ForcaTech Blog

As if society wasn’t lazy enough Hasbro has announced that they will be releasing new varieties of classic board games with an electronic tower that is going to run the game.

The tower will manage aspects of the game such as dice rolls, rent, cash flow, etc. The tower “bathes the board in infrared light, and a camera can see reflectors placed on each game piece.”  The days of dealing out paper money and a banker are gone apparently. Paper money is being replaced by a plastic money card that is automatically reloaded by the tower when you pass go, collect rent from another player, etc.

Monopoly Live will be available this fall for around $50. You can still pick up the classic for around $15 if you are terrified about Sauron’s tower being able to watch your every move don’t want to drop the cash for the electronic version. But just think of all you will be missing. As one of the games designers, Leif Askeland said “The tower never makes a mistake”.

So its almost here. Excited? February 10th fan boys and girls will be rushing to their nearest retailer to pick up their long awaited Verizon iPhone. But should you?

Sure. I guess. There are plenty of reasons why you should and shouldn’t. For those of you coming from an AT&T iPhone 4 you may be disappointed. While Verizons voice and data coverage is much better their 3G speeds are lacking in comparison to AT&Ts. From my experience I was able to get speeds around 300kbps while indoors with AT&Ts 3G as opposed to around 80kbps with Verizons 3G.

Another down side to the Verizon iPhone is the CDMA network it is on. While using the AT&T flavor of iPhone you can use voice and data simultaneously. Verizons network is limited to either data OR voice until LTE hits later this year however the iPhone 4 isn’t LTE capable.

One other difference while not as big of a deal to me personally is the lack of a SIM card. If you need to swap between handsets you won’t be able to simply swap SIM cards. Instead you will have the pleasure of going into a Verizon store or calling customer service.

On top of all of this the iPhone 4 has been out for 8 months and with Apples yearly release schedule a new flavor of iPhone is bound to be coming out fairly soon. Perhaps an LTE version of iPhone will be release just a few short months after you get locked into another 2 year agreement…

Despite all of this hundreds of thousands of you will be picking up your modern, shiny iPhone 4 thanks to the marketing genius that Apple is and Verizons iPhone pre-orders have been sold out for a while.

Of course there are arguments in favor of getting the iPhone with Verizon. For starters there are those of you bound to Verizon whether it be from being locked into a family plan, AT&T not having as good of service in your area or various other reasons. For me who is rarely on the phone, always using data and in a good AT&T coverage area the AT&T iPhone is the way to go.

Then again you could always go android, but I will open that can of worms later.

I have stumbled across one of the best gimmicky toys I have ever seen. The gun takes 3 AAA batteries which are used to charge the flying duck. Connect the duck to the controller for a quick 10 second charge and then let the duck loose.

The tricky part is the birds flight time is 30 second–during which time the duck is bobbin’ and weavin’–and you have to get 3 direct hits to bring the duck down in that time. Each time you hit the duck it stutters for a second–dropping altitude–to reveal that you have hit it. After 3 shots the duck is downed–cherish that sweet sweet victory–then do it all again.

At only $29 I may have to give one a try and let you know. [HS]

Today is the day. Windows 7 has been officially released. Did you go out and pick up a computer sporting the new operating system?

It was also a big day for Microsoft in AZ. The first retail Microsoft store was opened in Scottsdale today. As you can see from the photos the store looks pretty impressive and very futuristic but vaguely familiar at the same time. [gizmodo]

I have posted random grumblings and praise of Windows 7 over the past few months as I have used one of the release candidates but Gizmodo has compiled an impressive list of 27 different reviews. For all you could ever want to know about Windows 7:

CNET
“Windows 7 presents a stable platform that can compete comfortably with OS X, while reassuring the world that Microsoft can still turn out a strong, useful operating system.”

PCWorld
“…the final shipping version I test-drove appears to be the worthy successor to Windows XP that Vista never was.”

NYTimes
“[Microsoft's] three-year Windows Vista nightmare is over.”

IT Pro
“Windows 7…is competent and functional due to internal improvements and the user interface is attractive and good for productivity.”

bit-tech
“For want of a better way of describing it, Microsoft has essentially fixed Vista and the result is arguably Microsoft’s best operating system to date.”

Guardian
“Windows 7 is simply the best version of Windows you can get.”

Slate
“Indeed, the new Windows is not only the best operating system that Microsoft has ever produced. It is arguably the fastest, most intuitive, and most useful consumer desktop OS on the market today.”

Maximum PC
“…Windows 7 is unquestionably the best version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released, and is the true successor to Windows XP.”

Tech Radar
“No version of Windows is ever perfect, but Windows 7 really is the best release of Windows yet.”

