Start-ups have come into vogue. Today’s Silicon Valley has brogrammers, swag galore, and even its own reality TV show. Geeks are the new party rockers and we’re starting to see the resurrection of crazy start-up launch parties. Lean mean start-up machines will tell you that launch parties are poor customer acquisition strategies. And 99% of the time, these bootstrappers are correct. However, at least 1% of the time a well executed party can really accelerate early growth for your company.

My start-up, UpOut, threw a low-cost launch party in the Mission District of San Francisco last year. We managed to signup our first 500 users, got several back-links from bloggers, and built local buzz at the event. Below I’ll share some tips we used (or wished we used) to assess, measure, and throw a rockin’ launch party.

Let’s NOT party like it’s 1999! Let’s get analytical.

Why on earth would you throw a party?

For start-ups  a launch event is a big ad for your business, potential employees, users, customers, press, and even investors. A well executed event, like an ad campaign, builds legitimacy with your audience and can be cheaper than other forms of branding. Unlike almost all other marketing, events bring you face to face with your customers helping you build a personal relationship with them.

The lead up to and post event provide other interesting opportunities. People who hear about the event may signup for your product regardless of whether they plan to attend. I highly recommend getting media outlets to cover the event or possibly join in as a media sponsor which is a great method of co-marketing. This helps build your relationship with them and helps send traffic to your website when mentioned. Pictures and other forms of social media help build buzz among friends of the attendees following the event.

Understanding the costs

Start-up launch events are often organized solely by the founders who have little event planning experience. Even if you can afford it, hiring an event planner is often a poor choice because they have a hard time throwing the creative event you need. The biggest cost for the event will be your time. You should expect to spend 40 to 150 of employee hours to pull off the event successfully. In dollar terms, at a modest $35/hour, you will spend $1,400 to $5,250 of your own time.

There are also hard costs to throwing a launch party. Costs will almost certainly include venues (min ~$800), entertainment (min ~$300), and swag (minimum $5/head). Your launch party is also likely have drinks, food, decorations, photographers, fliers, and staffing. You can certainly save money using trade or other techniques like “bar minimums”. However, at least in my experience, you will end up paying for it in quality, hours or favors. After all,  you don’t want to be doing coat check at your own party! The fact is, most event material is fairly commoditized so it is unlikely that you can swing a serious deal. I would expect that any memorable party would have at least $2000 in hard costs.

Ballpark costs: at least $3400.

Setting ROI

After estimating your costs, you’ll quickly realize that you need to extract a substantial value from the event. Most launch events are about customer acquisition growth but you may set your ROI differently. Branding and relationship building is harder to measure, so I generously assume that its worth 25% to 50% of the total cost of the event. From throwing an event, you acquire through some or more of various channels:

• Event listings [small unknowns; medium rewards]
• Media coverage of/from the event [big unknowns; big rewards]
• Post-event pictures [small unknowns; small rewards]
• Social media interactions [medium unknowns; big rewards]
• Event attendance [small unknowns; medium rewards]

Use the above and more to estimate expected returns on each channel and compare with other customer acquisition mediums. Understanding these ROIs also helps you figure out where you should spend your efforts.

Tip: entrepreneurs often fear charging at the door for an event to help cover costs. I always recommend charging for your event (even your launch event). Having an event fee helps weed out bad customers/users and throw a more memorable party. Besides, you can always discount prices!

So, should you do it?

For most people, I doubt that a launch party would help substantially. I encourage anyone thinking about throwing a launch party to get seriously analytical about the event’s return on investment. As part of a larger marketing strategy, events can make a lot of sense. That said, as with everything, planning and foresight make all the difference.

Links: UpOut.com

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I decided to purchase a Microsoft Surface Pro when it made a debut last month. It seemed like the perfect device which could function both as a laptop and a tablet. Since it features a full-blown Windows 8 Pro operating system, I could use for just about anything including Photoshop or running Ubuntu in Virtualbox when coding.

The 128 GB model goes for about $999. Throwing in a type keyboard brings the price tag up to about $1,100. The Intel i5 processor, a full HD display, and a USB 3.0 port makes the package even more attractive. A comparable 11-inch Macbook Air with a 128 GB SSD still lacks a touch screen display and a HD resolution.

After just a few days of use, I quickly realized the hybrid form-factor has one major flaw: the kickstand. While seated at a desk, the display faces the user at an appropriate angle. However, it becomes quite problematic in just about any other situation. Since the kickstand is non-adjustable, using it on a kitchen counter is quite difficult since the display faces my chest. Sitting on the floor? The display once again faces my chest. Using the Surface Pro on my lap while seated on a couch is also quite uncomfortable since it is quite easy to tip over compared to a laptop.

Believe it or not, the biggest nuance with the Surface Pro by far is the kickstand. I also own an Apple iPad, Asus Nexus 7, and Amazon Kindle Fire for compatibility testing and while they all entirely lack a kickstand, they are are primarily content consumption devices. I wouldn’t be using these devices for writing code, composing important emails, creating presentations, editing large spreadsheets, or organizing photos. The Surface Pro can actually handle all those tasks without a sweat, but the form-factor makes it difficult.

It is rather disappointing considering the whole product was designed around the notion of more flexibility. If Microsoft had simply designed a kickstand with 3-4 adjustable positions, the Surface Pro would be a lot more comfortable to use. While the device is perfectly usable as a tablet, it truly requires being seated at a table for use with the keyboard. That’s rather unacceptable when just about every laptop display is fairly adjustable for just about any viewing angle.

Microsoft actually got just about everything right with this device. Even the 5 hour battery life wasn’t a concern since it’s quite comparable to most Ultrabooks. I ended up returning the Surface Pro about a week after purchase. I’ll keep an eye out for other hybrid Windows 8 Pro devices, hopefully one which has a clam-shell laptop form-factor and a screen which snaps off. The Lenovo Helix seems to fall perfectly into that category, but has yet to hit store shelves.

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Last fall, I took a leave of absence from college and had the pleasure of being part of the third batch of 500 Startups. I’m excited for this new class to experience the strength of the 500 community, the best workspace view of Silicon Valley and the work hard, play hard mentality.

Many of our Monday batch meetings began with Dave McClure, founding partner at 500 Startups, asking the founders, who weren’t generating revenue, to raise their hands. As time progressed, the number of trembling hands dwindled. It comes as no surprise that a majority of the startups are revenue focused.

Yesterday’s newly announced class is slightly smaller, with 27 startups compared to the last batch of 34. Of these 27, there are five that stood out to me. McClure stresses the default being that you will die, but here are my favorites that I think can survive.

Let the Funding Games begin.

1. CardFlick

CardFlick lets you easily create custom business cards and share them with those around you. You can choose from one of their 30 aesthetic themes, and you can also integrate your Instagram or Facebook photos into your card. Hoping to eliminate physical business cards, CardFlick lets you exchange your card with other users via your iPhone (and soon Android, Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry, too). Their templates include some of the most beautiful business cards I’ve ever seen.

2. Chalkable

Chalkable provides schools with an educational platform and a curated app store to enhance the classroom. Many teachers are hesitant to adopt new technology because of the time commitment it takes to learn the new interfaces, but Chalkable’s easy to learn platform helps teachers take advantage of tools they might have otherwise shied away from. With Chalkable, teachers can manage their classroom, distribute grades and assignments, and foster a learning environment through the content in the app store.

3. Publik Demand

Publik Demand has got to be the most badass startup of this batch. They help consumers change bad company policy. The idea for the startup originated from a terrible customer experience by Publik Demand co-founder, Courtney Powell. She experienced the struggle of the small consumer against a huge corporation, and now she wants to amplify your message and help customers be treated like customers.

4. Groupiter

Groupiter adds real-time conversations to your DropBox files. Finally! Collaboration can be disjointed when you’re switching from a Dropbox file to a Skype or email conversation just to make a few tweaks in the file. Now that Dropbox has Google Drive as a competitor, it will be interesting to see if Groupiter aids in making Dropbox a more compelling product than Google Drive.

5. Monogram

Monogram is a shopping app for the iPad that learns your taste and recommends fashion items that fit your style. Instead of browsing fashion sites and clicking through pages just to find a piece of clothing you like, Monogram presents to you your own style. It also alerts you of new releases and sales. Now we can all find the most fashionable items that pertain to our individual taste.

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

After spending about a week with the third-generation iPad which went on sale last Friday after Apple’s grand unveiling in San Francisco earlier this month, here are several features I hope will go into next year’s model.

Stereo Speakers

This one seems trivial, but will go a long way. Every iPad to date only packs a single mono speaker. Considering movies and music are key features, the lack of stereo speakers is rather disappointing. Several Android tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offer stereo speakers. Even the BlackBerry PlayBook has a speaker on each side.

FaceTime Camera

Apple threw in a vastly improved rear-facing iSight camera, but the FaceTime camera on the front remains the same: it shoots at just 0.3 megapixels. For those wondering, Apple describes it as a VGA resolution which translates to just 640 x 480 pixels. Considering Skype just bumped video quality up to 1080p last month, including a 2 megapixel camera on front seems reasonable at the very least.

Thinner and Lighter

The original iPad weighed 1.5 pounds and the iPad 2 slimmed down to just 1.33 pounds. Unfortunately, the third-generation iPad weights 1.44 pounds. The much larger battery is the obvious culprit, but it was probably the only option to maintain the same 10 hour run-time with the power hungrier hardware. Tablets should continue shedding weight, not adding bulk.

The new iPad’s 0.37 inch thick body is thinner than the original 0.53 inch model, but bulkier than the 0.35 inch thick iPad 2. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 weighs just 1.25 pounds and is only 0.34 inches thick. The Asus Transformer Prime is even thinner at just 0.33 inches and weighs 1.29 pounds.

Micro USB and HDMI

Every iOS device to date uses the same Dock Connector. I do not see a change happening, but I hope Apple will eventually adopt microUSB. While it might be a pain for those who already own accessories with dock connectors, it would help keep things consistent with other products on the market. I would love to charge my iPad with the same cable that also charges my Bluetooth headset, smart phone, Kindle, and many other devices.

Jumping to Micro USB would also open the doors to supporting HDMI thanks to MHL. Apple offers a $40 AV Adapter for HDMI output, but generic cables are usually more affordable.

Siri Please

Some claim the new iPad lacks Siri to because WiFi-only models do not always have a constant data connection and it would be inconsistent to only offer the feature to the mobile broadband enabled ones. I also came across reasons including hardware limitations and Apple possibly holding it back until next year to entice users to upgrade again.

I am not really sure why Siri isn’t available, but the hardware is definitely capable and Apple already has the technology to make it possible. I really do hope an update will introduce the feature soon. It would be nice to check the weather, set an alarm, send a text message, or search the web quickly when my hands are tied up doing multiple things. Voice dictation already works great.

Quad Core Processor

The third-generation iPad has a quad-core graphics processing unit (GPU), but still runs on a dual-core processor. While the current configuration makes major strides for graphics intensive tasks, the new hardware does not necessarily speed up every day use. Several of the flagship Android smart phones and tablets are making a leap into quad-core territory this summer and Apple will hopefully do the same for the iPhone this year and for the next iPad in 2013.

WPS Support For iOS

Just about every router now offers WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) for one-click pairing with a wireless home network. Clicking a button to let guests connect to your network makes things a whole lot simpler than having to share a complex network key. Windows 7 has the feature built-in and many Android devices offer the feature too. Though a tiny addition, it is also a huge convenience.

