Happy New Year! This week in Tech we took a look at the best video games, apps and other gadgets of 2012 that you should check out in 2013. Here's five things you need to know about the week in Tech:
1) 'Walking Dead' heads USA TODAY's best 2012 video games
Much like the year in movies, 2012 was a year of sequels and returning favorites in the video game world. USA TODAY's Brett Molina, Mike Snider and Marc Saltzman ranked their top 12 video games of 2012 earlier this week.
TV/video game crossover hit The Walking Dead nabbed the top spot on the list. It's a "brilliant interactive adventure" and "an emotionally gripping journey." The rest of the best included strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown and the visually astounding Journey. Last year was also chock-full of sequels, including Halo 4, Assassin's Creed III and Max Payne 3.
2) Games, gadgets and apps help you stay fit and motivated
Is one of your top New Year's resolutions to lose weight or get in shape? Don't sign up for the fanciest, most expensive gym in town. USA TODAY's Marc Saltzman took a look at the best apps, gadgets and games for staying fit (and saving money!).
If you already own a video game system or a smartphone, you're halfway to getting in shape. "Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013" for the Wii U comes with 125 different workouts and a personalized exercise program. For the smartphone, check out Lose It!, a calorie-tracking app that can also calculate the calories in common foods.
3) Talking Your Tech: Jay Mohr
In the old days, comedy was a man, his microphone and a small but captive audience. Today, many comedians (men and women alike!) are reaching out to a wider audience through podcasts. Comedian Jay Mohr talked to USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham about his podcast series, "Mohr Stories," and his new job as the midday host for Fox Sports Radio.
Mohr says his podcast has helped improve his comedy act and draw a bigger crowd at his shows: "The audience knows all your secrets. They know all your best friends; they know all the arguments you've had. It's almost like a tiny book club, in a room with 1,200 people."
But, of course, no big-name personality is without his or her critics. Mohr also shared his thoughts on pesky Internet commenters: "The only real people with free speech anymore are the people who leave comments on the Net. The slogan of the 'Mohr Stories' podcast is put your name on it. You can tell me I suck, but I better see a first and last name."
4) Talking Tech: Evergram leaves video messages for the future
Scientists haven't quite mastered the technology for time travel yet, but we're one step closer with a new video service that sends messages to the future.
Evergram lets users record short video messages into a computer webcam or smartphone camera and select a date for the video to be sent. The Evergram calendar sends the video for you to a friend or family member in an online album on that selected date.
The long-term potential for Evergram raises questions — could you send a message to your kids 20 years in the future? How do we know that these future people would be able to receive your e-mail messages? Would it be creepy if you set up Evergram to send a message to your loved ones after you die?
Our take: Just stick to short-and-sweet messages for your friend's upcoming wedding or retirement party for now. Evergram is in private beta, so you need to request an invitation to try it.
5) Space roundup
USA TODAY's Dan Vergano talked to top astronomers this week about how planets and stars are formed in our solar system and beyond.
A new study reports that a Jupiter-size planet is forming in a nearby solar system. Dust disks around the solar system's star indicate that other huge planets might form near the star in the near future.
Astronomers also released more details about their discovery of "Fermi bubbles" in 2010. These huge 25,000-light-years-tall bubbles give off gamma-ray emitting magnetic fields above and below our Milky Way galaxy.
That might sound like a bunch of astronomy jargon, but what it means is that scientists can now learn more about how stars have formed over the past 10 million years. The bubbles get their size from a region of stars forming at the center of the galaxy, and each bubble is a "phonographic" record of star births at the center of the Milky Way.
Source: http://www.news.theusalinks.com/2013/01/04/the-week-in-tech-5-must-know-things-2/
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