloaded on the GALAXY Note 10.1. Further, since it is optimized for S Pen, users are able to control brush size and opacity by just adjusting the pressure of the pen on the screen.
“Samsung’s GALAXY Note 10.1, with its pressure-sensitive S Pen, truly unleashes the power of Adobe Photoshop Touch and provides a great tool for creative expression,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “More than ever, people around the world want to create, wherever and whenever inspiration strikes. We look forward to seeing what they imagine with the S Pen and Photoshop Touch.”
Users can also use popular Photoshop features such as layers, selection tools, adjustments, and filters to create mind-blowing images, or use the high quality GALAXY Note 10.1 camera to fill an area on a layer with the unique camera fill feature.
With Photoshop Touch, it’s also a snap to add or remove people or objects from a photo, or blend two photos together.
To get users started quickly, in-depth step-by-step tutorials are provided to help users learn techniques the pros use for great-looking results.
Photoshop Touch is integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud providing users free access to powerful file syncing and sharing features and 2GB of storage space. Files can be synched to the Creative Cloud and opened in Photoshop on the desktop or laptop for further refinement.
The Ultimate ebook Experience
Samsung is adding even more value through a range of partners.
Kno, a pioneer in education software, will offer its e-textbook platform preloaded on the GALAXY Note 10.1. With it, k-12 or higher education students can say goodbye to heavy backpacks filled with books and instead, download any of thousands of interactive textbooks. Even better, with the new Social Sharing feature announced today, they can utilize the S Pen to highlight and annotate the texts, and share those annotations with other students and teachers in the context of their book.
The popular NOOK® free reading app from Barnes & Noble will also be preloaded on the GALAXY Note 10.1 as well as a customized NOOK for Android™ Widget allowing quick and easy access to titles directly from the desktop.
A range of other partners are involved as well, delivering a complete solution.
To allow seamless collaboration with others, the GALAXY Note 10.1 offers a free two-year subscription to Dropbox, giving users 50 GB of storage space – a $100 value.*
Samsung Smart Remote, powered by Peel, utilizes the built-in IR emitter in the GALAXY Note 10.1 to transform the device into a sophisticated universal remote control that can control an entire home entertainment system and even recommend programs.
Finally, Polaris Office lets provides robust word processing, spreadsheet and presentation capabilities, while S Pen support makes it a snap to mark up and annotate documents.
Superior Hardware Performance and Connectivity
GALAXY Note 10.1 is designed with advanced hardware technology, including a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of internal RAM. Seamless multi-tasking, high-standard graphics, and blazing-fast performance without any lag are essential features of GALAXY Note 10.1. The device also includes a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.
The GALAXY Note 10.1 carries over several features first introduced with the hit GALAXY S III smartphone, making it an ideal companion tablet for owners of that devices. ShareShot which makes it a snap to automatically share photos in real time between the GALAXY Note 10.1 and the GALAXY S III.
Smart Stay, first introduced with the GALAXY S III, uses the camera in the GALAXY Note 10.1 to prevent the device from going into standby mode while it detects a user in front of the device.
Finally, with AllShare® Play, users can share content with a large group in real-time by connecting GALAXY Note 10.1 to Samsung HD TVs, phones, mobile tablets, laptops, and other consumer electronic devices on the same network. With Group Cast, users can also share and collaborate on documents, presentations, or images in real time, without loading the files separately.
Available Aug 16th Across the U.S.
GALAXY Note 10.1 will be available beginning Aug 16th nationwide at partners including Best Buy, Amazon, Tiger Direct, HH Gregg, CDW, BrandSmart, Conn’s and Fry’s.
In a special promotion, Samsung will also be making the Galaxy Note 10.1 available at BBY’s Union Square store in NYC beginning at noon EST today, Aug 15th.
The device will be available in choice of white or dark gray, and in 16 GB or 32 GB memory configurations, for $499 or $549 SRP, respectively.
Available accessories include replacement S Pen, S Pen Holder Kit, Book Cover in Grey or White, Travel Charger, USB Connection Kit to allow usage of thumb drives or USB peripherals, HDMI adapter and Universal Desktop Dock.
