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Making the change from iPhone to Android as easy as possible

Is iOS starting to feel a bit stale for your taste? It's something I'm hearing more and more as I talk to iOS users, or former iOS users. With some amazing Android phones hitting the market, it's tough not to get caught checking out the competition -- or even feeling a bit compelled to make the jump to Android.

But before you make the change, there are some kinks that need to be worked out to make the process go as smoothly as possible. You likely have contacts, a calendar, photos, and music that you'll want … Read more

Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection confirmed

The rumor was right. Konami today confirmed Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection, slating the comprehensive PlayStation 3-exclusive bundle to arrive this June. The company did not specify a price.

Game designer Hideo Kojima teased the project last week, revealing an image of the game's box art. In addition, the Korean Game Ratings board had published an entry for the bundle.

Read more of "Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection confirmed" at GameSpot.

Art reveals the lengthy history of video game controllers

The next time you mash buttons on a video game controller, keep in mind that there's more than half a century of innovation behind the venerable input device.

To remind you of this fact, Pop Chart Lab's eye-catching poster, titled "The Evolution of Video Game Controllers," sheds light on the incredible technological progression of controller hardware. You'll probably never again see more joysticks, knobs, and buttons in one place -- well, unless you're hanging around CNET producer Stephen Beacham's retro video game console patch bay.… Read more

PlayTube Free 1 Review

The standard YouTube application doesn't offer the ability to create a playlist for automatic playback. Fortunately PlayTube Free offers this function as well as a few more that make it a fairly valuable download for YouTube fanatics all over the world.

The setup for PlayTube Free requires no time at all. Once the app has been installed it opens to a simple user interface. With a black background and crisp white text, the menu is easy to read and navigate. The main menu allows the user to search for new videos, browse favorites, check out the history, or playback … Read more

Galaxy S4 Group Play makes sharing easier (hands-on)

Sharing is a big part of Samsung's products (just think of all those ads in recent months, like the one with a woman giving her husband a secret video). Now the Korean electronics giant is taking that a step further with the Galaxy S4's improved Group Play.

Galaxy S3 users will recognize this as the feature that lets them share documents and photos with others in close range. I recently got some hands-on time with Group Play on the S4 and found some nice updates to the program. In particular, future S4 owners can share music and games … Read more

iPlayBook Hockey Free 5.018 Review

If you've ever seen a hockey coach's playbook, you know that he's carrying around a lot of plays and notes on a relatively unsecure format -- paper. For that reason, there have been multiple attempts to take playbooks into the 21st century with a digital format. One of the most recent such attempts is iPlayBook Hockey Free. With numerous menus, pre-designed plays, recording features, and playback and share buttons, iPlayBook is a solid playbook app for the iPad, even if it is a little cluttered.

The app, itself, is straightforward, but the interface does have a lot … Read more

iPlayBook Football Free 5.019 Review

Football is arguably the most complex sport on the planet. It's often more like a 60-minute chess match than an active sport, with each coach trying to outmaneuver and outsmart their opponent. iPlaybook Football is designed to take the age-old art of playbooks and defensive/offensive play design and bring it into the 21st century with a dynamic, digital app.

The interface is on the cluttered side, largely due to the number of features and options, but that's also what makes it such a powerful tool for coaches. Although the app is fairly easy to use, you should … Read more

iFileExplorer HD 5.19 Review

There are quite a few file transfer tools on the App Store. The concept is simple and the technology makes the execution easy enough. Enter a URL on your computer's browser and you can access your iPhone or iPad while the app is open. You can then move files back and forth with relative ease. In these core functions, iFileExplorer HD performs very well. The load time is near instant, the transfer speed is fast, and file access is simple.

However, iFileExplorer HD goes above and beyond similar apps with additional features that make it well worth your attention. … Read more

Building the world of The Last of Us

Naughty Dog's series of developer diaries for The Last of Us aren't exactly coming thick and fast (the last one appeared a bit over a month ago), but they certainly are worth the wait.

This video deals with the environments of The Last of Us. The game envisions a setting in which the near-demise of humanity has given nature time to reclaim the world around it. Verdant, lush plant life contrasts with decayed, fallen cities.

The video provides an interesting look at the transition from concept art to gameplay, as well as how the correct use of lighting can help a game seem more real. … Read more