We were invited to Nintendo Wii U Experience NYC, to learn more about (and play with!) the new Wii U home console, which introduces the Wii...

We were invited to Nintendo Wii U Experience NYC, to learn more about (and play with!) the new Wii U home console, which introduces the Wii U GamePad, a controller with a 6.2-inch touch screen.

Note: I was invited as media to Nintendo Wii U Experience NYC. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

In addition to the 6.2-inch touch screen and dual analog sticks, the Wii U GamePad also includes traditional buttons for gaming and the ability to function as a TV remote. Users can change channels or adjust the sound, whether they are playing games or just watching TV. Players can move games from the TV to the GamePad. Different players can enjoy different experiences in the same game, depending on which controller they opt to use.

Also, Nintendo is working with Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube to bring video experiences to Wii U that will take advantage of the integrated second-screen experience.

With so many cool features of course my son was ready to test it out. Learning how to use the touch screen was a breeze. After a basic lesson on where to aim and how to shoot his ninja stars my son was racking up the points.



Not only did we get major hands on time with the Wii U GamePad but we also were able to play some of the new games including Nintendo Land, Super Mario Bros., Pikmin, Wii Fit (actually he just stood on the board, I was the one who played the game), Sing and Just Dance 4

My (our?) favorite of the bunch were Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U

• Nintendo Land, a Wii U game set in a virtual theme park with a dozen attractions inspired by fan-favorite Nintendo franchises such as The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong. Nintendo Land used the GamePad to bring new life to a range of single-player and multiplayer experiences.
  
  Nintendo Land introduces new dynamic of asymmetric game play, where the images being displayed on the GamePad are entirely different than what is seen on the TV. This creates a completely new cooperative and competitive opportunities and enables novice and advanced players to enjoy games together and not be forced to play above or below their skill level.

• New Super Mario Bros. U is a new side-scrolling adventure that introduces new transformations for Mario and the ability for players to play as their Mii characters. The game also introduces the new Boost Mode, which can be used to add blocks, to help players avoid enemies, enable Mario to discover secrets or allow multiple players working together to perform a speed run in record time.

As I watched my son, I was really impressed that you can play games so many different ways using the Wii U GamePad. No changing controllers!



After all that serious game playing and research it was time for us to have some fun. During our tour of the event my son made some friends and they led us to the fun time game....Just Dance 4!



I wasn't sure if my son could follow along but he amazed me. Not only did he catch on learning the dance moves quickly but he danced better then me!



After a while I was too tired to keep up and let him dance his little heart out, till it was time for us to leave. Clearly I need to look into getting the Wii U GamePad and a few games for him....and myself.

Learn more about the Wii U experience, visit - www.e3.nintendo.com

Learn about Nintendo, visit - www.nintendo.com

After attending the Techlicious mom blogger tour and panel during the CE Week Expo, I continued with the group for an exclusive lunch with H...

After attending the Techlicious mom blogger tour and panel during the CE Week Expo, I continued with the group for an exclusive lunch with HTC at BLT Fish.

Please Note: I was invited as media to the Techlicious and HTC lunch. I received a gift bag after the event that included the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for review purposes. Views expressed are always 100% my own.



As I got ready to hear the presentations, I enjoyed a yummy meal of Salmon, followed by rich delicious chocolate cake and ice cream. Sorry I didn't get a photo of the BLT Cheddar & Chive Biscuits (ate those quickly). Those biscuits are SO good!


Since everyone in the group was given a phone to check out during the lunch, I also got a first look at the soon to be release HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE. It didn't take me long to start checking out the features of the phone like the camera, video and social media apps. I was curious to see how this phone could stand up to tweeting, facebooking and living a dual life online and offline.

I was thinking about this when I saw one of slides in the presentation highlighting this same exact point. The slide was titled Problem Solving with Your Phone and highlighted how

In a given month, cell phone users (46% smartphone):

• 41% coordinate a meeting or get-together.
• 30% decide whether to visit a business.
• 27% get information to help settle an argument.
• 23% look up a score of a sporting event.
• 20% Check for up-to-the-minute traffic or public transit information.
  

19% have used their phone to get help in an emergency situation.

I can certainly agree with those stats. In so many ways people are living with their smartphones and need them to do more then just make a call or a take a photo. The next generation of smart phone needs to multitask!

During the presentations it was highlighted that the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE gives an intuitive user experience

• Simplified home screen and integrated functions
• Sync personal and work calendar so it's in one place
• Widgets can be added to home screen for current information access
• HTC Video Pic allows you to shoot video and take photos at the same time
• Facebook for HTC Sense allows you to upload photos to a specific album as well as tag them.
  

After learning so much about the HTC Droid Incredible, I was excited to hear the group could take devices home for review.


For the past week, I've used the HTC Droid Incredible in a variety of ways from taking photos, being on social media and even editing videos.

After doing a bit of research I learned that the device has changed compared to the original model. To start the HTC Droid Incredible uses Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and includes 4G LTE connectivity for use on Verizon Wireless’s 4G network. Also the soft-touch plastic cases is a bit more bulky and has groves, which gives the device a nice firm grip

So how was my user experience? I was impressed with the ability to easily add widgets, surf online and edit photos and video. During my research I learned that you can shoot HD video and take still photos at the same time but I never did learn how. Still, the editing software was smooth and nice. It saves time to be able to take a photo/video, edit and then upload to share all within the same device.

A few things I noticed and wish were better was the keyboard screen. It seemed a bit cluttered and finding what I needed to type quickly took a few moments longer then I wanted. Same thing for some of the menu screens. Some of them had so many options it took a bit longer to set up what I needed and get on with using the device.

But overall the phone offers a lot of features and functions for everyday use including

Lifestyle features:

• Authentic Sound: Beats Audio™, an enhanced auto tuning technology that allows users to hear music the way the artist intended. Beats Audio is incorporated across the entire experience for richer, more authentic sound and whether watching a video or playing a game.

• Read Later: Active readers who are constantly on-the-go can use the Read Later feature to save online content, such as news articles and website pages, to view later, even when they are offline.

• Android Beam: Allows you to share YouTube videos, Google Maps locations and more with others faster and easier. Android Beam is as simple as tapping two compatible phones together for users to instantly share information.

Additional features

• 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash, BSI, f/2.2 and 28 mm lens
• Front-facing camera for video chatting with friends and family
• 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
• Mobile Hotspot-capable to share a 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Support for up to 32 GB microSD™ memory card

The DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE by HTC is available in Verizon Wireless stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com