Humble Bundle for Android 5 was released today. Head on over to the Humble Bundle website to check it out.

The games included so far in this bundle are as follows:
Beat Hazard Ultra
Dynamite Jack
Solar 2
Night Sky HD
Dungeon Defenders + DLC (beat the average)
Super Hexagon (beat the average)

This week we see two big-name titles being dropped. The first is the highly anticipated third game in the Crysis series, which unless you are playing on a console will be a fun reminder of those PC upgrades you’ve been putting off. The second is the latest installment after 26 years of Metal Gear games. With these and the other games being released this week, you should be busy for a while (at least until next week).

Games listed in alphabetical order. Click the title to investigate.

Crysis 3 by Electronic Arts for 360, PC, PS3 – February 19, 2013
Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi by Aksys for PSP – February 19, 2013
Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear by Mastiff for PC – February 22, 2013
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance by Konami for 360, PS3 – February 19, 2013

Rumors have been flying around the internet since Sony told us all about their big announcement on February 20th. Many sources say it is definitely the PS4, but we are just going to have to find out.

In the mean time, we can take a look at a few leaked images which are supposedly of the new Dualshock 4. Several sources are saying the new controller WILL look similar to the following images. They are reported to be prototypes, but keep in mind the the 20th is probably just the announcement of the PS4, not the release. The final model has plenty of time to be tweaked, changed, and improved.

Found on IGN:

Found on Reddit:

We’ll keep you updated with new information as we find out!

Steam has been beta testing their Linux client for months now, and there is finally an official release of a stable client. Ubuntu users can get it in the download center.

To celebrate the new release, all titles available on the Linux platform are 50-75% off. Windows users get to join in on the party too since the discounts aren’t exclusive to Linux users. Team Fortress 2 players also get a limited edition Tux penguin if they play TF2 on Linux by March 1st.

Download 32-bit
Download 64-bit
Steam Sales

So it’s going to be a slow week. This will give you time to play all those Steam games you bought and have never opened.

Games listed in alphabetical order. Click the title to investigate.

Aliens: Colonial Marines by Sega of America for 360, PS3 – February 12, 2013
Evolution Soccer 2013 by Konami for 3DS – February 15, 2013
Omerta: City of Gangsters by Index Digital Media, Inc for PC – February 12, 2013

So the one game I was looking forward to the most for my increasingly irrelevant Wii U was Rayman Legends. I was so close to getting it, and almost went to slap some money down on a pre-order. Unfortunately, it has been announced that the release date is now September 2013.

Not only has the release date been pushed back, but Rayman’s latest adventure is no longer a Wii U exclusive. Xavier Poix, managing director of Ubisoft’s French studios, said the following in an interview:

When we saw all the comments when we announced the game would be focused on Wii U, all of the people that have both the PlayStation 3 and 360 were really disappointed. So we thought it was making more sense to also bring the game to where it was originally from. That means Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. So we decided to go for a multiplatform launch simultaneously.

Obviously the co-op gameplay involving the Wii U’s gamepad will remain exclusive, but Xbox and PS3 will have co-op similar to Rayman Origins.

It’s a different kind of experience if you have the Wii U. Obviously there will be cooperation on the PS3 and 360, but on the Wii U there is still this magic of having one player that can play on one system with a new experience and the other on the usual game pad. That stays a Wii U exclusive for sure, by definition.

I guess we’ll all have to wait to get our hands on Rayman Legends. Be sure to download the demo from the Wii U eShop to help pass the time.

Source

The moment the Jailbreak community has been waiting for has arrived with the release of the Evasi0n software. The process of jailbreaking your phone has become pretty painless, and if you follow these steps it should be no problem.

If you’d like to start from a fresh install of iOS 6.1 and would like some help, follow these instructions.

1. Download the Evasi0n software from JailbreakNation. It very clearly says “Evasi0n” and provides a link for the Mac and Windows version. Now launch the software, and you’ll see this screen:

2. Connect your iOS device, and Evasi0n will automatically recognize it and let you know if it’s ready to be jailbroken (must be iOS 6.0-6.1).

3. Click the “Jailbreak” button and let the process begin.

4. About halfway through the jailbreak process, Evasi0n will ask you to unlock your phone and open the newly added “Jailbreak” app. Once you have done this the jailbreaking process will resume automatically.

5. Evasi0n will display the following message when it has finished jailbreaking your device:

You can now exit the software. Your phone will reboot a few times as it finishes. Once your phone completes the rebooting process, you are done! Cydia will be installed and your device is now jailbroken! Enjoy!

Maybe your iPhone isn’t performing as well as it used to. Maybe you want a fresh start before installing the latest jailbreak. Maybe you are just a true geek and it brings you pleasure to have a fresh install of ANY operating system. Regardless of your reason, you’re here because you want to know how to recover or reformat your iOS device. Simply follow these steps and you’ll be starting fresh in no time.

We are going to put the iPhone into DFU mode and then recover using iTunes.

1. BACK UP YOUR STUFF! Ok. So maybe you know this one already. We aren’t calling you stupid, but it won’t hurt to remind you. Sure, iCloud backs everything up, but there are things to remember before you start wiping everything. Just because your photos are on the cloud, it doesn’t mean that all of them are there RIGHT NOW. Plus, it never hurts to be thorough. Also remember to back up your notes if you need them (these aren’t backed up by default). Finally, remember to save any information for apps that don’t utilize the cloud.

2. Open iTunes on your computer.

3. Plug your device into your computer and then power it down.

4. Hold the Sleep/Wake Button (top of the phone) and Home button (front of the phone) simultaneously for 10 seconds, then release the Sleep/Wake button. Continue holding the Home button until iTunes gives you a message saying it has discovered a device in recovery mode. The phone’s screen will remain black.

5. To use the latest version of iOS, simply click the Restore button in iTunes. Some users may want to use a different version of iOS. If this is the case, Shift+Click the restore button and browse to the file.

Your iOS device will now begin the process of erasing and restoring the operating system. Enjoy!

If you’d like help jailbreaking your iOS 6.0-6.1 device, follow these instructions.

The news may have came and went, but that’s not stopping us from getting a piece of that Nexus 7 action. The new tablet from Google is boasting some pretty decent specs, and sports an OS that has always intrigued myself (the Vanilla kind). Let me start off with a rundown of specs and then move on to the mushy part where I talk about my feelings.

The 7-inch Nexus 7 made by Asus has a resolution of 1280 x 800 (216PPI). The screen has a protective Corning Glass coating (Gorilla Glass), and provides a sharp picture according to those who have held it and reviewed it in person. Inside the Nexus 7 you’ll find a quad-core 1.15GHZ Tegra-3 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a choice between 8 or 16GB of on-board storage. If you wanted more, here it is: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, NFC, gyroscope, compass, and accelerometer. The front facing camera is a decent 1.2 MP. The Nexus 7 sports speakers, and a pair of microphones.

The Nexus 7 will come pre-loaded with Jellybean — Google’s latest version of Android. You won’t notice a huge change immediately, because the visual appearance is nearly the same from what we’ve seen. However, you will notice more refinement on certain aspects. People are calling this thing “smooth”.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire was the talk of the town earlier this year, but it’s time to let someone else shine. We think it’s safe to say that Amazon won’t have anything to worry about, but the techies out there will most likely have each of these in their homes.

Tell us what you think. Are you getting a Nexus 7?

Alienware is giving away keys for the closed beta of Krater. At the time of this post, there were still 3000 left, so head on over and get yours before they’re gone! Click Here to get a key (requires registration).

