Nook HD and Nook HD+ impressions: The Kindle Fire killer

We go hands on with the new 7-inch Nook HD and 9-inch Nook HD+. Our full impressions.

Today Barnes & Noble has unveiled the Nook Tablet HD (7-inch) and Nook Tablet HD+ (9-inch), two completely new tablets. If there’s one thing I learned from B&N representatives when I spent some time with the new Nooks yesterday, it’s that the Amazon Kindle Fire HDs are inferior to the new Nooks in every way. While companies are typically shy of their competition, Barnes & Noble is not quiet about its competitors. According to the traditional book retailer turned digital seller, its new Nook tablets are faster, lighter, more feature rich, and easier to hold than any Kindle Fire. But is it true or is it a clever marketing gimmick? Judging from my first experiences with the new Nook HD and HD+, B&N may have good reason to go on the offense.

Lighter, faster, and easier to hold

The first device I held was the Nook HD, a new 7-inch tablet. From the moment I picked it up, I was impressed by how comfortable and easy to grip it was. Instead of going with an entirely flat glass front screen like almost every tablet these days, Barnes & Noble has surrounded its screen with a pleasantly grippy plastic, which is supposed to make it easier to hold and cut down on unwanted fingerprints. The grippy plastic curves right around to the back of the tablet, which now resembles the Nook E Ink e-readers more than the old Nook Color. The new tablet is not only easier to grip, it’s much nicer on your arms, weighing only 11.1 ounces (315 grams), much lighter than the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. The Nook HD also beats its competitors in pixel count with an impressive 1440 x 900 pixel screen, exceeding the 1280×800 pixel norm.

The Nook HD+ is a larger tablet, but also feels very lightweight and more comfortable to hold than a typical tablet, an important point for Barnes & Noble, which still says these devices are made for reading, when push comes to shove. The HD+ takes on the iPad and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 with a unique 9-inch screen with an impressive 1920×1280 pixel resolution. Placed vertically atop an iPad, it seems to be about the same thickness (maybe a hair more) and height, but because it employs a 3:2 aspect ratio, it’s much narrower. This aspect ratio, again, makes it resemble and feel more like a book. In fact, B&N believes the HD+ is also well suited for magazine viewing, video, and comic books. So well suited that Barnes & Noble has opened up a new video store and expanded its magazine offerings to be more interactive and robust. You can now create scrapbooks out of your downloaded magazines. A new HDMI peripheral even lets you stream 1080p movies to your HDTV.

Neither tablet will blow your britches away in the spec department, but they hold their own against Amazon’s offerings (maybe not the Nexus 7, however). Both Nook HDs have microSD slots, 8-32GB of internal flash memory storage, and dual-core OMAP 4470 processors (1.3/1.5GHz) with 1GB of RAM, which B&N points out is faster than the Kindle Fire HD’s OMAP 4460 processors. Both devices also run on a heavily modified version of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which I’m told has helped B&N’s ability to court developers and improved the quality of apps available. Its store now carriers more than 10,000 apps.

Did I mention the battery life? Amazon estimates that the HD will get 10.5 hours of reading and the HD+ will manage 10 hours. Not bad, especially considering that the batteries have not grown in size since the Nook Tablet. Somehow B&N has been able to improve all of its specs, even the screen and improve battery life without increasing the size of its batteries.

Multiple logins for the family

One of the coolest new ideas B&N showed off is the idea of having profile accounts for everyone who uses a tablet anyone, with a family twist. No Android tablet has gotten multiple logins right, but Barnes & Noble seems to have figured it out. Families can create profiles for everyone complete with separate email, apps, and content. If you’re a parent, you can even restrict your kids to certain books or features and secure your login with a passcode. Finally, no one will have to know how many times you read Fifty Shades of Gray on your HD Nook.

Nook Channels

Another of my favorite new features is Nook Channels. Barnes & Noble has been selling books for many decades and this feature takes advantage of that expertise. Instead of simply recommending new e-books based on genre or what other, similar, customers purchased, B&N is using real humans to create and curate ‘channels’ of content specially tailored to you based on the books you read. In a sense, it’s like a simplified version of Pandora, which also uses actual music experts to categorize songs. 

Slow interface

Unfortunately, it’s not all roses for the new Nook HD and HD+. I’m hoping that what I saw were developer units, but the interface featured looked a bit cartoony and animation lagged significantly. Sadly, it reminded me of the one thing that would make a B&N executive cry: the Kindle Fire. Amazon’s first tablet (and the Nook Color, if we’re going to be fair) was underpowered and felt slow compared to higher-end tablets. Judging from the specs, there really isn’t a reason why these tablets were so slow. Hopefully it is a software issue that’s already been fixed. I’m also hoping that a bit more work goes into the design of the interface. While completely serviceable, it doesn’t match the sleekness of the Kindle Fire HD or Nexus 7 user interfaces, though the bubbly, brightly colored interface may appeal more to moms and families, who B&N is obviously pining for. Still, even moms don’t want laggy tablets.

Good pricing

I’m hoping Barnes & Noble doesn’t launch a line of laggy tablets. Assuming these issues are fixed before the new tablets launch in late October, the Nook HD and Nook HD+ are two extremely capable and competitive consumption devices. The Nook HD will retail starting at $200 for 8GB of storage. The Nook HD+ will start at $270 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32GB model. At about half the price of an iPad, the 9-inch version should be especially compelling. Overall, I’m excited to try out the new Nook models. It’s easy to forget that Barnes & Noble is a player in the tablet space, but it showed today that it’s not going anywhere. Amazon, watch out! You can pre-order the Nook tablets at Nook.com and check them out at Barnes & Noble and some other select retailers around the U.S. and UK. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

RIM execs serenade BlackBerry developers with ‘Keep on Loving You’ music video

Has Research In Motion finally lost the plot? Or is it merely showing everyone it has a sense of humor? A new music video starring company executives thanks BlackBerry developers for sticking with its mobile platform, promising better days ahead.

Research In Motion (RIM) may be experiencing the toughest time in its 28-year history, but it hasn’t forgotten how to have bit of fun.

At its BlackBerry Jam developer conference in San Jose on Tuesday, the mobile company decided to entertain its attendees – or possibly horrify a few of them – with a slickly-produced music video featuring three RIM executives singing a developer-focused version of the classic REO Speedwagon hit, Keep on Loving You.

The video is apparently RIM’s way of expressing its appreciation for developers that have stuck with the BlackBerry platform.

“This video is a thank you to all developers supporting the BlackBerry platform. Your Developer Relations, Alliance and Developer Tools teams appreciate your enthusiasm and loyalty! We’re Going To Keep On Loving You,” reads the accompanying blurb on YouTube.

The three-and-a-half-minute production kicks off with the lyrics:

We’ve all seen these are challenging times, baby,

‘Cuz we’re in transition.

A whole new mobile computing platform may be

one tough proposition.

So don’t be misled,

The launch is just ahead,

We’ll have BlackBerry 10 both in full touch and QWERTY editions.

In a message to BlackBerry developers, vocalist Alec Saunders – RIM’s VP of developer relations and ecosystem – sings, “We’re gonna keep on loving you,” at the same time reassuring them that “our updated SDK is really cool.”

Check it out at the end of this piece and let us know: epic fail or good laugh?

Besides serenading the developers, RIM is also hoping to hold on to existing ones, or even attract new ones, by offering $10,000 per BB10 app submitted to its app store, provided it meets certain quality requirements.

The video was screened on the same day that RIM boss Thorsten Heins announced some better news for the Ontario-based company. Against expectations, BlackBerry subscriber numbers rose to 80 million for the quarter ending September, an increase of two million from earlier this year.

RIM’s future rests heavily on its next mobile operating system, BB10, which is set to launch early next year, together with a number of new handsets. Hopefully the Keep On Loving You video released on Tuesday won’t have scared off too many developers, and the phones can come to market with plenty of BB10 apps to choose from.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Report: China's Huawei considering native OS as fail-safe

Report: China's Huawei considering native OS as fail-safe

Huawei WeeWa. Very nice!

Huawei, the emerging smartphone maker in China, could become a serious challenger in the mobile OS landscape dominated by the United States' iOS, Android, and Windows 8-powered devices.

The telecommunications company told Reuters that it could add its name to the big list of small device OS manufacturers if "other companies won't let us use their system one day."

Huawei is clearly referring to Google and Microsoft in this case. It currently produces phones and tablets that run either Android, like the Huawei Ascend P1, or Windows 8, like the Huawei Ascend W1.

The Samsung vs. Apple lawsuit is cited as one of the reasons Huawei is sinking R&D money into this OS backup plan. Another reason may be Tuesday's report that suggest Google forced Acer to cancel an Alibaba-powered smartphone.

Huawei OS one of many emerging operating systems

A potential Huawei OS may never materialize, but if it does, it could face worldwide competition beyond U.S.-manufactured systems like iOS, Android, and Windows 8.

Canada's RIM is poised to launch BlackBerry 10 in 2013 and the company may go through with plans to open the BlackBerry OS to other phone manufacturers.

In South Korea, Samsung has its own Bada OS on select devices like the Samsung Wave 3 and many see potential in a full-blown Samsung OS. The Samsung vs. Apple lawsuit was a reason cited here, too.

Back in the U.S., everyone's focus is on the big three, but there's another browser heavyweight getting in on the action in a way that directly affects Huawei. Mozilla is teaming up with Huawei Chinese rival ZTE to produce a line of phones running the forthcoming FireFox OS.

Then there's HP, which isn't completely out of the picture with a chance that it may resurrect the long-written-off webOS.

Combine these emerging rivals with the fact that Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Bada all saw growth in the Chinese market last year, and Huawei would have its work cut out for itself.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Borderlands 2 dev explains the art and science of ‘distilling fun’

Borderlands 2 characters

We spoke with Matt Charles, Gearbox producer for Borderlands 2 about the recently released game, the future of the industry, and the merits of the Super Mario Bros. movie.

Last week 2K Games and Gearbox’s Borderland 2 arrived with a bang. Most people suspected that it would be a hit thanks to the pre-orders as well as the general popularity of the franchise, but we didn’t know that it would also be one of the best games of the year. We hoped it would be, but we had no way of telling until the copies were released from the protective clutches of the developer.

If you need more proof that the game is a hit (beyond our review), just jump on PSN, Steam, or Xbox Live at any given time and check out how many friends you have playing it right now. If the answer is none, consider investing in some new online friends.

Now that the years of work have concluded and the game has shipped, there is a slight lull in the game’s development cycle before the work on the DLC begins (as well as a probable sequel, although Gearbox will probably defend that secret bitterly until it is ready to announce one). So what does a Borderlands 2 producer do with himself in that time? And what was the development like? And while we’re at it, can we expect a Borderlands movie, and if so is there any way to make it not suck? We ask Gearbox producer Matt Charles these questions and more.

Matt Charles from GearboxHow long have you been working on Borderlands 2?

The full history: Borderlands 1 came out, did great. We turned a small team to focus on the DLC efforts – the add-on content. Once those finished, we started work on Borderlands 2. So it’s a gray area, it doesn’t happen overnight. But it’s about 2 ½ years.

Did you expect Borderlands 1 to do as well as it did, or did its success surprise you?

Well we certainly hoped so. I’d say we were pleasantly surprised. We’d been working on that game for a long time. Brand new IP, brand new genre — we felt it was a new idea, blending the best of first person shooter and RPG and turning it into what we called the RPS. It was very much our baby.

When you have a game coming out with lofty expectations, how do you deal with the stress leading up to the launch day?

It’s interesting. It’s a dash of nerve wracking; it’s a dash of calm before the storm. It feels like a shuttle launch, like everything is done already, and we just have to wait and see what happens.

After a game is done and released, not counting the DLC, do you have to go through a cool down period, or are you eager to get back to work?

There’s a nice break in the work flow, naturally caused by the certification process with first parties, such as Microsoft and Sony. We do continue to work on the PC version, bug fixing for patches during that time, but that’s generally less intense than preparing for that period when everything’s got to be done and flawless and perfect and ready to be printed on disc. So that’s a great time for people to take some time off.

We also then immediately come back and hit the ground running with DLC, so it’s a short break.

MechromancerWhat DLC for Borderlands 2 can you talk about?

There will, in fact, be a season pass. I look forward to seeing what we do there… [laughter].

I can also talk about the Mechromancer. She’s really interesting. At PAX East we announced that we had this idea, we had this beautiful little nugget of a word called “mechromancer,” that was really catchy to us, and she would come with Deathtrap, and that idea was really interesting to us as well — the polar opposite of Claptrap, essentially. Where he’s cracking wise, Deathtrap is about death and destruction, but obviously the friendly protector of the mechromancer.

How big is Gearbox now, including the other teams, like those working on Aliens: Colonial Marines?

Between 150 and 200 people.

Do you enjoy working in that type of larger environment, or is it more stressful?

I think we have a great organization. We’re obviously a multi-project studio, so there are teams within Gearbox, so no single person necessarily has to be worried about 200 other people. We have our own organizations within Gearbox. I really like the project cycles that we have at Gearbox as well, because it can go from a smaller, pre-production team to a very large team, and then back down a bit smaller team, as we don’t need to full force of the company behind it.

So it’s nice. I feel like I get to experience all parts of it.

borderlands-2In your opinion, what is it about Borderlands that makes it resonate with players?

It’s pure fun. It is distilled fun in every corner. That was actually the goal. “Ok, just make everything fun. We’ll figure out what that means as we start designing systems, features, and characters,” but that was always the goal. And I think that really touches everything in the game. When you start with that goal of “let’s make sure everything is fun, avoid frustration” it’s going to come through in a lot of ways.

Were there any technical limitations you hit?

It was interesting going from Borderlands 1 to Borderlands 2. We’re still releasing on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the PC. Of course PC has evolved, but with consoles the entire point is that you know what hardware is going to be there. But our ambitions never stopped growing, especially with the sequel to a hugely successful game. So it was interesting balancing what can we do on certain hardware versus what we want to do, what we can dream up.

So are you excited for the next generation of consoles, or are you happy with what we have now?

I still have to wait and see. I’m still waiting for more concrete info, so I’m going to reserve my judgment for now.

Where do you see the industry going five or ten years down the road?

That’s an interesting question, and I think we’ve seen unarguably a large push towards mobile gaming, and a focus on that recently. I’m really curious to see new console hardware — how that impacts the future as well. I think that we’re getting more social as an industry and as game players as well. I like the fact that games are taking advantage of that in the sense that it’s easy for me to hop on a game and see what my friends are doing. I love that aspect of it. So if we’re going more mobile, but also more connected, we’re going to have this wide mesh of the world with gamers playing against each other, and I think that’s really cool. I hope it goes more in that direction.

How do you see the gaming industry’s growth compared to other entertainment industries like film?

So…. I gotta make sure to get this right or my film teachers are gonna wack me upside the head… We’re able to look back at the film industry and see how that evolved. And I’m very glad that we have that example because in a lot of ways it is very similar to ours, and we’re able to look at that and plot our own relatively brief history of the video game industry, and sort of chart where we are, relatively speaking.

There are a lot of differences, and I think we’ve figured out some of the variables that make us different, and why we’re not exactly following in film’s footsteps, so to speak in terms of industry growth. But at the same time we’re almost on the cutting edge of technology anyway, so I don’t know, I think we may sort of diverge. It’s hard for me to predict whether we will see explosive growth like film did, or whether it’ll be a steadier pace, or what’s going to happen. I don’t see it decline.

As games get bigger and more complex, are they getting more difficult to create, or do the improving tools make it easier?

Film is obviously still huge, but their models have changed and their delivery method, and everyone is still experimenting with the viewing experience. 3D is the obvious example. That’s the technology that could go wide and we could see more 3D games; Nintendo 3DS being a great example of that. I think it’ll be driven by technology and what’s cutting edge.

Honestly, it’s kind of both. Because as technology comes out, as new hardware comes out, our creative minds go wild and our ambitions totally soar. And then we have to build the tools that let us chip away at what we have in our head that’s possible with this new tech. And then over time those tools get better and better and better, and then it becomes much easier on a relatively small scale to do those things.

For example, I’m going to segue a bit and tie this into something we did for Borderlands 2. In Borderlands 1, everything was data driven, for example our weapons. 17 million guns, and that was all a combination of parts system, but it was very manual entry. The same was true for creating an enemy, or managing a player’s skills behind the scenes. In Borderlands 2 we doubled down and made this tool called “constructs” internally for ourselves that turns all that data entry into a much more visual tool. So you can say with this block over here, let’s tie it to this other thing and it should interact in that way. So we can actually see it; it was almost like a blue print for what we wanted to see happen in a game. So in that sense, that’s one of the things that helped us. We scraped all the old guns from the first game in order to make new ones, all the while offering a lot more creature type and variety. We wouldn’t have been able to do that had we not invested in a new tool set.

Yes it does get faster. At the same time, our production team is also bigger this time around because our tools help us do things faster, but our ambitions are always growing.

Borderlands comic

It was recently announced that there is going to be a four-part Borderlands comic mini-series due out later this year. Any plans to further explore the Borderlands universe in other mediums? Maybe an animated movie like EA’s Dead Space?

That would be really interesting. I’d be very interested to explore all parts of the Borderlands universe, it’s huge. I think it would be great to see other mediums try to explore it.

Could Borderlands work as a movie?

[Laughter] That’s interesting.

Maybe a better question would be could any game really work as a movie?

Well I liked Super Mario Bros. [Laughter].

That’s a bold claim.

I say that while smiling very heavily.

claptrap and lilithYou may be the first person ever to say those exact words in that order.

I think I was 3 when I saw it, so my opinion may have changed since then.

Do you think there will be a day when gaming movies can get it together and reach the heights of comic book movies?

I think so. This is certainly just my opinion… The video game industry is still relatively new and the film industry has been around for a long time, and the comics industry has been around longer than video games as well. So I think comics and film have learned how to work together. I think we’re still trying to figure that out, the relationship – rather the translation between film and video games. But I think once we do understand the sorts of things we can do that translate very well and the things that don’t, we’ll start to see more of those.

With the Borderlands series, what is the single thing you are most proud of?

As a producer, shipping on time [laughter].


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

The Keychain-Sized iMpulse Bluetooth Game Controller (Video)


We’ve seen plenty of Bluetooth controllers for mobile devices, but none are quite as tiny as the iMpulse. Don’t let that small size fool you, because this miniscule controller looks like it could be really big on fun.

Yes, it’s small enough to fit on your keychain and the iMpulse Bluetooth game controller is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. You get an analog thumbstick on the one side and four face buttons on the other side, making it suitable for a wide range of games. You can even flip it the other way for lefties, making this an ambidextrous controller.

Gaming on the go is just better with physical controls, but the developers wanted it to do more. For starters, it also works as a key locator. Using the corresponding app on your mobile device, you can get the iMpulse (which is naturally attached to your keychain) to beep. It can also function as a remote shutter for the camera app and a remote control for your mobile media player app too. That’s pretty useful if you ask me.

Head on over to the Kickstarter page and make a pledge. They’re almost at their $49,999 goal with just a little over a month to go. Pledge a minimum of $30 to get your hands on the tiny controller when it ships next February. They had some limited edition metal plated versions too, but those sold out.



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Intel CEO believes Microsoft is releasing Windows 8 before it's ready

Microsoft will be releasing Windows 8 in one month but if you’re Intel CEO Paul Otellini, that’s too early. The chief told employees during a recent company event in Taiwan that Microsoft is releasing Windows 8 before it’s fully ready and that improvements still need to be made to the software, according to someone who attended the event as reported by Bloomberg.

Despite Otellini’s belief that the next generation operating system isn’t ready, he still feels that Microsoft is making the right move. Redmond wants the OS to ship with computers and tablets to better compete with Apple and give overall PC sales a much-needed boost. The CEO says Microsoft can make the necessary tweaks to Windows 8 in the form of patches once it’s out in the wild.

It’s a surprising admission from Otellini considering the two companies are close business partners but Intel isn’t the only one calling out Windows 8. Analyst Michael Cherry from Directions said that while the OS is fundamentally sound, it lacks a lot of robust applications. Furthermore, he doesn’t feel that PC makers have had enough time to work on hardware drivers. This could lead to a number of compatibility issues as users look to connect existing hardware to new Windows 8 computers.

Alex Gauna from JMP Securities LLC echoed these sentiments. In a note to investors dated September 13, he said his company is concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears to still be necessary to get systems ready for consumer release.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Windows 8 won't be fully ready upon release, according to Intel chief

Windows 8 won't be fully ready upon release, according to Intel chief

Windows 8 might be a little buggy at first

Developers, users, and Microsoft, perhaps most of all, are eagerly awaiting the Oct. 26 release of the Windows 8 operating system, what could be the biggest thing for Washington-based company since Windows 95.

However, what we see that Friday might not be a fully-baked version, at least according to Intel's CEO.

Speaking before employees in Taipei Tuesday, Otellini reportedly said the OS is launching before it's ready, with improvements still needed.

According to Otellini, Microsoft is anxious to get its operating system out in the world, especially as others companies' devices, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, and its own, namely the Surface tablet, need it in order to function.

Bugs for the holidays

Although the Windows 8 OS won't be quite ready by Halloween, Otellini reportedly told the gathered group that Microsoft's strategy revolves around getting the system into computers and tablets before the holidays.

It's actually the right move, Otellini said, allowing Microsoft to grab some market share and release improvements after the fact. Intel is Microsoft's closest partner, according to Bloomberg.

However, critics like Michael Cherry of Directions on Microsoft, a business that provides independent analysis of Microsoft technology, licensing, and strategy, have expressed concerns about an incomplete OS.

Cherry reportedly said that although the system is fundamentally sound, it lacks "robust applications" that prevent PC makers from fixing problems in "drivers," or the devices that connect hardware to software, such as printers.

Another critic wrote a research note on Sept. 13 addressing similar disquiet.

"We are concerned at the level of bugs and fine tuning that appears necessary to get the beta systems we demoed ready for prime time," Alex Gauna, an analyst with JMP Securities, wrote in response to versions of Window 8 shown at a recent Intel developers' forum.

Success is still in the cards

Although, by all appearances, Microsoft is confident in moving forward with its scheduled release, history has shown that launching unfinished OS's can backfire, as was the case with Vista in 2007.

That company launched a late version of Windows that flopped as it initially didn't work with many applications and drivers.

Meanwhile, a Microsoft spokesman told Bloomberg that, thanks to over 16 million active preview participants, Windows 8 has undergone rigorous testing and review and is "[the most] ready operating system in Microsoft's history."

With a host of devices set to launch along with the OS, no matter what state of readiness it finds itself in, Microsoft stands to at least cash in on the excitement of an operating system that isn't iOS or Android hitting the market.

TechRadar has reached out to Microsoft for further comment and will update this story if and when we receive information from the company.


Source : techradar[dot]com

How is selling 5 million iPhones not enough for Wall Street?

new iphone 5 ads

Apple's iPhone 5 launch is the biggest in the company's history, but it's being chalked up as a "disappointment." Why?

Apple’s iPhone 5 is thinner, lighter, and packs a high-performance Apple-designed processor, a taller display, and 4G LTE connectivity. Unsurprisingly, it’s also racking up monstrous sales. After tallying 2 million pre-orders in 24 hours, Apple managed to sell 5 million iPhone 5′s in its first weekend of sales.

The figures represent Apple’s strongest iPhone launch to date. And yet the technology and financial press are painting these initial sales figures as a disappointment and a sign that the shine may be wearing off Apple’s stellar growth and profitability. How can selling more phones in its first weekend than ever before — and more phones in the first weekend than any of its competitors have dreamed — be a sign Apple is in trouble?

The launch numbers

Apple is well-known for reporting sales figures for its iPhone and iPad product lines during its financial results each quarter, along with sales figures from it’s iPod and Mac lines. Apple only calls out extraordinary sales milestones separately, such as when the iTunes App Store hits a sales milestone (like 25 billion) — and, before that, when the iTunes Music Store hit a major figure.

Since the launch of the iPhone 3G, Apple has devoted special announcements to iPhone sales — and the iPhone 5 was no exception. CEO Tim Cook announced that the company had sold 5 million iPhone 5s during the first weekend of sales in nine countries — internationally, that’s the broadest iPhone launch Apple has ever attempted.

How does that compare to previous iPhones? The iPhone 4S sold 4 million units during its first weekend, while back in 2010 the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units during its first weekend. Previously, the iPhone 3GS sold more than 1 million units its first weekend, and the iPhone 3G sold a million its first weekend before that.

Apple iPhone sales (first weekends)

What’s really remarkable about these first-weekend sales figures is the leap between the initial sales of the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. The difference between selling 1.7 million units in an opening weekend and 4 million is 135 percent. In comparison, the opening weekends for the iPhone 3G and 3GS were relatively flat, and the iPhone 4 was 70 percent higher than the iPhone 3GS. In contrast, Apple’s 5 million-unit weekend for the iPhone 5 represents only a 25 percent increase over the iPhone 4.

Apple CEO Tim Cook essentially apologized for not having enough iPhone 5s for everyone who wanted one at launch, noting the company is working as quickly as it can to make more and stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments. Nonetheless, current iPhone 5 orders now carry shipping estimates in October as Apple tries to work through the backlog. The company will be facing more waves of launch demand as it brings the iPhone 5 to 22 more markets this week, and 100 additional countries by the end of the year.

The analyst numbers

iPhone 5

Researchers working for market analysis firms had generally estimated first-weekend sales for the iPhone 5 at substantially higher levels. Many estimates were in the 6- to 6.5 million-unit range, with Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster leading the pack with a range of 6 to 10 million units for the first weekend, characterizing 6 million units as a “worst-case scenario.”

Looking at the chart above, it’s easy to see where these analysts came up with their figures. If you take the iPhone 4 as an infection point and the iPhone 4S as representative of Apple’s market trend, then in a perfect linear universe, Apple’s iPhone 5 sales ought to have about 200 percent higher than the iPhone 4S, or about 12 million units sold during the first weekend. However, most analysts will admit there are many factors in play, including Apple’s ability to manufacture and source components for the new devices, as well as logistical hurdles getting the devices to retailers, carrier partners, and customers. So no analysts actually thought Apple would be able to sell 12 million iPhones the first weekend. That’s a feat that (to my knowledge) has never been achieved in the history of consumer electronics, let alone mobile phones. So analysts did some curve-fitting and came up with figures between 6 and 7 million units.

How Apple counts sales

Apple CEO Tim Cook D10

So here’s the funny part: The analysts looking for between 6 and 7 million iPhone 5′s sold during the first weekend might not have been that far off. Apple differs from almost all of the technology and consumer electronics industry in that it only considers a unit to be “sold” when it’s in a customer’s hands.

Apple’s definition of “sold” seems pretty straightforward, but most of the rest of the electronics industry considers a unit “sold” when it leaves the factory. This is the source of the distinction between units sold and units shipped that have gotten many companies — including Samsung — into trouble over the years.

In business circles, units shipped from a factory are sometimes described as a product’s “sell-in” — units into the retail channel — where products in consumers’ hands represent “sell-out” — out of the retail channel. Both numbers are valuable in looking at a product’s success. For a new product, sell-in figures often represent retailers’ and partners’ confidence in a product. The more units they’re willing to commit to carrying up front, the more potential they think the product has. So sell-in can be an early indicator of a product’s potential success. Sell-in units also represent a bit of a risk to a manufacturer: In many industries, they have to agree to buy back any unsold inventory.

Of course, sell-out is the better arbiter of a product’s sales success, especially when combined with product returns. That figure loosely represents how many consumers bought the product and actually kept it.

Ideally, the ratio of a product’s sell-in to sell-out should one one to one. Companies want to sell as many units of a product as they can make, have no unsold products sitting in retailers’ inventories, and (of course) have no products returned due to defects or customer dissatisfaction. A product with a sell-in disproportionate to its sell-out — like, say, the Logitech Revue — can represent a significant misstep.

In Apple’s case, nearly every analyst forecasting iPhone 5 sales was forecasting sell-in figures — including online orders that have not yet been fulfilled. Conversely, Apple’s reported figure of 5 million iPhone 5′s sold represents a sell-out figure: Devices that are actually in customers’ hands.

Although Apple admits demand for the iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply of the device, more iPhone 5′s have left the factory than Apple considers sold. Apple indicates retailers will continue to receive shipments “regularly” and the company is gearing up to launch the iPhone 5 in 22 more markets this week. Apple has made far more than 5 million iPhone 5′s — although we don’t know how many more. But the company is only counting 5 million as “sold” on the first weekend.

Demand is still unknown

iphone 5 line in new york

What do these figure mean for the launch of the iPhone 5?

At a basic level, just as with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, Apple was essentially able to sell every iPhone 5 it had available on launch day. On some levels, this is an almost ideal situation: there’s no inventory sitting around waiting to be sold, and Apple generates revenue from every product it builds very quickly. With the launch of the iPhone 5, those initial sales will do nice things for the company’s bottom line. Apple’s current fiscal quarter ends on September 30, and all those 5 million iPhone 5′s — and all the iPhone 5′s it sells between now and the end of the month — will go directly into the company’s next financial results.

On the other hand, it does mean Apple is failing to meet demand for the iPhone 5 — and business common-sense is that frustrated customers will take their business elsewhere. It’s possible that some customers who want an iPhone 5 are simply unwilling to jump through hoops — like immediately jumping on online ordering or waiting in line outside an Apple Store — to get one quickly, so they’re opting for devices like the Samsung Galaxy S III because, frankly, they’re really easy to get.

What would Apple have to do to meet initial demand for a new iPhone? Nobody knows. Apple has radically increased its capacity to build and deliver new iPhones to customers — nobody does mobile phone launches that compare in scale to the iPhone 5 launch. And yet Apple was still unable to meet initial demand. The true market demand for new iPhone is still unknown: it might be just a smidgen larger than what Apple can handle…or it might be double the current demand. That means Apple still has room to grow its iPhone business — and there’s still no ceiling in sight.

Leaving money on the table

iphone cash money subsidy

The market’s disappointment with Apple selling a mere 5 million iPhone 5′s during its first weekend boils down to two factors.

First, it represents only a 25 percent increase over first-weekend sales of the iPhone 4S, which strongly suggests Apple is reaching the peak of how many iPhones it can sell at launch. That’s not because consumers don’t want more iPhones, but because Apple isn’t currently able to deliver them the first weekend. Despite Apple’s famous logistical and supply-chain efficiency, the company may be starting to hit the limits of what’s possible with a mobile-device launch. That, in turn, will constrain the revenue Apple can generate with a new device launch — and investors hate any restraint on revenue, since it means lower short-term gains. Apple may pull a rabbit out of its hat, but it’s possible most of the gains Cook and company can wring from the iPhone supply and manufacturing process were realized between the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Second, investors are upset that failing to meet initial demand for the iPhone 5 — or any iPhone, for that matter — means Apple is leaving money on the table. Consumers are literally camping out overnight with money in their pockets to set hands on Apple’s latest and greatest, and Apple is not able to meet that demand. Although the iPhone generates massive profits for Apple, investors see that it could be making even more money for Apple — and hence, more money for them. So, in a way, they feel ripped off.

What’s next?

Apple is going to stick to its guns: The company will continue to report on the number of units sold (not shipped), and in October will report substantial revenues boosted by the launch of the iPhone 5. Apple’s forecast for the final quarter of the calendar year will be a little conservative, but given the end-of-year holidays, Apple can be expected to post record sales numbers in January.

In the meantime, Apple is almost certainly looking at ways to have a huge supply of new products on hand when it announces a new device — like the rumored iPad mini.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Garmin tries to snatch iOS users with new features, including updated Street View

Garmin tries to snatch iOS users with new features, including updated Street View

Garmin is trying to sway you from Apple's Maps app

Apple's Maps app is still catching a lot of flack in its early stages, and that has opened the door for competitors.

Both Nokia and Google have taken time out to claim their navigation products are superior to Apple's new first-party offering.

Now even Garmin is getting in on the action, as the company released a new update to several of its navigation apps on the iTunes store Tuesday.

Though Garmin charges for some of the apps' new features, it's not ashamed to tout new additions like Google Street View and Panorama View 3D.

Garmin adds support for iOS 6, iPhone 5

The latest versions of the Garmin apps add compatibility with iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, making this a particularly timely update.

By adding that support, along with the free addition of Google Street View, Garmin is effectively hoping to capture the disappointed users turned off by Apple Maps.

Additionally, the updated Garmin apps will allow users to purchase Urban Guidance in-app, which "considers public transportation options, such as subways, trams, busses and water taxis, when calculating pedestrian routes."

That feature costs $2.99 (UK£1.85, AU$2.87).

Panorama View 3D is also available for $9.99 (UK£6, AU$9.60), and offers "true 3D elevation views obtained from NASA's height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation and show users what lies ahead."

While Garmin is an industry leader in satnav technology, its Garmin U.S.A. app, for example, runs $39.99 (UK£24, AU$38), and that's not even the most expensive version.

Despite how barebones the Apple Map is, it's still free, and Apple assured its users that Maps' will lose its bugs and inaccurate listings as more people use it.

Although a report surfaced last week that Google was working on its own maps app for iOS 6, the hopes of many lost users were squashed as the company's CEO announced Tuesday no work has been done on any such app.

While it's not yet time to break out a compass, you might want to re-familiarize yourself with the North Star.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Garmin tries to snatch iOS users with updated Street View

Garmin tries to snatch iOS users with updated Street View

Garmin is trying to sway you from Apple's Maps app

Apple's Maps app is still catching a lot of flack in its early stages, and that has opened the door for competitors.

Both Nokia and Google have taken time out to claim their navigation products are superior to Apple's new first-party offering.

Now even Garmin is getting in on the action, as the company released a new update to several of its navigation apps on the iTunes store Tuesday.

Though Garmin charges for some of the apps' new features, it's not ashamed to tout new additions like Google Street View and Panorama View 3D.

Garmin adds support for iOS 6, iPhone 5

The latest versions of the Garmin apps add compatibility with iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, making this a particularly timely update.

By adding that support, along with the free addition of Google Street View, Garmin is effectively hoping to capture the disappointed users turned off by Apple Maps.

Additionally, the updated Garmin apps will allow users to purchase Urban Guidance in-app, which "considers public transportation options, such as subways, trams, busses and water taxis, when calculating pedestrian routes."

That feature costs $2.99 (UK£1.85, AU$2.87).

Panorama View 3D is also available for $9.99 (UK£6, AU$9.60), and offers "true 3D elevation views obtained from NASA's height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation and show users what lies ahead."

Despite how barebones the Apple Map is, it's still free, and Apple assured its users that Maps' will lose its bugs and inaccurate listings as more people use it.

Although a report surfaced last week that Google was working on its own maps app for iOS 6, the hopes of many lost users were squashed as the company's CEO announced Tuesday no work has been done on any such app.

While it's not yet time to break out a compass, you might want to re-familiarize yourself with the North Star.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Duke Nukem Forever studio hopes you’ll fund its next game

Earth No More

Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms hopes that fans will pony up the cash necessary to develop Earth No More.

What’s left to say about 3D Realms that hasn’t already been angrily punched out in CAPSLOCK across a hundred different online forums? The company is most famous for creating Duke Nukem Forever, a game that was in development for nearly 15 years before being mercifully dumped during what, at the time, looked like the studio’s utter collapse. Being almost complete, the game was picked up by Gearbox and polished up for release, but even the developers responsible for notably excellent shooters like the recent Borderlands 2 couldn’t save the hodgepodge abomination Duke Nukem Forever had become. On release it was utterly savaged by critics; people didn’t just dislike the game, they actively hated it, both as a result of the pent up anticipation of hearing about this title for most of their adult lives, and also because it was objectively terrible.

Anyway, time has passed, Duke Nukem Forever has been relegated to an ominous tale that game developers tell around the campfire to spook one another, and 3D Realms is moving on to bigger and better things. Or, at least, other things. The company’s latest scheme involves a game called Earth No More and a website called Gambitious. Like Kickstarter, Gambitious allows fans of an upcoming game to directly pledge monetary support to a development studio. Unlike Kickstarter however, Gambitious allows prospective fans to purchase equity in their chosen game, effectively becoming a shareholder in the finished project. That becomes important in just a moment, but for now let’s discuss Earth No More.

If that name sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because this is not a new title. 3D Realms initially announced Earth No More via the July 2007 issue of Game Informer magazine. At the time the company optimistically planned to release the post-apocalyptic adventure on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC platforms at some point during 2009, but obviously that never came to pass. Following that initial announcement, the game took a backseat to the aforementioned Duke Nukem Forever, but it seems that 3D Realms never quite gave up on the title and would like your help in getting its development off the ground. Though the Gambitious project currently lacks a few crucial details (such as how much money the developer hopes to raise), Earth No More is indeed among its “Upcoming Projects.” Thus, those of you interested in backing the game can sign up for a Gambitious account, then click on the title’s “Follow” button to receive all pertinent updates on the project’s progress as they become available.

It would be easy to glibly point out all the reasons why you probably shouldn’t plan to drop money toward Earth No More’s development, but as you’ll notice from literally any other site covering this news, that’s been done to death. Thus, we’ll simply state that despite a lengthy search of the Gambitious website, we are unable to determine what happens with money pledged toward a project if the developer fails to deliver on its fully-funded, planned game. Caveat emptor, dear reader.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Rumor: Samsung looking to develop custom browser for Galaxy phones

Rumor: Samsung looking to develop custom browser for Galaxy phones

Chrome on Android comes packed with features

On the heals of Apple's iOS 6 release and a host of Windows Phone 8 device announcements, rumor has it Samsung is hiring WebKit developers to create its own mobile browser for Android Galaxy devices.

WebKit is the open source browser engine behind Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome browsers.

The report comes from the Korean website IT Times, which claims that Samsung's U.S. R&D center in Silicon Valley recently hired WebKit devs to begin work on a Samsung mobile browser.

If the reports can be believed, then the Samsung browser will be designed to compete directly with mobile Chrome.

On a collision course with Chrome

Google's Chrome browser debuted on mobile devices in February, and has since become a popular choice for both Android and iOS users.

By July, Chrome had reached 1.5 percent adoption with iOS users, an impressive feat considering how long those users have relied on Safari alone.

Chrome is more advanced than the default Android browser, and Samsung's rumored browser will have to step things up even further if it wants to compete.

As CNET pointed out, a Samsung-branded browser, if powerful enough, could help differentiate Samsung's Galaxy devices from other Android handsets.

In response to a TechRadar query, a Samsung representative reminded us that the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation.

That said, the Samsung rep informed us that this is the first he'd heard of a Samsung mobile browser, so take that as you will.

Opera wins globally

Globally, Opera is the most-used mobile browser, according to StatCounter, a global online statistics firm.

According to the StatCounter site, Opera also barely beats Android's browser and "iPhone," which we're guessing means Safari.

Reports claim that most users of web-capable phones simply use their devices' default browsers, and Opera has come pre-installed on various phones from Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Sony, and more.

With modern browsers like Chrome mobile coming packed with features, including the ability to switch rather seamlessly between desktop and mobile browsing experiences, Samsung had better have some aces up its sleeves if it wants to stand out.

For more, check out TechRadar's comparison of eight Android browsers' speed and features.


Source : techradar[dot]com

New Sony initiative offers discount on downloadable blockbuster games

PSN Day 1 Digital

Sony's latest plan allows gamers to save money by never leaving the couch.

When Assassin’s Creed III hits the PlayStation 3 on October 30, prospective virtual murderers will be able to download the game directly through the PlayStation Network Store. That’s nothing terribly new — digital releases of big-name titles are becoming increasingly common — but thanks to a new plan from Sony you’ll actually be able to save money by not driving to your nearest Gamestop.

Dubbed “PSN Day 1 Digital,” the scheme is designed to offer players an incentive for downloading their games directly from Sony. However, there is one big caveat that users should be aware of: To be eligible for the program’s 10% game discount (which, it should be said, is only available on select AAA games for the first week after their release), you must be a PlayStation Plus subscriber.

Assuming you meet that criteria though, the eight titles Sony is using to promote its nascent program throughout the month of October are quite tempting. Have a look, courtesy the official PlayStation.blog:

Resident Evil 6

(Available for download on October 2nd – $59.99)

NBA 2K13

(Available for download on October 2nd – $59.99/$53.99 for PS Plus members, with pre-order)*

Dishonored

(Available for download on October 9th – $59.99/$53.99 for PS Plus members, with pre-order)*

DOOM 3: BFG Edition

(Available for download on October 16th – $39.99/$35.99 for PS Plus members, with pre-order)*

007: Legends

(Available for download on October 16th – $59.99)+

Medal Of Honor: Warfighter

(Available for download on October 23rd – $59.99)

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

(Available for download on October 30th – $59.99/$53.99 for PS Plus members, with pre-order)*

Assassin’s Creed III

(Available for download on October 30th – $59.99)*

Though the announcement ends without detailing the company’s future plans, it seems quite likely that Sony will opt to shift more and more games toward the PSN Day 1 Digital program as time goes on. The PlayStation.blog claims the motivation for this new purchasing scheme is as simple as keeping misanthropic gamers from having to brave the horrors of the outside world, but it seems to us that Sony may have ulterior motives here.

Say you purchase a physical copy of a game. Your $60 goes toward the game’s publisher, Sony, the store you bought it from and a number of other entities who aren’t really crucial to this argument. Point being: The people responsible for your entertainment are getting your money. However, if you purchase a physical copy of a game, get bored of it and trade it in to Gamestop, when someone else eventually purchases that used title (at a depressingly meager $5-$10 discount), all of the money from that resale goes directly to Gamestop’s corporate coffers. Publishers and developers have long railed against this practice, and while they can’t outlaw the sale of used games in this fashion, they can make it much more difficult for Gamestop to keep their used game shelves stocked. Purchase Assassin’s Creed III from the PSN Day 1 Digital program and Gamestop instantly loses its key source of revenue. Normally we hate taking sides in corporate conflicts like this, but in this instance it seems that Sony has realized the only way to pre-emptively cut Gamestop off at the knees is to offer consumers a tangible, monetary incentive for staying away from the gaming mega-retailer, and who are we to argue with cheaper games?

Will this put Gamestop out of business? Probably not, but it does herald a rather grim future for the store, particularly if Sony’s program is a success and other companies adopt similar discount buying schemes. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

US cable companies to enter cloud-gaming business

US cable providers are reportedly gearing up to start testing their own cloud-gaming services, in a move that ultimately aims to make dedicated gaming hardware a thing of the past. Citing "people with knowledge of the matter," Bloomberg reports that AT&T, Verizon, and Time Warner are likely to start trials later this year, with wider deployments beginning as early as 2013 or 2014 depending on the results of their tests.

Comcast and Cox are also planning to offer video-gaming services, though the report suggest they are at an earlier stage of negotiations with game publishers. They're all looking to go beyond just social and casual games by offering “advanced action games from top publishers.” Startups such as Playcast Media Systems, CiiNOW, and Agawi would reportedly power the technology behind the scenes.

When asked to comment on the report, executives for AT&T and Cox acknowledged their companies were exploring a number of cloud-based broadband services but declined to provide specifics. Likewise, Verizon said they have the capability to offer such a service but didn’t have anything to announce at the moment. Time Warner Cable and Comcast simply declined to comment on rumors and speculation.

The news come roughly a month after cloud-gaming pioneer OnLive was forced to layoff the majority of its staff and restructure the business, after failing to attract enough subscribers to its $9.99-a-month service. The OnLive branding was kept alive and the service continues to operate, but everything is now run under a new company. Meanwhile, another cloud-gaming startup called Gaikai was acquired by Sony for $380 million.

Cloud-gaming may be off to a rocky start but many are betting it is the future. That includes Nvidia, which recently came forward to instill some confidence in cloud gaming and tout their GeForce GRID technology used to drive graphics in cloud gaming servers while bringing down latency times.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Nokia reportedly considering lawsuit over HTC 8X design

Nokia reportedly considering lawsuit over HTC 8X design

Another lawsuit between carriers could be brewing

Nokia may be ready to set its legal dogs on HTC over the design of the new company's newly announced Windows Phone 8X smartphone.

According to a Phone Arena source, the feeling emanating from Espoo, Finland is that the Taiwanese manufacturer has copied the look and feel of the recently-announced Nokia Lumia 820 handset.

Nokia "feels strongly" that the front panel and the curved sides of the Lumia 820 have been unfairly emulated by the HTC offering - unveiled just two weeks after Nokia's Sept. 5 reveal - according to the tipster.

The report suggests that Nokia will seek a sales ban on the HTC 8X in some territories.

Seeing double?

The Lumia 820, the smaller sibling of the flagship Lumia 920, offers a 4.3-inch Clear Black LCD screen and a polycarbonate body, which comes in an array of bright colours.

The HTC 8X is the HTC's top-of-the-line Windows Phone 8 offering and also features a 4.3-inch screen, a top-notch spec list and an equally bright array of colours.

Chris Weber, Nokia's head of marketing, also publicly called out HTC's new phones - which includes the lower-spectrum Windows Phone 8S - as "rebranded products," though he didn't say either design copied his company's products at the time.

It's the physical similarities listed above as well as HTC's status as the main threat to Nokia's Windows Phone-led comeback, that is likely to have irked Nokia, if the reports are to be believed.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Rumor: Lost Planet 3 studio working on new Onimusha for Capcom

new onimusha

Spark Unlimited loves sword-wielding zombies apparently, as new rumors suggest the Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z dev is working on a new Onimusha.

Spark Unlimted is having what might be the best year of its decade-long existence. After the crippling failure of 2008’s Legendary: The Box, the studio’s bounced back with some high profile work on established franchises.  Last week, it announced that it was working alongside Keiji Inafune and Team Ninja on spinoff Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Earlier this year, Spark took over one of Inafune’s last big publisher franchises at Capcom with the promising Lost Planet 3. Now rumors suggest that Spark’s been entrusted with another of Inafune’s Capcom series, though this one’s been dormant for years.

According to PSM3 (via NeoGAF), Spark will make a new  Onimusha, Capcom’s long-silent samurai series.

If it is working on a sequel to the old samurai horror series, then it’s a recent development. As of the beginning of the year, Spark was only hiring for two games, Lost Planet 3 and an unannounced horror action game that was ultimately revealed as Yaiba. Spark did recently form an iOS development team, but it seems doubtful that Capcom would leverage use a franchise that’s been dormant for so long to boost mobile sales.

Conceived as a third survival horror franchise for the original PlayStation that would stand alongside Resident Evil and Dino Crisis, Onimusha’s samurai adventures were a staple on the PlayStation 2, with three sequels and two spinoffs released inside of five years. The series has been dead since Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams was released in 2006.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Report: iPhone 5 shortage could stem from display production hiccups

Report: iPhone 5 shortage could stem from display production hiccups

Screen production at Sharp could be causing supply shortages

Apple reportedly moved five million iPhone 5 units in the device's first weekend on sale, but that seemingly impressive number actually falls below some analysts' low-end predictions, according to a recent report.

That may be due in part to an iPhone 5 shortage at some U.S. retailers like Best Buy, RadioShack, and Target, with some locations of which received less than a dozen iPhone 5's to sell on the handset's street date last Friday.

Now a possible explanation for that shortage has come to light, and it seems Sharp's display production line could be to blame.

New display, new problems

Apple turned to manufacturers LG and Sharp for the task of supplying iPhone 5 screens, but it seems delays at Sharp resulted in the apparent iPhone 5 stock shortage.

Sharp reportedly didn't begin producing iPhone 5 displays until the smartphone's debut earlier this month, which could certainly explain why it's in short supply at some retailer stores.

The iPhone 5's display is a half inch longer diagonally than that on previous iPhones, and reportedly costs $7 (UK£3, AU$6) extra to produce because of its larger size and in-cell touch screen technology.

That tech integrates the display and touch panel into one layer, making for superior colors but apparently also producing new production headaches.

iPhone 5 issues continue to stack up

This report comes primarily from an IHS iSuppli analyst cited by Bloomberg, but TechRadar has also reached out to Apple for comment.

The iPhone 5 is a huge launch not just for Apple but the entire consumer mobile market, which makes it a major target for critics.

However, it seems like Apple's latest money maker suffers from an unusual number of defects, even by Apple's standards (let's not forget the iPhone 4 reception debacle).

Reports of light leaks around the edge of the iPhone 5 began flooding in on Monday, and early adopters have complained of the smartphone's particularly scratch-prone chassis.

Apple may be gearing up to deal with these complaints while simultaneously battling against the iOS 6 "maptastrophe" and day-one iPhone 5 jailbreakers. Yep, that's right - it took less than a day for hackers to have their way with the iPhone 5.

Despite these issues, the iPhone 5 sales in the first weekend totaled a full million more than iPhone 4S sales in its first weekend last year.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Schiller says iPhone 5 scratches are normal as light leaks reported

Schiller says iPhone 5 scratches are normal as light leaks reported

Scratches and scuffs new iPhones are 'perfectly normal'

As reports of a scratch and chip-prone Apple iPhone 5 continue to surface, one Apple executive said the issue is "normal" for aluminium products.

Many new owners of the "Black & Slate" iPhone 5 complained of imperfections right out of the box after long waits to obtain the device last Friday.

The scuffs seem to centre around the antenna area and where the handset's body joins the display, revealing the aluminium colouring beneath the coating.

One befuddled iPhone 5 owner, named Alex, emailed Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior vice president of global marketing, to ask whether Apple was planning on fixing the issue, and received a somewhat unsympathetic reply.

"Any aluminium product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver colour," Schiller wrote. "That is normal."

Wasting light?

Meanwhile, scratches and scuffs are apparently not the only build issues affecting the device.

BGR reported that some iPhone 5 handsets, including one of its own test devices, are "leaking light" between the display and the antenna, just below the power button.

The problem is only visible in low light or in the dark, but it appears it could be endemic.

Users on the MacRumors forums have reported that even replacement devices they've received from Apple are still suffering from the same issue.

We've reached out to Apple for an official reaction to the reports, but perhaps we'd be better off emailing Phil Schiller?


Source : techradar[dot]com

Borderlands 2 glitch erases Badass Rank, locks out completed challenges

borderlands 2 patch

A number of players are reporting a Borderlands 2 glitch that wipes out their hard earned Badass Rank. Gearbox says its investigating.

One of the many marvelously user-friendly features in Gearbox’s Borderlands 2 is the Badass Rank. Slowly unlocked perks separate from your character’s level and skillset, the Badass Rank is an elegant version of the New Game+. Borderlands 2 is a lengthy, involved game, but you’re going to want to start new characters depending on who you’re playing with, and the Badass Rank ties to any character you create, giving you a base level of improving stats that make revisiting the game from different angles accessible without making it too easy and boring. Smart stuff. Too bad there’s a bug in the game that will wipe out your Badass Rank.

A number of users in Gearbox’s official forums have reported a problem where their Badass Rank is set back to zero and all the associated bonuses, including the stat boosts and unlocked character customization options, are wiped away. Compounding the problem is the fact that the challenges that raise the Badass Rank (e.g. shoot this many enemies, collect this many guns, etc.) aren’t reset alongside the rank itself so affected players can’t simply rebuild what’s been lost.

While the initial report about the problem was from a player on the Xbox 360 version, others playing the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of the game have also reported the same problem.

Gearbox community manager Chris Faylor said that the studio is working fast to fix the problem. “Our engineers are looking into this, and the information you’ve provided has proven to be a great resource while we investigate,” said Faylor, “At the moment, it seems to be a fairly rare issue and we’ll keep you updated on when we resolve it.”

The original Borderlands was no stranger to glitches like this when it released in 2009. At least the Borderlands 2 glitch only erases the Badass Rank and its associated perks. The Borderlands glitch erased everything. When players would leave a multiplayer game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC they would lose all their weapons proficiencies and skill points, and though the proficiencies could be rebuilt, the skill points were erased forever meaning that they needed to restart the entire game.

Gearbox fixed that problem eventually though, and this new glitch will definitely be addressed. Players affected by the Borderlands 2 glitch should take comfort in the fact that their lost Badass Rank might even be salvageable since the challenges that earn the rank aren’t reset.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

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