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Yahoo Account Breach: Are you one of the 3 billion victims?

Yahoo Account Breach: Are you one of the 3 billion victims?

Yahoo Account Breach: Are you one of the 3 billion victims?

Yahoo, which was acquired recently by Verizon, revealed that all of their accounts had been breached when the information was found among documents reviewed during the acquisition.

While it doesn’t appear that bank account, payment or  password data was included in the leak, it’s still quite serious. Your birthday, email address and other data may have been compromised, and a senate hearing will seek to uncover exactly what was stolen and what we might not still know. The committee will also be talking to Equifax, who has also faced a massive breach of data in the recent past, losing the data of 145 million people. Certainly one of the biggest issues facing the tech industry in the future will be safety of information as more and more of our personal data becomes entrusted to companies such as these and thus vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

The breach, which is almost certainly the largest in history, is still unattributed to any single group but was uncovered when the information was put on sale on the dark web.

Yahoo, previously one of the giants of the internet, is currently paired with AOL to form the subsidiary “Oath” under the Verizon umbrella.

Both of the titans of the early internet have falled on hard times recently, with Yahoo being surpassed by websites like Bing even as they failed to surpass google for search engine domination, and AOL losing out to Google as well in the email industry, and simply losing massive amounts of its market share as people stopped using the AOL program. A resurgence of sorts is almost certainly on the mind of the Verizon corporation, but one wonders whether or not this news will damage the reputation of Yahoo past the point of no return.

The best way to combat the breach as of right now is to delete your yahoo account, and make sure that any accounts you used the same password for have been changed as well, such that any widespread release of the data wouldn’t spread to your other accounts. There’s always the chance, as well, that the information could fall into the hands of someone wanting to use the data for nefarious means rather than what is currently believed to have been simple spam companies up until now.

How to Identify and Fix a Scam

How to Identify and Fix a Scam

A common issue in today’s technological world is consumer’s falling victim to scams. Most people think these pop ups on their computer are coming from Microsoft, but they’re really coming from a 3rd party source! Now let’s face it, when you call the number on a pop up, you speak with someone that claims to be technical support. They say there are many things wrong with your computer and that they need to remote into it, but what they don’t tell you is that they are the ones causing you grief.

For starters, Microsoft would never put a pop up on your internet browser claiming it’s been infected with a “Zeus Virus”. The reason consumers buy anti-virus software is to protect their computer from getting any sort of viruses in the first place. Generally, your anti-virus software should run automatic scans to keep your computer 100% safe. So how did this “Zeus Virus” come up in the first place?

There is no existing virus by this name, so in all reality, you can close out this pop up and continue on with your day as if nothing ever happened! Now, of course you can run a scan with your anti-virus just to be on the safe side, but the likelihood of it pulling up any actual viruses is slim to none. In some cases, you will not be able to close out the pop up. At that point, you’re thinking, “maybe I should call this number on the pop up.” Instead of doing that, you should reach out to a professional whether it’s a local technician, your anti-virus tech support (if available), or even Jtech Innovations

So what do you do if you call the number on the pop up and allow the scammers into your computer? First, you’ll want to disable internet access on your computer. You can do this by unplugging your internet modem or router (This is very important because if you shut off your computer, you could be at risk of being locked out by the scammers). After you have done that, you will want to reach out to a professional to start computer repairs. They will have to diagnose the issue to find out the severity of damage and then they will be able to start fixing the issue. There are times where the scammers may put a lock on your computer known as a system key or “syskey”. If this has happened, the only ways to fix it are restoring the computer to a time before they remotely accessed your computer or to reinstall the operating system. Sometimes reinstalling the operating system can be done by using a flash drive and another working computer if you don’t have the recovery media already created.

There are many companies out there that specialize in computer repairs. Most, if not all computer shops, will have a charge for diagnosing an issue. Some companies charge as low as $50 to diagnose, then have a separate charge for actual repairs which can end up being a costly visit. There are times where when you buy your computer, you can purchase the premium technical support from the company for an additional cost per month/year.

