Netflix, iTunes, K Mart?

     Most are aware of the popular video streaming and downloading services. These include Netflix, iTunes, Amazon's Video on Demand, and more. These are all services that let you either buy individual movies or TV shows, or, in Netflix's case, stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows for a monthly fee.
     Apparently the idea of getting content online as opposed to walking into a shop such as the slowly falling Blockbuster, which has also started getting into the on demand market, became very popular. Popular enough that Sears and K Mart partnered up with a digital media software company called Sonic to create an online movie and TV show download site called Alphaline Entertainment.

Alphaline Entertainment Homepage

     Alphaline Entertainment may have some catch-up to do, because, although this is not a giant difference, movie buying prices are a few dollars more on Alphaline. The rental prices are the same at $2.99, but iTunes has TV rentals for 99 cents, while Alphaline only has TV purchasing.
     When watching a trailer on Alphaline vs. Amazon, Alphaline's video quality was noticeably better, but took longer to load. On Amazon, the trailer played fine in my Google Chrome browser, but on Alphaline, I had to open Internet Explorer (Which crashed on me. Again). Also, to log in, and pretty much to do anything else on Alphaline, you must be using Internet Explorer or Firefox.
      I then purchased an episode of the 1962 show The Jetsons. When I tried downloading it, the Alphaline Website told me to download the RoxioNow Media Player, which is free. After I got the RoxioNow software, I tried to find a way to download the TV episode. I still have not been able to find a way to download the media.
     Until I can get either 1. My download, or 2. My $1.99 back, I don't plan on using Alphaline again, and I don't recommend it for you. Also, how much do you trust Sears and K Mart to know about downloads, web sites, and software programs?
     For now, Alphaline Entertainment seems like a big red flag. Unless you want to watch high quality movie trailers online.

UPDATE: The problem I had with downloading the video was something with Google Chrome. To download the episode, I needed to be using Firefox, not Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. To watch a trailer on the site, I needed to be using Internet Explorer. Strange, huh?

Well, I did get my $1.99 worth of video, but iTunes: better, cheaper, and easier.

Apple Mac App Store

     Over the past few years the idea of apps became very popular. You can now get iPhone apps from the iOS App Store, or Android apps from the Android Market (although you have to download them from your phone), you can even get apps for your Windows netbook with Intel's AppUp.

Mac App Store Running on a MacBook Air

     Apple, who kind of started the the app thing with it's iPhone and iPod Touch, is doing it again with a app store for the Mac. According to the Apple website, the Mac app store will be available for download on January 6th. It seems almost exactly like the iTunes app store for iOS, but the apps here are a lot more expensive.
     It seems that almost all of the Mac programs you can buy on the shelf at a computer store will be available for  download here. Some programs include iPhoto, GarageBand, Color Studio, and Home Watch.
     A similar program to the Mac App store exists already, called Bodega. Bodega can probably do almost everything the Mac app store can do, but must have a smaller selection.

Bodega 

     So what will the Mac app store give me that something like Bodega won't, and what benefit do I have by using this rather than going to the store and taking the software off the shelf? Why would I want to use the Mac app store?

Mac App Store Logo

     Firstly, coming from Apple, it will be a clean interface, a lot easier than surfing around the web for a download that might not even be there. Also, it will be a great place to find reviews, both good and bad, for the software.
    It seems good so far, but there a few reasons why you may want to stay away. If you have a slow internet connection, this is a bad idea. You don't want to spend hours waiting for a 1GB program to download. Also, Apple will probably have the same approval process here as they do in iOS. Apps may get pulled, and you might not be able to find the apps you want.
    So is this a good thing? For most, yes. But some may find themselves going back to the brick and mortar shops, and pulling that same old software off of those great metal shelves.

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Best Sound for your iPod or iPhone

     I was recently asked in a comment on an earlier post what the best or very good sound system would be for an iPod or iPhone. After doing some research, I found out a few things. One of them: sound is expensive. For good sound and features, you'll have to pay somewhere around $200.

Soundfreaq Sound Flatform

    You can get a basic iPod dock player with some moderate features for about $30, but you won't get the same great sound quality and more advanced features that you might get with the more expensive products. Before you read any further, you should probably answer this one question: Am I willing to spend for sound? If you aren't, you'll probably just pay $30-$40 for something that will play your music, probably has a radio, and maybe even has an alarm clock.
     If you want great sound quality, some sound changing effects, and maybe Bluetooth capability, you'll have to be willing to pay for it.
     For a great looking device with great sound quality, I would recommend the Soundfreaq Sound Platform. It has Bluetooth capabilities, a cool boxy design, and an FM radio. It features a cool cabinet in the side for storing the remote. You can buy it on Amazon.com for $199.99, although it is currently "temporarily out of stock". CNET did a good video review which you can see below.

