#(It technically falls under the last category because it's one of his gadgets.)

[futuretiimecat-blog]

•|| ABOUT: MiniDora and its functions.

Mini-Doras (ミニドラ[たち]) are one of the gadgets of Doraemon. They are mini versions of Doraemon with different color variation such as red, green and yellow variations. They can think and feel for themselves, and communicate with Doraemon through the "Mini-Dora" language (consisting of words like “Dorara” and speaking with gibberish accent). They act as helpers for all sorts of tasks, such as repairing the internal mechanism of Doraemon.  (Sourced from Wikipedia.)

Just as I mentioned in this post the MiniDoras were created by the Robot School’s Principal Teraodai to honor Doraemon's service to the Time Patrol in the capture of two highly-wanted criminals (events that took place during the 2112/Origins OVA).  This robots were build soleily to assist Doraemon, although Dorami also owns a MiniDora herself after recovering it from being missdelivered in the time period in which Nobita was already married to Shizuka and had a son (events from the Mini-Dora SOS!! OVA).

Of course, since this gadget was made with that purpose, the MiniDoras all resemble Doraemon’s model, although they come on different colors and on a way smaller scale to the original.  Due to their much smaller size, they have a much simpler hardware and sofware to the point where the MiniDoras have the mentality and basically act like children (being loud and always wanting to play, being unaware of the gravity of the situations around it) when not given proper instructions/being misused.  Their much simpler software also makes them incapable of speaking a language humans can speak, having their own language (similar to dora-like gibberish) only Doraemon and Dorami seem capable of understanding/translate.

Just like Doraemon the MiniDoras also come with a 4D Pocket of their own (although it is not confirmed if it’s a much simplified/limited version of the mentioned or it’s just a smaller-in-size version of the pocket), from which they can pull gadgets from... on a small scale, of course, these are gadgets designed only for the MiniDoras to use.  When given instructions they’re very efficent and know how to administrate their gadgets but when in unexperienced hands the only way of getting a MiniDora to pull out a gadget is via feeding it a dorayaki.

What are its functions though??  As stated, the MiniDoras were created to be Doraemon’s assist robots, but that’s a rather vague statement, here are some things a MiniDora can do when given proper instructions:

MiniDora can pull gadgets from his 4D Pocket just like the robot its based on.  Whenever the situation requires it the MiniDoras can pull and use the right gadgets (like when needing to go somewhere it pulls the Anywhere Door out), the only issue is the small size of the mentioned, often not being helpul unless they are the same size as MiniDora.

The MiniDora is a teamwork robot.  It can be used to pick-up gagdgets and any other items around as long as several MiniDoras are around do the job, just like many other tasks that involve working together as a group.  Whoever, Doraemon doesn’t use the MiniDora for this means, but a fellow classmate of his, Dorarinho (who owns 11 MiniDoras that look like him and that he uses to play soccer with, and seems to be the only other robot who uses MiniDoras).

The MiniDoras can keep track of Doraemon’s status.  Due to sharing models with the mentioned, the MiniDoras are also connected to Doraemon, capable of monitoring his status no matter the distance.  This is seen in Nobita’s Escape From Robot Court in which MiniDora was used to keep track and inform everyone of Doraemon’s situation at the robot hospital after falling critically ill and going under reparations.

The MiniDoras can also assist Doraemon with his own reparations.  Not only they can keep track of his health but can also be used to assist others into repairing Doraemon’s internal components.  They have Doraemon’s internal map in their memories for easy and fast navigation during critical moments (like in Doraemon is Really Sick?, I apologize for not owning the sub. english ver of some of these episodes, RIP, I work with what I have got).

The MiniDoras’ sole purpose is to help Doraemon in whatever, no matter what it is.  They can do hard-labour, they can help and protect others with their own bodies, assist with mundane and even medical-related tasks.  When used properly these gadgets are extremely useful but it is easier to misuse a MiniDora if you don’t know what do you want it for, or if you don’t know how does it work.  Use a MiniDora wisely and you will have a very valuable ally.

[thenonbinarydetective]

The Flying Saucer Mystery

Hey do you like camping? Do you like aliens? Do you like treasure hunts? If you said yes to all three than this might be the game for you! @nancydrewnetwork

Inspired by The Flying Saucer Mystery(duh)

Mystery

Nancy and her friend’s all-expenses paid(by Carson Drew) camping trip is quickly derailed by rumors of strange encounters and long-lost treasure hidden deep in the Shawnee National Forest. Hopefully Nancy can solve the case before she gets abducted (and maybe she can have a fun vacation for once).