With Jtech Innovations, we provide the technical support for up to 5 devices in both the monthly and yearly subscriptions. This can ultimately save you money compared to the old fashion method of dropping your computer off at a local shop and picking it up when it’s ready. Local technicians can charge up to $150 for diagnostic and repair upon one visit, whereas, Jtech Innovations fees cover general maintenance, repairs, software set-up, and much more!

If you feel like you need tech support and want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck, call us at 206 – 414 – 2951

Top 6 Video Streaming Apps

Top 6 Video Streaming Apps

Netflix is my go to for video streaming, I admit it! With changing inventory monthly,

I love all things BBQ, snow cones, and baseball. However, when I look at the forecast and see triple digits, I start trying to find other ways to entertain myself. Summer is known for it’s blockbuster movies, and there are not many ways I prefer to beat the heat, than relaxing in some air conditioning, getting lost in an comedy, action, or horror movie. But then I get torn in not wanting to leave the house and subject myself to the heat just to rent a movie. That leads me to the video streaming option, but how many streaming options can there be? This is where I come to save the day, breaking down a few video streaming options to help you stay entertained and cool this summer.

Without further ado, here is “Ashley’s Top 6 Best Video Streaming Apps”:

video streaming

 

Netflix is my go to for video streaming, I admit it! With changing inventory monthly, it seems there’s always something new to watch. In addition, Netflix has come out with many “Netflix Original” movies and shows, for hours of entertainment if you’re feeling more going on a “Netflix Binge”. I am always guaranteed to find a favorite of mine as well as something or another I’ve never heard of. My guiltiest habit is scrolling all of the options for hours before actually making a selection right away. If you’re one of the few that haven’t experienced “Netflix and Chill,” I recommend checking out their free 1 month trial! 

Who doesn’t love Amazon Prime? I’m obsessed with my Amazon Prime membership for so many different reasons (hello 2 day shipping!), but one of my favorites is Amazon Prime Video! While you do have to have a Prime membership, you don’t have to pay anything more to access Prime Video. There are tons of free movies and TV shows, as well as options to rent and/or buy streaming movies so you never have to leave the couch! Like Netflix, they have also come out with many “Amazon Original Series” that you can only find on Amazon Prime.

Next on the list for best video streaming apps is Hulu. Hulu offers instant access to live and on demand channels, original series and films, and a premium library TV and movies!  Also, Hulu is the only streaming service that offers both ad-supported and commercial-free current season shows from the largest U.S. broadcast networks. I have to admit, I mainly use Hulu for catching up on my shows with limited to no commercials, but I did finally stumble upon their movie selection (really good movies) and I have been hooked since! No matter what you’re looking for, Hulu is ready and waiting for you!

redbox video streaming

We are all familiar with that red kiosk around town, outside of your favorite grocery store or McDonald’s. For a dollar and some change, you can easily rent a movie or game to take home. But that’s not the only thing Redbox is good for. My world was changed when I discovered that they have a video streaming option as well. I no longer have to go out into the 100+ degree weather heat (and lets be honest, change out of my pajamas) to go rent a movie to watch that night. Also with the video streaming option you don’t have to worry about that movie you were wanting to see being out of stock.

For those that want to avoid a monthly or yearly membership fee, I recommend Crackle. Crackle is my favorite of the free streaming options for movie and hit TV shows. Also, like many of the other streaming options listed above, they even have “Crackle Originals” you won’t be able to find anywhere else. With fresh daily programming, I feel like I am always finding movies I didn’t know existed on Crackle and the organization makes it easy for me to find whatever I want to watch. Crackle also has an awesome “Always On” feature that will allows you to auto-play your favorite movies or tv shows while also letting you “search and stream what you want on Roku 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.”

 

With all these streaming options, you’ll never find yourself complaining there’s “nothing on TV.” So, go explore and let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!

