Apple iPad 2 

Size: 9.5in tall x 7.31in wide x .034in depth   Weight at only 1.33 lbs. ( 1.35 lbs. for 3G)
Storage: Both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage options
Models: There are only two models. The first has Wi-Fi only and the second has Wi-Fi and 3G, each are available in black or white.
Display: Both models boast a 9.7 inch LED touchscreen display that is backlit.
Battery life: For both models using Wi-Fi only, you”ll have a battery life of 10hrs for web surfing, videos, and even music. For the model with 3G capabilities, if you are using 3G instead of Wi-Fi it drops the battery life down to only 9hrs of use.
Additional features: Both models are equipped with dual cameras (one on each side), video recording capabilities, one headphone jack, a decent built in speaker, multi file format support, and much more. The 3G model has a built in GPS system, and 3G capabilities on top of all of the basic features.
Price: Wi-Fi Only: 16GB $499.00 , 32GB $599.00 , 64GB $699.00
Wi-Fi +3G: 16GB $629.00 , 32GB $729.00 , 64GB $829.00
Overall Opinion: The Apple iPad 2 is one of the hottest items on the market for a variety of reasons. Not only does it offer incredible versatility, but also has all of the great Apple apps that truly make Apple products one of a kind. Unfortunately the high price tag deters many would be customers away and rightfully so. Additionally the cameras that this product is sporting are a complete waste and should only be used for Facetime rather than picture taking.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Size: 7.5in height x 4.7in wide x 0.45in depth with a weight of only 14.6 oz.
Storage: 8GB internal storage and additional storage space on amazon’s cloud.
Battery life: 8hrs of reading time when fully charged and wireless off.
File formats: TXT, DOC, DOCX, Kindle (AZW), PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, JPEG, WAV, MP3, MP4, VP8, and a few others.
Additional features: Wi-Fi abilities, access to the thousands of apps and movies on the Amazon marketplace, free storage for all of Amazon’s products, music capabilities, and more!
Price: $199.00
Overall Opinion: The Kindle Fire is a great multifunctional device that provides incredible functionality for a relatively low price. Despite not having some features like Bluetooth capabilities and a camera, the low price tag on this device definitely makes up for that. The Kindle Fire is a great device that serves as both a tablet and an e-reader!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Size: 10.1in wide x 6.9in height x 0.34in depth weighing only 1.24lbs.
Storage: Offered in 16GB or 32GB storage.
Models: This device is offered in either a gray, or an all-white color.
Battery life: with music only playing, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 can last up to 72hrs, however when you play videos the battery drops significantly to only 9hrs.
Additional features: The Galaxy Tab offers full HD video playback, support of a variety of file formats, extensive Google Mobile services, a Samsung Hub, 2 cameras, Wi-Fi, and much more.
Price: Both 16GB models are $499.99 while the 32GB models are $599.99
Overall Opinion: All in all the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a great iPad alternative. Not only does it boast all of Google’s unique android features, but it also has a great stylish look. Unfortunately this tablet is the same price as the iPad2 models and since the iPad 2 is a more popular tablet, then consumers will likely choose the iPad2 over the Galaxy Tab.

Apple iPhone 4S

Size: 4.5in height x 2.31in width x 0.37in depth with a weight of only 4.9 ounces.
Storage: Both models are offered in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage options.
Models: The iPhone 4s is available in either black or white colors.
Battery life: standard talking will allow your iPhone 4S to last for up to eight hours, however if you are using 3G for web browsing your battery drops down to 6hrs.
Additional features: On top of having a fantastic HD camera and the ability to record 1080p video, the iPhone 4S also has Siri which truly makes the device unique. The virtual assistant performs a variety of actions commanded to her via voice.
Price: With a contract: 16GB $199 , 32GB $299 , 64GB $399
Without a contract: 16GB $649.00 , $32GB $749.00 , 64GB $849.00
Overall Opinion: Despite the fancy Siri addition, the iPhone 4S is not much different than the iPhone 4 except for the outrageous price tag that’s attached to it. If you are looking for a new phone contract and see this device, it’s a good buy, however if you already have an existing contract the unlocked device is way overpriced. People would be better off signing up for a contract, getting the phone, then selling it for a profit rather than keeping it themselves.

