Have You Picked Up Your New Gaming Chair Lately? You May Be Able to Soon

It seems that more and more these days the electronic games we play are becoming too real. And of course that is the purpose of gaming programmers who work to help suspend your belief system and enter the game as if you were actually in it. It's not easy to do that, but anyone who has ever played a video game, computer game, or played in online gaming communities knows it is very easy to get so caught up in the game that you forget the real world.
Perhaps, it is this escapism and altered reality that finds humans so fascinated with such activity. What if I told you there is a way, or there might be a way in the very near future to up your gaming experience, capturing the essence of the sounds and vibrations around you while you are playing? Indeed that sounds pretty good doesn't it? Well, I believe that day is nearly upon us.
There was an interesting article recently in the Wall Street Journal on May 6, 2011. The article was titled "Gyrating at a Theater Near You: D-Box's Moving Movie Seats" by Michelle Kung. The article had a picture of a captain's chair style movie seat, which could thrust forward, move backwards, or produce a sensation which would make the person sitting in the seat feel as if they were falling, in case a main character in the movie was jumping off a cliff or something of that nature.
Such a movie seat might be great for 3-D movies, or IMAX theaters, which apparently is the intended purpose of this new technology. However, it is my opinion that this particular type of seat would be excellent for anyone who was sitting in their living room and enjoying augmented reality gaming on a computer or the television, or both. In fact, I fully expect that in the future there will be more augmented reality features and equipment going along with the gaming sector.
It would be terrific for World of Warcraft or other such games, where the operator would feel the explosions as the seat vibrated, or if the gamer was firing some sort of weapon, the seat would vibrate as if they were holding onto a 50 caliber machine gun. Interestingly enough, many of the simulators for the trucking industry, the military, and the aviation sector have seats which are completely integrated into a simulator's computer system.
If you have any comments, questions, and/or concerns regarding the future of augmented reality gaming in your living room, please shoot me an e-mail, and let's talk.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,100 articles was a lot of work - because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off..

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Top Flash Games

Flash games are extremely popular because of their ease of use. Today, flash games are available for smart phones and can also be played online. This is because flash does not require to be downloaded separately and Flash programs can operate from the browsers as well.
Over the years, many games have been created using flash. However, a list of top flash games is given below.
1. Warfare: Warfare is a strategy game and is set in the era of World War II. At the start of the game, the player is provided with an option to either be a German or an American. The mission of the game is to either kill the opponents or to overrun them with the help of troops. Battle and strategy games have been popular among gamers for many years now as these games allow them to use their minds.
2. Batman Games: Batman Games have become very popular after the success of the batman movie series. This is also owed to the recent craze regarding superheroes and their super powers. Many different batman games are available such as Batman Thief Locator, Batman and Batwoman, Batman Hits Joke, Batman Soccer etc. These are all flash games and can be played online while you are free on the weekend.
3. Ben Ten Games: If you have a younger sibling, you must know how popular the Ben Ten cartoons are. Every kid loves Ben Ten and because of its popularity, children also like to play Ben Ten games. These games include Ben 10 Puzzle, Ben 10 Find Me, Ben 10 Wolf, Ben 10 Speedy Runner etc. All these games can be played online if you are in love with the Ben Ten character.
4. Bejeweled: If you are a regular internet user, you must have heard of this game. Bejeweled is a simple game which allows you to use your brain and problem solving skills to the best. It provides the gamers with a visual insight through different colored jewels which need to be aligned in a manner such that all similar colored jewels come together clearing the way for other jewels. It is a simple yet addictive game.
5. Line Rider: Line Rider is another flash game which will test your ingenuity. The game will be best for you if you have always liked to design roller coasters or make sleigh hills.
Keeping in mind these top flash games, the next time you feel bored, just search for any of these games and start playing online. They will provide you the best entertainment.

Are you a fan of the batman games or you love Benten games, you can find these and many more on our Gaming sites.

