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AOL Daily Finance app raises the bar for iPhone investment tools
The Finance section of the App Store does feature some heavy-hitters (Bloomberg, ATM Hunter) and some fairly weak beer too. A lot of these apps are unitaskers, particularly when it comes to stock quotes and charting. For a full-featured and free investment information portal, and a strong competitor to the Bloomberg iPhone app, you may want to try the newly-released AOL Daily Finance, powered by the dailyfinance.com site. The first key feature to note is the free real-time equity quote service, provided from the BATS Exchange; major exchange (NYSE & Nasdaq) quotes are delayed, though. You can quote individual symbols or watch your entire portfolio with ease, whether you enter it on the device or link to your existing lineup under your AOL or AIM screenname; up to 25 separate portfolios can be managed. You can also view up-to-the-minute financial and market news from the AP and other sources. The other standout feature of this app is its comprehensive charting support. Clicking the chart button on an equity page brings up a straightforward chart, but rotate your device into landscape mode and you're in a Cover Flow-esque lineup of all the charts in your portfolio. Double-tap a chart to access a full suite of advanced comparison options (vs. markets, vs. peers, seasonality, showing events like earnings & splits, and custom symbol comparisons). Holding down a finger on a single-line chart enables a crosshair cursor that lets you see the specific data for any point on the chart. All the functions are intuitive and easy to use; the charts are cached so you can see most of your data even if your device is disconnected from WiFi or cell service. If you're of a mind to keep an eye on the markets while you're on the move, you may find this app has the tools you're looking for. Check out the gallery below for a few screenshots. %Gallery-50309% Editor's Note: TUAW's parent company Weblogs, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL.
The HDTVs of CES 2009
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/The_HDTVs_of_CES_2009_HUGE_chart'; It's easy to see that a whole slew of new HDTVs were introduced to the world at CES, but actually keeping up with 'em is another thing entirely. In an effort to make sure you aren't duped into thinking that set you're about to buy is actually a CES '09-announced set, we've laid out the entire line of newcomers (ones that'll actually see store shelves -- we avoided the concepts to save you some grief) just past the break, complete with scheduled release dates and prices where applicable. Nah, you won't find any big screen OLEDs in there (maybe next year, kids), but there's plenty of Hz, pixels and inches to go around.
PlayStation press release breaks down the real price of consoles
SCEA has just sent out a press release detailing what readers of this blog already know. Although PS3 is an expensive machine, it's a better value than the other competing systems. In a press release called "Keeping Entertainment Simple," the company showed this chart showing all the things you get in the PS3 that you can't in other systems. Yes, it's a biased chart, but it's the kind of information that SCEA should spread in the first place. Imagine if they put this info in a retail store? Perhaps more consumers would think kindly of Sony's black box.
Wii clinches bronze in console usage stakes
The white coats at Nielsen have been at it again, analysing our gaming lives and charting the consoles we use most. Unlike the Nielsen study we posted about previously, this one takes into account pre-Wii/PS3/Xbox 360 platforms. This means that the PS2 stormed to a predictable, convincing victory: 30.2% of "all measured console minutes" were dedicated to Sony's nine-year-old machine. Despite its smaller user base, the Xbox 360 was second with 18.3%, while the Wii came third with 13.5% -- high enough, we feel, to put any no-doubt-hilarious Wii/dust jokes to rest. Excellently, the GameCube is following the PS3 more closely than you'd think. A quick disclaimer before you scuttle past the break to see the data in full: these numbers cover January to October 2008, there's no word on whether non-U.S. gamers were surveyed, and handhelds aren't mentioned, though are presumably bracketed in the "Others" category. Multiple console owners who are richer than us: how closely do your own habits follow this pattern?
NoA VP spins some software sales for us all
Nintendo of America's VP of Marketing, Denise Kaigler, wants to let us all know software sales on the Wii are better than any other console on the market. How does she know this? Why, the fancy chart above, we assume. It's not like she tracked all of this information down herself. In short, this story can be summed up as so: Nintendo rocks, everyone else not so much.Joystiq posed a good question though: what happens when Wii Play and first-party games are taken out? We bet the chart would look pretty different, to be honest.
Nintendo spins false assumptions on software sales
Nintendo gave GameDaily a chart to show that the assumption of low software sales for Wii are incorrect. Nintendo's Denise Kaigler wanted to set the "record straight" that the company is "selling third-party games and they are doing very well, and better than [Nintendo's] competitors." That is a very impressive chart. What we want to know is what happens when two things are taken out of that chart: first-party titles and -- way more importantly in Nintendo's case -- a little piece of "software" called Wii Play. After doing those two things the chart may look the same, it may look totally different, but we'll be sure to post the comparison when we get it.Update: Third-party chart now up.
