ThreeSpace

Google Voice Web App for iPhone

2010-02-05T00:49:36Z

After the dustup between AT&T, Apple, and Google over the rejection of an official Google Voice app for the iPhone, there was little reason to hope that such an app would ever appear on the iPhone. Even an investigation by the FCC didn't change Apple's position, and it even led them to remove all the unofficial Google Voice apps from the app store. So what did an undeterred Google do? They wrote a web app.

Ironically, before Apple created an SDK an officially allowed applications to run on their iPhone and iPod, they tried to convince developers that the way to get their content on the iPhone was through the web browser. Needless to say, back in 2007 that idea flew about as high as a lead balloon, but Google returned to that approach to create their Google Voice client for the iPhone. As a result, there was no submission needed and nothing for Apple or AT&T to reject.

The "app" in this case is accessed by directing the Safari mobile web browser to the appropriate web site. At this point, Google's HTML 5 code takes over and presents a screen that is virtually indistinguishable from an app running natively on the system. It is intuitive and responsive, and save for the Safari toolbar at the bottom, it occupies the whole screen. If you pull down on the screen, you will see the browser URL bar at the top, but other than that, the illusion is nigh flawless.

Google Voice has all the features you've come to know and love with sections for your Inbox, your contact list, your text messages, and your calls. Interestingly, the calls are handled differently from the way they are when using GV on a computer. Instead of having GV ring a designated phone number and then connect you to the party you requested, you will receive a prompt asking for permission to have your phone dial a Google designated number. Say yes, and your phone will dial and from there you will be connected to the requested party. Some people have complained about having Google's numbers appearing in their call log or on their phone bills, but it isn't a problem from my perspective. In fact, some people may even appreciate the added privacy.

Google's solution to this problem works so well that it begs the question of whether Apple wasn't right to suggest that web apps were the way to go. And for those companies who have had apps rejected, is HTML 5 the solution? I suspect that while there may be some apps that could find improved life as web apps, that approach presents its own hurdles. First, it requires the expertise to write such an app using web techniques. After an investment in learning Objective-C, this might be prohibitive. Then it needs to be hosted somewhere, meaning bandwidth will be a cost. Finally, it will probably be harder to monetize. Sure you can present advertisements, but you probably won't be able to collect an up-front payment as easily as selling through the App Store. These obstacles might be easy enough for a behemoth like Google to overcome, but they could be prohibitive for a smaller developer. And I doubt that apps like games would translate very well to a web format, but a proficient coder could prove me wrong there.

In the meantime, I have not only bookmarked the Google Voice web page, but I have added an icon for the bookmark to my home screen. So now not only does the web app feel like a native app, but it gets executed like one too. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

XBOX 360 Console Bans

2009-11-11T20:45:22Z

Major Nelson, Microsoft's XBOX game advocate, has reported on his blog that XBOX Live has begun aggressively enforcing bans against users with modded consoles. The mods, of course, allow the use of bootlegged game discs. This bootlegging is bad for publishers on Microsoft's console, and hence bad for Microsoft. This doesn't represent a change in official Microsoft policy, just that enforcement has been stepped up.

[On a side note, this is one of the key reasons that Sony wanted Blu-ray in their latest console. Bootlegging PlayStation 2 discs was as easy as pie, and Sony didn't want to get burned again this time around. By putting games on Blu-ray, they get better encryption, images too big to transfer easily online, and discs that most of us still don't have the equipment to copy. Sorry to those of you who think otherwise, but it has little or no impact on graphical quality in games...not sure who started that myth.]

Of course this happens a couple months after I got my XBOX 360 modded. Of all the consoles I have owned, the 360 is the only one that has ever been modded. Why? Because after about 38 months of ownership and very delicate use, my XBOX 360 contracted the dreaded red ring of death (RROD) and stopped working. Microsoft informed me that I was just outside my warranty and told me that it would cost me $100 or so to get it fixed.

I didn't want to spend that much to get a three-year-old console fixed when I could get a newer one with more features for about $200. So I went to Craigslist and looked for a used system to buy. I was ready to pull the trigger when I came across an ad from someone who offered to repair the console for $50. Long story short, I take my console to this kid's house with $50, and two hours later he handed me my working console complete with mods. I never missed a day of gaming while waiting for the repairs to be done.

To be honest, I haven't made much use of the modding. I have maybe six bootleg games with dozens of legitimate games 360 in my library. To be sure, if I like a game or album or movie, I'm gonna buy it. But Microsoft refusing to continue supporting its early adopters after they bought a console with known defects is ridiculous. I jumped on board the XBOX 360 bandwagon long before most people, and my reward is that I paid more for a louder console with no HDMI port and a predictable hardware defect. Oh, and now I might get banned from XBOX Live. Thanks, Microsoft.

