OUYA Game Console: What the Nexus Q & Google TV Should Be

You may have heard of the Kickstarter project for the open source gaming console OUYA (Pronounced Oo-yu). Its been talked about in the positive and the negative. The console will run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) at its core with a Tegra 3 quad core processor, 1 GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, 8GB built in memory, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HDMI with 1080p support and USB 2.0, not to mention a console controller. Now, some people are shouting that the open source game console has been tried before and failed. Those same people claim that this console will fail just as hard. Yet others shout that this console will be a success because it is designed around Android and that operating system isn't going away anytime soon. With over 50% of the smart phone market share, not to mention a rising share in the tablet market, basing the gaming console around the Android OS is a better move than making an OS from the ground up. Add to this the fact that emulators for other game consoles such as the N64 & PS systems among others and its a huge win for gamers everywhere. But I'm not arguing for the Ouya Game Console based off of the gaming ability. I am arguing for the Ouya Console because of it's entertainment functionality.

Gaming is of course a part of the devices draw. It is awesome that you can do that on your TV. You can do the same with any Android tablet or phone. But as a dedicated entertainment system and living room computing device it is even more awesome! Stream video through Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Youtube and more. Stream music as well. Heck, you can play ANY music or video file via the USB 2.0 port or even by streaming from on device to another such as a PC or another mobile device. You can connect any Bluetooth peripheral to it as well. Stream music to Bluetooth headphones, connect other controllers like a Wii remote, PS3 controller or remote control. Since hacking of the Ouya Console is encouraged, really the limit is in imagination of the hacking and programing community. A community that is alive and well in the Android ecosystem! Currently with 24 days left on the Kickstarter project, you can grab a console and controller for $99.00. If you think of getting this device as an investment in a potential gaming console, that's a big risk because as a console it may not pan out. But, if you purchase the device as a multi-media solution then this is the device for you. Google has released Google TV and the Nexus Q. Both  of them are good but lacking.

Now we haven't seen Ouya as a finished product yet, so there is a chance it won't be as awesome as a multi-media device for your living room as I am hoping it will. Still, I'm betting on it as a win. Check out the project. If it looks to be a fit for you, consider investing in it. At $4.6 million and counting, 35,999 other investors think its a good gamble. Oh, and did I mention the project has 26 days to go? Well, now I did.

UPDATE: Whoohoo! I love it when I'm right. At 8.5+ million, this game console is looking very, very good. The Kickstarter project is over, but the games have just begun. Before finishing some major names officially jointed the club in supporting the OUYA. Check out the Kickstarter page above for details.

Attention PC Gamers! Check Out the Steam Summer Sa...

TriForce Radio: Attention PC Gamers! Check Out the Steam Summer Sa...: For some of you this is old news. But for others this is a great opportunity. The online game store Steam is holding a summer sale from now til July 22nd where many of its games are discounted. Further more there are daily deals and even games voted for by the site users that are heavily discounted. To the tune of 75% off! We would suggest you hold off on buy that game you always wanted until the last day because there is a chance you can get it cheaper with one of the many daily deals. Still, this is one awesome sale. Now you can get that game you've been aching to play but just couldn't push yourself to dropping the cash on. Nothing makes life for a gamer better than saving a little dough. To enjoy the steamy goodness (pun intended) go to SteamPowered.com.

P.S. There have been reports of some issues due to heavy traffic on the site, so if you do plan on waiting till the last day to buy, I would not suggest waiting till the last minute just in case the Steam servers are a little over taxed.

Android In Education: Deal on ASUS Transformer Prime! An Awesome Deal

Android In Education: Deal on ASUS Transformer Prime! An Awesome Deal: The Transformer Prime is an Android tablet that has some amazing specs. The first Quad Core tablet (even before the iPad 3), it runs Android 4.0, has 1 GB internal RAM and comes with 32 or 64 GB of internal storage as well. The best part of the entire deals is that the base model starts at the same price as the iPad 3 but with much more choice for the user. For example, you can use the tablet as a standard tablet, or you can get the keyboard dock which makes it essentially a mini computer. Productivity on the tablet with the keyboard dock is a breeze. I'm speaking from experience here. The majority of my computer usage is via the Transformer Prime tablet. But here is the kicker, the standard price for the Prime is $499 for the 32GB model. For a limited time, CowBoom.com is offering Certified Pre-Owned Primes starting at $299.99. If buying pre-owned makes you nervous, CowBoom offers a 1 & 2 year warranty extension with protects the tablet against electronic or mechanical failure. Basically what the standard manufacture's warranty covers. The 1 year is $34.99 and the 2 year is $62.99. In both cases you are spending less than if you were to buy an iPad 2 with half the memory. Add to this that you can shop around for apps unlike with the Apple ecosystem and this is one amazing deal. To check out the tablets simply go to this link. The deal isn't going to last forever, so check it out!