Runs Cooler

Consumer Reports claims the iPad runs nearly 13 F warmer than the previous model. I probably would have never noticed if it were not for all the buzz that followed. Even if comfort is not an issue, pushing for cooler running temperatures in next year’s iteration does not hurt. Lithium-Ion batteries are prone to loosing capacity when exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time.

Links: Apple iPad

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Over the past day or so, tech pundits have ranted and raged over Netflix’s decision to spin-off their DVD business into a separate entity named Qwikster. Just a quick glance at TechMeme reveals thoughts from TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Technologzier, PC World, CNN Money, Fast Company, VentureBeat, GigaOm, Mashable, and many more. Just about every one of these stories simply reiterates on the other with no value added. Interestingly enough, there is something I have not heard being said and it is also what I am hearing from a source: Qwikster is a setup for sale.

Why? Many reasons. The logic makes sense if you evaluate the current situation. The DVD portion of Netflix’s business is getting awfully expensive to operate while the streaming portion is becoming more and more affordable thanks to the advancements in cloud offerings. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, streaming a movie in late 2010 only cost Netflix about 5 cents — mailing out a DVD easily costs 10 times more. Not to mention the USPS, whose largest customer is Netflix, continues to raise prices and there is a good chance the entire organization may completely shut down by the end of the year. Switching to FedEx or UPS would cost a fortune.

If Netflix were to continue offering DVD-by-mail, it would hold them back from focusing their on-demand streaming business. The stock price is now down by nearly 50% less since the company’s highest valuation earlier this year in July. Netflix could immediately cut losses and kill the entire DVD business, but that would cost a fortune and leave the brand name extremely tarnished.

Creating Qwikster makes sense — though a better name could help.  This subsidiary is now buyable. Though finding investors or a buyer is probably quite difficult, merging Qwikster with a company like Coinstar’s Redbox is a possibility. Just take a look at Motorola’s decision to split into Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility. Google would have never acquired the latter if the company never separated.

DVDs are definitely not the future, but millions of customers will continue to use the service for at least another few years. After all, people still sadly pay to use AOL for instance. Qwikster may now have game rentals for a fresh taste, but even the notion of games-by-mail is getting old. For instance, services such as Steam or OnLive makes new titles available to download or stream, respectively. Qwikster is definitely a business destined to fade away over time, but the question is: who wants to make some money off it until then?

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Did you hear the news? Facebook is launching a new Subscribe button for profiles, but it actually has a different functionality depending the type of friendship. If you are friends with a person, using the Subscribe button allows controlling just how much you see of them in your News Feed. If you are not friends with a person, subscribing is essentially a “Follow” button from Twitter. You can only see their public posts and they can only see yours. Fortunately, this is an opt-in feature unlike many of the other Facebook announcements.

Confused?

Yeah. That is because this is Facebook’s latest attempt to not be Facebook. The social network has a habit of trying to fix things that are not broken (and not fixing things that are), and the move to add a Subscribe button to profiles is no exception.

The reason for this spontaneous announcement is not only to stay ahead of Twitter’s growth, but also the latest entry into the social network arena: Google+. Both use different strategies compared to Facebook for connecting. On Facebook, being “friends” with someone equates to a mutual connection. On Twitter and Google+, anyone can follow someone’s updates and they do not necessarily have to see yours. That is their decision.

Not only is Facebook completely ruining what makes the website unique, but they are doing so in all the wrong ways. Normally when you follow someone on Twitter, you click “Follow” and the process is over. You are following that person and you can now move along with your day.

On Facebook, this is not what happens. Once you click Subscribe, you have the option to see all updates, most updates, or only the important ones. Underneath that, you can choose the specific types of stories you care about: Life Events, Status Updates, Photos and Videos, or Games. One might assume Life Events covers everything, keeping in mind the person you follow is in fact living. Alas, apparently it does not.

And lets say I subscribe to someone who then chooses to subscribe to my updates as well, why not just add each other as friends? The only difference between being mutual subscribers and friends is subscribers only see public updates, not all updates. But I do not know many people who choose to only post a few statuses as public. Most decide to make their entire profile public or restrict it to just friends. And making content on profiles public just eliminates the need for Pages.

The whole thing is just redundant and unnecessary. I have not seen any complaints from people wishing Facebook had a Follow button. And those that do wish for such a feature just sign up for Twitter. This system works. But now that the Palo Alto-based social network is jumping in, I am almost certain users are going to get confused rather quickly. I already am.

Companies like Twitter and Apple have long known that placing limitations on products or services are necessary for a great user experience. This is the reason for the 140-character limit on Twitter and the App Store approval process on iOS. Adding too many similar features and options leads straight to chaos. Facebook can not seem to grasp that concept.

Link: Facebook Subscriptions

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Editor’s Note: Parth Dhebar (@pdparticle) is the Founder of Simple-Reviews (@simple_reviews), a blog that features simplified reviews for Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch apps. In addition, he leads Community and Business Development efforts at Teens in Tech Labs.

This year at the World Wide Developer Conference, Apple surprised the audience when they announced iOS 5 and OS X Lion leaving no mention of a new iPhone. Since then, the media started a non-stop publishing spree with bizarre claims and rumors. Here are five reasonable things we can definitely expect with the iPhone 4S. Yup, you heard me. The iPhone 4S, not an iPhone 5.

Better Internal Hardware

The upcoming iPhone 4S will probably feature the next generation dual-core A5 processor, an upgrade to the existing A4. Apple will likely throw in a better graphics chip and double the RAM to 1 GB. According to rumors, iOS 5 has some hardware-exclusive voice control features which do not work on the current iPhone 4. The upcoming iPhone 4S is undoubtedly the key to unlocking the feature.

While everyone is hoping for 4G capabilities, it is hard to tell whether the iPhone 4S will support the faster network. Apple often adopts early technologies, but not unless they can get it right. If Apple does introduce a 4G enabled model, they would do so for all major networks. Unfortunately, that is not entirely possible since carriers are not entirely ready.

AT&T offers HSPA+ under the 4G brand name and has yet to deploy a LTE network. Introducing a model with only HSPA+ support would mean incompatibility for future LTE-based networks. Apple would also need a WiMax model for Sprint 4G and another LTE version for Verizon Wireless 4G.

After all, Apple did not seem to concerned about only having 2G on the original iPhone when most mediocre flip phones already had 3G at the time — it clearly did not hurt growth either.

Same Design, With Tweaks

Rumors suggest the next-gen iPhone will offer a completely new design. However, taking example from the previous refreshes, the iPhone 4S will offer the same design but with minor enhancements. The upcoming model will probably offer a new antenna design to avoid a rerun of the infamous “antennagate”.

In addition, after rumors of many complaints from customers regarding the somewhat-fragile glass back, Apple would have definitely taken notice. A change of material for the back piece is a given and we might possibly see a new aluminum plate introduced.

Better Camera

During WWDC 2010, Steve Jobs explained how megapixels are not what makes a camera better. The year-old iPhone 4 currently offers only a 5 megapixel sensor and which I think still continues to blows competition out of the water. With that being said, signs are pointing toward an 8 megapixel camera which will probably turn out to be true. With top-notch hardware, an even better camera is just one of the improvements Apple can bring to the table to get existing customers to upgrade.

The Same Display

Currently, the iPhone and iPod touch feature a display which I think is the best on the market. Going by the name Retina Display, it has a super high pixel density screen with a 960-by-640 pixel resolution on a 3.5 inch screen which equates to a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi). Steve Jobs during the WWDC 2010 keynote explained that after a certain point the human eye fails to distinguish individual pixels. In addition, Jobs explained the magic number is around 330 ppi when visible pixelation is no more. This is exactly why the iPhone 4S does not need a new display.

Since launch, Apple has not increased the screen size with any new version of the iPhone and they definitely will not with the iPhone 4S. Rumors have suggested that they will, but it would become a nightmare for developers. In addition, Apple’s stance on-screen size should be pretty clear by now. If they are going to increase screen size for any of their iOS devices, they would have already done so when competitors were using screen size as a selling point.

iPhone Name

The media is pretty confident about Apple calling the next iPhone the “iPhone 5,” but it will not be called that. The new model will probably go with the name “iPhone 4S” since the refresh will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. In fact, that is exactly what Apple did when they introduced the iPhone 3GS in 2009. The “S” in “3GS” was to signify the faster and better hardware compared to its predecessor the “iPhone 3G”.

I also predict that Apple, at some point, will get rid of the numbers after “iPhone” and will just call future generations the “iPhone”. They have already done just that with the iPod touch.

Bottom Line

If you are desperately looking for a new smart phone, I think it is still a great time to purchase an iPhone 4 since Apple will definitely continue to support it even after the launch of the next iteration even if the same set of features are not available. However, if you are like me and want the latest hardware I would suggest waiting. Apple will probably hold an event in early-October announcing the iPhone 4S and new iPod touch models. Those on a budget should keep in mind that Apple will likely reduce the current price of the iPhone 4 to $99.

Disclosure: Parth Dhebar is an investor in Apple.

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

“We welcome everyone with open arms, while Motorola continues its war with Microsoft and Apple barely acknowledges our existence as a threat. It is time all of this changed, no matter the cost.”

I imagine something along the lines of the quote above was going through the minds of Google before the company acquired Motorola Mobility. This acquisition means so much more than patent defense. It is almost as if Google is trying to give a warning to all of its competition. They played the game well up until now, but there are many areas of the Android ecosystem in need of help. They are stepping in for battle to crank the competition up a notch.

Google

How does the acquisition affect Google? Larry Page already stated in a very vague press release the company’s intentions.

The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

What exactly does he mean by saying the acquisition will “supercharge Android”? For one, Google just gained over 17,000 patents and Motorola submitted over 7,000 that are still pending approval. And while we are talking numbers, the company also just opened their doors to roughly 19,000 Motorola employees — a 60% increase in employees at Google overall.

Additionally, acquiring Motorola means Google is now a driving force behind the hardware for Android devices. If they want, they can now contribute to the Droid line of Android hardware under the Google name. And quite frankly, I do not see a reason not to. Maybe they might choose to stick with the Motorola brand, but contributing to the hardware definitely gives Google some key advantages. More on that later.

Microsoft

One main reason to buy Motorola is to take down Microsoft in the patent wars. Obviously, Google thinks they can do a better job than Motorola at defending patents that go in to Android devices. Another quote from Larry Page is a bit more blatant regarding the sticky situation:

We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. [...] Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

He uses the word “anti-competitive” twice. Unfortunately, it is just a not-so-clever mask on a surprisingly clever company. This has everything to do with competition. How can Page sit there and write to us that everyone is happy and things are going swimmingly when Google just spent $12.5 billion acquiring a company currently at war? For Microsoft, the acquisition is pretty much Google telling them to sit down and shut up. Google has the patents, has the leadership, and most importantly has Android, which is precisely what Microsoft is fighting about. Their green monsters are about to crush Microsoft and their fresh fruit.

Apple

Believe it or not, Google shoots a couple of bullets in Cupertino’s direction with their recent shopping spree. Apple has always boasted about how it takes full control over both software and hardware to make a truly great product. This clearly worked for them, since the company is now vying with Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable company in the world.

When developing Android, Google decided to take the same route Microsoft took with Windows. They create the software, many others create the hardware. This results in a quick and easy gain in market share. Unfortunately for Google, this means sacrificing a significant amount of control. Not a single Android device even comes slightly close to the iPhone in terms of market share and success.