Galaxy Nexus

Size: 67.94mm wide x 135.5mm height x 9.47mm depth with a weight of only 150g.
Storage: 32GB
Models: only one model offered in standard matte black color.
Battery life: around 8hrs of hard usage and web browsing, however can last over a day with simple talk and normal use.
Additional features: Now you don’t have to worry about constantly unlocking your phone because the facial recognition feature automatically does that for you. On top of that the Nexus sports all of Google’s fancy android apps and has a great HD screen with 1080p video recording.
Price: Amazon has recently dropped the price of the Galaxy Nexus down to an astonishing $149.99 completely undercutting all of their competitors’ prices.
Overall Opinion: With Amazon’s incredibly low price the Galaxy Nexus is a great buy for the holidays. Not only does it have a ton of awesome apps and features, but it is only a fraction of the price that competing smart phones cost (thanks to Amazon’s help).

Samsung Galaxy S II

Size: 125.3mm height x 66.1mm wide x 8.49mm depth weighing only.
Storage: 16GB or 32GB
Models: Offered in either white or black.
Battery life: this phone lasts for about 8.35hrs when talking, but only 4.24hrs of solid web browsing.
Additional features: This phone doesn’t have Siri, but it’s got the next best thing. With Voice Solution you can command your phone to do a variety of different tasks (making memos, writing notes, scheduling, and even launching apps). On top of that the Social Hub integrates all of your online social activities into one streamlined interface that allows you to sift through each notification efficiently.
Price: Right now Amazon is charging only $527.99 for this phone as opposed to the regular listing price of $899.99
Overall Opinion: The Galaxy S II is one of the thinnest phones out there and is incredibly light. Top it off the display is outrageously good, its SUPER AMOLED touch screen display makes every picture crisp and unmistakably clear. With a much smaller price tag than many other smart phones, the Galaxy S II is definitely a great, and affordable, gift for this Christmas season.

Nokia Lumia 800

Size: 116.5mm height x 61.2mm wide x 12.1mm thick weighing only 142g.
Storage: 16GB
Models: Available in black, cyan, or fushia colors.
Battery life: 9.5hrs of talk time with 55hrs of music playback time.
Additional features: The Nokia Lumia 800 has Wi-Fi capabilities, a curved AMOLED touchscreen display, stunning 8mp camera, Bluetooth capabilities, ActiveSync, and more.
Price: the average price is about $666.64 however the actual price will be determined by the service provider.
Overall Opinion: Despite not having additional storage options the Nokia Lumia is a beautiful phone that has an incredibly stylish design. It is Nokia’s first Windows smartphone and Nokia is showcasing all of its capabilities in a beautiful phone that is available in three stunning colors.

Apple Macbook Air (2011-edition)

Size: 11.6in model dimensions are 0.11in-0.68in height x 11.8in side x 7.56in depth weighing 2.38lbs.
13.3in model dimensions are 0.11in-0.68in height x 12.8in wide x 8.94in depth weighing 2.96lbs.
Storage: The 11.6in model is available in either 64GB or 128GB of flash storage while the 13.3in model is available in 128GB or 256GB flash storage.
Models: MacBookAir4.1 (11″), MacBookAir4.2 (13″)
Battery life: 50-watt-hour
Additional features: backlit keyboard – Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor using 256 MB (11″ base model) or 384 MB (all other models) of DDR3 SDRAM, FaceTime camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities.
Price: 11.6in model at 64GB of storage is $999, at 128GB of storage it is at $1,199. The 13.3in model at 128GB of storage is $1,299 and at 256GB of storage it costs $1,599
Overall Opinion: MacBook’s have always been over priced and over rated. All of the features seen on these two models can be found on other laptops for a fraction of the price. Take away the Apple brand and the computers wouldn’t sell for more than a couple hundred at best.

PlayStation Vita

Size: 182mm wide x 18.6mm height x 83.5mm depth.
Storage: 512MB
Models: PS Vita 3G + Wi-Fi, PS Vita First Edition Bundle, PS Vita Wi-Fi.
Battery life: only 3-5 hrs of gameplay, 5hrs of video, and about 9hrs of music.
Additional features: front and rear cameras, motion sensor for enhanced gaming, touchscreen, GPS, Cross play, and dual analog sticks.
Price: PS Vita 3G + Wi-Fi $299.99 , PS Vita First Edition Bundle $349.99 , PS Vita Wi-Fi $249.99
Overall Opinion: Pre-ordering one of these bad boys is essential for next year. Not only do these handheld consoles have incredible gaming features, but Sony also amped up the functionality by adding tons of web features as well. At a decent price for handheld consoles, the PS Vita is definitely a must have for many gamers.

