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PlayJam GameStick brings Android Gaming to your TV (video)


PlayJam is going beyond its smart TV consoles with their new GameStick, a TV-based system that fits into a shell not much bigger than a typical flash drive.  It’s actually tiny enough that the finished version should stow inside its own Bluetooth gamepad and draw power from the HDMI port. The Jelly Bean system’s dual-core Amlogic processor isn’t as powerful as a Tegra 3, but it should also lead to a slightly more affordable price at $79 price.

PlayJam’s is a crowd-funding project. The company says it needs $100,000 to go through its last development hurdles and ship the production GameStick in April.

Is a Smart TV Worth Your Money?



There are a number of choices you make when it comes to viewing what you want on your television. Along with cable, satellite, and TV boxes, there’s one newcomer that should be considered: Smart TVs. This relatively new technology comes at a price, and it remains to be seen how they will continue to evolve.

Smart TVs: Advantages and Disadvantages

Wouldn’t it be great to check your email on your TV? TVs can now stream content, plus deliver email and social media notifications. Smart TVs are an all-in-one device, removing the need for other components. The convenience of a Smart TV is a plus and its intuitive programming is helpful for people who aren’t tech-savvy. However, there are some notable disadvantages that make the case for avoiding smart TVs.
  • Price: Expect to pay a bit more for the “smart” part of the TV. Also, if your Internet connection is limited, you might have data allotments to worry about.
  • Complexity: As a sort of electronic Murphy’s Law, the more complex something is, the worse things will be when it breaks. You could be at the mercy of the manufacturer for updates.
  • Content: According to MarketingWeek, it’s not the technology creating separation – it’s the content. Some smart TVs are outmatched by alternatives.
  • Security: The leads in web-connected TVs are prone to viruses, scams and bot campaigns. As ZDNet writer Ellyne Phneah observes, smart TVs are at the forefront of a “new Web threat frontier.” Manufacturers that don’t offer security updates could put their customers at risk.

Smart Alternatives

If you’re looking to save money, there are plenty of alternative options for web-capable TVs. You certainly don’t need a smart TV to get the functions it offers.
Many consumers enjoy HD cable and satellite offerings from their provider. Providers such as Cable.tv, Cox, and Comcast provide a wide range of high definition TV and movie channel packages. Offering better picture quality than HD cable, with most movies in 1080p HD, satellite providers provide an alternative that can be superior to services like Netflix or Hulu.
Another popular alternative to a smart TV is a TV box. These devices have HD cable and satellite-quality pictures that work well for streaming content. Many gaming consoles and other TV boxes serve the same function as a smart TV.
BusinessInsider.com’s Kevin Smith cites the following devices as major industry contenders:
  • Roku
  • Apple TV
  • Nexus Q
  • Boxee
  • PlayStation 3
  • Xbox 360
  • Google TV
For a lower overall price, you can enjoy streaming media the same way you would with a smart TV. The market is filled with impressive options that give any television a boost, without the need for a new TV.

The Bottom Line

While Smart TVs offer many interesting perks, it is up to you to decide if it is worth the price. Powerful content subscriptions and TV boxes offer a lot to compete with this new trend in television viewing technology.

Ematic FunTab Family range unveiled

by Edwin - on January 14th, 2013
I know, the dust of CES 2013 has already settled, and most folks are home square and free from the mad house that is known as Las Vegas, but there were tons of other devices that we have yet to cover, so I will try my level best to bring out what I think is still noteworthy to mention. Case in point, the Ematic FunTab Family range that comprises of a series of child-friendly tablets which will be made available in a quartet of different sizes and styles, where all of them share a single mission – to make sure your kids have a unique and safe online experience for education and entertainment purposes, and to be able to enjoy doing so without having them spoil your precious iPad. The Ematic FunTab Family range is the result of the creative minds at Ematic who worked hand in hand with the award-winning Zoodles Kid Mode.
You can safely say that the children’s tablets on the market is a maturing one at the moment, but the folks over at Ematic intend to offer parents a platform which creates a safe haven for kids to learn and play. The four tablets in the FunTab Family are the FunTab Pro, FunTab, FunTab XL and FunTab Mini, where all of them will run on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, and will also feature games and other “specials” to keep your child busy for hours. Sounds like the ideal tool to have behind the car when you are off on a long road trip, no?
Some of the new features included on the tablets are Interactive Story Books and Art Studio, while the little photocopies of yourself can also use the Video Mail function in order to send video messages to grandparents and other relatives. Some of the more popular games of the day include Angry Birds, Where’s My Water?, and Cut the Rope among others, and it comes with a rubberized grip that is ideal for active children on the go.
The FunTab XL, FunTab Mini, FunTab and FunTab Pro will retail for $149.99, $59.99, $119.99 and $149.99, respectively.