Perhaps Google is now looking for some more control to make Android devices more powerful. Though Apple is known to set the gold standard for hardware, Motorola Mobility gives Google the tools necessary to at least compete, even if it results in failure.

Android Partners

Google’s favoritism for Motorola certainly must not sit well with other manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung. They have to realize any new Android devices churning out of Motorola will receive a prominent spotlight. In a way, Google is now both a friend and competitor.

Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC, and LG have all released statements on the acquisition. Each contain this sentence or a variation of this sentence: “We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.” Seriously, they all say that. It is almost creepy. We have come to expect major companies to publicly turn any issue into something beneficial for them. But behind those brief statements are angry hardware manufacturers.

Twitter pulled this type of move on its developers numerous times. They released their own official iPhone and iPad apps, redesigned the main website into more of a web app, and partnered with Photobucket to launch their own photo-sharing service. The tension between Twitter and developers has definitely grown, and so will the tension between Google and Android partners.

“Don’t Be Evil”

Make no mistake — the Motorola acquisition is an evil move. Google aims to take down the competition and is completely willing to build up stress with its partners in the process. The next chore is making that $12.5 billion money well spent, which is an uphill battle for Google, but they are fully prepared to fight. The “don’t be evil” mantra is over. Nice guys finish last.

Links: Motorola Mobility | Android

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Shortly after the Google I/O 2011 Conference, I published a review of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. There were some bugs and only a handful of apps, but I truly felt the Android Honeycomb platform had potential and expected Samsung to push for the tablet’s success. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Very wrong. After two device replacements due to hardware defects and having to deal with a horrendous implementation of the TouchWiz interface since the latest update, I’ve given up.

The First Unit

I picked up my first Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the Google I/O 2011 Conference. For those wondering, journalists were lucky enough to get one of these along with a Samsung Chromebook and a Samsung 4G Mobile Hotspot. As I noted in the original review, the first device came with a lot of backlight bleeding. It was not entirely unusable, but the screen was rather ugly-looking. Definitely not a great start considering the display is probably the most important aspect to a tablet.

There was severe black light bleeding from the edges of the screen making it look as though white jolts of light were breaking out from several sides — the bottom right corner being the worst. I asked around to find that a few others also had the same issue. Even developer forums have members complaining about this problem and we can only hope the defects are not widespread to retail models. — Skatter Tech, Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Review)

I gave Samsung a call hoping for some insight. The first customer service representative handed my call over to Level Three support when I mentioned I had a Google I/O Special Edition model — the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was not on the market yet. After answering a few questions, the representative decided to email me a return label for a replacement. About two weeks after dropping it off at a local shipping center, a brand new unit was waiting at my front door.

The Second Unit

I was glad to find the replacement was not a refurbished unit. It came packed in the original Google I/O branded box with all the original accessories. I booted it up and checked for display defects. There was still some backlight bleed, but it was not nearly as much of a problem this time around.

At this point, nearly a week went by before I had a chance to use the tablet since I was busy with work. I hit the power button and to my surprise, it didn’t turn on. After unplugging and plugging it back in, I noticed the screen was actually already turned on. It was just entirely black with nothing happening. I held down the power button for 10 seconds or so hoping to see it reboot. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 entered an infinite reboot loop.

The tablet would play the standard Samsung boot animation, freeze for a few seconds, turn off, and start all over again. Since I could not turn it off either, I had no choice but to give Samsung another dreadful call. Another surprisingly helpful representative from the Level Three support team took over my case. He quickly concluded that I had a bricked tablet. Since there was apparently nothing I could do over the phone, he sent me yet another return label.

Although the representative mentioned they would simply “re-flash” the device and ship it back over, I found a brand new Galaxy Tab 10.1 at my front door again about three weeks later. I still do not understand how a tablet can possibly fail so easily especially when no one is using it.

The Third Unit

The latest replacement is by far the best. No backlight bleed and it actually works. I took it along with me on a trip overseas and it was a great travel companion. The still-in-beta Google Music service worked wonderfully with offline caching. I copied over several high-definition podcasts which looked gorgeous on the large display. The battery life was definitely impressive lasting about 10 hours with mixed usage consisting of typing notes, listening to music, watching movies, and playing games.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 connected to courtesy WiFi networks at airports and hotels without any issues either. Sending emails, using the calendar, or even voice/video chatting Google Talk was a wonderful experience. The offline Maps feature was perfect while traveling through a third world country without any mobile broadband. Even QuickOffice made it easy to edit documents and sync with Dropbox when a network became available. The web browser was quite useful too, but it did crash from time to time due to bugs. Despite that one quirk, the overall experience is something every buyer should expect.

TouchWiz Update

Unfortunately, I had my hopes too high. A notification for a new software update appeared about a week ago. It was an upgrade to the long-awaited TouchWiz additions. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 humorously failed to update after many repeated attempts. The error notice suggested either visiting an authorized Samsung Center or use Samsung Kies on a computer to upgrade manually. I eventually installed the 85 MB program on my Windows 7 computer and proceeded with the update.

A little over 20 minutes later, the tablet was finally ready. I unlocked the home screen and was a bit shocked to see the new redesign. Samsung TouchWiz introduced a new modified interface which looks part childish and part ugly. The original Tron-like dark theme with highlighter blue outlines was out of the picture. User interface consistency was definitely overlooked as well. Fonts are overly large. Icons, text, and other elements are poorly positioned or misaligned.

Anyways, my rant begins here. The tablet is now an utter mess. These are some issues:

Menu Bar

Samsung, why did you need to create new icons? These are too bright and ugly. The original ones were clean, futuristic, and subtle. The new ones look like a MS Paint creation. Rather than the original low-profile black bar which fades away when playing videos, the custom grey one is distracting and random remnants — including a white line — do not vanish entirely.

Screen Shot Icon

Developers, geeks, and reviewers will likely appreciate this feature. Unfortunately, it makes no sense to include a screen shoot trigger on the menu bar right besides the three most important navigational buttons. I am quite confident that less than a few percent of users will ever need this feature. In fact, the icon looks like a camera shutter button too. I handed the tablet to my friends who actually ended up taking photos using the screen shot tool in confusion.

I appreciate the kind gesture since Android does not offer this feature out of the box, but why not make it a hidden option? For instance, holding down the power button and a volume key could work. I keep accidentally triggering the screen shot tool since it is right next to the app switcher icon as well.

Quick Launcher

Since Android Honeycomb leaves empty space in center of the Menu Bar, Samsung decided it was a perfect opportunity to fill it up with some junk. Clicking on the bonus arrow button brings up six mini app shortcuts — none of which are interchangeable. The items include a task manager and five mini apps:  a calendar, world clock, pen memo, calculator, and music player. Just about each of these are harmful since they deviate from the normal Android workflow and waste memory too.

Quick Settings

Why did you tweak this? The original quick settings interface is easy to use and works perfectly fine. The new layout takes up nearly twice as much room and offers almost nothing more. It is even hard to figure out how the new interface works since some elements now slide horizontally while others scroll vertically. Taking twice as long to appear after a click does not help either.

Custom Alarm Clock

Although the original alarm clock was great for use as a night stand and was actually rather easy to use, Samsung decided to introduce its own creation anyways. The interface now looks drastically different, but I do not actually see any useful improvements. Samsung should have added features such as a stop watch and a countdown timer for starters. At the very least, including a world clock within this app instead of creating an entirely separate app for it would have been a wise choice.

eBook Reader + Kindle

I love Amazon Kindle and I have the app on just about every device I own, but why is it pre-installed? The app is just bloatware for those who do not want it or use another service. And before I forget, why is there another generic eBook app as well? In addition, why does the Samsung-built eBook app look like a blatant ripoff of the old-fashion bookshelf design of Apple’s iBook app? (No wonder there are so many lawsuits.) The app does not even tie into any major digital bookstore either.

Tweaked Browser

I am glad to run into fewer crashes and see better stability, but there is another concern. Samsung re-skinned the original interface. Rather than a dark theme, it now has a bright white design. Since most web pages have a white background, it is often hard to distinguish the menu bar from the web page due to a barely visible divider.

Developers also added a new RSS icon to the address bar, which is a mistake since most modern browsers are doing away with these. While the original bookmarks interface was perfectly fine, Samsung tries to add more features with a custom implementation. Unfortunately, the new file browser styled interface looks messy and overwhelming.

Calendar

I was a huge fan of the native Android Honeycomb calendar interface. It was by far the best tablet calendar out there. Yes, it is definitely better than the one on the Apple iPad too. Unfortunately, Samsung decided to make their own half-baked version just for kicks. Not surprisingly, it is a disaster. Doing pretty much anything requires more clicks. The app entirely lacks a traditional block-layout week view, which is something I use all the time. Six days worth of events boxed in bullet point lists is quite painful to visualize. I would love to meet the person who approved this.

Contacts

Samsung decided to re-skin the Contacts app as well. The interface now uses ridiculously large fonts. The only major improvement is the ability to sync contacts from Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am just wondering why they could not add this to the original interface.

Movies and TV Shows

Another unfortunate disaster in this department. Samsung bundles their own Media Hub app for purchases of Movies and TV Shows. Oddly, this blatantly overlaps with the Google Videos app which is finally pre-loaded on the tablet after the update. It doesn’t end there. There is now another app similarly named Video. It lets users browse and play locally stored content. This app adds little value since it essentially duplicates part the existing Gallery app’s functionality. To further add to the confusion, the Google Videos app also has a tab at the top to let users browse and play locally stored content to complement purchased items.

Three Music Apps?

This isn’t good. Samsung offers a Music Hub app for purchasing new content from 7digital. Then there is a Samsung Music Player app for listening to locally stored content. These overlap with the gorgeous native Google Music cloud-powered app. To top that off, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 now also ships with the Amazon MP3 app which entirely lacks a tablet-optimized interface.

Memo and Pen Memo?

Since Android Honeycomb does not ship with a simple app for taking notes, Samsung kindly added one for us. The Memo app lets users type and save text-based notes. But wait, what is this? There is a Pen Memo app too. This app is nearly identical to the last one which offers the ability to type text-based notes, but it also offers drawing/writing with the tip of your finger. Neat, but why on earth are there two apps? Sadly, Samsung does not let users remove one or both. At this point, I will probably end up using Evernote, SpringPad, or Catch instead anyways.

Samsung Apps

Making things confusing clearly seems like fun. The Samsung Apps store takes up another icon and offers its own selection of apps. After a quick browse through the top section, I did not see a single app which was not already available in the official Android Market. Even the Amazon App Store would have been a better choice, not that I recommend pre-installing that either. Having two app stores out of the box just creates confusion for the average user.

Social Hub

This app is a universal inbox for syndicating activity streams from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Considering that each of these three services still do not offer an app optimized for Android tablets, Social Hub is a welcome addition. With that being said, I will probably have no use for this as official apps eventually become available. An option to uninstall would be neat.

Other Bloatware

Pulse news reader, the Worlds with Friends game by Zynga, a My Files browser, and a basic Photo Editor come pre-installed. Unfortunately, none of these are removable. These are yet again nothing more than a waste of space for those who do not need it.

The Ideal Solution

After painfully having to deal with this device for a few days, I can’t help but say don’t fix it if it’s not broken. It does not help that Samsung clearly just shot itself in the foot especially when having to deal with patent lawsuits from Apple which are preventing Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Europe and Australia. The company clearly has some tough times ahead when it comes to tablets. While I do not have much to say about the legal concerns, I do have a solution for the user experience problems.