Netflix Streaming Now on PlayStation 3

2009-11-06T22:44:03Z

One year after the XBOX 360 became the first game system to stream Netflix Watch Instantly movies, the PlayStation 3 also gets the feature. It uses an unorthodox method involving a Blu-ray disc, but the results make the effort worthwhile. Check out my impressions.

Reindeer Games

2009-11-06T16:35:31Z

With significant price drops for all three home consoles over the past month, videogames are back on the radar for many holiday shoppers. And with new consoles come new games, always a challenge for anybody looking for the perfect gift for the gamer in her life. I just wanted to give mention to some of the best games available for the various consoles and PC that have been released this year. This is far from a comprehensive list, but it just points out a few of the notable titles that most gamers would be happy to see under the tree.

Try not to break the bank buying all these great games. I assume no responsibility for any impact and your wallet as a result of using this information. These are in no particular order.

This list will be updated as new information comes to my attention, so check back often. I have drawn this from lists I've seen and my own recollection, so it's bound to be pretty shoddy. If you have any additions or corrections, please let me know. Thanks.

Multiplatform Games (games available for more than one system)

Batman Arkham Asylum (X360, PS3, PC) - Fight through the insane inmates of Arkham Asylum to stop the Joker's nefarious plot. This has been called the greatest superhero video game of all time.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS, PSP) - This excellent debut of the GTA universe on the DS gets even better in its recent port to the PSP. Despite a new isometric presentation, everything you love about GTA is present in iteration.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (X360, PS3, PC) - The fourth release of this series established it as an elite hall-of-fame property, and this sixth release coming November 10th looks to continue that great tradition. At the same time, Wii gamers will get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex while DS gamers get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized. Those will be set in the same universe, but look for the most thrilling CoD action to be on the XBOX 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
DJ Hero (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2) - Hip-hop fans finally get a "Hero" game to live out their turntable fantasies. Use the included turntable to create mixes and mashups of famous rappers and DJs.
Tekken 6 (X360, PS3, PSP) - The famous fighting franchise gets the high-def treatment. The PSP version will arrive on November 24th.
Borderlands (X360, PS3, PC) - It's like an RPG and a first-person shooter had a baby. Great four-player, co-operative online play.
Brutal Legend (X360, PS3) - A masterful roadie becomes the chosen one in a universe of Rock characters and themes.
Red Faction: Guerrilla (X360, PS3, PC) - An FPS notable for its completely destructible structures in all levels. Don't chase someone into a building...destroy it and flush them out.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (X360, PS3, PC) - Not your typical run-and-gun shooter, OF:DR emphasizes tense, realistic gameplay with a fictitious conflict in a modern setting.
Resident Evil 5 (X360, PS3, PC) - The high-definition debut of the long-running survival horror franchise takes you to Africa and introduces co-op play. Wii gamers will get Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (see Wii section) in November.
Need for Speed: Shift (X360, PS3, PSP, PC) - NfS goes into simulation territory to compete with the likes of Sony's Gran Turismo and Microsoft's Forza Motorsport. Wii owners will get Need for Speed: Nitro.
Wet (X360, PS3) - A stylish, action-packed shooter featuring heroine Rubi Malone with a 70s-themed presentation.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (X360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PS2) - This sequel is set during the events of Marvel's Civil War and features character fusion as part of the gameplay, and it's on every currently sold console to boot.
Section 8 (X360, PC) - An FPS with dynamic objectives that create varied gameplay.
Guitar Hero 5 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2) - Keep rocking out with your virtual band in an all new "party play" mode that's great for get-togethers.
The Beatles: Rock Band (X360, PS3, Wii) - This version of Rock Band features classic hits from the Fab Four.
Lego Rock Band (X360, PS3, Wii, DS) - It's Rock Band with Lego characters, really. Should be more accessible for those who aren't die-hard rockers and younger audiences.
DiRT 2 (X360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP, DS) - An off-road racing simulation with a career mode and online multiplayer options.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (X360, PS3) - A 2D fighting game. Hard to find in stores.
Street Fighter IV (X360, PS3, PC) - The venerable fighting saga returns after a ten-year hiatus with 3D characters and a new fighting system. Plenty of copies sold should make this easy to find used and cheap with Super Street Fighter IV on the horizon for 2010.
The Bigs 2 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS) - Arcade-style baseball game with lots of flasy "supermoves."
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (X360, PS3, PC) - This FPS is a prequel to Call of Juarez and takes place during the Civil War era.
Fight Night Round 4 (X360, PS3) - The definitive boxing simulation gets new moves and physics.
Ghostbusters The Video Game (X360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DS) - The classic '80s movie hit gets the videogame treatment for a new generation.
Prototype (X360, PS3, PC) - A violent sandbox game featuring a shapeshifting protagonist in NYC.
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (X360, PS3, PC) - The game was released in 2008, but this re-packaging includes all five downloadable add-on packs which give this all new value.
NBA 2K10 (X360, PS3, PC) - One of the two big NBA basketball sims on the market, NBA 2K10 looks to match the success of last year's game.
Dragon Ball (X360, PS3) - This 3D fighting game set in the DB universe will have dozens of playable characters. Recommended only for true fans of the series. Coming November 10th. DS gamers will get Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans (see DS section).
Dragon Age: Origins (X360, PS3, PC) - This not-yet-released RPG has generated a lot of buzz in the gaming world. Releases on November 3rd.
Left 4 Dead 2 (X360, PC) - Another FPS that has you and a band of three comrades fighting off hordes of zombies. The first featured great multiplayer. The sequel comes out on November 17th.
Assassin's Creed II (X360, PS3, PC) - Alastair returns with an all-new adventure. Though the PC version won't come out until next year, the console versions will be out on November 20th. PSP gamers will get Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines on November 17th (see PSP section).
Planet 51 (X360, PS3, Wii, DS) - A game based on the animated movie that features a human "invading" (read, landing on) an alien planet.
METRO 2033 (X360, PC) - Unsure if this will be released in 2009, but this will be a futuristic survival-horror FPS.
Rogue Warrior (X360, PS3, PC) - Play as an elite agent tasked with inflitrating North Korea to stop a weapons program in this stealth shooter.
Hitman 5 (X360, PS3, PC) - Seriously doubtful that this will show up in 2009, but the Hitman franchise is pretty engaging, so this had to make the list.
Madden NFL 10 (X360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2) - Always one of the best-selling games of any calendar year, the Madden franchise is a must-have for any fan of the sport.