How to Save on Your Back to School Laptop

How to Save on Your Back to School Laptop

How to Save on Your Back to School Laptop

By now we all know I love back to school supplies and a bargain. Let’s combine both and I’ll share some of my favorite money saving tips for how to buy the laptop of your choice. In my last post I gave you a few options of the best laptops to buy, now I will go into how to save money once you pick exactly what you want.

Where to Buy:
Anywhere you look right now you can find every back to school sale imaginable, so it can be overwhelming to know where really has the best deals. That’s why you have me! In all of my research and comparing I have personally found the best sales were either with Newegg, Best Buy, Amazon, and WalMart. Keep an eye out and compare, it also helps to have a good idea on exactly what you want going into it, so you aren’t overbuying.

When to Shop:
I am convinced the back to school ads and sales honestly start in May, and I think it’s just to remind us we have to go back to school, however the best sales actually hit in August! There will be some good ones in September and July but August is the cream of the crop. Also be sure to keep an eye out because most retailers will have an amazing Labor Day sale.

Discounts and Deals:
This is an inside tip, so be sure to keep it our little secret, but students will get discounts at most retailers. Amazon, Best Buy, Dell Home, Apple, and the Microsoft store are constantly extending special prices and deals to anyone with a valid .edu email address. Always look into any promotional codes, sales, and discounts anywhere you go. The more you know the better you can snag a deal!

The Secret to Mac Savings:
Most will assume the best place to get your savings on Apple product would be the apple store, but it’s not! Last year it was proven that Best Buy was offering a better price for new Apple products compared to what Apple was offering for a refurbished product. Amazon and Newegg aren’t far behind though with sales making a lot of Mac purchases cheaper than going through Apple directly.

Trade Ins aren’t just for cars:
Majority of people are simply looking to upgrade what they already have, but most people have no idea you can trade in your current device for money towards something new and improved of their choosing. Microsoft and Best Buy both offer programs where you can trade in your previous system towards money towards a new machine.

Finally, you want to make sure to protect whatever you choose to buy, it’s much cheaper to cover some monthly technical support for preventative measures versus having to buy a whole new computer. In the spirit of back to school savings Jtech Innovations is running a special promotional code of Back2School to waive the sign up fees for the Jtech Innovations monthly technical support services. Also a good idea to add One Security for just $5.00 extra a month to have a great anti-virus on there and stay protected. So give us a call at 206 – 414 – 2951 and be sure to mention Back2School for your savings today!!!

Traveling with Technology

Traveling with Technology

Best Apps While Traveling

We are officially in the tick of summer, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to make it through the day without hearing or seeing about someone’s vacation. I am excited to hear stories from all the different places, and everyone suggesting where I need to go. I love all the ideas and start planning fantastical adventures in my head.

Then I check my bank account and realize I can maybe swing a trip to camp in the back yard. Now as someone who fancy’s themselves a fan of all things technology I knew there had to be a way to remedy this. I put in some extra hours at work, and managed to save some of what I’m sure wasn’t going to be enough to take any kind of a vacation.

This is where technology made it awesome for me to go on the vacation of a lifetime. I had one rule for this vacation — I refused to do anything requiring me to pay full price. I used lots of apps and did a LOT of research, but I went on a once in a lifetime vacation and turned it into a fun game of how much I could save in each place. These are my top five favorite apps while traveling, and how I made them work for me.

 

Ashley’s Top 5 Best Apps for Traveling:

1. Groupon – This is hands down my absolute favorite app and the easiest way to plan a trip. I found a city that Groupon covers, and that’s where I decided I was going to go, and upon using the app some I realized I could save on experiences on my trip, I planned my meals around who had deals on Groupon, so I could try new things and save some money. I ended up finding one of my absolute favorite restaurants thanks to a lucky pick. I gave myself two rules on my three day trip, never pay full price and never go the same place twice.

2. Yelp – Yelp is another app I absolutely swear by. If I am in a city I don’t know, how do I really know where the best pizza place is, or where to find a good comedy club nearby? This is where Yelp comes in, users can log in and leave reviews and ratings on local businesses. No longer are you taking a major gamble picking where to go for dinner, you can see what hundreds of others have thought, and sometimes even find recommendations.

