• Red Dead Redemption – By far my vote for the best game of 2010. Not only did it have great graphics and sound, but it had an excellent and engaging storyline as well. You could spend forever in this game if you wanted to with a full on sandbox, lengthy expansions, and an online multiplayer mode. Every time I thought I had beaten the game, a whole new chapter opened up. I can’t think of another game (except for maybe Uncharted 2), that drew me into the story so well. There was one moment where I really was blown away – you beat a “chapter” of the game and this eerie, heartfelt music comes on as you start to travel home – it was truly amazing. (Call of Duty: Black Ops is my runner-up.)

• PlayStation Move – Yeah, I know, I’m a PS fangirl, but some on, even Popular Science named it in their Best of What’s New in 2010. The precision is amazing. I found it hard to believe that it was much different than Wii, but after trying both, I can honestly say that PS Move is much easier to use and way more precise. Not only does the PS Move pick up side-to-side and up-and-down action, but it picks up forward-and-back movement and every angle at which you are holding the controllers. For example, I tried Frisbee Golf and you can see every single twitch that you make with your controller. It really picks up exactly how you are holding the controller and follows your movement all the way through your release. It’s pretty fun, but I really can’t wait until Killzone 3 is released in February. I think that is going to be the first game that really makes people think twice about PS Move. Right now, I haven’t talked to anyone who’s even heard of PS Move – they’re all Kinect crazy. I think Kinect is amazing – but not because of what Kinect lets the casual user do. Kinect is amazing because it really has some extreme tech that hackers and programmers are taking advantage of such as haptic holographics and such. I think that tech with help further other inventions, but I kind of doubt that Microsoft will start opening the same power up to the casual users. Tere is only so much you can do with your body movements to control a game. I can’t really see how anyone could play Call of Duty with Kinect. But with PS Move it could be amazing. Not only do you have all of the buttons for different functions, but you can use motion control as well. 2011 is going to be a great year for video games.

• Sennheiser RS120 Wireless Headphones – Why didn’t I buy these years ago? Seriously. These things are amazing. Not only are they amazing to play games with, but it’s great to be able to play video games without disturbing John and vice-versa. Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops is a little crazy because they pick up every single sound from the game. You thought surround sound was wild – try surround sound headphones.

• Kindle 3 – Excellent buy, but I’m glad I held out until 2010. This little guy has been beyond helpful. I carry it with me everywhere – literally. The clarity of e-ink and smaller size makes a big difference over previous generations. I also love the graphite color much better than the usual white. I find it so easy to read off the Kindle screen – it actually reminds me of a traditional book. I can read it in the light, load hundreds of books, play games, surf the net, etc. It was great to be able to keep all of my personal reading choices and all of my school textbooks with me on one little device. Ahhhh, Amazon, how I heart thee.

• Roku XD|S – I won one of these from a Mashable contest. I was going to buy one for myself for Christmas, so it was perfect timing. This little device is awesome. I loaded it with MOG, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Newscaster, YouTube, and a bunch of other “channels,” including, a hunting and fishing channel that John loves. They’re pretty wallet friendly since they range from $59-$99. They use hardly any power (they don’t even have a power switch). We are putting it on a junk TV we got as a spare and are moving it upstairs so we can move the good Samsung monitor downstairs with the PS3 running Hulu Plus, Netflix, and everything else as well.

• Dropbox – Okay, I’ve had Dropbox for awhile, but this year I went ahead and started paying for the service. I have the 50GB plan, which even though I think I’ve put everything I’ve done all year in it, I’m only taking up a third of the space. I use it as my default spot to save all of my files so they all get backed up as soon as I save them. I have a feeling it’s really going to save me one of these days. It also lets you keep versions of files, so if you delete or modify one you can go through to any version you’ve ever saved. Amazing. Plus, I can use it quickly and efficiently on my Droid.

• Pogoplug – Last year’s Christmas gift, but this year was obviously the time I used it the most. Great little gadget. They recently lowered the price on the main model and added a wireless adapter for what they lowered the price to so they actually sent all customers who had previously bought the Pogoplug a free wireless adapter. That’s treating your customers right. I keep everything on hard drives connected to this thing and can access them from anywhere (including my Android device).

• Hulu Plus – Yeah, I definitely signed up for this in Beta. Loving Hulu Plus. It is so convenient to watch whole seasons of shows and catch up on shows I’ve missed without having to worry about expiration dates. I was having an issue with watching it on my PS3 or iPod Touch because the ads would blare (which was horrible with surround sound), but it seems like they adjusted that because it hasn’t seemed to boost on ads for awhile.