ChargeCard…Literally




Anyone who goes travels – whether across the globe or across town – knows the importance of keeping chargers on the ready. You never know when you may have a few seconds to charge up. Keeping the cables organized is a different story though. Personally, my travel bag always resembles a hornets nest. Between cables and headphones. Bleeeech! It’s a mess. And gosh forbid you are totally on the go and don’t have a place to put a cable. Some smart folks in California took a look at this very dilemma and came up with a perfect solution that received some attention at CES last week.
Meet ChargeCard, a compact USB charger that fits virtually anywhere in your life. These card sized units, available for iPhone 4 or 5 and in micro USB, fit in places as small as your wallet. When you need to charge find a USB port pull back the rubber tongue and plug in. Then plug the adapter into your phone or device. The USB plug snaps back into place when done charging. It functions just like any other USB cable so yes, you can sync too. As simple as the concept may seem, ChargeCard is apparently something that we all need as the project received plenty of CES press and tripled their Kickstarter goal last summer. Sometimes some of the simplest gadgets are the most helpful though! Pick up your own ChargeCard in black or white for $25. Tweet about ChargeCard and get a discount too. And leave the manic charging and crazy cable blues behind.

Panasonic 20-inch Tablet with 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel

Remember the first time when you laid your eyes on the iPad with Retina Display? Surely the difference was obvious when you laid it side by side with the first generation iPad and the vanilla version of the iPad 2, but when it comes to resolution count and pixel density on tablets, Panasonic has got everyone beat this CES. Granted, toting around Panasonic’s 20” tablet is not going to be the most enjoyable of tasks for road warriors, but when you consider how it weighs as much as a standard notebook (not an Ultrabook, mind you) at just 2.4kg, you would sing a different tune and say that the 20” is a sheer marvel in engineering.
Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.
Just in case you were wondering what kind of resolution the 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel packs, we are talking about 4K (Ultra HD) resolution. If you were to whip your calculator out and perform some mathematical equations, your mind would be blown away – 4K resolution is more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition, and when you accompany that with a high precision digital pen, you have more or less got yourself a new winner here, hands down.
With a pixel density of 230 pixels per inch and a unique aspect ratio of 15:10, it is capable of displaying an A3-size paper in almost full size, and thanks to the unique pen peripheral that it comes with, it enables natural handwriting on the tablet. Surely one needs to fork out a handsome sum to bring this 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel home?

Angry Birds Space update splashes underwater with new Pig Dipper episode

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If gravity wasn't enough, Rovio chose to add another interesting element to the birds in space - buoyancy. Angry Birds Space just got updated with an all new Pig Dipper episode featuring 30 new aquatic-themed levels.

Users will now have to rethink their strategy for playing these levels as they'll be taking into account both gravity and buoyancy. New power ups in the flocking fraternity include a green bird that splits into a flying 'V' of five birds and has the ability to make pigs buoyant.

Players can also use the Pig Puffer to make all the pigs catch their breath, puff up and explode in their places. The Flock of Birds power up splits any bird into additional three birds for maximum destruction. So if you choose the little blue bird, they will split into six!

Then there's a Space Egg that explodes at one place flinging surrounding objects in any direction to kill the piggies floating in their boats. Players will find these power ups on the top left screen under a 'lightning bolt' icon. They will be loaded with 3 turn for each power up.

angry-birds-space-pig-dipper-1.jpgThose who've played Angry Birds Seasons will recognise the orange bird that can be puffed up at the target to destroy it. Some levels have an anchor holding the boat at bay via a rope with the other end tied to TNT barrel. The trick is to go for the rope that frees the barrel making it buoyant and exploding when it reaches the surface. Rovio cautions players to "get ready for the ultimate underwater boss level".