3. Uber – I don’t always want to drive around a city I don’t know, but cabs aren’t always the most convenient, and then I discovered Uber. This is an amazing way of catching a ride, and it’s like having a local friend show up in their car and give you a ride, without that awkward “can I come along?” All of the drivers pass a pretty decent screening, so you are safe, and able to sit back relax, and enjoy the ride – which is typically I’ve found cheaper than a cab.

4. Trivago – Hotels are not cheap, this is just a fact. I am one who if I am going to go somewhere for vacation, I want to stay in the nicest hotel I can, so it feels like a true getaway, but usually on a budget that doesn’t get you as far…… until I found the Trivago app. You can compare all of the local lodging options, break down by ratings, amenities, location, price, and find exactly what works for you with what you have to spend. I have had constant luck finding hidden sales or new great places to stay this way.

5. Citymapper – Fun fact about me is that I am “directionally challenged”, which is a nice way of saying I could get lost in a paper bag. City mapper is very clear with their maps and all routes of public transportation within a city. If I can figure this out with this app, I promise you anyone can.

Now, go find which of these apps work for you, or even better, tell me which ones you recommend so I can check them out on my next vacation!

Our Top 5 Best Laptops for Students

Our Top 5 Best Laptops for Students

It’s that time of year again, back to school! When I was younger, I loved shopping for notebooks, pens, highlighters, and all of the organizational goodies! When it came to the best technology, I wasn’t as excited. How do I know what I need? How can I make sure I’m buying the right thing without wasting money on things I don’t need? Now I’m happy I can say — don’t worry about it! I am here to save the day with the top five best laptops for students going back to school this fall!

laptop

Best Overall: Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 $580.00 on Amazon PrimeThis Ultrabook manages to be a lot of performance, at not a lot of cost, which is really what we all want. Aspire E 15 has a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, and a Nvidia 940MX graphics card that should be able to roll with anything  you can throw at it — whether it’s for school or just for fun. From graphics design software to any accounting software, and everything in between, this laptop has got you covered.

 

Best 2-in-1: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin $590.00 on Amazon Prime          Can’t decide between a laptop or a tablet? Then this one is for you. The Notebook 7 has a 365-degree hinge, a strong processor, and 1TB of memory to make sure you’re always able to do your best. The fact that this is a 2-in-1 with touchscreen means it can be used like a traditional laptop or as a tablet, whatever you need in the moment. There are many options as far as the screen size and the RAM to customize this just for you.

 

Best for Portability: ASUS ZenBook 3 $1,092.00 on Amazon Prime   College, often times, requires students to be able to work in different places (dorm, classroom, library, etc), and adaptability is key. When taking a laptop from class to class, you want something that doesn’t feel like you’re carrying a brick, but is strong enough to do whatever you need to in each class. This ZenBook delivers on light weight portability while packing heavy weight performance. Between the 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, 256 GB SSD, a liquid-crystal-polymer fan impeller and a copper-alloy heat pipe to make sure your system stays cool while you’re burning the midnight oil (or any other time), you really can’t go wrong.

 

Best for Creatives: Microsoft Surface Book $1,499.00 on Amazon Prime
This Microsoft Surface is here to be anything you want from an Apple device for a creative major, and then some! With the 13.5-inch, 3:2-aspect-ratio PixelSense screen has some of the best resolution (3,000 x 2,000) and superb brightness that makes everything you create come to life right before your very eyes. Add to that the power of either a 6th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7, and between 8-16 GB of RAM, you can make this laptop into exactly what you want it to be.

 

laptop

Best on a Budget: HP Notebook 15 $253.00 on Amazon Prime If you’re living the typical college student life, every dollar counts. Here’s the hero of the day for your budget! With this AMD A6-7310 Quad-Core processor APU, 4GB of memory, and 500GB hard drive, this gives you everything you need without the hefty price tag, saving you money for Ramen Noodles, Easy Mac, and those SUPER expensive textbooks!

