The week in Tech: 5 must-know things
This was a big week for video games, from a new installment of Angry Birds to an unexpected video game fan. Here are the five things you need to know about this week in Tech:
1)Star Wars Invades Angry Birds
Angry Birds are taking on another much-beloved franchise: Star Wars. USA TODAY's Mike Snider took a look at the latest installment in the hit mobile series.
Angry Birds: Star Wars will launch on November 8 with the birds playing all of your favorite characters -- Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Chewbacca. And of course, what would an Angry Birds game be without the pigs? They'll be back playing Darth Vader and Stormtroopers.
Levels in the game will be based on sets from Star Wars films, including Luke's home planet, Tatooine, and the ice planet Hoth. Samples from John Williams' iconic Star Wars music score will appear in the game.
Angry Birds: Star Wars will be available on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows 8. Merchandise related to the game will appear in stores on October 28.
2) Stephen Strasburg helps pitch competitive gaming
Stephen Strasburg is not only an All-Star pitcher for the Washington Nationals -- he's an avid video gamer.
USA TODAY's Mike Snider sat down with the Major League righthander to test-drive Call of Duty:Black Ops II, coming out Nov. 13.
Strasburg is a big fan of the Call of Duty series, saying he and his Nationals teammates would often play during long trips for away games.
He's also a big fan of professional video game competitions, a fast-growing trend with young adults under 35, filled with professional players, big crowds and even bigger rewards. More than 10,000 people watched teams from the U.S., Korea, Taiwan, Europe and Russia compete for $3 million in prizes at USC's Galen Center last weekend.
Video game developers believe online gaming competitions could become a spectator sport as commonplace as a bowling league. Strasburg agrees: "It's pretty amazing to think that you are able to do all of these things against people all over the country, all over the world, for that matter."
3) Slingbox takes on its mobile rivals
You already have access to Hulu, Netflix and many other streaming video services on your computer and your mobile phone. But what if you want to watch local channels on the go?
Sling Media's new hardware could make "anywhere, anytime" TV a reality. Their new Slingbox 500 lets you stream your own TV channels on Android devices, Apple's iOS devices or Windows Phone Sling app for $14.99. Users can watch the channels online for free.
If you want to take TV watching to the next level and have a big screen TV anywhere you go, check out Roku's 3M Streaming Projector. The tiny device projects moving images of up to 120 inches on flat surfaces. It also comes with a Streaming Stick that plugs into the back of the projector and gives users access to over 600 paid and free channels, including Disney and Amazon Instant Video.
Slingbox is available for $299.99 at Slingbox.com, and the 3M Streaming Projector is available for $299 at 3M.com.
4) eBay launches site redesign, Pinterest-like feed
eBay is back and better than ever with a new logo and a big redesign on its website, USA TODAY's Jon Swartz reports. The new site has more white space and larger photos.
Users will now see a Pinterest-like "Feed" on their homepages. The Feed lists brands that users follow and make suggestions for new listings based on their follows and their previous purchases and browsing history.
This update comes just two months after eBay launched Lifestyle Deals, a Groupon-type daily deals service available in major cities like San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
5) Netflix rivalry with Amazon heats up
It seems like Netflix has been coming out with new updates every week, and now we know why -- the video giant sees a credible threat in Amazon.USA TODAY's Scott Martin delved into the growing rivalry between the two media companies.
Amazon is slowly expanding its menu of streaming movies and TV shows available for Prime subscribers, with over 25,000 titles. Netflix is struggling to keep up with a flood of new companies in the video streaming market.
Amazon signed a deal with Epix last month that will give Prime members access to movies that used to be exclusive to Netflix.
Netflix, by comparison, is losing movies and gaining competitors, including HBO and Showtime. Netflix outbid HBO for a new TV series, House of Cards, coming out in February and starring Kevin Spacey. But Netflix lost access to video titles from Starz and most Sony movies earlier this year when their contract expired.
So, is Netflix on the decline? It's hard to say at this point. The company is making a big push for international expansion and region-specific programming. It's also betting on popular TV titles such as Mad Men and new shows such as House of Cards to bring in new customers. However, Netflix has a long road ahead in dealing with its many rivals.