Codec: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, ACC+, eAAC+, AMR(NB,WB), MIDI, WAV, AC-3, FlacMusic Player with SoundAlive3.5mm Ear Jack
S Pen Optimized Features
S Pen Experience (S Note, S Planner)(* more S Pen optimized apps are available via Samsung Apps)
Multiscreen
Adobe® Photoshop® Touch
Shape Match, Formula Match
Polaris Office
Kno
Sharing Features
Samsung AllShare Play / Samsung AllShare Cast / ShareShot
Samsung Kies /Samsung Kies Air
Content Features & Services
Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel
Samsung Apps
Samsung Hub– Music Hub / Game Hub / Media Hub
Samsung S Suggest
Samsung ChatOn mobile communication service
Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Play Music Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads
Bluetooth technology v 4.0 (Apt-X Codec support)USB 2.0 HostWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Channel BondingmHL, 3.5mm, IR LED(Smart Remote: Universal Remote Control)
Sensor
Accelerometer, Digital compass, Light, Gyroscope
Memory
16/32 GB User memory + 2GB (RAM)microSD (up to 32 GB)
Dimension
262 x 180 x 8.9 mm, 597g
Battery
Standard battery, Li-ion 7,000mAh
＊ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
＊ Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.
I have procured, for your Basketball enjoyment, new game footage and screens for the next installment of the 2K franchise.
One of the significant changes that the Devs talk about is the analog stick functionality. Instead of the shot stick – it is now in control of your dribble – which by the way I should totally get credit for since I’ve been yelling that at the screen for years. At any rate, they finally listened to me and you can now break people’s ankles at will. This game is shaping up to be something quite desirable. Check the video below as well as the images.
I got a chance to look at some cool stuff Samsung has out right now that is pretty lust-worthy. The Galaxy S3 is sort of a beast, the note is pretty much a tablet if you ask me, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a sexier TV. Below are my impressions of those devices.
Samsung S3 and Note
These two devices are pretty similar in that they both make and receive phone calls. Other than that, they have pretty stark differences. The Galaxy S3 is quicker, with a faster CPU speed, more up to date OS (Ice Cream Sandwich), and to me, just plain sexier. However, the Note is no slouch with it’s stylus and huge display at 5.3 inches. Depending on your aesthetic tastes, I’d say either is a pretty good bargain if you don’t mind Samsung’s Touchflo skin on top of stock Android.
One service that I really liked was the Group Sharing found in Samsung’s “Group Cast”. What was cool was that you could share a PowerPoint presentation, images, or .PDF files in real time with other folks (with a Samsung Galaxy S3 or WiFi enabled TV). Any person in the group could move the slides along or mark them up. This functionality is a welcome addition to the Android experience.
Samsung’s new line of Smart TVs are really sexy and have great functionality. They are a little pricey though, so if you are on a budget I might do a little research before plunking down your cold hard cash. What’s really cool is the “Smart Interaction” which allows you to control the TV or Play a Game with motion or voice. Now, this is very Kinect-like, however, if you don’t have an Xbox360 with Kinect, then this is of course an alternative. The TV also comes with Active 3D Glasses – which are pricier than passive 3D glasses but supposedly give higher resolution. I’ve got a passive 3D TV at home and it’s great, and I got it for a little less, so like I said, make sure to do your homework. I’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest in lustworthy gadgets for the Holidays!
See what I did there? Anyway, came across this pretty cool app in the Google Play Store called AutoRap by Smule – the makers of the “I am T-Pain” App from a while ago. Their quest is to equip sucker MCs from their bad habits by auto correcting their raps and putting it to music.
You can record yourself and share with your friends as well as change the beat to lyrics you just made. You can save all your raps locally on your device to peruse at your leisure. It’s definitely not a cure for bad rapping, but it is pretty fun with a group of people.
We got to take a look at some of the upcoming titles on the Sony PlayStation 3. I anticipate a pretty good gaming season toward the end of the year, but I would say two games really stood out.