Friends

Ned Nickerson: Nancy’s boyfriend. Chemical Engineering major and star athlete at Emerson. This time he gets to help in person. His experience as a camp counselor and first aid will come in handy.

Bess Marvin: Longtime best friend and always reliable. She’s good at keeping the campers happy in tough times and knows more cutesy camp recipes than Pinterest. Actually, she might’ve stolen them all from Pinterest.

George Fayne: Other longtime best friend and outdoors enthusiast. She’s a useful friend to have both on the trail and for when your gadgets fail on you and you don’t know why. 

Burt Eddleton: Best friend of Ned. Biology major at Emerson who seemingly can’t choose what to focus on exactly. He knows a lot about both wildlife and plants. Pretty good athlete and pretty chill dude. Kind of a Himbo. Proud duck Dad (Don’t worry Sparkles is with a chickensitter).

Dave Evans: Other best friend of Ned. Archaeology major at Emerson. He knows a lot about artifacts or at least he’s mostly talking about artifacts because Bess gets freaked out by the skeletal side of his interests. Pretty chill guy also might play Wonderwall if presented with a guitar.

Suspects

Blake Wilkinson: Co-owner and head guide of Happy Trails Camping Company. She’s the trail guide helping the group get through this vacation. She seems nice enough but she is way too serious about her job. Well maybe not too serious. How else can you explain the buyout offer she’s hiding from Amani? What else could she be hiding?

Amani Wilkinson: Blake’s wife and other co-owner of Happy Trails Camping Company. She prefers nature over business. In fact, she doesn’t seem at all interested in the company (Does Blake know?). She’s happy enough to show you around the forest. Hopefully she doesn’t leave you all alone out there. Just kidding, she would never do that. Right?

Shay Hernandez: Assistant trail guide and aspiring park ranger. Or so he says. He claims to be a college student at a local university, but won’t say what his major is. That’s okay, maybe he’s still deciding. However, he talks a lot about science. Not just biology or even ecology like you might expect from someone who spends most of his time in the outdoors. He talks about computer science and robotics too. Is it just the sign of a budding scientific mind? Or is it a sign of something else?

Sonny Joon: Nancy knows Sonny’s here for the aliens, but does she really know him enough to say that’s the only reason why he’s there? Or is she in for another.....adventure with him? I’m sorry Sonny fans but it fits.

Soffi Ziririan: The only one of the campers (besides Sonny) that doesn’t know that much about the area. Again or so she says. She’s an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast. She loves challenging herself with new challenges. Strangely, she didn’t give that much information to Blake or Amani when she signed up for the trip. She might just be a private person because that happens all the time... 

Kole Morse: He’s a local, so it’s strange for him to be going on a guided trail experience. He knows the forest like the back of his hand, so why is he here? He claims it’s just for fun, but no one knows for sure. One thing that is for sure is that Kole is a true environmentalists. He doesn’t believe in the aliens, he thinks all the sightings are fake and going to negatively affect the environment. He not too keen on “people who don’t truly understand the forest” being in the forest. Whatever that means. How far is he willing to go to protect what he refers to as ‘his forest’?

Joseph “Old Joe” Austin: Native American man from the local Shawnee tribe, One of the oldest residents from around Shawnee National Forest. He lives in a cabin with his brother Sam and his dog Trixie. He’s also a shoe-in for the friendliest resident of the forest award. He’s welcoming and kind to all the campers that come through. He says he’s given up on finding his father’s treasure. Or has he?

Samuel “Sam” Austin: Old Joe’s younger brother. Unlike his brother, he’s quiet and likes to keep to himself. Old Joe just says he’s shy. Really, Nancy figures out that he’s deaf. Luckily she remembers a bit of sign language and that online dictionary the Hardy Boys text is a great bonus. He’s actually trying to find his dad’s treasure again. Although he seems innocent enough, Nancy doesn’t know how far he’ll go to get his dad’s treasure.

Phone Friends

Frank and Joe Hardy: They were supposed to go on the trip with the group, but Frank broke his leg during their last mystery so Burt and Dave took their spots. They are super bummed. Luckily Nancy can call them so they can live vicariously through her.

Dagny Silva: There’s treasure, here’s Dagny. Not actually there because she has better more certain treasure to track down, but she owes it to Nancy to occasionally answer her phone.

Ranger Maia Chikovani: A ranger of the national forest, asked Nancy to figure out what’s going on. She believes in aliens, but is a bit more worried about the impact their UFO may have on the environment.

Locations

Forest Trails and Clearing: There pretty straightforward. Trees and plants and stuff. There’s quite a few different locations, but can all be summed up by this title. Nancy has a map to keep track.

River appears next to some of the trail but not all of them.