Game description from Alienware’s website:
Core mechanics include:
- Extensive crafting (craft unique abilities, weapons and items)
- Character persistence where both injuries and experience work in conjunction to evolve your team over time.
- Simultaneously control a squad of 3 characters chosen from 4 different main classes with a multitude of specializations.
- Prepare your team of Freediggers for the end-game and try to get as deep as you can into the main shaft, a dungeon crawler of massive proportions.
- Singleplayer/multiplayer which blend seamless with each other. Use your progress from the single player campaign in coop missions and the other way around.

You definitely don’t want to miss out. Get your key to be entered into the beta today!

About the Game
Krater takes place in a lush post-apocalyptic game world, a gigantic impact crater where cities and even nations have has been built on the aftermath of a bomb. It is a colorful game exeperince, where genre-typical deserts are replaced by nordic pine forests and red wooden cottages.

Krater Closed Beta Key
Krater Website

This new title in the Mario Tennis lineup looks to add a new “spin” to the game. There are multiple modes that allow you to hone your skills, and what looks like a few new game modes to add to the challenge. You can even practice by playing some old-school Mario with a tennis ball (just watch the video). This game is set to be released on May 30, 2012.

Source
Buy Game

Today, Apple unveiled the new third-generation iPad to consumers world-wide at the same price of $499 for the 16GB model. It will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands starting March 16th — pre-order starts today.

We think you’ll be more than satisfied with the new iPad in terms of hardware features and the new option available in iOS 5.1. Here’s a rundown:

• A5X Processor with quad-core graphics
• 5MP iSight Camera (1080p HD video)
• Retina Display (double the resolution compared to the iPad 2)
• 4G LTE with Verizon Wireless

The A5X has double the processing power of the former A5 chip, and will provide owners an experience that we think will be amazing as usual. Additionally, the long awaited Retina display is finally here — sporting a resolution of 2048×1536.

On a closing note, we think it’s great that Apple is keeping this new iPad at the same price, while offering a substantially better product. Take into consideration there was neither a display or network upgrade between the original iPad and iPad 2. Also, Apple is not calling this the iPad 3, rather, the “New iPad”. Let us know if you’re planning on getting one.

We have seen a few images and some gossip revolving around Assassin’s Creed III, but nothing that seems concrete. Ubisoft decided to get rid of some of the rumors, and give us something real to sink our teeth into.

The official cover art for all three versions of the game were released today. So taking a look at these images, what do we know so far about AC3?

-It’s set during the American Revolution
-We will see three new weapons, which include a tomohawk, a bow and arrows, and a gun.

Keep your eyes peeled for more information on Ubisoft’s latest addition to the Assassin’s Creed line-up.

Guild Wars fans rejoice! If you’ve been looking to get your hands on Guild Wars 2 a bit early, today is your lucky day. ArenaNet has launched a webpage allowing people to sign up for the Guild Wars 2 beta. The page will only be up for 48 hours, and will disappear at 1pm EST on Feburary 24th.

Guild Wars 2 Beta Sign-Up

For all of you who just can’t fit enough bird flinging action in one day, Rovio has good news! They have announced their latest game, and it will indeed be another Angry Birds. This game apparently will be occuring in space, and will be appropriately named “Angry Birds Space.”

The official website suggests a launch date of March 22.

Be sure to check out these sweet deals on some of your favorite SEGA games for your mobile device. Your significant other would be thoroughly impressed if they were to receive the gift of Sonic! Sale prices are good from 2/11 through 2/14.

iOS
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (iPad) – $2.99
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (iPhone) – $1.99
Sonic CD -$2.99
Streets of Rage 2 -$0.99
Streets of Rage 3 – $0.99
Altered Beast -$0.99
Golden Axe 2 -$0.99
Golden Axe 3 -$0.99
Gunstar Hero -$0.99
Virtua Fighter 2 – $0.99
Super Monkey Ball- $0.99
Super Monkey Ball 2 – $0.99
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition – $0.99

Android
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – $1.99
Sonic CD – $2.99

It was announced today that Verizon and Coinstar Inc. (owner of Redbox kiosks) have formed a partnership. It is their goal to bring consumers a simple and affordable way to access the media they’re looking for. This new service would offer instant access to online and mobile content, and immediate access to physical media through kiosks.

The idea behind the partnership can be seen illustrated in the info-graphic released by the companies, below.

The new service is set to be released in the second half of 2012. Verizon will have control over this new venture, taking 65% ownership. More details about the brand and product information will be released in the coming months.

Bob Mudge, President of Verizon Consumer and Mass Business Markets:
“When you consider the core elements the parties bring to this venture – our powerful brands; our national rental kiosk footprint; our anytime, anywhere network presence; and our mutual commitment to customer-focused innovation – it’s clear that Verizon and Redbox are a powerful entertainment team.”

“The joint venture will combine the accessibility and value of Redbox with Verizon’s vision for a borderless lifestyle – where consumers easily accomplish what they want or need to do, on their terms, through the power of the network.”

“Together, we are erasing old technology boundaries, freeing people to spontaneously enjoy the entertainment they want, whenever they choose, using the devices and media they prefer, at home or away.”

Paul Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Coinstar, Inc:
“Consumers rely on Redbox for the latest new release movies at a great value, and our joint venture with Verizon will enable us to bring them even more value by offering expanded content offerings and greater flexibility for how and when they enjoy entertainment.”

“This alliance is the result of a deliberate and strategic process to identify a partner who shares our commitment to delivering innovative solutions to consumers. We look forward to rolling out the shared benefits this venture will bring to consumers, retailers, and shareholders.”

[PR Newswire]

We were fortunate enough to speak with the good people from MultiTouch Ltd. at CES 2012 and discuss their 55″ Interactive display. This product showed some real promise in the business sector for those who could afford the near $20,000 price tag.

To help expand to a new clientele, MultiTouch has just announced their latest offering at the Integrated Systems Europe trade show — the MultiTaction 42″ Display. This product will come in two different models, the MultiTaction Cell 42” Embedded Display which comes with a built in Windows 7 computer, making it a stand alone product ready for deployment. They’ll also be selling the 42″ Stackable Display which supports up to 24 units, allowing the owner to create a gigantic interactive display. These products have the same capabilities as the MultiTaction Cell 55 that we previously wrote about.

Here’s the updated price listings for this product, and all other MultiTouch products.

• MultiTaction Cell 55” Embedded – $22,495
• MultiTaction Cell 55” – $19.950
• MultiTaction Cell 42” Embedded – $16,950
• MultiTaction Cell 42” – $14,950
• MultiTouch Cell 46” Advanced High Brightness – $13,950
• MultiTouch Cell 46” Advanced – $12,950

And if those prices are a bit too much, here’s their refurbished pricing.

• MultiTouch Cell 46” Advanced Refurbished – $6,995
• MultiTouch Cell 46” High Brightness Refurbished – $4,995

 
[MultiTouch]

Fans of the long lived Final Fantasy franchise are busy today. They are hiding in darkly lit man-made caves to provide the optimum gaming experience, while they delve into the latest installment from Square Enix. Final Fantasy XIII-2 for XBox 360 and PS3 is now available at your local retailer for the standard video game price of $59.99.

This game claims to exceed expectations of Final Fantasy fanatics, and will be not only adding on to the old style of awesome, but will also be bringing in some new elements. Players can experience many different events in the story through choosing different paths while playing — similar to the good old Choose Your Adventure books we all know and love. For us geeks, we all love the concept of time travel and in FFXIII-2 you won’t be lacking on that front. Players will be able to travel to locations at different points in time to experience different looking worlds.

