Category: Gaming

January 2, 2009

GearBits' Predictions for 2009

Once again, here are GearBits' prognostications for the coming year. If you're interested, check out how our predictions for 2008 panned out, or previous years' predictions.

1) Microsoft Launches Windows 7 to Fanfare, Skepticism
Microsoft's two pillars of financial solvency -- Windows and Office -- have been standing on shaky ground recently. Office 2007 was a decent hit, despite it not offering much new and causing significant backward compatibility issues. But Windows Vista, on the other hand, has been an unmitigated disaster. Microsoft even had to resort to tricking users into liking Vista (Mojave, anyone?), it had developed such a bad reputation. Windows 7 will be launched late in 2009 to a general consensus of "it's better," but will not be the "wow" that Microsoft needs to regain the market share it has recently ceded to Apple. But maybe that's a good thing...having strong competitors is usually a good thing for consumer markets.

2) Blockbuster Declares Bankruptcy
This may be a bit "out there," but I see exceedingly tough times at Blockbuster. And this isn't vindictiveness...I've been a reasonably happy Blockbuster.com customer for several years, now. I just think that, given the state of its business (poor), the weakness in the economy (near-critical), the nature of its service (luxury), and the rapidity with which that industry is transforming, I think Blockbuster will file for bankruptcy protection to get out of some of its debt, sell off some property (store locations that aren't faring well), and reinvest that into developing newer and more attractive services. So, they aren't going away...yet.

3) Palm Launches New OS to Fanfare, Skepticism
We've all heard the rumors that Palm will be launching "Nova," its replacement for the ancient Palm OS, at CES 2009 in a few days. I'm pretty sure that's going to happen. I'm also pretty sure that Palm will have at least one new device, if not several, running the new OS available by the end of June. While launching phones can take a while, given the carriers' lengthy testing requirements, launching a PDA doesn't, so Palm could certainly come out with two (or more) non-phone PDAs running Nova pretty quickly. And it needs to...the TX is older than my grandmother (at least in technology years). Generally, I predict there will be more nice things said about Nova, and the new devices, than critical, and it will stack up fairly competitively with Android and WM 6.5. What I do not have a lot of faith in is Palm's ability to develop and deliver the ecology of services (e.g., app stores) that customers are now expecting their smartphones to be integrated into. Time will tell on that front.

4) Blu-Ray Players Hit $99
During 2009, I think we'll see a raft of Korean and Taiwanese off-brand manufacturers launch budget Blu-Ray players. Just like the 2008 holiday sales saw BD players hit $149 in some stores, 2009 holiday sales will see them hit $99...if not sooner.

5) Apple Launches a Tablet to Fanfare
This has been a persistent rumor for years, but I think 2009 will see it actually happen. Why? A few reasons. First, Apple is looking to multi-touch as a key differentiator in its product lines, and having a full-screen, large-display MT device would make total sense. Second, it fits perfectly with the needs of the "creative class," Apple's core customer base. And third, it fills out a hole in their mobile product line that netbooks and other devices not running OS X fill nicely, and that's not a good thing for Apple. So, the technology is ready, the market is willing...and now I think Apple will be able to meet the demand.

6) Consolidation in the Entertainment Industry
2009 will be a strange year on a lot of dimensions. Not only will the stock market be hard to predict, there will be a lot of odd relationships come out of the mess. One industry that is still poised to make things happen is the entertainment industry, where I expect we'll see larger firms (e.g., major movie studios) start to acquire smaller, but very successful, examples from the newer media (e.g., game producers). A good example of the type of transaction I'm imagining would be Vivendi acquiring Ubisoft. I think Time Warner would love to swallow up Electronic Arts, but that might be a bit too big a bite unless something untoward happens to EA's stock price over the next year.

7) Steve Jobs Announces Transition to New Role
I think concerns over Jobs' health have more merit than most of us want to admit. In 2009, I expect him to announce that he's transitioning into a different role than President and CEO of Apple (and CEO of Pixar). Something that keeps him out of the spotlight while he deals with his health issues will be valuable to keep Apple's stock price up and customer base intact. The move towards reducing his presence in near-term product launches is consistent with this strategy. But, he's far from gone...his influence will still be felt behind the scenes, but we'll see less of him in his traditional role as Apple poster boy.

8) Facebook Membership Growth Flattens; Twitter Surges
Signs are pointing towards Facebook's popularity beginning to peak. Just as with everything social, when moms and dads begin to frequent the coffee shop, the kids need a new place to hang out. Facebook currently has almost 40 million members in the US. While that number has been skyrocketing since it opened up membership to anyone in September 2006, I think 2009 will see a marked deceleration in its growth. The loss of perceived exclusivity and the hassle of the relatively unprotected app space will combine to make it less appealing to many long-time users and new prospects will find fewer people urging them to get on board. Twitter, however, will see continued growth as it continues to tweak and adapt its environment to meet its core users' needs.

9) App Stores Dominate Mobile Software Delivery
iPhone's app store, Android's market...these types of bazaars, managed by the sponsors/manufacturers of the mobile operating systems, are coming to be the dominant mode for software distribution to mobile users. It marks a significant break from the traditional model, where mobile developers could sell software from their own sites, through 3rd party aggregators, and through carriers. This new approach is more streamlined, making it easier for users, but also more controlled, which can make it harder to accommodate large and complex ecosystems. The fact that each of the existing app stores serves a relatively small market is why we haven't seen these problems emerge to a point where they start driving users away. 2009 will see continued movement towards these controlled markets and away from the free-form/multi-channel models that previous mobile generations (e.g., Palm OS, Windows Mobile) relied on.

10) Line Blurs between "Netbooks" and Notebooks/Laptops
Netbooks are currently a fairly homogeneous, and well-defined, niche of laptop computers. Most of them have an Intel Atom processor, a screen from 8.9" to 10" in size, no optical drive, weigh between 2.2 and 3 lbs, and cost $300-$500. There's a big gap in pricing then between these netbooks and the subnotebooks/ultraportables that often have slightly larger screens, way more RAM and processing power, and cost $1,500 or more. To paraphrase the old adage, markets abhor a vacuum, so I expect we'll start seeing all manner of new small notebooks come into the market in this $500-$1000 range sporting screens in the 9"-12" range with anything from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, a variety of operating systems (XP and Linux will continue to be most popular), and a range of processing and display capabilities. Not everyone needs to play Crysis on their notebook, but not everyone can get by with a 1024x600 screen and do everything inside their browser.

So, there you have it...GearBits' predictions for 2009. Some are probably pretty safe bets, and some are bound to be wrong. What do you think will happen?

Posted by Craig in Computing and Gaming and Home A/V and Industry and Internet and Mobile & PDAs and Movies & Books and Phones and Popular Media and Technology
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December 31, 2008

Revisiting GearBits' Predictions for 2008: Lots Right, Some Very, Very Wrong

Each year, we at GearBits post some predictions for the coming year. And then, in the interest of honesty, fairness, and self-deprecation, we take a look back to see how we did. Each of our predictions for 2008 are listed below, along with an update on what actually happened.

1) Blu-Ray Wins the Format War
Yep, I'm going to pick a winner and it's going to be Blu-Ray. The one-two punch of Warner Brothers's move to Blu-Ray exclusivity (from its Switzerland-like neutrality of supporting both formats) later in 2008 and Apple's announcement that BD will be the only HD format available in its products will cement HD DVD's demise. And none too soon. I don't really care which wins...just make it snappy so that prices on players and media can plummet, thanks.

As of now, the end of 2008, it seems like forever since Blu-Ray trounced HD DVD in the format war. But back in early January, it was anyone's guess. But then, on February 18th, Toshiba officially threw in the towel. Interestingly, the Warner Bros. move I thought would happen eventually was actually announced the day after I posted my predictions. Of course, Apple hasn't yet released any products with any form of HD optical drive, so that bit wasn't exactly spot on. And I'm still waiting for my $99 Blu-Ray player. But, overall, this prediction looks pretty solid.

2) Google's Android Shakes Up Phone Industry
For a while now, the cellphone industry has been fairly static. A few smartphone and mobile OS makers have generally tussled for market share, but the overall industry has been pretty evolutionary. Google's entry will prove to be a watershed moment, with open source finally making a big impact in the handheld space (and no, I don't consider the Zaurus to be a big deal...sorry). Actual handsets running Android will be announced, if not available, before the end of 2008.

Depending on your threshold for "shaking up" the phone industry, I think most people would agree that Android made quite a splash in 2008 when the HTC G1 was launched on T-Mobile in the US on September 23rd. And we've already heard of around a dozen hardware makers signed on to release Android handsets. While handset sales still pale in comparison to the iPhone, 2009 looks like it just might be the year of the Android.

3) Palm Supports Android
This is more of a hope than an actual prediction, as I just don't know whether the egos at Palm will let the company do the right thing and admit that their next-generation OS (which has been under development since 2004!) will be a viable contender against Android (which has essentially the same technical details but scads more developer support). But, if cooler, more rational heads prevail at Palm, they'll announce that they're plans will be to produce at least one Android-based product (probably to come out sometime in 2012 :-/ ).

Ouch...I couldn't have been more wrong. While I still think Palm would have been smart to advance their product refurbishment by a full year (maybe more) by going with Android instead of continuing to pursue Nova, the company stuck to its original, go-it-alone plans. We'll see how well that pans out in 2009.

4) Microsoft's HD Photo Replacement for JPEG Image Standard Goes Nowhere
I'm not saying it's a bad idea technically; I'm just saying that JPEG is so entrenched now that replacing it would be about as reasonable a thing to try as would be replacing MP3 with any of the multitudes of better formats. JPEG, like MP3, isn't great, but it's adequate (at least for consumers) and ubiquitous. We'll still be saving all our photos in JPG (and maybe RAW) at the end of 2008...and likely long after that.

