The week in Tech: five must-know things

Julia Ryan, USA TODAY

This video game image released by Activision shows a scene from "Call of Duty: Black Ops II."

'Black Ops II' released to positive reviews
Digital cameras get a facelift
Curiosity rover sends first Mars weather report

This week, we took a look at the video games, phones and other tech gadgets sure to bring in big sales on Black Friday next week. Here's what you need to know about this week in Tech:

1) Review: 'Black Ops II' stays on high ground

Call of Duty is back, with a new installment featuring "the most compelling villain that we have ever seen in Call of Duty history." USA TODAY's Mike Snider played Black Ops II and talked to the creators behind what is sure to be one of the holiday season's biggest purchases.

So who is this bad guy? Raul Menendez is a Nicaraguan drug cartel leader seeking to avenge the death of his sister during a U.S.-led operation in Panama in the mid-'80s.

Snider says Black Ops II improves on its predecessor with better storylines, new weapons and new features in the popular online multiplayer mode.

Between the main Black Ops storyline, the online mode and an expanded Zombies game, fans essentially get three games in one. Snider says Black Ops II is sure to move into "the upper echelon of entertainment properties."

2) Windows Phone 8 worthy rival to Apple, Android

Don't hand the title of "best smartphone" over to Apple's iPhone 5 just yet. USA TODAY's Ed Baig says Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 is a fresh update that rivals other smartphone offerings from Apple and Android.

Baig tested the first two Windows 8 Phones to hit the U.S. market, HTC's Windows Phone 8X and Nokia's Lumia 920. Nokia's "big bruiser of a phone" is a 6.5-ounce device with a 4.5-inch display screen, and HTC's phone is considerably lighter with a 4.3-inch display.

Windows phones are outfitted with a few key components that help the smartphone stand out, including a Rooms feature for private chats and a Kids Corner feature with extensive parental controls.

But what about those tiles? If you've read anything about Windows 8 in the past few weeks, you know that Microsoft created a tile-based touchscreen system for all of its new Windows 8 devices, even desktop computers. On Windows 8 phones, Microsoft lets you adjust the tiles to small, medium or large squares.

If you are looking for a smartphone with a wide selection of apps, be warned: Baig says both Windows phones have "far fewer" app choices than their rivals at Apple and Android.

3) Gift Guide: Digital cameras change to beat smartphones

Camera manufacturers are well aware of the fact that you like to snap photos of your cat on your smartphone and share them with all your Facebook friends. USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham reports that camera makers are struggling to come up with devices that attract more consumers than easy-to-use smartphones with a wide variety of social sharing features.

Here's what to expect from the latest crop of cameras this holiday season:

Digital cameras: Samsung, Nikon, Canon and other top camera makers will roll out Wi-Fi enabled cameras for easy photo sharing

Actioncams: These tiny cams can be attached to surfboards, bike helmets and even dog collars

Mirrorless cameras: These devices ditch the traditional camera viewfinder in favor of an LCD display for photo previews

4) Microsoft Windows 8

Microsoft had a less-than-stellar week, with the departure of its Windows head and a tepid reception to Windows 8.

Steve Sinofsky, president of Windows and Windows Live operations, departed the company Monday, a few weeks after the launch of Windows 8. Microsoft kept mum on Sinofsky's reasons for leaving.

Though Microsoft heavily promoted the launch of Windows 8 for months, it seems many Windows users are hesitant to make the switch. A survey released exclusively to USA TODAY's Byron Acohido says most Windows users know about Windows 8 but have no plans to upgrade in the near future. Even worse news for Microsoft: About 30% of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP users who plan on buying a new computer sometime soon plan on switching to an Apple product.

If you think Microsoft is threatened by their competitors, Android and Apple, think again. As USA TODAY's Scott Martin reports, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called the Android system "a little bit wild ... maybe in a way that's not always in the consumer's best interest." He said Apple products are "high-priced" and "controlled."

5) Winds on Mars swirl over Curiosity

The Curiosity rover's first weather reports from Mars are in: The red planet has dust devils, nighttime temperatures dipping below -130 degrees and fluctuating radiation levels. NASA's rover has been tracking the weather conditions on Mars for more than 90 days.

USA TODAY's Dan Vergano talked to mission scientists about the findings. Good news: The scientists say space travel to Mars will be a possibility sometime in the near future.

Don Hassler of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. said, "It's never been a question of 'can we go to Mars.' It is a question of how can we best protect our astronauts when we get there."

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