Apple has been popping out iPads every year and we finally managed to get our hands on one. The third generation iPad, called ‘New iPad’, has been on the market for a few months already and we were able to have one for a week to see how good it really is and how different it is compared to previous versions already on the market.

Highs:
-Great screen
-Simple interface
-Excellent network compatibility
-Great web browser

Lows:
-Device can overheat
-Apps take up too much space
-No camera settings
-marginal battery life

The new iPad looks pretty much like the old iPad. It’s got a white or black bezel with a curved metal backing. The tablet still has a sealed-in battery and no ports other than a MicroSIM slot, a standard headphone jack, and an Apple 30-pin dock connector. The screen on the iPad is one of the best that we’ve ever seen. The 2048 x 1536-pixel Retina display helps to create amazing detail for almost any picture and makes looking at the old iPad very hard to do since the old iPad’s graphics will look much more grainier than they ever have before. One area where the new graphics display really is a blessing is on the Ipad’s web browser. Pages load up fast and you can see every detail of the text and pictures which were a bit grainier and harder to read with previous versions of the Ipad.
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We managed to get our hands on a PS Vita for a few days and were able to take the time to review it for this site. The PS Vita is the next generation successor to the PSP (playstation Portable System). The device tries to not only focus on games but also has plenty of cool hardware for taking photos or using the device as an internet browser. Sony is trying to sell the PS Vita as an extension of the PS3 – A device where you can play your PS3 games and then save them and take the game with you on a train or bus and keep playing and keep playing right where you left off before. You can then take the PS Vita and attach it to your PS3 and keep playing the same game on your television as you were doing earlier in the day. Let’s take a look at some of the good and bad things about the new portable device…

Highs:
-OLED screen
-New user interface
-Ability to use Skype
-Touch screen
-Remote play
-SIXAXIS, accelerometers and gyroscopic sensors
-Dual analog sticks

Lows:
-Sony’s own proprietary memory card that doesn’t work in any other device but a PS Vita
-Poor battery life
-Only one screen
-No TV-out functionality
-Buttons are small and cramped

The first thing that stands out with a PS Vita is the screen. The Vita contains a 5” OLED display that has a qHD resolution (960×544). This will help developer’s improve lighting effects in games and help not to lower the frame rate degrade the gaming experience. The Vita uses a touch screen which works decently. There’s no need to have to type text for long periods of time anymore.The user interface has been changed and is no longer using the XMB interface from the PS3. The interface runs smoothly (60fps) but the graphics could be a bit more polished (hopefully they fix this up with a firmware update). One cool feature that the PS Vita can do is take advantage of remote play opportunities with the PS3. Very soon, you will be able to download a PS3 or PS Vita copy if you own the same copy on one of the two devices. This means that you’ll be able to stream PS3 games to your PS Vita for a more portable experience or move a saved PS Vita game to your PS3 and continue the experience at home. Another concept is to be able to use the PS Vita as a touch screen controller when playing games on your PS3 device. So far, there is no game that has taken advantage of these opportunities but it’s definitely something that gaming developers can use to their advantage to make a better gaming experience for all those involved.
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Nintendo has come a long way with their handheld portable devices. Many competitors have tried to outsell Nintendo with flashier graphics, bigger hardware and cooler accessories but Nintendo has still managed to be the #1 selling portable device in North America. The Nintendo DS has been around for a little over 1 year already so we finally decided to review the system after having gotten our hands on one and been able to play it for a bit.

Highs:
-3D graphics
-Ability to enjoy 3D gaming without the need for special glasses.
-Backwards compatible with Nintendo DSi games
-New analog stick is tough and feels comfortable when using it
-Increased screen resolution

Lows:
-Poor photo resolution
-3D graphics
-Top lid is flimsy
-Directional (D-Pad) is out of place
-Poor battery life
-3DS is a little too heavy
-250$ price tag (has since been reduced to 150$)

When we first tried out the 3DS, the first thing we noticed is how much stuff Nintendo has thrown in for free inside the box that they aren’t overcharging you for. You get a 3DS charger, a memory card and some pre-loaded software to take advantage of the 3DS’ sound capabilities and 3D graphics. The other noticeable thing that stands out on the device is the system’s first ever inclusion of an analog stick. The analog stick feels heavy in your hand and moves 360 degrees very easily without too much pressure. Unfortunately, the new analog stick has forced the directional pad to the lower left corner of the device where it feels out of place and uncomfortable to use especially when a large percentage of the 3DS games use the directional pad only.
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We had previously given a shout out to Dominos Pizza for their early journey into the online pizza delivery game. We liked to highlight cool fast food joints with unique ingredients or unique ways of doing innovative things with their business model. While Dominos is the first of many pizza joints to join the world of online food delivery, HOTLIPS pizza is a pioneer in sustainability. HOTLIPS has been a family-owned business making pizzas in Portland, Oregon since 1984. Many of Hot Lips’ ingredients are bought from local farmers and farmers’ markets. Also they make all of their packaging compostable and any waste heat from the ovens at their Pearl District location is used to heat the whole restaurant. In 2005, they began producing fresh fruit sodas and have their own soda brewing operation. In addition, if you live within one mile of any of their four locations, you can expect the delivery person to bring your pizza by bike.

If you live further out, you can expect a trendy electric car (that looks life a golf cart) to drop off your pizzas in style. Their pizzas might be a little more expensive than a national chain but the extra money is helping to pump up local businesses around the region and to help keep the environment clean which to that we say kudos!

You can check out more about this pizza joint over at their website at http://www.hotlipspizza.com

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*Roddy Bottum: Guitar/Vocals,
*Will Schwartz: Guitar/Vocals,
*Lynn Truell: Drums/Backing vocals
*Jone Stebbins: Bass/Backing vocals

Imperial Teen is a San Francisco-based indie pop group. The band features many prominent musicians from other bands such as Faith No more, The Wrecks, and the Dicks. The band’s original name was ‘Star 69’ but had to change the name after a local band from New York City threatened to sue over the trademark of the name. A lot of the band’s lyrics deal with gay/lesbian issues and the band has made this an important issue ever since Roddy Bottum announced that he was gay in 1993. Imperial Teen first gained notice with their debut album, ‘Seasick’, in 1996. The album was popular thanks to the band’s breakout single called ‘You’re One’ and helped the band be listed as Spin magazine’s 4th best album of the year. In 2002, the band needed to change labels after issues arose with Universal Records. The band made the switch to Merge Records and released a third album entitled ‘On’. After a brief hiatus, the band returned on stage at the 2007 South by Southwest music festival. Their fifth studio album,’ Feel the Sound’, was released on January 31, 2012. Furthermore, the band has also released a live album called ‘Live at Maxwell’s’ that came out in 2002.

You can listen to a sample track from their fifth studio album below this article on this site’s web media player.

Image source: http://stereogum.com

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