 

My final words of wisdom are you always want to make sure a brand new piece of tech is protected, so you’re new system lasts as long as possible. In the spirit of back to school savings, Jtech Innovations is running a special promotional code of Back2School to waive the sign up fees for the Jtech Innovations monthly technical support services. Also a good idea to add One Security for just $5.00 extra a month to have a great anti-virus on there and stay protected. So give us a call at 206 – 414 – 2951 and be sure to mention Back2School for your savings today!!!

 

Technology Can SAVE You Money

Technology Can SAVE You Money

We all know that technology can make life more convenient, but it’s also import to point out that technology can be used to save you money. That’s right. Technology can save you money. With everything from online, surveys, special apps, and more, it’s never been more budget friendly to be a tech person. Last I checked most of the population always wishes they could save a little money, and I’ve figured out how.

technology

Before I bust in to my top 5 favorite ways to save money using technology, I will say being safe is super important. A lot of these will involve using sites you don’t usually use or clicking on links, and you want to make sure your tech devices are safe to do the savings!

1. Survey sites – I usually find myself with some down time at some point in my day, and that’s when I stumbled upon Swagbucks. This site lets you earn points towards gift cards to Amazon, Paypal, and tons of retailers just by completing a bevy of different activities. For me, watching the videos and completing surveys is how I earn most of my points. If you shop online at all, check out their page. You can earn points just from that, with certain retailers even offering double and triple points. It’s super easy to earn gift cards to help with bills, afford a date night, or save for something on your wish list.

2. Loyalty Apps – We’ve all been there, you go to the cash register at a store, and as you go to check out “Do you have our rewards program?” I used to dread this until I gave in once and signed up for one, and I got a discount and even some special sales. A lot of places have their own apps with online coupon options that you can use at the register, or even order online. This is definitely an easy option for anyone has a few minutes to scope out the app before they head to the store.

3. Coupons.com – Who doesn’t love some good old fashioned coupon clipping? But now it is about a hundred times easier, you can sort by what you need, only select what you want, and print at home. You will want to make sure the store you’ll be shopping at uses online coupons, but that’s almost anywhere in this day and age. Once you become a major league couponer, you can team digital coupons on your phone with paper printed coupons from coupons.com – Goals people!

4. Joining memberships with emailed coupons – I went out to a new restaurant a few years ago, and enjoyed an amazing dinner. While I was debating on dessert, I saw this little sign on the table stating if you join their club you get a free dessert. Seemed too easy and too good to be true, but I busted out my phone, filled out about about 10 questions, and then I got the free dessert. Didn’t give it much thought until my birthday rolled around, and I received an email for another free dessert. What I figured out from this is sign up for all the clubs, you get occasional discounts, specials, and your birthday month is glorious!

5. Shopping online. – This will probably be the form of money saving technology people are most familiar with. Thanks to Google, you can price comparison shop for anything and everything you can think of. There’s also multiple sites dedicated to finding the most recent coupon codes for whatever site you are shopping on. Then there’s the old stand by of Amazon.com which now carries everything and can have it to you in 1-2 days (in some cities within hours). Now that’s technology that saves you money!

I know not all of these will work best for everyone, but these are my five go to ways to save money with my technology, test it out and see what works best for you. Happy Savings!

What’s on My iPhone?

What’s on My iPhone?

When I was younger, I always loved the magazine articles of “what’s in my bag?” or “what’s in my suitcase” of famous celebrities. I think you can learn SO much about a person by what they have with them at all times. With time this has evolved, changed, and grown. Now I think if you really want to get a good read on who someone is, you want to know what apps are on their smart-phone. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are some that come with the phone, but what someone goes out of their way to put on their phone says a lot about them. On that note, I’m opening myself up for judgment and am going to give you my top 10 apps on my phone I cannot live without.

1. Facebook. I get that this is just standard anymore, but it’s something I find myself checking to stay up to date with family, friends, get my news, etc. Not only can you search the marketplace, you can keep everyone updated with exciting life events, and find out what’s going on in the life of Jon from Kindergarten.