Back to the Future Meme Corrected...

I've seen variants on this meme pop up a couple times in the last few months. I am so sick of people getting the facts wrong because they want to whine that they don't have a hover board or something. Enjoy!

The Problem with Mobile (commentary)

       I love the mobile revolution! The software and devices coming out of Apple, Microsoft and Google & friends just makes my inner geek freak out with nerdy, geeky, techy joy! But there is a problem... Mobile is it is MOBILE! Prior to my jump into a tablet, my primary device of choice was a laptop. While not as mobile as a tablet, the laptop worked very nicely for my purposes. I had something like 6 hours of battery life and complementing programs that did what I needed. But the move to a tablet added a lot of things and I am mostly happy with it. But this article is not about what I am happy with. It's about what the mobile experience currently lacks.

True Multi-Tasking

I have played with all of the mobile operating systems that are currently available. From Blackberry to Symbian, from iOS to Android. What I haven't played with I have researched, and the one thing that is lacking in all of these devices is true multi-tasking. Sure some of them run programs in the back ground, but that isn't what I mean. What I refer to is the ability to work two tasks simultaneously without the need to switch between them. I am referring to windows people. OSX, Linux and Windows (which is named for the capability) all have it. I've worked on all three. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but they all have the mutli-tasking ability I refer to. Now, I understand the limitations of multi-tasking at this level for mobile devices. First, the average phone's screen is way too small. But why should we preclude tablets from the game because phones have small screen space? Second, multi-tasking on such a level can cause a little larger strain on the mobile cpu and os. Still, I feel the primary reason that you can't find an iPad or Android tablet that has "windows" functions on it is laziness. 

The "Window" is Open

Of all the reasons listed above, laziness is the answer in my mind. I have seen that the window function is capable on mobile devices. A perfect example of this is MBFG's products. Things like OverSkreen (a floating web browser), StickIt! (a floating video player), AirCalc (a floating calculator) and AirTerm (a floating terminal). These apps all feature the window floating capability and play nice with other apps as well. What is more, Tablified Apps has released LilyPad Floating IM which does the same thing but for IM clients. Samsung also introduced something like stick it on the Galaxy S III phone. All of these apps can be resized, moved and minimized with little to not fuss. I have even used them on my small Android phone screen. While I am convinced that such a function is somewhat useless on such a small screen, I do feel the function should be available for those who would like to use it. And that is what MBFG does for Android. But that isn't enough! Just because there is some functionality in this area doesn't mean that it is the answer. Why isn't this basic function that has been available in computers since I can remember lacking in the computing devices of the future? Why can't I have a movie playing in one corner while I web browse on the other without having to modify my tablet? Why can't iPad users do this? Why is it that this basic functionality that we all use and take for granted on standard computers lacking in mobile? I would suggest it is because we are not asking for it. Right now, the only mobile tablet that may have this functionality built in is the Microsoft Surface. A device that isn't even released yet! From what I can tell, the Windows 8 & Windows RT maintain the floating windows function without much fuss. This means that Apple and Google could be playing catch-up to Microsoft if people realize that for the same or similar price to Microsoft's competition they can get a mobile device that is more functional. Now, I understand I could be way of base here. Maybe I'm making a big deal out of something everyone else could care less about. So what do you think. Is the floating window function a big deal?

Run Android Apps on PC & Mac!

