PC losing traction as half of all computing devices sold are mobile

The world of personal computing is changing as smaller, sleeker and more capable devices are replacing the bulky desktop towers and heavy laptops that formerly dominated the market. New data from Asymco shows just how profound the shift has been, finding that half of all computing devices sold in the U.S. are now mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones.

GigaOM has the story, which shows a graphic created by Asymco’s Horace Dediu that shows computing platforms going back to 1975. The graphic suggests that devices running Windows begin to lose sales pretty drastically starting around the time of the release of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, with Android coming on strong soon after to put pressure on both traditional computers and Apple’s computing devices.

Another bit of data GigaOM cites in its story comes from Gartner, which found that some 352.8 million PCs were sold in 2011, while  Samsung on its own sold 300 million Android handsets, and is estimated to be able to sell another 372 million in 2012. They won’t all be smartphones, but those devices will all be mobile, with the capability of accessing the Internet on-the-go and running mobile apps to accomplish various tasks. Their rampant popularity around the world suggests that many people are finding they don’t need a dedicated PC for many of their daily computing tasks anymore. At the very least, they’re finding mobile devices are a convenient way to share the load and bring the Internet out into the world with them.

More and more apps and devices are helping to bring the PC experience to tablets and mobile devices, as well. Streaming video game service OnLive recently released an Android app that allows users to stream PC games over the Internet to play on their Android tablets, which works surprisingly well and brings quality video gaming to mobile devices. The service just released an app for Apple’s iOS platform that allows not only for access of your PC desktop on an iPad, but allows users to run programs like Microsoft Word, watch videos and animations and even play PC games remotely on their tablets. The app is called OnLive Desktop and is making its way to Android sometime in the future as well.

Of course, PCs still have a big place in the computing world – they’re key for high-power functions that tablets and smartphones just don’t have the hardware to handle. But for the lower-level stuff, the everyday life functions that used to be handled by our laptops and desktops, mobile devices are quickly asserting themselves. The numbers suggest that the landscape is changing, and before too long, the way we interact with computers on an everyday basis will probably be very different than it is today.

Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots tops Android Games of the Week

This week, Halfbrick’s massively popular movie tie-in Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots has gained some popularity, which makes sense considering it’s Fruit Ninja. Kairosoft continues to tell us their story through their latest and greatest simulation release, Mega Mall Story. Also, SoulCraft THD, an open beta for an epic action RPG of biblical proportions was released. Here are this week’s top Android games.
Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots (Free)

Topping us off this week is the Android port of Halfbrick’s fantastic franchise spin-off, Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots. The movie may well be long out of theatres, but this game is still well worth anyone’s time and money. While it’s a much more bare bones entry in the series, featuring only two modes and no online multiplayer, what is there is done very well. Whether you play in the remixed classic Desperado mode, or face a gauntlet of challenges in the unique new Bandito mode, you’re sure to have a blast. Hearing Antonio Banderas’ wonderful voice throughout the game is just the icing on the cake.
Mega Mall Story ($4.99)

You can always count on Kairosoft to bring you a charming simulation with gorgeous and colorful pixel art graphics. It’s up to you to design an amazing mega mall to rival even the Mall of America. Customize and add anything you want, from restaurants to fast food joints to a wide variety of retail shops, and keep them all connected with escalators and elevators. While this is a quality title just as every other game in this franchise, this may be one of the shortest “Story” games yet. It’s not as comprehensive as some other titles, but it’s still an extremely fun and addictive sim.
SoulCraft THD (Free)

Fight for the very souls of mankind in this epic action RPG, completely for free. Travel across the world and fight in a variety of real-world locations, from Venice and Rome to Hamburg, and eventually New York and Tokyo. Play as an Angel, and eventually a Demon or even human with a diverse selection of weapons and spells. This game is in open beta, and extremely rough around the edges. It may be riddled with demonic bugs and glitches, but it looks great, and it has massive potential. Give it a whirl, and definitely keep your eye out for the official release.
Tiny Comet ($0.99)

Tiny Comet is the latest release from developer CatfishBlues Games, the same studio that brought us Hyperlight HD. This is a tilt controls only game, which I’m not really a fan of, but if there’s one studio I trust to make a tilt game that doesn’t infuriate me, it’s this one. You play as an adorable little comet that’s been separated from its family, and you’ve got to search the cosmos for them. Collect the many suns to keep your energy up, pick up the power-ups and avoid the angry birds in this gorgeous game. The layered 2-D backgrounds are absolutely beautiful, and the screenshots don’t really do this game justice.
Majesty: Northern Expansion ($2.99)