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3 Things You Ought To Know When Buying The Best Gaming HDTV

Are you into gaming? Who would not be fascinated with PSP, PS3, Xbox360 and other games today? Indeed, more and more people are hooked in PC games whether it is a flight simulator or a strategic game. It is because it gives pleasure and enjoyment to gamers.
State of the art games like these provide entertainment to families who play games together. Games also develop one's reflexes and enhance creative thinking. Games are also known to improve language, math skills, problem solving and cognitive skills.
Game playing truly has its share of advantages. On the other hand, there are times when instead of being entertained, people fired up and get frustrated and annoyed if controls are not working, television or monitors are too small and the gadgets are slowing the phase of the game. Do not let these dilemmas happen to you.
If you want to experience pleasure, real excitement and enjoyment buy the necessary gadgets and gaming devices. Consider having an HDTV to bring your game into a whole new level.
HDTV or high-definition television provides unprecedented clarity, unequaled sharpness, high definition sounds and of course it provides wider screen picture which most gamers are dreaming about. HDTV does not only provide high quality sounds and picture but it also will allow you to watch television in higher resolution. HDTV has a digital broadcasting system which is compatible to all broadcasting networks today. A number of home televisions today can sometimes provide poor quality picture because most of the units before have an analog broadcasting system.
Buying an HDTV sometimes can be very overwhelming. You may find yourself having difficulty to choose the best HDTV that will suit your gaming standards and preference. Do not be frustrated. Following are the things you should look out for when opting to buy HDTV.
1. Understanding the HDTV features
Game mode is an essential combination of all features on a unit. It makes playing games an exciting experience. When selecting HDTV, look for these following features:
Input lag: this is the response time of the controller to the screen which is very important to every game. The shorter the response time the better.
Refresh rate: this is the number of times per second the screen updates.
Resolution: the higher the resolution is, the clearer the picture gets.
Contrast: this is the level of granularity which deals with the light and color variance. The higher the contrast ratio is the better.
3D Feature: 3D is gaining popularity today. People have seen 3D movies and since then people are in to it. The same goes in gaming. If you want an ultimate gaming experience, look for this magnificent HDTV feature.
2. Decide whether LED/LCD or Plasma
LED/LCD provides sharper edge making the images sharper, clearer and brighter. It is best for still images but plasma react much to quicker to moving pictures making motion smoother.
3. Size
Size must be appropriate to your space. HDTV is useless if it is too big or too small to your room area. You may ask for the viewing distance range chart to help you choose the appropriate size of HDTV.
Truly, games are fun and exciting. They provide entertainment to kids and families. It offers a number of great benefits too. Games are designed to entertain. It should not be a means to get frustrated. Buy gaming accessories like HDTV. It is recommended for gaming and watching television programs. Consider the things mentioned above when buying HDTV, surely you will find the best one that will suite your needs. Good luck!

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iPad for Travelling

If you are planning to travel, and you want bring all the necessary things you need to keep you company during the trip without hurting your back, try bringing an iPad. iPad is a cool tablet PC that allows you to gain access to computer files or applications that can keep you entertained during your trip. Another the best thing about the iPad is that it's lightweight and compact, perfect for traveling.
When you are going traveling, sometimes you think of bringing some things that can keep you distracted, in case your holiday is not all that awesome or when you just need a little moment for yourself during the trip. Some people choose to take books with them, while some others choose their favorite media playback devices, to kill some time. With the iPad, you can bring all the entertainment you need, and more. Here are some of the exciting things you can do on the iPad:
1. Store and play music, videos, and e-books
Like any other tablet PCs, you can store your favourite music, movies and e-books on your iPad. But what's really cool is that it has applications such as iBook and iTunes. With the iBook app, you can download e-books and read them on your iPad. It is not exactly as small as other e-book reader devices, but it works just as good. With this app, you can even download e-dictionaries and use it when you are traveling abroad. With the iTunes, you can easily download your favourite music and even your favourite TV shows and play them on your iPad as well.
2. Find great activities
If you get bored during your vacation, or if you do not know what to do in your holiday destination, you can try using apps like Loopt Pulse. This application can help you find interesting activities and events around your holiday destination.
3. Find direction
If you travel solo or with a bunch of people who are not familiar with your holiday destination, just use your iPad to find your way around. It comes with a Google Maps app, which works better than normal maps. With it, you can navigate your way around, find public transportation routes, and get travel tips from fellow travelers and Google Maps users.
There are some more great applications that can make your holiday experience more enjoyable. Most of them are free, and you can download them from the Apple App Store directly on your iPad. Just find what you need and grab them.

