Microsoft’s CES Keynote was a major snooze
Greetings Readers!
As I am sure many of you are aware, last night was Microsoft's CES 2010 keynote and if you watched it, you know that the most exciting thing that came out of the keynote was the power failure that delayed it close to 30 minutes (We live blogged it here). As I stated last night, I would give my thoughts, both good and bad right here (Disclosure: I am a Microsoft Student Insider), so here we go.
I was rather surprised at the lack of announcements coming out of the keynote compared to years past. For those hoping for a big announcement regarding the rumored new features behind Ford's Sync, you are out of luck. Those are apparently being saved until Ford's keynote. Hoping for a major announcement about the Zune HD? Nope, nothing here either. Windows 8? Wishful thinking. A portable version of the Xbox? This will remain every gamers fantasy. What was announced? Ballmer really didn't announce much. He gave some lines about Windows 7 being the fastest selling OS of all time and some analyst speculation that PC sales will increase considerably this year but I don't really call those announcements. Steve announced that the HTC HD 2 running Windows Mobile will be coming to T-mobile but I am not sure anybody cares since we are talking Windows Mobile after all and T-mobile doesn't help either. Steve said they would talk more about the future of Windows Mobile at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona next month. Ballmer did show off some prototype "Slate PCs" that will hopefully combat anything Apple announces later this month. The one he really demonstrated was an HP prototype that was running Windows 7 and the Kindle PC software to demonstrate how good of an e-book reader it could be and it looked to be about the same size as the Kindle 2. Sounds nice and I will definitely buy one, but if you are going to try to compete with Apple, you need to show something that will come out a little sooner rather than some prototype. Wait, you really wanted to know what was announced? Ok.
As far as REAL announcements go, there are a couple fairly minor announcements. Bing is now going to be the default home page and search engine for all HP computers. Excited yet? They also demonstrated what a Cable Card and a pc in your tv could do and said that with it, you can record 4 HD channels simultaneously which was probably the most impressive thing from they keynote. They talked a bit about Media Room and some partnership with AT&T's U-verse that I still don't understand and finally they had a couple interesting Xbox announcements. Besides all of the interesting number like units sold and games sold, Robby Bach announced that Project Natal will ship as an attachment to existing Xbox 360 systems in time for Christmas 2010. No price although I would expect that around E3. There was also no demo which was kind of disappointing. They also teased a new Halo game only to have it turn out to be a trailer for Halo Reach which was announced back at E3. I was rather disappointed but the audience seemed to love it since they could see the trailer and everybody watching the stream could not. The big Xbox 360 announcement was Game Room.
What is Game Room? Game Room seems to be a virtual space similar to the PS3's Home where you can run around a giant arcade as your avatar and buy and play old arcade games that look like the arcade units you would spend tons of quarters on in years gone by. Over 1000 games are planned for the next year that will be released in weekly batches that you will have to purchase. The coolest part is that this will be not only for the Xbox 360 but for PCs too! How much are these games going to cost you ask? If you want to play an arcade game on both platforms, you will be paying 400 Microsoft points aka $5. To get it on one platform, it is 240 points or $3. If you really want the old school experience, you can pay 40 points or $.50 and get two quarters worth of playing time on the old machines. The games can be played with other people, in 1080p and there are cross-platform leaderboards and achievements. This is coming in the Spring update to Xbox Live. Personally, I am really looking forward to this because lately I have had the urge to start buying old arcade machines and turning my basement into a small arcade but now I will be able to do it virtually instead of having to completely redo the basement. This was the only real announcement with any cool factor to it other than the HD recording. If you would like to see the demo that the people watching the live stream couldn't watch, you can check it out here.
That was pretty much about it. It was a very boring keynote and ended kind of out of nowhere. It certainly doesn't make me super excited about Microsoft this year but hopefully that will change. What did you think about the Microsoft CES 2010 keynote? Good? Bad? Boring? Exciting? Let us know!
Xbox Live Game Room Trailer
Hey Readers!
I don't know what the issue was earlier tonight at the Microsoft CES Keynote about having the stream blocked when the Halo Reach and Game Room trailers were shown but for those that wanted to check out Game Room which looks to be really awesome, I have found the video for you and here it is. If, for some reason, the video does not load, here is the official link:
10 Things to do When Twitter is Down
Greetings Readers!
Given the recent Twitter problems of the last week, similar to the months ago when Twitter was down almost as much as it was up, I decided I should compile a list of things that people can do while Twitter is down or showing the Fail Whale.