Xbox 360 with Kinect

Size: 12in wide x 11.5in depth x 7.2 in tall weighing 10.9lbs.
Storage: 4GB
Models: Included in the bundle is the Xbox 360 Slim and the Kinect sensor.
Battery life: No battery, console is plugged in.
Additional features: The bundle includes the gaming console, the Kinect sensor, and the game Kinect Adventures (which is a great starter game) and it also includes one Xbox 360 controller. The Xbox 360 console has HDMI capabilities but an additional cord will have to be purchased.
Price: Amazon is selling the bundle for $299.99 and local Walmart’s are selling them at $329.00
Overall Opinion: The Xbox 360 has tons of amazing games and the sleek looking Slim Xbox console just amps up its awesomeness. On top of that there are tons of new games coming out for the Kinect as well as numerous games that are already in stores. The Kinect is the future of Xbox gaming and is a great way to have plenty of fun with the family or by yourself. Overall this is an excellent deal and a great buy for anyone at any age.

Shortly after the first Kinect device was released by Microsoft, rumors began spreading about what the next generation Kinect device would be like and how the advanced motion sensor technology would be taken to the next level. However there has been more buzz about Kinect 2 rumors lately and with speculations flying around the web we decided to check them out for ourselves.

So what exactly is the new Kinect 2 device going to be like? Everything you imagined and more!

First off the Kinect 2 will utilize a completely overhauled motion sensor and voice recognition unit that will be strong enough to lip read and even know which way the users are facing. Not powerful enough for you? What about a Kinect 2 sensor that will be able to read the users emotions? Now that’s amazing!

The camera on the first Kinect unit has been improved multiple times and will track eyebrow and mouth movements which will work for emotion recognition. On top of that the new Kinect is expected to be able to track the pitch and even the volume of gamer’s voices. If a gamer gets frustrated or mad the sensor will be able to recognize this through the facial and voice recognition. Now what will come of this enhanced sensor, we have yet to find out.

So what else is the new Kinect 2 rumored to do? Well on top of the increased voice recognition and facial recognition it is rumored that Microsoft is working on making sure that the new Kinect 2 will be powerful enough to be able to track finger movements. As Eurogamer stated, the current Kinect console is not able to support finger tracking due to the fact that it uses USB technology – so that’s why it is believed MS will optimize the performance of the Kinect and make use of all hand movements.

One of the biggest concerns about the first Kinect device is the amount of space needed to play it. People with smaller rooms or furniture in the way will have a terrible time trying to play the Kinect and may even be unable to. This limitation has been one of the biggest problems with the first Kinect and this is why Microsoft has been working on the ‘near mode’. Near mode will enable users to be as close as 50 centimeters and it won’t affect the reliability or precision that you lose when doing so with the first Kinect device.

Despite all of the rumors about what new features will be seen with the new Kinect 2, there are no rumors on when it will be released.

Nonetheless, there is one particular problem that makes the entire game – Final Fantasy Tactics – almost impossible to play.

Final Fantasy Tactics was developed by Square Enix. They are the ones that were in charge of putting together the mobile version for various Apple devices, such as the iPhone 4, iPad and iPod touch.

The main problem that the mobile version of Final Fantasy has evidenced is the delay in the movement of the graphics. Every time the player presses a command, there seems to be an interruption in the flow of the game.

If you have played this game before, you are aware that you may throw a spell or use a sword to defend yourself. If you find yourself in the middle of a warzone, you need your character to be able to move fast, and carry out the desired command. Imagine having your character stop and get interrupted each time they’re trying to strike. This can surely make you lose patience and eventually leave the game to the side.

The first version of this game was developed and released for the first PlayStation console 13 years ago. Later on, a new version was released for the PSP. Even though it’s very popular, it’s also quite difficult to play. Every time there’s a battle, you must master the skills of your character in order to fight off the enemies. These enemies can be quite different, and they can also have hidden powers that you will have to discover.

If playing this game on the PlayStation console was hard, picture having to fight off different enemies using the iPhone, with slow responses. Every round of fighting can take countless turns, and the simple fact of using your phone can make it ten thousand times worse.