  

Soundfreaq Side View

    
     For more portability, great sound, but less extra features, the Logitech S715i is a good choice. It can easily fit into a backpack for bringing it with you, and can last about 8 hours on a charge. It is available on many sites, but Amazon.com has it for the cheapest of all, $99.99. CNET also did a video review on this, which you can view below.

Logitech S715i

     More good names to look into are Bose, which is known for great sound quality, Altec Lansing, also known for good sound quality, and Sony, which has some good looking devices for about $70.
    So if all you wan't your music to play aloud, pay $30 for a cheap device that does that fine. But if you care about high sound quality, spent a couple hundred dollars on something nice.

Choosing an iPod

     Looking for an MP3 player? Trying to find what you need at the best value? So you looked at user reviews of the MP3 players out there. And you decide you'll go with an apple device. Now what?
    Apple makes 4 iPod devices. The iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and the iPod Touch.

iPod Classic

    The iPod Classic will set you back $249, but gives you 160GB of storage. It does music, videos, and podcasts, along with games. It also includes a clock and some other basic features.

iPod Nano

    The Nano costs $149 for 8GB, or you can double the storage for an added $30. It, unlike its predecessor, only does music, podcasts, and radio (a feature not available on any other models). Its small touchscreen display  might be a little too small for one's fingers. For video recording and playback, you might want to check out the earlier edition (5th generation), but get it while you can.

iPod Shuffle

     The Shuffle is available at an inexpensive $45. For that you get 2GB of storage. The Shuffle was once available in 4GB, but it seems that currently only a 2GB version is available. The Shuffle can only do music and audio podcasts. It has no screen, so you have to organize your music in the right order on iTunes.

iPod Touch

     The iPod Touch is my recommendation. It is available in 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB, at prices of $229, $299, and $399, respectively. For only $80 more than the Nano, you get video recording and playback, two cameras, the ability to run apps, a web browser, and more. Pretty much everything you can do on an iPhone 4 you can also do on an iPod Touch.
     So if all you need is the ability to listen to some music, the Shuffle should be fine. For more features, get either the current Nano, or, I would recommend the previous one. For a lot of storage, and most of what the Nano can do, go with the Classic. But if you want a very useful, fun device that can do almost everything the above devices can do and more, choose the iPod Touch.

Below is a short video advertisement for the Apple iPod.

Wireless providers charging per service?

     It has been rumored, and maybe more than rumored, that wireless providers may start charging per service.
What this means is that your wireless carrier, such as Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, would, instead of charging a flat fee for a certain amount of data, would charge different amounts of money, see the diagram below for an example.


























     The above is an actual slide from a marketing webinar by two companies, Allot and Openet, who consider AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone as their clients.
     So is this what we want? Is this what you want? Is this what the world wants? Or is this just what the carriers want?
     From this, it's hard to tell what the costs for plain internet browsing will be, or what it will cost to run any other apps.
     It's hard to understand what this is telling us, but we know it's telling us something, and has the ability to change our lives.

OnLive, Online Gaming Sytem

     It's time we stop having to  go to the store to buy that new computer game. It's time we stop trying to remember where we put that disk. It's time we do something different with our gaming. OnLive is an attempt at just that.

     OnLive is an online gaming system which streams games right to your Mac or PC. You can play when you want, without having to remember where you put that disk. 

     It's a free service, and you only pay for the games. There are a few ways to purchase the games. You can buy a 3 day pass, a 5 day pass, or full access to the game anytime, although not all games are available with all three forms of purchase. Prices range from  $6 to $50,depending on which game you want and for how long.
     Besides just playing games, With OnLive you can watch others play games in real-time, play trial versions of games, and more.

OnLive on iPad

     One may run into a few issues when trying OnLive. Firstly, internet connection speed is a very important factor, and without a sufficient speed, OnLive won't even start. Another issue is th range of titles. When looking through the game library, there were only a few titles that I recognized. These include Assassin's Creed II, Major League Baseball 2K10, and Far Cry 2. Although I am not an avid gamer, the selection did not seem very wide.
     Also, besides for playing on th PC or Mac, OnLive has an iPad app, and now, a new TV connected gaming system.
    This system, which comes with the actual device and a XBOX-like controller, is available for $99. The actual device, since everything it does is through the internet, is about the size of an average smart phone. It does what the OnLive for Mac and PC does, but on your TV.

