I’m always looking for new games on my Android phone. Right now I’m addicted to a simple word app called Target and still waiting for an Android version of Jewel Quest. However, a 3D gem popped up the other night while I was surfing through the marketplace. Remember those old Magic Eye pictures? Magic Eye was a short-lived fad back in the nineties, and even made it big enough for an iconic reference in the Kevin Smith flick Mall Rats. If you didn’t catch Magic Eye stereograms back in the day, there’s now an Android app for that.

There’s a free Magic Eye app available for Android with six trial pictures, and a pro version for 99 cents with 102 pics. Stare long enough and hard enough, and you’ll see the hidden 3D image behind the chaos of colors and shapes. Perhaps most importantly, the new apps give you tips on how to see the hidden 3D images. If you gave up on Magic Eye last decade, maybe it’s time to try it again. And if you’re really a glutton for punishment, Download Squad discovered a Magic Eye Tetris game last fall. Haven’t seen it on Android yet, but surely it won’t be long.

Don’t have an Android device? No worries. Magic Eye is available for the iPhone too.

At MIX10, Microsoft’s developer conference, in addition to Pandora, Sling and Xbox gaming, it looks like the new Windows Phone 7 platform may also host a Netflix streaming video app in their upcoming marketplace. Given Netflix’s previous integration of MS video and DRM technologies (Windows, Silverlight, Xbox), today’s demo shouldn’t come as any surprise. I only hope the shipping version is a bit easier on the eyes. Branding is important, but can we dial down the (Verizon) red? Actually, I have two more hopes. Additional, premium content. And an iPhone client.

Nope, I didn’t pre-order the iPad yesterday. However, it’s highly likely we’ll purchase Apple’s netbook in the near future. Especially given the intense spousal pressure — my role as CTO of the Zatz household has been challenged. Yet I see no reason to float Apple loan without having even touched the device… and without addressing several open issues. Computerworld put together a list of 15 iPad mysteries, some now answered, but they failed to address my three biggies. Keeping in mind this will be a shared device.

1. Multiple User Accounts?
Will the iPad offer multiple user accounts? Melissa’s got her email, Facebook, and wallpaper; I’ve got mine. So it’d be nice if the iPad OS could accommodate us with global user accounts.

2. App Sharing?
Will we be able to share apps? Between devices. And between users (assuming multiple user accounts). We’ve got two iPhones, obviously hosting a number of apps, many pay. Is there a mechanism to duplicate or move them onto the iPad… without redownloading and repurchasing?

3. Network backups?
To position the iPad as something more robust than a supersized iPhone, and given a launch app like iWork and the camera kit, I’d think Apple needs to offer some sort of backup and sync mechanism. So will we have to periodically tether the iPad to a computer to backup apps and app data, as we do with the iPhone? Or will Time Capsule and MobileMe options be made available?

Unfortunately, I fear the answer to each question will come up negatory. Making this more a list of iPad shortcomings and iPad 4.0 OS feature requests. And I have one non-iPad bonus question: Will the keyboard dock also work with an iPhone? Technically, I see no reason why it wouldn’t. But from a business perspective, the lines between iPhone and iPad are already too blurry – so I could see them drawing this line in the sand.

In honor of GelaSkins new Marvel lineup, and my longstanding appreciation of their licensed artwork, I approached them about a giveaway. And, given this post, they’re obviously game.

I was previously a satisfied GelaSkins customer, sporting this 3M sticker on the back of my first gen iPhone for about a year. While the skin offered little protection, it definitely jazzed up my handset and prevented surface scuffs (which has been even more of a problem on the 3GS plastic back). GelaSkins also provides free phone wallpaper, and I helped myself to this whimsical beaut several months ago. Which is still in effect.

If you’d like a GelaSkin for your phone (iPhone, Blackberry, Nexus One, etc) or iPod, simply leave a comment letting us know which design (Marvel or otherwise) suits your fancy. We’ll randomly choose one winner to receive a coupon code in a few days.

Do we need another device to add to our smartphone and laptop arsenal? Maybe, maybe not, but there are now a gazillion gadgets trying to squeeze into that middle window. Chip-maker ARM predicts that more than 50 “tablet PC devices” will launch this year trying to ride the wave of the Apple iPad. Certainly there are small’ish tablet PCs on the market already, but the “middle” market has also been hit by the eBook tsunami, and new concept devices and even software are appearing from sources ranging from Microsoft to Time Inc.

I don’t really think tablet is the best descriptive term here because I’m not convinced most people will use a device like this primarily for writing or drawing. However, I do think there is a growing desire for something portable to read and otherwise consume stuff on. Not just books, but magazines, newspapers, movies, TV shows, etc. My smartphone does ok for catching up on RSS reading on a flight, but it’s not great. And if I take out my netbook, well I might as well just do work. On the other hand, I still find myself buying a magazine or a paperback to get through a long flight. And over lunch, or at home in the evenings, I’d love to be able to scan articles without opening my computer.

So here we are in the middle. We don’t know exactly what we need, but we think we want something. And for the rest of this year at least, gadget makers are going to give us a lot of options to fill that hole.

TiVo, blah blah, TiVo, blah blah blah. Let’s move on to something important, like March Madness.

With the best month in college basketball kicking into gear, I thought I’d take a look at my options for following all of the NCAA action. First up is the official March Madness On Demand Player from CBS Sports. The powers that be keep adding features to the MMOD player, and no wonder. CBS brings in tens of millions in revenue, and last year streamed roughly 6.5 million hours of March Madness video. New this year, CBS Sports is adding a picture-in-picture feature and real-time overlay stats. As before, you can choose between Silverlight and Flash players (Silverlight for higher quality video), listen to Westwood One radio broadcasts, and access game highlights and archives.

Speaking of archives, the NCAA has also launched its own site, the NCAA Vault, with a library of archived tournament games from the last decade. Need to get in the mood for a big game, or engage in a little trash talking? You can use the site to find clips of your favorite teams and players of yesteryear, and the Vault includes integration with Facebook and Twitter so you can post links to specific time codes and share your favorite blocks, dunks, and fast breaks. (Kudos to Thought Equity Motion, which powers the service.)

Of course if you’re in front of your TV at home, not only can you watch this year’s games live, but you can also see March Madness highlights via numerous VOD sources. Last year the major cable and telco providers got into the game with VOD offerings, and presumably this year will be no different.

Which brings us to mobile. CBS debuted a March Madness iPhone app last year for viewing live games. It only works over Wi-Fi, which has its drawbacks, but at least it’s something. So far, however, there doesn’t appear to be an Android complement. I’ve found a couple Android apps for tracking scores (NCAA Basketball Scoreboards, and the free College Basketball Live), and a company call Pure Concepts just launched a PocketBracket app for the iPhone (an updated version) and Android devices (new) today. Unfortunately, live Android streaming looks like a no-go. What, me worried? Nah, I’ll make do with my TV and netbook. Bring on the Madness!

In honor of Michael Bolton, we’re giving away a first generation Pogoplug today. It’s an interesting bring-your-own-drive network storage solution, at a great price without service fees and featuring one of the quickest, easiest initial installs ever. It realizes many aspects of my personal cloud vision, yet the Pogoplug wasn’t exactly the right solution for me. But it, along with its multiple clients (Win, OS X, web, iPhone), might be right for you. Entering the giveaway is as easy as it gets, simply leave a comment below. (US residents in the lower 48 only, please.) I’ll choose the Pogoplug winner at random in a few days.