Old Joe’s Cabin: It’s where he lives with his brother and dog.

Swamp: Where the UFO has been spotted. Coincidentally, the treasure is rumored to be near this location

Treasure’s real location: It’s not actually near the swamp. This location is only revealed after Nancy figures it out.

Time

Day/Night cycle. Time keeps on moving so your week may be more than a week depending on how long it takes for you to solve it.

Transportation

Horseback riding: For longer distances along the trails

Walking: For shorter distances and areas that the horses cannot go. Also for like around the camp and stuff. Nancy’s not riding the horse for a week straight that would just be weird.

Puzzles/Mini Games

Pitching a tent

Fishing

Building a fire

Cooking camp meals

Roasting marshmallows and making the perfect s’more

Mushroom picking: I’m enby I can’t not include mushrooms.

Decoding/Solving the clues Old Joe and Sam’s father left for them: This is a series of different puzzles, all at different times and with different purposes. They all fall under the same category so they’re being lumped. I imagine they would be a mixture of logic and clues that you find about the two brothers and around the forest itself.

Opening the treasure box: Simply one of those weirdly over-complicated puzzle boxes that everyone seems to have. You know the type.

Fixing the radio: The radio gets trashed with the rest of the camp and it’s up to Nancy to fix it

Lockpicking other campers’ locked private possesion: The usual

Flying the Spaceship: After Nancy and Ned get trapped in the spaceship, Nancy needs to figure out how to fly it before they crash!

Alien Dream World: Nancy and Ned are transported to an alien world by the spaceship. It’s so amazing it’s like a dream.

Finding Arrowheads: there’s a few old arrowheads scattered around. They’re old and don’t belong to anyone (at least not anymore). Mostly collected for fun.

Second Chances

Riding your horse into the swamp: Why?

Drown in the swamp: At least the water’s warm....it’s not worth it

Radio explodes: You shouldn’t have connected those wires

Crash the spaceship: Should’ve used the turn signal

Bear attack: like the alien attack but with bears

Alien attack: like the bear attack but with aliens

Setting yourself on fire: Stop, drop, and roll!

Ate the wrong mushroom: you clearly picked a toadstool, not a mushroom. (It’s a joke don’t get technical lol)

Additional Features/Notes

This is only loosely based off Shawnee National Forest. I cannot guarantee the presence of small swamps or aliens. Also the pictures and everything might not be perfectly accurate. It’s just aesthetic, it doesn’t have to take place in Shawnee. I just needed a name. It can change.

Communication is different with Sam than with the other characters due to the fact that he is deaf. He uses sign language (that is automatically translated). Nancy’s speech is silent for his conversations, she’s using sign language too but you can’t see her hands (because you’re not really supposed to talk when you’re using sign language. Also Sam only “speaks” to people who can also use sign language.

Speaking of communication, I know we all like our phone friends, but cell signal is unreliable on this trip. Nancy won’t always be able to get in touch with her contacts so she’ll have to rely on her in-person friends. This time they can be assigned to certain tasks as well as provide hints. Everyone has their own specialized hints that the other characters won’t know a thing about.

Just for the sake of clarification, most people in the area do know about the treasure left by Mr.Austin. Most people don’t believe in it anymore, some believe that it belongs to the brothers (if it does exist), and other think it’s finder’s keepers.

P.S. Sorry for breaking Frank’s leg but Joe gets hurt the twice as much as he does so it’s only fair that he sometimes it’s his fault that they can’t go camping. tbh with their mysteries they camp like once a week, they have nothing to complain about.

(Forest UFO Mini Art Print by vectordreams)

[keenstarlightmusic]

Are Slot Machines A Game Of Skill

Video games and slot machines converge to create a new casino experience

Skill Slot Machines For Sale

Are Slot Machines A Game Of Skill Play

Commonwealth Court in Pennsylvania confirmed that video game machines manufactured and distributed by POM of Pennsylvania are considered “slot machines.” The questionable games, bearing the name ‘Pennsylvania Skill’ are produced by Pace-O-Matic and Savvy Dog Systems.

By Rob Wiser

The impact of video gaming has not been lost on slot manufacturers. It’s impossible not to notice how the machines have shifted towards flashier, arcade-style presentations, with plasma screens, booming speaker systems and sophisticated graphics. With titles such as Star Wars and Top Gun, the experience is practically cinematic

Today’s young adults have grown up with the Internet, gadget-packed cell phones, iPods and other devices that often leave parents scratching their heads. But the high-tech phenomenon that has really exploded with the younger generation is the video game industry. Though video games have been around since the 1970s—whether in the arcades, or played at home on your Atari—their popularity has soared due to blockbuster game titles released for the PlayStation, Xbox, and other state-of-the-art home consoles.