1. Use other services similar to Twitter.
There are many other services that perform a similar function to Twitter that can hold you over until Twitter returns. Many people like services such as Plurk or Pownce. While I never cared for Plurk, I do like Pownce although rarely use it because I don't have that many friends on the network. Personally, I mainly use FriendFeed (me). Friendfeed is great for not only communicating in a manner similar to Twitter (it does unfortunately lack direct messaging functionality) but it is a great place for people to announce their latest online content creation. Friendfeed is able to detect new blog posts, favorited YouTube videos, new Flickr photos and much more and then put them in your stream to share with others and get feedback on your online activities.
2. Blog
There are millions of people who have a blog and chances are, you do as well. Try filling the Twitter void by doing some blogging. Whether you want to talk about how bad the drivers in your area are, or just want to share some of your favorite recipes with the Internet, blogging is a great way of expressing yourself and inviting others into your life and thoughts. If you don't already have a blog, you can start one for free with sites like Wordress and Blogger.
3. Read blogs!
Like I mentioned, there are millions of blogs on the Internet. There are likely to be a ton of blogs on the subjects you care about. Google your interests to find related blogs and join in on the discussion! Whether you are looking to learn something or help others learn by commenting on posts, blogs are one of the most valuable things on the Internet. Don't forget to comment on the blogs that you read! Bloggers thrive on user feedback and you can often contribute to the discussion by bringing your own perspective to the issue (For more information on being a constructive commenter, read this blog post).
4. Start an online discussion!
There are many places on the Internet that are great for having an online discussion such as chat rooms and message boards. Much like with blogs, there are countless chat rooms and message boards that are dedicated to a large number of topics. If you are having trouble finding a blog post that you want to bring you insight to, try starting a thread on a message board or find a chat room dedicated to the topic you want to discuss. Although these communication mediums have been around almost as long as the Internet, they are still a great way to communicate with people you don't know about subjects that you are interested in.
5. Create a video!
With services such as YouTube, almost anybody can create a video and put it online at no cost. The only thing you really need to put a video online is a camera or webcam. One of the great things about user generated content is that there are very few restrictions you have to abide by when creating things like online video. Whether you want to create video of your kids to show the rest of the family, or make a funny video you hope will be the next 'Leave Britney Alone' video, when it comes to making online video, or really any online content, you are limited only by your imagination. If you really want to have fun, try creating a video podcast!
6. Create an audio podcast!
Speaking of podcasts, probably the most popular podcast medium is audio. Creating an audio podcast is easy, all you need is a microphone and some audio recording software such as Audacity. You can create a podcast on just about any topic. Personally, I have two technology related podcasts, the Global Geek News Podcast and the Geek News Daily Podcast. Whether you want to talk about technology, politics, food or anything else, an audio podcast is a great way to have a conversation with other people that know about the same topic as you and then share it with the rest of the world. Of course you can go solo on your podcast, but how you run your podcast is completely up to you!
7. Check out new podcasts!
If you are like me, you often fall behind on podcasts and need to catch up. When Twitter is down, it is not only a great time to catch up, but a great time to check out new podcasts you have never heard or watched! Whether you are using the Zune software or iTunes, they are some of the quickest ways to find new podcasts on topics that interest you! If you don't use software like that, don't fear as most podcasts can be found on PodcastAlley.com. Some podcasts aren't as good as others, but there are some great shows out there that will entertain and educate almost anybody. If you are looking for some of my personal recommendations, ask in the comments and I will throw some great shows out there.
8. Watch online video
There is millions of hours of video online, so you can easily watch some online video and never run out. This often depends on where you are in the world as to what content you can get to thanks to licensing, but you can find tons of videos online on sites like Hulu.com or TheWB.com. With these sites and many others, you can easily watch many of your favorite television shows and movies for free! If you are looking for less professional content, there are of course sites such as YouTube, but even they are getting on the professional content bandwagon and starting to show TV shows for free! Also, don't forget to check out the new and improved Joost!
9. Shop Online!
It is almost the Holiday Season, its time to stop putting off that holiday shopping! With great shopping sites such as Amazon.com and Buy.com, its easy to find the gifts that your loved ones want. Of course its always a good idea to buy something for yourself when you get something for your friends and family! Why hassle with the crowds at the major retail stores when you can get the same products online for cheaper and not have to pay sales tax (this depends on where you live)? I have saved thousands of dollars by shopping online and you can too! With the current state of the economy, saving every penny you can is not necessarily a bad idea. Warning: Beware of scammers! With online shopping increasing during the holiday season, its a good idea to keep an eye out for people trying to rip you off or steal you identity.