Samsung needs to start with this: a clean slate of Android Honeycomb. I don’t want to see any custom interface overlays/skins, any bonus widgets, any pre-installed bloatware apps, or any other modifications out of the box for that matter. Starting with the native Android operating system, Samsung should include just one thing to distinguish themselves competitors: an app named Samsung Extras. Any customization options, fancy live wallpapers, a selection of quality widgets, featured apps from partners, and any other junk should go in there. Ideally, this app should let the user add these features to the native Android experience and remove them easily.

Although it will probably never happen, I definitely hope Samsung takes at least some of this advice into consideration. Until then, I will unfortunately have to tell prospective tablet buyers to avoid the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Google still has a long way to go with Android Honeycomb, but it is definitely not as bad as TouchWiz makes it.

Link: Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

I did the unthinkable recently. I did something that very few in the technology industry would dare to do. I gave up my gadgets for three days. More specifically, I gave them up from Tuesday night to Friday afternoon. All of them. Certainly, I did not separate myself willingly. I had to. Sparing all the details, I went on a bit of a trip.

So what exactly did I give up? I had absolutely no access to my iPhone, iPad, camera, any computer including my own, any television, and I even spent most of my time without a clock. My only form of entertainment was a book of Sudoku games I brought with me, which I ironically started playing recently by downloading the iPad app. Although I was with people, I could not place a phone call or log on to Facebook or Twitter to contact anyone. I had no way of keeping up with the latest technology news either. It was scary.

Researchers at the University of Maryland actually conducted an experiment much like this one not too long ago. They took away all forms of media from 200 students for 24 hours to study their supposed Internet addiction. The result was many students reporting feelings of anxiety, withdrawal, and loneliness. Some could not function up to their full potential without a reliance on social media.

Day One

Typically, I bring my iPhone where ever I go. Even if I am just taking a walk around the house, it comes with me. I am not rude when using it, though. If someone is having a conversation with me, I will not pull out my phone and start text messaging. That is almost like trying to watch a television channel that is off-air. So while I do use my iPhone a lot, I do not consider myself totally obsessive.

On the first day without electronics, I began longing for my phone here and there. A few times I had an urge to whip it out and start tweeting, but as I reached into my pocket I realized it was empty. I then put my hand back on the table with a sigh. At night, I felt somewhat lonely without it. When I looked out the window to view the dark skies, it seemed as if there was an entire world to explore — a world I was no longer a part of.

Day Two

So far, so good. I was not experiencing any depression or anxiety like those college students. I did feel occasionally lonely. I had a few more urges to use my iPhone today, but not as much. I think I was getting accustomed to the separation. As much as I would have enjoyed getting online at any time, it was not available to me. I had more time to think for myself and figure things out. Google could not feed me all the answers as usual. And hey, believe it or not, there was actually a time when people lived like this.

Day Three

My final day without gadgets was when I came to the full realization that all the technology news in my life was missing. If Motorola and HTC combined forces to announce the all-new Droid Bionic Pro Incredible Charge X3, I still would not have a single clue about it. This was definitely an annoying feeling. Plus, I was really starting to miss my computer and my iPad. As I mentioned in day one, I felt very disconnected without the ability to post status updates and stay in-the-know. By this point, quite a few people who know me well were coming up and asking me if I had the shakes yet.

Now

I look back on the experience and it was not as bad as I expected. I thought I was going to go insane without my gadgets, but I have come to realize that they are just luxuries like many other things in this world. For work and other purposes, I obviously need these essential electronics in my life. But when I simply can not have them, it really is not all that bad. Now that I do have everything back, yes, I am using my iPhone, iPad, and laptop like crazy again.

My theory on why college students in the report experienced depression and withdrawal is because they actually just did not spend enough time away. It was only 24 hours. After another day or so, I learned to make do with what I had. In a society where our gadgets do all the communicating for us, I think now more than ever it is important to take some time and make sure we are still developing social skills properly. Then again, if you feel you suffer from an Internet or gadget addiction, you can always Google it.

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

A fundamental economic theory is that a monopoly is a bad thing. When one company, website, or brand dominates the market, consumers are left with unfair pricing, mediocre to poor quality products, and an inability to choose an alternative. In order to prevent this, the U.S government has a myriad of laws to protect us. Unfortunately, natural monopolies tend to form no matter what, and for much of the technology boom of the past century, that company was Microsoft. However, times have changed, and with Apple’s growth and Google’s steady rise to dominance, the Windows manufacturer began to face serious competition. Looking at the relationship between these three corporations, I will explore how one monopoly has died, why Apple’s is now becoming one, and more importantly, the implications for the future.

Microsoft Owns, Apple Grows

Relatively uncontested for much of its early years, Microsoft was–and still is–the most popular operating system in existence. Crushing Linux and Apple for decades, Microsoft was essentially a monopoly. Left unrivaled, this led to minor updates in their software, but little to no innovation.  Unfortunately, computer users were left with buying each iteration of Windows 95, 98, ME, CE, XP, and so on because there was no true alternative. Microsoft rested on its laurels and continued to turn profits. However, with the arrival of the 21st century, that all changed.

The iPod, the popularity of the MacBook, and/or Mac OS 9/X are just a few unique factors that allowed Apple Inc. to become a real contender in the technology war. However, they all share one thing in common: creativity. All of these products came from great ideas that were properly executed and finally gave consumers a choice. Microsoft’s response, unfortunately, came in the form of Windows Vista which was buggy and copied ideas from its fruit-named competitor (Apple’s beach ball and Vista’s color wheel being my favorite one). The lack of any real substance caused Windows to falter, and in early 2010, Apple officially overtook Microsoft in terms of market value. It would seem that the monopoly was over.

Apple’s War On Two Fronts

However, what is most peculiar is how the future seems to be a little bit different and yet shockingly similar. Looking at Apple’s two operating systems, the iOS and the most recent OS X Lion, the company is definitely adopting the idea of updating their software that gave the Microsoft of yesteryear consistent profits, but unfortunately, innovation is starting to be slip away. iOS was revolutionary in its inception, but four iPhones and two iPads later, the operating system is no longer changing the game. Moreover, OS X Lion adds a large list–about 250–upgrades that are supposed to allow the desktop operating system to merge seamlessly with their post-PC products together. However, they have been updating OS X since 2001, and many of the new upgrades are cool but not really worth shelling out the extra thirty dollars for a few new perks. I am left wondering why they can’t create a new operating system instead of building on something that is almost 10 years old. It seems that Apple is now just polishing the jewels of their company rather than going back to work on creating a new gem. Sound familiar?

In contrast, Microsoft is now on the defensive. They are realizing that they cannot mimic their competitor and must now innovate in order to maintain market control. Although Windows 8 is not out yet, it certainly looks to be a very different user experience than anything PC users know. Yes, it is similar to the UI of their Windows Phone, but what is key is that they are stepping away from what was once normative and are choosing the possibilities of uncertainty that could lead to a great, new product.

On the phone front, Google is attacking Apple’s previous monopolization of the smartphone market for less than half a decade, but because their OS is being incorporated into so many different phones, consumers can now choose exactly how they want to experience Android. The fact that Android has grown so quickly and is outselling iPhones is a testament to consumer’s desire to stop investing in a slightly upgraded version of their old iPhone. Although many might argue that this is simply because  there are more phones that use the Android OS, I believe that is a weak point of contestation. After all, if Android chooses to make their OS available on Thunderbolts, Incredible 2′s, and Echoes this means that the consumer is given a choice to get the perfect Android phone for them.

Bottom Line

Microsoft seems to be aware that they need to change their business and R&D model if they want to excel, and thankfully, they are. Windows 8 seems to be a new experience that really steps away from 7, Vista, or the 90′s family of operating systems. Google is also growing as a creation machine. With the recent launch of Google+, I believe that Android phones will possess a huge edge in integrating social media elements once Google+ inevitably becomes the next legitimate rival to Facebook. Moreover, because Google owns Android, the Menlo Park based company can begin limiting iPhone accessibility to Plus features like Hangout. Although, this could create another shift allowing Google to start walking a path toward monopolization as well, but only time will tell how Google, Android, and Google+ will grow as a trifecta.

Currently, the torch is being thrown to Apple. Over the years, they have become what Microsoft once was. Gate’s company failed miserably with Windows Vista, which allowed Apple to capitalize, but they are too content with their success. Unfortunately, this is again leading to more style over substance and the iOS developers are banking on their fanboys to continue to support them. However, when Microsoft reached this point, the MacBook and iPod arrived to take them down from their pedestal. Now, Apple faces two critical battles, and I hope that they will announce the release of OS 11 or something truly innovative from their camp because time is ticking. They need to realize that they must create to stay relevant in the game.

Links: Microsoft | Apple | Google

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

I was not always the Apple fanatic that I am today. A couple of years ago, I was dead against buying Macs because I thought they were pricey machines that do not offer anything special to justify their price. I still think they are expensive, but I understand the competition just can not parallel the experience that comes along with a Mac. Still, let the record show that I currently own a PC and any problems I have with Windows 7 are minimal.

However, I have always loved my iPhone. My first was a 3G — the 2008 model. Then last year I upgraded to the iPhone 4 after my two-year contract with AT&T expired. I honestly do not consider myself biased toward Apple. There is a difference between being biased and being loyal to a product. If another company makes a better phone than the iPhone, I would happily push Apple aside and use that phone. But no one is making anything better.

A lot of people think Google has successfully created a better smart phone product with Android. I have spent some time with Android, though not a lot. I used phones like the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Incredible for maybe an hour each and formed an opinion. I never spent an extended period of time with an Android up until last week. I received my Kyocera Echo review unit in the mail and recently posted my full opinion on the device to Skatter Tech. It is not exactly a reputable phone.

But despite the gripes I have with the Echo, I did get to experience Android for an extended period of time. I understand that the hardware can dramatically affect the software, but that is not what I want to comment on. Is Android better than iOS? That is the simple question I found out for myself.

First, let me talk about what I did enjoy in Android that I wish Apple would implement in iOS. I really like the widgets. In my experience, they are a useful way to check small bits of information without having to launch an app and close it again. Society today is constantly on the go and we need our smart phones to support that. Android has widgets, Windows Phone 7 has live tiles, and Apple just has a sea of icons that require activation.

Now about the whole Flash thing. A lot of people complain about the lack of Adobe love on iOS, but I never really had a problem with it because I rarely visit websites that require the plugin. On Android, is it buggy? In a nutshell, yes. I would not go as far as to say Flash cripples the experience, but it absolutely has its flaws. I always thought Apple should at least give users the option on iOS. Even if they turn off Flash by default because they feel it degrades the browser, a switch in the settings to turn it on could do no harm. If the user agrees with Apple, then by all means turn it off again.

There are other small things worth noting like the great notification system, but since Apple is improving that in iOS 5, it is no longer an advantage to Android.

Time for what I do not like about Android — the part everyone anxiously awaits. Some people do not care about this, but there is absolutely no polish or attention to detail. The subtle animations in iOS and the consistency of the UI just make my iPhone a pleasure to use. There is nothing to figure out. It just works.

I have yet to encounter a single Android smart phone that has a touchscreen as smooth and accurate as the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. It has been years since the iPhone came out, and why manufacturers can not perfect touch technology beats me. Switching over to the Echo was almost frustrating in this regard.