PC Mag
“It’s far and away the best OS we’ve ever seen from Microsoft.”

Wall Street Journal
“I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft has produced.”

ElectricPig
“With Windows 7, Microsoft wants us to believe that it’s got its OS back on track and for the most part we feel they have.”

Engadget
“Where Vista felt like a sprawling mess, Windows 7 has patched up the holes and feels like a tight, unified mechanism.”

Telegraph
“Windows 7 is the operating system Vista should have been…”

Hexus
“This is the operating system that Windows Vista should have been.”

Digital Trends
“…Microsoft has returned for redemption with Windows 7, otherwise known as “what Vista should have been.”

AP
“Windows 7 [is] a slick, much improved operating system that should go a long way toward erasing the bad impression left by its previous effort, Vista.”

V3
“…Windows 7 is a worthy successor to Windows XP…”

Federal Computer Week
“There is nothing wrong with Windows 7 – and we’ve always thought Vista was a better operating system than its reputation suggested – so if a new system happens to come with it, then you’ll get a fine operating system.”

PC Pro UK
“We like Windows 7 a lot – so much so, that the disappointment that was Windows Vista has already become a distant memory…”

Technodorm
“If you have the money to spend, there is no reason why you shouldn’t upgrade.”

Laptop Mag
“If Vista left you somewhat disillusioned with Windows, we suggest you upgrade to Windows 7.”

Cult of Mac
“I need to go wash my eyes out with bleach.”

The Inquirer
“Windows 7 is as pretty as Apple stuff, just as easy to use, and does not treat you like a moron.”

Computer World
“…it’s finally time to upgrade.”

TechWorld
“Windows 7 feels like an anti-Vista…”

Gizmodo
“…if you’re coming from Windows XP, Windows 7 will totally feel like a revelation from the glossy future. If you’re coming from Vista, you’ll definitely go “Hey, this is much better!” the first time you touch Aero Peek. If you’re coming from a Mac, you’ll—hahahahaha. But seriously, even the Mactards will have to tone down their nasal David Spadian snide, at least a little bit.” [gizmodo]

I will say this; No operating system is going to be as minimalistic as Windows XP however hardware is constantly improving and there aren’t many computers out now that can run Vista or Windows 7. One of the big problems with Vista in my opinion was at that it was so resource intensive that the majority of hardware out at the time struggled to run it. That being said, even on my workstation computer that has no issues running Vista or Windows 7–and maxes out the in OS performance ratings that are useless for the most part–Vista is much more clunky than Windows 7.

It doesn’t end there. Windows 7 is much more user friendly and intuitive and the new taskbar is great once you get used to it.

The battle rages on. Pre just got its WebOS 1.2.1 update. What does this mean? Not much if you don’t use iTunes. If you do, you can sync your pre once again. Hurry and sync it up! Apple is sure to come out with an update in the coming weeks that will once again block it. Then, a few weeks later Palm with come out with WebOS 1.2.2 that will unblock it once again. And so on, forever.

Tired of that lousy Quad-Core PC with 8GB of RAM? You are in luck my friend. SGI now has a personal option for those of you in need of a super computer. As their tag line says they are “making supercomputing personal”.

The Octane 3 is now available starting at the low low price of $7999 (USD). If that isn’t enough machine for you the Octane III can handle up to 80 CPU Cores–EIGHTY!–1TB of RAM! and enough room for ten 2.5″ SATA 2 hard drives.

Well, the device that Sony said would change the way we listen to music forever is here. And is it changing the way we listen to music? Not so much. I am not going to deny the fact that it is pretty awesome but definitely not Earth shattering.

The technology is this. The ear buds use capacitive technology–just like the iPhone and G1–to detect that it is in its ear. To start listening to music shoot these in your ears. When the ear buds hit your capacitive skin they begin playing the music. To pause take one ear out. Pretty cool. [SE]

On Sunday a MQ-9 Reaper drone became self-aware and attempted to wipe out the human race suffered a system malfunction that ended in its swift demise. As the UAV sped towards Afganistan’s airspace the pilots of the heavily armed, un-maned vehicle lost  control.

Almost immediately there was a maned airplane on its six that successfully took out the UAV before it crossed over into Afganistan’s airspace.

These UAVs are programmed to–in the event that they lose contact with the pilots–return to their home base. This is usually what happens but apparently this isn’t the first time that robots have over-ruled their creators a UAV has been intentionally shot down by friendly-fire. How many times does it need to happen before there is cause for concern? [PopSci]

Just as it is every holiday season there are a slew of new games on the horizon. Amongst those is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which you can pre-order now on Amazon. If you go for the Prestige Edition then you will get everything pictured above: the game disc, all the extra, worthless packaging and a more impressive case that you will most likely throw away.