10. Play games online!
There are tons of great games to play online to pass the time. Whether you want to play some simple flash games on websites such as AddictingGames.com or some great games on Xbox Live, there is a vast number of games that you can play online. Depending on the kind of games you like and whether you want to play with others, you can choose from thousands of games to online. Not everybody can afford the monthly fee of games such as World of Warcraft, but there are many free games that are great for passing the time! Do a search on free games and you will likely find more games than you could ever have time to play.
These are just a few of the many things that you can while Twitter is down without having to leave your computer. If you have any suggestions for this list, put them in the comments to share them with everybody!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
E3, Another Year of Disappointment
Greetings readers!
In case you have been on vacation or just hiding under a rock, this week was the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 convention in LA. The convention is where a majority of the major gaming announcements for the year are unveiled. While there were some interesting announcements this year, the event ended up being another big disappointment.
For those that missed the press conferences, here is a quick rundown. Microsoft showed off Fallout 2, Gears of War 2, a new Xbox Dashboard, and had two major announcements. Microsoft has partnered with Netflix to bring streaming movies to the 360 by way of your Netflix subscription, and they announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to the 360. Next, Nintendo did their announcements which included a Shawn White snowboarding game using the Wii balance board, the Wii Motion Plus attachment, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Music. Last was Sony. Sony didnt have much in the way of interesting game announcements other than one of my personal favorites, a new God of War game. They showed off two new Resistance games but nothing that spectacular that hasnt been shown before. They also showed off Little Big Planet and Playstation Home. Sony's bombshell announcements (outside of God of War 3) were the unveiling of a new video store on the Playstation 3 and a new PS3 with a $100 price cut.
Lets start with Microsoft. I will admit that Fallout 3 looks awesome, especially with the Fat Man gun and the ability to target individual body parts and shoot people with teddy bears. Gears of War 2 and Final Fantasy 13 looked impressive but not in an 'I need to change my pants' kind of way. The real announcement here was the changes to the Xbox and Xbox Live itself. The new Dashboard interface looks very simple and clean compared to the current version. This is nice but im not sure its something that really matters. With this, they also introduced Avatars. Avatars are the Mii's better looking cousin. I can't give Microsoft credit for originallity here, but at least they are better looking and more human like than Nintendo's Mii characters. I will admit the whole Party concept is great, especially with the ability to watch your friends Netflix movies. Speaking of Netflix, that announcement didn't suprise me in the least. Such a deal has been known to be in the works for many months and while I am glad there is finally an announcement, it didn't have any unknown suprises with it.
Nintendo on the other hand, was a complete snooze. Much like Microsoft, there was a bunch of boring sales data that, while interesting interesting in the past, has lost much of its meaning with monthly NPD data being released to the public. Being a Shawn White fan, I will admit it was cool to see him. Being a fan of snowboarding games since 1080 for the N64, I think this looks interesting although I'm not sure it will make me want to buy the Wii Balance Board. Wii Sports Resort looked interesting when coupled with the Wii Motion Plus, but seemed to lack the really fun games that were apart of the original Wii Sports. Wii Music on the other hand just looked terrible. Not only is it ugly and look strange, there seems to be no skill involved in the game and seems to be about as involved as playing the air guitar. I dont see this game selling very well at all. The most disappointing part of the whole Nintendo event was that they said that the Mario and Zelda teams were working on something, but said nothing more.
Finally, we come to Sony. This was probably the best event out of all of them. While they didnt have any shocker announcements like Microsoft announing Final Fantasy XIII, it was a solid confernece. Unlike the boring data that Nintendo and Microsoft had, Sony talked about their stats and Greatest Hits games using Little Big Planet, an idea that was absolutely brilliant! The movie store was a great announcement as they went directly to the movie studios rather than through Netflix in a move that I see as a huge Screw You! to Microsoft and Netflix. The pricing feels about right for the movies and even feels like a bargain when you find out you are now able to put a copy of the movie on your PSP to take with you anywhere while still having a copy on your PS3. A God of War 3 Trailer was shown off, which made me scream with joy. No ship date though. Finally, their major hardware announcement was a new, 80GB PS3 with the same features as the 40GB PS3 for the same price as the 40GB PS3. Essentailly the 80GB PS3 will now be available again outside of the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle and for $100 less. What is still unclear to me is that if it has the same features as the 40GB, I assume that means that there is no PS2 backward compatibility that has previously existed in the 80GB PS3 units. While I would like some clarification on this, this is still a big announcement and the only major hardware announcement of the event (Microsoft made their announcemnt a day early, so im not counting that).
While there were some decent announcements and solid game demos, compared to years past, there seemed to be a major lack of excitement with the conference. There were very few major game announcements, and the major Halo announcement that everybody was expecting was pulled at the last minute. Hopefully there will be some better game announcements at other shows or this could turn out to be a very disappointing holiday season for gamers.
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
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