Tony Talks Tech

The Windows Phone 7 can integrate with Xbox Live, Sony is planning a Playstation phone, and the iPhone App store continues to spotlight a variety of entertaining games. It’s clear that the mobile gaming industry has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and it’s only expected to grow in the upcoming years. Current estimates expect the industry to bring in over 11 billion by 2015, with over 14 billion spent on in-game virtual goods. This represents an expected shift from the current “pay-per-download” model, which brought in just over 6 billion in 2009. Market research firm Juniper Research pinpoints 2013 as the year when these in-game purchases will exceed download revenues. The shift is expected to come as developers realize that offering games for free is a great way to hook new players, who are then more likely to pay for items within the game itself. A quick wireless internet search on your mobile device will lead to any number of lists of “the best mobile games.” Some good general sites to check out are GameJump.com, EAMobile.com, and GameLoft.com. It’s no wonder that mobile gaming is continuing to grow as an industry. Who doesn’t want something to take their mind off long waits at the airport, in the doctor’s office, or sitting in your living room waiting for your prom date to show up? As more phone developers and companies continue to contribute to this exciting industry, you can bet TonyTalksTech will be keeping an eye out.

As geeks we always try to stay ahead of the tech curve but this can become expensive and lead to mountains of obsolete technologies. So what are the best new technologies coming out on the market and what ones can be left on the shelf? These are a few of the must haves for any geek looking to maintain the edge.

The Kinect is seen as just an accessory for the X-Bow 360 but soon Microsoft is going to release Windows programs that utilize this Read the rest of this entry »

Technology has always played a big role in the personal lives of students, but it has also become the centerpiece of their worlds away from home. The 21st century classroom is meeting the needs of students by teaching through a variety of devices that are students can relate to.

The classroom of the 21st century is virtual. This is the best way to explain the shift from traditional classrooms to electronic technology that is now used for Read the rest of this entry »

As technology advances, it definitely has an effect on the way business is done. Eventually the newest technology becomes ubiquitous. Things like Microsoft Office and the smartphone are prime examples of such technologies that we just can picture working without now. On the horizon are two new technologies that are sure to have an impact on how businesses work.

First there is the iPad. The iPad from Apple is just the highest profile device in a growing field of tablet PCs that are hitting the market and changing the Read the rest of this entry »

As faithful readers of this site know, even blogs that have been dormant for a while can come back to provide you the best in technology, hardware, and industry news. But what happens to sites that are seemingly shut down for no reason? 73,000 blogs are about to find out.Blogetery.com was shut down on July 9, and iPBFree.com disappeared in the next week. No reasons are forthcoming, as everybody who seems to know something claims to be legally restricted from saying anything. However, both sites have released a few details that match up, claiming that the sites are permanently shut down and that they obeyed copyright law.The secrecy and lack of warning for both sites has raised some serious questions, such as to what the nature of the offense could be, and whether due process was followed. Read the rest of this entry »

Although Windows 8 has not yet been officially announced, several sites are reporting details on key features of the operating system. The documents, released in the form of slides marked “Microsoft Confidential,” have not been authenticated by CNET, but do use internal Microsoft vocabulary.Some key new features discussed as possibilities include:

• More secure authentication, with a focus on facial recognition
• Faster start-up times, such that laptops could resume from sleep in under a second
• 3D displays
• Wireless connectivity to TVs
• Compatibility with USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0
• Automatic display readjustment to ambient light
• A possible means of returning a PC to default mode while maintaining all files and settings Read the rest of this entry »

The ability to control your viewing experience via TiVo, pausing, rewinding, and recording at will, has changed the way people watch TV. Developer Rogue Amoeba has now launched an update for Pulsar, the desktop client which interacts with XM and SIRIUS radio. Version 2.0 now allows users to pause, replay, and fast forward radio, even when it is being streamed live.Pulsar is an efficient way for listeners to play satellite radio without using a web browser. Users have access to information on the artist currently playing as well as artwork associated with that station. The new version adds the option to pause as well as skip songs, while also giving users the ability to replay a favorite song. Other options include the ability to easily get more information about a station, and to save favorites. Read the rest of this entry »

As with the recent leak of supposed Microsoft Windows 8 documents, a new rumor has set the tech world aflame. This time, the subject is Google’s supposed plan to take on Facebook with their own social network, “Google Me.” With recent concerns over Facebook’s privacy settings, and Google’s resources, this rumor could mark a bold new era in the world of social networking.The rumor originated from a tweet by Digg founder Kevin Rose claiming he had a “very credible source” which said Google would launch their “Facebook competitor very soon.” Recent circumstances made the claim suspicious, including the announcement of Facebook’s Open Graph feature, which some see as capable of competing with Google. In addition, Google Buzz, a tool designed for networking and messaging, was integrated into Gmail just months ago. Google also owns a network called Orkut which is gaining popularityin Brazil. Read the rest of this entry »

With all the hysteria surrounding Apple’s new iPhone 4, it’s a good time to look back at the new MacBooks which released in April. These devices offer many new features to users, and revamp a couple of old ones. Here’s the breakdown:

• Faster processing speed coupled with longer life
• Sizes ranging from 13-17 inches, with Core i5 processing chips in the two largest models
• Also in the 15- and 17- inch models, new technology which switches between graphics chips: an energy-efficient one for web surfing and e-mail and a high-performance one for video editing or games
• Snow Leopard OS
• “Inertial scrolling” on the trackpad, allowing users to move easily through large documents and libraries Read the rest of this entry »

Hardware developers have created several alternatives which may soon make the standard means of computer input obsolete. The release of a controller-free video game system in November could turn some of these ideas into reality, and make those options already existing even more popular.The system is Microsoft’s Kinect, a system which relies on cameras to read body movements. This allows players to kick soccer balls, tickle tigers, and more. There is also voice functionality, so that saying the words “play movie” will start whichever film the player has chosen. Read the rest of this entry »