The OnLive System for TVs

          So is OnLive better than buying an XBOX 360 or PS3? You'll have to decide for yourself. Look at the  game library, and do some more research on the service. If you have a blazing fast internet connection (Ethernet, not WiFi), then maybe this might be good for you. If your internet connection takes a while to load the following video, then it's probably not a good choice.

Nook Color, Tabletized

     The Barnes and Noble Nook Color, following the original Nook, is an eBook reader with a 7-inch color LCD display, it runs Android 2.1, but is limited by the Nook interface.

Nook Color

     Barnes and Noble is currently working on an Android 2.2 update for the Nook Color. This would bring more usability to the Nook Color, and would make it more of a tablet-like device. With the same 7-inch screen as the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Blackberry PlayBook, this $250 device costs only a fraction of the price. But Barnes and Noble says they are not trying to compete with other tablets, and that their Nook Color is mainly a reading device.
     Barnes and Noble also says that they are not bringing access to the Android Marketplace, but are trying to get developers to design Nook specific applications, and hopes for them to be available for download in early 2011.
     Although this seems like it might make a great Android tablet, two things set it back. Firstly, the shorter battery life compared to it's eInk predecessor. And secondly, Barnes and Noble seems to be trying to keep the Nook Color mainly a reading device.
     Will the Nook Color be equivalent to the Samsung Galaxy Tab? I don't think so. Should you wait and see before buying a new tablet. Maybe.

Startup tips: your new PC

 

iTunes

     Those first few days are really fun. You've taken the new laptop out of it's box. It smells new, looks new. Your new $500 baby. You turn it on, waiting for it's first boot, it's first time launching Windows 7, and then it hits you. What can you do with it. All it has is basically a web browser and maybe a trial version of Microsoft Office.
     What do you install, what do you download? This may help.
     First of all, get rid of Internet Explorer, at least until Internet Explorer 9 comes out. I recommend Google Chrome, a  different,  faster, and easier web browser, you can    get it at google.com/chrome.
     If you own an iPod or iPad, iTunes is a must-have, even if you don't      have an iPod, just to organize your music and videos , iTunes is my favorite, get it here at apple.com/itunes.
     You'll probably need a word processor, and if you don't plan on spending at least $150 on Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org is a great free alternative, it includes a word processor, a presentation maker, a spreadsheet creator, and more. It is available as a free download at openoffice.org.
     A antivirus is very important, and although your PC probably came with a free trial antivirus, you probably want to uninstall that and either  buy an antivirus, or, although it won't work quite as well, install a free one. I personally use Microsoft Security Essentials. Available at .microsoft.com/security_essentials, this free antivirus should work fine for your needs.
     Windows Live Essentials is also a good free set of software. It includes an IM (instant messenger) app, a movie make, a photo gallery app, a blogging app, and more. Available at explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials. Note: many of the Windows Live Essentials reguire a free Windows Live ID, available at http://explore.live.com/.
     If you havn't already, you should look into getting a free Google Account, (available at this link and click on, on the right hand side in the middle, create an account.) which gives you access to Gmail, Google Docs, and much more, some of which might replace actual software.
     You probably will have to get some more software, some of which you will have to pay for, but to get started this is a good list of some free software to get you going.


UPDATE: I got a comment from Riley Quinn recommending ninite.com, which will install almost all of this software and more in one download. You just choose which software to install and click Get Installer. Thanks Riley.
  
    
  

Kinect: To Buy or Not to Buy

      About a month ago, Microsoft put out two Major updates to the XBOX world. Firstly, they put out the sleek black, XBOX 360 Slim. Secondly, the long awaited Project Natal has finally materialized as XBOX Kinect.
     Project Natal was introduced as a new technology designed for Wii-like gaming without the controller.
     Now, Project Natal has been renamed Kinect and is being sold to use with the XBOX 360.

The Kinect Sensor

     Kinect is a device that you plug into your XBOX and place it near the center of your TV. It uses multiple cameras and sensors and tracks your movement, which then moves the character on the screen, resulting in a more immersive gaming experience.
     The Kinect is available On its own (for hookup with an existing XBOX 360) for $150 or with the new XBOX 360 Slim 4GB for $299, you can also get it with a 250GB XBOX for $399.

