GotchaGear

Mortal Kombat Legacy Part 9 | Game News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The final installment in what was supposed to originally be a 13 episode webseries aired over the weekend.

Episode 9 focuses on the story of Cyrax and Sektor, and how they came to be the robotic cyborgs they are. Like the other videos in this series, Part 9 serves to enlighten audiences on previously established storylines, albeit in a real world way. This episode doesn't tie in to the others in the series, and falls short of what one would expect a finale to be. In fact, it airs very similar to the others which have come before it, tied to nothing and acts only as a CGI vision of the Mortal Kombat world. While visually it's cool to see these two robotic beings battle, one has to ask whether or not it was worth your time in the first place.

So, after all weeks of Mortal Kombat content, the series has finall wrapped. Was it worth the hype? Did it live up to the expectations set so high by last year's Mortal Kombat Rebirth?

Sadly, we'd have to say no. What was so cool and original in the trailer for Rebirth last year never saw the light of day with this webseries. Fans of the genre were impressed by what director Kevin Tancharoen can do with the game's history, but these episodes have proven to do very little in terms of reigniting the series in cinema. Instead, they feel mostly like a video-game tie in. While that may be fine for many fans, one has to ask if that's what was originally advertised.

In the end, these webseries episodes stand on their own, and surely viewers will find plenty throughout the nine episodes to enjoy. Our favorite still falls with the Kato vs Jax episode, as it was simply covered in awesome-sauce. Everything after that seemed dull in comparison.

To watch Episode 9, just click below.

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LA Noire Review
Google Wallet Goes Live

Apple Settles White iPhone Lawsuit

Amazon Free App of the Day | Folder Organizer

Lee C. Jaster, GotchaMovies — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Everyday the Amazon App Store puts one app on sale for 24 hours.

To help you keep up with this everyday, you can check out a brief review and overview right here on GotchaGear.com.

Make sure to check out the Amazon Free App of the Day List, which will allow you to quickly scroll and look at every single app we've taken a look at from Amazon.

Enjoy today's free app, and remember to download and give it a try!

July 19, 2011's Amazon Free App | Folder Organizer

Overview

Website: http://www.folderorganizer.net/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FolderOrganizer

Group items according to labels and create fully customizable folders and widgets. You can organize apps, bookmarks, contacts and shortcuts.

+ Change folder icon, icon pack support
+ Sort folder items any way you like
+ Make app shortcuts with custom icons and names
+ IconFinder support: search for new icons on the web
+ Put items in notification bar
+ Scrollable widgets

Review

Right off the bat, it's obvious that Folder Organizer is a powerful tool.

For those of you who don't enjoy the basic Android folder options, or the look of a UI like HTC Sense, then Folder Organizer may be the app you must have. It's strength is the ability to completely customize the look of app icons. Doing this, along with skinning a scrolling widget (which allows you to effectively allow an obscene number of apps on one screen), can give the effect of a completely homescreen replacement.

Thankfully, the app is extremely accessible. Upon installing, you'll be asked to sync/load your apps, which you can immediately label and set up folders. Once this is done, you've got a customizable and very powerful app that allows more felixibility in look and feel than any homescreen replacement would even allow.

To add to the versatility, you can drop nearly anyting into a folder. Bookmarks, apps, and contacts can all be put together if you'd like, creating the ability to organize in an even more in-depth way. As far as folder organization goes, Folder Organizer gives a flexible, easy to use, in-depth, customizable, and generally wonderful experience that is hardly matched by others out there.

The scrolling widget, along with customizable skins for those widgets and foldrs, makes Folder Organizer one of the best of it's kind of organizing tool for Android.

Getting the non-ad version is a serious plus, so don't miss this opportunity!

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Google+ Review | Computing News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

My time with Google+ has been limited.

Google hasn't begun officially rolling out invites as the social media site is still in its beta stage, but some have learned ways around the limiting options. The invite trick is pretty simple, involves just a little amount of work, and offers those who make the effort an early entry to what is sure to be the next big thing in social media.

For those unaware of exactly what Google+ is, the briefest explanation would be that it is Google's version of Facebook. The question then, of course, is whether or not Google+ will be the 'Facebook killer' much in the same way that Facebook doomed MySpace.

That question, as of yet, is unanswerable.