With over 200,000 apps, everyone is going to find something in the Android Market to pique their interest. The problem is that most of the apps are just not good. Thanks to the approval process in the iOS app store, developers must maintain a high standard of quality, and they do. On Android, if an app consistently crashes or does not work correctly, it becomes the user’s problem instead of the developer’s problem. And if it means anything, the apps are ugly too.

Finally, some may just dislike the iPhone for hardware reasons. The latest Android phones have dual-core processors at blazing speeds, while the iPhone is single-core and experts believe the speed is slightly less than 1 GHz. This is true, but Android is such a resource hog that the less powerful iPhone is still comparable in speed.

So, now that I had a more in-depth experience with Android, does it defeat the iPhone once and for all? No. I am still a loyal Apple fanboy and I am sticking with my iPhone. Of course there are more small details I left out — good and bad — but these are my main findings. I do have a bit more respect for Android, however. It gets a lot of bad press when I consider it a fairly worthy competitor. If the operating system evolves and proves better than the iPhone, as I said, I will make the switch. Currently, my iPhone provides a great experience that Android has not yet matched.

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Before the 21st century, it was safe to say that physical books would always trump their digital counterpart. Choosing to read a book on a massive CRT monitor back in the early 90’s was an eye sore, and the accessibility of eBooks were limited. However, consumers now exist in a post-internet and post-tablet world, and similar to how writers no longer use parchment and ink quills, the traditional paperback novel will eventually come to an end. Here are three reasons why eReaders are the winning format for commercial literature, and one reason why hardback novels will still keep brick and mortar stores in business.

Portability

If someone told me a month ago that I would side with an eBook, I would tell them to get their telepathy checked. After moving to New York, however, it dawned on me that the portability of a Kindle or Nook is unbeatable. There are only so many items a person can fit into a messenger bag or purse. The weight of even one paperback novel can mean the difference between carrying a slim briefcase or a massive backpack. Plus, if a book is only available in hardback, the burden is exponentially greater. However, if you are still in school, Amazon just announced that they are launching a textbook rental service that will allow students to rent their books anywhere from thirty to three hundred and sixty days. This would reduce less trips to lockers and/or homes to gather materials for the next class. All one would need to do is download all their course texts onto their Kindle and save tons of time and space.

It is no wonder that eBooks are out selling hardcover copies. The eReader cuts all the fat and readers are left with a slim, sleek tablet that is about half a pound. Other than a comic, there is no book someone can carry that comes close to that weight. Moreover, because digital books can now be read on so many platforms, odds are a consumer already owns a device that will let them read on the go. However, if someone wants a product specifically for reading, then Kindles and Nooks are also so thin that one could slip it into a laptop sleeve without even noticing it.

Ease of Access

Although weight and size may seem insignificant to some, the fact that anyone can bring a story with them wherever they go proves a point beyond convenience. eBooks are so easy to access that it gives literature to those that might not be able to get their hands on it. For example, Michael Clark and his website, Project Gutenberg, allows anyone in the United States to access their library of over 100,000 digital books for free. Although this project began back in 1971, the fact that eReaders, tablets, and smartphones are becoming more and more affordable allows consumers to actually use these services. Now, simply having an Android or iPhone can give a user access to Project Gutenberg and makes reading more affordable. From a humanitarian standpoint, this is a testament to the value that this consumer shift can bring to society. Although these products exist to make money, the fact that it promotes literacy—a skill that our society is slowly devaluing—gives the device the staying power that products like the miniCD or Palm Pilot lacked.

From a customer standpoint, it is hard to argue against Kindles and Nooks especially when it can store libraries of books in the palm of your hand. There is only so much space in a house or on a bookshelf, but eBooks are only limited to the amount of space on a hard drive. On top of that, so many consumer electronics incorporate an eReader app which creates even more access for your entire library. Whether you are on a plane, in a bus, or just at a friend’s house, you can store all of your novels and bring them wherever you go.

Cost Regulation by Publishers

On the production side, eBooks are becoming more and more lucrative for publishers. Aware of the growth of second-hand book stores and the general price discounts that happen at online retailers like Amazon, most publishers are adopting the agent pricing model. This means that publishers are charging a stable price from $12.99 to $14.99 for their bestsellers no matter what retailer a customer chooses. In short, this allows the publisher to create a consistent price for the same product, reduce undercutting by retailers, and because of the digital format, allows them to prevent “used” digital books. Similar to the video game industry’s war on second hand games, eBooks give the publisher the power to lock the access of their content to the customer’s eReader or limit the number of times it can be shared. In doing so, publishers are able to gain the maximum value for their product and prevent retailers from selling used books.

Finally, many consumers argue that as long as the digital copy is cheaper than the physical counterpart, but publishers are aware of the portability and ease of access that is creating an increasing demand for eBooks which means that in soon they might not even need to make digital books cheaper. After all, who wants to lug a ten pound hardback book if an electronic alternative is the same price? It is possible that in the near future prices of eBooks will rise. Publishers could easily blame it on the change of technologies that will require an increase amount of capital to transfer all of their books to the digital format. However, from an economic standpoint, if the mass commercial audience completely adopts the eReader then, due to the agency pricing model, the publishers wield the power to control price. I doubt we will end up paying $45 for an eBook, but incremental raises year by year is not unlikely.

The Collector Argument

Although literature published in the paperback form will be crushed by the demand for digital books, bookstores will still exist because of the collector’s relationship to the hardback novel. The eBook can and will slay its soft cover counterpart because both are intended for mass-market readers who are trying to get the story in the cheapest, easiest, and lightest format possible. However, the hardback novel exists for those that are willing to pay more for a book which contains a sentimental or artistic value that exceeds its monetary cost.

Similar to the way that LP’s still exist, collectors will always keep book stores in business, and I do not just mean pretentious literary folk. There is a saga, a story, or a simple line from a character that everyone finds valuable, and because those words hold such an emotional resonance in a reader, I believe that a consumer would pay to put that story on their physical book shelf. Moreover, bringing that physical book to the author that created the content allows for a communication between artist, art, and audience that an eBook cannot replicate.

Bottom Line

In the end, the digital books will reign supreme. In June of 2010, eBooks sales exceeded those of their hardback counterparts, and earlier this year, they also eclipsed paperback sales. Even more devastating to the old way we consumed literature is the closing of the last 399 Border’s stores. The future is now, and customers are finally appreciating the value of an eReader. Moreover, publishers will continue to use format because they can control price and reduce second-hand usage. Although this is all true and I will be jumping on the Kindle wagon very soon, I will still continue to buy certain books in stores in the same way that I still buy prints or original art. Although it may be lighter and I will be able to store thousands of pictures onto a digital frame, holding a piece of art makes all other justifications for the contrary null and void.

Links: Amazon Kindle | Barnes and Noble Nook

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Video calling is a unique technology that has been around longer than most people might think. It naturally started off on desktop computers and then very slowly made its way onto some mobile phones. In 2010, Apple “reinvented” the video calling experience with FaceTime for iPhone 4, and later iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. It is true they did simplify it dramatically by removing the need for an account with a list of friends, but there is one key factor they overlooked: formality.

In almost every video chatting service, there is a process the users on either end must partake in. One user must send an invitation to initiate a video call with the other user, and that other user must accept or decline it. As you might expect, if the user on the receiving end accepts the call, the chat begins. No one — even the most recent services — has ever made any attempts to change this specific process because people do not necessarily find fault with it. Until now.

It is a known fact that video calling has yet to take off, albeit it is slowly and steadily growing. Apple thought with FaceTime, they were the ones about to make video chat an every day event. To the company’s credit, they did popularize it more in smart phones, but I have a hard time believing the success of FaceTime is up to their original expectations.

Google+ is trying to change all of this with Hangouts. The team behind the emerging social network clearly re-imagined the way we all communicate online. They found fault in an area no one else did. The whole process of sending and receiving an invitation just to talk to someone is too formal. Nobody wants to participate in anything formal online, especially when it is among friends. The rise of instant messaging and social networks has made the Internet incredibly informal.

The beauty of Google+ Hangouts lies within the process. One person decides to start a hangout, and Google+ publishes this news to the stream. In essence, the person is making an announcement saying “Hey, I am at my computer and ready to hang out with whoever is available.” If this is too vast for some people, users can limit this broadcast by circles or individuals. Anyone following can then decide to join and with one click, two or more people are video chatting. It is brilliant.

Google+ features the user currently talking front and center and packs the rest into smaller thumbnails. This makes for an experience even more like a real life get-together. If sitting at a table with multiple people, you always look at the person talking to you. It is very unlikely you are staring at the person not making a sound.

Another large chuck of the Web suffering due to its formality is email. Think about it. Every time you send an email, you must fill out the recipient or recipients, add a subject line, and type your message. And more often than not, we format our emails the same way we format a letter. All this formal writing just does not work for Internet users anymore. We are so accustomed to text messaging and status updating quick blurbs of information, some of which manage to break every rule of grammar in the English language. This is why email is continuously becoming more business-oriented and less of a casual communication tool.

I pointed out in our review of Google+ that if anything is going to lift service up above its competition, it is Hangouts. The new approach to video calling just feels right. It can easily revolutionize the entire experience, and it could give video calling the boost its been yearning for so long. Now, Google must figure out a way to keep the enemies from stealing the innovation behind Hangouts and putting it into different products. The company successfully completed the first challenge. Now on to the next.

Links: Google+

Copyright © 2013 Skatter Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions. Privacy Policy.

Is a glass and stainless steel contraption constantly luring you in to your local carrier store? Is your two-year contract up on that less than reputable flip phone? Are you looking to upgrade and increase your monthly bill dramatically? If any of these questions apply to you, it is very likely you are in the market for an iPhone 4. Well, I have some pretty unfortunate news. It is probably in your best interest to wait a few months before investing in one. Why wait? The iPhone 5.

Rumors indicate that around September or October of this year, Apple will release the fifth-generation iPhone. Normally, I encourage people to take rumors with a grain of salt. But since numerous sources pinpoint the iPhone 5 release in the fall, we can pretty much make that assumption.

I would say that compared to previous years, there actually have not been many rumors or leaks about the iPhone 5. It is easy to bet that it will have the same dual-core A5 processor found in the iPad 2 and a new 8MP camera. And of course Apple will preload the new smart phone with all the goodies in iOS 5. Other popular theories are a larger display, new design with a possible aluminum backing, and near field communication support. Recently, the Apple community has been pouring out information about multiple iPhone 5 models designed to cater to different needs. I already gave my thoughts on this and I stand by them. I just do not see it happening. But, like anything else, things could change.

We will probably see a good portion of these features make their way into the iPhone 5 along with other surprises Apple manages to keep up its sleeve. This is why I highly recommend staying away from the iPhone 4. Mark this date — July 10th — the day in which purchasing a fourth-generation iPhone should cease unless absolutely necessary.

Now that I have made that rule official, what are your options? If you are willing to consider expanding your horizons, there are a wide variety of other smart phones available that might pique your interest. In April, we reviewed the new HTC Thunderbolt. Sahas Katta called it “the best smart phone that money can buy” if you are on Verizon Wireless. AT&T offers the Motorola Atrix 4G, which is another crowd-pleaser. And personally, I really like some of the Windows Phone 7 choices on the market. There is also another smart phone brand — I believe some sort of fruit — that is not worth mentioning.

But what if you do not want any of those phones? If it is not shiny and made by Apple, it is not for you, right? Do not worry because I can relate. If you are in desperate need for a new phone, then by all means get the iPhone 4. Perhaps your old cell phone broke or your daily routine now requires a smart phone to make your life more efficient. Maybe you just do not care about keeping up with the latest and greatest in technology, in which case sign that two-year contract right now and do not even think twice.

