Happy Summer!
Last week, the Midwest Computech blog told you about a new portable 3D game from Nintendo. But, that is something you have to wait until NEXT year to enjoy.
But what can you enjoy now?
Well, the iPad has been the HOTTEST e-reader on the market. This is based on the number of units sold and the number of news stories about the device. The Amazon Kindle has been quietly been selling a ton of units as well. But back at Christmas the hot device that sold out and was back-ordered was the Barnes & Noble Nook. This week, we see the Nook discounted to $149 for a WiFi only model. (On-line ordering seems to be required to get this price, the Midwest Computech Blog staff has not gone to a Barnes & Noble store to confirm this….too busy enjoying Father’s Day and Toy Story 3 this weekend.)
e-Readers like the Kindle, iPad and Nook seem to be the move toward taking over from netbooks as the hot little device. But do not look for netbooks and notebooks of all sizes to go away anytime soon. PC manufacturers are fighting back with more features, faster processors and lower prices. (Some members of the Midwest Computech Blog staff still long for the days of their Commodore 64′s and time in the air conditioning while playing Summer Games by Epyx.) But it appears that more and more colleges and universities are encouraging their students to purchase e-Readers as a means to save money on textbooks. That might be the means to insure the strong future of these devices. It is a well-known technique in marketing to place products in the hands of college students to insure their usage by those same people as they age throughout adulthood. Facebook is a recent example of this technique being highly effective, even IF the product is virtual in nature.
The traditional PC will have a future, but remember how the PC has changed in the last 15 years if you want to understand how the PC could change further over the next 5 years. Yeah, that is not a typo…FIVE years.
And finally, the other portable device that we have grown attached to is the mobile phone. [To be accurate, cellular is a term that is no longer accurate due to the mix of technologies used by the several mobile phone providers. In fact, cellular was out-dated as soon as digital mobile phones hit the market.] The mobile phone is used for calls, texts, photography, scheduling, e-mailing, cyphering without the need to consult Jethro Bodine, selecting programs for your DVR to record and many other things. Windows Mobile 7 will be out later in the year, with it TONS of apps. iPhone 4 comes out this week and MILLIONS of apps already exist for it. Android phones are growing like crazy as well.
But recently an app came out that all of us could do without. Yet, it is highly popular. It is known to exist for both the iPhone AND the Android phones.
The Vuvuzela phone app!
Now, you do not need to watch the FIFA World Cup to be annoyed.
Yeah, there is an app for that.