Video games have, in fact, begun to dominate the U.S. entertainment industry, generating nearly $20 billion in sales last year (including playing consoles and accessories). Back in September 2007, the game Halo 3 grossed a staggering $170 million in U.S. sales in its first 24 hours, making it by some reports the largest debut in entertainment history. By comparison, the biggest Hollywood blockbuster that year, Spider-Man 3 generated $151 million over its opening weekend.

Skill Slot Machines For Sale

The impact of video gaming has not been lost on slot manufacturers. It’s impossible not to notice how the machines have shifted towards flashier, arcade-style presentations, with plasma screens, booming speaker systems and sophisticated graphics. With titles such as Star Wars and Top Gun, the experience is practically cinematic—and the action goes far beyond tapping a button and watching the reels spin.

Targeting the Next Generation

Casino guests are getting younger. In Las Vegas, ultra-hip nightclubs draw thousands of young people to the Strip every weekend—and they travel with plenty of disposable income. Yet slot floors remain pretty predictable, if only because slot players, who tend to be older, demand a certain level of familiarity. The randomized spin is still the standard game after more than a century. Technology inspires innovation, but underneath it are the same devices we’ve been playing for years.

What will happen as the older generation of players is replaced by younger customers who have different expectations when they spend money on entertainment? Can the allure of a Blazing 7s machine compare to playing Halo on a giant home theatre system? Or can the two be merged?

Behind the scenes, this question is already being addressed. Skill-based (or “fully interactive”) games, which combine the thrill of chasing jackpots with a video game-style experience—in other words, rewarding manual dexterity or mental acuity—are on their way. This defies a long-standing misconception that all slot machines must be games of chance. Most people are under the impression that skill-based video games would not be allowed in a gaming floor.

Early attempts at skill-based slots (the more accurate term is “perceived skill”) have included titles like Battleship from Progressive Games International (formerly Mikohn), which arrived in casinos back in 2000. With this machine, the internal random number generator selected a field of several possible results, and the player used his wits to find the best bonus. As in the famous board game, ships were placed in predetermined locations on a grid, and the player had to find them and sink them to win the bonus amount. In Progressive’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! game, correct answers to multiple-choice trivia questions yielded higher bonuses.

Games like these gave the illusion of being skill-based. The outcomes of the bonuses were predetermined, and you had to be lucky to reach the bonus round in the first place, so it wasn’t as if being a trivia wiz or a great board game player guaranteed you a profit.

Amusement game laws vary by jurisdiction, but usually prohibit wagering on the outcome of a game. You feed coins into the machine simply for the experience of playing; if it paid out winnings, it would fall under the category of a gambling device. Slot machines, however, are gambling devices—each state designs its regulations to ensure a fair gamble, and even defines what constitutes a “gambling device.”

Historically, this has meant that slot machines are games of chance, and video games involve skill—but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is illegal to combine the two elements. Most gaming regulators are receptive to slot machines that include a skill component. In Nevada, Gaming Control Board member Mark Clayton remarked that he was “dumbfounded” that manufacturers hadn’t yet presented skill-based video games for consideration, in light of the soaring popularity of home video games. “There is no formal policy that would preclude skill-based games,” he says.

Are Slot Machines A Game Of Skill Play

Fact is, the slot manufacturers have already gotten started. Last year, Bally introduced a slot machine version of the classic Atari game Pong, in which players knock a ball back and forth between two paddles. The casino version plays like a typical slot machine until the player reaches the bonus round. This triggers a 45-second game of Pong, with the player competing against the computer. The amount of the bonus depends on how well you play.

This simple bonus feature, based on the most primitive of video games, is an industry milestone. Pong is the first slot machine that allows hand-eye coordination to affect payout. It was approved by Michigan’s Gaming Control Board and installed in Detroit’s casinos, as well as Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun. Before the Nevada Gaming Commission approved it, they wanted to make sure the bonus round offered some type of minimum payout, regardless of the player’s ability. That only seemed fair for a bonus round, after all.

Bridging Two Worlds

From a technical standpoint, incorporating a skill element wouldn’t be a big leap for slot manufacturers. Some of the biggest names in the industry have been involved with both types of games for years. Bally Technologies originated with a pinball game called Ballyhoo, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, its former subsidiary Midway Gaming brought to the United States two of the most popular arcade titles in history: Space Invaders and Pac-Man.

Bally has kept up its involvement with traditional arcade games, but its focus is on slot machine development and casino management systems.