If you can wait for the iPhone 5, wait. It is just a few months away, and you will be one of the first to get your hands on the new device if you do choose to hold off on making a purchase. Plus, buyers must always enter into a contract with care, and doing so now will prevent them from making an upgrade for a while. So I declare once more: wait. After all, patience is a virtue, and you will not have any regrets later on.

Links: iPhone 4

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Last week, I had a chance to visit the Sprint M2M Collaboration Center in Burlingame, California — about 20 minutes south of San Francisco. While most are probably unfamiliar with the term M2M, this technology is likely already a part of your every day life. This new center, which had a grand opening late last year, is a workshop for enterprise customers to take advantage of Sprint resources including engineers and equipment to experiment and develop new devices — hopefully to bring to market at some point down the road. I also had a chance to chat with Wayne Ward, Vice President of Emerging Solutions for Sprint, who leads this project and provided many interesting insights.

What Is M2M?

M2M stands for machine-to-machine, a technology which lets devices communicate with one another. Although the definition technically applies to wired equipment as well, I am going to focus on wireless ones since Sprint is of course a cellular carrier.

There are tons of applications for M2M, many of which will resonate with the average person. Use case scenarios in the health care industry are a great example since this technology is perfect for remotely monitoring patients. For instance, a physician can track a person’s blood pressure or heart rate in real-time. It could even be a self-serving solution embedded into a weight scale which would ideally upload your information to a web service for analysis, diet recommendations, and a workout regimen.

Greg Brott, Vice President of Channel Development for Trimble, spoke at this media gathering to describe how his company uses M2M to track a fleet of drivers. With GPS modules paired with a cellular connection, Trimble lets employers track whether employees are driving on the right track, reaching their destinations on time, or even their duration of work.

When it comes to energy efficiency, smart meters are the latest buzz. These devices — when plugged into the side of your home — can help electricity utility providers monitor and mange their grid intelligently. PG&E which serves electricity (and gas) to nearly 15 million customers in California uses a similar idea behind their RF-powered Smart Meters already. M2M technology can even help electric car charging stations select the best time of day when rates are the least to recharge your vehicle.

The Role of M2M In The Future

While the average person will hopefully never have to hear this acronym, M2M technology will end up in more and more places. Wayne Ward noted that there will be an estimated 120 million M2M devices in North America alone by 2015 and about 412 million M2M devices across the world by 2014.

With an inevitable influx over the next few years, I asked Ward about congestion especially since the majority of M2M devices are apparently on a 2G network. He responded that most of these devices are only transmitting bits of data (e.g. statistics), which is relatively minute compared to streaming a high-definition movie for instance. Although Ward had already noted that an estimated 12.6 million 4G powered M2M cellular models would ship by 2015, he elaborated that Sprint would intelligently decide which type of network is best suited for each application.

This means health monitoring or fleet tracking can take advantage of the more affordable 2G networks since there is very little data involved while a security camera will likely run on 4G for uploading large chunks of video. M2M devices can even put WiFi to use with several components connecting to a single parent with cellular connectivity to further reduce congestion.

Convergence Of M2M

I have at least 25 networked devices in my home. Everything from smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs, set-top boxes, to gaming consoles count. While most of these would fall under a different category, Wayne Ward believes consumer electronics and M2M devices will converge. Going beyond smart meters and electric car chargers, common everyday household technologies such as a security system, climate controls, or lighting switches are perfect candidates.

As of today, partnerships between carriers and service providers have generally covered the network costs for M2M devices. For instance, Amazon does not charge Kindle owners monthly fees for downloading new eBooks over a 3G connection. However, as M2M devices converge and overlap with consumer electronics, Ward envisions a business model where consumers can pay a single rate to share a pool of data between all devices rather than having to pay several bills.

Why Is Sprint Pushing This Initiative?

Opening the collaboration center is an investment as the location will ideally help customers bring more M2M products and services to the market faster. For those wondering, other carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless already have M2M offerings as well. Of course, Sprint will make money when companies build devices which need to use their network. Although M2M segment probably only accounts for a fraction of revenue for Sprint each year, things might change down the road. Therefore, it is vital for Sprint to secure enterprise customers since the number of application-specific devices are growing rapidly.

Links: Sprint M2M Collaboration Center

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I decided to take stroll through my neighborhood one day. It was a bright, beautiful evening. The mailman was delivering all my neighbors’ daily mail. He stepped out of the vehicle, opened up a mailbox, and there it was — a Netflix DVD. The enchanting disc was sealed inside a vibrant red envelope. The man popped it in and closed the mailbox. It was then and only then that I realized I must get in on this life-altering experience.

I rushed back into the house and quickly launched Google Chrome. I typed in netflix.com. There, I found a large banner that read “Instantly watch as many movies as you want! For only $7.99 a month.” Just in case I did not find that clear enough, Netflix reiterated the statement below that: “Unlimited TV episodes & movies instantly over the Internet!” What? Where are the DVDs? I browsed frantically through the website and after several minutes of what seemed like endless searching, I found a tiny bit of information in the list of Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I get DVDs by mail from Netflix?

Yes. During sign up, you can add unlimited DVDs by mail for only $2.00 more a month. With DVDs by mail, you’ll get an even broader selection of movies & TV episodes. You can exchange each DVD as often as you want with no due dates or late fees — ever!

Okay fine. So maybe that story is, well, heavily exaggerated. I did sign up for Netflix recently though, albeit a little late to the game. And I noticed that on the website, there is nothing at all advertising DVD rentals except for that minuscule tidbit on the “How It Works” page. Bad move.

Most seem to believe that the company is aiding in the slow death of the DVD. This is probably right, and that goal is not the issue. Many manufacturers now omit optical disc drives in laptops with the hope that customers will begin going completely wireless. I do not have the slightest doubt in my mind that this is the future. In fact, I usually encourage the movement.

The problem with Netflix is they are killing off DVD rentals way too early. The website is just one factor. A few months ago they removed the ability to manage your DVD queue from the streaming apps. A lot of people are unhappy with this. The main reason is because there are far more movies and TV shows available to rent on DVD than for instant streaming. Looking at my own queue, I can tell you that out of the thirteen DVDs I have listed, only two are available to play instantly. That is roughly 15.4% — not good. And it is extremely hard to find any brand new releases to stream.

What happens if, in that fairy tale of mine, I did not find the small section under “How It Works” explaining rentals? I would have just thought it was not an option anymore and probably would have left the website. In reality, paying the extra $2 per month for DVDs is buried within the sign up process, which does no good if I never began signing up.

A big supporter of killing optical discs is Apple. The company removed the drive from the MacBook Air back in 2008 and recently launched the Mac App Store, which eliminates the need for any software install discs. The good part about Apple moving ahead is that there is already a plethora of software available for download on the Internet. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said at the D9 conference this year that Netflix can not offer all the content via instant streaming for the current price of only $7.99 per month. In addition, he confirmed the company is not willing to go up on the price to do so. This makes for a sticky situation.

I understand the addition of the streaming service contributes greatly to Netflix’s growth, but I firmly believe the true driving force is the combination of streaming and rentals. While the death of the DVD is not here yet, it is certainly heading that way. I can only hope Netflix does not get there too soon for its own good.

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When a random analyst decides to make a prediction on something in the world of tech, enthusiasts usually know to take it with a grain of salt. That is not quite what is going on today. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore has everyone talking about his speculation that we can expect not one, but two iPhone 5 models in September. More specifically, an iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 are coming. This tiny tidbit of information based on virtually nothing has generated an unprecedented amount of feedback. But does it really make sense for Apple to create a line of products out of the iPhone like they did with the iPod?

When the first iPod launched in 2001, there was just one model available. It was not until 2004 when Apple released the smaller iPod mini that the singular product became a product line. Eventually, it expanded into the four models we know of today. The iPhone takes a different route. At WWDC 2009 after unveiling the third-generation device, the iPhone 3GS, Apple also announced they would keep the second-generation iPhone 3G on the market for a discounted price — just $99. They followed this strategy in 2010 as well. This is what some might consider the iPhone “line”.

The setup right now is actually perfect. The Apple community started talking up the possibility of an iPhone “lite” last year, but if you really think about it, the iPhone 3GS is the low-end model. It is only $49 on AT&T and runs the same software as the iPhone 4, but lacks the high-resolution display and front-facing camera, among many other premium features. There is no need to expand the iPhone product line.

The iPod needs multiple different variations because not everyone uses the same amount of storage. On top of that, certain customers want their music with them and nothing else. Others want more of a portable computer, so they opt for the iPod touch. The iPhone is a smart phone. People do not ask for a specific device to cater to their personal needs. They ask for an intelligent telephone, and that is what they get. Sure there are different storage options, but none of the features change.

I really just do not see more than one iPhone happening. It would not even benefit consumers. If Apple were to release a low-end iPhone in September for a cheaper price, it would not be any different than it is now. If they were to release a more expensive, top tier smart phone, it would most likely drive up the prices of competing handsets. The company set the industry standard $199 price tag with the introduction of the iPhone 3G back in 2008. It has not changed much since then, with the exception of a few new 4G LTE devices at $249. If Apple created a norm once, they can do it again.

Just to reiterate, all of this is based on something one analyst predicts. There is no inside information or tips, ergo, it does not have much significance. The only part worth remembering is that September release. The press has been talking about it for some time, and we now can now label the rumor for a September launch as credible. Also, they tend to throw around the iPhone 4S name, but I would not really look into it. Hopefully Apple ditched the odd name extensions for good with the iPhone 4.

So what do I recommend Apple does? I think the iPhone line should be kept the way it is now: one central device and an older, but still valuable device at a discount. Never try to fix something that is not broken. Besides, imagine the competition between peers about who has the better iPhone and who bought the less important one. Just what we need, more people arguing over Apple. Although a large company probably enjoys that, it would still be an unnecessary business decision.

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Poor RIM. The media is bashing the company over and over again with no restrain. Common criticisms include the PlayBook’s utter failure and RIM’s incapability to keep up with advances in the mobile industry. I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I was making these types of complaints a year ago while everyone else remained fairly confident that RIM could pull through. Fast forward to today, and it is not looking too good for them.

If anything, their own poor decisions are what is bringing the company down. They launched the BlackBerry Torch last August into a market heavily populated with Android phones and the brand new iPhone 4. It has a comparably sluggish 624 MHz processor, a sub-par operating system, and an antiquated display resolution. At the time of its release, Android phones were already twice as fast in many cases and the iPhone 4 had the industry leading retina display. While hardware specs are not the only important factor, RIM was a flight of stairs behind in every category.

This year, the company released the PlayBook, its first attempt at a tablet. It lacks native email, contacts, and calendar apps. Need I say more?

But believe it or not, in the midst of all these downfalls, RIM is still hanging by a single thread. The “BlackBerry” name is the only thing keeping the fractured company from falling into a dark pit of failure and despair. Before I mock people who buy a BlackBerry mercilessly, I first ask why. “We are in a world in which the capabilities of these tiny smart phones seem endless,” I say. “You bought a BlackBerry. Why?” I get varying answers, but all of them have a central theme. It is a BlackBerry.

RIM has something special that other companies dream about having: a brand that is so well-known. Even as it now represents incredibly mediocre products, consumers still want to buy a BlackBerry. The average Joe really does not know what is going on with RIM. They do not know about specifications or software. All they know is the “BlackBerry” name is mainstream, so they dive right into the purchase.