• MOG – MOG has been my favorite music service of all time – aside from my trial experience with Spotify (but it’s currently only offered in select countries). I no longer find a need to go “find” music and I haven’t touched my iTunes library in months. With maybe one or two exceptions, every single song I have ever tried to listen to has been in the MOG library. I also has a great Pandora-like radio slider where you can pick an artist and then have it find similar songs by other artists (and you can adjust it to mix in more or less variation). You can also create and share playlists, like/dislike songs and search a huge library. Two other bonuses: they have apps for all smartphone operating systems (with downloading/offline listening) and a Chrome web app.

• Square Reader – It’s a tiny credit/debit card reader that plugs into the audio input of Android or iOS phones and allows you to accept payments. It took a really long time to get the card reader because there were manufacturing limitations and such, but once I got it I tried it out and it’s amazing. Not only is it instant, but it allows you to swipe or type in payment numbers, accept a signature, and send a receipt via email. Very cool. And the money was directly deposited into my bank account the next day.

• Evernote – Yes, these are other services I ended up paying for to receive premium access. Evernote just recently hiked up user limits to 1GB, also, so that was an awesome holiday bonus. It’s very convenient for sending myself recipes, taking photo notes, or most recently, for importing all of my Delicious bookmarks in case that service ceases to exist.

• Remember the Milk – Remember the Milk has been a life saver to remind me of tasks and quickly schedule reminders. Plus, these both have mobile apps, Chrome extensions, etc.

• Google & Skype – Yeah, I know, I’ve been using Google for years, but I am especially grateful for Google this year. Not only do I use a ton of Google services for all of my online needs (Voice, Chrome, Reader, Android, Gmail, Picasa, etc.), but Google Navigation and Places saved our butts as we traveled cross country and it continues to be our guide around Seattle. I use Google Navigation for all of my traveling around in car or on foot when I’m not sure where I am going. We were able to see where we were going while traveling cross country, how long it would take, the distance between turns, were easily rerouted, and we can even decide to ignore highways when there are traffic jams due to Husky football games. We lost signal a lot while coming cross country, but our Droid kept chugging because it had already pre-loaded our route. They recently added a lot of offline functionality, so it should be even easier going across. They only time I lost total signal was in the middle of Wyoming and it was all one giant stretch of highway so I didn’t need the Droid anyways. Skype has just been awesome for making calls. I use Google Voice for texts, voicemail, and a main number, but I use Skype to make calls from my computer or from my phone to someone logged into Skype. For unlimited access, $3/month for Skype is pretty great – $0 for Google Voice is even better.

• Xpenser – My personal finance log. I don’t write down transactions – I enter them in Xpenser. This has been awesome for keeping track of every expense. I don’t even bother to look at my bank account with the exception of maybe once or twice a month. The bank was always delayed and I could never rely on the numbers. With Xpenser, I enter everything and can have multiple reports. For example, I have a Primary report, a Pending report, and a personal spending report for each of us. I can add things in the Pending report and move them over to the Primary whenever I need to. I can tag things for business, or as a credit card charge, can add labels, types, notes, dates, and even receipts if I want to. I usually just access Xpenser at the end of the day to record expenses, but when I’m on the road I can whip out my cellphone and send it an SMS to add expenses as well. Oh, and it’s free.

• Adobe Creative Suite 5: Master Collection – The Adobe Creative Suites are always useful. I use at least one program every single day, whether it’s Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Acrobat, Flash, or any number of other program. I need the programs to make it through any work day. The improvements are welcome. I especially like how they finally made the previously-Macromedia programs look like full Adobe products, and I love the content-aware feature in Photoshop. It’s a major time saver.

• TweetDeck –  I used TweetDeck a ton during my graduate program to keep up with hashtag conversations. I use the desktop app, but haven’t found the Chrome app or Android app very useful. For Twitter on Android I use Twidroyd Pro.

• TextMate – I’ve used TextMate a ton at work. For some reason I can’t use DreamWeaver to access the server, but TextMate seems to be working just fine – it color codes, allows tabbed browsing, and I just recently read an article about extensions that I’m going to try out.

• ProGaming Glasses by Gunnar Optiks – They add slight magnification to the image on the screen, slightly tint the picture, and reduce eye strain (something I suffer not only gaming, but sitting in front of a computer monitor all day at work). They’re supposed to be around $100 but Amazon, like usual, has them on sale for less than half of that.