God of War Ascension:
I spoke with David Hewitt who manages the design team and he took me through a round. The game wasn’t finished, but it looked really good. Everything looks to be on a grander scale, and Kratos is still as grumpy and violent as ever. However, there was a puzzling moment where Kratos apparently saves someone. Freakish right? I think that may play into the overall story, but that’s just a hunch. But don’t worry, he’s still ripping minions apart and decapitating things. There was also some brain exposure. Yup, you read that right. They’ve also added a new dynamic to the game called “Life Cycle” where you can rebuild anything that’s been destroyed. You can rebuild completely or rebuild up to a certain point. There was a part of the demo where Kratos was able to navigate to another section of the map by climbing a partially destroyed area with the Life Cycle power. Rage mode has also been tweaked to automatically trigger once you’ve reached enough orbs. The designers feared that we weren’t using it enough so now they are forcing it! I complained that if it triggers, I don’t want to have it wasted on weaklings or have it triggered when I’ve just ended a big fight. However, David countered by letting me know that they’ve balanced the fights so that that shouldn’t happen too often, and Rage Mode happens more often all together so it shouldn’t bee too big a deal. We’ll see – the game comes out March 12th. Assassins Creed III:
I was thoroughly impressed with the demo that was shown. I’ll be honest, Assassin’s creed hasn’t really been my favorite game. It’s really cool, and beautiful to look at, but for some reason, I just wasn’t drawn to it. However, I think that might change with Assassins Creed III. The game takes place around the Revolutionary War in the time-line of the United States and there are a few things I’d like to point out. First, our assassin’s movements through the trees looked really fluid. I note it because it must have been really hard to program. It’s trees! Not buildings, or rooftops, which are more flat and linear. I was really surprised at how well they pulled that off. Secondly, you can assassinate with any weapon – not just the hidden blade. This makes your assassinations a lot more fluid as well. I think you see the point I’m trying to make. Lastly, is ship combat. Yea, somehow or another, you end up commanding a ship, and it’s really cool. You see the guys raising the masts and all that other stuff. Your first mate is yelling orders and everyone is working as you steer the ship around the ocean. You’re battles are cool as you send cannon balls hurling through the air towards your enemies. It’s a really fun new dynamic to the game that I personally can’t wait to play.
We managed to snag us a Sony Xperia Ion and played with it for a bit this week. The phone came out on AT&T the end of June and many people are wondering how it stacks up with some of the other devices in AT&T’s stable. Read on to find out!
As usual, I’ll be breaking down the review on the points I liked and the issues I didn’t feel comfortable with or wish could be changed.
Likes:
Form Factor
As soon as I pulled this puppy from my pocket, no less than two people around me approached me to ask me what type of phone I had. I gladly told them what it was and what I was doing with it. I was really surprised, because I don’t usually get that strong of a reaction when I’m holding a phone. Granted, it could have been dumb luck, but I can definitely see why someone might be intrigued with this device. It really does have a sleek, elegant beauty to it – yet you can tell it’s functional. Sony has a way of making electronic devices look and feel really high-grade and the Ion is no different. there is nothing flimsy about this phone which I find really important if I’m going to spend a couple hundred on any piece of equipment.
There is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, and your volume rocker as well as power-button and dedicated camera button which I’ll talk about in a bit. Nothing but a mic on the bottom, and the HDMI, and Micro USB on the left.
Camera
The Camera is a whopping 12 MP with 16x zoom. It can also record full 1080p video – which looks pretty great on my HD TV. Was quite surprised with the quality of the crappy video I took of my living room on the big screen. The camera is also capable of a 3D Panorama shot. I did find it slightly cool for the first 5 minutes, but then it started to feel a little gimmicky. I couldn’t really think of very many reasons to use it – however, I’m sure there are a few of you who can come up with some ideas. There’s also a front facing camera (1.3 MP) for video chatting with Skype or whatever your favorite video telephony app is. I also liked the fact that you could jump right into not only the camera app, but taking a picture instantly by depressing the hardware camera button.
Speed
AT&T’s LTE network really flies when it wants to. I can’t speak for those in Manhattan in the middle of the day, but when I was using it – downloading apps and playing video was a breeze. I could definitely get used to that.
Dislikes:
Operating System
Now to the disappointment. Androids next iteration of its mobile operating system,Jellybean, has already been announced and is being pushed out to Galaxy Nexus owners as we speak. Ice-Cream Sandwhich is now old. This device is running Android 2.3, a.k.a Gingerbread. Now the OS skinning seems to be a double edged sword. There are UI refinements that were refinements when Gingerbread was the main OS for android, but it also slows down updates. It’s really up to you, but in my humble opinion – this is where the device falls short. I also noticed a bit of lag when moving from screen to scree, however, others haven’t noticed it so perhaps it was my device. At any rate, navigating the older OS, even though it is heavily skinned, was a little annoying knowing that there was something two generations better out there.