JPEG XR, the official name of Microsoft's HD Photo format, has generated essentially zero traction in the camera industry. Part of that is Microsoft's less-than-swift transition of JPEG XR into its quasi-open licensing portfolio, a move that will have to happen for camera makers and developers to trust that they won't be bitten by huge licensing fees in the future if they move their products away from RAW to JPEG XR.

5) Subnotes Will Explode in Availability (and Maybe Popularity)
I've always been a fan of tiny, sub-3-pound laptops, but I think 2008 will see a huge number of these clamshell devices come out of every corner of the consumer electronics space. The Asus EeePC and the OLPC XO Laptop are two examples. While Microsoft had a good idea in its UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) concept, the hardware was just never executed all that well. Frankly, I think a 7" touchscreen for Windows is just too difficult. But, going with the traditional clamshell design and using cheaper and/or smaller technologies (e.g., flash memory instead of a HDD) will bring us a raft of interesting (and some good) designs at <$500 price points. Bring 'em on! And I think we'll start to see a lot more people toting these things along that traditionally avoided laptops for whatever reason (cost, weight, etc.).

Bingo. If the shelves at Best Buy and Circuit City are any indication, these "netbooks" (the now-favored term...at least by everyone except Psion) have multiplied faster than Tribbles on Cialis. One glance at the huuuge list of netbooks over at small-notebooks.com is enough evidence to suggest that this prediction was spot on.

6) The GPS War Heats Up
TomTom, Nokia, and Garmin will exchange hostile fire over the GPS market due to convuluted agreements regarding mapping data as well as market-share for hardware. Products will continue to decline in price and improve in functionality, and >50% of cellphones will have some form of GPS functionality available on them. I guess that's two predictions in one...oh well.

I'm going to give myself this one. While we haven't heard that much more about the complex licensing agreements involving the big three, you need only walk through a Staples, Radio Shack, or Target to see a vast assortment of portable GPS units now available for under $150, most even having text-to-speech and other advanced functions. That's in direct comparison to late last year, when it was difficult to find a decent unit for under $300.

7) DRM Hits Choppy Water
2007 saw some movement away from DRM (digital rights management), especially in the music industry, but I expect we'll see similar initiatives in all areas of media. DRM has been proven again and again to be little more than an expensive technological boondoggle, and the leading innovators at the consumer media interface (e.g., Apple, Amazon, and Google) will make some headway into reversing the trend of more encumbrance for our media. The RIAA and MPAA will continue to fight it...they know how to do nothing else...but economic results will start to demonstrate that DRM actually hurts profitability.

Nope...we didn't hear much consistent with my prediction. While some markets moved towards offering DRM-free downloads, most are still heavily laden. And the RIAA actually reversed its strategy and is now no longer suing everyone and their mother for alleged downloading. So that's two different ways I was off on this one. Just goes to show that there's no telling what the content owners are thinking.

8) Major Tech Stocks End 2008 Up Significantly
These are bound to be wrong, but what the heck...nobody pays me for stock tips. I think Apple will end 2008 at 235, Google will be at 960, and Microsoft will finish the year at 50. As for other stocks, iRobot will end up at either 46 or 12 (can you tell I'm a cynical shareholder?), IBM will show tepid growth to 112, and RIM, hurt by the continued weak US dollar and facing increasing competition, will struggle to match its 1-year high of 127.

Uh, no. While I doubt many saw the massive downturn in stocks coming, tech stocks are decidedly not even slightly better off than most. Let's see how my specific price predictions held up:
  • Apple (AAPL): Predicted = 235; Actual = 86.29
  • Google (GOOG): Predicted = 960; Actual = 303.11
  • Microsoft (MSFT): Predicted = 50; Actual = 19.34
  • iRobot (IRBT): Predicted = 46 or 12; Actual = 8.95
  • IBM (IBM): Predicted = 112; Actual = 83.55
  • Research in Motion (RIMM): Predicted = 127; Actual = 38.77
In summary, do not ask me to manage your stock portfolio...you would be better served by setting your money on fire, as then you could at least stay warm for a while.

9) I Buy a New Laptop and Am Disappointed
My Panasonic CF-W2 is now three-and-a-half-years-old and I'm starting to cringe every time I turn it on (my luck with hard drives makes me skeptical of many living past their 4th birthday). I've been looking at possible replacements (e.g., Toshiba R500, Panasonic W7, maybe the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 or the rumored Apple subnote) and so far every single one has some significant trade-offs. So, I expect I'll get one and it will turn out to be not significantly better than my aging Toughbook. You'd think in nearly four years that two grand would buy something markedly superior. We'll see...

Unfortunately, I was right on this. The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 I ended up purchasing in February is a good laptop...don't get me wrong. It's just not a heads-and-shoulders better laptop than my ToughBook was, and that's what I was expecting given the nearly 4 years newer technology and the $2500 it cost. And, given that I've already had to send it in for a repair (the power button broke off), I'm guessing the durability won't even come close to that of the Panasonic (which I still use regularly around the house).

10) Major Changes in Automotive Industry Announced
While the car business makes actual change only very slowly, we'll see some huge announcements in 2008 that will fundamentally change the future of that industry. Things like record oil prices, an increasing attention to sustainable/green technology, and significant ownership changes will substantially change the competitive landscape. Make no mistake; Toyota will continue its ascent and eclipse GM as #1 car-maker in the world. But, we will see several major announcements that will start affecting actual consumers in 2009 and beyond.

While I didn't get the stock predictions exactly right (OK, not even close), I think it's safe to say that the US automotive industry has been shaken up with major changes during 2008. We saw record oil prices (check!), more attention to green tech (check!), and the bottom dropping out of US consumption didn't leave them anywhere to go except to the Congress for help. And Toyota did indeed become the biggest carmaker in the world in 2008, just as predicted. Let's hope the Volt truly is something special...for all our sakes.

So, there you have it: our final score is 7 winners and 3 losers. I'll take it. :-)

In a couple of days, I'll be posting GearBits' predictions for 2009, so make sure you come back and check those out, m'kay?

Posted by Craig in Cars and Computing and Gaming and Home A/V and Industry and Internet and Mobile & PDAs and Other and Phones and Photography and Popular Media and Science & Nature and Society / Politics and Technology and Wireless
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March 22, 2008

Doom II Manual Signed by iD Software Team

I was Googling around for something completely unrelated and came across a thread on a gaming site asking if anybody had signed boxes of Doom. It reminded me of a business trip to Dallas I took in early 1995. As a big Doom player at the time (oh how I loved those lunchtime frag-fests on the office LAN), I figured a side-trip to visit iD Software was definitely in order.

So the colleague I was traveling with and I looked up their office in the phone book (seems quaint, I know) and drove over. We went up to the second (or third) floor of a nondescript office building where they had a suite. I asked their receptionist if I could buy a boxed copy of Doom; I thought that saying I had a copy of Doom I bought at iD would be a nifty memento. She said they only had copies of Doom II on hand, so that'd have to do.

I mentioned that I was on a business trip and had come from Cincinnati. This fact, that I had traveled from another state, seemed to impress her, and she offered to have the designers sign the instruction manual. Of course, I said that'd be great. So she ripped open the box, took out the manual, and proceeded to walk around the office having people sign the credits page (see below).

What was even more surreal was having John Carmack give us a tour of the offices. He showed us a game they were developing (he didn't tell us the name, but it turned out to be Quake) and then he had to rush off to an interview and photo-shoot with a gaming magazine they were having there that day. Seeing the the software engineers photographed holding swords and laser guns and wearing Viking helmets was quite a sight (if anyone knows the name of the mag or has a copy of this issue, please let me know). I remember looking out the office windows and seeing Carmack and John Romero posing outside in the parking lot beside their twin Ferraris (one red and one yellow). I think a took a picture of that...I'll post it if I can find it.

Anyway, it was quite a neat experience. Here's a shot of the manual the team autographed (signers include Jay Wilbur, John Romero, Kevin Cloud, John Carmack, Dave Taylor, and Sandy Peterson):

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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March 4, 2008

Farewell and Thanks, Gary Gygax

My sister just informed me that Gary Gygax, co-inventor of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died this morning. When she told me (txted me, actually), along with the sincere sorrow I felt (this guy was my hero when I was 10), two questions popped into my head.

First, how did he die? Was it a vicious kobold ambush? An undetected poison needle trap? A villainous evil mage with an axe to grind (figuratively speaking, of course; mages don't use axes)? I've looked and I still can't find a cause of death. Surely the great DM wouldn't have passed away of natural causes!

Second, how did I not know this? I'm a connected individual; I eat and sleep RSS feeds around the clock. It makes me wonder whether I'm watching the right sources for something this important to have slipped through.

I think I may have to dig through my box of original D&D (and AD&D) stuff tonight, just to get a whiff of the ol' magic and fondle my d20s one more time.

Thanks, Gary...your vision, talent, and effort changed my life...for the better.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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March 3, 2008

The Zoo Game: Homebrew Board Game for Young Children

My daughter, who's 3 now, and I have discovered that we enjoy making board games together. She enjoyed Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders, but tired of them quickly. So, we decided to try and make our own using stuff around the house. After two pretty successful (i.e., she still enjoys playing them a few months later) games, we attempted our most ambitious one yet: The Zoo Game. It's fun, cost all of $8 to make, and, after spending two hours putting it together, we've spent several hours playing different versions of it. So, I thought I'd document it here in case anyone else with little kids wanted a starting point for making their own game.

