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NCAA Football 14: An Insider’s Look II

Nazmus Khandaker Games, Techtronica , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EA Sports has continued its trend of virtual collegiate football games with its new NCAA Football 14, set for early release on July 5th & general release July 9th. The 21st version of the virtual collegiate football game holds new features from Ultimate Team playing mode to new “more human-like” animations by players. Ultimate Team mode contains over 1,400 past players to allow the gamer to make the true ultimate team. These players include; Calvin Johnson, Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, Peyton Manning & many more. EA Sports also has a new addition to how they market where to buy from. When buying online through EA Sports they give you an option of which retailer to purchase from but what’s the difference between Target & Amazon or Best Buy & Walmart? Not price, but what Ultimate Team package you receive with the game. Though, with achievements or console points you have the opportunity to purchase the Ultimate Player packages they are included with the game depending on where you buy it. If you’re looking for the ACC Ultimate Team package than you’re going to want to buy from Target. If SEC is your choice than Game Stop is the place for you.

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Game Presentation

Another key feature that EA Sports has zeroed in on is the Presentation side of the game. With a whole new design and more realistic features than ever before they have once again continually innovated the NCAA Football series. Seeing the same intro [just with different team names and colors] was getting old to some users even after the overhaul last year that didn’t fulfill every teams realistic pre-game atmosphere. Now, EA Sports has integrated more real-life sights & sounds into the game. From Georgia Tech’s “Yellow Jacket” chant at kickoff to Jump Around at Camp Randall at the end of the 3rd QTR and the traditional Zombie Nation played at almost every football stadium in the country. One of the biggest complaints EA Sports had was that pre-game festivities took too long, especially in “Play Now” mode. They’ve taken the time of the intros from 2-3 minutes to a more reasonable 30 seconds while still including the traditions of each individual stadium.

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Uniforms

One of the biggest things to consumers of these games are uniforms. Let’s face it, you’re not going to want to play with Oregon’s jerseys from 1990. You want all 500+ combinations of Oregon uniforms from helmet to cleats. Not only does NCAAF 14 include the newest jerseys as of its publishing date, EA Sports promises that users will have updates all through the 2013 football season to ensure their users have access to the best and most recent uniforms. Included in this gameplay update is additions to the the option offense. With over 20 new option styles the realistic level of the game has increased by well over the expected rate. Also one of the more talked about features it the improvement of CPU decision making. A lot of users had complained about pitch times, throwing decisions and other vital decisions being inaccurate in single-player, Heisman level mode so EA Sports has also upped the humanistic features of the CPU.

NCAA14_feature_overview_feature3-athleteDynasty mode is one of the most played modes in NCAA Football and EA Sports expects it to continue that way especially with its improved layout and overall look of recruitment and game layouts. With this new layout comes a new recruitment system called Power Recruiting. With this new system, coaches [user of dynasty] are given 5,000 points each week during the regular season to distribute throughout the targeted recruits. With a cap of 500 points per player per week & a smaller limit on scholarships & visits coaches will have to be much more wiser and make smarter decisions when choosing who and when to recruit.

For more information on NCAA Football 14 including purchase info and more click either link below in sources.

Nike+ Fuelband Review

Nazmus Khandaker Apple, Reviews, Software & Services, Techtronica , , , , , , , , ,

We all have those gadgets we don’t “need” but we feel that they encourage us to do better or they give us a sense of security. The Nike+ FuelBand was given to me for my birthday this year and it’s a really neat device. It shows; fuel points earned, calories burned, current time, steps made, and displays a message when you reach your goal of fuel points for the day.

The device allows you to set a goal via mobile device [Bluetooth] or computer [USB cable] which will come into effect the next calendar day. Once the day begins your Nike Fuel points will reset to 0. Here’s where some trouble may occur. Even though the Fuel Band gives you points for being active and moving around it gives you points for just waving your arm in the air. Though this is a small issue, as long as the user doesn’t intentionally wave his arm around to get more points it should still be an accurate result.

As you obtain more points the lights on the top of the band will increase from left to right showing you a scale model of your goal. [The more lights the closest you are to reaching your goal] Once you reach your goal a message will appear on the device that says “GOAL” and you can enjoy a celebration with the Nike guy [who resembles the old Cingular Wireless person in the logo]. Throughout the day or once every few days you can sync your Fuel Band with your mobile device to view your progress from the time you begin using your device. The battery has lasted me a week at times, which is really convenient. The charger that comes with it [pictured below] is a USB Cable. It has the ability to charge by being connected to a computer or a wall plugin.

Though the design of the product is innovative it’s price is a drawback. Listed at $149.95 on the Apple Store it will put a dent in your wallet. The Nike+ Fuel Band is a great gift for any active person from the age of 13 and up. If you’re trying to improve your daily activity and continuously improve it can be a great encouragement to Just Do It™.