XBOX 360 Exclusives

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (X360) - This is the latest expansion to Grand Theft Auto IV available only on the XBOX 360. Rockstar's expansions are so meaty that they surpass many stand-alone games in terms of content. This expansion requires GTA4, but you can also get Episodes from Liberty City, which includes The Ballad of Gay Tony along with the previously released expansion pack The Lost and The Damned on one disc and which doesn't require GTA4 to play.
Forza MotorSport 3 (X360) - This is a realistic racing simulator featuring hundreds of cars and beautiful graphics. It is Microsoft's response to Sony's Gran Turismo series on the PlayStation. The competition has only made both games better.
Halo 3: ODST (X360) - Play as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper in this latest installment in the venerable Halo franchise.

PlayStation 3 Exclusives

inFamous (PS3) - An excellent adventure game involving a citywide catastrophe that grants certain individuals superhero-like powers. The protagonist controls electricity and must make moral decisions about whether to use his abilities for good or evil.
Killzone 2 (PS3) - A squad-based FPS featuring a war between the Terrans and the Helghast. Great graphics and online play.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) - One of the best action-adventure games ever, this is what Tomb Raider might have become if it had been managed properly. Follow adventurer Nathan Drake around the globe as he hunts down mysterious artifacts.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3) - One of the best (and longest-running) 3D platformers returns with lots of zany characters and even zanier weapons.

Katamari Forever (PS3) - The matter-rolling Prince makes his HD debut on the PlayStation 3.

Fat Princess (PS3) - The downloadable game is best played with friends. Try to capture the other team's princess while fattening up (defending) your own.

God of War Collection (PS3) - The first two GoW games get the high-def treatment. This should hold you over until God of War III drops some time next year.

Wii Exclusives

Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - The fitness game returns with some new exercises and modes. Only $20 for those who already own the balance board.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS) - Battle your way out of Bowser's belly in this real-time RPG.
Dead Space Extraction (Wii) - This is a prequel to the hit Dead Space game that appeared on the X360, PS3, and PC.
MySims Agents (Wii) - Become a crime-solving sleuth in the MySims universe.

Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - A new set of sports games in a tropical setting. Comes with the MotionPlus add-on for the Wii remote.

Rabbids Go Home (Wii) - A new adventure for the Rabbids sans Rayman as they make their way back home to the moon.

New Super Mario Brothers Wii (Wii) - This iteration of the Mario Brothers franchise is a 2D platformer that allows up to four players to compete on the screen at one time. Players can work co-operatively to solve puzzles.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex (Wii) - For Wii gamers looking for a Call of Duty fix, this game uses the Wii's motion controls for immersion in the firefight.
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii) - This game is a sequel to the hit Wii game Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. It offers light-gun-style gameplay using the Wii remote. Releases November 17th.

