The team behind the game, High Moon Studios, explains how stoked they were to include these prehistoric robots in the next Transformers game (which looks amazing, by the way):

Um, playing a game as a huge robot T-Rex? Sign me up please. The game hits shelves on 8/28/2012.

Other than writing about technology, working at a game studio has to be one of the coolest jobs ever.

There are quite a few games for iOS that make your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad feel like a pretty hip version of a Game Boy. You don’t play them for hours on end, but they’re good for wasting time now and again. Having said that, calling an iOS device a “gaming console” still feels like a reach. Gaming consoles like XBox and PS3 give you more a lean back experience, meaning you’re probably plopped down on the couch playing them and not touching a screen.

A company called 60Beat aims to change that with the release of its new iOS accessory, the GamePad.

There’s no doubt that gaming consoles are a massive market, with 1.7 million of Microsoft’s Xbox flying off of the shelves last November. I’m actually quite surprised that Apple hasn’t come out with its own controller, but that could very well be something it’s working on for 2012, along with new iPads.

The 60Beat GamePad plugs into the headphone jack of your device, and can only be played with compatible games. Unfortunately, 60Beat only lists two games that are compatible with its GamePad, Aftermath and Bugdom 2. While that might scare you away from its $50 price tag, the company does promise more of a selection by February.

Check out this demo of the GamePad:

As it goes for any device, the library of games compatible with the add-on will make it or break it. If you’re wondering how you’ll be able to hear the sound from the games with the GamePad plugged in, it comes with an audio splitter that will require headphones or an external speaker.

While the GamePad does negate the coolness factor of the touchscreen features on iOS devices, the fact that you can put your slim iPad in a stand on a table and sit back for video game playing is a neat look towards Apple’s future. You can’t put your Xbox in a backpack and easily set it up on the go, can you?

➤ 60Beat GamePad

According to a report by Nielsen, game consoles aren’t just being used to play games anymore; they’re video watching machines too.

A survey in October showed that online video streaming is on the rise for the top three consoles, Microsoft Xbox, Playsation 3, and Nintendo Wii. The Wii is the most popular video game console used for online streaming.

The report shows that 33% of the time spent on the Nintendo Wii goes to video streaming, with the PS3 at 15%, and Xbox at 14%. Those numbers might reflect the demographics that use those consoles, with the Wii being the most family friendly and mainstream.

Video streaming on the three consoles are up 7% since 2010, and all of these numbers show that consoles aren’t just for gaming, and that people are spending more and more time on them.

We recently reported the complete user interface overhaul on the Xbox, which proves that Microsoft is predicting that the console is a focus point in the living room. Popular services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and ESPN3 allow for a seamless viewing experience that doesn’t require switching the console off and cable TV on.

These trends aren’t going to slow down either, because fast internet is commonplace in the home, especially for serious gamers.

People always tend to find a more powerful and meaningful way to use technology than it was originally intended for. Microsoft has noticed that its Xbox Kinect systems were becoming popular among those in the military, and their families back home.

The Kinect is a perfect system not only for fun, but for real-time video communication. Microsoft has decided to donate 380 Xbox Kinect sytems to military bases, partnering up with the USO.

The systems will be available for use by families living in military bases to connect with their loved ones overseas. It’s an amazing usage for a system that was released as a gaming device.

Xbox Kinect can save lives

Interestingly, the Xbox Kinect has been used by doctors to determine when troops with concussions can serve again. The system has also been used to review x-rays of broken bones and other injuries.

Here’s what Microsoft had to say about the program in a blog post by Curt Kolcun, V.P., Microsoft U.S. Public Sector:

What’s more, U.S. soldiers are starting to see the benefits of the explosion of creativity we’ve seen since releasing the Kinect Software Development Kit. Four Wounded Warrior Facilities in Afghanistan will use Kinect in rehabilitative programs in forward bases where medical equipment is scarce. New Kinect applications will help medical staff determine when troops who have suffered from brain injuries, such as concussions, are able to go back into the field. The USO will work with the local groups to develop an analysis of the results from using Kinect as a tool for cognitive and memory reinforcement.