The downloadable content may be the game changer, as it will continue to enhance this game over the course of it’s life — instead of just leaving you to chomp at the bit for the next title release date. To start, Square Enix will be offering some downloadable content on February 7th. It will start with Coliseum Battles in which you will be able to battle characters from previous Final Fantasy titles. If and when you defeat them, you’ll be able to recruit them into your party and use them to destroy the evil hoards. The first Coliseum Battles will be “Lightning and Master Sergeant Amodar”.

This is just what’s been announced officially. They have said there will be more to come, including “episodes” that will extend the storyline of some of the key characters in the game. To learn more, check out the video or read the press release.

During our time at CES2012 we saw several cellphone accessories that were great, but many lacked that “wow” effect. Introducing iPowerUP, who was at this year’s CES promoting products that have been in the works for several years. While this was their first year at CES, we don’t think it will be their last. Broadly speaking, iPowerUP’s hardware feels solid and we have very few negatives to share on our review of the PwrVault (iPower Charging Case).

We wont go over each product that iPowerUp offers, but we’d like to tell you about one (you can also check out the review of our other case):

iPower Pro

The iPower Pro was one of the cooler things we saw at CES2012, although, we know we barely saw it all. The Pro is a projector that attaches to your iPhone 4/4S while keeping it contained within a case — yes, it’s pocket friendly. The projector uses TI-DLP optical technology to achieve a resolution of 640×360. The built-in 2200 mAh Li-Polymer battery provides a charge that lasts up to 3 hours. “You mean this thing won’t drain my iPhone’s battery?” Why yes, that’s exactly what we mean kind reader. The projected image can be as large as 60-inches at a distance of up to 9.5FT.

If you were to ask a member of the allGeek team what the one thing they saw the most of at CES 2012 was, the answer would most definitely be “iPhone accessories.”  Apple has created a wonderful piece of technology, and everyone wants in on the profit.  Amongst the sea of cases and mini-speakers, a small company called “iPowerUp” seems to have risen above the rest.

iPowerUp has a full range of products for almost every type of phone.  Cases, batteries, speakers, wireless charging, projectors, and even solar panels are on their resume.  We were very thankful to be gifted a battery-toting PwrVault, so that’s what we’ll be talking about today.

F I R S T   I M P R E S S I O N S
Before you can even get your hands on the PwrVault, the packaging immediately stands out.  This isn’t some bargain case from the gas station, barely held into some plastic shrink-wrap.  This could have come straight from the shelves of an Apple Store.  Once we did get past the packaging, we found a very sleek case neatly organized with a charging cable, manual, screen protector, and a small cleaning cloth.  The PwrVault even came with a slight charge so we could start charging right away.

T H E   P R O S
Power.  Ask the average smartphone user how long their phone lasts.  Most of us don’t even get a full day out of one charge.  Start using your phone a little more (say, during CES) and a few hours pass until you’re on a hunt for an outlet.  Slap this case on your phone and forget about power issues.  From our experience, the PwrVault will charge your phone about 70-80%.  If power consumption is monitored, it’s easy to make your phone last almost twice as long.  There is even a small button on the back that allows you to turn the charging function on and off, so you can manually juice up your phone as you see fit.
Protection.  Our “durability tests” with this case have shown its ability to truly protect your phone.  Through a series of helpful accidents, we all managed to drop our precious iPhones while using this case.  Each time, our phones suffered no damage.  The case covers all the important parts of your device so you can have a little peace of mind while using it.
Style.  The PwrVault comes in a matte black or glossy white finish.  Either way, it matches the iPhone very well.  There are a lot of cases out there that do a great job protecting your phone, but this one does it with a sleek refinement that is hard to find even with official Apple accessories.  Combine that with attention to the small details, such as a chrome button and bright blue LED charge indicator lights, and you’ve got a truly stylish case.
Convenience.  No need to charge your phone and case separately.  Simply plug the case in with your phone inside, and both will charge.  Even if keeping your phone in a case isn’t quite your thing, it’s always convenient to have an extra battery with you.

T H E   C O N S
The case adds a little bulk to the phone, but that’s to be expected with any case.  This one manages to pack a battery and still be small enough to go unnoticed most of the time.
There are a few inconsistencies to be found on the phone and manual which are a bit confusing, but nothing too big.  The back of the phone says the battery is 1700mAh, the inside reads 1650mAh, and the manual claims it is 1680mAh.  We’ve contacted them about this they are already working on it.

The case does not charge the iPhone fully.  Even though the battery in the iPhone is smaller (1420mAh) than the one in the case, it cannot be charged 100%.  We found we could get 70-80% charge when fully draining the case’s battery.  However, if you keep an eye on your power usage it’s very easy to keep your phone charged all day and then some.

F I N A L   T H O U G H T S
There is almost nothing bad about this case.  Any cons we could find are obviously a stretch, and are greatly outweighed by the benefits.   If you are looking for an iPhone case or a secondary battery, this is going to be a great choice.

In the midst of all the CES craziness, came Qualcomm’s 28nm Snapdragon S4 processor. While we knew details well before CES, we know more now. The S4 Snapdragon processor will be among the first 28nm chips to hit the market with a built-in Adreno 225 GPU.

The image shown above is from NenaMark2 where it’s said to be running on a screen resolution of 1024 x 600. For those who don’t know, this resolution is typically found on tablets. The 54.90 score given to the msm8960 is very comparable to the 54.35 that was given to the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, and for good reason – the Galaxy S II is sporting an 800 x 480 resolution.

This is a tiny glimpse of what’s to come for phones in 2012.

via: Nena

The new Google Privacy Policy will go into effect on March 1st, 2012 and the goal is to simplify things for the users. This will be done by combining policies from across Google’s 60 properties into one that is unified and deals with a user’s whole “Google experience”. To sum this up in simple terms, Google will soon be able to treat you as one user across all of their sites.

Many people are in fear that this means Google is now planning to create some diabolical dossier containing all of your most intimate habits. You should definitely know that in actuality, no additional information is being collected than has previously been done. Users who are still concerned should remember — you can always chat “off the record” in Gmail or browse in “incognito mode” while browsing in Chrome to avoid personal information from being recorded.

So if not much is changing in regards to what personal information is being tracked than what’s so scary? Well keep in mind there’s always a financially driven reason for companies to make changes. This allows Google a better opportunity to target specific ads to you, making you more valuable to them — with no option for you to even opt out. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, with better ads users are more likely to find ones that are relevant. This is how Google products remain free, so we should all keep our eyes open to that simple fact. Also, with all data theoretically “stored” in one location, it makes for a single point of entry into all of a user’s data in the event of some hackage.

Personally, I am glad that Google has been up front in letting the public know what is going to be changing. They’ve even been sending out e-mail to inform customers that don’t browse the web much — and with enough time (around 5 weeks) to decide if you want to stay with Google services. Remember, you can always use Yahoo mail, Vimeo, or some other Google alternative and cut them out of the equation entirely. If you want to see exactly what the changes are, just visit Google’s Privacy Policy preview page.

Firmware version 4.0 was recently released for the Playstation 3 system. One of the new features is the “Remote Play” ability for your Playstation Vita. This feature is currently locked, and it is not confirmed when it will be available to gamers. However, YouTube user homer49 has several videos in his channel displaying the Remote Play capabilities.

Apparently he was able to play these games using a firmware hack. The following video is Battlefield 3 single-player being played on the Playstation Vita. Check out homer49′s YouTube Channel for more videos, and even a Remote Play Tutorial.