This game is advertised as an expansion to Majesty: Fantasy Kingdoms, but have no fear. It’s really just a standalone game built in the same engine, but with improved graphics, added abilities, and plenty of new heroes and monsters. Train troops from your castle, get the lay of the land, slay various enemies, and expand your kingdom ever farther in this simple strategy title. The not often seen “indirect control” kind of strategy can make your brain hurt a bit, but that’s all part of the fun.
Grabatron ($1.96)

Sure to be a favorite of destructive young boys the world over, Grabatron is a fast paced action arcade game that’s packed with explosions and mayhem. You play as the Grabatron, an alien ship with a massive retractable claw that can grab just about anything, from cows to semi-trucks to tanks. Plow through level after level and create combo chains of carnage as you destroy everything in sight. It’s not a perfect game. Upgrades cost real money and it’s quite buggy on numerous devices, but when it works, it’s a fine example of extra-terrestrial gaming excellence.

The 40 Best Free Android Apps for 2011

When talk turns to mobile app stores, Apple's iTunes App Store is often the focus of conversation—but that may be quickly changing. ABI Research reported that Google's Android Market overtook Apple's in Q2 2011, becoming the marketshare leader in mobile app downloads with a 44 percent share, versus Apple's 31 percent. If you're an Android smartphone owner, that should come as no surprise. Not only does the Android operating system power a wide array of handsets from HTC to Samsung (Apple, as always, has its OS tied exclusively to its own hardware), but there are many excellent apps that expand your cell phone's out-of-the-box functionality. And many of the best Android apps are free Android apps.

That's right, you don't have to spend a dime in order to soup up your Android phone. The free Android apps that you'll find in this 40-app deep roundup offer a mix of entertainment (Slacker), productivity (Evernote), and games (Angry Birds) software that will turn your smartphone into an all-in-one wonder device. The free apps that were selected were chosen because they are stable, useful, and add extra functionality.

Lair Defense

Rather than give you a dozen automated towers defending a structure, the game gives you three kinds of dragons defending their eggs. The dragons can be upgraded a multitude of times and their attack style slowly changes, incorporating more and more functions over time. The red fire dragons are your main damage dealers, doling out large amounts of punishment with a short range. Green poison dragons are your status effect towers, which hit enemies with damage-over-time poison. After several upgrades, they also act as your slow-down towers. Blue dragons are your lower damage but massive range towers, covering the battlefield and constantly hitting something. The dragon’s upgrades are shown through age and maturity. Leveling a dragon makes it grow older, larger, and more epic and awesome looking.

Your goal in the game is to save at least one of the three dragon eggs that the humans are trying to steal. It’s not enough for enemies to reach the eggs. They also have to double back and leave with them, changing up the traditional tower defense dynamic a bit. Dragons can only be placed in specific positions, some of which are elevated to increase range. Other positions will increase the amount of mana you receive over time. Mana is used to cast special spells, such as a hail of fire or a freezing spell that stops the thieves in their tracks. As you successfully defend your dragon lair, you’ll accrue lots of gold, which is used to purchase the many, many upgrades that are available. You can also purchase gold in-app if you want.

The graphics, sound, and music are all well done, and I enjoy the dark fantasy aesthetics. There are six different maps to enjoy, with eight levels each, plus an endless mode. It’s a very simple game without many bells and whistles, but I rather enjoyed the more innovative elements. Best of all, the game is entirely free, so even if you’re sick of tower defense games, download it and see what you think.

Racing game Tiki Kart 3D is a lava minute

Tiki gods just wanna have fun. And, inside a volcano, go-cart racing apparently ranks high on the fun list. Tiki Kart 3D is a game that lets you pick a god, and drive his cart in a circuit of winner-take-all races. The setting, characters and mischief make the game a worthy download.

Choose your god from the initial screen (they all look like idols carved from wood come to life) and learn their carts’ special abilities, like extra boost when you ride over a spring. Then, you’re off to the races. The game provides practice runs before a race, so you can get familiar with the controls — touch the screen to accelerate, and tilt your device to steer. It’s worth using these tutorials, as you’ll race faster with a little experience, and finishing in the top positions of a race unlocks new courses.

As you might expect from Tiki idols, there’s a lot of hijinks on these highways. The other racers have weapons — like oil and rockets — that they’ll use against you. Fortunately, if you snatch pineapple power-ups during a race, you can also obtain these tools and things like power boosts that will slow other drivers and speed you up. The courses themselves include crazy loop-the-loops and other challenges, which turn the view temporarily upside down. A great tropical soundtrack keeps you bouncing along.

Racing-game fans and kids will enjoy this light-hearted romp with the gods. And, National Geographic explorers will be excited to learn what really goes on inside a volcano.