2. Pinterest. I use this for anything and everything. Need a motivational quote to send to a friend? Search it, save it, send it. Pinterest! What to make for dinner that night? I’m feeling like chicken – look up chicken recipes and there you have it! Need ideas for a funny graphic tee? Pinterest! This is my catch all!

3. The necessities. I know this is boring, but there are some necessities! So with this I’ll lump in my necessities that are standard – the app store (I am a tech nerd, I check for updates daily!), the weather app, banking app, camera, YouTube, and Google. I feel like all of those are a given and I pass no judgment based on those.

4. Calendar. I run my life by the calendar app! I schedule in any and all appointments and make sure to set the alarms to remind me of them. I also schedule in any and everyone’s birthdays with an alarm on them, makes me look super thoughtful and like I remember everything. Finally I love it for the integration from my email, let’s say I order tickets to a concert, and in the email confirmation will be a tiny pop up asking if I want to store the event on my calendar, which of course I do!

5. Taco Bell. Now judge away, but almost every fast food place of your choosing now has an app, where you can go online, place your order in advance, and you just show up and pick it up. My food venture of choice is Taco Bell, it’s close, it’s quick, and seems to come to mind every Taco Tuesday!

6. Pandora. I am a firm believer that there is a song or a playlist for every moment of every day. I find so many boring tasks are so much more fun with the right soundtrack to it. Pandora is always good to have an option for me of whatever I am feeling like in that moment!

7. Portal Quest. I fully understand this one doesn’t make me more efficient or make me look good to anyone. However, this is a game that is has kept me occupied when I have the spare time or is any easy on or to just check in and go. Everyone has a game they need on their phone, this one happens to be mine (I have a few, but this is my favorite right now.

8. Notepad. I know what you’re thinking, this is definitely a standard necessity, but the way I use it makes it so much more! At any case in time, I have my grocery list, a list of quotes I’ve heard that I liked and want to save, a reminder list of something I want to do later on, and then usually a list of ideas for this exact blog!

9. Amazon. This is a semi-new discovery for me but was life changing. I can order any thing I need that amazon carries right from my phone. I know, to some of you this is old news, but until you’re stuck at the DMV and remember that you need to order a present for your favorite uncle for that weekend, and you’re able to do it right there on your phone, you don’t fully appreciate it!

10. Shazam. This is one of my first apps I ever needed and it still to this day is my go to! Out with friends and hear a song you really like, but have no clue who it’s by? Shazam! In the car with some friends and you hear an amazing throw back but you can’t remember who it was? Shazam! Heard your favorite song but can’t figure out that one lyric? Shazam! (most of them have a lyrics option).

Honorable mentions: Netflix, Hulu, Discord, Grubhub, MyFitnessPal, ESPN, and all of the other social media apps. As I started this, everyone will have their different set of what they need on their phone, this just give you insight into mine!

Smartphone rankings

Smartphone rankings

One of the most important decisions you’ll make in today’s society will be which smartphone to purchase. In most cases, you’ll spend more time using your cell phone than your car, and the experience the device provides you during that time varies from device to device and can make a big difference. To help with your next smartphone purchase, here are my rankings for the best smartphones on the market:

3: Google Pixel XL

smartphone

The updated Pixel is an excellent device, featuring one of the longest battery lives in smartphone history, 3450 mAh, which is more than 10% better than either of the other two devices on this list, so you won’t have to worry about your device dying at the wrong time, leaving you stranded, or worse, bored. One of the best cameras on the market as well, this phone will stay with you all summer and will help you capture all those unforgettable moments with your friends. The phone also features Google Assistant, which has been quite useful so far.

2: iPhone 7 Plus

The best offering from Apple, a longtime monarch of the smartphone industry, finds its place at #2 on this list. This device being waterproof was excellent news for me, as I have a penchant for leaving devices in my pocket while doing things like swimming, or washing clothing. I’ve ruined many a device that way, but will be safe with this new version. One of the biggest negatives being talked about with this phone is the lack of a natural headphone jack. Obviously the device is Bluetooth capable, and you can use an adapter, but it can’t be spun as anything but a negative. You can’t charge the device and listen to the headphones which makes it bulky for times when you’re around people. The second camera on the back, however, and general quality of the device itself still earns it this place on the list. Having sunk a TON of money and time into curating my personal iTunes library, this will likely be the device I purchase when my old 6 goes out soon.

