Buy what now?

I read constantly on the Internet and my favorite topic is technology. I love to read stories and see pictures of the cool gadgets that are coming soon but waiting is hard and sometimes these mock ups never arrive. Like the auto industry many companies show off products at the big electronics shows only for that futuristic concept to hit the streets as something a little less daring.

This generates lots of hype and that's what Silicon Valley is all about, get the populaces mouths watering and by the time the product hits the street they forget what was promised to begin with. So today I want to talk about a couple of awesome items, gadgets you can run down to Target and purchase right now that won't break the bank.

Released just two months ago in America, the Nintendo 3DS is the latest reiteration of the best selling handheld game system of all time, selling over 4 million units in its first month on the shelves.

The 3DS is not for everyone, although you can browse the Internet it really has only one job and that is playing games. While almost all other gadgets hitting the streets are aimed at filling all of our wants in one package, Nintendo is sticking to a gaming only experience. The selling point however is 3D gaming and without glasses no less.

Owners of Nintendo's previous DS handhelds don't need to spend money to replace their current machines unless they want to experience 3D gaming, I suggest trying the system first at the display kiosks in your local stores. Some people become nauseous looking at 3D images in motion, the 3DS has a slider to lessen the 3D effect or turn it off completely.

It looks like its predecessor the DS lite except for the addition of two rear facing cameras for taking 3D pictures and one front facing camera. There is also a new analog thumb stick and different power button.

Nintendo has announced the 3DS will have Netflix beginning this summer and a deal with AT&T to provide free wifi at over 10,000 locations. The system is surely capable of video chat but as of now there is no word about it from Nintendo, perhaps we will see Skype or something similar in the future.

At $250.00 the Nintendo 3DS is not cheap, rumors are their will be a price drop if sales slow as they have since launch due to the less than impressive amount of games available and functions that won't be active until sometime this summer.

It is an awesome little gadget and provides a true 3D gaming experience, coupled with the ability to stream Netflix and have fun with the 3D cameras as well as future apps that will surely make their way to it. If this all sounds good to you then go for it, if not then save that $250.00 and spend it on something else, maybe the next item I'm going to talk about.



Oh Apple, you guys like Nintendo know how to take something and make it better. I'm not talking about the iPad 2 but the new iPod Touch 4th generation. So whats new? video chat firstly, via Facetime. Yes you can now communicate in real time with an iPod visually and vocally as long as your connected to wifi and your communicating with another iPod, iPhone 4 or iPad 2. You could also opt to use Skype and connect to anyone else using Skype.

If thats not enough to grab your attention they added high def video recording at 720p although the still camera is pretty lame at less than 1 megapixel and no flash. With the available video editing software you can take amazing HD videos and play them back at home or edit on the fly and upload them to YouTube.

As far as processing speed there isn't much difference, they do use a different chip in the new iPod Touch but it runs at the same speed as the 3rd gen but since there was no need for more power as all apps worked smoothly this was obviously not something that needed to be changed.

There are a few other goodies such as a gyroscope for motion gaming and retina display, this is a feature that prevents pixelization which means seamless video in games and movies. The price for all of this Apple goodness? just over $200.00 for the cheapest 8gb model. If all you ever wanted was the previous model to play all those wonderful apps and you don't have a need for the new features then now is the time to grab a used one on eBay or Craigslist.

With all those owners having upgraded over the past few months you can snap one up for $100.00 on eBay or maybe get one for $75.00 like I did locally on Craigslist.

My advice is if you want the ability to video chat either via Facetime with other Apple owners or using Skype or you would love to take HD videos and have a visually more appealing experience on your iPod, then the new iPod Touch is for you. If you don't need or wouldn't use those features and just want the ability to use all of those wonderful apps out there, grab a used iPod Touch and save a hundred bucks for the next cool gadget.

So there you have it, two very cool gadgets. One is made for gaming either in good old 2D or 3D with Netflix, Internet and possibly some as yet to be known surprises. The other can play thousands of games and make use of thousands more apps from Apple as well as take high definition videos and a host of other features. Both are well made and sure to bring enjoyment to almost anyone. Its a tough choice but no matter which way you decide, you win!

Just an afterthought, you could also purchase a used iPhone and use it as an iPod Touch. My sister gave me her old iPhone 3rd Generation because she upgraded to an iPhone 4. I am with Sprint and use an Android but this doesn't mean I can't use it for everything else except phone calls. Simply put the phone in Airplane mode and connect to your wifi and your up and running, you can use any app you want and the phone has a camera whereas anything but the new 4th gen iPod touch does not.

So now I have an Apple to play with and test apps on to review on my blogs, its also always nice to have another gadget to browse the internet with and check emails. I'm looking forward to comparing apps that are available both on Android and Apple. Ok thats it for now I promise, have a wonderful day!