The Konami Corporation has also had success with both gaming formats. The Japanese-based company originally rented and repaired jukeboxes in the early 1970s, and over the following decade it developed classic video games for the Nintendo console, including Contra, Metal Gear and Castlevania. Konami entered the casino world in the late 1990s, applying its creativity and technical know-how to supply popular slot machines.

IGT, the biggest slot manufacturer of them all, has never been in the video game industry, though it has introduced many of the high-tech innovations that have made slot machines more of an arcade-style experience. The company has secured several patents that relate to “perceived skill” games, which appear to reward players based on how well they perform a certain action, although the outcomes are predetermined. Last year, IGT partnered with Sega Gaming, a major video game developer, to create a slot game called Three Kingdom Wars. We could see more of these partnerships in the future.

Cyberview Technology is another company that is actively developing video-slot games. In one of its titles, called Galaxium, the buttons normally used to draw or hold video poker hands are instead used to move a spaceship from side to side, or forward and backward. In another pinball-style video slot, The Big Score, the buttons are used to control left and right flippers. With these two games, the player purchases a set amount of time. As the pinball or spaceship comes into contact with various objects, the machine registers a win or a loss. The goal is to keep racking up points while your credits tick down for every second that elapses.

A highly skilled player is not guaranteed to make money—these are still slot machines. By playing well, you experience an average result closer to the odds of the game, while less skilled players will experience more volatility.

Another Twist on the Technology

Las Vegas-based Shuffle Master has also combined slot technology with a skill element, but in a different way—by installing random number generators in table games. Titles like Rapid Roulette, DigiDeal’s Digital 21, and Novomatic’s TouchBet roulette combine the excitement and social interaction of table game play with the high-tech graphics and automation of slot play. Some of these electronic blackjack and roulette tables feature a pre-recorded, life-size image of a dealer, while a random number generator determines the cards you are dealt or the outcome of the spinning wheel.

Although they play like tables, the technology behind these games makes them slot machines. This has enabled casinos in states where regular table games are not allowed to offer a table-playing experience.

As slot machines take on more arcade-like qualities, one aspect will remain constant—all of the new concepts and titles will be subject to strict testing and oversight. This makes it unlikely that we’ll see any dramatic leaps forward in the near future. There is also concern among gaming experts and manufacturers that players will need time to grow accustomed to the idea of skill-based slot machines.

It’s going to require a considerable amount of time before skill-based slots make a significant impact on gaming floors. Patenting, developing and testing these games of the future—and getting them licensed—could take years. But once these games begin to arrive, it could be a watershed for the industry. For future generations of slot players, the reel spinners we enjoy today might seem as primitive as Pong.

Video games and slot machines converge to create a new casino experience.

[aaronsniderus]

Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2017

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. 

Halloween is over and it’s time to think about the holiday season already. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I get it. I’m not ready for the music or the tree decorating and I certainly haven’t contemplated all the gifts I need to buy for people yet.

However, one thing I really enjoy is gift shopping. From a young age, I’ve also really been into computers and tech, which means this blog is one of my favorite assignments of the year, so buckle up!

The gifts are in various categories and at a few different price points. This guide should give you some ideas – regardless if you’re a lifelong techie or just shopping for someone who is. Before we jump in, let’s go over a few tips in terms of the best time to buy.

Don’t Rush

It’s important not to go out tomorrow and buy all the things. Odds are high that many retailers will offer some of the better deals around Black Friday and continuing through Cyber Monday.

Online retailers like Amazon are doing more to try to take away some of that mindshare from brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday in recent years. Meanwhile, retailers like Target and Walmart are trying to get in on that Cyber Monday excitement, too.

With that in mind, feel free to wait it out a while and see if you can get the best deal possible. The best time to buy certain items may indeed be after Black Friday. Retailers may discount items to get rid of excess stock. If the item is popular enough, it’s important to note that this strategy could backfire.

And with that, let’s get into the gizmos and gadgets.

Home Theater

Home theater is a big category for home tech. There are TVs, speaker systems and streaming media players to take a look at.

Best TV for the Money

You can get a nice 1080p TV crazy cheap nowadays. The techie on your list is going to want the latest and greatest, though, but you don’t have to break the bank.

VIZIO does very high quality electronics at an affordable price. This won’t be the last time you see them in this roundup. You can get a 50” 4K TV with high dynamic range  (HDR) for under $600.

For context, 4K bumps up picture clarity because it’s double the resolution of a standard 1080p HDTV. HDR increases the spectrum of the color gamut that can be shown by your television so you get the deepest black and the whitest white.

You’ll lose a little bit of the pop, but you can also get a 4K display without HDR for about $100 less.

Speakers

When it comes to home theater, you don’t want to use the TV speakers. They just don’t kick out a deep enough sound to really get you into the experience. With that in mind, one thing to take a look at is sound bars and speaker systems.

