Tech News This Week – Ouya, Apple, Xbox One, and more

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   OUYA

  Ouya video game console goes on sale this week for a modest $99 along with a free-to-try library of about 150 games. Crowdfunded and built on the Android platform, the Ouya is meant to really change the way games are developed and marketed. Easy to set-up and fun to play with intuitive controls and a tiny cube console, statements from the company state that although this will definitely compete for your attention in the upcoming months as Xbox One and PS4 ramp up marketing efforts for the holidays, founder Julie Uhrman formerly on IGN says that this “customizable, hackable” console should act as a companion or secondary system for gamers who already have “commitments” to the other major consoles. The Ouya features an open eco-system which will definitely create a platform big name and independent developers alike to test the waters with perhaps more experimental titles. The Ouya will come with acces to Flixster and radio service TuneIn, giving this tiny console entree into being your living room entertainment hub perhaps competing against Apple TV and making a play for Xbox One’s entertainment system play. Check out the full article on the Reuters site: Ouya’s $99 videogame console challenges pricier Xbox, PlayStation

  Also set to release this year are Nvidia’s Shield, recently lowered to $299 and BlueStacks’ GamePop which will but run Android games.

  APPLE

  Apple stocks take a tumble. This morning Apple  stock traded below the $400 mark, the lowest it’s been since it hit all time high of $705 per share after the release of the iPhone 5. This slight dip may reflect an investor perception that Apple does not have a breakthrough product up its virtual sleeve, despite the MacPro announcement at the WWDC. Right now we’re in a wait-and-see moment, but more news about the iPhone 5S and iPodTouch and new iPads may quiet the doubters. See the full article on Mashable: Apple Stock Falls Back Below $400

  

  XBOX ONE

  Amid torrents of negative press around the restrictions that Microsoft was imposing on its customers who buy games for the recently announced Xbox One, the company made a rare “apology” of sorts. Gone are the restrictions on reselling used games, sharing games with friends, and regional locks. Also gone is the necessity for a customer’s Xbox One to always be connected. Here’s the retraction on the Xbox One blog: Your Feedback Matter

  Hopefully that news will let customers get back to comparing what they get vs. what they don’t get when purchasing and Xbox One.

  Check out our selection, watch the demos, and see what’s next for Xbox One products and video games: Xbox One on Walmart.com.