More to learn about iPad Specs or Android Update, just visit our link!

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7 Tips to Consider When Buying an Inexpensive Notebook Computer

Buying a new inexpensive notebook computer can sometimes be a real challenge. There are so many things you have to consider. You have to make sure you get the best deal for the price that you pay. Also make sure you're not ripped off or overpay for any of the features. This is why I have seven tips and tricks for you to implement when you're buying a new inexpensive notebook computer.
1. Make sure that you don't opt in for the five-year guarantee- yet always seemed like a good option because they say that they will protect your computer if anything happens. This can be useful but most computers can usually go about for years without getting damaged. And as for the five-year guarantee, most people will get tired of their computers in about three years and they will want the latest and greatest technology. So all in all there really is no need for a five-year guarantee. It is just an extra cost and you may never even need it.
2. Ports- Only buy the ones you need. Usually for most people, the only important ones are HDMI, SD card ports and USB. If you go for more than that, they usually cost more money. You may end up paying money for ports you don't even need.
3. Don't fall for the latest and greatest items. They may seem great but they usually way overpriced. For example the older version might be up to $300 cheaper than the new version. Yes I agree the new versions are all cool, but why not stick to the older version and save money, when that's all you really need.
4. Check out the battery life. If the battery life is not all that great and the laptop is very expensive, you know that that is not a good buy. Picture the battery life is good and seems about right for the price.
5. Try to avoid additional accessories when buying an inexpensive notebook computer. Sometimes they will ask you to buy additional mouses or may be WebCam accessories. However most of the time they are not necessary. So if you want inexpensive notebook computers make sure they don't fall for these tricks and end up paying more than you should.
6. Screen Size- You don't need a enormous screen size. Usually up to 15 inches is good enough. Actually in some states, there Is an extra charge for inexpensive notebook computers that are over 15.6 inches. But if that is something you need, by all means, go ahead.
7. Stick to the basic versions. Don't fall for the icing on the cake. If there is an option between Windows home professional and Windows ultimate and the pricing is $200 apart, you should go for the Windows home professional. If you really feel like you'd need Windows ultimate, then buy it separately. Don't pay $200 extra for already installed software.
If you follow those seven tips and tricks, it is a given that you will end up paying much less for your inexpensive notebook computer. Actually, you will be putting money back into your pocket.

Shawn Kirby a professional product reviewer who has reviewed over 100 different types of products in the electronics category. He mainly likes to review Inexpensive Notebook Computers. Click here to view his blog for great information.

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Cloud Computing For Business Applications

