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- Most popular smartphone game apps target the physical world
- Senator asks FAA to reform rules on using devices
- HTC Droid DNA vs HTC One X+ [video]
- China to require real name registration for Internet users
| Most popular smartphone game apps target the physical world Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:49 AM PST
The mobile app marketing strategy is still going on in full swing as is evident from the shelves of the popular store, Target. You can now have your kids play popular mobile games in a more traditional way than having them lost in the world of smartphones and/or tablets. Playing any game the physical way rather than through apps has its own old world charm and it does give a much needed break to eyes that are strained beyond limits with viewing device screens during the most part of the day. One great example of a popular game going the traditional way is Rovio’s Angry Birds. Two such games available in Target stores are Angry Birds Knock on Woods and Angry Birds Space, which truly transport you back in time to your childhood days when it was normal to carry around a slingshot.
One of the most popular games in the Angry Bird series, Angry Birds Star Wars, has stormed itself to numero uno position in app stores and it now has a physical version as well which you can think of gifting kids. The same goes for the Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star Game, which is available in physical form with a cute set of toys that the kids will love to play with. Another great mobile game, Cut the Rope, is also available from Target.
How about an idol that talks? This is what you get with Temple Run Card Game, which has appeared in the physical version as well. It is not that the kids get the much-needed exercise playing the physical version of this game, however, the least it does is to wean them away from the electronic devices they are so accustomed and even addicted to. Disney's game Where's My Water is another favorite that is already making its way into the physical version market. Will most popular apps soon be available in new formats? How well app addicts accept this is something that one needs to wait and see. One thing is for sure though, all these gaming companies are now trying to capitalize the success of their popular apps by making them available through physical form. In case he missed them this year, Santa can add these gifts in his bag for the next Christmas season and with these physical games he can give kids a much needed break to interact with their siblings and cousins. Don't you think so? Related Posts |
| Senator asks FAA to reform rules on using devices Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:32 AM PST
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill is on your side. Recently, Sen. McCaskill wrote a letter to the FAA asking that travelers be able to use their electronic devices in-flight, and for the duration of the flight. Currently, concerns over any device that emits a radio frequency prohibit us from using our gadgets during take-off or landing sequences. Calling the current rules “inconvenient to travelers,” Sen. McCaskill also pointed out that those rules lack a scientific basis. While it may all sound a bit like sour grapes from a traveler who happens to be a senator, Sen. McCaskill sits on a Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation which has oversight on aviation communication policy. An excerpt from her letter to the FAA chief points out that pilots are now allowed to use tablets in lieu of paper flight plans, which causes skepticism amongst travelers:
The full copy of the letter can be found on Senator McCaskill’s website (see Source link below). While the inability to use a smartphone or tablet during a flight is definitely an inconvenience, the FAA is slow to adopt changes to rules. Would you be interested in the ability to use your device for the duration of your flight?
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| HTC Droid DNA vs HTC One X+ [video] Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:08 PM PST
HTC has had some hard times as of late. Once a major player in smartphones, for a while the company seemed to all but disappear, releasing phones that either fell short compared to other devices on the market, or didn't make enough waves to really be talked about. Lately, it seems that HTC is making a major effort to regain the position it once held as a top manufacturer of smartphones, throwing its hat in the ring with both Android and Windows Phone 8. Of course, one look at the name of this site will show which one we're more interested in talking about.
The original HTC One X was well received, but fairly quickly outclassed by higher spec'd devices. Instead of starting from the ground up, HTC smartly upgraded some components, changed the look a bit and released the results as the HTC One X+. It seems that elsewhere within HTC, the idea to build a new flagship from scratch had taken hold, however, as not long after the release of the One X+, the HTC Droid DNA was released. Now we're pitting these two devices against each other to see which one comes out on top. In a hurry? Check out our video review or jump to the conclusion! Build Quality & DesignThe build quality of both phones is generally very good, as it should be for two of HTC's highest-end phones. Despite both the HTC Droid DNA and the HTC One X+ being made of plastic, they feel very solid, while remaining light.
Obviously which look you're going to prefer is very subjective. Personally, I like the red accents on the Droid DNA. I also prefer the feel of the Droid DNA to the One X+, though I find that the haptic feedback on the One X+ feels a little more solid. The button layouts are very similar with the capacitive buttons, volume buttons and headphone jack being located in the same spots. The location of the power button is the main difference, with the HTC Droid DNA placing it in the center of the top of the device, and the One X+ placing it to the right side of the top. The location of the USB port is different as well, with it being located on the bottom of the Droid DNA, and the left side of the One X+. Display
It would be very easy to simply hand victory to the HTC Droid DNA in the display category, thanks to its 1080p resolution and 441 ppi pixel density, and it does best the HTC One X+, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the display on the One X+ is bad. Far from it. While 720p resolution and 321 ppi pixel density might not sound like much compared to the Droid DNA's screen, the One X+ still boasts a fairly nice looking display. Is the Droid DNA's screen better? Yes, but you're not always going to notice this. It depends on what is being rendered on-screen. PerformanceI have stated before that I'm not a big fan of benchmarks, and that I don't use them as a foundation for my thoughts on a device. Still, when trying to spot performance differences between two devices, they do have their use.