NikeFuelBand-Unboxed-view
Shown Above: Fuel Band Extension, Fuel Band Extension Device, Charging cord, Nike Fuel Band

#AppleProbz & The iPhone #7

Nazmus Khandaker Apple, Hardware & Devices, News, Techtronica , , , , , , , ,

The moment all Apple lovers have been waiting for may be right around the corner. According to the iPhone “experts” we should be expecting the 7th iPhone this Summer since we haven’t seen a new devices since October when the iPad Mini was released. Though Apple is continuously working with its counterparts in Asia on a lower-end [less expensive] iPhone. The device is rumored to be about 4 inches long, have wireless charging [rumors say a patent has been filled concerning wireless charging] and have different colored skins.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”

-Steve Jobs

Many experts are beginning to question the performance of Apple due to their slowness compared to other major electronic companies like Samsung. Samsung is also rumored to be on the verge of releasing their Galaxy S 4 this Summer at a much faster rate than Apple. The Tim Cook lead company is expected to to upgrade the camera and processor for the 7th iPhone but for now those are just rumors. Apple’s stock has also seen a drop due to its extensive time between new product releases. Compared to September 2012, Apple has lost $272.31 in stock value as of April 2013. Apple has usually held their new events to release new devices in March but this year is the first in Techtronica’s being that we have not seen a release. So maybe we’ll be waiting till June for an iPhone 6, iPhone 5 S, The New iPhone or more specifically the 7th Generation iPhone.

Apple: “Sorry China”

Nazmus Khandaker Apple, News, Operating Systems, Techtronica , , , , , , , , ,

Apple CEO, Tim Cook signed a letter of apology to Apple consumers in China which was discovered on Apple’s website Tuesday morning by Techtronica staff. Thanks to Google Translate we were able to find that Apple’s apology consisted of encouraging words to the China version of Apple’s website including,

“We express our sincere apologies for any concerns or misunderstandings this gives consumers”

The reason this statement was issued by Apple is due to the extensive complaints received by Apple consumers and the Chinese media. Some media outputs have called apple arrogant, selfish and simply care-free about their customer’s post-purchase experience. Another door Apple has opened to its critics is its current warranty for Apple products in China. China requires all producers of electronic devices to have a [minimal] 2 year warranty on all products though Apple’s current policy only covers 1 year. Also included in the letter is a confirmation of the current policy in place for Mac computer motherboards and other major components.

“[We have been able to] provide 2 year warranty for the MacBook Air and Mac computer motherboards and other major components”

Though Chinese consumers are just now seeing this message it will take time for Apple to repair its reputation with its warranties for its Chinese consumers.

“Don’t Piss Off A Radio DJ”: Lil Wayne’s Cell Phone Number Made Public

Nazmus Khandaker News, Techtronica , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you’re in the upstate South Carolina area or in extreme Northeast Georgia [and surrounding areas] you might’ve heard a celebrity’s phone number read over the air. Lil Wayne, [Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.] supposedly had a scheduled an interview with Hot 98.1’s “Shorty”

 

Tweets directed at @RadioShorty were double sided as always, some calling for him to be fired and others commemorating him for his stand against Wayne’s cancelation. According to his Twitter page, Shorty is back on the radio today though he had a meeting concerning the number being given out earlier in the day. Though it’s being broadcasted as a real event, since it was April 1st we cannot currently determine whether or not this is April Fools or a real occurrence.

The $100 Facebook Message to Mark Zuckerberg

Nazmus Khandaker Techtronica , , , , , , , ,
Credit: Facebook, CNN Tech
Credit: Facebook, CNN Tech

What’s the best way to stop spammers? Well, that’s simple just add a $100 fee for every Facebook executive you plan on messaging and you’ll find yourself with a pretty good plan. At least, that’s Facebook’s new strategy to help sort out what should go in the black hole “Other” mailbox or go to the user’s actual Inbox. Continue reading →

BCS National Championship: AJ McCarron’s Girlfriend’s Twitter… [Admit it, You’ve looked]

Aside Nazmus Khandaker Techtronica , , , , , , , , , ,

McCarron-Girlfriend

So, what happens when your girlfriend gets her own 15 seconds of fame on National Television and Brent Musburger even comments on her? Well, she’s going to attract guys of all ages first of all, starting with the pre-teen beside her and escalating to thousands of twitter users.  Continue reading →

Snapchat: Does it Really Disappear?

Aside Nazmus Khandaker IT, Security, Privacy, News, Software & Services, Techtronica , , , , , , , , ,

snapchat

If you’ve ever used Snapchat before you’ve most likely known that all media sent and received disappears after the alloted time set by the sender, right? Well, Buzzfeed has found out a hack that allows those recieving to view the videos forever. So how’s this happening? Continue reading →

Instagram “reverting” T.O.S.

Nazmus Khandaker Software & Services, Techtronica , , , , , , , , ,
Instagram is now owned by Facebook.
Instagram is now owned by Facebook.