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Kindle Pic Courtesy of Amazon.com via WIRED

A few weeks ago I gave in and bought one of the 3rd generation 6″ WiFi Kindles (the latest generation that keeps selling out because the price is so low). It was definitely a worthwhile purchase. I have all of my school books on it and the ease of reading on the Kindle versus on a lighted screen (my Droid/iPod Touch/Mac) is very significant. The text is incredibly crisp and you can adjust text size quickly. You can also convert and upload text/PDFs to your Kindle in a matter of seconds with tools such as Calibre. I haven’t tried out the MP3 player or text-to-speech feature, but I can say that the device itself is probably the lightest gadget I have. It’s super convenient to carry in my bag and read while on the bus.

Plus, I can’t wait to see what they do with the games and the internet browser. The browser works pretty well from the times that I’ve used it. I can’t wait to see what applications they add next, like Zork. They’ve already added several word games including Scrabble. Amazon recently hired Microsoft’s Director of Game Platform Strategy, Andre Vrignaud. WIRED imagines that Amazon will start offering all sorts of apps including RSS readers (an app I would love to buy). For now, here’s WIRED’s How To Do (Almost) Everything With A Kindle 3.

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I would take the printed version over the online version any day, but the iPad version versus the printed version? I have a feeling the iPad version will win me over. It’s the same layout and great design with added bonuses. This is another one of those apps that will make me get the iPad. Imagine what other magazines could do with it. Popular Science would be another good tech magazine to do this. What about National Geographic embedding short videos when you click on a photo so you could see more? Or giving a voice over if you wanted to hear fun facts? Bon Appetit could upload videos with each recipe or how-to videos in sections where they explain unique cooking techniques. Sports Illustrated also comes to mind… of course there are sections I wouldn’t want to “come alive,” but what about including clips from games? Or mini-sports games in the app. The possibilities are endless.

I hate to say it, but if print is on it’s way out in the future… jumping on the mobile bandwagon seems like it could save a lot of magazines and newspapers. Of course, that might speed up the process, but I can’t help but think we’re headed that ways anyways. This might actually be a good stimulus to get more people reading magazines. For all those people with short attention spans who can’t take the time to read, maybe interactive reading apps like this could get them to read and find out more about what they are looking at.

Who knows. All I know is, this makes me want an iPad even more. I’m waiting a bit to see what Android Froyo does with tethering (through my DROID). I’m pretty curious about Google’s plans. My only concern is – if Google creates a tablet will all these apps eventually come to Android?

Check out WIRED’s iPad App video below.

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MashableMashable

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The gadget geek in me is jumping up and down, but so is the designer side of me. It’s very cool to read about and look at photos of past technology, crazy inventions, and (what were) futuristic ideas. At the same time, it is amazing to compare the designs from various dates such as 1874, 1940, 1972, and 2010. Design and the technology printing those designs was constantly changing as well. People were creating new ways to share ideas and information. Layouts changed from plain, standard column text to full page ads and articles with lots of photos and flexible regions of text.

Something that everyone should check out: Popular Science Archives

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The main areas that were highlighted in a summary of the report were:
Mobile media driving increased consumption
Parents and media rules
Media in the home
Heavy media users report getting lower grades
Black and Hispanic children spend far more time with media than White children do
Big changes in TV
Popular new activities like social networking also contribute to increased media use
Types of media kids consume
High levels of media multitasking

It’s interesting how much of an increase there is once children get to the tween, 11-14 year-old age group. This report didn’t even include texting, which would bring the amount of time up another hour or so for that age group. I also found the gap between gender pretty interesting. The report found that girls spend more time reading and networking than boys, while boys spend more time than girls on video game usage and visiting video websites. I find it rather disappointing that roughly 30% of children have any type of rules regarding the time they can spend with different types of media. One thing’s for sure, marketing departments should have a field day with this report.

Report: Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds, KFF
Daily Media Use Among Children and Teens Up Dramatically From 5 Years Ago, KFF
Generation M2: Understanding the Multimedia Teen, ReadWriteWeb
Media Consumption Way Up for 8-18 Year-Olds From 5 Years Ago, Game Informer

Also, if you’re interested in media consumption, WIRED came up with an interesting chart in the article, Balance Your Media Diet, as part of their How to Behave: New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans article, which I also featured here.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cKc_pvpuqg

This morning I came across a Gizmodo post, Sneak Peek of New BBC Documentary ‘The Virtual Revolution.’ The multi-part documentary airs on January 30th. It’s a look at the internet featuring interviews with Tim Berners-Lee (MIT engineer behind the web), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Al Gore, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, and Stephen Fry.

BBC has an ongoing website to capture the project in the making. You can also follow their updates on Twitter (@bbcdigrev). It looks like the series is divided into the following titles: 1. Power on the web, 2. The fate of nations, 3. The cost of free, 4. The web and us. I hadn’t heard of this series before, but it seems pretty interesting.
digital revolution is a four part series for BCC Two about how the web is changing the world. Due in 2010, it’s in production now, and we’re offereing a range of ways to interact with the programme team and the content we produce. get involved

Check it out at their official page BBC -- Digital Revolution.