Last week, Google streamlined their services by adding a few nice touches that actually compliment Google+ well. The first major change that many users noted was the addition of the black line across the top of Google accounts once signed in. These options have been around for awhile now, but the latest addition users with a Google+ account will see is that your name will be displayed on the top left with a + sign next to it. This is your Google+ account and clicking on it will take you straight into the mix.

Upon entering your Google+ page, you'll see a Stream that looks very similar to Facebook's Feed. This is like a newsfeed from your friends, and functions almost like a Facebook 'wall'. The Stream is defined by your Circles, and to go any further we'll have to break down what, exactly, Circles are.

Circles, in my opinion, will be the main reason people switch from using Facebook to Google+. You can create and name a Circle whatever you like, and then you can add anyone to that Circle.

An example here would be a Friends Circle and a Coworkers Circle. Say your best friend Bob has added you on Google+. You can create a Circle of your friends and include Bob in that Circle. Now, whenever you post anything on Google+ you can dictate who has access to see it by defining which Circles can view it. If you want all of your friends to see it, you would add your Friends Circle. Now let's say you've created a Coworker Circle and added Amy to it. You'd rather keep work separate from your personal life, so posting pictures of you, drunk at last weekend's block party, would be set to only be viewed by your Friends Circle rather than you Coworker Circle.

These Circles allow your Google+ account to be as open as you like, all defined by sharing only select aspects of your life with select people.

How frustrating was it when your mother tried to add you as a friend on Facebook, and you had to go back and delete all those embarrassing photos of yourself or face the wrath of questions on why you failed to add her as a friend? Circles fix all that.

Your Stream can be customized by your Circles as well for viewing options. By this I mean you can click on individual Circles to change the view of your Stream to see only posts by users from that Circle.

Right now, Circles seem a bit limited because of so few users with Google+ accounts. It's clear that Google has the right idea in mind when it comes to these Circles, and once more people have Google+ accounts their usefulness will be obvious.

Your Google+ account also comes complete with a Profile page, in which you can add and edit all sorts of fun personal things about yourself. Your Profile page keeps track of all posts by you, your About page, your Videos, and your Buzz page (who's still using this?). The About page has cute additions, like the 'Bragging Rights' section in which you can post fun facts about yourself. There's an occupation setting, as well as an employment and education form. What I particularly liked was the 'Places Lived' form, which lets you use Google Maps to implement your previous addresses, (city/state). You can include any personal information you want here, like phone and address information.

But what really stands out about your Profile page is the ability to set it viewable to certain Circles. This limiting factor in privacy really stands out, and the ability to hide your information from friends and other people you've added seems like a genius move on Google's part.

There's also a snazzy Photos page, which houses all photos you've added and then ones your friends have as well. You can browse these pretty easily and the way Google displays them looks great.

There are two areas in which Google has taken popular ideas off of Facebook and converted them into their own form in Google+. One such area is +1's, which are essentially Google's version of 'Like.' These +1's allow any of your users to basically 'upvote' your post and draw attention to them. You can track all of your +1's, but I saw no other real use here outside of just replacing the Facebook 'Like' button.

Also included here are 'Sparks,' which essentially replace Facebook Pages. You can spark your interest by clicking on things like 'Cycling,' 'Recipes,' and 'Gardening.' I was never a fan of Pages on Facebook, so these Sparks didn't really do much for me. However, I'm sure that adding Sparks to your Google+ account will be a great addition to those who were fans of Pages.

Another thing that will surely be a big draw for many, but isn't really practical at such an early stage, is the Google+ Hangouts. These Hangouts are ways to have group video chats with people in Circles. Many people can be added into the Hangouts, so big group video chats are totally possible. Again, this feature is sure to find a large amount of success once more users sign in to Google+.

The last thing to really discuss is the addition of Google Chat to Google+. The service serves (and even sits) to mimic the Facebook chat option, instead allowing you to chat with any user you have on Google, not just ones with Google+. This seems like a great feature, especially when so many people are still new to Google+.

My time with Google+ has been brief, but only because so few people actually have it right now. I fortunately have eight people active in my circles, but that's mild in comparison to my Facebook account. As such, Google+ isn't serving the purpose of connecting me to a giant, social network, but that is not a knock at the service. Rather, a recognition of the fact that once more people join, there will be many more uses.

