Computer Overhauls

Even With Discounts, Vita Prices Still Questionable.

With the arrival of the PlayStation Vita coming in just a couple weeks, more and more details are arriving about the device, and more importantly, it's pricing.  Vita, the successor to the PlayStation Portable is due out in North America on February 22 for $249 ($299 with 3G.)

Initial complaints were over the needed memory cards for the device.  They're Vita specific and add on to the initial cost of the device.  The handheld, plus memory card is already potentially $350, and that's without any games. For comparison, you can now get a PS3 with games included for less than that.  But Sony assured fans that members of PlayStation Plus, their paid online service, would get discounts.  The Vita will offer full games for sale in retail stores, as well as being able to download directly to the device.  Vita had promised cheaper prices for the downloads, and a discount for Plus members.  

Droid RAZR MAXX Ups the Battery Life, Yet Costs The Same?

Before the iPhone, the only cellphone people knew by name was the RAZR.  Back in the early '00s, the RAZR was THE phone to have.  At the time, it was thin and sexy.  Now, not so much. But a few months ago, it rose from it's ashes with a new look and Android OS.  The interest was still there, and it's been selling fairly well. Now, the RAZR MAXX has debuted.  It's battery life is significantly better. And it costs the same. 

So if you paid $300 two months ago for the RAZR, and you're now seeing people pay the same amount for a better RAZR, you'd probably be a little mad.  It's a shame Motorola couldn't just delay a few months and release the MAXX as the standard RAZR.  The way the technology takes time to develop, they knew it was coming.  Or at least, charge more the MAXX.  At the same price point, it's definitely not going over well with early adopters. 

Nintendo recently had a similar issue by greatly slashing the price of the 3DS just a few months after it debuted.  When early adopters felt wronged, Nintendo made it up to them with 20 free downloadable titles.  Granted, this is business, and Nintendo didn't owe the early adopters anything.  But by reaching out and offering a compensation of sorts, they eased the anger of their fans, and perhaps kept that customer in the long run.  Motorola may or may not do something similar, but they're definitely feeling the heat now. 

Apple Attempting to Redefine Textbooks, Self-Publishing.

Just a few hours ago, here in NYC, Apple announced several new applications and services that they believer will revolutionize education. The biggest point they focused on was textbooks.  With a new update to the iBooks app, and a partnership with the world's biggest textbook providers, any iOS device can now download full textbooks with the touch of a button.

Turning iOS Into Your Own Personal Arcade.

Born last year out of an April Fool's Day joke, the iCade is a bluetooth controller for games on iOS that is stored within a minituare arcade cabinet.

iOmega, the company that produces, has just introduced new versions of the popular device at CES. iCade Mobile serves the same purpose as the original, but isn't as bulky. iCade Jr. will provide the same effect for your iPhone or iPhone Touch. iCade Core actually attaches to your phone or iPod to make it into a physical controller.

Few games support the device, so it's little more than a pricey novelty, (the original is $99,) but definitely a conversation starter. 

Stopping SOPA.

A few websites have censored themselves dramatically over the past few weeks, to raise awareness about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA,) a bill currently in the US House of Representatives.  SOPA, while perhaps noble in it's simple name, is a very broad set of rules that govern the internet.  In a nutshell, it grants the US greater and wider power over policing copyright infringement and counterfeit goods. It allows for the government to order ISPs to ban access to sites, foreign or domestic, they deem as infringing,  or offensive. And while processing these allegations and infringements, it provides immunity to the ad and payment networks involved.  They'll stop the site from accepting payments on copyrighted goods, but any money made from ads or transactions, can stay with their respective companies.

Not surprisingly, the biggest backers of the bill are gigantic entertainment names, like the MPAA, RIAA, Viacom, Nike, and others.  Those against, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo!, AOL, eBay, and others are among the most vital names in technology.  The legislation is currently worded very broadly, which opponents say needs to be more precisely defined in order to be effective.  In it's current state, it dangerously impacts free speech by it's vague description.