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This could be good. It would be nice to have more mainstream titles added to the Watch Instantly catalog. I doubt however, that this will boost the sale of Warner Brothers DVDs at the time of release. People are turning to Netflix because they don’t want to have to buy DVDs either because they don’t want to own the DVD, don’t want to venture out to rental stores, or because they are trying to cut costs. There are a number of other methods that people can turn to in order to see the new releases, the biggest being the iTunes Store, RedBox, Blockbuster, XBox Live/Playstation Network, Amazon On Demand, video rental stores, and as Gizmodo suggests, peer-to-peer sharing via torrents. I’m guessing the latter of the list will gain some momentum, especially as other companies join in.

Elsewhere:

• Netflix, Warner Brothers End Dispute, Reach Deal on DVDs – Bloomberg on BusinessWeek
• Netflix Is Losing New Release Rentals – Gizmodo
• 28 Days Later: Say Goodbuy to the Netflix New Release Rental – Mashable
• Netflix, Hollywood Politics and the War for Streaming Movies – Gizmodo
• Netflix bends over, agrees to delay renting Warner DVDs – Engadget

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Uncharted 2 – Definitely the top of my list for 2009. First, you couldn’t get closer to playing through a movie if you tried. Uncharted 2 had an excellent use of sound and graphics, as well as excellent interaction with the environment. My favorite part of any media is when it makes me go, “This is amazing, I can’t even begin to think how much work went into this.” Uncharted 2′s visuals were unbelievable. The level in the mountains of Nepal was breathtaking. I loved that there was almost no load time and I often was confused whether I was watching a cutscene, or expected to control Drake. I especially appreciated how much of a step up the game was from it’s predecessor, only because I thought the original Uncharted was an amazing game to begin with. Uncharted 2 added vehicles to interact with, more puzzles, another excellent story. It also continued to utilize sound not only as background noise, but as a main component. As soon as I started hearing drums and an increase in volume, my heart would start pumping with the expectation of a new battle with the enemy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Yeah, so it made many of Joystiq’s “disappointment” lists. Personally, I think these games are amazing. Yes, they stretch pretty far into the “this probably would never happen” side of things, but again, like Uncharted 2, the graphics, sound, and varied interaction was just awesome. This game was one of the most intense games I’ve ever played. It also made me reflect and pay close attention to how anyone else played through it. I played through the game and there were certain points, other than just the airport scene that made me go, “What the f***?! I can’t believe they actually did that.” It toyed with my emotions, and made me think. On the other hand, I also watched a close friend play the game with almost no regard whatsoever to what his character was being made to do. As soon as the airport scene came up he just started firing. Two other players, a bit younger, I let play the game. The older one, admittedly, was not within the “Mature” rating age, I sat with him while he played “the scene.” Although he didn’t fire at first, I could see he didn’t really think about what was going on. I explained thoroughly what was going on in the game, and what they were actually playing out. We had a quick discussion and both boys were surprised where the game was taking things… especially when the game makes you feel like you are a modern soldier with “realistic” missions. He stopped shooting. His younger brother played through the game and when he got to that part, he asked me to skip over it as soon as he was dropped into the airport. He was appalled at the task before him.

inFamous – So, at first, I have to admit that I had no idea what people were thinking when I saw this on so many Game of the Year nomination lists. The graphics are good, but not as good as the two previous titles I’ve mentioned. The story is good, but you don’t really understand what is going on throughout most of the game. The sound is alright, but not a major component. But the interaction and the sandbox environment… once you start to build up your powers, you can’t stop. I mean come on… you’re electric! Once I realized that I could toy with the game AI a little, I started to have some fun, now I can’t stop. You can climb literally everything, glide/fly through the air, drain anything electric of it’s power. You also start to acquire new powers which enable you to vary your attacks quite a bit. I still don’t think it’s GOTY material, but it’s definitely a blast.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time – I can’t help it, I love Ratchet & Clank. It’s probably one of my favorite series on the Playstation, and one of the main reasons I won’t switch to another console. Graphics, sound, script, interaction, weapon modifications… the fun never ends.

Other – Plants vs. Zombies and Machinarium.

2009 Titles That Look Awesome, But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Waiting To Be Played – (Too Many) Red Faction: Guerilla, Assassin’s Creed 2, Killzone 2, Resident Evil 5, Fallout 3: DLC, SKATE 2.

Disappointments – Borderlands. It’s good. It’s creative. It’s attractive. It totally feels like a rip off of Fallout 3. And it takes sooo long to build up your character.

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