Constructing The Zoo Game

The Zoo Game is your basic roll-a-die-and-move-around-the-board-trying-to-accomplish-things type of boardgame. The theme is, obviously, a zoo, and the general objective is visiting the animals in the zoo. Here's a photo of the board as we constructed it, set up and ready for play:

Around the periphery of the board are the animal cards. We made 4 cards for each of the 10 animals at our zoo (you can have as many or as few animals as you like) by cutting 3"x5" index cards in half. Each animal card has on it a sticker of the animal it represents (we bought two packs of animal stickers for $1.99 each...yeah, Michael's is expensive, but they have everything). I tried to make the animal cards look like Polaroids (R.I.P.), to suggest that we're going around the park taking pictures of the animals, but you can give them whatever treatment you like. We're planning on writing things about the different animals on the backs of the cards -- things a toddler would like, such as the names of the babies, mommies, and daddies (e.g., Elephant: Daddy = Bull, Mommy = Cow, Baby = Calf).

Above the top of the board is a stack of "Zoo Cards" -- I'll explain those later.

The board itself is basically two largish sheets of cardstock (like posterboard) I had laying around the house joined on the back by a strip of masking tape (so you can easily fold up the board for storage). We basically just drew the board and colored it in with markers, so nothing fancy there.

Scattered around the board, each of the ten animals has a "pen" -- the big oval with the animal's name in it. To add to the richness of the board (and to help make it more educational by helping her associate the word with the animal), we bought a set of small plastic animals from Target (16 mixed animals for $3.99) and place the corresponding animal in each pen when we set up the game. Hint: If you want to do the plastic animal bit, find and buy the animals before you buy the stickers and make the rest of the game.

In the center of the board is the Merry-Go-Round -- the starting place for all players. If your zoo has a different noteworthy landmark, feel free to substitute it.

The die was borrowed from another game we don't play anymore. One thing we did was put a monkey-face sticker on the '6' -- that signifies that the player is to draw a Zoo Card.

Zoo Cards are also made from halves of 3"x5" index cards. On one side is written a big "Z" and on the other is written one of several actions. The actions we have are as follows (but feel free to make up your own; the sillier the better):
    • Visit the [animal] (1 card for each of the ten animals)
    • Ride the Merry-Go-Round (2)
    • Feed the Peacocks - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Wait in Line - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Have to Go Potty - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Dropped Your Blankie - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Take a Nap - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Have a Snack - Miss This Turn (1)
    • Sugar Buzz - Take Another Turn (1)
    • Wild Card - Visit the Animal of Your Choice (1)

The last bit was player pieces. We actually re-use the player pieces we made for a previous game, but you can use or make whatever you like. Just make sure the bases fit in the squares you draw for paths; little kids tend to get confused if the piece covers more than one space.

The Zoo Game Gameplay

Someone goes first by rolling the die. If she rolls a number (1-5), she moves that number of spaces along a path. If she hits an animal space within that number of spaces, she stops and picks up the animal card. If, however, the player already has that animal card, the animal space counts just like a normal space and the player can move through it on that same turn if she rolled a high enough number.

If the player rolls a 6 on the die, he draws a Zoo Card and immediately does whatever the Zoo Card tells him to do. Play then passes to the player on the left.

The first player to collect all 10 animal cards wins immediately upon collecting the tenth card (we don't require the player to return to the Merry-Go-Round space, but that's up to you).

Gameplay Variation

One interesting variant on the gameplay described above that we've tried (and prefer) is to place just a single animal card next to each animal pen. The first player to reach that animal space gets the card. The game ends when the last animal card is picked up. The winner is the player with the most animal cards. This variant is quite fun in that the Zoo Cards can cause quite the uproar when you're 2 spaces from a much-needed animal and you're suddenly sent to the other side of the board. It's also a much quicker game (good for kids with shorter attention spans, or adults who've had too much caffeine).

Anyway, if this inspires you to make your own game with your kid(s), let me know how it goes. Have fun...

Posted by Craig in Family and Gaming and Other
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January 10, 2008

Endless Ocean on Wii Looks Interesting

Nintendo's forthcoming Wii title Endless Ocean is compelling to me for one reason: it might be something I can play with my 3-year-old daughter.

Finding video games suitable for toddlers is nearly impossible, yet it would seem to be a natural market for the Wii with its simple and innovative controllers. Why not make a cheap game that just does funky things with sounds, lights, and pictures as you wave the remote around? Heck, that's a stock display at science museums, yet there's nothing like that for consoles. Odd, no?

Update: It looks like Electronic Arts has anticipated my wants and announced EA Playground. It looks like it might be great for young kids, but how a toddler might react to it is as yet unknown.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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January 4, 2008

GearBits' Predictions for 2008

As has become customary around the changing of the calendar, here are GearBits' official predictions for 2008.

1) Blu-Ray Wins the Format War
Yep, I'm going to pick a winner and it's going to be Blu-Ray. The one-two punch of Warner Brothers's move to Blu-Ray exclusivity (from its Switzerland-like neutrality of supporting both formats) later in 2008 and Apple's announcement that BD will be the only HD format available in its products will cement HD DVD's demise. And none too soon. I don't really care which wins...just make it snappy so that prices on players and media can plummet, thanks.

2) Google's Android Shakes Up Phone Industry
For a while now, the cellphone industry has been fairly static. A few smartphone and mobile OS makers have generally tussled for market share, but the overall industry has been pretty evolutionary. Google's entry will prove to be a watershed moment, with open source finally making a big impact in the handheld space (and no, I don't consider the Zaurus to be a big deal...sorry). Actual handsets running Android will be announced, if not available, before the end of 2008.

3) Palm Supports Android
This is more of a hope than an actual prediction, as I just don't know whether the egos at Palm will let the company do the right thing and admit that their next-generation OS (which has been under development since 2004!) will be a viable contender against Android (which has essentially the same technical details but scads more developer support). But, if cooler, more rational heads prevail at Palm, they'll announce that they're plans will be to produce at least one Android-based product (probably to come out sometime in 2012 :-/ ).

4) Microsoft's HD Photo Replacement for JPEG Image Standard Goes Nowhere
I'm not saying it's a bad idea technically; I'm just saying that JPEG is so entrenched now that replacing it would be about as reasonable a thing to try as would be replacing MP3 with any of the multitudes of better formats. JPEG, like MP3, isn't great, but it's adequate (at least for consumers) and ubiquitous. We'll still be saving all our photos in JPG (and maybe RAW) at the end of 2008...and likely long after that.

5) Subnotes Will Explode in Availability (and Maybe Popularity)
I've always been a fan of tiny, sub-3-pound laptops, but I think 2008 will see a huge number of these clamshell devices come out of every corner of the consumer electronics space. The Asus EeePC and the OLPC XO Laptop are two examples. While Microsoft had a good idea in its UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) concept, the hardware was just never executed all that well. Frankly, I think a 7" touchscreen for Windows is just too difficult. But, going with the traditional clamshell design and using cheaper and/or smaller technologies (e.g., flash memory instead of a HDD) will bring us a raft of interesting (and some good) designs at <$500 price points. Bring 'em on! And I think we'll start to see a lot more people toting these things along that traditionally avoided laptops for whatever reason (cost, weight, etc.).

6) The GPS War Heats Up
TomTom, Nokia, and Garmin will exchange hostile fire over the GPS market due to convuluted agreements regarding mapping data as well as market-share for hardware. Products will continue to decline in price and improve in functionality, and >50% of cellphones will have some form of GPS functionality available on them. I guess that's two predictions in one...oh well.

7) DRM Hits Choppy Water
2007 saw some movement away from DRM (digital rights management), especially in the music industry, but I expect we'll see similar initiatives in all areas of media. DRM has been proven again and again to be little more than an expensive technological boondoggle, and the leading innovators at the consumer media interface (e.g., Apple, Amazon, and Google) will make some headway into reversing the trend of more encumbrance for our media. The RIAA and MPAA will continue to fight it...they know how to do nothing else...but economic results will start to demonstrate that DRM actually hurts profitability.

8) Major Tech Stocks End 2008 Up Significantly
These are bound to be wrong, but what the heck...nobody pays me for stock tips. I think Apple will end 2008 at 235, Google will be at 960, and Microsoft will finish the year at 50. As for other stocks, iRobot will end up at either 46 or 12 (can you tell I'm a cynical shareholder?), IBM will show tepid growth to 112, and RIM, hurt by the continued weak US dollar and facing increasing competition, will struggle to match its 1-year high of 127.

9) I Buy a New Laptop and Am Disappointed
My Panasonic CF-W2 is now three-and-a-half-years-old and I'm starting to cringe every time I turn it on (my luck with hard drives makes me skeptical of many living past their 4th birthday). I've been looking at possible replacements (e.g., Toshiba R500, Panasonic W7, maybe the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 or the rumored Apple subnote) and so far every single one has some significant trade-offs. So, I expect I'll get one and it will turn out to be not significantly better than my aging Toughbook. You'd think in nearly four years that two grand would buy something markedly superior. We'll see...

10) Major Changes in Automotive Industry Announced
While the car business makes actual change only very slowly, we'll see some huge announcements in 2008 that will fundamentally change the future of that industry. Things like record oil prices, an increasing attention to sustainable/green technology, and significant ownership changes will substantially change the competitive landscape. Make no mistake; Toyota will continue its ascent and eclipse GM as #1 car-maker in the world. But, we will see several major announcements that will start affecting actual consumers in 2009 and beyond.

So, I'll check back in about 12 months to see how I fared. In the meantime, what do you think will happen?