The game has also added additional aquatic elements to the now green space environs such as floating jellyfishes and a strange mermaid noise in the background. The water is  encompassed by the gravitational field and decorated with corals, aquatic plants, stones and even a rubber duck floating on the surface. In certain levels, the stones seem to be resting on a giant blown up fish at the centre.

The space version isn't the only one to feature water in the Angry Birds franchise. Seasons received a similar update incorporating underwater physics, making it the toughest game in the franchise.

angry-birds-space-pig-dipper-3.jpgRovio has been very diligent with updates to all Angry Birds games in the franchise. The previous update for Angry Birds Space featured a fiery new chapter with 20 themed levels based on the Mars Curiosity rover.

Speaking of space, the Finnish gaming studio launched a new title in the franchise, Angry Birds Star Wars blending the classic Angry Birds stories with the characters, themes and settings of the Star Wars saga, ranging from the deserts of Tatooine to the depths of the Death Star.

It also came out with Bad Piggies with the green swine being the lead protagonists of the game. It became highly popular within just three hours of its launch.

In December last year Angry Birds Rio was updated to introduce South American-themed powers. Players could have their birds don a fruit hat and shake things up with "Samba Burst" confetti, put explosives across the level with a "TNT Drop," and cause general mayhem with other new power-ups.

Angry Birds Seasons got a Halloween-themed update last holiday season adding spooky elements with a new episode called Haunted Hogs featuring 30 additional levels and "never seen before ghost bricks".

Just like every update, we hope users will love the latest underwater physics implemented in Angry Birds Space as well. Dive into the video and check out what we're talking about!

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Samsung Galaxy Camera vs Nikon Coolpix S800C