Kinect in Use

     The Kinect comes with a game called Kinect Adventures free. Kinect Adventures is the perfect first game for the Kinect. It is basically many fun mini-games that can be played in adventure or free play mode. Kinect Adventures has an obstacle course, a river rafting game, and more, all of which require a lot of movement. Although it's good exercise, may get tiring after a bit.
     Other games, available for about $60 each, include Dance Central , a Dance Dance Revolution type game in which you have to follow dance steps, Kinectimals, in which you have your own pet and interact with it using your body, EA Sports Active 2, a Wii Fit like game, but without the board. Eventually we should see more games like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, which doesn't need the Kinect sensor, but is better with it.

VideoKinect

     Since the Kinect has a camera and microphone, a lot more than just gaming is better with Kinect. With Kinect and XBOX Live, you can control movies just by talking, you can video chat with  VideoKinect, and more.
     Also, since all the Kinect uses to connect is a USB port, people have released the drivers for using it with Linux.
     Sounds really cool, but is it worth the at least $150 you need to get it? If you have young kids, it is a fun device, but for the Call of Duty lover, they'll have to stick with the controller. If you have an XBOX 360 and young kids, you might want to buy the device. If you plan on getting the XBOX 360 slim anyway, I would recommend, bundling th Kinect with it. But if all you want is the motion controlled gaming, you might want to either go with the current Wii, or wait until something similar comes out.

Watch the 6 minute video below for more info.

Windows Phone 7

     Gone are the days of the ten pound, giant black hunks of plastic and metal they once called cell phones. Over the years, the cell phone has evolved all the way down to the small flip phone, or the "feature phone", and more recently, the smart phone.
     The smart phone, a slim device that makes phone calls. And does pretty much everything else out there. You can read and write email, surf the web, post pictures to Facebook, and even share your exact location with Foursquare or Gowalla.
    There's the iPhone running iOS, the many devices running Android, RIM's Blackberry, Window's Mobile, and now a new Microsoft Creation. Windows Phone 7.
    Microsoft had tried the smart phone business with Windows Mobile. It was used by some, but was mostly not usable and unpopular. Microsoft decided to rethink the smart phone. Their result? Windows Phone 7.
     iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and almost any other smart phone OS, is based on the grid of icons, or apps. Windows Phone 7 is not that.

  

iOS

Android

Blackberry   

Window Phone 7 incorporates the idea of hubs. For example, in the people hub, you get your contacts, and updates from them, and integration with Facebook, all in one "hub". With any other OS, you would have to go through many apps to do what you can do in Windows Phone with one tap.

Windows Phone 7

     Currently, Windows Phone 7 is available in 5 phones. The Samsung Focus, the LG Quantum, the HTC Surround, the HTC HD7, and the Dell Venue Pro. The carriers available are AT&T and T Mobile, but other carriers should come along eventually.

     Microsoft has really made a very nice looking product. Will it be successful? I don't know. I personally think the "hub" thing is a bit too complicated. But only time will tell.  

For more info visit microsoft.com/windowsphone 

    

Chrome OS Netbook.

     Chrome OS. It's finally here and being used on an actual device.
     First of all, what is Chrome OS? Chrome OS is a Google operating system that unlike Windows, OS X, or Linux, is solely a web browser. Anyone familiar with Google Chrome browser for Windows, Mac, or Linux will be mostly familiar with this new OS.  The OS works like Chrome browser but has some slight differences. For example, in the top left corner of Chrome OS, there are some direct tabs for your favorite web apps. Currently I am downloading chrome OS to try for myself, but until that is done, I don't have all the information about the OS. Watch for a further update on Chrome OS once I download it.
     So, now that you know what chrome OS is, you need to know how to get it. You can get an open source version called Chromium, or you can, eventually, buy a Chrome OS notebook.

Google's Chrome OS

The new Google Cr-48

     Earlier today, Google announced it's Cr-48. This is going to be the first Chrome OS notebook. This 12 inch, 3.8 pound notebook has potential to be a great notebook if Chrome OS is enough for the average user. That is the biggest question. 
     Imagine working at your computer and someone suddenly telling you that the only program you could run was your web browser. Goodbye iTunes. Goodbye Microsoft Office. Would you be able to live your computer life without native programs? 
     Apparently Google and whoever else uses Chrome or Chromium right now think you can live without native apps. The outcome of the Cr-48 will tell us the answer. 
     There are great web apps out there, but I believe that for this to be a success, there need to be more great web apps. And until we get some of the most widely used native applications online, Chrome OS will be for the very light computer user.