Posted by Craig in Computing and Gaming and Home A/V and Industry and Internet and Other and Phones and Photography and Popular Media and Science & Nature and Society / Politics and Technology and Wireless
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July 15, 2007

Wii's Interactive, Full-Body Gaming Opportunities

A few days ago, I posted about the recently demonstrated Wii Balance Board hardware accessory for the Wii Fit game forthcoming for Nintendo's Wii gaming console. In a nutshell, it's a small step-board (shown to the left) that detects foot pressure and wirelessly conveys that data back to the Wii.

Today, it occurred to me how Nintendo (or any third-party developer) could combine the Wii's standard handheld controllers -- the Wiimote and the Nunchuk (shown to the right) -- with the Wii Balance Board to offer a very interactive, full-body gaming experience.

Imagine a first-person shooter where, to walk or run forward, the user walks or runs in place on the Balance Board. Or, perhaps if that's too much effort, leaning forward or backward could control movement in those directions. Jumping, a common activity in FPS games, would be accomplished by doing the physical analog (bunny-hopping becomes much less of an issue, then). The two handheld controllers could then be used for more precision-oriented input, such as view direction, weapon selection, and firing.

Or, alternately, think about how many sports-oriented games require foot/leg-based movement that could be handled instead via the Wii Balance Board. Snowboarding and skiing would be natural treatments.

What about side-scrollers? Imagine Super Mario Brothers where you need to walk on the Balance Board to move Mario left and right. Would it be more fun? I dunno, but it would certainly be more work (and a better workout) than simply pressing a button with your thumb.

Anyway, I'm sure this is just the tip of the virtual iceberg. I look forward to Nintendo and its development partners coming out with even more innovative uses for all these nifty, wireless controllers. I hope gaming in 10 years looks little like the sedentary, sit-on-the-couch-and-stare-at-the-TV activity that it has for 20-some years now.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Health & Medicine
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July 12, 2007

Wii Fit Looks Like a Boatload of Fun...and Fitness

The good ideas just keep rolling out of Nintendo.

Check it out!

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May 18, 2007

Reminiscing Intellivision

MSN Tech & Gadgets has an Intellivision love-fest slideshow thing going on right now. My Intellivision, which I purchased in 1981 with grass-mowing money, was my first ever gaming console and I still have a softness in my heart for it.

Since I know this MSN slideshow won't be around forever, I'm reproducing it in the extended entry here for posterity. MSN's accompanying article, The Classics Never Die is a fun read as well.

Intellivision master component was released in 1980 and retailed for $300.

The original Intellivision console featured a 16-bit 1 Mhz 1610 microprocessor; 4K internal ROM operating system; 2K RAM; two hand controllers with 12 button keypad, 4 action keys, 16-direction disc; 159 by 96 pixel background resolution; 16 colors; 8 moving objects; three-channel music generator and played external ROM game cartridges.

Space Armada is a clone of the arcade game Space Invaders. According to Mattel lawyers, the copyright of the original game hadn't been properly protected, so any other company could make their own version as long as they changed the name ("Space Invaders" is a trademark). Space Armada was the first Intellivision game to take advantage of sequencing GRAM to create the illusion of more than eight moving objects on-screen at one time.

NFL Football featured over 180 offensive and defensive plays. The computer kept track of time and score while the crowd let you know what they thought of your performance.

The alien squadron is closing in on your Mother Ship in the game Space Battle.

George Plimpton, also known as 'Mr. Intellivision', was a celebrity spokesperson for Intellivision in the early 1980s. Plimpton's TV and print commercials usually featured him directly comparing Atari 2600 games with Intellivision games and pointing out "The difference is clear."

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April 17, 2007

Wii Game Idea: Rock, Paper, Scissors

OK, imagine a Nintendo Wii version of the classic head-to-head game Rock, Paper, Scissors. Sure, there already exists a rather uninspired Flash version (playable on the Wii via its Opera browser), but I'm talking about a full-fledged, totally decked out, ultra-creative version of the game.

Maybe instead of rock, paper, and scissors, you get more creative weaponry. Winning might engender a super-psychedelic explosion, sending the loser's Mii somersaulting backwards.

It seems like it would be easy to do with the Wiimote. Just shake, shake, button-press to select your option: nothing for Rock, A for Paper, B for Scissors.

Heck, why stop with three options? Why stop with two players? I bet the geniuses at Nintendo could come up with some very entertaining variations that would fit the quirky nature of the Wii quite well.

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March 31, 2007

Robot Bowls Perfect '300' Games on Wii Bowling

If there wasn't a video of this Lego Mindstorms robot throwing a perfect game on the Nintendo Wii, I never would have believed it.

I, for one, welcome our new bumpy plastic automaton overlords.

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March 24, 2007

Wii Looks to Seniors for Added Sales

Just saw this interesting article on CNN.com ("Retirees find Wii not just for the grandkids"), which talks about how the Nintendo Wii is becoming very popular in retirement communities and nursing homes as a means for low-impact exercise for the elderly.

Given that Baby Boomers are now entering their 60's, if the Wii can start making inroads into that expansive, and cash-rich, market, it's very well positioned to maintain its sales lead over other consoles.

On a related note, I just discovered an interesting website: MapWii.com. Wii owners can register their consoles at the website along with geographic location and interests. Then, using the "Mii Parade" function, users can invite others' Miis to their consoles for a bit of low-res socializing. If you think MapWii.com looks funny, it's formatted to work on the Wii's own Opera web browser.

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March 19, 2007

A Game Console to Replace My Intellivision? Yes!

In 1981, I plunked down $200 of my own, hard-earned money and brought home my beloved Intellivision. Yesterday, some 26 years later, I purchased my first video game console since.

Was it the venerable Xbox360, with its increasingly massive sub-economy of add-ons (especially system coolers, for some reason), accessories, and software? No.

Was it the new Sony PS3, with its impressive, cutting-edge graphics and Blu-ray capabilities? No.

As you likely guessed from the picture, it's the new Nintendo Wii.

First, why has it taken me so long to get a new console? Primarily because I do all my gaming on my PC. Ever since my Apple IIe and the various PCs that followed it, I've had little need for gaming hardware since the computer is itself a very capable gaming system.

But, given that, why the Wii? Three reasons. First, it's the least expensive of the three current-generation consoles. I don't plan to play this a ton (heck, I don't have the time to do anything fun a lot), so I'm certainly not willing to plunk down a big pile of cash for it.

Second, it's different. Not only is it different in terms of who makes it (I'm not a big fan of Sony or Microsoft's business practices, so it makes it hard to support their products), but it's different in that it approaches gameplay from a very different idea perspective. Instead of participating in the graphics arms race that Xbox and Playstation do, Wii instead tries to reinvent the human interface and enhance personalization. And that's a worthwhile endeavor in my book.

Third, it's, well, fun. After watching several demos of the Wii in action, I thought this might be something I can play with the whole family. Nobody else in my family is going to have any interest in picking up a traditional multi-joystick controller and sitting on the couch for hours. But nearly everybody old enough to write his name is going to find swinging a virtual tennis racket or golf club quite entertaining (and watching others do that nearly as much).

So far, after having the unit for a whopping 24 hours, I don't regret the purchase. But we'll see how much use it gets in a couple of months when the weather is nicer...

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March 16, 2007

Nintendo Wii Tops February Console Sales

Apparently, my prediction that Nintendo would emerge the top gaming company in 2007 is off to a roaring start. February's sales numbers show the Wii as the top-selling console (CNET).

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January 2, 2007

GearBits' Predictions for 2007

As per tradition (OK, for at least the third time), here are my predictions for the upcoming year, 2007:

1) Apple's iPod continues PMP domination
Thought I'd start off with a safe one. Yep, I don't think too many would argue that the iPod is poised to remain the de facto standard in portable media players. Given that the #1 seller in Amazon's electronics category during the 2006 holiday season was the iPod by a significant margin, and given that accessories for all other PMPs combined amount to about 1/100th of what's available for the iPod, there's really no doubt that newcomers will have a hard time challenging the king, despite any technical advantages.

2) 802.11n gets ratified and gear floods to market
802.11n, the next generation of that family of wireless networking standards, has been forever in getting off the ground. 2007 should see its final certification, opening the gates to loads of networking hardware compliant to the new standard.

3) Film cameras all but disappear from electronics stores
While you'll still be able to find cheap disposables, it will become nearly impossible to find any mainstream electronics retailer selling more than one or two token models. $99 digital cameras from recognizable brands will become commonplace.

4) Nintendo tops Sony and Microsoft as gaming overlord
Not a big leap here, but Nintendo, through its Wii and DS lines, will lead all brands in game unit sales in 2007. Sony will retain the crown of technological leader (and work though its Blu-Ray production issues), and Microsoft will continue to play the spoiler in the industry.

5) TiVo is acquired
If this prediction was good enough to be wrong in 2006, then it's good enough for 2007 as well.

6) Google launches the GooglePhone
Google, in partnership with some handheld maker and/or carrier, will launch a branded QWERTY smartphone that natively runs its main offerings (e.g., Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps, Google Talk, etc.). Maybe I'm predicting this purely out of desire -- I so want such a device -- but I do think it will happen eventually.

7) eBay sells Skype
You heard it here first. Or maybe you didn't. Either way, this is a long-shot prediction, but I think Meg Whitman is smart enough to realize that Skype is worth more to eBay when it's owned by somebody else.

8) Palm brings Jeff Hawkins back to reinvent Treo line
The current Treo line is getting a bit long in the tooth (not to mention the now-ancient Palm OS, which Palm just repurchased the permanent rights to) and its sales are likely getting pinched by slimmer, more aesthetically appealing (while not as functional, but a lot of people by phones based on looks...kind of like how they pick boy/girlfriends in college) offerings from Motorola and others. So, since Palm doesn't seem capable of designing anything anyone wants to buy on its own, the company will announce that Jeff Hawkins is coming back to help lead the development of the next-generation Treo. And many will ask, "What took you so long?"