Numerous Final Fantasy fans around the world are disappointed and annoyed by the downfall the iPhone version has brought upon them. To many, this game is perhaps one of the most remarkable and interesting PlayStation games to ever exist. This is due to the fascinating storyline that the game follows. Unfortunately, this is tainted by the error-filled mobile version.

One interesting, and rather handy feature worthy of being mentioned is the fact that the game gets automatically saved, when you receive a call or text on your iPhone. So, after battling for so long with the delayed graphics, you at least get to save your well-deserved progress during the game.

Another downfall of this mobile game is the price. Currently, it’s being offered at $15.99, which in comparison to other iPhone games it’s considerably expensive. For example, Call of Duty is listed at $4.99 and Angry Birds at $0.99.

The developer, Square Enix, announced later on that they had remedied the problem. However, there is still no evidence of such thing.

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The attack was perpetrated two days ago on Thursday, when the entire SEGA Pass system was brought offline. The company acknowledged the fact that they had detected a foreign break and entry in their system, and that they even had access to the system’s database. To this moment, the system remains offline.

In the e-mail, the company made it clear that they took the first step immediately after learning about the attack. They were able to separate the location of the break, and, at the same time they have started their own investigation on the incident. Also Sega made it public that the attackers took valuable information such as the member’s dates of birth, personal email addresses, and passwords. Nonetheless, the passwords were stored with encryptions.

Since SEGA makes use of a third party administrator for their payment processes, the member’s financial information such as credit card and debit card numbers, were not included in the information that the attacker took. The continued to run a full reset on all the SEGA members’ passwords in an attempt to protect them from any future attack.

On a normal basis, SEGA Pass – where you can join at no cost – usually issues free demos and sometimes games to their users. There is also a newsletter that informs them about the recent changes and news. The website remained offline even 36 hours after the attack was first confirmed. At the moment, the company simply attached a quick-written message, that states that the site is currently going through some improvements and that it should be back and running shortly. Moreover, the SEGA forums were also reported as offline.

So far, no recognized hacker group has taken responsibility on the SEGA attack. Given the recent attacks on other companies such as PBS, Sony, the CIA, Fox, Nintendo, and Brink, one can only think about the well-known hacker group LulzSec.

SEGA would clearly be seen as a target for LulzSec, since their recent attacks have been on Sony (PlayStation platform – took users financial information) and Brink (stole the details of 200,000 user accounts). In addition, the group has also attacked EVE Online, Escapist Magazine, and Minecraft.

However, LulzSec has responded to these accusations by stating that they were not behind the attack at all. As a matter of fact, they have stated (via Twitter) that want to help SEGA to find these hackers because they love Dreamcast.

In other related news, police officers in Spain have arrested three men who supposedly are part of another large hacker group known as Anonymous.

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For those who speak Italian might know that the name Vita means life. Sony stated that they have high hopes that this latest gadget will lead the player to almost doubt between what is real and what is not. It will come with Wi-Fi and there are going to be two models available. The first one will cost $249 while the other will cost $299 since it will also include 3G.

The first title that has already been announced is Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Vita makes use of the latest technology that includes water shaders and lively lighting. And even though this is not a large gadget, it produces smooth graphics. The fact that it comes with a touch screen will enable players to be able to actually move their characters in the game. They will be able to tap the screen as well as use the joysticks.

A very interesting fact is that Sony partnered with AT&T in order to carry the model that comes with 3G in the US. An added application that the gadget brings is the fact that gamers will be enabled to play with other nearby Vita players, hence the name of the applications is Near.

When Sony had first revealed the product in Japan, they had shared that the Vita would come with an ARM Cortex A9 and a SGX543MP4+GPU. To this a system that senses motion is also added.

Sony has been attempting to match their biggest competitor and in this case the PSP has been battling for years against the Nintendo DS. Their last product, the PSP Go, had no success at convincing consumers to change from Nintendo. It might still be tough for Sony and PlayStation since the Nintendo 3DS enables gamers to enjoy a 3D experience with no need to 3D glasses.

They also made it clear that they were terribly sorry for the past incident where hackers broke into their system and got a hold of personal information of millions of users. As a matter of fact, Sony is currently under alert of attach by a hacker group known as LulzSec.

