Recent rumors suggest that Microsoft is looking to take on Google and Apple TV with a set top box of their own known as Xbox TV. Sources close to the company seem to believe that Xbox TV will be competitively priced, and will run on Windows 8.

Much like the Xbox Surface tablet, Microsoft has yet to confirm or deny any Xbox TV rumors. If Xbox TV can match the prices of Apple TV, and Google TV devices like Vizio’s Co-Star, then Microsoft will have a good chance of winning the battle for the living room.

Microsoft’s flagship console, the Xbox 360, already offers a wide variety of non gaming uses, such as streaming movies, music, live sports, and web browsing. It’s no secret that many Xbox 360 owners use their consoles as a dedicated Netflix box, and Microsoft could capitalize on this with Xbox TV.

The real question is whether or not consumers will flock to the Windows 8 powered set top box simply because of the Xbox branding. Image has long been a concern of Google TV, a platform that is still struggling to break-out in terms of sales. Apple has had a fair amount of success with its Apple TV largely because of Apple’s successful image, and has yet to heavily market the device.

If these rumors are to be believed, Xbox TV is set to launch late 2013, just in time for the holidays.

Verizon Wireless customers located in the Midwestern United States are the latest to get a taste of 4G LTE, as Verizon has announced 4G access for more than 20 new locations.

The carrier couldn’t have announced new 4G markets at a better time, thanks to highly anticipated 4G devices like recently announced Droid DNA. Verizon claims that they have the best 4G service of any American cell carrier, and they might just be telling the truth. Verizon has announced that their 4G LTE network currently covers over 80% of the U.S. population, and they plan to finish their 4G network by mid 2013.

The latest roll out of 4G locations center around the Midwest, with certain states like Missouri gaining several new 4G cities. Check the full list of newly announced 4G markets.

• Sierra Vista, Arizona
• Douglas, Arizona
• Benson, Arizona
• Nogales, Arizona
• Grand Junction, Colorado
• Fulton, Missouri
• Kingdom City, Missouri
• Smithton, Missouri
• Etterville, Missouri
• New Bloomfield, Missouri
• Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
• Holts Summit, Missouri
• Otterville, Missouri
• Syracuse, Missouri
• Eldon, Missouri
• Tipton, Missouri
• Butte, Montana
• Mt. Vernon, Illinois
• Laramie, Wyoming
• Cody, Wyoming
• Rock Springs/Green River, Wyoming

If you live in a newly announced 4G market and are eager to pick up a new LTE device, worry not, because Verizon has stated that all of the new Midwestern markets will have 4G LTE up and running by November 15th.

Verizon Wireless has announced the budget friendly Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2. Starting at $129, the affordable Stratosphere 2 comes equipped with 4G LTE, a 1.2Ghz processor, and runs Android 4.0 out of the box.

The Stratosphere 2 shows just how far budget Android devices have come. Beyond the 4G radio and the full QWERTY slider, the Stratosphere 2 also features a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, as well as NFC support. The Stratosphere 2 is part of the Galaxy series, so you can expect to see exclusive features such as the file transfer service S Beam, popularized by the Galaxy S3. Additionally, the Stratosphere 2 is global ready, granting network access from over 200 countries across the globe and offers built-in VPN connectivity, Microsoft Exchange Active Sync and AES 256-bit encryption support.

The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2 is a well equipped phone for a relatively low price. If you’re the type of person who needs a physical keyboard, the Stratosphere 2 is a solid choice for Verizon customers. Its only competition is the Droid 4, which features almost identical specifications. Unlike Motorola, Samsung has a somewhat decent track record for keeping their devices updated with the latest version of Android, so the Stratosphere 2 may have a better chance of receiving Jelly Bean than the Droid 4.

Although the actual release date is currently unknown, Verizon has announced that the Stratosphere 2 will be available both in store, and online, in the coming weeks. The phone will sell for $129 with a two-year agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate.

It’s been a little less than a month since Microsoft launched its Surface tablet, widely regarded as the flagship product for Windows 8. In a recent interview with a French magazine, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has revealed that Surface sales have been “modest”. With no firm sales numbers to go by, it’s safe to assume that Microsoft Surface didn’t exactly explode onto the scene, but cannot be labeled a failure. In that respect, the Surface launch is reminiscent of early Android Honeycomb tablet launches, such as the Motorola Xoom.