9) HD-DVD and Blu-Ray persist; nobody cares
More devices will be available at cheaper prices, but sales of both players and media will continue to be tepid. Not only is renting becoming the dominant mode of DVD acquisition, but the current quality of standard dual-layer DVDs is perfectly adequate for 99% of the population. Maybe in a few years, the proliferating 1080p sets will drive people to want high-def movies, but it won't be as rapid an adoption rate as the original DVD was.

10) Robots become sentient, destroy all of humanity
On a related note, iRobot's stock price will double in 2007 as a result of strong sales and the announcement that a first-gen AI will take over as President and CEO.

Have a good year, everyone!

Posted by Craig in Computing and Gaming and Home A/V and Industry and Internet and Mobile & PDAs and Phones and Photography and Society / Politics and Technology
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November 20, 2006

'Wii' Not So Dumb a Name After All

Nintendo's recently launched Wii console is getting good press and technical kudos, despite what some people consider a silly or idiotic name.

I disagree, for one reason: search engines. It's becoming harder and harder to find a short combination of letters that is both pronounceable and easily memorable yet not readily confused with something else already using a similar name. "Wii" is unique...almost. The only things using that name are some institutes and companies with the initials W I I, and those aren't common or well-known. So, searching the web for "Wii" is likely to turn up sites relevant to the gaming system well ahead of anything less relevant to those interested in the console. Plus, it sounds, well, fun.

And just ask yourself...is "Zune" any better?

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April 27, 2006

More Battlefield 2142 Screenshots on GameSpy

Oh, mama!

I think EA Games may have another winner on its hands.

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March 30, 2006

EA Games Teaser: Battlefield 2142

I'm a big fan of both the old-school MechWarrior/Battletech games and the new Battlefield 2 FPS that EA Games launched last year.

So naturally I'm excited by EA Games' latest product preview/teaser for its upcoming Battlefield 2142. Battlefield 2142 looks to be a futuristic combination of infantry, vehicle, water/aircraft, and battlemech combat. If done in EA/Dice's highly technical, yet playable, style, this should be one hella game.

Supposedly, it's due out this Fall...I can't wait.

Here's the trailer, courtesy of YouTube:

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November 23, 2005

Xbox 360 as Stable as a Drunk Two-Year-Old on Stilts?

Engadget: Users report Xbox 360 "crashing like mad"

Not clear why...yet.

Just reminds me that I never, ever want any Microsoft code or components responsible for operating my car or house.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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October 26, 2005

What is the Name of this Classic Computer Game?

I played the crap out of this game on my PC sometime between 1989 and 1992 and now I can't remember the name of it...I'm hoping somebody can clue me in.

Basically, you flew from planet to planet, exploring them and finding new plants, animals, and minerals. You could scan a planet (a la Star Trek) to determine its atmosphere, etc. and then decide whether or not to land and explore in your rover. I don't remember much beyond the fact that it seemed to have bajillions of planets and loads of different kinds of things you could find. It had decent graphics (for the time...better than CGA...maybe VGA?). Any ideas?

Feel free to post your own hazy memory of a classic computer game as a comment below.

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September 6, 2005

When Success Is Your Worst Enemy

EA Games figured that sales of Battlefield 2, their oddly named third installation in the Battlefield series of war-themed first-person shooters, would be good. But apparently not this good.

One of the increasingly important features of BF2 is its persistent scoring model. When players log in to EA's central account server before playing on a recognized game server, EA will track that player's stats. Everything from your shot accuracy with the grenade launcher to how many times you were shot down in a chopper is recorded, meaning that a new world of statistics and player-versus-player comparisons is possible.

Numerous websites and PC utilities have been set up to allow players to access their detailed stats outside the actual game environment. Some of the sites have concocted some really innovative stats reporting as well. One even will let you compare two players and show the higher score, color-coded for which player pwns that stat.

However, EA Games was apparently clueless about the potential interest in these stats. Their stats server (one?) is completely unable to cope with the volume of requests. So instead of rapidly scaling up their capacity, they simply block access from the most popular sites and apps. This ticks off users and makes site owners work twice as hard to circumvent/accommodate the block while also trying to explain to their visitors why players' stats aren't being updated. It's a stupid and frustrating reaction to a stupid and frustrating problem.

EA Games, take note: if you build it, sometimes they actually will come, but then you better be ready when they do.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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August 4, 2005

Christian-Oriented Gaming the Next Frontier?

Wired posted an interesting story about how makers of Christianity-based video games are trying to woo console and handheld gaming platform makers to help them promote their products.

Christians looking to provide alternatives to the sex and violence of video games like Grand Theft Auto are trying to attract some of the PlayStation generation with more wholesome fare.

Fledgling companies from around the globe showed off new titles focusing on morality and stories from the Old and New Testaments aimed at pre-kindergarten to young adults at the Christian Game Developers Conference here last week.

The startup companies hope that games with biblical messages can parallel the recent surge in the popularity of Christian music and cinema. But don't look for multiplayer smiting or wrathful vengeance in their offerings: The games that will show up on retail shelves in time for Christmas emphasize narrative stories and learning rather than action.

I predict these games based on "learning rather than action" will appeal to nobody over the age of 10, and certainly not the segment of the market who is most likely to have a PS/2, PSP, or Xbox. However, if we just look at some recent news headlines, some interesting ideas for novel Christian-oriented video games start to materialize:

• Rudolph Gets Two Life Terms for Alabama Abortion Clinic Bombing -- There's a creative game concept for the action-oriented Christian faithful: bomb an abortion clinic. This has Tactical FPS written all over it, maybe even collaborative online play for taking on the dreaded Planned Parenthood coalition. Bonus points can be scored by taking out morally corrupt "activist judges" as well.

• Thousands Gather to Celebrate Megachurch -- The obvious extension is...SimChurch! That's right, you can be the shepherd of your very own mega-flock. Run marketing campaigns and membership drives, gain sermon skill points to motivate your congregation, and compare your score (a combination of conversions, baptisms, and average weekly donations) to those of your friends. A Catholic priest plug-in allows special counseling sessions with young parishioners, but don't get caught or your total score will suffer (the plug-in is rated 'M' for mature).

• Fanning the Controversy Over 'Intelligent Design' -- The obvious game concept here is to Be The Designer! Design your own planet -- even create sentient beings in your own image -- and then watch how it plays out over an accelerated period of 4,000 years. You decide whether you want to be an activist designer and interact with the planet's residents directly (via the "Miracle", "Flood", and "Plague" buttons) or you can play totally hands-off (although this would probably become pretty boring after a short while). You can even try out different "original sins" and see which combination results in the most corrupt life forms. Think of it as "Civilization" without the interesting bits.

So, I think you can see that with just a bit of creative exploration, the Christian-oriented game biz could come out with some really compelling new concepts. Definitely something to keep an eye on...

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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August 2, 2005

Battlefield 2 Stats

OK, I'm addicted to Battlefield 2 (a.k.a. Battlefield2 or BF2). It's a terrific game -- very good mix of strategy and FPS action.

Related to that, I just came across an amazing site: bf2s.com. There you can get all the stats on any player registered in the BF2 system (which is required to play online). One of the neatest features is the ability to compare two players: the resulting page shows only one set of numbers, but the numbers are color-coded to show who has the lead in each stat.

Also, you can create your own personal leaderboard, say, for a team, and see a constantly updated summary of each member's stats on a single page. Very cool stuff.

Update (8/8/05): Well, BF2S.com seems to have had its tie to the stats server severed, so in the meantime, check out www.paradroid.net/bf2stats. Not as complete, but very quick to update.

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November 11, 2004

Halo 2

Got to play Halo 2 tonight...quite fun. Hadn't ever played Halo, and having spent 10 years getting good at mouse+keyboard controls from PC gaming, adapting to the controller thingamajig took some doing. But, overall, I didn't embarrass myself...too badly. ;-)

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May 18, 2004

Mobile Gear: What Features Take Precedence?

I'm fascinated by how consumers categorize their technology. For example, what's the difference between a phone with PDA capabilities and a PDA with phone capabilities? Yet, for some reason, consumers make these distinctions. What's really troubling is that the consultants and pundits (e.g., Gartner) seem to have latched onto certain categories and are pitting one against the other as if it were an illegal dogfight...last one standing wins.

So, let's recap what can be observed out in the marketplace today. What features seem to drive name/image dominance for handheld and mobile devices?

1. Phone -- If a device can be used as a voice phone on a cellular network, it is generally first and foremost considered a phone. Some exceptions to this include the Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, which people generally regard as PDAs, and the Palm Tungsten W, which people generally regarded as a piece of crap. So, the phone feature seems to dominate all other features...generally.

2. Gaming -- Second behind phone is gaming. If a handheld has significant game-playing capabilities, but is not a phone, it will essentially be labeled a gaming device. An example of this is Nokia's n-Gage -- it's a crappy phone and a decent gaming device, yet people still refer to it as a phone. However, consider the Tapwave Zodiac. The Zodiac is considered a gaming handheld despite it having significant PDA capabilities. Were it to have phone functionality, I posit that folks would refer to it as a phone (a la the n-Gage).

3. PDA/PIM -- Personal Digital Assistant or Personal Information Management functionality seems to be third on the influential feature list. If a device has this, but is not a phone or a gaming device, it is generally considered a PDA. There are relatively few exceptions, with the iPod being the most (only?) noteworthy one. The iPod's PIM functionality is crude at best, so perhaps this isn't really even that much of an exception.