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"Android camera." Wow, that has a weird ring, doesn't it? You just don't think of a camera as having an operating system. It's like saying "Windows toaster" or "Unix jump rope."But yes, that's what it has come to. Ever since cellphone cameras got good enough for everyday snapshots, camera sales have been dropping. For millions of people, the ability to share a fresh photo wirelessly - Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, text message - is so tempting, they're willing to sacrifice a lot of real-camera goodness.
That's an awfully big convenience/photo-quality swap. A real camera teems with compelling features that most phones lack: optical zoom, big sensor, image stabilization, removable memory cards, removable batteries and decent ergonomics. (A four-inch, featureless glass slab is not exactly optimally shaped for a hand-held photographic instrument.)
But the camera makers aren't taking the cellphone invasion lying down. New models from Nikon and Samsung are obvious graduates of the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" school. The Nikon Coolpix S800C ($300) and Samsung's Galaxy Camera ($500 from AT&T, $550 from Verizon) are fascinating hybrids. They merge elements of the cellphone and the camera into something entirely new and - if these flawed 1.0 versions are any indication - very promising.
From the back, you could mistake both of these cameras for Android phones. The big black multitouch screen is filled with app icons. Yes, app icons. These cameras can run Angry Birds, Flipboard, Instapaper, Pandora, Firefox, GPS navigation programs and so on. You download and run them exactly the same way. (That's right, a GPS function. "What's the address, honey? I'll plug it into my camera.")
But the real reason you'd want an Android camera is wirelessness. Now you can take a real photo with a real camera - and post it or send it online instantly. You eliminate the whole "get home and transfer it to the computer" step.
And as long as your camera can get online, why stop there? These cameras also do a fine job of handling Web surfing, e-mail, YouTube videos, Facebook feeds and other online tasks. Well, as fine a job as a phone could do, anyway.
You can even make Skype video calls, although you won't be able to see your conversation partner; the lens has to be pointing toward you.
Both cameras get online using Wi-Fi hot spots. The Samsung model can also get online over the cellular networks, just like a phone, so you can upload almost anywhere.
Of course, there's a price for that luxury. Verizon charges at least $30 a month if you don't have a Verizon plan, or $5 if you have a Verizon Share Everything plan. AT&T charges $50 a month or more for the camera alone, or $10 more if you already have a Mobile Share plan.
If you have a choice, Verizon is the way to go. Not only is $5 a month much more realistic than $10 a month, but Verizon's 4G LTE network is far faster than AT&T's 4G network. That's an important consideration, since what you'll mostly be doing with your 4G cellular camera is uploading big photo files. (Wow. Did I just write "4G cellular camera?")
These cameras offer a second big attraction, though: freedom of photo software. The Android store overflows with photography apps. Mix and match. Take a shot with one app, crop, degrade and post it with Instagram.
Just beware that most of them are intended for cellphones, so they don't recognize these actual cameras' optical zoom controls. Some of the photo-editing apps can't handle these cameras' big 16-megapixel files, either. Unfortunately, you won't really know until you pay the $1.50 or $4 to download these apps.
The cameras themselves, each available in black or white, are clearly designed to flaunt their superiority over cellphone cameras. You get 16-megapixel resolution. You get a true built-in flash, rather than the feeble LED built onto the backs of phones. And these cameras have incredible zoom ranges, even while recording video - 10X for the Nikon, an impressive 21X on the Samsung. Phones, of course, generally don't have any optical zoom at all.
All the usual touch-screen tricks work: tap to take a photograph; swipe to view the next or previous shot; spread two fingers to zoom into a photo.
Neither camera has an eyepiece viewfinder. Both offer automatic, self-stitching panorama mode, where you create an ultrawide photograph (as wide as 360 degrees, in fact) just by swinging the camera around you.
The Nikon S800C is compact and attractive. To the right of its 3.5-inch touch screen, physical plastic buttons appear for the standard Android functions: Back, Home and Menu. (On the Samsung, they're on-screen buttons that sometimes disappear.) Cleverly enough, Nikon made the camera turn on very quickly so that you can start taking pictures; Android itself takes another 30 seconds to load behind the scenes, during which the Home button doesn't work.
Touch buttons for exposure, self-timer, macro (close up) and flash flank the left side of the screen. That's handy, because unless you intervene, the camera fires its flash too often. The Smart Portrait mode is handy; it doesn't take the shot until your subject smiles.
The Home screens look a little dated, because the S800C runs a nearly two-year-old version of Android. But the sharing options are plentiful: Pinterest, Facebook, Gmail, Google Plus, Instagram, Picasa, Skype or Twitter. You can post to Flickr by e-mail or certain add-on apps.
samsung_galaxy-camera-635.jpgThe Samsung Galaxy Camera is a completely different beast - and beast it is. It's huge and heavy, as befitting a camera with a 4.8-inch screen. (Samsung asserts that it's the largest on any available camera.) You won't fit this baby in your pocket unless you're wearing overalls.
It runs the more recent Jellybean version of Android, and it teems with features. Voice control is truly useful: you can say "zoom in," "shoot" or "capture," which is much better than any self-timer.
Only the Samsung offers full manual controls, and its scene presets are far more interesting. There's slow-mo video; a mode that lets a buddy draw against darkness with a flashlight or sparkler; and Best Face mode, which lets you choose the best face from each of several group shots. The camera assembles the different heads into a single perfect shot.
As convenient as these cameras are, you probably shouldn't buy them. For three reasons.
First, the battery life is terrible: 140 or 280 shots on a charge (for the Nikon and Samsung). And that's assuming you don't use any apps (surf the Web, navigate with GPS, play Angry Birds), which slurps up juice even faster.
Second, the price is very steep. If that sharing-online business intrigues you, here are two words that must make these cameras' product managers shudder: EyeFi card.
The EyeFi X2 series are standard SD memory cards ($30 for the 4-gigabyte model) that add Wi-Fi to any camera. Turn on the Direct Mode feature, and boom: your camera now sends every new photo to your smartphone as it's taken, ready for uploading. Setup is far more complicated, but it gets your freshly shot photos online at a fraction of the price, and it works in any camera you choose.
Finally and this is the heartbreaker - the pictures just aren't very good. The digital "noise" (mottled pixels) and softness of the images are what you'd expect from a camera that costs half as much. And no wonder; both of these cameras are based on non-Android models from the same companies that cost hundreds less. For the $500 you'd pay for the Samsung, you could buy an S.L.R.-like camera that delivers absolutely spectacular pictures, like Sony's NEX-5N.
But don't hate these cameras because their price-performance ratio is appalling. Love them for what they really are: bold 1.0 pioneers grand experiments that hint at the very happy place cameras may go in the next few years.
© 2012, The New York Times News Service

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Razer Huntsman, Huntsman Elite With Infrared-Based Opto-Mechanical Switches Launched

Razer Huntsman and Huntsman Elite have been launched as the new mechanical keyboards with special Razer's Opto-Mechanical switches. Th...