Nintendo DS Exclusives

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) - Continue the Kingdom Hearts saga by playing as Roxas, Sora's "nobody," as you try to discover your identity.
Scribblenauts (DS) - Solve puzzles and navigate levels by literally writing the name of the object you wish to appear on the screen. Hundreds of objects to choose from.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized (DS) - Call of Duty returns to the DS. Expect more of the action of the first two CoD games on the DS.

PSP Exclusives

Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) - A fighting game and RPG hybrid featuring characters from across the Final Fantasy universe.
Beaterator (PSP) - A music mixer with some rhythm minigames brought to you by Rockstar Games and Timbaland.
Gran Turismo (PSP) - Sony's premier racing simulation finally makes it on to the PSP after years of promises and false starts.

Half-Minute Hero (PSP) - An RPG with a tounge-in-cheek 8-bit presentation and quests that must be completed in 30 seconds.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PSP, PS2) - The first appearance of the duo (and not just Daxter) on the PSP, J&D is among the best platformers from the PS2 generation. Releases on November 3rd.

LittleBIGPlanet (PSP) - The quirky physics-based 2D platformer with realistic 3D graphics moves to the PSP this fall. Not technically an exclusive, the PS3 version was so charming that this one has to be watched. Coming November 17th.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP) - Third PSP installment in the realistic warfare simulation. Has local and online multiplayer. Release date unknown.
MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PSP, PS2) - Sony's dirty, arcade-style, offroad racer trickles down from the PS3 to the PSP and PS2 with less intense graphics and fewer drivers and tracks.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP) - A new chapter in the Kingdom Hearts saga where three characters search out a Keyblade
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny (PSP) - The classic fighting game featuring close-range weapons and deadly hand-to-hand combat arrives on the portable console.

PC Exclusives

The Sims 3 World Adventures (PC) - The first expansion pack for The Sims 3, this globetrotting add-on will be a must-have for Sims nuts.
Tropico 3 (PC, X360?) - Real-time strategy game casting you as a dictator over a small Carribbean island. May be coming to the X360.
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC) - This remake of the classic adventure game from 1990 gets updated with high-res graphics, voice acting, and a new musical score.

The Cellular Phone Outlook

2009-11-05T02:32:44Z

I have been in the market for a cellular phone for a while now, and even though I'm not yet ready to pull the trigger on the mobile device that I'll be stuck with for the next two years, I have made a few observations about the different types of phones available from the Big Four now.

Smartphones--phones that incorporate some PDA functionality in excess of what's required a normal phone--are increasing in popularity these days, and are thus the phones that the cellular companies push most heavily in their advertising. Right now there are four major smartphone operating systems being sold today. They each have their own benefits and drawbacks, and they each have a different outlook for the future.

iPhone. This is still the one to beat. Even though it doesn't have the largest market share, it's growing at such an impressive rate that its more mature rivals in the smartphone market have stood up and taken notice. The iPhone is very accessible to newbies, handles media very easily, and adding new apps is a breeze. It's not a perfect phone due to some arcane restrictions on the types of apps/mods that Apple approves, and it's rather light on PDA features, something that may keep the business crowd from embracing the phone wholeheartedly. But for mainstream consumers, there's a lot to like. It's a competent, easy-to-use phone with enough entertainment features to make it your go-to device.

There will be continued growth for the iPhone platform in the near future regardless of whether it moves to other carriers or what its competitors do.

Blackberry. The stronghold for RIM has always been in business thanks to good integration with corporate email. Despite a few assaults on their territory, the Blackberry is still the device that businesses trust most. But RIM has seen opportunities to broaden their base by going after casual users with more "fun" multimedia features, the same kind that has catapulted the iPhone to cell phone stardom. Not only has it introduced a touch screen device, but it launched an ad campaign targeted squarely at young hipsters who want to use their phones to record videos, listen to music, and fall in love. Their expansion into this market has been modest, but it's not uncommon now to see people with Blackberry phones that are not being used for business purposes.

Blackberry may make slow inroads into the consumer market, but the business crowd is still its bread and butter, and it will continue to defend that territory through the coming onslaught from competitors.

Palm. Palm has seen better days. Once the number one maker of smartphones, Palm has watched market share erode as its PalmOS stagnated and got overtaken by younger competitors. Palm reemerged this year with the Pre and Pixie running its new WebOS. But despite critical acclaim from reviewers, the new devices haven't grabbed enough traction to change analyst predictions about Palm's dismal future. Some point to the lack of apps as a hindrance. Others say that being tied to Sprint is the problem. Whatever the case, Palm's fortunes are not as good as it's competitors. It needs a hit to stay in the fight.