In this area, VIZIO sells a great sound bar and subwoofer package for $150. For another $80, speakers can be added behind the viewer as well for a more three-dimensional sound experience.

Media Players

When it comes to streaming media players, there are four big competitors in the market.

The current option I would recommend is the Apple TV 4K. It’s a little more expensive than the other options I’m going to talk about, but the nice thing here is that if you have any existing HD content from iTunes or a previous Apple TV, you automatically get the content’s 4K version when it becomes available without an upcharge. That’s not the case for many other services.

It starts at $179, with $20 more for a version with more storage capacity. This one also has extensive gaming capability and can function as a hub for your smart home devices as well.

Roku, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire all have 4K streaming dongles for around $70. For an extra $5, Amazon is currently bundling an HD antenna, so you can get your local channels in high definition if you’re a cord cutter.

Voice Assistants

We don’t have a lot of the technology referenced in Iron Man, but one area in which we might be in a mighty close is with his voice assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. There are at least two major platforms competing for the ability to control your entertainment, schedule and smart home devices using only your voice.

The Amazon Echo is one that I have personal experience with, so I’ll start there. I use voice commands to turn lights on and off through connected smart outlets. In this area, they’ve also released updated versions that can serve as their own hub for supported devices, so you don’t have to have a separate connector. It lets me control streaming radio and music with just my voice. I’m able to control my Fire TV Stick. I can ask the Echo all sorts of questions including the weather and sports scores. Most recently, I’ve connected two of these devices in an intercom system so I can call between rooms.

This isn’t to say that the Echo is the only game in town. The Google Home offers a very similar feature set. Apple is also jumping into this arena sometime in December with its HomePod.

The HomePod might be one to keep an eye on. It uses its directional microphones to figure out the audio environment in the room it’s in to give you the best possible audio experience. This is also the only speaker/voice assistant option that supports Apple Music. With that said, the audio calibration features mean there’s a price jump. At $349, the starting price comes in at $200 more than its closest competitor.

Video Games

When it comes to video games, I’m going to touch on virtual reality actually becoming a reality for consumers, as well as on the newest home console hardware.

Virtual Reality

The absolute latest and greatest in video games right now is virtual reality. It provides the most immersive experience by putting you right in the game. With that said, it’s important to note that the latest and greatest sometimes comes at a heavy premium.

One of the cheaper entry points into this arena may be a PlayStation VR. However, you’re looking at $350 minimum for the required virtual-reality accessories and $250 for a PlayStation 4.

HTC’s Vive VR cost $599, but it currently requires a PC powerful enough to handle some of the processing load, and those don’t come cheap. The Oculus Rift is only $399, but you do need a compatible PC as well. Finally, the Samsung Gear VR comes in at $130, but it requires a compatible Samsung smartphone.

Home Consoles

Gamers tend to organize themselves into tribes. You’re either a Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox gamer and that’s just the way it is. I would advise anyone looking to buy a console or games for their friends or loved ones to be very conscious of which side of the triangle that particular person falls on. That said, my analysis of each of these companies’ offerings is going to be purely from a technical and usability perspective.

In addition to beloved characters like Zelda and Mario, Nintendo has a very compelling console offering in the Switch. The console offers multiple controller styles and can either be docked at home or taken on the road. With enough controllers, up to eight people can play together in the same room in addition to online multiplayer options. It also has some of the motion control options made popular by its Wii predecessors. The Switch retails for $399.

For the same price, Sony offers its top-of-the-line PlayStation 4 Pro. The console features 4K playback with HDR for Blu-rays and media content as well as the same features for games if the developers choose to build them in.

From a purely technical standpoint, the Xbox One X has the competition beat in terms of power, but from a practical standpoint it offers the same 4K HDR features as the PS4 Pro. It really comes down to what the person you’re buying for prefers to game on.

Tablets and Phones

A lot of these get purchased around the holidays, so I feel like I have to say something about them in here, but it’s important to note that these very much come down to personal preference and, increasingly, the size of your budget.

For people who have iPhones, there are two new options this holiday season. The iPhone 8 features a really nice front-facing camera that can do interesting things like on-the-fly filters. There’s also wireless charging. Then there’s the iPhone X. It has all the features of the 8, plus Face ID and the ability to use an array of cameras to do some really cool things like animated emojis. (This is something better seen than described.) There are also some cool applications with augmented reality. This is the first iPhone with an OLED screen, enabling more true-to-life color. However, the iPhone X will cost you $1,000 at the least.