If you've received an invite and are on the fence about joining Google+, I can't recommend it enough. It fixes all of the issues and bugs that make Facebook so frustrating, and the privacy options are absolutely fantastic. What's frightening though, is that Google hasn't structured Google+ as a real replacement for Facebook. Rather, they've cloned most Facebook options while adding the genius Circles to the mix. Arguably, if Facebook cloned the Circle option and allowed users to redefine their Friends list based on the inclusion, Google+ wouldn't give users a whole lot of reasons to convert.

The Google+ service has been made available to mobile devices thanks to the new Google+ app, which is currently waiting for approval on the iOS market. It's readily available for Android users.

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users
Seth Gordon Talks WarGames Reboot
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Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

Hulu Bidding War | Mobile News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Three computer giants are all fighting for the video service Hulu. But is that a good thing?

The current speculation and rumor has Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft all in a bidding war over the Hulu service, which recently went up for sale thanks to networks like NBC and others wanting out of the program's ownership. The change will mean a large shake-up, for sure, the result of which depends 100% on who ends up owning it.

If Google were to win the war, would Youtube co-exist with Hulu or would the two form together to be some sort of uber-video sharing service? It would seem that if Google already owns one giant video service, they might not need another. However, Hulu offers up new venues, including services and videon content not readily available on Youtube.

If Microsoft were to win, it would seem reasonable that changes would occur within their Zune department and with their overall hold on all things PC. The computer giant could do some very positive things for the service, but some think it could do more harm than good.

Yahoo seems like the least stable option, as the company has slowly lost its grip on the internet that it used to hold. Though the argument certainly exists that if it were to win the war, good things could be in store for Yahoo's future.

Of course, all of this is speculation and we can't really predict what the outcome of all this will be. Hulu offers a massively different environment than Netflix, though Netflix has seemingly locked down a lot of the online streaming userbase.

Does a major Hulu overhaul need to take place for any of these three companies to truly compete with Netflix?

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users
Seth Gordon Talks WarGames Reboot
New Games on Gamefly

Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

Rybka Banned for Cheating | Gaming News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear\ — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Chess fans rechoice; your computer world champion has just lost its crown.

The computer engine Rybka, created by Vasik Rajlich, has been banned from competition and stripped of its four previous world champion crowns. The International Computer Games Association has determined that Rajlich stole programming code from other designers chess programs in creating his engine.

Rajlich has also been ordered to return all prize money won by his engine's wins. The only confirmed prize money claimed via championships sits at $1,593 for the 2010 win; it's unclear how much was won for 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Rajlich is a master chess level player and refused to take part in the investigation into the program's code.

Other sources note that Rybka has other, non-world champion wins with large sums of prize money won and that it is unclear whether or not the decision to strip the program of titles and reclaim prize money will affect other events. In particular, Rybka won a 2007 match with a prize payout of $15,930 after defeating Jaan Ehlvest.

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users
Seth Gordon Talks WarGames Reboot
New Games on Gamefly

Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

Google+ Opens, then Closes, Invites | Mobile News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

After taunting social media lovers with the prospect of Google+ invites, the search giant closed off invites after just a few hours.

The invites were displayed via a button located on their Google+ stream page, which quickly disappeared after Google announced the demands for the trial service were insanely high.

We brought you word of the new social media attempt by Google last year, and now that Google has pulled back the curtain we've been given a much bigger picture of what Google+ will be like.

To get a better idea of exactly what the service has to offer, click here to take the tour.

Google hasn't yet announced when the trial service will return, or under what circumstances.

Once the trial opens back up, we'll be sure to bring you more information.

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users
Seth Gordon Talks WarGames Reboot
New Games on Gamefly
Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

World of Warcraft free for first 20 Levels | Computing News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

World of Warcraft is now free for the first 20 levels.

This change allows users to take their time to level up, enjoying the experience rather than trying to get the most out of their monthly payments. The change is drastic from the $14.99 monthly fee.

The game used to launch with a 14-day free trial, which has now been replaced with the first 20 levels being free.

There's been many talks that Blizzard is working on another massive multiplayer online role-playing game, and that the company will eventually wean away from the insanely popular online game. Could this be a sign of things to come?

Will this get you to start playing if you haven't yet?

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users
Seth Gordon Talks WarGames Reboot
New Games on Gamefly
Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

PayPal Hits 100 Million Active Users | Computing News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

PayPal President, Scott Thompson, has just announced that the company now has a record 100 million active users.

Going forward, Thompson has also stated he believes there will be no more need for wallets come 2015. To 'put his money where his mouth is' (pun intended), Thompson has created a challenge for five Bay area employees to ditch all forms of payment ouside of digital. If successful, the marketing attempt will surely cause quite the stir. Though it seems hard to believe Thompson would issue such a challenge if it weren't easily accomplished.