This cool video shows how Kinect is moving from simply a game interface to a means to improve lives through expanded capabilities in medicine and other disciplines. The two most relevant clips are at :33, where a surgeon reviews different x-rays with the wave of a still-gloved (and sterile) hand, without leaving the operating room; and :48, where a kid plays a game as part of physical therapy.

Who would have thought that a gaming device could do so much to help our men and women overseas?

It’s the time for giving, and fanboys and girls are clamoring for the hottest geeky gifts. While most of the ones that you know probably have every piece of software or hardware the companies below offer, they probably don’t have these items that show off the fact that they can’t get enough of one particular company or product.

If you’re not sure what a “fanboy” is, it’s the person in your life that stands outside in the rain or snow to be one of the first to get Apple’s new iWhatever.

They’re dedicated, they’re special, and they have needs too. Here are five gifts that are guaranteed to win you a special place in their heart.

For Google Android fans

This has to be the coolest item that Google offers for those who are Android fans and users. This squishy Droid toy is made out of 95% recycled corn and bottles. Not only is it fun, but it’s very earth concscious. Oh, those hippy dippy Googlers!

Act fast though, the store says that there’s only 22 left! They’ll run you $32.85.

For the Apple fan

Any self-respecting Apple fanboy or girl has a MacBook, and you probably witness them on it for a good percentage of their day. Apple laptops are an extension of us geeks, so why not class up the joint a bit with this amazing MacBook cover called “BookBook” from Twelve South?

The case looks like a hardbound leather book, and it will only run you between $79 and $99, depending on the size of the MacBook.

XBox fans, rejoice!

If you know someone who can’t get away from their XBox, this adapter for their controller, called “The Avenger”, will make them the happiest gaming geek you’ve ever met.

Not only does the thing make a gamer’s controller look like a spider from outerspace, its customizable levers and tension straps will turn them into a force to be reckoned with on XBox Live.

It will cost you $49.99, a small price to pay to make a gamer smile.

I’m Mayor, Bitch

Yes, if you have a friend that can’t stop checking in using foursquare, this is the only gift they’ll need. It’s the “Mayor” t-shirt from foursquare, and nothing shows a pro users geekiness like the mayor logo.

It’s only $20 bucks, so snap one up before they buy it for themselves.

Microsoft users have an edge, too

The only thing Microsoft fanboys and girls hate more than Apple, is people who can’t stop talking about Apple. This t-shirt is not only geeky, but will shut any Apple geek up. If you want to surprise that special Microsoft fan with something, this “Mac can suck my balls” shirt is the thing to get.

It’s only $28 bucks, complete with full-on ‘Back to the Future’ reference.

So there you have it, some very unique gifts that the special fanboy or girl might not be expecting from you this holiday season. They’re probably not expecting anything, since all they can do is think about their favorite company, and the next product they’re releasing.

Apple has been a runaway train since its release of the iPod. People from 10-70 years old are carrying some sort of Apple device in their pockets these days.

Remember when you got your first iPhone? Taking the first generation iPhone of your pocket was magical for some, people would come up to you and ask to touch it. It’s true. Apple has stood for something magical for a long time. Steve Jobs was a big part of that, but its simplistic design and ability to lead the customer with a deep pass has kept the company in the game.

The iPhone 4S is an unfortunate release for the company. Unfortunate not because the device isn’t great, but unfortunate that the passing of its leader and headaches around patents have stalled out the excitement that comes along with its telephony-changing device. The phone has a great camera, a great new voice feature in Siri, yet people aren’t as excited as they used to be.

Why is that?

The reason why the “excitement” doesn’t seem to be what it used to is that the device is now accessible to most Americans. With Sprint and Verizon now carrying the device, it’s no longer a parlor trick to slide and unlock your phone in public. We’re waiting for the “one more thing”, as Apple has trained us to do.

How can Apple remain magical? These three markets will keep the company in the driver’s seat for a long time to come.

Mobile is the hub

Microsoft focused on the home. Bill Gates and company told us that the home was the core of computing, data sharing, and entertainment. This is no longer true, and Apple is in a position to take hold of the idea that one device can control an entire household and lifestyle.