4a. Camera -- Camera functionality (both still and video) seems to have no dominance over any other feature. The Sony Clies and the Palm Zires that have cameras are still primarily considered PDAs, and my Treo 600, which has a camera (albeit a lame one), is still considered a phone. Only devices that are strictly cameras (i.e., have no other significant capability) are regarded as cameras. The only exception I've found in this regard is the Panasonic series of multi-function devices (e.g., their D-Snap line) that combine a still camera, video camera, MP3 player, and voice recorder all in one. In that device, the camera dominates the MP3 functionality.

4b. MP3/Media Player -- Being able to play music or video clips is a laudable objective for a handheld. However, it is fairly undistinguishing if this is all a device can do. Most other features (e.g., phone, gaming, and PDA/PIM) overshadow music and video playing if those features are present on the device. Consider (again) the Tapwave Zodiac. It's an excellent multimedia device, yet folks think of it first as a gaming handheld and then as a PDA, with audio and video as an "oh, yeah, it can do this too" feature. Only dedicated devices like the forthcoming Samsung Yepp YH-999 Portable Media Center are known for their audio/video playback capabilities. Were these to have phone functionality or gaming controls or established PDA/PIM functionality, they wouldn't be nearly as lauded for their A/V features. At least that's my guess.

Note that I have Camera and MP3/Video as tied for fourth. It seems there are a lot of examples of cameras that can do the audio/video playback thing and A/V devices with built-in cameras, so I don't see a clear precedence here. Maybe that will emerge as dedicated A/V devices get better and people start considering camera functionality as almost an assumed feature for mid- to upper-level electronics.

OK, I'm interested in hearing what you all think about my theory here. What are the exceptions (gadgets) to my rules that you've seen?

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Phones and Society / Politics
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April 15, 2004

Nokia Re-N-Gages

Nokia has just announced the latest addition to their N-Gage series, the N-Gage QD.

The N-Gage QD improves on the original with a number of new features, including a brighter screen, a better user interface and game controls, a hot-swappable multimedia (MMC) slot, better battery life, and new smartphone features.

The new smartphone features include personal information management, email, and an XHTML browser.

In addition, the microphone and speaker in the QD have been reoriented from the original, making for easier handling as a phone.

A new launcher application simplifies connecting the Nokia's mobile network community via the N-Gage Arena, downloading and playing all available titles, as well as taking part in multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth wireless.

Nokia expects pricing to be in the range of $199 at retail, or $99 with a mobile contract. The N-Gage QD game deck is expected to be available in May-June 2004 worldwide.

Posted by Sam in Gaming and Industry and Phones
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March 27, 2004

D-Day for Sony PSP Game Platform

Sony has announced a release date target of March 2005 for its Playstation Portable (PSP) mobile entertainment platform.

The PSP platform includes a 4.5-inch TFT LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, powered by dual 32-bit MIPS R4000 microprocessors. One processor is dedicated to the graphics codec, with an additional 166MHz 2-MB VRAM core dedicated to 3D rendering.

The PSP boasts 2-MB of eDRAM submemory and 8-MB of accessible memory. The system also supports 60-mm Universal Media Disc (UMD) cartridges, which offer 11-Mbps transfer rates and capacities of 1.8-GB.

The PSP's specifications define the coming battlefield against Nintendo for the next generation of gaming platforms, with early adopters and teens the target audience.

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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March 25, 2004

Archos AV500 Mobile Viewer

Archos has just announced the successor to its AV300 series of mobile viewers. The AV500 has a more ergonomic design than the AV320, and is similar in size to a Jornada Pocket PC.

The AV500 comes in 20-GB and 40-GB models. The display screens have a 704x480 resolution, with 30-fps refresh. Also available are an external speaker and microphone.

Dual USB 2.0 ports enable direct camera-to-device transfer of images. Finally, Archos also allows users control of the AV500 via a remote control as a video player and recorder.

The AV500 sports DivX and MPEG4 playback, DRM support for Microsoft's WMA and WMV9 video format, as well as synchronization compatibility with Microsoft Windows Media Player.

The Archos AV500 will be the first PVP/PDA device on the market to support standard PIM applications (including Calendar, E-mail, and Notepad), and will include an integrated Web browser.

Internet connection is still unspecified, but is said to support Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GSM.

Posted by Sam in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Music & Audio
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March 7, 2004

Tapwave Releases Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 for Zodiac

Tapwave and Activision have (finally) co-released one of the titles that folks have been most anxiously awaiting for the Zodiac gaming device: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

In the screenshot shown above, which was posted at ZodiacGamer, you can see that the game is a 3/4-view perspective game. You can control over a dozen different (real and made-up) skaters through different terrains, maps, and parks trying to learn different tricks, accomplish various tasks, and win a series of competitions.

The game is surprisingly addictive -- I didn't think I'd enjoy it nearly as much as actually did. With dozens and dozens of different tricks to learn (some requiring mind-boggling sequences of button combinations), the game is perpetually challenging. Plus, as each level has a series of challenges and surprises to discover, the game can be quite entertaining even if your skating abilities aren't that evolved.

Overall, I'd give this game a hearty thumbs-up. It uses the Zodiac hardware to its fullest and the controls are both configurable and easy to get the hang of. Memorizing all the different moves, however, may take quite a while. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 is definitely not your 20-hour-to-beat type game...it should last many, many times that given the variety and flexibility of play. Also, given that you can have multiple players competing in the same level simultaneously (through head-to-head Bluetooth connections), the opportunities for group fun are many.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs
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February 16, 2004

Redshift's "Legacy" is a Killer Handheld RPG

If you're a fan of role-playing games and you have a Palm OS or Pocket PC handheld, you need to check out Legacy by Redshift.

It's pretty standard RPG turn-based fare, but the execution is excellent. Tons of characters, monsters, spells, objectives, environments, etc. and it's all done in really eye-popping graphics. On my Zodiac, this game just sings.

A review of Legacy can be found at PDArcade and another one here. Also, at under $20, this game is a deal.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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February 12, 2004

GameCube: The Next Generation

Nintendo has announced that it is developing the next-generation GameCube console.

"Our machine will be ready at the same time as the other new consoles," said Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa.

But, he added "We're not sold on developing powerful microprocessors to create graphics that cannot even be viewed on existing televisions."

Minagawa's comments allude to the fact that Sony is developing a superprocessor, codenamed Cell, to power the successor to the latest PlayStation, while Microsoft plans to use three 64-bit IBM microprocessors for the next version of Xbox.

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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February 5, 2004

Xbox: The Next Generation

Microsoft is reportedly circulating the specs for the Xbox Next, the follow-up to its Xbox video console.

Microsoft's strategy appears to be controlling the cost of its consoles, and launching before Sony's own PlayStation 3 launch in 2006. Currently, PlayStation outsells the Xbox by a 5 to 1 ratio.

The Xbox Next will launch in fall 2005, and will feature

• Three IBM 64-bit microprocessors, providing Xbox Next with more computing power than most PCs.

• An ATI graphics chip with speeds faster than the upcoming R400 chip for PCs, enabling high-definition TV resolution.

• Since the original Xbox makes use of Intel and Nvidia chips, backward compatibility isn't guaranteed. While this keeps costs down, Sony has always maintained compatibility with older consoles.

• Flash memory to store saved games, unlike the current Xbox which relies on an 8-GB hard drive.

• 256-MB of DRAM, upgradeable to 512-MB depending on PlayStation's specs, compared to 64-MB in the current Xbox.

• Either DVD or Blu-Ray capability will be included. Blu-Ray will hold more data, but may not be ready in time for the launch.

By releasing specs, Microsoft is helping developers begin work on software for the launch, as well as to solicit feedback.

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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January 6, 2004

The Lord of the Rings Wireless Games

Wireless software publisher JAMDAT Mobile has announced that it is launching wireless games based on The Lord of the Rings epic. Available through Verizon Wireless' Get it Now service, the games suite include six separate apps:

The Return of the King is an eight-level scrolling adventure game with Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin and Sam battling Orcs, Uruk-hai, Trolls, the Army of the Dead, Shelob and other foes.

The Lord of the Rings Trivia includes more than 360 trivia questions covering characters, objects and locations and more from all three chapters of the Ring trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings Pinball is a fast two-table pinball game wrapped in a Middle-Earth theme.

Wallpapers offer various Middle-Earth images including characters, locations, scenes, and maps. Finally, The Lord of The Rings Tones Player provides ring tones based on the musical score.

Posted by Sam in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Movies & Books and Popular Media and Wireless
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December 27, 2003

Gamer Sues, Wins Over Virtual Property

In a landmark case on virtual property rights, a court has ordered a web-based game company to return virtual property to a player whose online cache of virtual currency and weapons was stolen.

Li Hongchen, 24, spent the equivalent of $1,210 over two years on his virtual cache for the Chinese game Red Moon, only to find in February that his account had been cyber-burgled via the game's central servers by a hacker.

Hongchen took the game's creators, Arctic Ice Technology Development, to court when they wouldn't help him identify the hacker.

In court, the company stated that Hongchen's property had no real world value, but this December, a District People's Court in Beijing ruled that the company was liable for the player's virtual property because access weaknesses in its servers had allowed the looting to take place.

The result is one of the first legal rulings on virtual property rights, and another example of the blurring line between virtual and real worlds. Some Everquest gamers, for example, already trade game characters and articles for real money through eBay and similar sites.

Posted by Sam in Computing and Gaming and Internet and Society / Politics
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December 7, 2003

Intellivision Lives!