Motorola’s latest smartphone will be hitting shelves Wednesday January 26th, but it’s not name you haven’t heard of. The Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx is essentially the same design as the RAZR, only slightly thicker. You may be wondering “Why would I want this thicker device as opposed to the super slim RAZR?”, the answer is simple — twice the battery life. The Maxx is sporting a 3300mAh battery as opposed to the 1780mAh battery found in the standard RAZR. Motorola is claiming the increase in battery power will allow users get more usage time, such as:

• 21 hours of continuous talk time
• 7 hours of web surfing
• 15 hours of video watching
• 2 1/2 days of music listening

We can’t verify if those numbers are true, but expect around double the amount of usage you could get out of the RAZR. This phone is still equipped with the same internal components found in the RAZR and measures in at just under 9mm (8.99mm to be exact). To give you a point of reference the original RAZR is sized at 7.1mm and the iPhone 4 is 9.3mm.

This phone will be priced at $299.99 on a two year contract from Verizon Wireless stores and from their website. If you want to know more you can check out this hands on video, read the press release below, or watch this commercial advertisement.

AT&T has just announced their new pricing strategy to deal with ever rising data consumption. They will be increasing the limit on each of their data plans and increasing the cost of each plan by $5 regardless of your selection. If you’re already an AT&T customer, don’t fret because you’ll have the option of keeping your existing plan — though the new one’s actually give you more bang for your buck. Start considering these choices now because as of Sunday, January 22 this will go into effect.

Here’s a breakdown of what new customers (or those looking to upgrade) are going to pay:

• AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20 for 300MB
• AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30 for 3GB
• AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50 for 5GB, with mobile hotspot / tethering

This is in comparison to the “old” plans that are as follows:

• 200MB/month for $15
• 2GB/month for $25
• 4GB/month with tethering for $45

As you can see, it’s not bad. Yes you’ll pay more, but you’ll also get more. This puts their pricing on par with some of Verizon’s offerings, but with a higher data limit. This still doesn’t compare with Sprint’s unlimited plan, so if you’re getting a new device make sure you consider them as an option.

Tablet owners will also have access to the two larger data plans as well as the old 250MB plan:

• 250MB/month for $14.99
• AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB
• AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

[AT&T]

Of all the cool innovative gadgets we saw at this year’s CES there was one that stood out as being the most potentially dangerous. It at the same time registered quite high on the scale of awesomeness. Made by Inventist Inc., this single wheeled electric powered people mover is called the Solowheel. Equipped with two feet stands, the rider “simply” steps on and presses their calves into the padded center of the vehicle and starts leaning. It is equipped with gyroscopic sensors that interpret the rider’s leaning and responds by sending the device moving in that direction (hopefully with you still on it).

Capable of traveling at around 10 miles per hour with a range of between 15-20 miles, this could definitely be considered as a mode of local transportation. If not, it most certainly can be used to have a blast darting around your city and making people stare. Once you’ve exhausted your Solowheel’s lithium ion battery, it will only take you around 2 hours to recharge. If you’re not the type that likes to wait around for a charge you can always ride down a long continuous hill, as the Solowheel will recharge while going downwards — similar to a hybrid car.

As I said in the first sentence, this product is definitely not the safest thing to ride. I can speak first hand on that, since on the first try I crashed softly into a wall. Though you should have no fear (if you wear a helmet and elbow pads), if you decide to shell out the $1795 to purchase one and smash it into oncoming traffic, it does come with a one year warranty. This should be plenty of time for you to master this futuristic craft. If you’d like to buy one they can be found here, or you can go to their website to learn more.

During our time with the Wii U during CES 2012, not many of our questions were answered. It was fun to mess around with the new console, but Nintendo is being fairly secretive with their information. So what does that leave us with? This is what we know so far about the Nintendo Wii U.

The Console:
First of all, Nintendo announced at CES 2012 that there would be big announcements at E3 2012. Keep your eyes and ears open as this event approaches.

Nintendo Wii U Concept Video:

Launches: Between June and December, 2012

Size: Approximately 1.8 inches high, 10.5 inches deep and 6.8 inches long.

New Controller: Approximately 5.3 inches high, 0.9 inches deep (not including buttons and other projections) and 9.0 inches long. The new controller incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9 touch screen and traditional button controls, including two analog Circle Pads. This combination removes the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by creating a second window into the video game world. The rechargeable controller includes a Power button, Home button, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.

Other Controls: Up to four Wii Remote™ (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii™ controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller™, Classic Controller Pro™ and Wii Balance Board™.

Media: A single self-loading media bay will play 12-centimeter proprietary high-density optical discs for the new console, as well as 12-centimeter Wii optical discs.

Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, component, S-video and composite.

Audio Output: Uses AV Multi Out connector. Six-channel PCM linear output through HDMI.

Storage: The console will have internal flash memory, as well as the option to expand its memory using either an SD memory card or an external USB hard disk drive.

CPU: IBM Power®-based multi-core microprocessor.

GPU: AMD Radeon™-based High Definition GPU.

Other: Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.

Confirmed Games:
Check here for a full list of games — This link is for a Wikipedia page that still needs citation.

Hi-Res Nintendo Wii U Pictures:

The allGeek team was privileged enough to get their hands on the unreleased Wii U while at CES. While they weren’t able to release very much information while we were there, it was a lot of fun just to play around with Nintendo’s latest technology.

The first part of the demo consisted of two games. The first was Chase Mii, and the second was Battle Mii. Apparently these games aren’t actually in development, but instead are just something to help them demonstrate how the new console will work. In Chase Mii, one player with the Wii U remote was pitted against users with a WiiMote. The player using the Wii U controller had to hide for about a minute and-a-half while the other players used teamwork to catch them. The play-field was separated into four colored quadrants so locations could easily be called out. The next game, Battle Mii, once again put the player with the Wii U touchscreen remote against the other players. People using WiiMotes were on foot, and the Wii U controller piloted a (very metroid-ish) ship. Basically these demonstrations were to show different ways that game developers could use the new system and controllers.

Next we were shown a video that they claimed was being rendered live. The movie was showing what a Zelda game would look like on the new console. The graphics look far improved from the original Wii console, but seemed short of what current consoles offer currently. Of course, this was just a demo and we will have to wait a bit to see anything concrete.

Finally, we were shown an interactive demo that displayed some capabilities outside of gaming. Up on the screen a video of a car driving down the street was playing, and the same could be seen on the Wii U remote. When moving the remote around, a new view of the city was displayed. You could look all around you, switch to a behind view (it was mentioned this would be useful in racing games), and even zoom for a closer look at your environment.

Nothing seems very concrete about the Wii U at the moment, and we are all left to speculate until more information is released. According to the Nintendo team at CES, there will be “big announcements” at this year’s E3. In the mean time, if you would like to see what we DO know about Nintendo’s new console, click here.

At the 2012 International CES we had a chance to speak with SWITCH Lighting. They are a start-up from Silicon Valley that is working to create a better lighting solution than the age old Edison incandescent and take LED lights to the next level. There are two parts of their design that make them leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. The first is clear when you look at the product — it’s beautiful. They’ve managed to turn an everyday object that would normally be overlooked into something that is a pleasure to view in the on or off position. The second is where the magic happens — the bulb is filled with liquid.