1. Samsung Galaxy S8.

The S8 earns the top spot on my list, to no one’s surprise. The device has a massive 5.8 inch display, the best resolution on the market, a pretty impressive battery life, and all the flexibility and customization you’ve come to expect with the Android operating system. Add in the standard 64 GB storage, a camera that’s competitive with anything else on the market, and we’ve got a powerhouse. The fingerprint censor has been pretty widely panned, but the technology is on the rise and should have the bugs worked out fairly soon. I’ll probably spend a bunch of time testing out an S8 in the future, just to get a look at that amazing screen.

That’s all for now, let me know in the comments which devices are your favorite and why!

I Got a Weird Pop Up (or Call) – Now What?

I Got a Weird Pop Up (or Call) – Now What?

E3

E3, The Electronic Entertainment Expo, concluded yesterday in Los Angeles, finishing almost an entire week of showcases that included incredible displays of the swiftly improving technology that defines the industry, as well as exciting announcements about the future of the gaming community. In case you had to sleep or consume food or water, and thus missed a second of the action, here are my biggest takeaways from the event:

 1. The Xbox One X

Hailed as the most powerful console ever, the new Xbox One X (Previously known as “Project Scorpio”) was unveiled at E3. With an upgrade to 4K resolution, and the ability to play all previous Xbox One games and accessories, the new console should definitely be the most talked-about event of the next year.

2. Minecraft’s move to cross-platform

E3 Minecraft

The second biggest takeaway from E3, in my opinion, is the second best-selling video game of all time, Minecraft, is finally introducing cross-platform support to allows players to access the game no matter how they play, on Xbox, Playstation, PC or Mobile! Fans have been clamoring for this for ages, and it’s finally here. I can’t wait to check it out myself. With the upgrade to 4K resolution, it should look better than ever.

3. Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid: Prime 4

While most consider last year’s “Metroid Prime: Federation Force” to have been a bit of a disappointment for a series that had been quite silent for a long time, with new titles scheduled to be released in 2017 and 2018, the former giant appears to be on the rise again and quite swiftly. While the former is a remake of an old title for Game Boy, fans of classic titles will surely be itching to dive back into a game that will mix the latest technology of gaming with the nostalgia of the old game we came to enjoy so much. Metroid Prime 4, the first prime series release since 2007, will be released in 2018 on the Switch.

4. Uncharted: Lost Legacy

Uncharted E3

 

Sony’s newest release in the Uncharted series looks to be among the best, centering around Chloe, an old favorite, and showing us the platform’s take on India, as Nadia (Uncharted 4) joins Chloe to find the Tusks of Ganesh. The game will release in August, so we only have a couple of months to wait.

5. Anthem

E3 : Uncharted

A new release from Bioware and EA, this game looks incredible. A series debuting from such a standout company surely comes with massive expectations, but with variable gameplay based on different exo-suits that characters can wear (Javelins), it looks to be a fantastic start. Comparisons to Destiny have been drawn, which is natural for an ambitious first-player shooter title.  The only information we have about the release so far is late 2018.

Honorable Mention:

We have a release date for Super Mario Odyssey! We will finally be seeing the new Mario title in just a few short months, October 27th, and it looks to be quite epic as per usual. I may enjoy the games a bit more than the average hardcore gamer, but for a series that has captured the imaginations of young people for over 30 years, the next chapter is certainly newsworthy. Speaking of which, Nintendo debuted another title in the series as well, a crossover game featuring the characters from the Raving Rabbids series as well as the classic characters we’ve all come to love from the Mario games.

That’s it from this year’s E3, I look forward to actually getting my hands on the products displayed and testing them for myself. Let me know in the comments what you thought were the most exciting developments!