You might think RIM would take advantage of this immense privilege by actually releasing competitive products to give the name a boost. Finally, they are. A few BlackBerry devices are in the works for the end of this year and early 2012 with some nice specifications, which could be the silver lining. Unfortunately, by then it might be too late. RIM’s profit is already plummeting. During first quarter, it fell 9.6% to $695 million, down from $769 million for the same quarter last year. PlayBook shipments were poor too at just 500,000. To compare, Apple sold 4.69 million iPads within the aforementioned time frame. And that is sold iPads, not shipped.

All the evidence is very clear. RIM is not doing well at all. They can try to pretty up the statistics however they want, but the company faces some huge problems. People are already starting to realize the benefits of leaving their once capable BlackBerry in favor of an Android powerhouse or a slick iPhone. RIM is still hanging by that single thread, but it is weakening with each day that goes by.

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As I pointed out above, the feature launched over three years ago. Facebook has given Chat numerous bug fixes, updates, and face lifts since then. I know you have been waiting patiently for a point to this article, so here it comes. I desperately want to know why Facebook Chat still is not working properly. As of recently, I find myself sending messages that apparently never get sent. They show up in the chat window, but when I refresh the page, it is as if I did not even begin to type.

This is just one of the problems I have suffered through for three years, yet it is without a doubt the most annoying. If you use Facebook Chat, you can probably recall the time that entire conversations would erase when the page refreshes or when clicking on an internal link. There is also the time when instant message notifications would appear out of the blue. Oh, and how I can forget exiting a chat window only for it to magically reappear when the browser restarts?

I would take the time out to write this article if these were minor, temporary issues. And I would not be so aggravated with the team behind Chat. But these are not minor, temporary issues. As an example, the problem with conversations being totally cleared lasted for months before Facebook fixed it. I am not sure whether they actually recognized the problem and just took their blessed time resolving it, or if it just did not catch their attention. The latter seems doubtful, because I have to assume the Facebook team actually uses Facebook. And I did my research — this was not just happening to me. Tons of users were having this problem as well as the others I mentioned.

So, not only am I here to rant, but I am happy to provide a few solutions for users having the issues with Facebook Chat that continue to haunt me from its very beginnings.  If you received the upgrade for Facebook Messages that combines all the messaging on Facebook into one interface, you can use that to chat with friends. The inbox houses all the conversations. If you are still stuck on the old Facebook inbox or would like a different solution, try downloading AIM. AOL recently added Facebook Connect support to this popular instant messaging client, so all Facebook users can log right in and get chatting without making any new accounts. AIM is also available for download on iOS and Android. As for an alternative to AIM, the new Skype beta has built-in Facebook Chat integration as well.

Please, Facebook, do not make me beg. Fix Chat once and for all. I want to send and receive content to and from friends. Is that so much for me to ask? I use Google Chrome on Windows 7, but the problem persists in other browsers on other operating systems. It has been three long years, Facebook. Just get it right.

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Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced “cross” not “ex”) was on my must-play list even before I stepped into the exhibit hall. I am an avid fighting game fan, and I always debated who would win in a fight: Jin or Ryu. Fortunately, Yoshinori Ono, Deputy Head of Consumer Games R&D Division, was present at Sony’s conference to introduce the epic crossover game giving me the chance to find the answer to my long pondered question. More importantly, he revealed that actual demo units were available at E3 so anyone could find the answers themselves. Once the exhibit hall opened, I immediately lined up to try out one of my most anticipated games of E3. Here are my initial thoughts:

The Good

The best part about the game is the graphics. Building on Capcom’s recent fighting engine, SF X Tekken gives the characters and backgrounds the semi-cell shaded look that popularized the Street Fighter IV game. Somewhere in the middle of 2D and 3D, character models are rendered smoothly and simplistically. If you hate the way Ryu and friends look in SFIV, then there is nothing this game will do to change your mind. However, if you are like me and enjoy the animated look, then this fighter is a sharper version of an aesthetic we already know and love.

Besides graphics, I really enjoyed the two-character system the game uses. It shares the same tag based format that popularized the Tekken Tag Tournament game. When one of your fighters is defeated, the round is over. This contrasts Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s system where every character in your lineup needs their health bar depleted before a knockout is announced. The one-character-elimination that Street Fighter X Tekken is using makes gameplay a bit tenser forcing you to keep tabs on both of your characters at all times.

http://youtu.be/zy8Fa78TQq4

On the topic of tagging, this game will also have both hard tags and quick tags that allow you to continue a combo. Hard tags are the basic switches that open you up for a combo from your opponent, but often times are crucial to prevent getting K.O-ed. Quick tags, on the other hand, allow you to continue your combo while simultaneously tagging out to your secondary fighter. Start by initiating a powerful stun move and hit the mid-kick and mid-punch buttons to switch characters, you can then continue your combo and decimate your opponent’s life bar. Even though this was anticipated, it was still awesome to see Ryu and King working together to claim the victory.

The Bad

More weird than bad, this game will definitely require a fair amount of adjustment for fans of those that prefer Tekken over Street Fighter. We already knew it was developed by Capcom, and Katsuhiro Hada and his Namco Bandai team would only consult on the look of their characters. However, my experience today made it very clear why the game is being called Cross and not Versus.

Before I picked up a controller, Ono and I discussed the necessary controller adjustments for the mash-up considering that Tekken characters use a four button schematic while Street Fighter players are familiar with the six button format. Ono stated that if and when you used a Tekken character, you could still use the four button system to control that fighter. However, once I started playing, I was a bit disappointed—but not altogether surprised—that all of the Tekken characters now incorporated Street Fighetr-esque joystick movements. Kazuya alone had 4 reverse-quarter circle moves that made him perform roundhouse kicks or uppercuts. Anyone who even dabbles in Namco Bandai’s game knows that Tekken is built on a system of pressing left or right and punch or kick buttons to create combos. Yes, there is the dragon punch move that Kazuya and Jin both have, but characters like Julia never had moves like this. In the end, Kazuya felt like he was just doing his own version of Ryu’s Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku. This was more disappointing than anything else. Although I did not get a chance to experiment with other Tekken characters, it should be noted that hardcore Tekken players may not be able to instantly transfer their fighting skills over to this game.

Speaking of the new fighting system, the speed of a fight felt like a half way point between Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6. For casual fighters, this is pretty negligible, but for those that mastered the SFIV engine, there will be a period of adjustment. From my own experience, Ryu’s combos felt surprisingly heavy while Kazuya was definitely sped up. By no means should this be considered a breaking point for the game, but fans of both franchises will need to spend some time getting used to the gameplay before competitive tournaments start popping up around the nation.

Bottom Line

Although the experience was a bit of a mixed bag, there was nothing incredibly disappointing from Street Fighter X Tekken. The fighting mechanics were similar to SFIV, which allowed me to jump right in. Plus, I already predicted that Capcom would implement traditional joystick movements for its Tekken character so I was not thrown for a loop. However, there was still the difference in timing as well as the overall awkwardness of the new move list that leaves me uneasy. In the end, the game felt more like an adaptation of the Tekken characters rather than an actual merger of the two independent ideas. Even though I am left wondering about how the final product will play, 2012 cannot arrive soon enough, and after today, I am finally eager to pick it up.

Links: Capcom | Namco Bandai

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I am not embarrassed to say that I always wanted to be a superhero. Whenever a video game comes out that allows me to exercise my fantasy, I have to play it. Unfortunately, the love children of comic books and video games tends to be pretty mediocre. However, every once in a while, a Spider-Man 2 or a Batman: Arkham Asylum arrives and proves quality superhero video games can be made. Going into Activision’s exclusive media hall at E3, I was hoping that X-Men: Destiny would be added to the list of great ones. Sadly, it does not look like that will happen. Here’s why:

The Good

Doug Herder, producer for X-Men: Destiny, introduced us to a slightly different homo-superior universe than the one currently published by Marvel Entertainment. Professor Xavier is dead and the current class of mutants that once called Winchester, New York their home now head to San Francisco to start anew. From this point, the player will choose one of three new mutants—Aimi, Adrian, or Grant—as their main character. Although we were not able to really experience much of the plot, Mike Carey, of current X-Men: Legacy fame—is penning the main plot, which gives a lot of potential to the story. Getting an actual comic writer to tell their stories is always a step in the right direction.

The most interesting gameplay feature will definitely be the X-Gene system. After pummeling enough enemies or upon discovery of a level up token, you will be able to upgrade your powers and gain access to new moves. Although this leveling mechanic is used in almost every action-adventure RPG, there is a second aspect to the system that brings some potential. Seemingly aware that three characters really does not give players a lot of room for customization, Activision included a gaming mechanic that lets you change your look and powers to make them your mutant tailor-made to your play style. You will be able to add up to three X-Genes from the cast of characters you encounter. I saw Surge, Juggernaut, Gambit, and few more recognizable names in the list. Moreover, if you can combine all three X-Genes from one mutant and wear their accompanying fan suit, you will get an even bigger power boost. We saw Aimi using Quicksilver’s fan suit and his three power traits to run circles around enemies. This mode definitely gives fans more choice as they develop a mutant that better reflects themselves.

The Bad

Throughout the presentation, Herder’s main emphasis was that choices will affect your experience. However, when I pressed him if there would be more than one ending, he only said there will be “multiple choices and paths that lead you to different outcomes”. Unfortunately, that did not actually answer my question. What I believe will happen is that your decisions will determine whether you initially side with the Brotherhood or X-Men in your fight against the Purifiers. In the end, however, there will be a certain moment in the storyline that forces both mutant sides to align against their mutual human antagonist. This will give your character—boy or girl, Brotherhood or X-Men—the same ending no matter what your choices were before this inevitable climax.

This would be similar to Activision’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 where players could choose to register with or rebel against the government, but the ending was always the same. Although it was not a problem for that game, I could not help but feel cheated when this presentation ended. We already know that moral choices of your character should be crucial in guiding your story just like Sony’s InFamous. However, Cole’s adventure allowed you to move back and forth on your moral compass, and depending on what path you choose, your ending reflected your decisions. Herder’s lack of a concrete “yes or no” only hints at the inevitably “no”, but he just did not want to give the unfortunate news at E3.

The Ugly

Regardless of his answer, I was already disappointed by what was shown because the game looked so incredibly dated. While Aimi was running through Chinatown, her model was presented in adequate detail. Other than that, I witnessed a poorly rendered version of San Francisco. Even though this was a pre-alpha version, Destiny is scheduled to come out in September 2011. The developer’s only have three months to update the entire graphical world of Destiny if Activision wants to satisfy fans.

Along with poorly rendered environments, the enemies were dull and generic. Mob enemies in a given area are the exact same with an added weapon to create some originality, but it was the boss battle that really makes me question the look and feel of the game. John Sublime, of Morrison’s New X-Men run, injects himself with Colossus’s genes and transforms himself into an ugly mutant-human hybrid. It would be fine if he was hideous, gross, and all together terrifying, but what we actually saw was a pixelated, streaky, and poorly rendered boss that was too easy to beat. Dodge his attacks while he lashes around, wait for him to slam the ground and get stuck, then wail on him for a few seconds. Repeat this formula until he dies. It is just too predictable and really disappointing.