The liquid is a non-toxic, non-conductive, food-grade fluid that is used to cool the LEDs that strangely enough can be found in the beer making process and also in women’s cosmetics. Heat causes the liquid to flow in a circular motion through the bulb and down through the aluminum portion which acts as a sort of radiator in the cooling process. This causes the outside of the bulb to heat to around 85°C which may seem quite hot, but in comparison to an incandescent which heats to almost 160°C it’s actually quite cool. This differs from most LED manufacturers who tout the coolness of the outside of their bulbs as an advantage, when in actuality it keeps the heat closer to the LEDs which in turn hampers light output and longevity. The cooler the LEDs, the more lumens can be produced, the longer the LEDs last, and the fewer LEDs are required to produce the same amount light output. An LED made by another company that produces the same light requires 18 LEDs compared to SWITCH’s light that uses 10, which in the end is simple math — less LEDs = a less expensive bulb.

One additional advantage of this light is it will soon be put to the UL drop test and is expected to pass with flying colors. The UL drop test consists of dropping the bulb 3 times from a height of 3 feet onto a UL specified hardwood floor. I suspect one reason it can pass this test is the thick and durable glass used in the manufacturing process. The SWITCH light glass is between 2.5 and 3mm thick. If you’re wondering how thick a standard incandescent is, it’s a measly .1mm. Just remember that even if it did break there would be no harmful fallout. Other lights such as CFLs or fluorescent bulbs contain harmful mercury that is difficult to dispose of and is hazardous to biological life forms (like us humans).

This company has been hard at work since 2007 testing and retesting their product. In comparison to Edison’s trials of the filament which took around 1,000 tries to perfect, SWITCH tried between 500 and 1,000 different liquids to find the perfect one — and that’s just the liquid. In the end they’ve designed a bulb that may cost a pretty penny (currently around $30 for a 75w equivalent), but will give you 25,000 hours of life and will save you around $150 over the life of the bulb. If you’d like to learn more you can watch the interview below, or just head over to their website.

Fulton Innovation was amongst the exhibitors at this year’s CES, and they were kind enough to offer us a personal tour of their section on the show floor. Their eCoupled technology is similar to the power mats you may be familiar with, but with one key difference; They don’t require physical contact.

The first and most noticeable thing we saw when approaching the Fulton booth was the enthusiastically blinking magazine rack. Upon some further investigation, we found it was performing its job quite perfectly. Our host had teamed up with Time Inc and is working on covers that are more appealing to potential customers. Along with the magazines, an assortment of other products could be seen hanging-out on the shelves. Everything was flashing and blinking, just waiting to picked up and taken home.

After spending a few minutes discussing the possibilities of eCoupled packaging, we moved on to a display of cell phones. We’ve all seen the power mats available for purchase, but these just had an element of refinement not available with a simple mat. The eCoupled technology doesn’t require contacts to physically touch, and this opens up a world of possibilities. First of all, most phones on display weren’t required to be encased in an awkward enclosure. The majority of them simply had a modified back plate. In fact, they even had a phone on display that had the charging feature built right into the battery. We were shown the traditional “mat” charger, but then brought to a table where a phone could charge simply by placing it on the surface. The phone would even charge through a bag or purse. If this wasn’t exciting enough, charging this way won’t interfere with your phone’s NFC capabilities.

Having eCoupled “hot spots” isn’t only about charging phones through your table. They also presented us with a quick demo showing how this could be useful in your home. On display was a wireless blender and pan. Placing the items over the correct spot on the counter supplied instant power. Anyone with even slightly cramped counter space in their home or apartment should be able to see the usefulness here. We were even able to get water to boil in the pan pretty quickly, and the surface of the counter barely changed in temperature.

Last and most definitely not least, we were shown what Fulton Innovation has been working on to help us with our electric cars. A slightly modified Tesla Roadster sat quietly in the corner, softly glowing from the blue ring of light directly below. It was being wirelessly charged from a “hot spot” on the ground. We were informed that even if a driver parked over sixteen inches off center, that it would still be able to be efficiently charged. We even had the privilege of seeing the technology they were working on to allow business owners to bill patrons directly through their phone.

As our tour with Fulton ended, our buzzing excitement for the future of wireless technology did not. We continued talking about different applications for the eCoupled technology for the next few hours, and then sporadically throughout the duration of our trip. The employees and promoters were as nice as they could be, and we are glad we got the chance to meet with them.

Fulton Innovation
eCoupled Homepage
International CES 2012 Coverage

Today I had the chance to spend some time with MultiTouch LTD. at CES 2012 to see their latest offering, the MultiTaction Cell 55″ Embedded display. This device is interactive and allows for an unlimited number of touch inputs and users which enables all those who want to play, the ability to do so simultaneously. Due to the high price of $20,000, it’s no wonder that this big toy is intended for the business professional looking to add a bit of flare to their operation.

This device may seem similar to the Microsoft Surface, however, it features a super thin bezel making it very attractive and also is a modular unit capable of connecting up to 24 Cells to create a much larger interactive space. Jam packed with 32 cameras capable of 200 fps the level of touch response is very high and fluid. Also included in this 8 inch thick display is a full Windows 7 PC with an Intel Core i7 which allows you to use Windows in it’s entirety, or overlay a custom skin or app.

Installments of this product are already in places like the Space Center Houston Visitor Center where guests can interact with high resolution videos and photos of the first space shuttle flight. Other applications for this product are in the hospitality industry. Replace your tables with the MultiTaction Cell 55 and now you’ve got a surface that can display the menu or call over the waiter while showing high def background effects that are all entertaining. You can check out how this works here, where the video displays the install in Tokyo’s Graffiti Bar.

This device also interacts with 2D barcodes that are similar to a QR code. If you have a product or business card that has the 2D barcode, throw it on the screen and the cameras will identify and pull up all the relevant information. You can then interact with the product info by moving, spinning, and zooming.

If you’d like to learn more, just go over to MultiTouch’s website or check out some cool videos at their YouTube channel. We will soon be posting an actual hands on video with the current capabilities and you’ll even get a chance to see this product running on Windows 8.

One of the buzz words around CES this year was “Glasses Free 3D.” Everyone knows that 3D is the latest and greatest technology in the television world, and new innovations are making it cheaper and easier to join in the 3D fun. New products like the Nintendo 3DS are making it more convenient than ever to experience 3D by not even requiring glasses to operate it.

Of course, we weren’t surprised to find glasses-free 3D technology mixed in amongst the booths at this year’s CES. A company called 3D Bee took a few moments to tell us about their spin on the market.

3D Bee offers a product that enhances the TV you already have, instead of requiring you to dish out money for a brand new one with built-in 3D. It essentially grabs the incoming video feed, and then splits it up into two images from slightly different angles in real-time. These images are then overlaid and give a 3D effect.

The technology definitely isn’t perfected, but they had it working well enough that it was impressive. They also offer a model that requires glasses, if you would prefer.

Check out their website for more info.

As the week continues on, we’ve had a chance to see many more innovative gadgets and to talk one on one with company executives to find out what makes their products different. We spoke with Ceton about their product line all the way to their latest and greatest which is code-named the Q. This product is a multimedia hub that can get you away from renting that ugly box the cable company pushes on you. It serves as a media hub for your not only the living room, but the entire house. With the ability to play and record up to six channels, everyone can watch what they want, when they want. Check out the write-up here.

We got a chance to speak with Fulton, a company working on improving wireless power and charging solutions. There were many booths displaying wireless charging for cell phones, but Fulton is working on innovative ways to incorporate wireless power in all of the products we use everyday. Everything from magazines to convertibles was on display, charging and being powered without the use of wires.

