For those not familiar with the program, Amazon will allow for the downloading of 1 book at a time per month which can be digitally “returned” when you’re ready to download a new book. Unfortunately, for those that use tablets, iPads and iPhones, the lending library only works for Kindle devices such as the Kindle Touch or the Kindle Fire.

The Lending Library is part of the Amazon Prime service which costs only $79 per year and includes access to free 2 day shipping and a library of streaming TV shows and movies.

Another Civil War is upon us within the Marvel Universe and this time, it involves the Avengers versus the X-Men. Issue one of Marvel’s newest series was released just over a week ago and includes with it the introduction of Marvel’s latest technological innovation, Augmented Reality, or AR.

Let us start with the basics. “Avengers vs X-Men” has been out for a week and there is a reason the review is so late. It is good. It is very good and it has already been read by this reviewer several times.

*Warning* Potential Spoilers ahead for those who have not yet read the issue. *Another Warning* Potentially bad puns included.

There is a grave threat and a powerful force headed to earth. The mutant numbers are dwindling and the schism between the X-Men is still in effect. There may be only one Hope (pun intended) for the unity of the X-Men and mutant kind entirely. The preservation of the mutant power copycat by the name of Hope (now you see it?).

Upon flipping through the first few pages (and the information provided by issue #0), readers are introduced to the threat that aims to put the Marvel universe in disarray. The Phoenix force has returned along with potentially haphazard destruction. However, the Avengers do not plan on sitting by and allowing this return. The only problem? The Phoenix force has found a host, and all Hope might be lost (yes another Hope pun). Hope’s copycatting mutant power has drawn in this force along with a host of trouble and Cyclops will not stand by to allow the Avengers to detain her.

“Avengers vs X-Men” directly follow the events that take place in Marvel’s 4-part mini-series, Avengers: X-Sanction. However, Marvel’s writers have made it fairly easy to jump right in with issue #0 and #1. Who are the writers on this project you ask? A collaboration of some of Marvel’s best, including: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr. with the pencils.

Furthermore, these writers, along with the tech geniuses at Marvel, have teamed up with Aurasma, to introduce a new software that will enhance the comic book reader’s experience. This new technology, Augmented Reality (or AR), gives the comic book a more enhanced experience. I like to think of it as Blu-Ray additional content for comics. This application is free and available for newer iPhones, iPads, and Andriod devices.

Upon reading Avengers vs X-Men issue #1, I decide to scan the panel marked “AR” with my iPhone. Sure enough, I hear Brian Michael Bendis’ voice speaking to me in a “director’s commentary-esque” fashion. Or upon scanning the opening title page, Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso walks right onto my comic book, welcomes me to the new series, and introduces me to a whole new experience. The AR includes panel progression from storyboard to final draft, scene movements, and character biography.

In conclusion, Avengers vs X-Men issue #1 is an excellent read with stunning visuals. It poses interesting questions of what is to come in the series and fuels the excitement of this comic book reader’s anticipations. Where will Wolverine and Beast, both X-Men and Avengers, fit into this struggle? Will the Phoenix force destroy everything? Will Hope share the same fate as Jean Grey? How far is Cyclops willing to go to defend Hope and the mutant race? Many fans are looking forward to a lengthy, well-written series that will push the boundaries of friend and foe to answer these questions and more. Lastly, the introduction of the AR app has ushered in a new experience to reading comic books and has enhanced the overall story-telling experience.

Ever wonder what you would look like as Darth Maul?…Me neither. But if curiosity has peaked your interest or you’re just a hardcore fan of the “Star Wars” franchise, this app may be for you.

Join the dark side and become Darth Maul using the free Darth Maul Me mobile app from Star Wars: Episode I in 3D. Whether you want to turn your face completely into one of Star Wars’ greatest villains, use the partial Darth Maul tattoos, or only give yourself the Sith eyes, Darth Maul Me has an option for you. Simply take a photo with your camera or use an existing photo to quickly and easily turn yourself into Darth Maul.  Share your creation with your friends and encourage them to join you on the dark side.

This app is now available in the app store and require the following specs:

Supported Devices:
iPhone 3GS / 4 / 4S and iPod Touch

Supported OS:
iOS 5 and above.

Now, who is waiting for the “Jar Jar Me” app?

“Star Wars: Episode I” re-releases in theaters Friday, February 10 in 3D.

The new Xbox 360 software will also allow users to navigate using voice commands (Kinect required to use this feature). The inclusion of Bing will give users the ability to verbally search for game, music, movies and more.

“With Bing on Xbox, you can use your voice to effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows and music you want and discover the best offerings on Xbox LIVE, by simply saying what you’re searching for,” the company says. “You say it, Xbox finds it.” The new entertainment service scans not only Microsoft-offered services line Zune Video, but also some partner services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus and Comcast On Demand.

Just under 1 million Xbox 360 units were sold over the Thanksgiving weekend and Microsoft is beginning to realize the importance of a multimedia device rather than a console aimed solely at the gaming community. Competitors like the Sony Playstation 3 have promoted it’s console using the tagline “It Only Does Everything”. They have made sure potential buyers know that it plays games, is a Blu Ray player and can stream media from the most popular services. Microsoft will be following suit with their new update.

Users can begin downloading the update December 6.

Have you noticed that many of the hottest titles this holiday season, including “Batman: Arkham City” and “Assassins Creed: Revelations”, are 3D compatible…assuming you’ve spent the money to buy a 3D TV?

Well if you’re like me and don’t see the value in buying a technology that has died in the 50s, and again in the 80s, or you just don’t like the idea of spending over $100 on 3D glasses, then the Trioviz Inficolor glasses may interest you.

