GeekwithEnvy

Richard Vincenti Jr

The Tablet Takeover

by Leave a Comment

We have been taken over! Not by an alien race but a massive movement towards tablet based computing. Tablets are undoubtably becoming the king of the hill and it’s easy to see why. Need proof that tablets are game changers? Windows 8 is a shining example how big these little devices are. What makes them so popular and what will their role become in our lives as technology continues to evolve? WiiU Controller

I have talked to a lot of people, many come from varying backgrounds and from all different age groups and almost all of them own a tablet. The typical scene in today’s modern household consists of a tower style desktop PC collecting dust in the corner of a quiet room, perhaps with a pile of books on it or maybe even some old bills. Next, there’s the tried and true laptop, which is seeing a fair amount of usage despite it starting to show it’s age. Finally, we have the tablet. The tablet PC comes in many different sizes and shapes, some with a logo of fruit on it and others that run software with little green robots firmly in control. These are the devices that are most up-to date and used the most in today’s household.

By analyzing the scenario I just described one could infer that the tablet is on track to replace these other devices, but I would argue (at least for now) that tablets may be taking on a different role. The tablet PC may be better suited as a supplementary device to others, but it will do so while having the added benefit of being able to stand on it’s own. Nintendo’s Wii U is a great example of how tablet technology can merge with others to create a more immersive and rich experience. The Wii U GamePad follows along with the action on the big screen and it feels seamless and engaging. Although you could argue that the Wii U is more of a hybrid, it’s still a tablet at heart.

Nintendo is getting ready to launch it’s new streaming service TVii, which is offering up features that actually resemble a step forward in technology. You will be able to get additional information about what you’re watching on screen, like sports scores and statistics. You will be able to share what you’re watching with friends and family and choose programming right on your tablet device. What about having your interactive programming guide right on your tablet instead of covering up your T.V screen. The possibilities are numerous and we will soon be reaping the benefits.

This idea will translate easily to other devices and you can start to imagine companies like Apple releasing a television product that works perfectly with your iPad. A new version of Apple TV would be pretty slick, but why stop there? The tablet is the swiss army knife of the tech world and it’s only going to get better.

Instagram Selling Your Photos

by Leave a Comment

Everyone seems to be just a little worried about the recent changes to Instagram’s terms of service. One of the concerned users of Instagram included National Geographic, who stated that they will be suspending new posts due to concern with the new terms of service and that they may close their account. So what the heck is all the fuss about?

Terms of service often include language that is difficult to interpret but it would seem that an update to Instagram’s new TOS included some language that involves using your username, location and photos for advertising purposes, and of course without having to tell you or pay you. Here’s the controversial section of the TOS.Instagram logo

“Some or all of the Service may be supported by advertising revenue. To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you. If you are under the age of eighteen (18), or under any other applicable age of majority, you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision (and the use of your name, likeness, username, and/or photos (along with any associated metadata)) on your behalf.”

So, is this actually going to happen? Well, not really. Due to the big reaction to the upcoming changes, Kevin Systrom (co-founder of Instagram) has tried to calm everyone down by telling us that they’re not trying to sell our photos for profit. It would seem that Instagram will still be using our content along side advertisements, which really isn’t all that bad. A free service needs to make money somehow and by selling ads they can use our data to help them figure out what we like and what you and our friends would most likely be interested in. If this all sounds familiar it’s because Facebook does the exact same thing. Also, remember that Facebook and Instagram are family now.

Are you concerned about these changes? You can read the official post about Instagram’s TOS changes on their website.

 

The North Star Closer Than We Thought

by Leave a Comment

Well this is embarrassing, but researchers using Russia’s 6-Meter Telescope have found that the North Star (Polaris) is actually much closer than we had previously thought. Originally it was believed that Polaris was approximately 434 light-years away from Earth but now it is believed that the star is more like 323 light-years away. That’s a big difference!

Polaris

What makes this discovery even more significant is that we have been using our North Star to help us with measuring other distant objects in space, so now we may have to recalculate the actual distances of many other celestial objects. We have long used the North Star to aid in navigation as it never seems to move from it’s position in the sky. The main reason behind Polaris keeping it’s position is that it is aligned with Earth’s North axis.

Get more details on this new discovery at National Geographic News.

StarCraft II Heart of The Swarm Will Help You Play Better

by Leave a Comment

StarCraftII Artwork

There’s a lot going on behind the doors at Blizzard Entertainment and StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm is the main focus as the company gets closer to the game’s launch date of 3/12/2013. During a conversation with PCgamesN, Mike Morhaime mentioned that they are working on a “training area” that will allow players to get better by playing out scenarios against the computer that will teach you how to create and use a few basic builds. The computer will also offer up tips that will help you improve your gameplay. The difficulty will slowly increase as you progress in this new “training mode”.

There are some concerns from the gaming community surrounding the lack of  in-game support for learning how to play in multiplayer matches. Often, players new to playing against real “human” opponents will struggle early on and this has caused many players to become discouraged and to give up playing online altogether. This is obviously not something Blizzard wants happening. Although there has been some improvement with the addition of unranked gameplay, it looks like we will see even further support for the community by introducing this new training mode.

If you fall into this category of new players and you really love the game, don’t give up! There are already a ton of resources out there to help you become a better StarCraft player. One great place to start is by heading to Day[9]TV, a website created by Sean Plott, a professional StarCraft player. He offers up a TON of advice and honestly I can’t think of a better place to get started.

I am always looking for ways to become a better StarCraft player and even if you have a bit of experience already, it would still be nice to run through some type of “training mode”, you never know what you might learn.

Do We Really Need Microsoft Office?

by Leave a Comment

Every time I visit my local computer store and walk past the software section, I ponder whether or not I would benefit from having a copy of Microsoft Office. The product has been around for years and has been extremely useful throughout school. Businesses have relied on MS Office to get their work done as well and no one ever really bothered to ask if it was really necessary. Why would they? It’s just the way things go. If you’re a business or student then having MS Office is just a necessary as a #2 pencil. Open Office Logo

The times have changed though and people are starting to wonder why they keep paying for a product when a free alternative is offering similar quality. OpenOffice is a real contender and it’s getting better. I have been using OpenOffice for years and I don’t even consider using anything else. What makes OpenOffice even more appealing is that it runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. So now you have a free software suite with all of the bells as whistles of MS Office and it runs on all three major platforms. Another plus for OpenOffice is that it also has good library of templates and extensions, and yes you can still get access to clip art as well.

So why bother with Office? Really theres not too much to argue against using OpenOffice, except maybe the fact that you might run into a few problems with users getting used to the new suite. It definitely feels a little different than MS Office and that can make people a little uncomfortable. There is also the issue with the lack of pre-installed templates, this is something that’s easily solved by simply going out and getting them but with MS Office most of the common templates are already available.

Some businesses are not only moving away from Microsoft Office but they are moving away from traditional PC’s. OpenOffice is available on the iPad which is the one mobile device that is gaining a lot of popularity with companies and even has the interest of the government making the switch. Given it’s open source roots, the possibilities for OpenOffice seem endless as it allows the software to be engineered directly for a company’s needs. Add in the benefits of cost savings and it starts to look like a viable solution. OpenOffice is a great software suite and if you haven’t tried it yet I highly recommend you give it a shot. I’m sure you will find that it suits your needs.