Opinion - SlashGear

‘opinion’ Stories

Columns

Yes, It Really Is Time For Sony to Ditch TVs

Don Reisinger, Nov 12th 2011 Discuss [103]

Over the last several months, there has been an increasingly bitter debate surrounding Sony’s decision to keep its television business. There are some folks that say the time has come for Sony, which has watched its market share continue to trail far behind the leaders of the pack, Samsung and Vizio, finally spin off the operation. Sony, on the other hand, has argued that such a strategy makes little sense, and what it needs to do now is hunker down and turn things around.

Oh, how wrong Sony is.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Modern Warfare 3 Is What’s Wrong With the Game Business

Don Reisinger, Nov 10th 2011 Discuss [165]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is on store shelves. And as expected, it has proven wildly popular around the world. Even better for Activision, the game’s publisher, it was able to succeed just weeks after its chief competitor, Battlefield 3, hit store shelves. As with previous years, Modern Warfare 3’s success is being touted as an entertainment industry marvel. And the vast majority of industry critics have given it high marks, thanks to its outstanding visuals, solid gameplay, and top-notch multiplayer experience.

But I, for one, am not happy to see Modern Warfare 3 succeed. In fact, I think the game is what’s wrong with the gaming industry.

Read The Full Story

Columns

I Don’t Need to See Apple’s Television to Know I’ll Buy It

Don Reisinger, Nov 9th 2011 Discuss [80]

If you’ve been following Apple lately, you know that the prospect of the company launching a television has come up quite often, due to Steve Jobs discussing the device in an interview before his death. Subsequent reports on the television suggest Apple is currently hard at work on the set for an eventual launch late next year or early 2013.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Why I’m Excited By the Apple-Google Rivalry

Don Reisinger, Nov 6th 2011 Discuss [34]

If I were to look around the technology space, I can’t find a single rivalry that is becoming more bitter than the one between Apple and Google. From cloud-based services to mobile operating systems to advertising, the companies are engaged in a war that could last for years.

Read The Full Story

Columns

How We Can Get Along, Even Though You’re Wrong

Philip Berne, Nov 2nd 2011 Discuss [9]

It’s hard to imagine how we can all get along. Whether in the tech world, in the political arena, in love, and in the clash of different cultures. It’s hard, because you are so wrong. You are so very wrong. I know what I’m talking about. I used your device for years, and now I switched, because I’m smarter than you are. I was one of the first to use it. I told everyone. I’ve been telling people all along. I told you. I told my mother. She didn’t listen, and now look what she’s stuck with. You didn’t listen, because you just don’t get it.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Will An Apple Television Hurt Google TV?

Don Reisinger, Oct 29th 2011 Discuss [107]

Google TV 2.0 has launched with support for applications, an improved interface, and a host of other features that most of wished we could have seen in the first version of the software. But at least we have it now. And for those of us who love to be entertained in the living room, it’s something we’ll at least try out.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Nokia World 2011: The US Perspective

Vincent Nguyen, Oct 28th 2011 Discuss [11]

This week was a big one in mobile, plus I lost my virginity. Nokia World 2011 took place in London, my first time at the show, with the company revealing the Windows Phone handsets its bet the farm on. We’ve covered the event in previous years here on SlashGear, but for the first time it felt like there was some relevance in what Nokia was doing to the US market. I’ve left the UK, and the show, with plenty of unanswered questions and mixed opinions about Nokia – and Windows Phone – moving forward.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Sony Just Bought Its Future

Chris Davies, Oct 27th 2011 Discuss [12]

Sony, with a $1.47bn check, just bought back its destiny. In agreeing to buy out Ericsson’s 50-percent stake in the Sony Ericsson smartphone partnership, the Japanese company brings to an end a decade of collaboration; more importantly, though, it buys the opportunity for Sony to come up to speed with its rivals and – if it leverages its strengths correctly – overtake Samsung, LG and even Apple in the consumer electronics market. “We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions” CEO Howard Stringer promised in the announcement, “that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment.” Big words, but Sony is one of the few companies that could ever deliver on them.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Can We Finally Stop Predicting the Death of Game Consoles?

Don Reisinger, Oct 22nd 2011 Discuss [32]

As I’ve said here before, I’m an avid gamer, and I’ve owned just about every game console that has hit store shelves. And each device — yes, even the 3DO — I have been impressed and entertained with in one way or another.

So, when I hear industry experts or veterans talk about the death of game consoles, I can’t help but get a little upset. After all, consoles have been a key part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Read The Full Story

Columns

I’ll Never Ditch Netflix (And You Shouldn’t Either)

Don Reisinger, Oct 20th 2011 Discuss [44]

Just yesterday, I was listening to the radio and before the DJ introduced the next song, he got into a discussion about Netflix with his co-host. They were discussing the company’s streaming library and said that based on what they’ve found, it’s filled with old movies and in many cases, television shows they’ll never want to watch.

Based on that, they said, they had decided to save their $7.99 per month and end their Netflix subscriptions.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Siri, can you make me dump Android?

Chris Davies, Oct 17th 2011 Discuss [92]

Until now I’ve been inured to the iPhone’s charms. iOS has its strengths, but – barring three months of iPhone 3G ownership – Android has always been my daily driver. My dedication to Google wavered, though, when Apple unveiled Siri on the iPhone 4S: not just voice recognition, but the promise of the first real artificial intelligence (AI) on a mobile platform. Was Siri really as good as Apple made out – and as Vincent found it to be in our iPhone 4S review – and more importantly could it wean me off Android? I grabbed a 4S to find out.

Read The Full Story

Columns

Is There A Quick Fix For Nintendo?

Don Reisinger, Oct 16th 2011 Discuss [57]

If you’ve been paying attention to the monthly sales reports from research firm NPD, you know that Nintendo is having some trouble. The game company, which not long ago dominated the gaming space, is now an after-thought for many consumers. And in turn, the company’s financial performance is slipping.