On the Android side, there are a lot of great options for phones at every price point. However, two phone options that are really pushing the boundaries of what can be done with Google’s smartphone platform are Samsung’s Galaxy line and the Pixel phones backed by Google. You may be able to pay for the phone on a monthly basis through your carrier.

The tablets in many cases are just like their phone counterparts with bigger screens and no calling capability. In many cases, you may be able to actually get these cheaper than a phone.

If you do mostly reading on tablet devices, you may want to take a look at the new Kindle devices. The e-ink displays mean no glare, even in bright sunlight, and they’re also easier on the eyes.

Geek Culture

It’s not strictly tech, but many people who are interested in technology are also fans of comic books, sci-fi and all kinds of other cool stuff. If you’re just looking to get someone who’s proud to think of themselves as a pop-culture geek something they’ll really enjoy, check out services like Lootcrate and My Geek Box.

You can get these at a number of price points from $15 to around $50. You can choose to get random cool items or items based around the theme you pick. It could be anything from Harry Potter to Marvel to Star Wars and even WWE. You can choose to get one or send a monthly subscription.

We’ve gone through a lot of different gift options, but we’ve included a list of our favorites below:

VIZIO 50” class 2160p 4K smart TV with HDR

Amazon Echo

Wireless speaker systems

Lootcrate

Game consoles

The post Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2017 appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/gifts-ideas-for-the-tech-savvy-person

[mikebrackett]

Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2017

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Halloween is over and it’s time to think about the holiday season already. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I get it. I’m not ready for the music or the tree decorating and I certainly haven’t contemplated all the gifts I need to buy for people yet.

However, one thing I really enjoy is gift shopping. From a young age, I’ve also really been into computers and tech, which means this blog is one of my favorite assignments of the year, so buckle up!

The gifts are in various categories and at a few different price points. This guide should give you some ideas – regardless if you’re a lifelong techie or just shopping for someone who is. Before we jump in, let’s go over a few tips in terms of the best time to buy.

Don’t Rush

It’s important not to go out tomorrow and buy all the things. Odds are high that many retailers will offer some of the better deals around Black Friday and continuing through Cyber Monday.

Online retailers like Amazon are doing more to try to take away some of that mindshare from brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday in recent years. Meanwhile, retailers like Target and Walmart are trying to get in on that Cyber Monday excitement, too.

With that in mind, feel free to wait it out a while and see if you can get the best deal possible. The best time to buy certain items may indeed be after Black Friday. Retailers may discount items to get rid of excess stock. If the item is popular enough, it’s important to note that this strategy could backfire.

And with that, let’s get into the gizmos and gadgets.

Home Theater

Home theater is a big category for home tech. There are TVs, speaker systems and streaming media players to take a look at.

Best TV for the Money

You can get a nice 1080p TV crazy cheap nowadays. The techie on your list is going to want the latest and greatest, though, but you don’t have to break the bank.

VIZIO does very high quality electronics at an affordable price. This won’t be the last time you see them in this roundup. You can get a 50” 4K TV with high dynamic range  (HDR) for under $600.

For context, 4K bumps up picture clarity because it’s double the resolution of a standard 1080p HDTV. HDR increases the spectrum of the color gamut that can be shown by your television so you get the deepest black and the whitest white.

You’ll lose a little bit of the pop, but you can also get a 4K display without HDR for about $100 less.

Speakers

When it comes to home theater, you don’t want to use the TV speakers. They just don’t kick out a deep enough sound to really get you into the experience. With that in mind, one thing to take a look at is sound bars and speaker systems.

In this area, VIZIO sells a great sound bar and subwoofer package for $150. For another $80, speakers can be added behind the viewer as well for a more three-dimensional sound experience.

Media Players

When it comes to streaming media players, there are four big competitors in the market.

The current option I would recommend is the Apple TV 4K. It’s a little more expensive than the other options I’m going to talk about, but the nice thing here is that if you have any existing HD content from iTunes or a previous Apple TV, you automatically get the content’s 4K version when it becomes available without an upcharge. That’s not the case for many other services.

It starts at $179, with $20 more for a version with more storage capacity. This one also has extensive gaming capability and can function as a hub for your smart home devices as well.

Roku, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire all have 4K streaming dongles for around $70. For an extra $5, Amazon is currently bundling an HD antenna, so you can get your local channels in high definition if you’re a cord cutter.

Voice Assistants

We don’t have a lot of the technology referenced in Iron Man, but one area in which we might be in a mighty close is with his voice assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. There are at least two major platforms competing for the ability to control your entertainment, schedule and smart home devices using only your voice.