Across the land, Wiis are being neglected
Consumer research bods Nielsen recently set out to answer mind-poppingly important questions such as: just how long did an average play session on the Wii last for somebody in North America between the ages of 10 and 26? The results suggest that we should all be paying a little more attention to our poor, neglected Wiis.While Nintendo's platform enjoys a decent share of gamers' overall gaming time, the rest of Nielsen's statistics paint a damning picture. The Wii lags behind the Xbox 360 and PS3 in both the "average number of sessions a day" and "average usage days per month" (disgraceful commitment there from the over-26 demographic) sections.The average Wii session also doesn't last as long as those on its two rivals, though no wonder with all of those required installations and ridiculously protracted cut-scenes, amirite? What's that? We're just being sore losers? Fine. Whatever.
Wii Fit vs. Let's Yoga
If you happen to also follow our shenanigans over at DS Fanboy, you might have noticed the yogathon we just wrapped up, courtesy of Let's Yoga, a DS yoga trainer. With the release of Wii Fit, we've now got a great opportunity to compare two entirely different games that include yoga lessons. Five years ago, did you think you'd see that on a gaming site? Viable exergaming options -- we never thought we'd see the day. But how do the two titles stack up to one another? Check out our handy comparison chart, available after the break.%Gallery-4745%
Super Chart Bros. Brawl
This just in: Super Smash Bros. Brawl sold a lot. That's an observation that is neither new or particularly exciting, but put it in graph form and Brawl's phenomenal success is capable of wowing us all over again.At first glance, we presumed those blue bars represented the first month sales of all three Smash games in the U.S. But no: those are lifetime sales of Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee respectively, while the red bar is Brawl's first month sales. That's right: in its opening month alone, Brawl not only bypassed the lifetime sales of the first title in the franchise, but has already reached 70% of its predecessor's all-time sales. Our flabbers? Consider them gasted.[Update -- incorrect link removed]%Gallery-16727%
Dirt Dog Gaming's Sunwell daily chart
So, by now I'm sure many of you have made your way to the Sunwell and started figuring out the daily quests. You've probably checked out our walkthroughs of the new dailies for Shattrath and the 1st phase of the offensive, and gotten your bearings pretty well. Still, there's a lot of quests to deal with, and it can understandably get a bit boggling sorting through them all. That's where Infamy of Dirt Dog Gaming steps in, with a very handy chart that breaks down all the various phases of the offensive with handy color coding indicating which quests are progressive towards unlocking content. It's definitely a very nicely done resource, and one which should help you plan out your daily runs as you work towards exalted SSO reputation, epic flying mount money, or just unlocking the island completely. Check it out!
Insecticide & Incesticide: How to tell the difference
Having trouble telling the difference between Nirvana's Incesticide album and DS platformer/shooter Insecticide? Afraid that you'll accidentally bring home a 15-year-old CD instead of the hard-boiled detective game? Worry no more!We've put together a handy guide to help you tell these two "alternative" titles apart. Forget about wandering the streets in a daze, unsure which product features rock-out tracks like "Sliver" and "Son of a Gun!" No more embarrassing yourself in front of friends after mentioning an afternoon spent hunting criminal bugs with Kurt Cobain! We promise you'll never again confuse the game with the album or vice versa -- or your money back! Hit the image above for our life-changing chart!%Gallery-3405%See also: Nirvana: Plugged back in and electronicized
Kalgan confirms the Life Tap and Flametongue rollbacks, offers up some Arena numbers
Warlocks rejoice, Kalgan has just officially confirmed that previously mentioned removal of the Lifetap nerf was intentional. While they were originally concerned that Warlocks were still too overly represented in the arenas, he said, a recent downtrend in their numbers convinced them to withdraw the nerfs, at least until the numbers settle down again. He also shared a chart that revealed Blizzard's analysis of the number of a class in each arena type vs. their desired numbers for the 2200+ and 1850 score ranges. The numbers are shown as a percentage by class and team type. A Percentage of 100% means they're at Blizzard's expected representation level. Above that means they outpace it, below means they're below it. We'll show you the charts here after the break.