Advancements in computer technology have increased performance levels and productivity in businesses of all sizes. Increased data speeds and internet usage in conjunction with larger storage capacities and a diverse lineup of electronic devices have brought about a new era in networking capabilities. On the cutting edge of this technology is cloud computing.
What exactly is cloud computing? Through a service provider, cloud computing is a platform that acts as a remote data center where users can access files and software securely through a multitude of devices wherever there is internet access. It is a solution for businesses and individuals looking for an easy way to store and access media from one device to another and the ability to share that media with other people who have been given access.
The cloud computing network may seem complicated, but it can be used by anyone. It is not necessary for the end user to understand the complexities of the infrastructure involved or the networking system and how it works. The interesting and applicable example for comparison would be electricity, where users have access to the service but don't necessarily understand the systems and the component devices, which provide the service.
It is a model, which provides an environment where networks, applications, and storage can be shared by many users with minimum effort. This requires minimal service provider interaction and makes available the pooled computing sources, which can be shared on-demand. This capability to store information remotely opens many possibilities in small business. Without the need to keep programs and files stored locally, a person can now work from a phone, touch pad, or laptop from anywhere, and share their files with anyone else in the company. Cloud computing can also be used as a remote backup, storing an off-site copy of important documents in case data recovery is necessary for computer repair.
Since cloud computing providers deliver online business applications and IT infrastructures, these services can be used without investing a lot of resources. Especially helpful to small and medium businesses, these services have the potential to stop outsourcing by making in-house tasks more affordable, saving both time and money. Offering low up-front costs, complete customization, and IT support options, cloud computing is becoming a competitor in computer networking for small businesses.
This new platform is still an emerging technology, but will help to create a new generation of products and services. Many large companies are investing resources, building infrastructure and exploring the possibilities of cloud computing as a platform. Products and services that were not previously cost effective or viable options for many businesses will be available through these service providers. Sharing of pooled resources will enable users to build real-time connections, making project collaboration and business partnerships more efficient.
This revolutionary computer networking platform made possible by advancements in computer technology will eventually be commonplace in businesses of all sizes. Cloud computing has had a strong and promising beginning, and will most definitely have a lasting impact on business environment, business practices and productivity.

Penny Lee specializes in providing reliable computer networking support to businesses that want to improve productivity and profitability. With computer repair and IT support that better maps to your business, you'll never have to worry about technology again.

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iOS 5 and iCloud New Features List

Apple officially unveiled the next version of iOS mobile operating system, iOS 5, during the keynote address of WWDC 2011. Unfortunately, iOS 5 is introduced without the much-awaited iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S). Nonetheless, iOS 5 is probably a do or die firmware software upgrade for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which face increased competition from Android phone and tablets, and the upcoming Windows 8.
  


Apple announces that there are more than over 200 new features and 1,000 new APIs been included and added in version 5 to the iOS, the most advanced mobile operating system, though iOS 5 will probably remembered as a watershed version that Apple tries to catch up (read: copying) instead of innovate ahead of rival platforms, where most of the new features are either already built into Android, Blackberry and/or Windows Phone, or already provided by third-party apps.

Highlights of New Features in iOS 5:

1. Notification Center – Android style notification bar is finally coming to iOS platform with the introduction of an unobtrusive way to easily view and manage notifications of text messages, missed calls, calendar alerts, app alerts and all other notifications in one place without interruption. Notification Center can be accessed from anywhere within iOS 5, by swiping from top down. New notification arrived will appear briefly at the top of the screen without interrupting current app’s operation, and user can choose to tap on the alert to go to the notifying app, or “X” to close the notification instantly. Currently, a notification pop-up alert is displayed on the center of screen, which stops the current app briefly until user tap on Close button, or View to go to the notifying app.
2. Lock Screen Enhancement on Notifications – Notifications now appear on the lock screen instead of pop-up alerts which disappear once screen is unlocked. Swiping across the notification (similar to unlock screen but on the line of notification) will take user to the notifying app directly.
3. iMessage – A new messaging service (but not so new as it’s built right into Messages app which means Messages is now iMessage) that lets user easily send text messages, photos, videos and contact information between all iOS devices – iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Messages are sent via Wi-Fi or 3G, and can be sent to single individual or a group. All iMessages are automatically pushed and synced to all your iOS 5 devices. iMessage also features delivery and read receipts, typing indication and secure end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp probably has to go permanently free with iOS 5 release. Luckily iMessage only supports inter-IOS messaging. But we keep wondering why Apple even need to spend time to develop iMessage, as there are plenty of apps under Social Networking category that already provide such messaging capability, with most is cross-platform between iOS, Android, Blackberry and even Windows Phone or Symbian.
4. Newsstand – a new way to purchase and organize your newspaper and magazine subscriptions in bookshelf style.
5. PC Free – Means no connection to iTunes is required to activate and set up iOS device, and iOS software updates are delivered and installed over the air (OTA). It’s interesting to Apple calls the feature “PC Free” instead of “iTunes Free” or “Cable Free”, as currently iTunes on PC or Mac is required, and not PC is required. Goes PC Free may also start the decline of iTunes, in favor of iCloud.
6. OTA Delta Updates – Only differences or changes are been pushed over the air to iOS device, instead of whole update package.
7. Wi-Fi Sync – If you can leave iTunes, Wi-Fi Sync in iOS 5 transfers and backs up the content securely over SSL between iOS devices and iTunes. Any new purchased content is wirelessly synced from device to your iTunes library too.
8. Twitter Integration – Single sign-on with Twitter and iOS 5 supports tweeting directly from Twitter-enabled apps, including Photos, Camera, Safari, YouTube and Maps. User can also sync contacts with Twitter. Third-party apps can take advantage of Twitter integration with availability of new APIs which allow access to Twitter single sign-on information. Unfortunately, there is no Facebook integration, yet – we hope, which proved to be much more popular than Twitter among novice Internet users.
9. Safari Reader in Safari – Finally Apple is tackling one aspect of Safari web browser that renders it virtually usable especially on iPhone and iPod touch, that it’s extremely weak in resizing font on web pages to a readable size in single vertical scroll column. Android’s browser has been excelling in this aspect. Safari Reader is an attempt by Apple to catch up with Android, though Apple markets it nicely as a way to “gets all the clutter out of the way and sets the right font size on a web page, so you can easily scroll and read through a story”.
10. Reading List in Safari – Unlike bookmarks, Reading List saves articles to read later and the list is automatically show up on all your iOS devices.
11. Tabbed Browsing in Safari.
12. Reminders app – A tasks management app that lets user create and group tasks together. Features ability to set time or location-based reminder alerts, priorities and due dates, or when you arrive or depart a given location. Tasks in Reminders can be synced and updated to iCal and Outlook.
13. Instant launch of Camera app from lock screen by double pressing the Home button, and tap on Camera icon beside the unlock bar.
14. Snap button to capture photo – Long overdue feature which uses the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo instead of tapping on snap button on screen.
15. Enhancement to Camera app – Optional grid lines to help line up objects, and a tap will lock focus and exposure settings on one subject, useful when capturing creative scenes that require focus on object which is not a main subject.
16. Enhancement to Photos app – Ability to auto enhance, crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organize your photos into albums right on the device to share them on the go.
17. Split Keyboard – System-wide split keyboard mainly for use on iPad by dragging keyboard with thumb at the top of iPad.
18. Dictionary – iOS 5 will come with a built-in dictionary which can be utilized by all the App Store apps.
19. Game Center enhancement – Features ability to add photos to your profile, purchase new games from within the Game Center app and easier ways to find friends and new games via automatic recommendations.
20. Mail enhancements – Include another long overdue ability to compose messages using draggable address field to rearrange name, and a new formatting bar with bold, italics, underline and indention controls, aka HTML rich text formatted email messages. Also supported is ability to add or delete mail folders from within the Mail app.
21. Calendar enhancements – Year view on iPad and week view on iPhone and iPod touch, with ability to view event attachments from within the Calendar app.
22. New multitasking gestures for iPad, e.g. using four or five fingers, swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar, pinch to return to the Home screen, and swipe left or right to switch between apps.
23. AirPlay Mirroring – wirelessly display iPad 2 screen to HDTV screen through Apple TV.
24. iCloud – The strength of Apple marketing is probably to pack several features into one and keep saying it’s a breakthrough innovation, and the believers accept it without doubt. But kudo to Apple, their approach may be more elegant and easier to use. iCould is a cloud-service seamlessly integrate with your apps to automatically and wirelessly sync and keep all of your mail, contacts, calendars, photos, apps, books, music and more, up-to-date across all iOS devices without ever having to connect to a computer. It inherits all features of the failed Apple MobileMe service, put iTunes Store on the cloud, and has music store that competes with Google Music and Amazon Cloud Player.
    
