iOS 9 Released September 16, 2015

Apple fans rejoice, a new era has begun…well, I should say, a new operating system for your personal devices has been released.  iOS 9 is now being offered for download on compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices.  The new update promises a laundry list of improvements for your iDevice including improved battery life, new Siri and Maps features, and compatibility with iPhone 6s features like LivePhoto.

Depending on which Apple device you would like to update, users who had previously installed the most up to date version of iOS can expect to download around 1 GB of data.  Update times will also vary depending on your device.  As an experiment we tried updating a third generation iPad and a iPhone 5s at around the same time.  Both devices initiated their Apple logo update screens at exactly the same moment and we found the iPhone 5s was able to complete the update process a few minutes before the iPad was finished.  Your experience may vary.

Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 Free on Origin Through Origin On The House September 15, 2015

EA is offering one of the greatest RTS games of all time, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2, completely free of charge through Origin On The House.

You will need to download EA’s Origin program on your PC and sign up for an Origin account, but both are completely free.

Like with all games offered through Origin On The House, as long as you download it while it is being offered for free, the game will remain on your Origin account forever.  There’s no telling how long EA is going to offer the game, so get it now while you still can.

World of Final Fantasy TGS 2015 Trailer September 15, 2015

The newest trailer for World of Final Fantasy premiered at TGS 2015. When the game was first revealed at E3 earlier this year, there has been a lot of debate about what kind of game it is expected to be. Without much information about the game available, many pundits believed it would be a free to play title.

Rest assured that is not the case, when this game launches it will be a full priced retail title.  Now let’s take a look at the newest trailer.

World of Final Fantasy is coming in 2016 to PS4 and PS Vita.

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Announced September 9, 2015

Apple just revealed their new flagship smartphones earlier today and they are an evolutionary step ahead of their previous generation.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus may look identical to the current models of iPhone but I can assure you that they are completely different under the screen. The new phones have an entirely new screen which Apple promises is the most durable smartphone screen ever constructed.  The new screen is important because it will support 3DTouch, a new feature for the Apple iPhone, but very similar to the ForceTouch technology used in the Apple Watch.

The new iPhone 6s will also feature a third generation 64-bit A9X processor, an all new 12MP iSight rear camera, and a 5MP FaceTime camera.  Not only are these new cameras featuring improved sensors, they are going to support a new feature called Live Photos, which will literally bring your photos to life every time you do a hard press on them.  This new Live Photo feature will be enabled by default and is compatible with iPadPro, MacBook, and the new Apple TV.

Pricing and storage capacity for all models are identical to the previous generation.  Yes that means that sadly they are still offering a model with only 16GB of storage.  Preorders will start on Saturday, September 12th, and the phones will be released on September 25th, 2015.  iOS 9 will be released for current iPhone owners on September 16th.

Any Android user who would like to migrate their data over from their Android phone to a new iPhone can do so with the help of an app they will be able to download on their Android phone free of charge.

iPadPro Announced September 9, 2015

A brand new line of Apple’s successful iPads are on the horizon, the iPadPro. Weighing in at a screen size of 12.9 inches, it is without a doubt the biggest iPad ever manufactured.

iPadPro is going to be powered by a third generation 64-bit processor, the A9X, make use of the same TouchID feature offered by the iPhone, and offer stereo sound through four discrete speakers.

To complement the iPadPro, Apple announced the Apple Pencil, a custom stylus designed to interact directly with the iPadPro screen, making it an incredible option for aspiring graphic artists.

iPadPro is coming in November. The lowest price model, a 32GB WiFi only model will start at the price of $799 US.  If 32GB isn’t enough for you (trust me, it’s not), a 64GB WiFi only model and a 128GB model with a cellular modem and WiFi support will also be offered.  Apple Pencil will release at a price of $99 US.

Apple Watch OS 2 Release Date September 9, 2015

During their special event earlier today, Apple announced all new features are coming to the Apple Watch including an enhanced health tracking system. These new features are going to be released as a part of the next Watch OS, dubbed Apple Watch OS 2. The best part is, all Apple Watch users will be able to get it.

Apple Watch OS 2 will be available to download on all Apple Watch devices on September 16th, 2015.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster PS4 Patch Notes September 5, 2015

Square Enix has just announced they have released a patch for the PS4 version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.

The patch fixes two problems with the game that players brought to their attention.  The game’s random number generator has been fixed and will enable truly random attacks by enemies during battle. The second fix addresses an issue where the game’s soundtrack would reset after the conclusion of a battle.  Now, any songs playing in the game’s background will resume where it left off after the conclusion of a random battle.

If this all sounds good to you I’m happy to announce the patch is out and you can download the patch to your PS4 right now.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is out now on PS3 and PS4.

Final Fantasy VII Machinabridged Premieres September 3, 2015

While attending ConnectiCon 2015, Princess Angel and I were fortunate enough to attend a panel hosted by TeamFourStar, a comedy group known for producing abridged video series of popular anime online.  During that panel, the group previewed a trailer for their next abridged series, a parody based on the game Final Fantasy VII.

Today, after over a month of waiting, TeamFourStar has finally launched that series online!  Whether you played Final Fantasy VII or not, it is just hilarious.  If you’re like me and couldn’t wait any longer to watch this episode, you can check out the first episode below.

Not enough for you?  No problem.  The second episode has already been published on their official website.  You can watch it here.

TeamFourStar promises that more episodes are on the way. I can’t think of any better way to pass the time while I wait for Square to release Final Fantasy VII on PS4.