When I was 10, I started saving all my allowance for one thing: an Intellivision. Launched in 1979, this was the first 16-bit gaming console. Given its superior graphics, 16-bit architecture, and (ahem) innovative disc controllers, Mattel Electronics thought it would compete favorably with the Atari 2600.

Unfortunately, I don't think it did. While the gaming experience was, IMO, arguably better than most anything on the Atari system, the price for the Intellivision was about double the Atari, with games being generally harder to find and almost always a bit more expensive. You just can't argue with tens of millions of consoles being sold. There's an interesting history of the Intellivision here.

While the merits of the Intellivision's controller design were hotly debated (either you loved 'em or you hated 'em), the Intellivision had some kick-ass games. Some 125 titles were released for the platform. One of my favorites was Sea Battle, which was best played as a head-to-head strategy/action ocean warfare game. Utopia was a really fun and innovative game -- possibly the true grandfather of modern governance simulation games, such as SimCity and Age of Empires.

So why am I writing about the Intellivision? Well, today, while doing some holiday shopping, I saw the Intellivision 25 (pictured) being sold in a Bed, Bath & Beyond (of all places) for the mere price of $19.99. Basically, you plug the Intellivision 25 directly into your TV -- all the electronics and memory for the whole game are contained in the controller! It has 25 games pre-loaded on it.

If you want more information on the Intellivision 25, or on Intellivision in general, check out the www.intellivisionlives.com website. It is chock-a-block full of good info and, if you were among the few, the proud, the Intellivision owners, may bring a tear of reminiscence to your eye. One of the interesting pieces of info on that site about the Intellivision 25 unit says this:

"Unlike the Jakks Pacific Atari 10-in-1 video game that looks like the joystick controller of the Atari 2600, the Intellivision 25 unit bears no resemblance to any part of the original Intellivision. It is based on the Techno Source TV Play Power technology, which means what they are doing is having NES hardware emulate an Intellivision. It really looks like a Dreamcast controller more than anything else. Just as well. I've always thought that the original Intellivision 16-position thumb-pad controller must have been designed by someone with an utter hate and contempt for humanity. The nice thumb stick and D-pad lets me finally enjoy playing some of these great games that the original controller made less than fun."

So, did I pick one up for the low, low price of twenty bucks? Nah, I passed...here's why. First, you can't play against anyone. Second, neither of my two fav games were included. Had it had Sea Battle or Utopia and provided a means for playing against someone, I would have bought two. Reviews over at Amazon.com are generally pretty bad.

Eventually, I hope that somebody sees fit to make an Intellivision emulator for Palm OS so I can enjoy Sea Battle on my Zodiac...now that would rock.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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November 30, 2003

Stuntcar Extreme Tips

I've spent an admittedly large amount of time recently playing Stuntcar Extreme on my Tapwave Zodiac. While doing so, I've come up with a couple of handy tips. But be warned, if you like to figure out things on your own, read no further -- these are spoilers.

Tip 1: Maximizing your Stunt Jump Points

This tip is from a post I made recently to the Tapwave_Users Yahoo! Group. The maximum stunt jump points that one can possibly achieve vary greatly from track to track. For example, Icy Drifts is very low-point track. The highest point track I have found is by far Metropolitan. There are three sources of bonus multipliers on Metropolitan, and it's easiest to get them in a certain sequence. Doing this, my best stunt jump to date is 11,312. Here is how to do it in Metropolitan -- do these things in order:

0. Save your Nitro until you use it in step 4 and do not go over any jumps unless the directions tell you to. If you go over a jump and it says you earned Stunt Jump points, start over.

1. Grab the "S" at the first turn

2. Drive around the first jump (to the left is easier)

3. Grab the "T"

4. Punch your Nitro and sail over the second jump -- you have to do this to get the "U" on top of the trolleycar. This should also get you a Barricade bonus. Do not use Nitro again until step 8 (unless you can earn a new one by then).

5. Jump through the flaming hoops on the next ramp and get the bonus

6. Grab the "N" -- this is tough to get the letter and avoid the junked car, all at speed, but it can be done.

7. Grab the "T" -- you've just completed the third bonus

8. Go over the second flaming hoop jump right at the end of the lap

9. Just before you get to the first big jump (over the tractor trailer loaded with cars) on your second lap, hit the Nitro and sail over the jump. If you clear the truck entirely, this will get you max points.

10. Finish the race.

Let me know if you top 11,000 stunt jump points doing something different or on another track.

Tip 2: Shortcuts

Some of the tracks have shortcuts in them, and some are not so easy to find.
• Grand Canyon Stunt Tour has one right after the first bridge (turn left and follow the railroad tracks, then down the hill, and it will dump you out near the second bridge)
• Rollercoaster has a shortcut at the top of the first hill (turn slightly to the right and go through the cut in the hill)
I'm not sure either shortcut saves you any time, but bonus nitros are sometimes hidden there.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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November 12, 2003

N-Gage Hacked

Nokia has admitted that hackers have cracked its N-Gage copy protection codes, allowing copied games to be traded over the Internet.

While Nokia hopes to sell up to 9 million units by the end of 2004, a key part of revenue comes from games, so this latest setback is critical to Nokia's bid to find a foothold in the mobile gaming market.

Posted by Sam in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Phones and Wireless
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November 10, 2003

Mini-Review: 'Stuntcar Extreme' for Tapwave Zodiac

The only noteworthy app included with the Tapwave Zodiac handheld gaming device is Stuntcar Extreme or SCE. Mini-screenshots (about 1/3 scale) of SCE are shown to the right.

The game is basically just a racing game. It is replete with different racing modes. Quick Race gives you just a single race starting immediately once you select which car and which track you want to use. Tournament allows you to join an online tournament with rankings and what-not -- this feature isn't yet activated because the online portion isn't up.

Championship mode is where you get to compete against virtual opponents for points and prizes. Of course, you can also go head-to-head and race for cars -- if you win, you get access to use your opponent's vehicle in future races.

Finally, there's Multiplayer mode -- this is a Bluetooth-enabled head-to-head one-on-one race mode. Unfortunately, I don't know anybody else locally with a Zodiac, so I haven't been able to try this mode (am dying to though!).

One of the more interesting aspects of SCE is how it integrates into the Palm Desktop application. A conduit sucks down your lap and race times to the desktop each time you Hotsync your device. Then, if you've told it to, it will upload these times/scores to the server automatically -- no extra logging in or website visiting necessary. Very cool.

Playability is important, of course. I've found the game to be very easy to grasp yet a challenge to get really good at -- this isn't a game you're going to master in a few hours. I've only made it to the second Championship level, and the courses there are incredibly difficult (is it even possible to make it all the way through Rollercoaster without tumbling off the track?!?).

The game is not bug-free, however. Even though Vasara Games has made available an update to SCE (get Stuntcar Extreme v1.1 here), I've experienced multiple fatal errors, each requiring a soft reset of the device. Of course, Palm OS is robust enough that no info is lost -- restarting the game takes me right back to where I was in terms of rankings and points. A few other folks have also experienced these fatal errors. I was told by Vasara rep Samuli Syvahuoko that all bug reports for SCE should be submitted directly to Tapwave rather than Vasara.

Anyway, I'm hooked on Stuntcar Extreme (like I need yet another way to spend my time). Good going, guys!

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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November 9, 2003

All Work and No Play

Companies usually frown on their employees playing games on their computers. However, the BBC is reporting on a study that suggests that gaming at the office improves job satisfaction and even productivity.

In one of the first serious studies of the effects of game playing in the office, researchers from the University of Utrecht focussed on 60 employees from a Dutch insurance firm.

The employees were split into groups, some allowed to play games like Solitaire and Minesweeper for up to an hour a day, and others denied the chance.

The results, documented via logbooks and other performance metrics, showed that the gamers had higher job satisfaction and productivity ratings than the non-gamers. Researchers noted that the effect was similar to that of a "coffee break," which provides the opportunity for workers to recharge.

The findings were presented at the first ever Digital Games Research Association conference. The research team is carrying out further studies with a larger number of participants, and using more complex games.

Posted by Sam in Gaming and Industry and Other and Society / Politics
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November 5, 2003

Photo of Sony PSP at Gizmodo

Gizmodo has a photo of the forthcoming PSP from Sony, which is rumored to be heading our way sometime late 2004. Gizmodo also has another entry with rumored specs.

The PSP, or Playstation Portable, is a mobile gaming console that uses 2.4-inch, 1.8 GB optical "Universal Media Discs." Oh, goody...yet another new media format from our friends at Sony...just what we need!

It looks very similar to the Tapwave Zodiac, which has a larger screen (480x320 vs 480x272) and is available now (I was up way too late last night playing StuntCar Extreme ;-).

Anywho, the upside to the PSP is that it is made by Sony, which has a lot of marketing and dev muscle. The downsides are that it will require you to buy and haul around proprietary optical discs (ugh) and it appears that your current Playstation titles won't work (the standard-size optical discs are too big). We'll just have to see how it all pans out.

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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November 4, 2003

My Tapwave Zodiac Has Arrived

I saw the FedEx truck on my way to work, pulled over, and convinced him to hand over my box. Intriguing how desperate cool new kit makes us, isn't it?

Anyway, I put up a page with some pics of the box and stuff, but it's not charged enough to get an idea of how well the device actually works yet. More as I know it.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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November 3, 2003

Tapwave Zodiac Begins to Ship

News Flash! The first user we know about has received his production Tapwave Zodiac. Tapwave promised that Zodiacs would begin shipping "in late October," and it appears they met that deadline by getting some units out on the very last day of the month.