    
    Here’s breakdown of various iCloud features and offerings:
    
25. Completely free former MobileMe services – Contacts, Calendar and Mail synchronization across all iOS devices and with computers with iCal and Outlook through iTunes 10.3 or newer version. With iCloud, users can share calendars with friends and family, and the ad-free push Mail account is hosted at me.com. No surprise here as PIM synchronization is a must since very early existence of smartphone since Palm and Pocket PC era.
26. App Store and iBookstore allows download of purchased iOS apps and books to up to 10 iDevices at no additional cost. Download is easily accessible after logging in with Apple ID as purchase history is shown with iCloud icon to start the download.
27. iCloud Backup – A feature naturally must available as iTunes is no longer compulsory. iCloud Backiup automatically and securely backs up content on iOS devices to iCloud daily over Wi-Fi when you charge your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Backed up content includes purchased music, apps and books, Camera Roll (photos and videos), device settings and app data. The backed up data can be restored to new iOS device by just entering the Apple ID and password during setup. The function is currently performed by iTunes.
28. iCloud Storage – Offers up to 5GB of free storage to seamlessly store all documents created using iCloud Storage APIs, including Pages, Numbers and Keynote (iWork), and push/sync to user’s all iOS devices. The space is also been used to store mail and backup. But music, apps and books purchased from Apple does not take up the available free space limit even though they’re also stored online at the cloud. With most iOS devices internal storage starts from 16GB to as high as 64GB, additional storage purchase will probably be yet another service that generates huge income for Apple, especially from people who takes a lot of photos and videos, or get music and movie from non-Apple source. Unlimited iTunes storage costs $24.95/year.
29. iCloud Photo Stream – Automatically uploads the photos you take or import on any of your devices and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices and computers. Only the last 1,000 photos are stored on mobile devices, and iCloud will store each photos for 30 days for pushing to all connected devices. Photo Stream is built into the photo apps on all iOS devices, iPhoto on Macs, and saved to the Pictures folder on a PC.
30. iTunes in the Cloud – Allows users to download previously and newly purchased iTunes music to all own iOS devices at no additional cost, manually or automatically. A new “Purchased” tab is included in iTunes for this purpose.
31. iTunes Match – For $24.99 annually, iCloud will scan and match all music stored on local drives against iTunes’ online database of 18 million songs. If any is matched, the songs are replaced with a 256 kbps AAC DRM-free version stored on iCloud. The songs are instantly available on the iCloud without having to upload the complete local music files, and enjoy all benefits similar to music purchased from iTunes. Only unmatched songs are uploaded. But, do you like to be charged double to enjoy music that you’re already owned? Of course, unless you have thousands of illegally downloaded music wanted to be “converted” into legal versions, hosted on iCloud, which probably will become biggest pirated music hosting service. And unfortunate again, iTunes Match and iTunes in the Cloud is for iOS ecosystem. If you also have Android, Blackberry, Nokia Symbian, Windows Phone 7 or other mobile devices, Catch Media’s Play Anywhere, available through Best Buy Music Cloud is a similar service that even preceded iTunes Match.

Many online storage service provider such as Dropbox, Box.net and SugarSync has already provided cloud backup and sync service with added advantage of cross-platform support, though it can’t really integrates with native apps of iOS due to closed system nature of iOS.
Anyway, the good thing of iCloud is bring to an end the costly MobileMe, which priced at $99 yearly subscription. Instead, most of MobileMe original services are now available for free, including Find My iPhone which was made free in 2010. If you have paid up, you can get full refund if your license is used less than 45 days.

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