Whatever I Want [What the Tech?!]

The best part about being a writer for Fierce and Nerdy is that I can write about whatever I want to write about. And that’s the theme of today’s What the Tech?!

What I Don’t Want to Write About

I bet everyone was expecting a big E3 post this week but really, the thing is, I’m not THAT BIG on video games. Playing them, that is. I am a huge fan of watching the E3 live coverage and seeing what developers are coming up with in the gaming world because I can appreciate the work they’re doing – and who doesn’t like seeing cool new stuff?!

That’s as far as my thinking usually goes, though. It’s not to say I haven’t tried. I’ve bought the consoles, I’ve bought games whose trailers have given me goosebumps, I’ve read the blogs and I’ve tried my darndest to really GET INTO gaming. The thing is that I haven’t yet met a video game which keeps my attention.

What’s weird is that I can sit and watch someone play an RPG with a good storyline for hours, but if the controller’s in my hands, I can only stay engaged until it gets hard. Not to say I’m not a problem solver – I LOVE puzzles.

I realize there might be something wrong with me.

So in total anti-E3 fashion, I’m gonna show you something there I thought was pretty cool. Here it is: The Hyperkin Retron 5. This thing runs on Android and emulates (definition- ‘plays’ the games of through more efficient technology) nine different retro consoles including NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, Super Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color.  

It takes the cartridges of all of these consoles in one nifty little box. It also allows you to use the original controllers for most and post-produces graphics so that they’re HD friendly. The best part – this magical box is set to retail for less than $100.

That’s why I’m declaring this the best thing ever at E3 2013. If you want to read about Xbox One or PS4, head over to my friends at TechCrunch.

 

Something I WANT

It’s hard for me to ever WANT anything because I’m pretty bad at spending money on myself. But man, I saw this leaked this week and I am STOKED.

I was pretty content with my Samsung Galaxy S3 and saw no real need to chase after the S4 despite it’s nifty new features. Then out of nowhere, the Galaxy S4 Zoom was reviewed somewhere in Russia, leaking these photographs.

 

My S3 takes BEAUTIFUL pictures and snaps them faster than I’ve ever seen on a cell phone, but as with any phone ever made, I’ve always wanted more quality out of the digital zoom.

I have no qualms about keeping this beast in my pocket because of its sheer AWESOMENESS. It’s a full featured S4 with a 16MP camera which now has 10x optical zoom. Engadget confirms it also “…includes optical image stabilization and a Xenon flash, along with a special “Zoom Ring.” That ring surrounds the camera, and when twisted (even while on a call), it can launch in-call photo sharing or go straight to other camera modes.

Extra software features are also on hand to take advantage of the combo device’s capabilities including Photo Suggest that shows great pics taken by others in the area, Smart Mode auto settings and more.

Samsung has confirmed we’ll be getting it sometime before Christmas. Hint HINT.

I should note that I’ve always thought it to be a bit awkward when iPhonetographers whipped out their lens attachments, slapped them on their phones and started snapping away at still life or sports or whatever. But I have no issues with the design of the S4 Zoom. I actually also feel that this will become a new trend in smartphones in the next year. Write that down. Cuz I’m right.

If you’d asked me yesterday what excites me most as a smartphone user, I probably wouldn’t have known. But clearly, the way I’m geeking out over here, I guess I dig the photo taking capabilities most of all.

That and the nav. Which brings me to…

 

Something I’m Obligated to Write About Juxtaposed With Something Someone Else Is Obligated To Write About

Google bought very cool navigation app company Waze this week for 1 BEEELYON dollars. I had to mention this in this week’s post so that people don’t think I live under a rock.

Waze is a pretty cool nav app which allows you to report bad traffic and tricky cops with the touch of a button. Its UI is fun and it has some social features which allow you to “connect” with other users if you choose and gives fun positive reinforcement for participating in its many features (aka – “crowdsourcing” aka pressing the button which tells the other users about traffic).

Well it seems to be that crowdsourcing feature and the technology behind it that Google was attempting to snatch right up! Waze will still operate as an entity while Google uses its nerds and software by probably integrating the live traffic reports into Google Maps.

Who really knows how it’s all going to go down, really, but I think it’s very cool that a company whose technology I stand behind has been bought for an obscene amount of money by God. I mean Google.

So while that was happening, apparently MapQuest released a nav app to Windows Phone and everyone at AOL and their crickets partied like it was 1999. If you don’t have one single laugh from me this week on this blog, please, read Jon Fingas’ obligatory post to AOL owned Engadget about AOL owned MapQuest as he attempts to express any form of enthusiasm and then wraps it all up with a disclaimer which basically tells the world he had to write it.

I’m so happy to be a fierce nerd!