Palm will look to broaden the base for its WebOS phones, either with new handsets or agreements with other carriers. If it doesn't strike oil in the next year or so, look for the vultures to start circling.

Windows. Where did they go? Microsoft, one of the pioneers or modern mobile computing, has failed to innovate or update it's aging Windows Mobile OS. Granted, it has been rebranded many times, and thanks to manufacturers like HTC, we continue to see attractive phones running Windows Mobile. But the core OS looks eerily similar to what it looked like back in 2000. That made it easy for new entrants to the market to leapfrog it with more modern interfaces. The core WinMo OS is still solid, but it is in tremendous need of a facelift and updates to its core/included applications to stay competitive.

Look for Windows Mobile to try to recreate itself with version 7 due out next year. If that should fall short, Windows Phones will continue to lose market share until Microsoft rights the ship.

Android. Google's new open source OS is currently the hottest thing in mobile outside the iPhone. Despite a sluggish start last year, lots of manufacturers are throwing their weight behind the new OS in the hopes of taking on Apple. Though no iPhone killer has emerged from the Android camp so far (sorry, Droid) the phones have shown tremendous improvement with each new release, quickly closing the gap with the iPhone. And manufacturers love that the OS has no license fees and source code that allows them to tweak it perfectly for their devices.

Android should continue to see improved market share as newer, hotter devices hit the market. But the iPhone isn't standing still, so whether it can catch up to the iPhone remains to be seen.

Symbian. Symbian isn't doing bad worldwide, but they haven't had a buzz-worthy phone in the US for a couple years now. And that doesn't look set to change soon. I haven't heard of anything noteworthy from that camp in a while.

I expect to see Symbian's market share continue to decline.

So that's the market as I see it right now. Which phone will I get? I don't know yet. I have a long history with Windows Mobile and lots of applications for it, but Microsoft hasn't done much to keep me excited about their smartphones lately. Still, I would hate to jump off the bandwagon just before something amazing (Windows Mobile 7) hits.

Profits Down at House of Mario

2009-11-02T13:12:16Z

Nintendo's MarioSony continues to lose money in it's entertainment division on sales of the PlayStation 3. And Nintendo continues to turn a profit on sales of the Wii. Then why are investors driving Nintendo's stock down and Sony's stock up? It's because they don't like the direction that they're seeing Nintendo heading. Year-over-year profits at Nintendo are down almost 50% for the first half of 2009. Wii sales continue to slow, and even a recent $50 price cut hasn't seemed to spur additional sales of the console, worrisome news as we head into the holiday season when most sales are made.

Many critics have long dismissed the Wii as a fad. They said that it's gimmicky motion controls couldn't stand up in the face of the supercomputer-like power available from the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3. But even though the motion control is a gimmick, it's a pretty darn good one, opening the console up to some styles of play that are nearly impossible with a traditional controller. Nintendo's problems selling consoles stem from other factors.

First, the casual gamers drawn so heavily to the system have stayed casual. Many of them played the Wii Sports collection that was included with the console in the US, but once they had their fill of that game, they stopped playing. Those gamers either didn't know that they were supposed to go out and purchase more games for the system and keep playing, or they couldn't be bothered to expend that effort. The game store is out of the way for most casuals; their likelihood of going to the store and dropping $50 on a new game every few months is slim to none.

Second, everybody has one. The people who wanted a Wii, from casual first-timers to N64 veterans, probably already have one. To Nintendo's credit, they sold a lot of consoles. But that has nearly saturated the market, making it hard to find households into which Nintendo can introduce new consoles. It has also created a glut of systems that are no longer being used, thus creating a robust second-hand market. Those in search of a Wii can often look to get a cheap used system or even find someone giving one away. I've heard of a few adults who bequeathed their Wiis to a younger cousin or newphew for no money at all. Those exchanges represent sales that Nintendo doesn't make.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, are the games or the lack thereof. While the XBOX has exclusive franchises like Gears of War and Left 4 Dead, and the PlayStation has Metal Gear Solid and Uncharted, the Wii has exclusive titles like Imagine Babysitters and Carnival Games. Even a gaming n00b isn't going to be fooled into buying this shovelware from companies that hoped to cash in quickly with a shoddy motion-controlled game for masses. And yet these games fill the shelves of the Wii section in most stores.