There is also the smart dock – which I didn’t have, but got around by just connecting the DMI cord directly to the tv. It’s a pretty nifty idea, and it can be fun playing games on the phone and displaying the image on the big screen. You can also, ofcourse, play movies or music – basically any media on your device on your HD TV. However, I put this under dislikes because there are tons of other ways to get the media from your device to your TV. For example, if you have an HD TV, chances are you have either some apps, or a game system, or some other way to consume third party media. So why go through the trouble to connect your phone? To watch home movies taken from the phone? Yes, but that’s pretty much it. You can also purchase a remote, but it works best with a Sony TV. When playing games on the HD TV, you can’t really take your eyes off of the mobile screen because then you can’t control your character so its really for everyone else’s enjoyment which I found frustrating. I found myself wishing the phone just displayed controls while I played the actual game on the tv.
Little Thick
Not a very big deal here, but I found the device slightly on the chunky side. It’s so slick and cool looking that I just wished it were a little thinner, but those are really my personal aesthetics at this point. Most may not find this to be an issue and it’s definitely not a deal breaker.
Summary:
All-in-all, I enjoyed the device. I will warn you though, there isn’t a specific date announced as to when the device will get an ice-cream sandwich update. A rep told me “later this year”, but that’s all I got. And then when it does, it will only be behind by one update. Other than that, I really can’t find too many other glaring issues with the device. It has a solid build, and a great camera with decent specs.
June has turned out to be one of the most exciting months for technology consumers with huge announcements from Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Personally I’m excited about all of the announcements and consider them all good news. When you have Tech Titans like these behemoths fighting for my attention – I win no matter which way I turn. I’ll briefly touch on some of the highlights here.
Apple:
Macbook Pro with Retina Display
iOS 6
To be honest, a lot of people were waiting for the iPhone 5 announcement – but Apple did the right thing in my opinion. I love tuning in to Apple events because if nothing else is true, every time they are ready to make an announcement about a new product or feature, it will be ready for the consumer almost immediately. Not the next year, and most times, not even the coming months. It’s a sure bet that you will be able to get your hands on at least one of the items announced almost immediately. If the next iPhone wasn’t ready, then I’d rather they didn’t announce it. I’ve had a chance to compare strategies and I don’t really like Microsoft’s. They are constantly telling you more and more about the coolest new feature or hardware that you can’t buy yet because it’s due to drop at some unknown time. By the time it’s ready, the excitement has died out and you aren’t as excited about it anymore.
What Apple did announce was what I consider to be yet another game-changer. I am by no means an Apple fan-boy, but they continue to crush the competition in-terms of desirability. The Macbook pro line was already arguably the most coveted power laptop, but they went ahead and went bananas on the display. Even if they didn’t do anything under the hood, it would be tough to hold in check the desire to at least see what 2880×1800 looks like. The other iOs 6 announcements were sort of exciting, but necessities if they were going to continue to stay competitive with Android. Turn by turn navigation was a must in light of Google’s magnificent Maps App. Deeper Siri integration was to be expected, and passbook was a welcome addition to iOS’s functionality.
Microsoft:
Microsoft Surface
Windows 8 / Windows Mobile 8
As I mentioned above – the excitement around Windows 8, in my opinion, was waning a bit due to the fact that it has literally been talked about for around a year or so now. You can download a preview, but I’m not interested in previews. I’m interested in a new product…And Microsoft delivered. Enterstage left: The Microsoft Surface. This product announcement totally took me by surprise. We all know that Microsoft is fully capable of serious hardware, but they’ve been leaving it up to their hardware partners to deliver the goods, and lets just say – some of the products have much to be desired. I suppose Mr. Ballmer had to show’em how it’s done. The Surface is elegant, yet clever, and if it performs, I believe this tablet will be the answer to many people’s desires. It will be for those who want a little higher level of functionality than they can get from the iPad.
Windows Mobile 8 was the next logical step, but it is mildly exciting in the mobile space. What would be more exciting is if they pulled a “Surface” and debuted more hardware, but I doubt Microsoft will ruffle their hardware partner’s feathers too much.