Next was MultiTouch, the makers of the MultiTaction Cell 55 which is an interactive display designed for business settings. We have the opportunity to speak with the VP of sales about what makes the Cell different from similar products. There are quite a few key points that make them stand out from the pack and we’ll discuss them all in this podcast.

Other than the multitude of things on the show floor, we spent an hour with the good people from iPowerUp. They showed off some innovations on the concept of iPhone battery cases. That may not sound like a game changer, but when you hear what all their products can do you will jump over to their website and take a hard look. Some things that we didn’t even think were possible, but you’ll have to listen to get some juicy details.

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Ceton, the company originally known for the InfiniTV 4 PCIe and USB is working on two products that are a must-see for any TV lover. Some of the products demoed to us are currently under development, however, expect minimal changes to the hardware and design shown in the pictures provided. The first product codenamed “Q” is a 6 channel multi-tuner HD DVR equipped with Blu-ray and a 2TB drive. External storage is added through USB 2.0, 3.0, and eSATA.

The “Q” software and interface were built to remind you of Windows Media Center as it’s based off Windows Embedded. Every aspect of Windows Media Center is brought to the “Q” along with an additional universal search capability that lets you find media across multiple networks. Licensing and partnerships with some of the companies used for search haven’t been finalized, but we were told to expect upgrades to the software after roll-out.

Ceton Q - Back

Ceton’s “Q” has numerous ways to connect within your home and through mobile devices, which brings us to their next product titled the Ceton Echo. The Echo is a media extender that works with the InfiniTV and “Q” sporting different features depending on the device its paired with. It’s able to pair with an Xbox 360, and any PC with Windows Media Center.

Ceton Echo

Bringing television to different parts of your home has never been easier as Echo works with your existing Windows Media Center setup. You may set items to record, view live cable, access internet media services, and watch all your recorded shows through your main Windows Media Center box or “Q”. Those looking for multi-room functionality will enjoy the “Q” MoCA adapter that utilizes your existing coaxial wires inside your home.

Ceton’s products elminate the need to lease a DVR from your cable provider and offers a rich experience unlike anything we’ve seen. Pricing and release information were not disclosed, but we were told to expect its arrival sometime in 2012 at a price that beats the competition. Upon its release we expect there to be a rich mobile experience and further refinement done to the universal search.

If you just can’t wait until the Kinect officially comes to Windows, you may want to check out Aiken Labs’ new motion technology.

Branded “Immersive Motion”, this accessory allows you to apply motion control to almost any aspect of your computing experience. The booth at CES this year was showcasing the controller’s abilities while playing a custom made game.


The controller consists of two wristsbands and a headband. Head movements register on screen, and the game responded by changing your view as you looked in different directions. Left hand movements controlled your target, while your right hand was for performing actions. The movement seemed a bit jerky, but I only had a few minutes to play around with it.

While talking with Aiken Labs, they said it would also be possible to control your desktop applications with customizable profiles. Almost anything can be operated using motion controls.

Stay tuned for a full review on this product, and be sure to check out the Aiken Labs website.

We here at allGeek are proud to bring you our first podcast from the 2012 International CES. The team’s all here and we’ve seen a lot already, ranging from keynote presentations to product demonstrations and even some unique concept creations. In this first podcast installment we will break down for you the important items and innovations from the first three keynote sessions including Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Intel. You’ll also get some first hand commentary on the most impressive gadgets that are waiting to break into the consumer market in 2012.

Remember to check back soon and often for the ground breaking coverage provided in our posts and our nightly podcasts. Let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see pictures of or have us cover and we will mosey on over to the desired location and do the deed.

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Keynote Write-Ups

• An Overview of the CES 2012 Microsoft Keynote
• Xbox and Kinect during Microsoft’s Opening Keynote
• What to take from the Qualcomm Keynote at the 2012 International CES
• Introducing Nokia’s First 4G LTE Windows Phone – The Lumia 900

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Emerging Markets

Today’s keynote was jam packed full of information ranging from the products that Qualcomm makes, their market share, and future plans of expansion to other countries. Qualcomm shipped over 7 billion chip sets in the last fiscal year, and there’s no sign of this trend slowing down. In 2011, revenue for wireless devices and applications amounted to 1.3 trillion dollars.

Qualcomm wants to expand into emerging markets by lowering the cost of devices. And to achieve this goal, Qualcomm plans to provide reference material to manufacturers who make Android devices. Some might consider this a blueprint to properly merge the hardware with software, which is how it should be.

Future Technology

Qualcomm’s next line of S4 Snapdragon processors will provide the power needed to playback 1080p video, handle augmented reality applications, Dolby digital surround sound 7.1, and 4G LTE. The next generation of Windows will support both ARM and x86 and will use Snapdragon processors for certain hardware. Dr. Paul Jacobs did mention that every single Windows Phone shipped as of today uses the power of Snapdragon, and Nokia stands behind their product — creating a perfect marriage of hardware and software.

The power of wireless technology is undoubtedly growing and changing every day. That means we can provide new services to emerging markets, and educate children who are unable to receive proper schooling. The traditional method of educational infrastructure, medical technology, and our daily lives is ever changing and Qualcomm is here to make it happen.

Videos and more insight into the keynote will be shared during our podcast which is TBA sometime this evening. 

More coverage from the 2012 International CES

Just giving everyone a heads up that we are attending the Qualcomm keynote hosted by Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, CEO. We’ll bring you pictures and insight for what is new and fresh as Qualcomm is a leading designer in CDMA chips and various electronics. It’s safe to say that whatever news comes out of this keynote should be interesting.

More 2012 International CES Coverage Here

Windows Phone

Tonight’s keynote began by demoing features within Windows Phone and focusing on the power it gives consumers. Steve Ballmer made it clear to attendees that phones of today are using the same apps, which means the experience is what it’s all about. Merging experiences between apps and how people really use their devices is key to growing this mobile madness.

Steve was very proud to unveil the HTC Titan 2 and the Nokia Lumia 900. Both of these phones are serious game changers in terms of hardware, and future software abilities. We really feel Microsoft is trying to integrate all of their services together, and we see this clearer after tonight’s keynote.

Windows PCs

Tami Reller took stage this evening and basically re-capped everything that was mentioned at the Build conference of 2011. There weren’t a lot of new things to say about Windows 8, but we did see a couple added features that seemed to mesh the Metro UI and classic Windows look together. One example demoed was the ability to bring a portion of the Metro UI to the side of the screen. This may become useful if you were browsing the web via the Metro browser, and needed to pull info into a Word document.

Xbox Kinect and Xbox 360

While we can’t report any ground-breaking news on the video game console front, we can say that Microsoft is very excited about Kinect and pushing it out to more customers coming this February. They demoed voice recognition features that seemed to be more robust than what was capable before, and we’re excited it’s coming to the PC market in just a few weeks.

Microsoft’s Future

Microsoft’s plan is to continue producing the products that we’ve grown to understand and work with each day. The goal is to take their solid Windows platform and merge it with Metro UI into all their devices and hardware. Steve Ballmer iterated that Windows 8 would work with all Windows 7 PC’s from day one without any hassle, and said that Microsoft would continue developing Metro UI for every aspect of the company. The Windows name is not going anywhere anytime soon, especially with 1.3 billion Windows PC users across the world. Steve’s last words were WINDOWS WINDOWS WINDOWS.

On a final note, Microsoft is releasing Windows Store for all your “Metro” style apps. You will be able to find paid and free apps on the store which is available globally in over 200 languages. Windows 8 provides the flexibility and power needed to use x86 and ARM technology, which means you can expect many apps to surface.