Blue Stacks is an app developed that allows users to run Android applications on a PC. That is old news. What is big news is that now Mac users can get in on the fun and games. This is a beauty of Android. Since it is open source by design Google has no problems with such things happening. In fact, by its very nature, Android is creating an ecosystem that is almost viral. If more and more users and utilize Android apps on more and more devices this makes the Android operating system more essential to more people. My hope is that Microsoft and Apple take a hint from this success by opening up such functionality in their mobile device applications. Sadly, while I can hope, I don't see such rational thinking happening on either software companies part. Still, the ability for an Android user to have their software they have spent good money on be transferable to the computer of their choice just adds further value. I can see someone using the Mircosoft Surface Tablet and running Blue Stacks and Android apps on it. Wonderful! To enjoy Blue Stacks for Mac, go here. To enjoy Blue Stacks for PC, go here.

I asked my wife if she would wear this shoe. She said yes!

High heels can be a real monster! I don't speak from experience mind you. Rather, I speak from observation. Still, this rather awesome shoe and two others made with the similar design sense of EPIC AWESOMENESS are with 3D printing. The designer, Janina Alleyne is a  U.K. based fashion footwear designer. She partnered with 3D printer Inner Leaf. 

I think this is something Kerrigan (from Star Craft) would wear. 

Hit the link to enjoy more pictures of these epic shoes. While they are currently for sale, I'm sure if the girls of Geekdom were to demand them they may become available.

What the Hell Google?!?!

To start with, I want to say that the Google I/O event was awesome and I really wish I could have been there. Watching it on YouTube is just not the same. I am super excited about the Nexus 7, Jelly Bean and even Project Glass. The updates for Google+ and all the other stuff was awesome as well, BUT...

The Nexus Q

What the hell is this thing?!?! It looks cool. It sounds cool, but in reality it is either a little ahead of its time or a lot behind on understanding human psychology! If you haven't heard, this little device hooks up to you speakers and TV and lets you play things from your Google Play and Cloud accounts. In theory  this sounds nice. Not so sure about the practice. Let me break it down for you.

Android Only

You can use your Android device to control this thing. That's it! Hey, I love Android, but there are other devices out there. While I dislike Apple greatly for their big bully behavior towards Android OEMs, they still make a great product, and the lack of support of iOS devices means you are leaving people out in the cold. The reason I love Google is because they don't play the Apple game. Seems to me like this is an attempt to do that. 

Music Ques

Using your Android device you can control and create music ques with you Google Play music. It sounded like you could also port your existing music into the Google Cloud so you could use that music too (up to 20,000 at no cost). All of this is nice, but they added the ability for anyone who has and Android device to control the music. Now there is a nice side to this in that I could share my music with friends without them having to buy said music while protecting the copyright of the band, but they forgot about human nature. Maybe its because I was enjoying Malcom in the Middle reruns when I found out about the Nexus Q, or perhaps its because I great up with 6 siblings, but I' fairly certain that giving all users equal access to the device and allow them all the ability to interrupt the current song is a disaster waiting to happen. 

Limited Ecosystem

The Google Play store is awesome, but there are so many countries where it or psrts of it are not available. Now this may be because of the studios, or governments, or heaven knows what else, but it is limited. Also, the fact that you have to have a Google Play compatible device is a big limiter. Netflix has the right idea. Make it compatible with all devices and there won't be any issue of limits. But why would I cough up $9.99 for a digital copy of a movie when I can buy the DVD or Blue-ray and make a backup copy? Now, if Google Play were offering an All You Can Eat option like Amazon Prime or even Netflix, that is a different story. But this device is currently limited to Google Play. I can get more out of my Logitech Revue than out of this thing because at least the Revue works with Pandora, Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The Final WTF: The PRICE

This device is $299! Sure its running a dual core processor. Sure it's cutting edge, never been done before, blah blah blah blah blah. BUT $299!!! Considering all the options we the people have in the electronics market I say save your money. Buy an amp and hook in a Nexus 7 tablet. You'll likely have just as good and experience and save $100. Either that or wait until the price drops or more functionality is added because at this point, its nice, but not I NEED IT nice.

There is Hope

The Nexus Q runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. It was designed on the open source mobile OS that is taking the world by storm. In the Keynote for Google I/O 2012 the presenter encouraged hacking it! That is awesome. Perhaps this little device could bloom into something we do NEED. But at this point I'm thinking you should invest in Pocket TV or a Google TV box if you want to enjoy the Google Ecosystem without the premium.