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Today we're going to look at a set of factors which will play into your decision to get Google Stadia as a Christmas (or any other holiday) gift this holiday season. I've decided to use Christmas in this example because it's what I celebrate in late December each year with the giving of the gifts and the gluttony of the foods. Google Stadia is an interesting proposition for Christmas because it offers both good and bad possibilities for both Christmas Day and the person for whom you'll be grabbing said gift.

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There's an event today on Steam that celebrates the passing out-of-Beta of the Steam Remote Play Together system. This system was in public Beta testing for "roughly one month" and is already ready to roll for users - and now works for iOS and Android devices, too. The Steam Sale today focuses on games that work with the Remote Play Together system.

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When this Google Stadia Review was first posted, the service hadn't yet formally launched. Google sent the Founders Package to a set of sources that got an early look and were invited to review the game streaming system before the official Google Stadia release date of November 19, 2019. As such, we gave the service an early once-over review with what we'd experienced thus far. As the service evolves, we'll be updating this review accordingly - so stay tuned!

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Cloud-powered game streaming is really nothing new but Google's announcement of its Stadia service put the technology back in the headlines. It won't be alone, though as Microsoft is gearing up to launch its own Project xCloud service and you can bet Sony's PlayStation won't be far behind. With some big names getting their feet wet in this still tiny game streaming market, it might not be surprising to hear that Valve may soon make its own play with something called Steam Cloud Gaming.

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While users can still upload Original Quality media to Google Photos with the Pixel 4 - and other devices - the unlimited storage bit does not apply. This is not the first time Google's removed the original major selling point of the Pixel lineup - it's just the first time it's come as a sort of a miniature shock. The first time this happened, it was with the Pixel 3a.

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CEATEC 2019 is underway in Japan and more than just the usual tech trade show, the event has an underlying theme that promotes a rather idyllic and ambitious vision of the future. That is what Japan's Society 5.0 is trying to push, a society that harmonizes cyberspace and real space for the enrichment not just of individuals but of the entire society as well. That future relies heavily on technologies like the cloud and AI and, unsurprisingly, Microsoft is making a big push for its Intelligent Cloud and Intelligent Edge to power the future IoT-centric world.

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You've heard of Web 2.0 and perhaps even the Web 3.0 that browser maker Opera loves talking about. But have you ever heard of Society 5.0, much less the previous versions that came before it? No, it's not a hot new piece of software but Japan's trendy label for what historians often refer to as "ages". With Society 5.0, the Japanese government and companies are working together to put developments in technology, especially in AI and automation, at the service of improving human society and evolving civilization as a whole.

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For all the benefits that cloud-based game streaming may promise, it will live and fall by one word: latency. Beholden to Internet connections and distance from Google's data servers, Stadia may end up becoming something only a few will be able to enjoy. Like with any problem, however, Google is solving this problem with some machine learning and AI which it dubs as "negative latency". And if that works well, Google Stadia may indeed be faster than any local PC or console until those reach Star Trek-like FTL speeds.

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Cloud file storage is often presented as a collaborative tool but it can also be used for keeping personal backups of files you want to access any time, anywhere, and on any device. Sometimes, however, those files may require the utmost secrecy and security, perhaps far more than the usual security measures these cloud services implement. That's where Microsoft's OneDrive Personal Vault comes in, which was launched in June with limited scope. Now the company is making it available for all though you might have to take note of some limitations before investing in it.

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Game streaming is touted to be the inevitable and unavoidable future of commercial gaming but, for that to work seamlessly, a reliable and fast Internet connection is required. That is why it makes sense for game streaming platform developers to make sure they have favorable partnerships with network operators and that's exactly what Microsoft is doing in South Korea with its deal with SK Telecom that will, in turn, make the country the first gaming market to experience its promise of xCloud game streaming.

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At its pre-Gamescom interview with Gamespot, Microsoft Xbox head Phil Spencer had a lot to say about the company's focus for the future of Xbox gaming. Naturally, one of the biggest points of interests has been Project xCloud game streaming. Specifically, there has been rumors about an Xbox "Lite" that eschews the expensive hardware in lieu of streaming games. That may sound almost dreamy but that may now remain a dream as Spencer insists they aren't working on such a console just yet.

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Earlier today I happened upon the Android app called Photo Map. This app was developed by Levion Software, and it seems to deliver exactly the service it intended to provide. Much like a similar iPhone/iOS feature that's been in play for several years, this "Photo Map" app creates a lovely spread of photos the user took and uploaded to Google Photos. For that, it's a great piece of work, and the developer deserves their accolades. What I did not expect was that this app would remind me to check my email at exactly the right moment - the moment Google would deliver a foreboding message.

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