The feature that really sets the prestige edition apart from other games however is the fully functioning night vision goggles. For the rare moments when they aren’t mounted to your own head the game developers have also included a head display to mount them on to really spiff up the place.

Other mentionable games coming out over the next 6 months include Halo 3: ODST, Assassins Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, Left 4 Dead 2, BioShock 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction. All of these are available for pre-order on Amazon now. I am sure there are other so let me know what you are excited about seeing this holiday season.

So the question stands–are the night vision goggles worth the extra $90? This is one that I can’t answer for you.

Meet the Toshiba Camileo S20. Capable of full 1080p video recording and only 17mm thick this has got to be the slimmest of its kind.

Only 17 mm thick, the Camileo S20 is one of the slimmest full HD camcorders available. Featuring a 5MP CMOS sensor, the S20 is capable of shooting 1920x1080p high definition images and features 4x digital zoom. With its ultra slim form factor, stylish design and a rotating 3” display, the Camileo S20 is the ultimate camcorder for style conscious consumers and first time users looking for high quality HD images at an affordable price.[Toshiba UK]

How affordable? This is listed on the site for £119.99–just under $200 USD! The bad news? If you stocked up on that good deal you found for VHS cassettes in bulk you are going to be out of luck. This camera is only SDHC memory compatible.

Features:

• Full HD resolution (1920x1080p)
• Super Slim (17mm)
• 4x digital zoom
• 5MP CMOS sensor
• 3″ rotating LCD screen
• HDMI
• YouTube upload function & hot-key
• SDHC compatible

Bear with me here. Yes, the music and AI voice is terrible and makes me feel like I am about to be checked into an alien processing plant for humans after they have taken over our world–but the concept idea is awesome!

We have been blasted with augmented reality programs and concepts but this is a unique idea in comparison to the “find your favorite restaurant” or “see landmarks in the area” programs.

This, if tweaked to be less in your face and obstructive could be a really helpful tool in many work environments. With wireless built into the system you could even receive updates about a certain part of the car having poor compression or getting particularly hot.

Another similar technology that is being worked on is an augmented reality device that fits in a contact lens.

This contact lens contains the circuits, antennas and LED display all in the lens. How does it get power? Wirelessly via RF technology!  They currently have tested it in bunnies to confirm how safe it is and its functionality.

They have a few road blocks that are holding them back before everyone is walking around with this technology–such as the fact that red LEDs are toxic and wouldn’t bode well in your eye–but they are making giant leaps forward. Another hurdle is creating an array of LEDs that will make the image look like it is in front of your face by a foot or so. [IEEE Spectrum]

“It’s the future of gaming.” –  or at least that is what OnLive is hoping for. After seven years in “stealth development” they have now announced their new product. OnLive hopes to bring a new world of  streaming video games to TVs, entry level PCs, and MACs, through the internet.

Interested? OnLive is currently looking for beta testers to stay at home wearing the same raunchy clothes for days without sleeping give their streaming game service a try, and provide them with feedback about the experience. To be apply as a beta tester visit the OnLive site and fill out the form. If you are lucky and are chosen to sit at home and play OnLive while gorging on microwaveable meals and delivery pizza as a beta tester you will get to use their service for free, in exchange for your feedback.

The standard that we have been hearing about for the last 2 years may actually be on its way to the market later this year.

As of yesterday manufacturers can have their products tested and if they receive SuperSpeed USB certification from the USB Implementers Forum they will get the new logo slapped on.

I previously talked about USB 3.0 when I got word of the new Asus P6X58 motherboard that was utilizing USB 3.0 ports. In case you are totally clueless the current standard is USB 2.0 which is rated at 480Mbps while USB 3.0 is rated at 4.8Gbps.

Bluetooth headphones have never been big about looking cool. Not that we are ones to sacrifice cool technology for fashion, but some bluetooth headphones just are not wearable. The Jabra Halo headphone set has made a step in the right direction. These still aren’t going to be something I wear to the gym but they are slightly  ”cooler” than others we have seen.

Just how cool you ask?

You asked.

Rumors are buzzing all around the net about several different pieces of Apple news. One of the more reliable rumors bouncing around is that Apple will be hosting a keynote event for the week of September 7th. At this event the voices rumors say that Apple will be announcing some new products. This would follow the companies habit of releasing new iPods every fall.

The products that are to be announced are the new iPod touches which boast a camera, microphone and versions with 16, 32 and 64GB. These are rumored to be released for $199, $299 and $399.