In my testing, I found that in nearly every case, the HTC Droid DNA received higher scores than the HTC One X+ in the benchmark tests I used. There were, however a few exceptions. Whenever the tests in question relied more heavily on the GPU than the CPU, the HTC One X+ would often produce higher framerates. Despite the higher clocked processor, the HTC One X+ produced lower scores in CPU-bound tests. When looking at the two devices in use, the two devices are much closer. I never found a situation where one device was significantly faster than the other, though obviously the HTC Droid DNA was incapable of running Tegra-specific games. CameraIf the rear-facing cameras on the HTC Droid DNA and the HTC One X+ aren't identical, they are close enough that they might as well be. Aperture, focal length and megapixel count are all identical, and photos from one device are indistinguishable from those taken on the other device, given that they are of the same subject in the same conditions. This applies to the 1080p video capture as well. As you'll see in the accompanying video further down in the article, it is very difficult to tell which device was used to capture a video. This is a good thing, as the cameras on both phones take very nice photos and videos. Things change when we get to the front-facing cameras. While the 2.1-megapixel camera on the HTC Droid DNA captures 1080p video, the 1.6-megapixel camera on the HTC One X+ is only capable of capturing 720p video. This is a relatively small issue, but still one worth mentioning. BatteryWhile there have been many complaints about the low-capacity battery in the HTC Droid DNA, it isn't too often that we hear the same complaint about the One X+. This is strange as the battery in the One X+ only holds 80 mAh more, at 2,100 mAh to the 2,020 mAh battery in the Droid DNA.
Further, in my testing, I found the battery in the HTC One X+ seemed to drain far more quickly than the HTC Droid DNA. This was especially noticeable when benchmarking the two devices, and in testing the gaming capabilities of both phones. It's very clear that neither of these phones are going to hold up to the 3,000+ mAh batteries found in devices like Samsung's Galaxy Note 2, but it's important to keep in mind that most people don't put as much strain on a battery in daily use as it sees during testing for reviews. I have found that the battery in the HTC Droid DNA fares much better during daily use than it did during testing. VideoConclusionIn a perfect world, it would be nice to see a model of the HTC Droid DNA that had the internal storage and faster GPU of the HTC One X+. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. When choosing between the Droid DNA or the One X+, the deciding factors are likely to be internal storage and screen size, with style coming in at a distant third. In the end, it depends on what is more important to you.
Personally, I lean toward the HTC Droid DNA as I prefer the slightly larger screen, higher resolution and increased pixel density. The better performance doesn't hurt either. That said, I obviously can't speak for everyone, and I'm the type of person that doesn't have much use for a large amount of storage. Given the choice, which of these phones would you choose and why? Let us know in the comments below!          Related Posts |
| China to require real name registration for Internet users Posted: 30 Dec 2012 07:07 PM PST
This issue has been discussed before, and has been considered as an affront to the freedoms that Internet users enjoy. But this is China, and it’s a regime that’s a unique mix of forward-looking innovation and limiting restrictions. The latest issue that Chinese Internet users might need to be concerned about: real name registration. One big issue at the recent International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference was that restrictive governments want tighter control over Internet use and the flow of information. While that particular proposition had been nipped at the bud — thanks to Google and other big companies voicing out their side, not to mention that the U.S. does not want such regulatory moves — Internet freedom is here to stay. That is if you’re not in China. The country, after all, is known for its so-called “Great Firewall of China,” in which access to services that can be used for dissent is blocked. There is no Facebook, Twitter nor YouTube in China, as well as several Google services, although local alternatives thrive because of this very limitation. It’s not the same as the Internet at large, though, where everyone can have a voice without being silenced or censored. Government is planning to mandate that all Internet users register using their real names. Sina Weibo — China’s biggest microblogging service — has been doing this since earlier this year. However, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) has made a proposal that will require anyone who goes online to identify themselves with their real names on an ISP level. It’s not all that bad, at least from the government’s perspective. The provision also plans to combat abuse, such as spam — particularly sending business-related content to email accounts and mobile phones without user consent. The provisions also give users a mechanism for reporting abuse. Also, real name are registered with the ISP, and users can still register anonymous accounts with social networking services and microblogs. Li Fei, director of the committee’s Commission on Legislative affairs assures Chinese Internet users that the identity management “could be conducted backstage,” adding that users can still “use different names when publicizing information.” Chinese bloggers already use code-names and coded messages when posting information online, though. But even with such anonymity, messages and posts can still be traced back to one’s real identity once registration is enforced. There is no word on when this government mandate will take effect. But one thing is for sure: with almost 600 million Internet users in the country, this would be one big task for government and ISPs to handle. And given that a good majority of Chinese Internet users get online through mobile devices, this piece of news should also be relevant to those using smartphones and tablets. Should Chinese Internet users worry? Going beyond regional concerns, should users elsewhere worry that their governments might soon require real-name registration before gaining access to Internet services? To some extent, users in the U.S. already do, for instance — particularly those that go online from mobile data plans with contracts or other post-paid wireline services. Should this be any different? Related Posts |
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