The latest and greatest evolution of the Nokia Windows Phone line of smartphones is now official, and it’s called the Nokia Lumia 900. Very similar in design to the Lumia 800, but with a few key factors that set it apart. First is something many people crave these days, a larger display — a 4.3 inch AMOLED with a resolution of 800 x 480 to be exact. If you’re one that just can’t stop capturing photos of your beautiful face, than the addition of a 1.3MP front facing camera might pique your interest. Here’s a few more photos of this nicely crafted device.

While we don’t yet know for sure when this phone will hit the market or the asking price, here’s some more information that we do know. It will be an AT&T exclusive device that will run on their 4G LTE network, that’s right, it’s an LTE Windows Phone from Nokia. We also know a few of the hardware specifications such as a 1.4GHz Snapdragon single core processor, 512MB of RAM, and an 1,830mAh battery to feed this phone the juice. Color choices will be disappointing as far as having many options, but those you will have are either cyan or matte black. As I imagine most people will want to get all the juicy details, simply click the press release below to find out more.

I must say on a parting note, that after handling the Lumia 800 briefly today and simply experiencing it’s scrolling capabilities that there are smoother phones on the market and I fear that the Lumia 900 may perform the same way.

The Xbox portion of Microsoft’s opening keynote at CES 2012 was not taken lightly. A camera crew was literally up on stage with Craig Davison as he talked about everything Xbox. Nothing ground-breaking was revealed, but Microsoft’s gaming console definitely looks cool.

Before jumping too deep into anything, Microsoft hit us with some fun stats:
-There are over 40 million Xbox Live subscribers.
-Recently the Xbox has been turning more and more into an entertainment device, not just a gaming machine.
-Over 18 million Kinect units have shipped.

Metro UI
Craig first displayed how easy it was to use the new metro update that was recently released for the Xbox. Not only could he control basic functions with voice, but he could search for almost anything. Web searches were done by telling the Xbox to “bing” something, and finding media couldn’t be easier. With one voice command, he found everything related to a particular search. That included games, movies, and other media. He even searched for a particular actor he liked and it provided him with a list of movies and shows.

Media Options
In addition to the improvements on finding the movies you already love, many new improvements have been made on how you find media. Verizon Fios will soon be offering their 26 most popular channels, and Comcast has made an agreement to offer their Xfinity service through the Xbox. There was no word on whether or not this would be extra, or if it would be included with Xbox Live. Craig also displayed how to use the Xbox companion app from your Windows phone to display media on your big screen.

Interactive TV

In my opinion, this was the most interesting thing displayed during the Xbox portion of Microsoft’s keynote. They have partnered with Sesame Street and created the first application of actual interactive television. A person watching the show can use Kinect technology to influence what is happening on screen. They displayed a little girl throwing coconuts back to a puppet who had spilled them. Depending on the strength of the throw, the characters had different reactions. This may just sound like a video game, but if no action is taken the show continues as normal. In another portion, it actually displayed the girl on screen, and put her into the world of sesame street. Her actions influenced the world around her.

Kinect for Windows
Last, but certainly not least, Microsoft announced that Kinect would be coming to Windows in February. Apparently they have partnered with several companies who are already working on Kinect apps.

So nothing blew us out of the water this year, but we still have E3 to look forward to!

2012 International CES Coverage

Many of us were excited by the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but disappointed at the same time at the fact it was only available on Verizon. Today that is no longer true as Sprint has announced the addition of this phone to their line up, making it the first available 4G LTE phone from Sprint. It does have one clear differentiating feature that some will be thrilled over, Google Wallet. This makes perfect sense due to Sprint already having Google Wallet on the Nexus S 4G, and also that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all proponents for the NFC payment system known as ISIS.

However this isn’t the only 4G LTE phone that Sprint is offering — the LG Viper is also on the list. Sporting a 1.2GHz dual core processor, a 5MP rear camera, NFC chip (Google Wallet capable) this phone may not be shattering standards, but it’s by no means a slouch. One potential drawback is the fact that it’s running Android 2.3 and that Sprint’s 4G LTE network is not expected to launch until mid 2012 in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. Hopefully that last part doesn’t sour your opinion, Sprint is trudging along and playing a bit of catch up as they move away from WiMax.

[BGR]

At 6:30PM Steve Ballmer will be kicking off the 2012 International CES and we’ll be there live to cover it. Please check back on this post and stay tuned to our Twitter feed as we live-blog the entire event. You may follow our personal accounts if you’re looking for something a little different and interesting.

Coverage Here

Today we start our coverage of CES 2012 International with two hours of sleep, several Red Bulls, and excitement that will carry us through to the end of the week — at least we hope. Our goal is to shed light on future gadgets and to showcase them in a way that is different from other organizations reporting at CES.

Our crew will share their thoughts and opinions each night via podcast form along with an article detailing what we’ve learned. We have meetings scheduled with companies who produce accessories for electronics, conceptual transportation methods, displays, video games, and pretty much anything gadget related — you know, geek stuff!

If you’d like us to find something while we’re at CES 2012, send us a message through Twitter or Email and we’ll be happy to help! Thanks reader!

In about 48 hours our crew will be reporting live from the 2012 International CES — kicking it off with Steve Ballmer (Microsoft’s CEO). This show is considered by most to be a “game-changer”, because of its size and diversity. We are proud to say that we’ll be there covering some of the hottest products on the planet, and we can’t wait to shed our opinions to you through our nightly podcast and articles. We have many meetings and will be sleep deprived for most of our stay, but we’re geeks and we love this stuff! Keep checking http://ces.allgeek.tv as we update the page with the latest headlines and news.

When many of us think of the perfect Android device, we think of one running the way Google intended. That’s why the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Nexus had so much hype surrounding it, but what if there was a tablet with the same Vanilla version of Ice Cream Sandwich? If the surfacing rumors from DigiTimes can be believed, than that is what is currently in the works. It is believed by some that Google has shared with their supply chain the intent to construct a 7 inch Android tablet running ICS that might hit the market in the next six months. This is also supported by the stories claiming that Eric Schmidt told an Italian publication in December that Google was planning a tablet that could go toe-to-toe with the iPad 2.

The interesting part of this story is the pricing, which is said to be in the ballpark of $199 to $299. If it turns out to indeed perform on par with the iPad 2 and is priced to compete with the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire it could potentially turn the tide of the tablet wars.

Keep in mind DigiTimes is not always the most reliable source, but it would seem to make sense that Google has an in house plan for tablets as they do for phones with the Nexus line. This might coincide with their acquisition of Motorola who then would make the perfect choice for construction of this new device.

So the question of the day — would the availability of a Nexus tablet change your mind when making a tablet purchase? Or would you still opt to purchase an iPad2/3 or go the route of a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire?

[CNET]

Rain Design is a company that started in 2002 with a clear path in mind; Create cool, original and user-friendly products. They have multiple award winning products available, but today we will be talking about the iRest.

F I R S T    I M P R E S S I O N S

It seems as though Rain Design has put some thought into the design of the iRest. It really looks nice sitting with its other half, the iPad, and almost looks as though it could have come packaged with your favorite tablet straight from the factory. Rain Design claims to have Apple design in mind, and I think its easy to see what they mean.

