OUYA following mobile model: 'There will be a new OUYA every year'

There will be a new OUYA next year, and the year after that, unlike the traditional game console model, where new hardware ships in five- to seven-year generational increments. "Our strategy is very much similar to the mobile strategy," OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman told us in an interview this afternoon, following her DICE 2013 speech. "There will be a new OUYA every year. There will be an OUYA 2 and an OUYA 3," she added. One potentially featuring the recently revealed Tegra 4, perhaps, rather than the Tegra 3 powering the first units? It sure sounds like it. "We'll take advantage of faster, better processors, take advantage of prices falling. So if we can get more than 8GB of Flash in our box, we will," she explained.

But don't fret, nervous game buyer. Uhrman assured us that "all the games will be backward compatible" going forward. When pushed on how this will work, she said, "The games will be tied to you, the gamer," (like Steam is now) rather than tying your game licenses to the hardware you purchased (like, say, Nintendo's Wii U).

The first OUYA, set to launch for Kickstarter backers this March and at retail in June, comes with a quad-core A9 Tegra 3 that's been maxed out to 1.6GHz. Uhrman pointed out that, because of OUYA's home console form factor (which plugs into a wall, rather than relying on a tiny battery), the console will be, "the best Tegra 3 device on the market." It also doesn't hurt that OUYA's working directly with the Tegra 3's manufacturer, NVIDIA. She said that NVIDIA has a group of folks dedicated solely to getting the chip driving the OUYA to run at its highest capacity ever. We'll find out what that means when we get our hands on the console later this year. Should you like to hear more from Julie Uhrman ahead of that launch, she'll be speaking at Engadget's Expand event this March. Grab your tickets right here!

More Coverage: Joystiq

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By: Unknown On 9:59 PM

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Is There a Touchable Windows 8 Laptop For You?

If you?ve played around a bit with Windows 8, you know it?s just one of those things that needs to be touched. A mouse is okay, a trackpad gets by, but don?t-call-it-Metro begs to be touched. The live tiles and lengthy Start screen are designed for just that, and nothing else truly satisfies.

While manufacturers haven?t exactly flooded the market with touch-enabled laptops, there are some good options out there already. Expect a crush of touchable Windows 8 machines at CES early next year, but for those shopping this holiday, we have cherry picked the best touch-enabled, Windows 8 laptops.

Because the market has yet to be saturated, each manufacturer seems to have chosen a specific kind of consumer to chase. That means, for the manufacturer agnostic, it?s likely that there is a solid choice for your usage case. Whether you need something basic to poke and prod at, or require a sleek and specced-out Ultrabook, someone?s got you covered.

Asus is targeting the dollar conscious this holiday season with their new family of Vivobooks. Their Q200, S400 and S500 Ultrabooks start at $499, $599 and $649. Individually, those touchable screens are 11.6, 14.1 and 15.6 inches. Those initial prices net users an i3 processor that is upgradeable to the i5 and i7. The Vivobook family takes its cues from Asus? successful Zenbook, but forgets to bring along the 1080p screen and SSD. These omissions are forgivable, considering the price these Ultrabooks arrive at.

Sony?s T13 Ultrabook starts off at $769 at 13.3 and 14.1 inches. The T13 has an understated aesthetic that is only accented by sharp corners on the palmrest and lid. While the jury is out on how comfortable those corners are, they help the machine cut a rather dashing figure.

The reasonable starting price can quickly leap north of $1000. The T13 is a very upgradeable machine. The aluminum clad Ultrabook can be kitted with an i7 processor, a half-terabyte SSD, 8GB of RAM and a Microsoft Signature-like clean install of Windows 8 that Sony calls Fresh Start. That does kick the price up a bit, to the tune of $2069. That?s a pricey laptop with a 1366x768 display.

That?s where the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart comes in. This 15.6 inch machine will launch in December at a hefty $1399, but its spec sheet is mighty impressive. The screen resolution is 1920x1080. HP?s pre-order site for the computer indicates that the base model will come equipped with an i7.

The Spectre XT includes all of HP?s goodies for its prized line of top-end computers like a 2-year warranty and full copies of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. This will also be HP?s first machine with a Thunderbolt port.

Speaking of ports, the Spectre XT clocks in with a pair of 3.0 USB?s, supported by one 2.0. Like many of HP?s products these days, the Ultrabook is equipped with Beats Audio. The all-aluminum and magnesium body of the machine is alarmingly attractive, as well.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a fairly standard Ultrabook by specs alone. Two things set this PC apart, its name and the reason it has that name. The Yoga?s hinge allows the screen to bend all the way backwards, enabling a range of form factors that simply weren?t possible (or useful) before. It?s easy to see that bending the hinge all the way back and using the Yoga as a tablet would have drawbacks. The user would end up holding the keyboard as the ?back? of the tablet. Not to mention that a 13-inch tablet may not be so easy on the wrists. The other usage case, the tee-pee case, leaves the 1600x900 screen in a stable place that would be perfectly angled for movie watching or playing Fruit Ninja.

The IdeaPad Yoga 13 starts at $999 with an i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and an 128GB SSD. It is upgradeable to an i7 for the power hungry. An 11-inch model is coming soon, but will run Windows RT, leaving it outside the criteria for this list.

The Dell XPS 12 is expensive. It starts at $1199, but packs specs to match. The i5 processor inside is backed by 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and a 12.5-inch 1080p panel. The XPS 12?s real trick harks back to Dell?s Inspiron Duo from 2010. The screen flips inside the hinge, turning the PC into a veritable tablet on demand. What was a neat trick for the Atom powered and Windows 7 equipped Duo is a real asset for the XPS 12 and Windows 8. In truth, this was very nearly your reporter?s next laptop. The deal breaker was the lack of SD card reader.

