The enConnected Team – Page 169

May 19, 2013

The Favs: May 19th

So you’ve had all the family togetherness, awkward dates, spoiled sports stars and overrated high-brow writing you can take this weekend? We’ve compiled The Favs, some of the best connected entertainment stories from this past week to feed your need for intellectual growth short of going back to work tomorrow morning. Some of it’s original reporting, and some of it is the work of others.

Xbox

Is the world ready for an always on Xbox 360 successor?

With the Xbox reveal just two whole days away now, everyone is tripping over themselves to ask the existential questions that they think everyone will be talking about in the lead-up to the next Xbox. This week, GamesRadar took a huge comprehensive look at whether consumers are ready to make the leap to a console that’s always connected to the internet. We’d argue the current Xbox is next to useless without it already, but what do we know? Would We Ready for an Always On Xbox?

Here comes ‘the gamers’?

We’re not exactly thrilled with the constant need of “real gamers” to criticize the dual entertainment nature of the Xbox 360 as if that’s some kind of weakness. In all reality, without entertainment users, the Xbox 360 wouldn’t be anywhere near the success it is today. We won’t rehash the same arguments here. What we will do is clearly acknowledge that The Penny Arcade Report didn’t get our memo. The Next Xbox: What Ben and Andrew Want to See at Microsoft’s Reveal

Culture

Star Trek Into Darkness

We’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for the art of the movie review and there’s nothing that pleases us more than when one of our favorite publications, The A.V. Club, absolutely nails the format while reviewing a Star Trek movie. Sure we’re not fans of the J.J. Abrams universe or anything -we’d argue it’s more of a Star Trek-themed action film, but still. It’s a great review. Don’t forget that you can get behind-the-scenes shorts for free this weekend before heading out to see the movie! Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Windows Phone

The Proliferation of Xenon Flash

We won’t pretend that we’d heard of Xenon flash before Nokia announced that it would be including the technology it’s new Lumia 928 flagship for Verizon. We also won’t pretend like we’re connoisseurs of quality picture taking either. Seriously, we’re terrible. What we will do is encourage you to check the folks at All About Windows Phone‘s in-depth look at what the year might be like for those looking to pick up a Windows Phone with the enhanced flash technology. Perhaps 2013 is the Year of Xenon Flash

The Favs: May 19th

May 18, 2013

Saturday Night @ the Movies: Silver Linings Playbook

We’ll level with you, some of us around the office are complete suckers for a decent feel-good comedy with a cast of quality actors. Case in point, Silver Linings Playbook.

The film, which stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and Julie Stiles is all about redemption.

When Bradley Cooper’s character Pat discusses how he lost it all -his sanity, his wife -you feel for him. You want him to get it together. You almost feel some primordial need jump into the movie’s universe and guide him through life’s trails, just so you’ll be sure that he’ll get there safely. He’s that friend next door who can’t catch a break. In fact, you get the distinct feeling that he’s a stand in for you or someone you know. That if just one more than had went wrong for you at a crucial moment you would be Pat. In that way, he’s a sort of surrogate for us all.

Then he meets Tiffany and for one split second, you’re close to thinking that this is just another one of those romantic comedies when a woman walks into the main character’s life and completely changes his outlook on life. It’s the easy way to end a film of this nature. It’s the singing songs about sharing ending that you’ll be familiar with if you’ve watched more than one episode of Barney and Friends. Instead Jennifer Lawrence shines as a slightly more deceptively ‘off’ character than Cooper’s.

In the end we loved the film as much for what it did do as what it didn’t. This Saturday Night we think you’ll love Silver Linings Playbook too, the film is available for rental in the Xbox Video Store for $4.99, or $12.99 if you’ve already seen it and are just looking to purchase for $12.99.

Saturday Night @ the Movies: Silver Linings Playbook

May 17, 2013

Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone Deal of the Week: Super Monkey Ball 2

What, you haven’t loaded Super Monkey Ball 2 onto your Window Phone device and experienced the sheer awesomeness of trying to roll around in different puzzles in order to get as many bananas as possible? Now you can for cheap with this week’s Xbox LIVE on Window Phone Deal of the Week.

Until next week, Windows Phone users in the United States can pick up Super Monkey Ball 2, with it’s achievements, for just $.99. As with all Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone titles, users can also give them a try before purchasing so, if you find that you like it, you literally have no reason not to get it.

Unless you’re one of those people who think animal cruelty is wrong even in digital form. If that is the case, well we can’t help you there.

Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone Deal of the Week: Super Monkey Ball 2

May 17, 2013

From The Social: The Windows Phone App Myth

Every platform maker is talking about the current number of applications that are available on their platform as if it’s the key to getting more users. To a slight degree, their right to do so, apps are really what separate your platforms from the stragglers.

However, enConnected Social user, Mark Richey, thinks the number is actually less important than the names of the applications you already have, especially in the case of Windows Phone.

What do you think? Are Microsoft and BlackBerry too much emphasis on the total number of applications they have available to users?

From The Social: The Windows Phone App Myth

May 17, 2013

Competitors: Amazon Cloud Player

Amazon is debuting it’s own native Windows application to compliment it’s existing web-browser-based Amazon Cloud Player this week.

Starting immediately users, can download Amazon Cloud Player for PCs and have the application automatically add their music from iTunes, Amazon, and Windows Media Player, -effectively becoming the only application users need no matter where they get their music..

While this isn’t exactly great news for those using Amazon Cloud Player who happen to have Surface RT devices, it’s perfect example of the landscape that Microsoft’s Xbox Music will have to battle with to win over users..

Currently the company has only made the service available on Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 devices. While users can still use an Xbox Music Pass on older Windows machines, they are only able to do so using the Zune Software, currently that software doesn’t allow users to access their cloud music collections.

Microsoft did announce that Xbox Music would be making it’s way to users of other mobile platforms however it has yet to do so eight months later, hopefully we can expect a status update on those applications at the company’s Xbox Revealed event coming up next week.

Competitors: Amazon Cloud Player

May 16, 2013