More rumors include the notorious Apple Tablet that we have been hearing about. But, there are no solid rumors about that so we will just have to see. Hopefully more info will begin to leak out about the Apple Tablet such as what OS it will be running, hardware specs, will it have service through ATT or some other carrier?

An undisclosed source has said the following:

“The device, which I’ve held mock ups of, is going to have a 10 inch screen, and when I saw it looked just like a giant iPhone, with a black back— although that design could change at any time, with the same black resin back, and the familiar home button.”

“But it will come in two editions, one with a webcam and one for educational use.”

“The first prototype was built around the end of 2008. The time to market from first prototype is generally 6-9 months.”

It is unbelievable how fast the price of technology goes down. Four years ago it would be hard to find a 720p projector for around $1,000 and now you can have a 1080p 120″ HD projector screen for under $1,000.

The Optoma HD20 is available to purchase from Amazon now and is suppose to ship within the next few weeks. The HD20 has two HDMI inputs, VGA, component and composite video inputs. It has 1,700 ANSI lumens of brightness with an estimated 4,000 hours of lamp life and can have a screen size up to 300 inches!!!!

Here are the promised videos. PocketNow received one of the highly anticipated Samsung Omnia 2 smartphones. His model is the GSM version which he was able to use here in the US with ATT. He is even able to access 3G and 3G+ at some times.

We still have yet to see a CDMA version and when I spoke to a Verizon rep today he was totally oblivious to what I was talking about when I mentioned the Omnia 2.

The following videos are from the complete review by PocketNow all the way from the unboxing to an indepth view of the phones interface.

Here you go, more videos about the Omnia 2 than you could ever hope for.

It has only been a few days since we  posted some stock pictures and some specs about the Omnia 2. We now have some more info and pictures to share. The coolest update is the Omnia 2 emulator on the Samsung website. Click on the link and check it out. Use your mouse like you would your finger. It is very intuitive for a Windows Mobile 6 overlay.

Videos coming tomorrow! For now you will have to be happy with the pictures below.

Above is a front facing photo of the Omnia from PhoneArena complete with 3.7 inch touchscreen, front facing camera and soft keys.

Here is a picture of the back side of the phone with the 5.0 megapixel camera that is capable of DVD quality video recording.

Here is a comparison of the iTouch placed next to the Omnia 2. The Omnia 2 is slightly larger top to bottom which you will really notice if you are someone who carries their phone in their pocket. For comparisons sake the iPhone 3G measures 4.5″ H x 2.4″ W x 0.48″ D and weighs 4.8 ounces . The Omnia 2 measures 4.65″ H x 2.36 “W x 0.47″ D and weighs 4.34 ounces.

This phone is now coming to GSM carriers as well as Verzion so you ATT and T-Mobile drones users are in luck.

Click on the images below for full sized versions of the Opera web browser in action, the miniUSB and 3.5mm headphone jacks as well as the front facing camera. For a complete review of the GSM model of the Omnia 2 visit PhoneArena.

We all think the same thing as we pull out that digital camera to snap some quick shots, “man, I wish this thing had a projector built in!!” Now all of our hopes and dreams have come true.

Information has leaked about the next line up of Nikon digital cameras. The one that has stood out to us the most is the S1000pj. It comes complete with a built in projector that can push a 40″ image onto any flat surface.

From Nikon Rumors:

“The Coolpix S1000pj is the first digital camera with a built-in projector that lets users project photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size. A handy projector stand is included, as is a remote control that can be used to operate the projector, release the shutter, and more. This model features an effective resolution of 12.1 megapixels and a 5x Zoom-Nikkor lens with 28mm (equivalent) wide-angle coverage, along with a similar image stabilisation system to the Coolpix S640.”

Now this does actually have potential to be really cool. If the quality of the image or video that is projected is high enough it would be worth every penny of the leaked $587 USD.

When the hype was building up before the release of the Pre one of the big things that people were excited about was the ability to sync the palm with iTunes.

iTunes threatened casually mentioned in a press conference that in future updates iTunes  “may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players” [Businessweek].

In the first half of this month iTunes 8.2.1 was released which broke syncing with the Pre. Since there were no exceptional features in 8.2.1–other than blocking Pre syncing–most users just dealt with it by not upgrading.

Now Palm has struck back with WebOS update 1.1 which once again allows you to sync the Pre. There are some other nice features like being able to set ‘person reminders’ for each individual person in your contacts but the iTunes syncing is the big news this update. From the Palm Blog:

“That’s right — you once again can have
seamless access to your music,
photos and videos from the current
version of iTunes (8.2.1).”