Hewlett-Packard has a third take on how to draw extra utility out of the laptop form factor. Their Envy x2 is an 11.6-inch laptop that looks like a classed-up netbook. Indeed, it runs the latest of Intel?s Atom processor, so the similarities are more than skin deep. The screen is a mixed bag. It?s IPS quality, but only clocks in at 1366x768. The screen?s real appeal is that it detaches. This laptop truly converts to a tablet, letting you leave the keyboard behind. Like other tablets, the x2 even packs an (8MP) rear-camera.

As you would imagine, the x2 is plenty thin and light at .76 inches and a hair over three pounds. The dual batteries of both the tablet and the base promise great battery life, even if HP hasn?t shared their rating yet. It also remains to be seen how well the Atom-based PC will perform in the Windows 8 environment. The x2 will launch in December at $849.

Asus VivoBook Q200 - $499
Display: 11.6-inch, 1366x768
Processor: Intel Core i3
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: 4Gb
Storage: 500GB HDD, 5400RPM
Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN
SD Reader: Yes
Dimensions: 11.9x7.8x0.85 inch, 3.08lb

Sony Vaio T13 - $769
Display: 13-inch, 1366x768
Processor: Intel Core i3
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 320GB HDD, 32GB Hybrid Drive
Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet
SD Reader: Yes
Dimensions: 12.7x8.9x.7 inch, 3.4lb

HP Envy Spectre XT TouchSmart - $1399
(Launches in December)
Display: 15.6-inch, 1920x1080
Processor: Intel Core i7
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: Standard model unannounced
Storage: Standard model unannounced
Ports: 2 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, Thunderbolt, HDMI, Ethernet
SD Reader: Yes
Dimensions: .7 inch thick, 4.77 Ib

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 - $999
Display: 13-inch, 1600x900
Processor: Intel Core i3
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB SSD
Ports: 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, HDMI, Ethernet
SD Reader: Yes
Dimensions: 13.1x8.9x.67 inch, 3.4lb

Dell XPS 12 - $1199
Display: 12.5-inch, 1920x1080
Processor: Intel Core i5
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB SSD
Ports: 2 USB 3.0, Mini-Display Port
SD Reader: No
Dimensions: 12.48x8.46x.79 inch, 3.35lb

HP Envy x2: $849
(Launches in December)
Display: 11.6-inch, 1366x768
Processor: Intel Atom Z2760
GPU: Intel HD 4000
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 64GB SSD
Ports: 2 USB 2.0, HDMI
SD Reader: Yes
Dimensions: 11.93x8.12x.76 inch, 3.11lb

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By: Dilusha On 9:34 PM

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There's a Class Action Lawsuit Against Instagram Because of Course There Is

This story will display in ...Dec 24, 2012 2:26 PM  

Because it's the holidays and people will sue anything and everything is horrible, a California Instagram user has filed a class action lawsuit over that terms of service kerfuffle last week. Needless to say, this is dumb.

While Instagram likely overreached by claiming it could receive compensation by selling your photos for companies who may want to advertise with them, it quickly recanted. Not only that, but the terms of service that users took such issue with never even had a chance to go into effect.

So why the suit? Because Instagram is still insisting that it might—heavens forbid—show you ads. And if you decide to leave the service over it, you forfeit all your old photos.

Let's be clear about one thing: there's no way this lawsuit goes anywhere. At all. Instagram is a company, not a public utility. Serving you ads is the only way it can make money. It's the price you pay for all those fancy filters. If you don't like it, leave. The end. [Reuters]

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By: Dilusha On 4:13 PM

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Are There Any Side Effects of Masturbation?

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The most common "side effects" of masturbation are ejaculation (mostly among men, but sometimes among women); relief of boredom; fun; pleasure; relief of tension; easier time falling asleep; relaxation; and general happiness. No, you are not going to go blind.

Depending on how one masturbates, these "side effects" are also possible: monthly credit card fees, lube on one's keyboard, drained vibrator batteries, a cucumber that should not be served to visiting houseguests, or ejaculate stains on the wall that, in the future, some investigative reporter will shine a blacklight on to demonstrate to viewers everywhere that hotels are places where people have S-E-X.

In the very rare case that you are particularly rough with your own genitals, you might be a little sore.

Be gentle with them for a few days and they should return to normal (if not, see a healthcare provider). Also in the very rare case that you insert an object into your anus and it goes too far up into the rectum, then you may have to go to the emergency room to have it safely retrieved by a doctor. This often comes with a side effect of embarrassment, but it need not – sexual pleasure and masturbation are normal parts of being human. Your X-Ray may be published (anonymously, of course) in a medical journal with a description of how the doctor creatively figured out how to get the ______ (light bulb, salad tongs, beer bottle, snake; and yes these are all from real publications) safely out of your body.

What side effects will NOT happen as a result of masturbation?

• You will not grow hair on your palms.
• You will not go blind or look excessively old.
• You will not gain or lose weight.

Finally, one potential positive effect: there's mixed evidence as to whether or not regular masturbation in one's 20s and 30s decreases risk of prostate cancer later in life, but some research points in that direction.

Dr. Debby Herbenick, author of Sex Made Easy and Great In Bed, is the Co-Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Public Health-Bloomington at Indiana University (IU) where she is a Research Scientist. She is also a sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction where she writes (and hosts audio podcasts of) the Kinsey Confidential column and coordinates educational programming. She has a PhD in Health Behavior from IU, a Master's degree in Public Health Education (also from IU) and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, she is certified as a Sexuality Educator from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

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By: Dilusha On 2:45 PM

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