Sure, Nintendo has made some killer games for the Wii, including Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. And New Super Mario Brothers Wii looks poised to be another Shigeru Miyamoto hit when it arrives this fall. But Nintendo's dominance on Nintendo systems tends to be part of the problem. Third party developers have a hard time finding traction on the console with their mature titles. And even though the Wii is easier and cheaper to develop an original game for, it is probably more difficult to port a game to it. The high-definition resources from the 360/PS3/PC have to be scaled down for the Wii. And the lack of computational horsepower means that it's often better to create a game from scratch than to try and port. This leads to good games that suffer poor sales, like Dead Space Extraction or Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.

Game consoles can be lots of things, but first and foremost, they are game consoles. That means it all boils down to the games. And Nintendo just doesn't have 'em the way its rivals do. I suspect that Nintendo is already eyeing the leap to the next generation of hardware, which some have rumored could be out as early as 2011. That's unsubstantiated at this point, but it's reasonable to think that with the cheapest and least powerful hardware of this generation, the Wii would be the easiest to break away from in the near future. But if Nintendo doesn't want to continue on this path of waning interest in its systems, it has to give all those gamers it attracted with it's easy-to-control games a reason to keep playing.

My Problem With Cellular Providers

2009-10-30T00:11:06Z

Remember when the typical cellular phone advertisement showed a woman with a small child near a broken down car on a dark highway? Cell phone in hand, she would call a tow truck and be on her way. The message--don't let this be you or your wife/mother stuck out here on the road without a cell phone for emergencies.

Back in that time, expansion was easy for the cellular providers. All they had to do was set up a few kiosks in the mall or a local retailer and wait for people to approach and sign up for new service. Contracts were typically one year long, and growth was simply made by adding new subscribers.

Fast forward to today, and the situation couldn't be more different. The two-year contract is the new industry standard. Today's cellular phone advertisements often tout the GPS or data access capabilities of modern smartphones. Many seem to have little to do with the cellular phone at all. But now that the market for cellular phone subscribers has been saturated, the way to expansion has been to add more services. The big four cellular providers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) all offer a bevy of services outside of traditional voice communications--email, web browsing, GPS, apps, and more. In the US, text messaging has taken off driven largely by a young audience who use it as a cheaper, unlimited alternative to the constraints created by the limits on voice minutes in most plans. The reaction of the cell companies to the popularity of text messaging? They increased the average cost of text messages fourfold over two years.

Today's cellular phone plans are a complex mishmash of rate plans and options that are too complicated for most consumers to understand. And the cell companies are in no rush to change that since it creates a good chance that you'll end up spending more on your service than necessary. To add insult to injury, certain changes will automatically trigger increases to your plan, but the reverse is not true. For example, if you go from a feature phone to a smartphone, your provider will automatically add a data option to your rate plan with no intervention required on your part. Trade from that smartphone back to a feature phone, however, and there will be no decrease in your plan unless you request to have the data option removed.

Several years ago, the transition from digital cell phones to GSM was supposed to change the way we managed information on our phones. Rather than losing our contacts and calendars every time we changed phones, we would store that information on SIM cards that switched between phones. We would be able to switch phones without switching numbers, a common problem at that time. But the cellular companies locked their phones to their networks, rendering them useless with SIM cards from another provider. The claim was that they did it to enforce the contracts on the subsidized phones that were sold well below cost. But even after the contract terms have been fulfilled, the Big Three still will not provide the codes required to unlock the phone, nor do they reduce the monthly service rates which are supposed to include the cost of the subsidy after the phone has been paid. It was only after the threat of government intervention that they put the fee for early contract termination on a sliding scale; previously it cost just as much to end your contract after one month as it did after twenty-three months.

Finally, the rate plans themselves have crept up over the years, and when the prices haven't increased, the number of minutes allowed with each plans has decreased. As indicated earlier, text messaging has gone up from five cents to twenty or more. And other options like data, GPS, or calling circles can easily add $20 or $30 a pop to the base plan. But more insidious than the increases in the rate plans are the increases to the supplementary fees that all providers charge. For example, every cellular service provider has a rate plan of $59.99. But after government-mandated taxes and provider-instituted fees, such a plan would probably cost well over $70 in practice. In a four-way horse race for subscribers, nobody wants to step out of line and advertise a plan costing $62.49 when everyone else's is $59.99, so they hold the base rate the same and add the increase to the "regulatory fees" that are only revealed after the consumer receives a bill.

The cellular service providers should be made to abide by the following rules:

They should be required to provide the unlock codes for any phone that is not under contract.
They should discount the rate plan for those who are not under contract to reflect the end of the "subsidy."
There should be no additional fees in the bill besides those required by the government. Any provider-generated fees should be folded in to the main rate plan.
They should automatically remove options that are not applicable to a particular user's situation.

