user: Problem: Obama aide: No apology for Hoffa comments

Update at 3:37 p.m.: It doesn't sound like President Obama or the White House will be apologizing for Monday comments by Teamsters Union President James Hoffa, describing Tea Party members as SOBs.

"Those weren't comments by the president," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "The president ... wasn't on stage. He didn't speak for another 20 minutes. He didn't hear it."

"Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself," Carney said. "The president speaks for himself."

Some conservatives are calling for an apology after Teamsters Union President James Hoffa described Tea Party members as SOB's during remarks that preceded President Obama's remarks at a Labor Day event in Detroit.

Saying the Tea Party has launched a "war on workers," Hoffa said urged supporters to vote Democratic: "President Obama this is your army. We are ready to march. And President Obama we want one thing: Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. That's what we're going to tell him. He's going to be and when he sees what we're doing here he will be inspired. But he needs help and you know what? Everybody here's got to vote. If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these sons of a bitches out and give America back to America where we belong! Thank you very much!"

Amy Kremer, who chairs the Tea Party Express, called on Obama to "condemn this inappropriate and uncivil rhetoric."

"Jimmy Hoffa's remarks are inexcusable and amount to a call for violence on peaceful tea party members, which include many Teamster members," Kremer said in a written statement.

Tea Party members also aren't happy with Vice President Joe Biden, who told union members in Cincinnati on Monday that they are "the only folks keeping the barbarians from the gates."

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Summary: Some conservatives are calling for an apology after Teamsters Union President James Hoffa described Tea Party members as SOBs during remarks at a Labor Day event President Obama attended.


Problem: What Does Amazon's Fire TV Mean for Gaming?

Amazon's announcement of a set-top box Wednesday morning came to no surprise to anyone following the space. The inclusion of gaming elements was also not a surprise; leaked images of its controller appeared online a month ago and were spot on to what the company showed off at Fire TV unveiling.

Gaming may not have been the forefront of the presentation or press materials, but its hard to ignore the message it sends. Between next-generation consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Nintendo's more family-focused Wii U, the upcoming Valve Steam machines that bring PC gaming to the TV, Android-based gaming consoles like the OUYA, there's no shortage of ways to get games and other content on your TV in one place.

Amazon may have the power to get wide adoption for the Fire TV, but will it solve any problems for gaming, or add another piece of hardware to a very crowded marketplace?

Let's flash back two summers ago, to the Kickstarter campaign for the OUYA. The $99, Android-based gaming console raised $2.6 million on the first day of funding based on the promise of opening mobile gaming to the television. Others joined in the marketplace: the GameStick, the GamePop, and other controllers that promised to bring your Android games to the TV.

The OUYA is really the only remaining game in town from that lot, and it has even pivoted from its original business model in the way games are sold in its marketplace. Both it and the Amazon Fire TV have the same starting price point — $99 — though you'll need to plunk down another $40 get Amazon's game controller. Games on both aren't expensive either; many OUYA games are still "free-to-try" and Amazon touted most of its titles will cost around $1.84.

So are OUYA's creators scared?

"Just as Amazon blazed a trail for a new way of selling online, OUYA invented a new way to think about console games. But for us, games are not simply an 'added bonus' — they're the whole point. OUYA is solely dedicated to the devs creating games, and the players who play them. Their ideal experience is all we think about," said OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman in a statement.

Uhrman's point is correct. Amazon needs to make sure to give the Fire TV game store the curation and love it requires. Otherwise it will be a giant headache for users, and won't attract new players. But while the company didn't make a big show of all the talent it had brought in to the gaming space, publishers and developers were very quickly to send out releases about new titles coming to Fire TV. The number is very encouraging, with casual/mobile names like GameLoft, Glu and Jackbox Games creating content alongside AAA publishers like EA, 2K Games and Ubisoft, names normally associated with traditional game consoles.

For casual gamers ever considering picking up a next-generation gaming console, the decision now may be less clear cut. If you were already on board with purchasing an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Wii U, you probably already grabbed at least one of those. All three offer lots of gaming options, but also integration with media apps like like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and more.

Consoles like that each come with big exclusive titles that attract gamers; the Xbox One is drawing shooter fans in with Titanfall for example. But if you just play a few games, and if you don't spend a ton on it as a hobby, you might not want to spend $400 to $500 on a new console. Adults who have "aged out" of gaming and parents with young kids are perfect examples of this potential demographic.

A major push during the Xbox One marketing campaign was how it integrated into all aspects of entertainment. While the One certainly still does much more, like work with a cable box, Kinect-based fitness apps, Skype and an online friends list, there might be customers who don't want all the extra bells and whistles and will be happy with a snazzy set-top box. (Provided they don't already have an Apple TV, Chromecast or Roku.) Nintendo and Sony may have less to worry from this challenger, since both cater to more specific segments of the gamer population with their consoles.

The hackneyed phrase "content is king" never rang more true, though. Android, as a mobile platform, suffers because it doesn't get the best games first. Amazon will have to build a user base developers want to make games for, but also bring games that make people want to buy a controller. With games coming from its own internal studio, which just hired more talent like the designer of seminal puzzle game Portal, the company could be on the right track.

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Summary:

assistant: Amazon's announcement of a set-top box Wednesday morning came to no surprise to anyone following the space. The inclusion of gaming elements was also not a surprise; leaked imag...