More info on the Zodiac can be found in these GearBits posts or at the Tapwave website. Recent reviews of the Zodiac have appeared in ExtremeTech and at Shacknews.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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October 7, 2003

Nokia N-Vasion Begins

"There's going to be a lot of tired thumbs tonight!" says Ilkka Raiskinen, Senior VP, Entertainment and Media, for Nokia.

Nokia has just officially launched the highly-anticipated N-Gage, its entry into the mobile gaming arena. Part-phone, part-gaming console, the N-Gage offers multiplayer games using the Symbian OS.

Specs for the $300 device include a 12-bit color, 176 x 208 pixel screen, digital music capability (MP3/AAC), stereo FM radio, built-in Web-browser, MMS and email messaging....and a tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 mobile phone.

Nokia also launched its N-Gage Arena community, allowing gamers to share experiences and find other players to play and complete with over the air.

The worldwide blitz is one of the largest marketing campaigns for Nokia, who is seeking growth from gaming to offset the slowing handset market.

Nokia joins Tapwave, which recently released its PalmOS-based Zodiac gaming handheld, in challenging market-leader Nintendo, who says it expects to sell 20 million GameBoy Advance units this coming fiscal year. At E3 earlier this year, Sony also announced the Playstation Portable (PSP), yet another entry in the handheld gaming market.

Nokia says it expects to sell up to 9 million N-Gage units by the end of 2004.

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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September 17, 2003

Tapwave Zodiac Goes on Sale

Yes, the Zodiac is finally available...at least for pre-orders. Tapwave has said that orders will be filled starting in October.

The newly updated tapwave.com website also has boatloads of new information on games, accessories, packages, etc.

I've got my pre-order in...what about you?

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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September 14, 2003

Tapwave Zodiac Pre-Sales Start Wednesday

For those who just have to have the latest hip kit in their messenger bags, the Tapwave Zodiac will be going on sale (pre-order) Wednesday, September 17th at 7AM PST. Pre-orders can be placed at www.tapwave.com as of that morning.

Avid readers of GearBits will know that I'm particularly excited by the Zodiac. GearBits blog entries about this new Palm OS powered gaming device cum PDA can be found in this list of search results.

The photo to the right came out of the FCC application that Tapwave had to submit for the Zodiac. Tons of additional information, including a user manual, many photos, and lots of active discussion about the Zodiac can be found at the Tapwave_Users Yahoo! Group. But, you have to be a member of that group to access all the downloads, so go sign up today (it's free) and join the 300+ others who are making this the most active place to find out new information on the Zodiac.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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September 9, 2003

Warfare Incorporated for Handhelds

Handmark and Spiffcode are preparing a new game for handhelds: Warfare Incorporated (WFI). WFI is a real-time strategy combat game. As an employee of a mining company, your various missions require you to destroy the forces of a competing mining company and/or an opposing army of independent miners.

The image to the right is a little piece of a screenshot. With the game supporting graphics up to 480x320 (the max resolution currently available on handhelds), there is a lot of detail available on the screen at any one time.

Full-screen demo shots can be found here, and a downloadable movie of actual game action can be found here. It looks as if Handmark will be coming out with both Palm OS and Pocket PC versions of the game.

The game appears to be you-versus-the-computer through a series of scenarios. Head-to-head gaming doesn't currently seem to be an option, but that might be something that appears in version 2 -- who knows for sure. In a nutshell, however, this looks like it will be a really awesome game.

Full disclosure: Craig has a financial relationship with Handmark, although this hasn't kept him from criticizing the company when it screws up and praising it when it comes out with something totally kick-ass (like this game). :-)

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs
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September 5, 2003

Video of Tapwave Zodiac

A new video of the forthcoming Tapwave Zodiac is available at CNET TV:

Watch the Video Now.

Byron Connell, CEO of Tapwave, talks through some of the highlights of the device, including full SDIO compatibility for both expansion slots! Tapwave is also planning on supporting a community-oriented website once the Zodiac is launched.

Believe me, you will want one...you will need one of these things after seeing it in action. Tapwave will start taking pre-orders via its website on September 17th. You all can get in line behind me. Thanks to namorblah for the lead.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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August 29, 2003

Tapwave Zodiac Available Soon

The gaming hardware company Tapwave has announced that it will start making its forthcoming Zodiac device (pictured) available in late September. A preview of the device can be found at GoDoPlay.com.

The Zodiac, formerly called the Helix, is a handheld computing/gaming device powered by Palm OS 5.2 and sporting such tremendous hardware specs as a 480x320, 16-bit color user-rotatable screen, stereo speakers and headphone jack, dual SD expansion slots, user-replaceable rechargeable Li-polymer batteries, Bluetooth (for multi-player gaming) and a fast ARM processor (actual clock speed not yet released).

The unit will ship with 32 or 128 MB of RAM depending on the model purchased, and will cost either $299 or $399 directly from Tapwave's website. The Zodiac will not be sold in retail stores until some time in 2004.

A lot of excitement has been generated about this device, with most reactions claiming that the Zodiac has a definite edge over its rivals, the Nokia n'Gage and the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. Both gamers and PDA users are expressing significant interest in this cross-over device, which may, surprisingly enough, satisfy both user types equally well.

For more information, a dedicated Yahoo! Groups community for Tapwave's products already exists -- check out Tapwave_Users today.

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs and Wireless
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'Second Life' Looks Intriguing

Recently, a new online game/community came into existence: Second Life, which describes itself this way:

"Second Life is an expansive online society, lived in and built by its participants. Join a 3D world full of people, activity, and fun, where you and fellow residents can build a shared reality. You choose your own goals – travel and explore, claim and build on virtual land, make friends and socialize, or vie for status and wealth. Whatever you choose to do, your Second Life starts now."

Wired had an article on the game last month describing how many of the games participants may spend a bit too much time in cyberlife. However, some of the events that have unfolded in the Second Life environment sound pretty cool. For example, a group of WWII recreationists took over a small area of the game and posted warnings that anyone who came within would be killed.

So, has anyone tried this out? If so, what's it like? More importantly, is it worth $15 a month?

Posted by Craig in Gaming
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August 26, 2003

Pinball Wizards

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) use fabrication technologies derived from the semiconductor industry to construct components of microscopic size and smaller.

Using MEMS technology, people have made gears nine microns in size, working electrostatic motors, and projectors based on digital micromirrors. Ho hum.

Now comes a true advance: a MEMS scientific team have developed a new micromachining technique and - more importantly - have demonstrated its potential by making a micro pinball machine.

The ball, a 150-micron magnetic bead, is inserted in the 24-mm square pinball table, which is tilted at 20 degrees. The flippers are electromechanical silicon cantilevers which flick the ball at speeds of up to 0.75 km per hour against silicon bumper structures. Movies of the pinball machine in action are awesome.

The team says that the revolution is in replacing traditionally complex MEMS patterning fab steps with a single simple step, and using room temperature plasma bonding. For me, the pinball machine itself is revolution enough. The ultimate in mobile gaming!

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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August 15, 2003

Speedcubing: Rubik's Strikes Back

Remember the Rubik's Cube? My best time was just under a minute, which may sound great, but to modern speedcubers, is just pathetic.

If you can do it in less than 16 seconds, or can solve more than 150 cubes in one hour, or do it blindfolded, you've got a fair chance to place in the 2003 World Competition, being held in Toronto, Canada at the end of August. These are the first world championships in over 20 years.

Yes, Rubik's Cubes are back, with record times being set by a new generation of speedcubers, based on intensive permutation algorithms and time-conserving finger moves, on cubes that have been tricked-out so they are literally well-oiled machines.

Me? I'll just sit on the sidelines and watch.

Posted by Sam in Gaming
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July 29, 2003

Tapwave Helix Gets New Name: "Zodiac"

According to CNN Money and Brighthand, the forthcoming device from Tapwave is being renamed from "Helix" to "Zodiac." Admittedly, Helix was a development name, but it was what the company used at its launch back in May.

The Bluetooth-equipped Zodiac will supposedly come out in two models: a $299 unit with 32 MB of RAM and a $399 unit with 128 MB of RAM (the most in any Palm OS PDA available). More information on the Zodiac can be found at Tapwave's website. There is also already a Yahoo! Group dedicated to this soon-to-be-released device -- visit the Tapwave_Users website now (requires Yahoo! login).

Follow-up: I just now found out that Popular Mechanics published a story about the Zodiac way back a week ago today on July 22nd. Why doesn't anyone tell me these things?!

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Wireless
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May 9, 2003

Tapwave Rocks My World

Save up your pennies, boys and girls, for you will be wanting the forthcoming product from a pretty wicked little startup called Tapwave. This holiday shopping season should see a new handheld gaming device on store shelves, or at least available online.

The specs on the device are mondo impressive, including a super-bright 480x320 (that's half-VGA landscape) screen, ARM processor, a full set of analog and digital gaming controls, sound and graphics acceleration, built-in Bluetooth, dual rechargeable batteries, and much much more. The Bluetooth is there to support multi-player head-to-head gaming (read "fragfest in Physics class"), which should be popular with gamers of all ages. What's more is that, because it is based on Palm OS, it will run all those same PIM apps and stuff that you need to survive each day -- Addressbook, Datebook, etc.

I was lucky enough to be invited to Tapwave's launch party on May 5th, at which I was unlucky enough to get to fondle one of these devices. Why do I say I was unlucky? Well, because now I have to wait 5-6 months until these things get released -- 5-6 MONTHS!! I'm just not that patient for new gear, especially gear as sweet as this. And believe me, it's sooo sweet. [insert Homer drooling sound here]

Well, more as I know about it. If you want to discuss this device in the meantime, check out the Tapwave_Users group over at Yahoo!

Posted by Craig in Gaming and Mobile & PDAs
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