Of course, I know that this is all a long shot (particularly that last point). Cellular providers continue to lobby against any additional regulation, and the FCC has been slow to intervene for fear of triggering even higher costs to consumers. Still, a guy can dream, right?

Netflix Streaming Arriving Soon on PlayStation 3

2009-10-27T19:24:15Z

Netflix's Instant Watching feature allows subscribers of the DVD rental-by-mail service to stream a select group of 17,000 movies to a PC or a compatible device. Up until now, the XBOX 360 was the only game console capable of streaming movies from Netflix, but that will soon change as the 360 is joined by its most direct competitor, the PlayStation 3. PS3 owners will soon have access to the same library of movies by utilizing the BD Live feaures offered by the console when it is used as a Blu-ray player. Unfortunately, this means that a special Blu-ray disc with the streaming code will be required to use Instant Watching, but this is hopefully a temporary solution until the next major firmware update to the PS3 some time next year. After that point, the disc should no longer be necessary, and Watch Instantly should just appear in the PS3's Xross Media Bar (XMB).

Netflix Instant Watching has been a feather in the cap of XBOX 360 owners for nearly a year now and is something that really adds value to the console and the Netflix subscription, satisfying the spontaneous urge to watch a movie that DVD-by-mail simply couldn't. But now PS3 owners will be able to get in on the fun too, along with Wii users if Netflix has its way. In addition, while the use of Instant Watching on the XBOX 360 requires an XBOX Live! Gold subscription that costs $50 per year, the PS3 uses the PlayStation Network which has no additional cost.

Fanboys of both consoles have already begun debating the merits of each console's approach. PlayStation loyalists deride the need for the paid XBOX Live! subscription; XBOX fans claim that the XBOX's attractive interface and smooth networking will make it superior. But the truth is that this may be good news for everyone involved, including PC, TiVo, and Roku users. The more subscribers that Netflix has to its streaming service, the more clout it will have in getting movies into its library. And more movies to choose from will improve the experience for all movie viewers using the service.

On an separate note, Roku announced two new players in addition to the $100 Roku HD it had been selling that support Netflix Instant Watching. At the low end is the $80 Roku SD which, as its name implies, lacks the high-definition capability of its more expensive siblings. At the high end is the Roku HD-XR which adds 802.11n wireless networking to the unit for $130. Wireless-N networking should give the HD-XR the bandwidth it needs to stream those high-def videos across the user's wireless network without too many hiccups.

Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard

2009-10-22T22:33:08Z

Windows 7 was released for general availability today, and there has been no shortage of digital ink extolling the virtues of the new operating system. The reviews have been mostly favorable and indicate that Windows 7 should be a marked improvement over it's immediate predecessor, Windows Vista. Not surprisingly, this has led to a countless number of comparisons between Microsoft's latest release and Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which was released less than two months ago. Most of those comparisons, like this CNET Prizefight, give kudos to both operating systems, but give the nod to Snow Leopard. And I have to ask--are they running a different operating system than I am?

I have been running various betas and release candidates of Windows 7 for almost a year now. And I have only one problem with it (which I'll mention below). I haven't had any blue screens of death or system crashes, nor have I had any application crashes. The somewhat annoying user access control dialogs of Windows Vista have been nearly eliminated. And the application compatibility seems to be even higher than it was with Vista. I was able to get Serious Sam running, a game that hasn't worked properly since Microsoft released Windows XP Service Pack 3.

My one problem with Windows 7 has been with the lack of drivers for the new system. I'm a bit of a packrat (my wife would say that's an understatement), so I am still using hardware from the early 90s, e.g. my HP LaserJet 6L parallel printer. Unfortunately, there's no driver for that printer on the Windows 7 disc, and neither HP nor Microsoft seem to have any interest in releasing one. And while that's a bit disappointing for me, it's also completely understandable from a business perspective not to support hardware that's 15 years old. My printer remains hooked up to an older laptop that actually has a parallel port and just enough memory to run Windows XP.

Contrast this with my experience using Snow Leopard on two computers. I've already had a few total system failures through kernel panics, something that never happened to me over the three years that I was running 10.4 Tiger or 10.5 Leopard, even on non-standard (read, hackintosh) hardware. Applications crashes seem to happen to me a few times a week. Sure, I used to have to restart Firefox, a notorious memory sieve, after running it continuously for weeks at a time. But now it happens with Cyberduck, muCommander, VLC--you name it.