Steve Jobs realized very early on that a happy life isn’t one chained to a computer. A happy life with technology doesn’t rely on a large hard drive attached to a network of devices in your living room.

Mobile is the future, plain and simple. If you aren’t doing it already, all of the important data you collect doesn’t happen in your home. The things you see, touch, and hear all happen while you’re outside of your home. Your friends at work tell you about a new show or ask you if you saw that big pass in the football game the night before.

Your mobile device is your hub. You enter information in, and sit back and watch once you get home. That’s not to say that a TV shouldn’t be the focus for Apple, but it’s not what controls your life.

The iPhone 5 will have to be the most powerful device you’ve ever held in your hand.

Gaming

It’s time for Apple to get serious about gaming at home. The iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad are great gaming devices. But the games you see on the app store are for small appetites and passing moments. Immersive gaming experiences don’t exist on iOS as of yet. What is Apple waiting for?

Playing a game on the train, and then picking it up on my TV is an experience that is needed. Microsoft has done one thing well in the past five years, and it came from the Xbox team. The Xbox platform has grown by leaps and bounds, letting you do more and more in the home. But once I leave my house, I have to think about coming home and playing Xbox. Why should I have to wait?

How can Apple nail gaming? Perhaps it’s that TV we heard that Mr. Jobs “cracked”. Perhaps it’s upping the ante on the existing Apple TV and letting us use apps.

Television

Mobile to home information transfer and gaming needs one more thing. A connected television with the horse power to run the best software in the world. Remember, Apple started out as a hardware company and has morphed into a company nearly perfecting both hardware and software. Microsoft started out as a software company and has embraced hardware with its phones and gaming device. The two companies have gotten to the same point in two very different paths.

What is usually the centerpiece of your living room other than pictures of your family? The television. Big ones, with features. Apple can and will get into the television game. But when? The company has beautiful monitors, so it knows how to create displays. It has a beautiful OS that can sit on any device. Going from mobile to home is the future.

The Apple TV will let you pick up where you left off. While you’re at work, on your mobile device, and on the way home, your Apple TV will be sitting there connected to the internet. The television will watch what you do, read what you read, and think what you think. It’s just a pretty monitor, after all.

You will no longer have to rely on Netflix to suggest movies for you. Your world around you, and the actions you take within that world will tell your entertainment device what you want to watch.

A mobile Apple device will be your remote to the world. Guaranteed.

Mobile is the difference, though. The TV has to compliment what you do when you’re not watching it. Microsoft wanted the TV to run your life, while Apple should build the TV to make your life better.

Can Apple stay magical? Of course it can, because it’s one of the few companies that ever became magical in the first place.

Steve Ballmer was at the Web 2.0 conference, and there was a main recurring theme. Social.

The CEO of Microsoft said that “Apple has punted on social”, despite its integration of Twitter in iOS5, and discussed Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype and deep partnership with Facebook, and would like you to believe that Microsoft is right in the middle of social. Ballmer pointed to the strengths of Microsoft’s ability to link your social personas using its Windows Live ID platform to illustrate this.

When asked about Google+, Steve Ballmer refused to discuss any competition between the two companies in social, and feels like it’s in a stronger position with Skype as a part of Microsoft.

About Google+ and Microsoft, Steve Ballmer said:

We don’t don’t have to take on every battle

Ballmer also openly expressed and admitted Microsoft’s “luck” in not purchasing Yahoo! for 44.6 billion dollars last year. The CEO says that its partnership with Yahoo! continues to be strong, and he is proud to bring Microsoft users the vibrant Yahoo! Content.

When asked about Bing and the search market, Ballmer proudly said that Microsoft has taken the number two position after Google with a 15% share of the market. When it came to the cloud market, Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft is “All in, baby” and says that “Microsoft is beating Google on apps in the cloud”, but provide no data to back up the claim.

Steve Ballmer seemed to gloss over XBox, which has indeed seen much success. When it came to the phones, Ballmer said it was “hard to get excited about the Android phones“, without much explanation, but said that iPhone was “a good competitor” to Microsot’s upcoming Windows 8 phones.

It sounds like Steve Ballmer and Microsoft is indeed trying to take on every battle, despite his claim.