At the announcement, Sony supplied attendees with 3D glasses and gave a hint stating that this year they will be making a difference when it comes to 3D capabilities and the price of the devices. They also stated that a special bundling offer will be made available for buyers. It will include the 3D glasses, 3D TV, 3D game, HDMI cable and it will all be offered for only $499.00.

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The group started by hacking Sony’s Twitter account and posting messages that reveal they are planning to attack them directly. They have named the hacking operation as Sownage, which according to them is short for Sony Ownage. They threatened Sony stating that the first attack was only the beginning of the end of them, and that the real attack had already begun without the company’s knowledge.

Messages such as this: “Hey @Sony, you know we’re making off with a bunch of your internal stuff right now and you haven’t even noticed? Slow and steady, guys.” – were tweeted by the group hacking Sony’s Twitter account.

Unfortunately Sony seems to have been the target for recent hacker attacks. Just two months ago a group of hackers was able to break into the PlayStation Network. The company was pushed to bring the network offline in order to attempt to remedy the problem. The hackers were able to get their hands on the personal information of more than 100 million users. The only good side of this is that financial information such as credit cards, seemed to be encrypted, and as of today there haven’t been any reports of identity theft.

It took Sony almost a month to be able to bring the network back up. A possible clue was found on the server; a folder that was labeled as “Anonymous” was left behind. This was associated with the actual hacker group that goes by the same name. Nevertheless, the group denied having anything to do with the attacks against Sony. They did make clear that it is possible that some of their members might have participated individually in the attack.

Just recently, even though LulzSec has not perpretrated any threats against PlayStation, they did send out another message using Twitter. It read like this: “You Sony morons realize we’ve never attacked any of your precious gaming, right?”

This message was contrasted to the group’s behavior when they performed the attack on PBS. When they posted a fake story through PBS stating that Tupac was still alive, they lost no time at publishing their evil doings on their own Twitter account. According to some, they were able to steal information of PBS employees.

The hackers attacked PBS after the airing of Frontline, which covered information about WikiSecrets and WikiLeaks, referring to them with hostile comments.

Even though LulzSec has not officially announced what the attack will consist of, they have not stopped making it clear that the operation is underway. Few days ago, they tweeted the following message: “Keep on crying, Sony fanboys. Your tears create the sea and your whining creates the wind that we so gracefully use to traverse onward.”
The Sony Pictures Russian website was hacked also few hours ago by LulzSec. The proof is in their twitt and PasteBin: “In Soviet Russia, SQL injects you http://pastebin.com/Ubw6kCVW”.

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Before we go into too much detail about what the Xbox is, Microsoft has announced that beginning on May 22 of the current year they will be giving out free Xboxes 360 4 GB to all of those students that purchase a brand new computer that is worth at least $699.00 and that runs on Windows 7.

Getting your free Xbox might not be as easy as the A, B, C, 1, 2, 3… of course not! Those who want to take advantage of this special offer they must have a valid e-mail address that ends in .edu if making the purchase online. For those students that don’t have that e-mail address, they can go to the stores and make sure to present their identification cards that prove that they are students.

Many are probably wondering if this is truly a good deal; the truth is, it is only good for those who were already planning on buying a computer regardless of the promotion. The Xbox is currently selling at $200 which of course is a good console that has been performing pretty well in the last sales reports, according to Microsoft.

This marketing technique is pretty interesting considering that the Xbox itself had been doing pretty good. This slim version features a glossy black casing that makes it look a lot more elegant and expensive. It also got rid of the button that needed to be pressed in order to enter any kind of commands; now all the buttons are touch sensitive and they don’t even require any pressure. For the player’s advantage, there is a unique sound that goes off in order to let them know the command has been entered properly.

The Xbox also made an attempt to pull alongside PlayStation by including WiFi connection. This is surely one of the things that made it popular again because all players want to be able to connect to the Internet wirelessly and before this improvement, players had to purchase a separate adapter that could cost them more than $80.

Indeed that this package will be selling hot because it’s targeting young college students that need both gadgets: a laptop for their studies and a gaming console for their spare time. Microsoft has made it clear that there are no strings attached, you just need to check with your local retailer store.

The offer starts on May 22 in USA and it will be available in France and Canada at a later date only for current studies with proper documentation and that purchase a Windows 7 PC that is worth at least $699.

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