My new article for Que, Kinect’s Evolution: Then versus Now, has now been posted. In it, I discuss a brief history of Microsoft's Kinect and some of its latest uses. Finally, our new book, My Xbox: Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE, is now targeted for a February 2012 release, in order to incorporate all the latest and greatest information on the platform.

My new article for Que, Xbox 360 Fall 2011 Dashboard Update Features and Expectations, has now been posted. If you still haven't read about all the new features coming to the Xbox 360 with the pending update, then be sure to check it out. If you're in the beta program, the update should hit within the next few days, with a wide release for all Xbox 360 owners expected within the next several months. Finally, our new book, My Xbox: Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE, is now targeted for a February 2012 release, in order to incorporate all the latest and greatest information on the platform.

Here's a famous quote that sums up the reaction to yesterday's surprise announcement by HP to stop supporting webOS, and, by extension, the TouchPad tablet, as well as get out of the PC business, courtesy of the classic 1968 film, The Planet of the Apes: "YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! OH, DAMN YOU! GODDAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!". We all knew that Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker was a software guy, we just didn't realize that meant he'd pull the rug out from under consumers and do a dramatic IBM-style business shift. At least we can still buy their printers, right? ... Anyone?

This affects me personally, because I was working on TouchPad For Dummies, which would have been my third book for 2011, to go along with the recently released, Motorola ATRIX For Dummies, and the upcoming, My Xbox: Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE. While these events are much bigger than me and others will be affected far more dramatically, I thought I would still give my personal impressions, starting first with a little background on the book stuff, some discussion of the TouchPad itself, and then get a bit more into an analysis of the present situation within the industry.

My co-author and best selling Dummies author Dan Gookin discusses the Motrola ATRIX 4G and our soon-to-be-released book from Wiley, Motorola ATRIX For Dummies:

I'm happy to announce that there will be a third new book from the Armchair Arcade team in 2011, this one entitled, TouchPad For Dummies, which will begin production shortly after the HP TouchPad's official release July 1, for an anticipated November 2011 retail availability. This will be written by me and Christina Loguidice, and joins our other book, My Xbox: Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE, which is well underway, as well as Motorola ATRIX For Dummies, which I wrote with Dan Gookin and will see release in August. Of course, Matt Barton and I are still in production on Gameplay: The Story of the Videogame Revolution, from Lux Digital Pictures.

I can't announce any specifics as of yet, but Christina and I are also in negotiations for two Nintendo books, one of which might be written this year. If either of those deals happen, we'll of course let everyone know. Here are the Amazon links to all of the Armchair Arcade team's books to date:
      

As you already know, after completion of Motorola ATRIX For Dummies, which comes out in July, I'm now knee-deep with Christina in writing and developing My Xbox: Kinect, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE, which comes out in October. The "My" series books are extremely colorful and visually oriented, with some of the chapters we've written thus far having more than 50 images (in fact, one has 73!). I thought I would briefly share how the development process works from the author side, with some accompanying visuals.

Publisher Wiley has made available an interesting PDF ebook done in their inimitable For Dummies format detailing the 20 year history of the popular series. As you know, both Christina and I worked on Wii Fitness For Dummies, which was released in 2010, and I'm presently at work with For Dummies pioneer Dan Gookin on Motorola Atrix 4G For Dummies, which is due out in July of this year. Even though I've been a For Dummies author for some time now, there were many interesting factoids in the PDF that even I wasn't aware of. If you have any interest in how the series and industry has evolved in those 20 years, it's well worth checking out.

For all you frequent fliers out there, you might have noticed an article in the March 2011 issue of Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine entitled, Play it Again, Man!. It was written several months back (thank you, print lead time) by Jennifer Nalewicki under advisement from yours truly and my frequent partner-in-crime, Matt Barton. Besides mentioning us and Armchair Arcade, you'll also see a nod to our book, Vintage Games, in the header. While it's not a long piece, it's nice to see something targeted to mainstream audiences like Spirit Magazine is featuring positive videogame content. Check out the print version on your next Southwest Airlines flight or click here for the PDF or here for the decidedly less fun text-only version.

I just finished my live appearance on Don Kurtz's The Static Hour. Give the replay a listen. On his show, we talk about all sorts of things, including the Jets (they won!), videogames, computers, fitness, and family. Don has previously interviewed all sorts of other people, including porn stars, musicians, and our very own, Matt Barton. It's an honor to be included in such a diverse interview pool...