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/4-2/10
Aside from Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, the best seller for the DS last week was L, the Prologue to Death Note: Rasen no Wana. It's no surprise that this game did well in Japan, as it's based off a popular anime series. It wasn't enough to help the DS overcome the PSP or Wii this week, though, as Brawl and Mobile Suit Gundam kept their respective systems on top easily. Wii: 81,737 PSP: 75,912 Nintendo DS: 60,464 PlayStation 3: 23,985 PlayStation 2: 11,038 Xbox 360: 3,615 The rest is the same story as last week, with After-School Boy managing to stay in the top thirty, and a new Brain Age-like game thrown in. Check after the break to get a look at the software rankings and sales.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/21-1/27
Let's face it: the Japanese sales numbers for the week of 1/21 are just foreplay. What we really want to know is how Super Smash Bros. Brawl did, although rumors are coming in that the game sold a whopping 500,000 copies in its first day. All this hype even catapulted the Wii above the DS in hardware sales last week, according to the numbers released by Famitsu. We think the Wii will hold the top spot in Japan for at least another few weeks, while it basks in Brawl's glory. The Wii may have made a stir in the hardware charts, but all's boring on the software front. Wii Fit shows us its well-toned legs by remaining at the number one spot, and Super Mario Galaxy has fallen out of the top ten once again. Wii Play also slipped a bit, losing some of its former dominance. To see the Japanese hardware and software figures for last week, look no further than after the break.
Advance Wars: Chart of Damage
The hardcore Advance Wars players among you likely already have all this data committed to heart, but for those of you still figuring out which units are the most effective for a given situation, you might want to have a look at this chart, maybe even print it out and laminate it like we have.GameFaqs poster GipFace drew up this informative table listing the amount of damage a specific unit will inflict on another, minus any modifiers (e.g. terrain, unit level, etc.). You can spot some new changes and develop a few useful strategems for Days of Ruin based on the presented data: Infantry does as much damage as a Tank when up against an Anti-Tank you can take down a Fighter with an Anti-Air/Duster combo build more Seaplanes! Remember what Major Adam Steiner used to always say in the BattleTech cartoon: "Information is ammunition!"
Which nuvi is the right nuvi for you?
Yeah, we sure love our charts / tables too, and with Garmin's nüvi lineup now bordering on thoroughly overwhelming, we're glad to see the folks over at NaviGadget doing the dirty work and cranking out "the ultimate nüvi comparison table." Click on for a much easier way to digest the latest outpouring of nüvis, will ya?
Shocker: Amazon's Blu-ray BOGO boosts BD rankings
We know, it's tough to believe, but Amazon's recent Buy 1 Get 1 free offer on Blu-ray titles has skyrocketed a number of BD films to the top of its curiously named DVD rankings. Granted, we saw the exact same thing happen to the red camp just days ago, but just in case the dead horse needed one more thumping, it's pretty safe to say that lowering disc prices will net a hefty gain in sales. At one point earlier today, the entire top ten list consisted of Blu-ray films, and currently, a majority of those positions are still being claimed by BD titles. So before you jump all down the other camp's throat about sales figures, you may want to give the lion's share of credit to lower prices, plain and simple.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
GamePro graphs PS3 and Gamecube sales
GamePro has put together a graph showing the NPD data on Nintendo's Gamecube and PlayStation 3 sales for their first 10 months after launch. The chart shows how in North America the PS3 sold 1.7 million units in its 10 months since launch compared to the GameCube's 2.2 million. Those that have already sent their rage into overdrive see the implication of this graph as the PS3 will "fail" like the Gamecube. Last week it was a 3DO comparison, this week it's the Gamecube. Although one can easily argue that the PS3 is neither.Sure the PS3 started rocky, lost assumed exclusives left and right, and Sony can't seem to craft a solid message to save its life. But the PlayStation is still a strong brand that should be able to rectify itself with a competitive price adjustment and some solid titles creating a base for the gaming console. Hopefully Sony can get that line on the graph to start moving up again. They're in no rush, they've got ten years.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Wii's most popular VC games
Siliconera's Spencer Yip put together the handy-dandy spreadsheet you see above featuring the most popular Wii Virtual Console games, available for review now following the recent Wii update. The list shows Japan on the left and the US on the right. Nobody seems to know how the popularity of these games is determined, after Siliconera made their list, it changed for Wii Fanboy, then again when we checked. Hopefully the system will become clearer in time.Look at all that Mario in the Top 10, with a heavy dose of Link for the US. This will certainly be an interesting chart to watch as more games become available. Maybe it will finally spur Xbox Live Arcade to get one. It would be interesting to know what's popular on XBLA, at least we know it wouldn't be Mario all the way down.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Every Blu-ray statistic you could ever crave
Alright, so these "charts" and "sales figures" that make their way out every so often are decent indicators of which format is on top at any given moment, but if you've ever wanted to delve deeper into the statistics behind Blu-ray, your wish has come true. While we can't imagine how much effort went into creating it, a new website has been launched that details nearly every aspect of Blu-ray imaginable, right down to how much each film grossed at the box office and what percentage of discs sport lossless audio tracks. 'Course, as great as this site is, only one obvious question remains unanswered: who's up for creating an HD DVD counterpart?
