Apple’s new console
Last week Apple had it’s Let’s Rock event where it showed the latest iPod line-up for the upcoming holidays. After so many leaks it was impossible to be surprised at the new iPod Nanos (4G) although I have to admit I like them quite a lot… They recognized their mistake with the fatty Nano (3G) and corrected the design. The iPod Classic was consolidated into a single model, which confirms the decrease in demand but I believe it is a mature product that still offers a lot of value and will be kept in store shelves for still quite a while.
And last but not least, Apple also updated the iPod Touch. The hardware updates are somewhat minor, adding volume controls, speakers and connectivity to the Nike+ running companion. However, on the software side there is a subtle but important change. It now comes with the App Store built-in, which gives it a whole new focus. It is no longer just an iPod, but now Apple is advertising it as a gaming device. But is it? Can it compete against Nintendo, Sony or others?
While Nintendo makes relatively cheaper products focused on a younger audience, both Apple and Sony are focused on the higher end customer segments with fancier hardware, which will make them compete head to head.
Whereas Nintendo and Sony use classical game cartridges, Apple’s solution is more technologically advanced, offering over-the-air downloads and an online store which can give instant access to any available game. This is very benefficial in many ways… it not only helps reduce costs and distribution time, but this in turn allows to make available many other apps which in the traditional model would simply be impossible to offer, either because they are offered for free or because they simply don’t offer enough value so that an acceptable price can cover the costs. However, regardless of how convenient it is, it may turn out backfiring to Apple on the higher end of applications, where users might feel afraid to pay a considerable amount of money for digital information without the backup of a physical object.
The iPod Touch (or iPhone in any case) represents a serious threat to mobile game consoles such as the PSP. Although coming from the media world instead of the gaming world may represent a disadvantage for serious gamers, it stregthens its ability to be an all-in one device, which is not only usefull for gaming, but allows watching movies (without Sony’s stupid proprietary disc formats), listening to music, web browsing, mail, etc. and has the added functionality of hundreds of small applications.
It is not very well know yet how the iPod’s interface (touchscreen) will be received for serious gaming, but with these capabilities and with big players in the industry such as EA developing games specifically for the iPod, it is only a matter of time before it becomes a serious player in the portable gaming industry.
American Pie
American Pie for dummies…
Summer’s over
Well, September has arrived and with it summer holidays are over. It has been quite a while since I reallly wrote a real post, my apologies for that, but as usual time flies by and its hard to find time to write about things that hide inside the every-day routine.
A lot of things have passed, so I guess I will try and start from where I left off… I have moved to my flat. Actually I have now been for more than a couple of months in the new flat and overall I am very happy about it. As always it has a million things I don’t like… such as hitting my head on the low ceiling, getting horribly hot, cracking floor, etc… but still the feeling of being my home and only mine is great! Yes I get to do all the cleaning, but at least I can keep it as clean as I want to, which results in the cleaning not being so bad after all.
And well, concerning my home, I recently bought a nice flat tv in order to watch movies and play videogames (I don’t really watch much tv). However, I had the great idea to update the software in my modded xbox (first gen) which resulted in a half-crippled box! :S I can still play original games but no longer “backup copies” of games nor watch dvd’s or other media. This is quite unfortunate, and is making me consider on buying a new generation console 
So still trying to decide between the PS3 and Xbox, and waiting to save some money
For the summer holidays, I went to Tenerife for a couple weeks with Alejandro, Virginia and Miguel. It was great to enjoy a lot of sun, sand and sea although surprisingly not everybody enjoys the beach! hehe It was a nice relaxing trip, and although it was a lot of fun, I have to admit it felt a bit weird going to Tenerife without my family… making me feel homesick more than usual.
After coming back from Tenerife, with a considerable delay due to Spanairs’ accident, I left the next day to Valencia with Alvaro, Jesús and Mauricio to the F1 GP of Europe! It was my first time at a F1 race and was very excited about it, plus it had the added bonus that it was the first time the race was held in Valencia, with a new street-circuit. And overall, I enjoyed the experience quite a lot. I have to say there were some things I liked a lot and some I didn’t like that much… The event is during three days (although we only went to two), which makes it bit intense… you have practices, qualifying rounds, GP2 races, porsche cup races, bmw cup races, etc. etc. and of course the F1 race. And for all of this you are sitting on a under-sized seat under the sun/rain next to a fat stinky guy Still, the sound of the engines is amazing… nothing I had ever imagined, and the atmosphere and excitement made it all worthwhile. Still, I have to admit you need to be quite a fan, but definitely something that needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime
You can see some pictures from the summer holidays on the following public facebook album:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29510&l=1d47f&id=500254325
And well, now back to work and daily routine I started working last week, with the office half empty and not too much work to do. Now people are coming back from holidays and activity is gearing up again. So lets see what future project comes. We are already in September and the year is going by quicly… lets try and make something out of what’s next!
Cheers!