And that doesn't even include the applications that no longer work since the upgrade. VLC required an update after I upgraded to Snow Leopard. My CLEAR drivers still don't work (though I blame the Clearwire/Motorola folks for that). Current reports suggest that Apple won't support Boot Camp for Windows 7 across their entire line of Intel-based Macs. I can't imagine the furor that would erupt if Microsoft or vendors stopped supporting four-year-old hardware.

Don't get me wrong, Snow Leopard is an incredible operating system with an interface that has lines as clean and modern as an Apple store. And I still run my Macs continuously for weeks at a time without a reboot necessary. But when compared directly against Windows 7, I find Microsoft's OS to be just as elegant and even more stable than Snow Leopard. I still see that Mac OS "wait for it" spinning beach ball more than I like. So in a head-to-head comparison (which I don't necessarily find to be especially valuable) I would have to give the nod to Windows 7 based on my own anecdotal experience.

Ironically, when I'm doing computationally intensive browsing tasks, I actually find myself using Linux a lot more these days. Not only is it very stable, but the multitasking is nice and smooth, even under a load. It seems to make good use of limited resources even on older systems. It doesn't have the application support that Windows and Mac OS have, but it provides an A-1 user experience.

CLEAR 4G Wireless Internet

2009-10-21T18:39:58Z

Atlanta is one of a handful of cities with 4G wireless service already available. This first salvo in the race to 4G is an implementation of WiMAX, which claims speeds comparable to Wi-Fi over much larger areas. I have been using 4G service for about two months now, and on the whole I'm impressed with it, but there are certainly some gotchas in comparison to using 3G cellular data service.

The WiMAX network was developed by Sprint and Clearwire with funding from industry heavy-hitters like Intel, Comcast, and Google. As such, there are several different vendors for WiMAX service, but they're all using the same network. I'm using Clearwire's CLEAR service, but as far as I know, there shouldn't be any performance difference between it and Sprint's 3G/4G service or Comcast's High-Speed 2Go.

So how does the service work? The short answer is that it works very well. It seems to work in all the areas advertised, and even gets good reception in large buildings. The falloff outside the working areas is very sharp though, so there's less of a chance to catch a weak signal as you could with a 3G card and hope to get marginal performance. There are marginal areas on the periphery of the coverage map, but they are very narrow zones. Go outside of them by even a quarter-mile and you'll probably find that you don't have any service at all.

As far as the performance goes, it easily beats 3G service in the same area. I use AT&T for 3G service, and my wife uses Verizon. Comparisons between their coverage areas aside, they seem to be what-and-what as far as speed goes when they both have 3G service. But CLEAR beats them both easily. Web pages and email messages download noticeably faster than on the 3G networks. That difference becomes more apparent when you're using multiple bandwidth-hogging applications at the same time. With a CLEAR Spot Wi-Fi adapter, multiple computers/devices can be on the same connection without a huge performance hit. And since the data use is unlimited, you don't have to be as timid about your use as you do with the 5 GB monthly cap on the 3G services.

Since CLEAR is advertised for use in the home, it's fair to ask how it compares to DSL or cable Internet service. In comparison to home Internet, however, CLEAR's service comes up short of cable or fast DSL. I would probably compare it to the middle tier of DSL speeds. Streaming hi-definition video isn't without some hiccups, but it's impressive to me that you can even do it over a wireless connection. With a 5 GB cap and slower performance, I certainly wouldn't try it over 3G.

When it comes to lowest cost, CLEAR is the winner hands down. CLEAR is cheaper than both Sprint and Comcast, but there's a catch. With CLEAR and Comcast, it is possible to get a cheaper 4G-only plan. That means that if you're outside the 4G zone, your device will not work at all, but a combination 3G+4G device will still work by switching to the slower 3G network. That additional 3G coverage is about $20 premium on top of the regular 4G-only prices, and it comes with the same 5 GB per month data limitation.

4G WiMAX is a service that I heartily recommend if most of your use will occur within a covered area. My biggest frustration with the service is that my home in southwest Atlanta is about three miles outside the coverage zone, which is all the more confusing given that there are small towns 20 miles from downtown Atlanta that are covered. Also, CLEAR's driver for Mac OS X is still in beta and only supports Leopard. That means that Mac users running Tiger or Snow Leopard are out of luck for now. Sprint and Comcast claim that their adapters are Mac and Linux compatible, but I cannot verify that. There seem to be no driver issues for anyone running Windows.

If most of your mobile Internet use is in within a covered service area, 4G WiMAX service is definitely worth the price. It will be interesting to see how the market shapes up as AT&T and Verizon (and maybe even T-Mobile) bring their 4G LTE services to market. Whether WiMAX can stay competitive against LTE remains to be seen. But as the only 4G game in town, WiMAX wireless Internet can't be beat.