On the subject of fighting mechanics, Destiny proves that the theme of the game is not choice but rehashing proven concepts. When Activision released X-Men Legends video games in 2004, they used an engine similar to Baldur’s Gate, but added their own flare that made the game uniquely enjoyable. From what I saw, Destiny’s fighting system will require you to mix light and heavy attacks to inflict damage, and you activate one of three mutant powers by holding R2 and then press one of controller buttons. Sound familiar? It is the same formula action-adventure gamers already know with very little innovation to make the gameplay worth your time.

Bottom Line

As much as I wanted to love  X-Men: Destiny, it looks like it will join the ranks of the other generic comic book video games. It does not look or play well, and even though the “choices” system seems promising, InFamous 2 already does it better. I hope they can make the necessary changes to prove my first impression wrong, but with only a few months away, it seems this is more Mediocre X-Men than Astonishing X-Men.

Links: Activision

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Apple announced the latest version of iOS just yesterday, appropriately named iOS 5. It brings over 200 features to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. For once, I think it delivers a nice balance between brand new features and improvements or additions to current features. iOS easily claims the title as the most polished mobile operating system on the market, and this new update makes that title even more significant.

It is not just the polish that makes iOS 5 stand out. The new features Apple is adding challenges other platforms like Android and BlackBerry. Even apps on Apple’s own App Store are in serious danger. Developers and companies affected by iOS 5 are just going to have to step up their game.

BlackBerry Messenger

BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, is a social service available exclusively on the BlackBerry that allows for free text messaging to other BlackBerry users. It has actually garnered a bit of attention to RIM recently, since it is fairly clear the company is out of fresh ideas. BBM is the only thing keeping the “BlackBerry” name relevant. Well, it looks like its day is already over. iMessage serves the same purpose and works between all iPhones, iPods, and iPads. Plus, it has much more potential than BBM ever had because of the substantially larger user base. It seems that RIM is in a tough situation. Current BlackBerry devices have poor specifications and less than adequate software that companies like Apple and Google are quickly taking advantage of.

Android

Android is the most popular mobile OS in terms of market share, but it is important to remember any individual Android phone’s market share is minuscule compared to iPhone. With iOS 5, Android is going to have to introduce competing features fast. There is no built-in reminders application, no free messaging service, no social gaming service, and the list goes on. And I will not begin to discuss the open versus closed debate.  Apple may have taken a few clues from Android on their notification system, but the purpose is not to compete. Apple implements features the way they see fit and designs them to function at their full potential.

Apps

Unfortunately, Apple may have hurt the people who help them sell iOS devices the most: developers. Quite a few new apps that come bundled in iOS 5 kill popular third-party apps in the App Store that serve the same purpose. The most recognized out of the bunch is Instapaper. Instapaper is a popular service that allows users to save articles they find on the web in a read-it-later list. With Apple’s new Reading List feature in Safari, it appears Instapaper needs to fight an uphill battle. Its creator, Marco Arment, has an optimistic perspective on the situation:

If Apple gets a bunch of Safari users — the browser that works best with Instapaper — to get into a “read later” workflow and see the value in such features, those users are prime potential Instapaper customers. And it gives me an easier way to explain it to them: “It’s like Safari’s Reading List, but better, in these ways.”

Another app named Wunderlist is a quick and easy tool for organizing things to do. It syncs across multiple devices and is completely  free. What a coincidence, the new Reminders app in iOS 5 syncs across multiple devices and is completely free. Apple even challenges Facebook with the integration of Twitter in a number of apps. This makes it more likely that users will share content on Twitter instead of Facebook, since the operating system has tweeting capabilities baked right in. Hopefully developers of these apps will have the same positive view as Arment.

Carriers

BBM is not the only thing iMessage affects. A lot of people, including myself, will be downgrading their SMS plan once iOS 5 arrives. Since so many people I know own at least one iOS device, a good sum of the messages I send out to my contacts will be free. Why should I give my money to the carriers — which happen to already rip us off with the large profit margins on text messaging plans — when I will barely use standard SMS anymore? You might think only AT&T and Verizon will take issue with this since the iPhone is not available on T-Mobile or Sprint. Keep in mind that people who own an iPod touch and a Nexus S 4G on Sprint, for example, still know plenty of iPhone, iPad, and other iPod touch users.

Consumers

Ultimately, it is the consumers who win with iOS 5. We get free messaging, gorgeous new apps created by the brilliant people at Apple, and a slew of new features not yet available on other operating systems. Now, Apple has to get the rest of the mobile industry to play along. Or do they?

Links: iOS 5 Features

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In case you were not already aware, E3’s press conferences start tomorrow with the official event beginning on Tuesday. The LA-based convention is the place to be for some of the year’s biggest video game announcements and revelations. We already know that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo will be holding press events, but plenty of video game developers will also debut their lineups for next year at hotels and conference rooms around the area. Plus, there is the massive exhibit hall that opens on Tuesday where hundreds of different games and accessories will be available for use—some for the first time. However, there are only so many hours in a day, and I am just one man. With that in mind, here are the three things I will definitely check out before the convention is over:

Sony PlayStation Press Conference

This past month was not too kind to Sony. Coming off of the April 20^th network blackout, the company needs to apologize for their security disaster and give people a reason to support them again. Although the “Welcome Back” gift was a pleasant start, I hope that Kazuo Hirai or whoever ends up taking the stage will announce more rewards as a way to thank fans for their continued support. It might sound like greed, but I think we, as customers, deserve more than just two free games and a month of PSN plus. Especially considering that our personal information and credit card data were so easy for hackers to obtain.

Along with a lengthy apology, I am eager to hear what new information E3 will have for the NGP. I was one of the first supporters of the PSP going so far as to fly to Japan to buy the original PSP-1000 when it launched. However, I was supremely let down when that console was not utilized to the best of its ability. Thankfully, it looks like Sony is ready to make a legitimate presence in the portable market, and they are doing it with a machine that could rival most consoles. A Quad Core ARM Cortex A9 processor and SGX543MP4+ dedicated graphics processor define the internal specs that make porting PS3 games onto the handheld a very real possibility. However, as I pointed out before, it will need to have exceptional launch titles, a standardized storage format, and a competitive price tag if they want their device to adequately compete against the 3DS and smart phones. Only Sony really knows what will be announced, but I expect the pricing and release date will be revealed tomorrow at their 5 P.M. press event. Make sure to check our live blog tomorrow to see the answers to these crucial questions.

Street Fighter x Tekken

Almost a year ago, Street Fighter x Tekken was teased at San Diego Comic-Con 2010, and information has slowly trickled out. Now that E3 is upon us, the fighting game crossover seems to be attacking Los Angeles with full force. All around the Convention Center, posters promoting the game are hung up, and it looks like Capcom and Namco—the developers of Street Fighter and Tekken, respectively—are hoping to make a big splash at this year’s show.

However, some of my old concerns still exist. How will Tekken players—and their characters—adapt to Street Fighter’s two-dimensional world? Recent gameplay footage seems to answer my question with a “pretty well”. All of the Namco Bandai characters appear to have a locked move list, and you input them to create combos like their Capcom brethren. Although the pre-alpha footage is promising, some questions still remain. Considering that Capcom is taking the developmental lead on this game, I wonder if Kazuya, Nina, and the rest of the family will use the same control system that popularized the Tekken franchise or will players need to use dragon-punches and half-circles to execute their moves? Also, what about ten-hit combos, level destruction, and the bouncing mechanic that became crucial in building the competitive nature of the sixth iteration of the franchise? Although my question list constantly grows, I am certain I will find my answers on the E3 exhibit floor so be sure to stay tuned for my hands-on first impression.

Batman: Arkham City

Comics and video games are two of my favorite hobbies, but more often than not, the two do not mix well. Rocksteady was able to change that trend when they released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009. Emphasizing strong character development, story, and a dedication to the mythos that DC Comics continues to create, this game showed that it is possible to make a comic book video game that is better than the sum of its parts.

Going into E3, Arkham City already has a strong amount of buzz working for it. It will build on the existing engine that made its predecessor a solid detective game, but instead of being trapped in the asylum, Batman will now roam the street of Gotham. According to Dax Ginn, Marketing and Manager at Rocksteady, gamers will now be able to fight crime in an environment more than five times the size of the original. Although this sandbox gameplay could side track players from the main narrative, Ginn pointed out that  Batman would not go on the “frivolous collection missions” that populate other open world games and the player should not have to either. The game will “have a tight core narration with clear paths”, but the possible side missions will “always [be] character driven” and contribute to the story.

Along with a fully accessible Gotham City, the above video shows that Catwoman will not only appear in the game, but she will be playable. This will not only diversify the game with a different model to look at, but it seems that this is more than just a simple skin swap. Selina Kyle possesses her own unique moves and counter moves as well as a specific missions that progress her story and the caped crusader’s simultaneously. Plus, it looks like she will have gadgets of her own, which means the gadget discovery aspect that I enjoyed in the first game will be back.

Although hype is always great, Arkham City could also learn the negative effects of such a massive fan base. The surprise success of the first game means players will be looking for the same “wow” factor they found in the original. Although the sandbox gameplay and Catwoman announcement are great ways to bring a new perspective on the franchise, Rocksteady will have to do more if they want to captivate fans for a second time. Rest assured, we will have a full length first impression after I play the game on the E3 floor. For now, it remains to be seen if the City can top the Asylum.

Bottom Line

This is my first time at E3, and I am naturally excited to see exclusive information on the franchises I love. But enough about what I want to see. What games do you want to hear about? What games do you want us to write about? Who do you predict will win the battle between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo? Sound off in the comments section.

Links: PlayStation | Capcom | Namco Bandai | Rocksteady

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There are a number of Kinect games in this year’s E3. Majesco Entertainment, for instance, has announced that its new lineup will include titles such as Take Shape, a multiplayer family game where players use their bodies to make different shapes, Mind n’ Motion, another family game where players perform sets of rapidly chained activities like juggling and dodging shapes. Majesco’s headlining title, though, is Hulk Hogan’s Main Event, the first performance-based wrestling game where plays get to play and train with the famous wrestling giant. Hulk Hogan is even slated to make a guest appearance at the conference to promote the new wrestling game.

Other featured Kinect titles include the sports swimming game Michael Phelps-Push the Limit from 505 Games and Star Wars for Kinect, which is rumored to be unveiled during Microsoft’s E3 press conference on June 6 and is by far one of the most highly anticipated Kinect games at this year’s conference.

It’s unquestionable that Kinect has been extremely successful this past year and that consumers are eager for more exciting titles for the game platform. However, up until this point the majority of Kinect games have been work out/dance party games or multiplayer party/family games. While there is undoubtedly a market for these two gaming genres, it has been more than a little disappointing that other types of games haven’t been released for the platform.  Kinect has enormous potential in terms of technology and in the future of gaming, but up until now it has been somewhat handicapped by the game “typecasting” that’s been going on this past year.

Variety is vital in assuring that a product will be appealing to the greatest number of users as well as maintain long lasting popularity and assure it has a long lifespan on the consumer market. This is why Star Wars for Kinect is so exciting, since it is looking more and more like it will be the first headlining adventure game that has a real shot at pushing Kinect more towards the plot-based fighting and adventure games offered by other platforms, giving it the potential to make Kinect less of a party and exercise accessory used by occasional gamers and more like a gaming platform that more serious gamers would want to use. It will definitely be very interesting both to see how Microsoft handles the official unveiling of Star Wars for Kinect and how it is received by the general public after its launch.

Stayed tuned to Skatter Tech all this week for live E3 coverage of all the major conferences and the exhibition floor booths.

Link: Kinect

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