Of the active users, Thompson said the following:

"As the trend toward digital currency continues to gain momentum, we are focused on delivering solutions that are not just new and different, but better than what is currently the norm today"

Of the 2015 wallet-less prediction, Thompson said:

"We believe that by 2015 digital currency will be accepted everywhere in the U.S. -– from your local corner store to Walmart. We will no longer need to carry a wallet.”

To read more from Thompson, check out his blog, where these posts originated from. It can be found by clicking here

Duels of the Planeswalkers Review
Gears of War 3 Goes on Tour
Star Wars: The Old Republic Intro
Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

Seth Gordon Talks WarGames | Computing News

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Seth Gordon, director of the documentary King of Kong, has set his sights on a WarGames reboot.

It was announced over the weekend that the director would be helming the project, but now Gordon has spoken out about his vision. He's also let leak a few details about his preparation for the project. Gordon is out promoting his latest effort, Horrible Bosses.

While speaking with Hero Complex, Gordon had the following to say regarding the project:

"A lot of things have changed technologically and geopolitically since the original. It's ripe for an update. It's a more plausible chain of events now than it was back then. The source of an international political threat is no longer a nameless faceless country with a different political system. The world has changed so much that that kind of threat could come from a number of places."

Gordon also claims to be visiting a number of 'hacking conventions' in an effort to beef up his knowledge of the hacker scene. Gordon is obviously very aware of the world in which gamers live, but whether or not he'll be able to unite that understanding with the concept of large-scale computer hacking remains to be seen.

No speculated release date yet for the WarGames reboot.

Duels of the Planeswalkers Review
Gears of War 3 Goes on Tour
Star Wars: The Old Republic Intro
Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

New Games on Gamefly | Sniper & More

Matt Wehner, GotchaGear — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's another slow week for video game releases.

Hitting Gamefly this week is UFC Personal Trainer, another cash-grab at the UFC license. The game promises that you'll train like a UFC Champion, though that seems a bit rough when you're using a video game console from your couch. Fans of UFC might be impressed here, but this seems like a bit of a hard sell.

Hitting both the PS3 and Xbox this week is Sniper: Ghost Warrior. Fans of thought-provoking shooters will want to give it a try, and if it's anything like the original Sniper games back on the original Xbox, it's sure to have a target (pun intended) audience.

The big release this week is on Nintendo's 3DS, with Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. The shooter is pretty mindless, but features a ton of fun in the 3D enviornment. Fans of the franchise and the franchise's shooter modes will certainly want to give this a play-through.

Video Games Releasing This Week

UFC Trainer

Available on: June 28th, 2011.

You may have played games that let you experience what it's like to step into the octagon - here's your chance to experience what it takes to get there! Train like an MMA champion with this interactive fitness challenge that whips you into shape using UFC expertise and the power of Kinect. Perform over 70 of the same exercises used by UFC fighters as you improve your total body strength and conditioning. Target specific muscle groups in 51 exercise routines. Further your fitness objectives by crafting your own workouts and adjusting the intensity to suit your own personal performance.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior

Available on: June 30th, 2011.

You may have played games that let you experience what it's like to step into the octagon - here's your chance to experience what it takes to get there! Train like an MMA champion with this interactive fitness challenge that whips you into shape using UFC expertise and the power of Kinect. Perform over 70 of the same exercises used by UFC fighters as you improve your total body strength and conditioning. Target specific muscle groups in 51 exercise routines. Further your fitness objectives by crafting your own workouts and adjusting the intensity to suit your own personal performance.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Available on: June 28th, 2011.

The idea behind Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is simple. Make a 3D version of one of the most popular modes in the shooter franchise, and make a whole lot of it. The Mercenaries 3D starts with the Mercenaries Missions in the fourth and fifth Resident Evil installments, and adds new mission modes, more classic RE characters, and stereoscopic 3D graphics. Play as Chris and Claire Redfield, Krauser, Hunk, and other franchise favorites. You'll blast as many freakish undead creatures as possible before the clock runs out. Use the 3DS WiFi connection to link up with anyone anywhere in the world for co-op play.

Duels of the Planeswalkers Review
Gears of War 3 Goes on Tour
Star Wars: The Old Republic Intro
Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

The Rocketeer Gets Animated | Computing News