Hasta La Gadget!

Even though most of us are enjoying a holiday break and our favorite TV shows are too, there’s still a few things worth checking out this week. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

The Room
Touted as “one of the worst films ever made,” Tommy Wiseau’s The Room is one of the few movies being released on Blu-ray this week. Whether you consider it as an intentional comedy or one of the most poorly crafted efforts at a drama of all time, it is not a movie you should watch…unless you love bad movies. Check out the trailer after the break for a taste, the full HD experience (according to an interview, the filmmaker shot it entirely both in film and digitally in HD because he couldn’t make a decision) will cost more than thirty bucks.
($31.99 on Amazon)

Bowl Games
You name it, there’s a bowl sponsored by it. If your college football team hasn’t played in a bowl yet, there’s a good chance they will this week, and it will be on ESPN, check the listings below for the list of games and times. Of course, until the BCS games start these matchups don’t have a lot of pull, but if you just want to see your favorite team one more time, these will have to do.

Continue reading Must See HDTV (December 25th – 30th)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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More than a few of us are getting phones and tablets as gifts this year, and Gameloft wants to be there the moment we’re hunting for new apps to feed our devices. Accordingly, the developer has slashed the price on many of its recent games to 99 cents during the holidays, even including better-known titles like Asphalt 7 and Dark Knight Rises. Not surprisingly, the discounting doesn’t include Modern Combat 4 and a few other releases — there have to be profit-makers left somewhere, after all — but it’s a huge break for those who want a few starter titles and aren’t concerned about always having the latest and greatest. Both Android and iOS gamers can splurge at the source links.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile

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Via: Android Police

Source: App Store, Google Play

If you were wondering whether or not the ZTE Grand X would cross the oceans to launch in the US, there’s a good chance the mystery is over. An unusually detailed FCC filing has uncovered a V970T variant that’s destined for T-Mobile USA, complete with the carrier branding, Wi-Fi calling and AWS-based 3G data to match. Other details of the Android 4.0 phone are lacking despite the presence of a manual, although the V970 edition we’ve seen elsewhere runs on a dual-core, 1GHz MediaTek MT6577 chip alongside the more familiar 4.3-inch screen and 5-megapixel rear camera. T-Mobile’s release plan is about all that’s left to ponder; knowing the entry-level components, though, any possible launch should come with a low price tag.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: FCC

Adding a little dash of YouTube magic to your Android apps should be simple affair right? Well, historically, not entirely. That’s all set to change though, now that the long-promised Android YouTube Player API has finally been set loose in the wild. This means developers can access some new tools that should bring the ubiquitous video service snuggly inside any app that wants to use it. This includes high-quality playback for devices running Android 2.2 and above, easier integration there-of due to a change in how to call the videos, full screen and orientation mode support, closed captions display, support for YouTube ads and the ability to program most elements of the playback experience natively within your app. The tools have already been put to use by some partners who got early access, including one of our favourite social feed-readers Flipboard. Full details and tools at the source, or slide past the break for Google developers video showing it in action.

Continue reading YouTube Player API for Android opens for all, brings seamless app integration (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Via: Android Central

Source: YouTube API blog

Samsung’s ATIV S has only just started trickling out into the marketplace, but Canadians will be happy to know they’re some of the first to get their feet wet: Bell, Rogers and Telus have all made the Windows Phone 8 headliner available from today. We’re seeing a wild variety in pricing that doesn’t often happen with smartphones, however. Bell is offering the phone for $100 on a lengthy 3-year contract, but the amount drops to a momentary $80 at Rogers and just $30 at Telus’ discounted price. Landing the ATIV S off-contract either costs $600 (at Bell and Rogers) or $650 on Telus. Locals shouldn’t count on a walk-in purchase when there’s talk at MobileSyrup of tight supply; they’ll likely still be glad when they at least have the chance a week or more before their British counterparts.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: MobileSyrup

Source: Bell, Rogers, Telus