I’m Back!
June 17, 2013 Leave a comment
Okay guys, after a brief hiatus, I have returned to my beautiful throne on the internets!
Regular posting will return starting tomorrow! Get ready… there’s A LOT to talk about!
Apple Unveils 16 GB 5th Gen iPod Touch
May 30, 2013 Leave a comment
Ummmmmm wut. I know what you’re thinking… a new iPod?! Why now? Well, WWDC is coming up soon. Also, the old 4th Gen 16 GB model was getting a tad bit stale. Apple apparently realized this too (apparently unlike the rest of us) and decided that the time came to roll out a younger brother to the 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch 5th gen models. However, this iPod isn’t like all other iPods. Namely, the new 16 GB model does NOT feature a back camera. It does however feature the same sleek design, same dual-core A5 processing unit, and the same gorgeous 4 inch retina display that made its older siblings look dashing. The new device costs $229- the same old price of the 16 GB iPod touch 4th gen when it was all the rage over a year ago. Check it out, if you want it, in the link below.
Predicting iOS 7: What Can We Expect
May 29, 2013 Leave a comment
So, WWDC is coming up in a couple of weeks, Tim Cook just laid down the law at D11, and I gotta say- I’m getting pretty psyched for iOS 7. So, what exactly can we, the users, expect with iOS 7? Will it be the earth-shattering update we have been waiting for since iOS 4 broke through a few years ago, or will it be more of the same? Here are some of MY predictions for iOS 7. If you don’t like them, you can go away. But please don’t, I like you. We’re still friends right? Okay, let’s get started.
Among everything else I will mention, I really want a new interface. iOS’s current everything-looks-like-it-must-feel design is getting old… very old. The new look, or rather, the Apple look, is sleeker and cleaner than that. I’m really hoping that iOS 7 brings some of that cleanliness to the table, preferably with a completely overhauled design that, although still true to the original, really leaves me satisfied with a user interface. I have not been satisfied with anything since iOS 4 and I need to be happy dammit.
I would really like to see deeper integration with social services in iOS 7. Namely, I’m looking to be able to do MORE than just tweet and post stuff to facebook when I’m bored on my iPod/iPhone/iPad. Please, Apple, give me some deeper integration.
It would be nice if Apple could allow more third-party API access to the OS. I’m getting sick and tired of getting a different experience in every app, and not having the tight integration of things like Chrome and the Gmail app with iOS. I know Apple and Google are in a little four year old girl sissy fight, but the customer comes first, and it’s time I get what I want. I am important ya know.
Finally, something really simple, I want iOS 7 to be faster. Some of us aren’t using the latest and greats Apple technologies (until I get an iPhone I’m rocking a 4th Gen iPod touch with iOS 6) and want to feel supported. I almost feel left out not having the speed that others do. Perhaps the simplification of iOS will lead to this. But we can only hope.
Alright folks, that was my wishlist for iOS 7. If you liked it, drop a comment below. If you didn’t, try to. If you just wanna say hey to your buddy Max who writes you all this cool stuff, tweet at me @thetechtile or drop a comment on my FB page.
Game of the Week: Quinn for OS X
May 28, 2013 Leave a comment
Do you like playing games? Do you like Tetris? Do you like to play games such as Tetris? Don’t you wish Tetris was easily accessible on OS X without the need for Adobe Flash? Well have I got something cool for you. It’s called Quinn. It’s a really customizable game of Tetris. You play with the keystroke combination you want. You can play at varying speeds. You can play with friends online or around the world. It’s free. What isn’t there to love? Quinn is cool because it launches with relative speed on OS X, takes up very little space, and isn’t annoyingly controlled by the Mac App Store which I hate more than anything else. If anything, it’s just a Tetris clone for OS X. And that is all it should be anyway. Something easy, fast, and fun to use. So give it a whirl in the link below. You’ll be happy you did.
App of the Week: All2MP3 for Mac OS X
May 27, 2013 Leave a comment
Do you download a lot of music? Do you download a lot of your music in methods that are rather… unorthodox? I’m sure you do, you are a human on the internet after all. Well, if you can admit to the first part, I’m sure this second thing has been haunting you: you’re always stuck with file formats that just won’t f@%$&ng work in iTunes. And it drives you INSANE, right? Well, kid, have I got THE solution for you… it’s called All2MP3 for OS X. You simply drag and drop yer shit into the lil’ black box that tells you so, you press a button, and BOOM, converted. You can even choose to dump the old FLAC files, or m4a files or whatever you’re converting from. And best of all, it’s totally free. As in free beer. Check it out in the link below. Thank me later. Or now. I don’t really care.
DOWNLOAD HERE: HERE HERE HERE OOOOHH YEAHH
My New Favorite Thing: Klout
May 22, 2013 Leave a comment
Klout is so cool. And so empowering too. For those of you who aren’t aware, the beta service Klout is able to rank your outreach on the internet. What I mean by this is, it ranks your online social influence. My current Klout score is 52. But how does the service calculate this number? Well, they take the number of people you influence plus how much you influence them plus how influential they themselves are. This score is usually taken from Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and so many other services. Klout also gets you noticed by other influential people who will then connect with you so that they can influence you and you in turn can influence them. Audiences are shared, and more people are more connected in an ever-connecting society. But it gets better. Klout also gives you freebies, or as it calls them, perks. Perks allow you to receive awesome free stuff based on how much activity you produce on Klout. The more the better. For more information follow THIS link.
Game System* Of the Week: The Xbox One
May 21, 2013 Leave a comment
*Instead of the usual Game of the Week, I’ve taken to making today dedicated to talking about Microsoft’s new Xbox One.
Microsoft has a magical way of surprising everyone with a lot of information in a small stretch of time. At least, I feel like this has always been the case. Today, the big M revealed their long awaited successor to the Xbox 360, the best selling console of its generation, and its name isn’t too far from its brother. They call it Xbox One.
The new platform is significant as it mixes together everything that a user wants. Be it live TV, amazing gaming titles, browsing the web, or enjoying movies and music. It’s all there on the Xbox One. The console features an all new redesign, including a reimagined Microsoft Kinect and a refreshed controller with triggers that vibrate. It is also very important to note that the console OS bears a striking resemblance to Windows 8. Microsoft has also taken to adding even more things to love to Xbox Live, namely the new multiplayer matchmaking system that will be rolled out with the new console.
Among other things, Microsoft also announced that the next Call of Duty title will come out exclusively first on the Xbox One, as well as fourteen other hotly-anticipated titles such as a brand new Forza Motorsport title, a blend of gaming and live TV with Quantum Break, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, and EA Sports UFC. More games will be rolling out, but these are definitely the highlights.
Perhaps the coolest new thing is that you will be able to Skype in your living room on the big screen with the Kinect unit that will ship with every Xbox One. That’s right, every single console will ship with a brand new Kinect.
Of course there are some sad parts to this. First of all, the console will NOT be backwards compatible with the Xbox 360. However, Microsoft is sure that the market for the 360 will still exist and people will still want the older console. I call bullshit, but whatever, that’s just me. Also, the console comes with a locked-in and rather paltry 500 GB of hard-drive space. The reason this is so bad (yes I know, 500 GB is typically amazing) is that it simply won’t be enough for serious entertainment and gaming aficionados. I would like to see a 500 GB and 1 TB option as well. Just saying.
Also, 343 Industries and Steven Speilberg are teaming up to produce a live-action Halo television series (uniquely named Halo: The Television Series).
Overall, Microsoft’s new Xbox One has a lot to offer. As we get closer to release (end of this year) we’ll see just what the price is, and what more the console has to offer. This is definitely still developing. Stay tuned for more.