The Surface tablet has received generally favorable reviews from everyday users, and this is certainly a success for Microsoft. So why exactly have sales been “modest” rather than fantastic? For starters, the Surface tablet launched within days of major announcements from Apple and Google. It’s hard to get consumers excited about a relatively unknown tablet priced near $600, especially when Apple announces a new iPad for $330. Throw in the $200 Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, and you realize that Microsoft’s largest obstacle comes in the pricing department.

Take a look at Android tablet sales and you’ll notice a trend. Honeycomb tablets like the Xoom, and the original Galaxy Tab 10 sold modestly, but it wasn’t until the launch of cheaper 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 that things really started taking off for Android tablets.  However, Microsoft may already have a solution to this problem in the form of a rumored cheaper 7-inch tablet branded as the Xbox Surface. If Microsoft decides to use the Xbox brand for a cheaper device, the name alone will bring out droves of gamers and boost sales.

The Humble Bundle for Android has returned, along with five new indie games for a good cause. Many of these games are making their Android debut, including Crayon Physics Deluxe and Sword and Sworcery.

The Humble Bundle for Android provides hours of quality gaming, and you pay as little or as much as you want. As always, the proceeds can benefit either the game developers, or charities, or both. The games themselves are DRM free on Android, and come with Steam keys should you wish to play these titles on your PC. Throw in award winning games like Machinarium and Sword and Sworcery, and you have quite an impressive package. I should note that if you want Machinarium, you’re going to beat the average price, which is currently $5.80, a bargain for such a quality collection of titles.

Should you decide to purchase Humble Bundle 4, be sure to head into your device’s settings, and allow the installation of applications from unknown sources, as the games are downloaded directly to the device without Google Play.

As Android games become more and more like traditional home video games, players are discovering that touch screen controls just don’t have the same tactile comfort offered by console video games. That’s about to change, thanks to the Nyko PlayPad, a $40 Android game controller which connects to your device over Bluetooth.

Much like the MOGA, the PlayPad attempts to make mobile gaming more accessible by providing a controller that is familiar to all gamers. Additionally, The PlayPad Pro (pictured above) features a layout near identical to that of an Xbox 360 controller.

The PlayPad also includes several different hardware modes that make the controller compatible with multiple types of games and devices, including iOS titles that support iCade. Unfortunately, the PlayPad does require Android 3.0 or higher, leaving plenty of gamers with Gingerbread devices out of luck. Nyko has also released an application called Playground which allows gamers to map touch controls to the PlayPad, but the application is only compatible with Android 4.0 devices.

At $40, the Nyko PlayPad gives you a capable controller for a great price. At this time, it appears that Nyko is charging the same price for both the PlayPad and the PlayPad Pro, and there’s no telling how long this will last. The PlayPad controller is currently available from Gamestop and Amazon.

Black Friday 2012 is almost upon us, and it appears that Kmart is once again luring consumers with dirt cheap Android products. Among the offerings is a 7-inch ICS tablet for a mere $40, and a 4.3-inch ICS based personal media player for $49. It’s important to note that these are budget devices from relatively unknown manufacturers, but it’s hard to ignore an Android 4.0 tablet for $40. Did I mention it actually has a 1.2GHz processor?

If you’re looking for a Galaxy Tab or Asus Transformer, I’m afraid you’ll have to shop elsewhere, as these Black Friday tablets aren’t exactly household names. Check the full list of Android based devices for sale:

• Samsung Galaxy Discover on Net10 (No Contract Required): $89.99
• 4Sight 9-inch tablet 1.1GHz (Android 4.0): $89.99
• X-treme Tab 7-inch tablet 1.2GHz (Android 4.0) : $39.99
• Mach Speed Trio 4.3-inch PMP (Android 4.0): $49.99
• Maylong 7-inch Android 4.0 tablet with keyboard case: $99.99

These budget gadgets from Chinese manufactures don’t exactly have the best track record. However, if you want an Android device on Black Friday and want to save some serious cash, Kmart has you covered. Make sure you show up early, as each store will have a minimum of 6 in stock.