Google:
Nexus 7
Project Glass
Nexus Q
Google’s most recent I|O Conference has to have been one of the best keynotes in recent memory. Though I wasn’t there, I was totally wrapped up in the parachuting moment, and the scaling the building moment, and the biking moment! You can see the video here. I think the perspective the images and video gleaned from that vantage point, though not new, will be quite fascinating to look at once Project Glass is released. What’s new is the form factor and ease of use. Google has managed to make that kind of imaging equipment almost apart of you. I’m quite excited to get my hands on that technology. What’s also of note is not just the “look at what I did” but the “look at what I’m doing right now” effect this eye-ware will bring about.
Google also debuted the Nexus 7 which I believe will do quite well. When compared to the Kindle Fire, it’s really no competition. Also Amazon doesn’t seem to have much else, tablet-wise, under it’s sleeve. I’m sure a next generation Kindle Fire is under way set to drop sometime soon, but I doubt it will have as much fire-power as the Nexus 7. Google understood that the real desire of many people who found the Kindle Fire intriguing but not enough to purchase, and that was the desire to have a “sleeper”. You know, an all purpose ride that’s affordable and simple enough, but a beast under the hood. The Kindle Fire was all of that, without the “Beast” part. So I bought one for my mom while I patiently waited. The Nexus 7 will probably be my next gadget purchase simply because of just how powerful and inexpensive this little bad boy is.
The Nexus Q is interesting in that it allows you to control and stream content from the cloud through a Nexus device. But I have to say – at $300 bucks, I’ll probably only get one if it’s a birthday gift or something.
Best Announcement:
I have to say the best announcement was Project Glass. This device really has opened doors to wearable computing. Though computers on the body is not a new concept, it has yet to be done in a sexy and practical way. That is until now. This has literally brought the future to the present in a way many people dreamed of. Remember Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator? How far away is that now…really? I can imagine tech like that in my lifetime now, and that’s great.
The new cover of NBA 2K13 has been revealed today! The New Cover is three people deep and features the younger cats in the NBA. They are being called the “New Dynasty.” Can’t wait to play to see what improvements the game makes to this new chapter in the 2K franchise. They always have something up their sleeve and the music is always on point. List of artists aren’t known just yet, but will update you guys when that’s available. The Game comes out October 2nd.
As for the cover, what do you think? Personally, I think it’s not too bad, however, I want to know if it should have been a face-off between the “New Dynasty” and the “Old Dynasty” – But I guess that doesn’t sound quite right, but you get what I meant. Some of the OGs like Kareem, Isaiah, Moses, etc… vs the young guns. Just my thought…what are yours’?
Full Press Lease Below:
2K Sports Crowns Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose as Cover Athletes for NBA® 2K13
Trio of young superstars represents the “New Dynasty” of NBA legends
New York, NY – June 26, 2012 – 2K Sports today announced that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose have been crowned the cover athletes for NBA® 2K13, the next installment of the top-selling and top-rated NBA video game simulation franchise*.
”Being crowned as one of the NBA 2K13 cover athletes is a huge honor and something I always dreamt about,” said Durant, who won his third straight scoring title and led the Thunder franchise to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1996. “It’s definitely humbling to grace the cover after the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird.”
“There’s so much young talent around the NBA, so it’s very exciting to be chosen for NBA 2K’s ‘New Dynasty’ alongside Kevin and Derrick,” added Griffin, who helped lead the Clippers to their first postseason since 2006. “The NBA 2K series has always been my first choice when I want to get a game in.”
“It’s a dream come true to be one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K13,” commented Rose, the 2010-11 NBA Most Valuable Player, who led the Bulls to a league-best 50-16 record this season. “I’ve worked closely with 2K Sports since NBA 2K10, and I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan as the latest Chicago Bull to be featured on the cover.”
In their young but impressive careers, Rose, Durant and Griffin have each taken the NBA by storm. All three are past winners of the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and have also amassed eight All-Star berths, three scoring titles, and one Most Valuable Player award between them.
“There are many young superstars in today’s NBA, but we’ve selected three incredible athletes for the cover of NBA 2K13 that represent the NBA well,” concluded Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “It’s clear to us that Blake, Derrick and Kevin are the most deserving guys to inherit the NBA 2K cover from Jordan, Magic and Bird.”
Developed by Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio, NBA 2K13 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available on October 2, 2012 in North America and October 5, 2012 internationally. The Wii U version of the title will be available during the holiday season. Fans are encouraged to pre-order now at participating retailers in order to receive the downloadable NBA All-Star content package presented by Sprite on day one at no extra cost.