T H E    P R O S
Solid Design. Not only does the iRest look good sitting with your iPad, the design seems to be very sturdy. Thick pads keep it from being uncomfortable, and rubber grips are everywhere to keep both your device and the stand from moving around. The iRest is made with solid materials that don’t look or feel flimsy, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear way to even break this thing.
Ease of Use. Depending on the angle, sometimes using the iPad can be a pain. Typing and viewing can become complicated when trying to use your iPad flat on your lap. The iRest puts your device in a natural position, allowing you to more efficiently type (or fling birds). It can also function as a dock, and allows for a charging cable. It even has a handy spot to store the cable when not using it (at least that’s what I use it for).
Adjustable. The iRest has a torque hinge, allowing you to perfect your viewing angle. There are no pre-set angles, just move your stand to how you want it. You can also remove the back pads, and two rubber feet on the bottom allow you to turn the lap rest into a table rest. The iPad fits snugly either landscape or portrait and is held in place by rubber pads.

T H E    C O N S
Limited Viewing Angle. While the iRest IS very adjustable, sometimes you can’t get it to hit that completely perfect angle. This usually occurs when laying down, or when it is set on a table. Sometimes you need to prop something under the back so that you can see the screen clearly.
Small Front Pad. This one might just be me, but it seemed like sometimes the front pad on the iRest was slipping down through my legs. This only occurred in certain sitting positions, but I would have liked if it were just a bit wider.
Covered Logo. Obviously not a very important con, but a lot of Apple users are pretty proud of their devices (and the amount of money it took to buy them). It would be nice if this stand allowed you to flaunt your style.

F I N A L    T H O U G H T S
You can pick up an iRest from Rain Design’s website for $49.90. I might have dug to find a few things I didn’t like about it, but all-in-all this is a great product. I had never looked into a stand for my iPad before this, but now that I see what I’ve been missing I wish I would have. The iRest makes using your iPad so much more enjoyable, and its quality is hard to beat.

Rain Design Homepage
Buy iRest

Google is apparently starting out the 2012 year strongly by diving right into new patent deals. It appears that what IBM has Google wants, and this time the deal added over 200 patents to their arsenal. This may not seem like a lot considering that during the summer of 2011 Google purchased over 2,000 patents from IBM through two deals each encompassing around 1,000 patents. This time however the goal doesn’t seem to be merely beefing up their portfolio to defend the famously sued Android OS, but to make progressions moving forward.

Most notably important in this bundle is U.S. Patent 7,865,592 which is described as “using semantic networks to develop a social network”. This leads us to believe that Google is planning (when are they not?) to beef up their social platform Google+ and give it an edge over the competition.

One thing that this patent will allow for is the ability to find “experts” or users with common interest in a particular field, even those individuals who have in no way listed their interest in that field. The way this is done is basically through analyzing posts for related content and even through calculating the time users spend writing/reading about that topic. All in all, this means that searching and finding on Google+ will surely get better in the near future, not to mention that Google is clearly serious about playing ball when it comes to the patent wars.

[BBC]

It’s been several months since the release of the Sensation 4G, but it still holds it’s ground as a dependable phone built with high-grade materials. The Sensation 4G is using T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, which made the phone feel much snappier while using data intensive apps for obvious reasons. While this phone slouches on some hardware aspects, it makes up for it in other ways.

First Impressions

Packaging was interesting. It looks like HTC is targeting people who like to dance in clubs, and perhaps those that get their “shuffle” on. Inside the box you’ll find the phone, battery, USB cable, home charger, ear buds w/ multimedia controls and volume adjustment, and optional foam for the ear buds. The usual starter guide and warranty information is included for those who were worried.

I was very impressed with boot speed the first time I powered on the Sensation 4G. Restarting the phone was also as fast. After getting through the usual Android account setup I was greeted by Sense UI 3.0. While I’m not big on all the animations and the added sound effects that the phone ships with out-of-box, I can see how some people might enjoy the added eye-candy.

After primarily using an iPhone for the last six months it was a nice to use something different despite some of the quirkiness of Sense. Make note, you can get rid of the intro animations by removing the stock clock widget. And as always, HTC has done a great job with the dialer app and contacts management, but they really impressed with their keyboard that has built in Swype-like capabilities.

Hardware

The phone itself is very nice to hold on to, and it never felt like it was going to slip out of my hand. This is mainly because of the materials on the backside of the phone that give it  a rubbery feel on the upper and lower portion. The phone was fast enough to keep up with apps and games I used on it, however, scrolling was poor on some third-party apps.

Display

We have a large 4.3″ qHD Super LCD Display sporting a 540×960 resolution. Space between pixels is very minimal, and can’t be seen unless you get up close and personal with the phone. Brightness and color definition were not a problem, but the display did not sport the best viewing angle I’ve seen from other phones. However, the display was fine in direct sunlight, and it responded very well to touch. The size alone made it easy to get used to the keyboard almost immediately, but it required that I use two hands for certain operations.

I think most people will be impressed with this screen, although, the geeks will always pick out it’s short comings. One feature that most will overlook is the slightly concave design, and the Gorilla Glass — who needs a screen protector?

Buttons and Ports

All of the buttons feel extremely solid, especially the power button which will probably be used the most. The capacitive touch buttons are accurate, and are placed where I feel it makes most sense out of all the other manufacturers. The volume switch is a rocker, which I think fits well with the design of this phone. The headphone jack and charging port were both sturdy, but I was disappointed with the placement of the charging port as I’m left-handed.

Camera

HTC has always had an awesome camera app that sports an easy way to zoom and switch between flash settings. I enjoyed the built-in effects that can be applied on-the-fly. The picture quality was decent, but looks grainy in low-light situations —  which most phones still suffer from. Speed was very impressive between shots, and I think 8-megapixels will suit most people just fine. On a parting note, I thought it did very well with nighttime shots considering that it has a dual-flash.

The front-facing camera seemed like an after thought and wouldn’t do well in most indoor situations, however, how many times have you actually used that thing?

Sensation 4G Photos

iPhone 4 Photos

Speed and Performance

Processor and Memory

Inside the Sensation 4G you’ll find a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz processor that works very well with Android Gingerbread 2.3.

You’ll also find 768MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage with 1GB being user addressable. The phones comes with an 8GB microSD card, which can easily be swapped out for something larger.

The video playback was flawless on HD video as it should be, because the processor was built to handle video playback over HDMI and DLNA. There were points that the phone would stutter, but that was mainly inside third-party apps (Twitter, Facebook). All the included software seemed to preform well, and shouldn’t leave you feeling disappointed.

Network

The phone works on the GSM/EDGE network over 850/900/1800/1900MHz frequencies and has the additional HSPA+ 1700 MHz AWS Bands, which allows you to take advantage of the “4G” speeds. We were impressed with the average 4.7mbps down and 1.1 mbps up. And I can’t tell you how bad I want this on my iPhone. It was very hard to browse the web over standard 3G after being spoiled with those speeds.

You also have the option to use Bluetooth 3.0 and connect over WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Battery

The HTC Sensation 4G ships with a 1520mAh Li-Ion battery which is replaceable by removing the back. Using the phone through out the day without charging it is definitely possible and only requires that you charge it once a day if you’ve used it heavily. Casual usage will get you close to two days. You can find replacement batteries on Amazon that will give you that extra if you really need it.

Wrap-Up

I think very highly of a device that is able to perform well even though it’s been released several months ago and is now considered outdated by most geeks. Most people that I let play with the Sensation 4G  enjoyed the design and the sleek profile of the device. It really looks very thin while sitting on a flat surface, and it fits great in the hand with that 4.3″ Super LCD display.

There were things that we felt HTC overlooked, but again, this phone was released back in June and has since been replaced with new devices that pack in all the latest features. At some points it felt like I was using WiFi everywhere, which is very impressive considering it’s on 3G but is considered “4G”.

Thanks HTC!