Instagram received a lot of feedback from their users and independent news groups disagreeing with the new changes that were to be made to their Terms of Service [TOS]. After receiving this heat from their users, Instagram reconsidered the change and released this statement: [quote type=”medium” align=”left”] “Because of the feedback we have heard from you, we are reverting this advertising section to the original version that has been in effect since we launched the service in October 2010” [/quote] Continue reading →

NCAA Football 13: Game Review

Aside Nazmus Khandaker Games, Reviews, Techtronica , , , , , , , , ,

EAS-NCAA13-EASST-blog2

 

 

Continuing my previous posts of; “NCAA Football 13: Innovation or Needed Renovation?” and “NCAA Football 2013: An Insider’s Look” I’ve decided to do a review after 5 months. NCAAF13 was one of the most anticipated releases of the year and in my opinion one of the largest changes users have seen since the gaming industry released their first High-Definition game. Some of the positives about the game include the new commentating featured by Kirk Herbstreit and Brad Nessler, live recorded in-game sounds for more realistic gaming, exact stadium layouts, and more. Continue reading →

Anonymous Account Suspended on Twitter

Aside Nazmus Khandaker News, Software & Services, Techtronica , , , , , ,

 

5 Days ago Twitter suspended the regularly used account by Anonymous [@YourAnonNews]. Though Anonymous occasionally [okay maybe regularly] violates Twitter’s T.O.S. but this is the first time we’ve reported on a suspension. Soon after, Anonymous released this tweet from their backup account:YANbackup-suspensionONanon

When media sources contacted Twitter for a comment they had this to say;

[quote type=”large” align=”left”] “We don’t comment on individual accounts for privacy reasons. [/quote]

Though Anonymous did use their backup account to communicate to a small percentage of their supporters and followers this could have potentially hurt Anonymous’s ability to communicate to their 826,000+ followers on their @YourAnonNews Account compared to the 25,000 followers on their YANBackup account. Some said that Twitter was asking for it by suspending the account since Anonymous is known for causing mayhem on websites they don’t find quality in.

As of 12/24 Twitter has re-activated the account and Anonymous is back to their daily routine. Anonymous has not negatively commented about the incident on their main Twitter account yet but activity is back to a normal pace.

NRA’s silence on the WWW

Aside Nazmus Khandaker IT, Security, Privacy, News, Techtronica , , , , , ,

NRA-techtronicaBefore beginning this post I’d like to personally express my condolences for those involved [in any way] with the tragedy that struck the town of Newtown, Connecticut. One of the highly discussed topics during these difficult times is the statements of different organizations against “unnecessary” gun limitations and the ones that believe they are necessary. As of late, the NRA [National Rifle Association] has gone into hibernation on the WWW. This story has made headlines on both CNN & USA so far and continues to become a more talked about subject. Continue reading →

Once in a Lifetime Minute

Aside Nazmus Khandaker Education, News, Techtronica , , ,

Today, we all have a once in a lifetime minute. For all of us, this will be the final time we will have a number repeating across the board in both time and date. 12/12/12 12:12 The next time this will takes place will be in 3001 so for us this will be our final time seeing this. Snapshot it! Maybe you will have the opportunity to show it to others in 20 years. Also, we’d like to extend our thoughts and condolences to those involved in the mall shooting in Oregon.

Be looking out for some more changes here at Techtronica as we introduce new writers, staff in an effort to better your web experience!

NCAA Football 13: Innovation or Needed Renovation?

Aside Nazmus Khandaker Games, Techtronica , , , , , , , ,

About 4 months ago we released an article called: “NCAA Football 2013: An Insider’s Look”. As many of you know, this game was released on July 10, 2012 and there’s been a lot of talk about it. This game has grabbed the attention [as it always does] of football fans, players, and fanatics from all over the nation. EA Sports has improved the game in many different ways including improving their attention to team traditions, crowd chants, crowd noise, stadium layouts, throwing patterns, and many other key features in a creating a quality football gaming experience. Continue reading →

Viacom vs. DirecTV: “DTV May Have Won This Battle”

Aside Nazmus Khandaker Uncategorized , , , , , ,
The 9 day blackout effected around 20 million DirecTV customers.

On July 10th Viacom blacked out its channels on DirecTV causing many to jump program providers, but is this dispute over? This all started when [allegedly] Viacom wanted to hike DirecTV customer’s prices which would “cause a  Friday, DirecTV customers blackout’s ended and programming resumed as normal. Though in the Friday morning press release the financial terms weren’t released the estimated price hikes are around 55 cents a month per customer. Earlier this Friday, Viacom said that they were “extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DirecTV subscribers”.

Throughout this “healing” process both DirecTV and Viacom threw heavy punches punches at each other in an attempt to persuade their viewers that it was the opposing company that initially caused the blackout. At the bottom of this article you’ll be able to see one of the Viacom posts that was pointed at the DirecTV dispute.

CNN Tech Analyst Jeff Kagan made this comment “The problem is customers want and expect a decrease in price and are continually disappointed,” -“The industry may be preparing to go through a big transformation over the next few years just like the wireless industry did with Apple and Google.”