The Amazon Echo is one that I have personal experience with, so I’ll start there. I use voice commands to turn lights on and off through connected smart outlets. In this area, they’ve also released updated versions that can serve as their own hub for supported devices, so you don’t have to have a separate connector. It lets me control streaming radio and music with just my voice. I’m able to control my Fire TV Stick. I can ask the Echo all sorts of questions including the weather and sports scores. Most recently, I’ve connected two of these devices in an intercom system so I can call between rooms.

This isn’t to say that the Echo is the only game in town. The Google Home offers a very similar feature set. Apple is also jumping into this arena sometime in December with its HomePod.

The HomePod might be one to keep an eye on. It uses its directional microphones to figure out the audio environment in the room it’s in to give you the best possible audio experience. This is also the only speaker/voice assistant option that supports Apple Music. With that said, the audio calibration features mean there’s a price jump. At $349, the starting price comes in at $200 more than its closest competitor.

Video Games

When it comes to video games, I’m going to touch on virtual reality actually becoming a reality for consumers, as well as on the newest home console hardware.

Virtual Reality

The absolute latest and greatest in video games right now is virtual reality. It provides the most immersive experience by putting you right in the game. With that said, it’s important to note that the latest and greatest sometimes comes at a heavy premium.

One of the cheaper entry points into this arena may be a PlayStation VR. However, you’re looking at $350 minimum for the required virtual-reality accessories and $250 for a PlayStation 4.

HTC’s Vive VR cost $599, but it currently requires a PC powerful enough to handle some of the processing load, and those don’t come cheap. The Oculus Rift is only $399, but you do need a compatible PC as well. Finally, the Samsung Gear VR comes in at $130, but it requires a compatible Samsung smartphone.

Home Consoles

Gamers tend to organize themselves into tribes. You’re either a Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox gamer and that’s just the way it is. I would advise anyone looking to buy a console or games for their friends or loved ones to be very conscious of which side of the triangle that particular person falls on. That said, my analysis of each of these companies’ offerings is going to be purely from a technical and usability perspective.

In addition to beloved characters like Zelda and Mario, Nintendo has a very compelling console offering in the Switch. The console offers multiple controller styles and can either be docked at home or taken on the road. With enough controllers, up to eight people can play together in the same room in addition to online multiplayer options. It also has some of the motion control options made popular by its Wii predecessors. The Switch retails for $399.

For the same price, Sony offers its top-of-the-line PlayStation 4 Pro. The console features 4K playback with HDR for Blu-rays and media content as well as the same features for games if the developers choose to build them in.

From a purely technical standpoint, the Xbox One X has the competition beat in terms of power, but from a practical standpoint it offers the same 4K HDR features as the PS4 Pro. It really comes down to what the person you’re buying for prefers to game on.

Tablets and Phones

A lot of these get purchased around the holidays, so I feel like I have to say something about them in here, but it’s important to note that these very much come down to personal preference and, increasingly, the size of your budget.

For people who have iPhones, there are two new options this holiday season. The iPhone 8 features a really nice front-facing camera that can do interesting things like on-the-fly filters. There’s also wireless charging. Then there’s the iPhone X. It has all the features of the 8, plus Face ID and the ability to use an array of cameras to do some really cool things like animated emojis. (This is something better seen than described.) There are also some cool applications with augmented reality. This is the first iPhone with an OLED screen, enabling more true-to-life color. However, the iPhone X will cost you $1,000 at the least.

On the Android side, there are a lot of great options for phones at every price point. However, two phone options that are really pushing the boundaries of what can be done with Google’s smartphone platform are Samsung’s Galaxy line and the Pixel phones backed by Google. You may be able to pay for the phone on a monthly basis through your carrier.

The tablets in many cases are just like their phone counterparts with bigger screens and no calling capability. In many cases, you may be able to actually get these cheaper than a phone.

If you do mostly reading on tablet devices, you may want to take a look at the new Kindle devices. The e-ink displays mean no glare, even in bright sunlight, and they’re also easier on the eyes.

Geek Culture

It’s not strictly tech, but many people who are interested in technology are also fans of comic books, sci-fi and all kinds of other cool stuff. If you’re just looking to get someone who’s proud to think of themselves as a pop-culture geek something they’ll really enjoy, check out services like Lootcrate and My Geek Box.

You can get these at a number of price points from $15 to around $50. You can choose to get random cool items or items based around the theme you pick. It could be anything from Harry Potter to Marvel to Star Wars and even WWE. You can choose to get one or send a monthly subscription.

We’ve gone through a lot of different gift options, but we’ve included a list of our favorites below:

VIZIO 50” class 2160p 4K smart TV with HDR

Amazon Echo

Wireless speaker systems

Lootcrate

Game consoles

The post Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2017 appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/gifts-ideas-for-the-tech-savvy-person