I had a chance to spend some time in “Arkham City” with my 1080P, LG HDTV (not 3D compatible) and I was actually surprised at the depth these glasses were able to provide. The Trioviz glasses come with instructions on how to get the most of the technology with details on how far you should be from your TV, how bright the surrounding light should be and even where the optimum contrast should be.

Once I got in game, I switched on the 3D mode in the settings and even the Batman splash screen had the noticeable 3D textures. I decided a good test would be to take to the skies and soar around Arkham City to get a real feel of environmental depth. The Trioviz glasses definitely added to the over all experience.

The only drawbacks I noticed after a couple hours of use was that the tinted lenses are pretty noticeable when you first start using them. Granted your eyes adapt and you can get a pretty good range of color and depth after you’ve used them a bit. Also, the overall clarity doesn’t really match the clarity you get with the commercial 3D technology used by the actually 3D TVs.

That being said, the glasses will run you just under $30 and you don’t need to purchase anything else to get the 3D experience on a TV you already own. For that price, it’s a no-brainer for those looking for a 3D experience without investing in a technology that may not be around.

You can read more about Trioviz and purchase the glasses on their site. They would make a great holiday gift for the game who has everything.

Unlike Boarders (R.I.P.), Barnes and Noble has done a pretty good job of staying relevant in an eBook market. With their house brand of eReader, The Nook, B&N has just announced their entrance into the tablet market just weeks after Amazon announced their Kindle Fire.

The Nook Tablet will be released on November 18, in alignment with the Kindle Fire, and will be a multimedia device with support for books, movies, apps and more. The Nook Tablet will also have full support for Hulu, Netflix and Pandora. Of course there will also be support for books and comics along with a web browser and email capabilities.

Our fastest, lightest tablet with the best in HD entertainment

• HD movies, TV shows and music from the top names—Netflix, Hulu Plus™, Pandora® & more
• World’s most advanced VividView™ 7″ Touchscreen
• Over 2.5 million books, magazines, comics & kids’ books
• Lightning fast Email, Web & smooth streaming video
• Thousands of must-have apps like Angry Birds and Epicurious
• 16 GB of memory, extra-long battery life—yet ultra-light and thin
• Always free NOOK support in-store

The Nook Tablet is now available for preorder at $249, just $50 more than the Kindle Fire, and you can see a full spec list on B&N’s website.

After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, tech innovator Steve Jobs passes away today.

Jobs has revolutionized the consumer tech market with the iPod, iPhone and, most recently, the iPad. After stepping down as Apple’s CEO just over a month ago, Jobs has lost his fight against cancer tonight and Angry Web’s thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and anyone he’s influenced over the years.

Jobs may be gone but will never be forgotten.

You can’t connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path – Steve Jobs

Well, it wasn’t the iPhone 5 as most people were expecting and as of now, Apple’s stock took a slight hit after the announcement of a new iPod Nano, iPod Touch and the iPhone 4S.

After months of speculation online from insiders and other “sources”, there was no iPhone 5 announced. Apple’s method of keeping everything a secret until it is officially announced might have created a bit of backlash on this one as the keynote did not meet the media’s, or consumer’s, expectations.

The iPhone 4S will basically be the same phone on the outside with some tweeks on the inside boasting an 8 megapixel camera and double the speed with a A5 chip. Most of the new features will be available through a software update that is compatible with iPhones going back to the 3GS.

The most impressive news from the keynote was Siri, which is basically an AI assistant that will allow users to dictate text messages, search the web using voice recognition or schedule events.

The iPhone 4S will be available on October 14th and can be preordered for AT&T, Verizon or Sprint starting October 7th.

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon has unveiled their new line up of Kindles. Now as low as $79, the Kindle has made itself available for all budgets and have even introduced a tablet that is aggressively priced to be the first real iPad competitor.

The base model is as low as $79 with advertisements and has slight changes since the Kindle 3. Amazon has completely done away with the keyboard and made it lighter (though previous models were pretty light already). This model comes in WiFi only but at the price, it’s not difficult to load it up at home and take it with you wherever you go.

The next model up, the Kindle Touch, now has a touch screen and will be available in WiFi or 3G versions starting as low as $99. Like previous models, the 3G will allow you to download books from wherever you are and will have no monthly fees associated with it.

The big change from the previous model would be the touch screen which replaces all buttons and keys on the unit.

Lastly, the one we have all been waiting for, the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a high resolution, full color tablet that seems to have its limitations from others on the market (like not having a 3G model) but has it where it counts…especially when it comes to pricing.

A mere fraction of what the iPad costs, the Kindle Fire starts under $200 and will allow full media playback including music, movies and streaming for Amazon Prime members. It also allows for full color books and magazines to be read and even though it will come with 8GB of on-board memory for media and apps (which will be available through Amazon), Amazon will be providing free cloud access so media can be stored with them while you access it on your device.

From the provided details, it may not be an iPad but for those who are interested in watching, reading, listening, checking email and browsing the web, the $200 price point may be a better bargain than Apple’s tablet. Also, with Amazon’s distribution (expect to see this on Amazon’s home page for the next year), this is sure to be a winner and may give Apple a run for their money in the tablet market.

News broke 30 minutes ago so unless you live under a rock, chances are you’ve heard this already. The question now is will Tim Cook be able to move to company in the direction Jobs has been for the past decade? My answer…yes.

As a former employee of the company, Tim Cook has been an innovator for a while now. Even 2 years ago the employee meetings would be recorded by Cook and his vision seems perfectly aligned with Jobs’.

That being said, the question is will customer and share holders see Cook as an emblem for everything the company stands for or was the fact that Steve Jobs a figure head for the company too important?

Here is the letter sent out by Jobs to the company. It is almost sad to read as his health was the only thing standing between him and his position as CEO of the company. We wish Steve and his family all the best.

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve