Google gets Street View back on the iPhone via Web-based Maps update

google street view

If you're an iPhone user who's been missing Google's Street View feature since upgrading to iOS 6, you'll be pleased to know you can now access it via your mobile browser of choice.

Google has brought its Street View tool to mobile browsers, a move likely to please a number of iOS 6 users missing the function on their Apple device after the Cupertino wiped Google’s Maps app from its updated operating system, replacing it with its own version.

Rolled out on Thursday, the feature means users can now view a location through 360-degree imagery, something not available with Apple’s new Maps app.

“Starting today, use Street View on your mobile browser to check out a new shop across town or get a feel for the ambiance at a restaurant before you arrive,” Amanda Leicht, product manager of Google Maps, wrote in a blog post introducing the new feature. “To use Street View on your mobile browser simply go to maps.google.com and search for a location. Then click the ‘pegman’ icon at the bottom right of your screen to access Street View. And to view still more helpful imagery, such as a photos shared by users or interior panoramas, visit the business’ Google+ Local page.”

Apple’s decision to move into mapping was met with a mixture of curiosity and excitement when news of its intention first emerged earlier this year. However, when it launched with iOS 6 last month, many users complained of a lack of functionality and detail, and also pointed out a number of location errors. In one famous example, Dublin airport had been placed on a farm.

With an increasing number of complaints surfacing, Apple chief Tim Cook deemed the problem so serious that he was moved to issue a letter of apology to users, admitting that the company had fallen short of its commitment “to make world-class products.” A report this week suggested the company is planning to use its retail staff – not particularly well known for their cartography skills – to help improve its mapping data.

Google is reportedly working on bringing a new Maps app to iOS – possibly combining it with Google Earth. In the meantime, iPhone owners who’ve upgraded to iOS 6 and who were heavy users of Maps have been busy checking out alternatives such as Google’s Maps mobile Web app. These ones are also worth a look.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

HTC One VX hands-on photo gallery

We go hands on with the HTC One VX, a new budget phone for AT&T.

Along with the One X+, today AT&T revealed that it will sell a new lower-end handset by HTC named the One VX. I was able to spend a few minutes with the One VX at an AT&T event in New York tonight and came away pretty impressed. This is definitely not a high-end handset, but at a lower $0-$100 price point (with a two-year contract), it might be worth consideration by anyone looking for a new phone on AT&T.

The phone is mostly identical in style and function to HTC’s One X handset, but the body is made of a cheaper plastic material, the Snapdragon S4 processor is only dual-core (oh heavens, no!), and it has a slightly lower pixel resolution at just 960 x 540. Most high-end handsets clock in at 1280 x 720 these days. But you know what? Few of these things matter. HTC has included its ImageSense chip inside the phone, so it should take great photographs (5-megapixel, f/2.0) like the One X. The front camera is a little weak at only 0.3 megapixels, so if you’re infatuated with yourself, this may not be your best option. Those who are vain should try the HTC Windows Phone 8X; it has a 2.1-megapixel front camera with a wide-angle lens). 

The One VX doesn’t have a final price or a firm release date, but it’s coming to AT&T sometime this autumn. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Sprint may start bidding war with T-Mobile for MetroPCS

It may have appeared like the T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger was imminent, but Sprint has started to prepare a counteroffer to outbid Deutsche Telekom for MetroPCS.

Sprint has sat firmly in the third spot on the list of biggest mobile carriers in the U.S. for some time. As of yesterday, that title received its first plausible threat at the announcement of a T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger. Less than 24 hours after the MetroPCS board of directors approved the move, Sprint decided to throw its hat in the ring as a potential partner. According to the Bloomberg BusinessWeek report, Sprint is preparing a counteroffer that would top the $1.5 billion deal from T-Mobile USA’s Deutsche Telekom.

With the T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger awaiting regulatory and shareholder approval, there is a penalty clause set if either company were to back out. Sprint will likely have to take this into account in their ofter. That said, when Sprint attempted to make a takeover of MetroPCS earlier this year, they were willing to offer over $8 billion. Sprint is desperate for new subscribers as it has been watching its customer base trickle away since the sloppy transition of it’s purchase of Nextel in 2005. The threat of a combined T-Mobile and MetroPCS may be enough to drive Sprint’s bid up dramatically.

T-Mobile has not commented on Sprint’s sudden–although somewhat expected–involvement except to say that it is prepared to change the terms of its current agreement if need be. Deutsche Telekom seems fairly committed to the merger between their T-Mobile brand and MetroPCS. That could mean we’ll have a bidding war on our hands, and there are unique implications for the mobile market depending on who the victor may be. Who would have thought that in a battle between the third and forth largest mobile operators, fifth place would be the big winner? 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Jolla to demo MeeGo-based Sailfish OS at Slush Conference next month

Jolla to demo MeeGo-based Sailfish OS at Slush Conference next month

Open-source OS codenamed Sailfish to embark from Finland

Jolla's MeeGo-based OS is official saying "me too" in the crowded world of mobile operating systems.

The Finnish smartphone start-up was rumored to introduce its new OS, codenamed Sailfish, as reported by TechRadar yesterday. Now the company is saying when and where.

The Slush start-up conference in Helsinki, Finland will be the venue for the first Sailfish demo. With the event running Nov. 21- 22 - the unveiling is expected to take place on one of those two days.

Jolla is made up of ex-Nokia employees who worked on the Nokia N9 - the only smartphone to run MeeGo despite Nokia's prior commitment to iOS and Android rival.

The new company is promising to continue with a highly scalable, open source version of the OS and UX for smartphones, tablets, TVs, and vehicles.

MeeGo-based Sailfish goes to China

Jolla expects to license its Sailfish operating system to other device manufacturers, design houses and service companies in spring 2013.

One advantage that Jolla has already is a partnership in China with phone retailer D.Phone Group.

"China is a game changer in the technology industry," said Jolla CEO Jussi Hurmola in a press release. "The next big mobile change will come from China and Jolla wants to be enabling it. There are massive resources and competence to transport the whole industry."

Plenty of Sailfish competitors in the sea

Sailfish remains an unproven OS, despite the commitment in China and Jolla's game plan to keep the mobile OS open to community participation.

Google's Android and Apple's iOS are making tremendous gains throughout China, and BlackBerry 10 is set to launch in 2013, around the same time as Sailfish.

What's more, Firefox OS is also throwing its hat in the ring, targeting "budget phones." Samsung could easily do the same with Bada, and Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei is working on a fail-safe OS just in case.

Still, it will be interesting to see what new features this open-source mobile OS has to offer next month, especially knowing that it will continue MeeGo's unique community involvement initiative.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Win a copy of NBA 2K13 on PC, PS3, or Xbox 360!

NBA 2K13 giveaway

We have five copies of NBA 2K13 to give away, including two for the PS3, two for the Xbox 360, and one copy for the PC via Steam. Read on for how you can enter to win.

If you have even a tiny bit of interest in basketball video games — or sports games in general for that matter — then you have a moral obligation to at least consider giving NBA 2K13 a look. It features smooth gameplay, a new controller scheme, an addictive create-a-player, and you can even play as Justin Bieber! Ok, well maybe it is better to say: you can even dunk on Justin Bieber! The Beeb likes to fake the funk on a nasty dunk. Proven fact.

But whether you lace up as the Canadian man child or look for a way to turn off intentional fouls in order to show him a little playground justice, NBA 2K13 is a game that is worth the attention of sports fans everywhere.

Check out our full review here for more details.

We are entering the season of gaming, a time when developers and publishers alike are going to come at you like shop owners in a bizarre, all trying to get your attention and convince you to buy their wares. And wow, there are going to be a lot of wares over the next few months. That makes your choices on which games to buy even more important. So why not let us help you out with that by sending you a copy of NBA 2K13 on us?

Here’s all you have to do for a shot at winning: post a comment below and let us know who you think the best player in the NBA is right now. Unless you say something like, for example, “potato,” there is no wrong answer. You can also reply to someone else’s post and be entered, but be sure to play nice.

We will then pick five winners: two will receive copies on the PS3, two will receive Xbox 360 copies, and one will receive a Steam code for PC.

Please note that while we will be happy to ship anywhere, the games are manufactured for the North American region, and we cannot guarantee they will work on consoles made for other regions.

The contest ends Tuesday, October 9 at noon PST. Good luck!


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

HP looks to hire 50+ Open webOS devs, no new smartphones in 2013

Open webOS looks to be alive and well following HP’s release of version 1.0 earlier this week. Those needing more proof that the company has recommitted to the mobile operating system should have a look at recent job listings for webOS developers. In total, HP is looking to fill 53 developer positions ranging from internships to senior engineers and designers.

It’s interesting to see HP invest this much time and money into an operating system that won’t reach consumers in the traditional way. As noted earlier this week, the company has no intentions of using the OS on Touchpad tablets, smartphones or any other product in the consumer market. Instead, HP hopes to develop Open webOS into an all-in-one platform that could be used by corporate clients for various customer service products or even by government institutions.

The Powerbase discovered the job openings split between Sunnyvale, California and Shanghai, China. The publication points out that nearly every listing is for a high-paying engineering position so if you happen to live in either of these locations and are interested in working on a modern platform that has potential, this is your opportunity.

In other HP news, company CEO Meg Whitman told a group at yesterday’s analyst day that there would be no new smartphone released in 2013. Whitman reiterated her statement from last month that HP intends to launch a handset at some point as to not fall behind the curve. With this recent admission, we at least have a better timeline of when we can expect to see the company’s next mobile phone.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Major Nelson: NBA Live 13 was supposed to be out on XBLA Oct. 3

nba live free to play

More details about EA's cancelled NBA Live 13 sneak out as Xbox Live's director confirms it was a downloadable title.

NBA Live 13 wouldn’t have been the full on competitor to NBA 2K13 some people expected it to be even if it hadn’t been cancelled last week. Like recent editions in the NBA Jam series, the reborn NBA Live franchise would have been a download only game.

Larry Hryb, otherwise known as the outspoken director of Xbox Live Major Nelson, tweeted on Wednesday that the Xbox Live Arcade release of the week would have been NBA Live 13 had it not been canned due to concerns over the game’s poor quality.

NBA Live 13 was supposed to be today’s XBLA title, but EA made the decision not to launch it today,” read Hryb’s tweet.

There was some speculation about how EA would release NBA Live 13 even before the game was cancelled. The publisher, despite maintaining its license with the NBA, hasn’t released a game in the series since 2009 and has taken massive losses on the franchise since. EA famously cancelled the franchise reboot NBA Elite in the fall of 2010 over quality concerns, even after producing retail copies of the game. (Those retail copies have gone on to become sought after collectibles on eBay.) John Riccitiello, EA CEO, said in October 2010 following the cancellation that the game’s cancellation would cost the company $250 million in lost revenue. That figure did not account for money spent on development, production, and pre-release marketing.

A digital edition then would have made for a soft, low-risk re-entry into the NBA Live franchise for EA. It’s employed this strategy before, but always with smaller sports titles not part of its marquee simulation series that includes the likes of Madden NFL and FIFA. NFL Blitz, for example, was released as a download only title at the beginning of 2012. By releasing it as a downloadable, EA would also compete with NBA 2K13 in the same manner that NFL 2K did with Madden before EA won an exclusive license to the league: By offering the game at a $20 budget price.

As detailed in a Monday article here at Digital Trends, considering EA’s current strategy and business model, NBA Live will return as not just a download-only game, but a free-to-play one as well. When NBA Live 14 comes out next fall, it will be a free download supported by microtransactions.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Wozniak: Apple should bring iTunes to Android

Wozniak: Apple should bring iTunes to Android

iTunes on Android? Fanciful thinking from Apple's co-founder

Apple would be wise to bring iTunes to the rival Android mobile platform, according to the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak.

In a Q&A session with Apple fans on the Slashdot website, Wozniak recalled Apple opening iTunes up to Windows PCs not too long after the iPod launched - kickstarting the era of iDevice dominance.

The beardy tech legend, who has never been afraid of voicing controversial opinions, asked why Apple can't do the same by bringing iTunes to the open source Android OS.

Wozniak's not too far off the mark: his postulations would allow the company he started back in the 1970s to start raking in cash from the 50-plus per cent of smartphone users currently rocking Android handsets as well as iPhone, iPad and iPod users.

Wishful thinking?

"Apple's real rise from the small market-share Macintosh company to the iProducts of today began with iTunes and the iPod," the Woz said.

"This turned out to be a second huge business which roughly doubled Apple's 'size,'" he continued.

"If you remember, we ported iTunes to Windows. We now addressed 100 per cent of the world's market with this integrated system (iPod/iTunes) and it began the era of Apple that we are now in.

"So why don't we port iTunes to Android?" Wozniak posed. "I love Apple products and iTunes and wish it were on my Android products too."

Unlikely

Although highly improbable, if Apple decided to bring the iTunes software to Google's mobile OS, it would surely be welcomed by Android users that have traditionally bought and stored their digital files using iTunes.

Adding one's iTunes files to an Android phone and keeping it up to date is, and has always been, a royal pain in the you-know-what and Wozniak's idea would solve that.

Apple, of course, is very keen on keeping customers locked into its all-encompassing ecosystem, which is underpinned by the iTunes store for music, apps, games, movies, books and magazines.

So, regardless of the huge wads of cash it'd make from iTunes downloads on Android, it'd be loathe to miss out on lucrative sales of iPhones, iPads and iPods.


Source : techradar[dot]com

FIFA 13 scores big on PlayStation Network, finally bringing consoles to the digital age

fifa 13 playstation 3

FIFA 13 proves that Sony's high-priced Day 1 Digital service can succeed.

FIFA 13 is popular. Against all odds, an expertly made video game based on the world’s most popular sport, featuring painstaking recreations of global teams, and updated with stats and standings that reflect actually weekly play is a roaring financial success. Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that it had sold 4.5 million copies of the game across its myriad copies. 1.23 million copies sold in the UK within 48 hours of release alone, and 800,000 simultaneous players online in the first week. 353,000 copies were sold in the US on just the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Big numbers indeed. It’s those PlayStation 3 sales that are arguably the most significant in the grand scheme of the video game industry though.

In addition to its multiplatform success, the football game enjoyed a particular achievement on Sony’s console: FIFA 13 was the most downloaded retail game on the UK PlayStation Store for the month of September. While Sony didn’t announce how the game performed compared to PlayStation Network only games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD and Tokyo Jungle it did outsell the much cheaper retail games available in the store. It bested regular bestsellers like Batman: Arkham City as well as new full-priced titles like Borderlands 2. What’s more, the digital edition of FIFA 13 costs £50 ($80), full retail price.

Full retail games have been successful as downloads on consoles before, but FIFA’s success is notable as part of Sony’s new press to make digital editions available on the same day as boxed copies. Announced the week FIFA 13 released, the Day 1 Digital initiative sees publishers Electronic Arts, 2K Games, Capcom, Tecmo Koei, and others offering their games through PSN, many of which are discounted slightly for PlayStation Plus members.

Many industry watchers balked at Sony’s pricing these digital copies at the exact same price as the discs available in a store. The digital releases give the same sort of easy access as popular PC digital services like Valve’s Steam but with none of the significant price discounts. Most games from this publishers are available as PC downloads for $10 or $20 below retail price. FIFA 13, meanwhile, has proven that console players are all too happy to pay full price for a downloadable version of the game.

For publishers tired of retailers like GameStop making huge profits on the resale of used games, FIFA’s full-priced digital success is a boon. For gamers though, this is the beginning of what is effectively a new raised standard price for games, the same $60 fee for a game you never properly get to own. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Cliff Bleszinski leaves Epic Games after 20 years on the job

We’ve recently learned that Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has left the company following 20 years of service. Bleszinski has been in the gaming industry since he was a teenager and simply said it was time for a much needed break. He was been responsible for a number of key titles that include Gears of War, Jazz Jackrabbit and Gears of War.  

Bleszinski said in a personal note to colleagues that he will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates and the people at Epic Games the most. He’s thankful for his time with the company and the opportunity to have met and worked with people spanning virtually every job position.

Vice president of Epic Games Mark Rein said he was sad to see Bleszinski move on but knows that everyone has benefitted greatly from his passion for gaming and the depth of his experience and expertise. Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney echoed those sentiments, pointing out that his contributions to Unreal and Gears of War helped shape the gaming industry into what it is today. He said everyone at Epic wishes him continued success in the next chapter of his life.

It’s unclear at this hour what Bleszinski’s plans are for the next stage of his career. Based on the tone of his memo, it’s hard to believe that he would have taken a job with another developer nor do we think he will start his own development studio in the near future. He’s still young though and likely has a lot left to offer the gaming industry when (or if) he decides to return.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Samsung Galaxy Cam gets its first U.S. wireless carrier with AT&T

Samsung Galaxy Camera

AT&T will carry the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Camera, the first real stab at combining a point-and-shoot with a smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is becoming a hotly anticipated item, thanks to its recently announced Dropbox compatibility and next-gen, ultra-connected focus. And today, AT&T announced it will be supporting the 4G (HSPA+, most likely) camera, which will have run Jelly Bean and have access to the full catalogue of Google Play apps.

As a reminder, the Galaxy Cam has a 16-megapixel backside illuminated CMOS sensor, a 1GHz processor, and a 21x optical zoom – fairly similar specs to the Samsung WB850 F, a camera we were impressed with. The Samsung Smart camera lineup, in fact, has been a pleasant surprise when it comes to Wi-Fi connectivity. Manufacturers have struggled with implementing this feature in an easy-to-use, simple way for users, but it’s something that Samsung has done incredibly well. And we only expect this to be an even more fluid experience with the Galaxy Cam, which essentially is the first true digital camera-smartphone hybrid to come to market.

This is the first carrier announcement for the device, and it’s a big one (it means it’s definitely hitting U.S. shelves). The Galaxy Cam stands a decent shot at cornering the consumer camera market: Wi-Fi enabled point-and-shoots are a hot commodity, and strapping a Galaxy S3 to one only sweetens that deal. It’s cutting edge, especially for an industry that’s been remarkably slow to adopt and adapt to mobile technology. 

There’s no word on how much the camera is going to cost, though it’s supposed to be on sale within the next few weeks, so stay tuned. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Happy Wars, Xbox Live’s first free-to-play game, arrives October 12

Happy Wars

Microsoft has decided to embrace the free to play fad by bringing Happy Wars to the Xbox Live Arcade.

Over the past few years, game developers have increasingly embraced the concept of “free to play” games. In short, these are games that initially cost players nothing, but usually support their own development by serving up in-game advertisements, or enticing players to spend real-world cash on items that can only be used within the game. Though this approach is greatly different from the traditional video game sales model, it’s been proven to be wildly successful in many cases, including modern day hits like Team Fortress 2 and League Of Legends. Now it seems that Microsoft would like to get in on this idea, as the upcoming multiplayer fantasy action title Happy Wars has been revealed to be the first free to play game to hit the Xbox Live Arcade

It should be noted here that “free to play” and “free” are two entirely different concepts. Aegis Wing, a horizontal shoot ‘em up released in 2007, was released totally gratis and continues to sport a $0 price tag on the Xbox Live Marketplace. That game however, was free in the classical sense. It cost you nothing to download, and at no point does Aegis Wing try to monetize your experience with ads or microtransactions. Happy Wars, by contrast, has to earn its keep, and according to the trailer embedded at the bottom of this text, it seems to do so by offering a huge number of aesthetic additions to players in exchange for viable legal tender.

As for what Happy Wars is about, Play XBLA offers a comprehensive, if obviously-PR-groomed, synopsis:

Happy Wars is a comical large-scale multiplayer action game. 30 players can take each other on in a grassy plain under a rainbow, a horror-stricken world of darkness, a mystical sea floor, and many other battlefields, using various spells, siege equipment, and over-the-top action. Join with friends on a grand scale to enjoy competitive mode as you attempt to seige the other team’s castle. Cast Magic spells and attack castles in co-op mode where players collaborate to take down wave after wave of Bot teams. For offline fun, players can tackle missions in the single-player campaign mode!

Further, the site also offers descriptions of the game’s various character classes, which both serves to whet the appetites of prospective players, as well as making this game seem eerily similar to 2009′s PlayStation Network title Fat Princess (though it should be noted that Fat Princess is not free to play).

Assuming you’re suddenly intrigued by all of this information, it’s quite simple to get your own copy of Happy Wars. Once October 12 rolls around, as long as you have an Xbox Live 360, an Xbox Live Gold membership and a functional Internet connection, you’re all set. Just download Happy Wars from the Xbox Live Marketplace and you’re ready to jump into the action. Whether you opt to splurge on largely useless, yet attractive aesthetic accessories using your hard-earned cash is entirely up to you at that point (though shelling out more than $100 on virtual clothes will likely earn you a confused, worried look from your significant other).


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

HP CEO: no phone plans for 2013

HP CEO: no phone plans for 2013

Here's to an HP smartphone in half a decade

Just a few short weeks ago, HP's CEO Meg Whitman divulged the company's plans to re-enter the smartphone arena.

"We have to ultimately offer a smartphone because in many countries of the world [the smartphone] would be your first computing device," Whitman said as she claimed smartphones are quickly becoming the new computers.

Those with a financial interest in HP's plans were immediately intrigued by Whitman's proclamations, but she quickly dialed back the hype.

Though HP will probably field a new entry in the smartphone market, the company won't have much to show for at least a few years.

Five-year engagement

HP's last entry into the handset market, the HP Veer, wasn't exactly a home-run, but Whitman still has hopes webOS could rival Android and iOS.

That said, Whitman doesn't expect HP to have a smartphone ready any time soon.

"We don't have any plans to introduce a smartphone in 2013, but we've got to start thinking about what is our unique play," Whitman said during HP's financial analyst day Thursday.

Whitman knows there's a growing consumer base out there HP is currently missing out on, and the time to capture a share is shrinking.

"I believe that five years from now, if we don't have a smartphone or whatever the next generation of that device is, we'll be locked out of a huge segment of the population in many countries of the world," she continued.

Smartphones, tablets, and more

During her time with analysts, Whitman went on to discuss the rest of HP's future plans, including where the company stood in the tablet battle.

Earlier this year, HP recruited ex-Nokia vice president Alberto Torres to head up its Mobility division.

Despite not being in charge of the rumored Slate 8, Torres said his goal was to "accelerate [HP's] tablet strategy and begin to execute products."

Even with those moves, Whitman told attendees she felt Apple fulfilled the consumer market for tablets quite well already.

Still, HP will be among the first manufacturers offering a Windows 8 tablet, complete with an Intel x86 chip.

Hopefully the tablet does well enough to help turn things around for HP financially, as the company's outlook for the year isn't as impressive as originally estimated.

As a result, HP plans to cut a quarter of its PC platforms and 30 percent of its printer models over the next two years.

What this means for the development of a smartphone and proprietary tablet remains to be seen, but we will be watching HP's progress in both markets very closely.


Source : techradar[dot]com

The 12 hottest tablets coming out soon

best upcoming tablets

We take a look at some of the hottest upcoming tablets, from Windows 8 designs like the Surface to the rumored iPad mini.

Tablets are invading our schools, our offices, and our homes. Back in June, we heard that nearly a third of U.S. Internet users already own a tablet. The vast majority of them have an iPad, but Apple is no longer the only company at the table and we’re seeing more and more tablets announced every day. If you’ve yet to take the tablet plunge, or perhaps you’re looking to snag a second tablet or upgrade, we’ve got a roundup of the best upcoming tablets (and rumored tablets) for you. 

If you can’t wait, be sure to check our list of the our favorite tablets currently on the market.

Dell Latitude 10

Dell Latitude 10

There has been a strong consumer (you and me) focus with most of the tablets released so far, but we also know that many businesses are trialing and adopting them. The Dell Latitude 10 aims to target that market with a functional aesthetic and Windows 8 Pro, which means it’s also pretty much a full-functioning PC. Unusually, it has a removable battery and a “productivity dock” so you can transform it into a desktop. It is packing Intel’s Atom Z2670 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a solid-state drive with up to 128GB of storage capacity. For the security conscious business crowd there’s TPM 1.2, file-level encryption, and optional fingerprint and smartcard readers.  Dell, Intel, and Microsoft are a strong trio and this could turn heads in IT departments across the land.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9

At the other end of the spectrum we have the extremely consumer-focused Kindle Fire HD 8.9 from Amazon. This is essentially a window to serve you a steady stream of content from Amazon’s all-you-can-eat buffet table of books, movies, music, and more. It runs Android 4.0 (ICS), has an 8.9-inch, 1920×1200 pixel touchscreen, and packs a 1.5GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor with 1GB of RAM. Battery life is good, it has 32GB of storage, and there’s a 4G LTE version. You can get your hands on one from November 20. (Check out our review of the smaller Kindle Fire HD 7.)

iPad mini

Source: Gizmodo

Rumors about a smaller iPad have been circulating for a long time now. They are nothing, if not persistent. The latest iPad mini rumor concerns an Apple event on October 10 and production lines starting up. For a while, we thought we might see the new iPad at the last Apple event where it unveiled the iPhone 5, but there was no mention of it. If it does ever become a reality, we can expect a smaller and cheaper version of the current iPad with a screen around the 8 inch mark. Beyond that we’ll just have to wait and see.

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface Tablet display screen apple ipad killer

We’ve known about the impending Windows 8 release for a long time now, but Microsoft caused a splash with the news that it would release its own self-branded tablets. There are two flavors – one running Windows RT with 32GB or 64GB storage, and one running Windows 8 with a bigger battery and 64GB or 128GB storage. Both will feature a 10.6-inch touchscreen and an innovative Touch Cover that protects the tablet and doubles up as a keyboard. The big question is – what will they cost?

Barnes & Noble Nook HD+

Nook HD+

Barnes & Noble’s answer to Amazon’s new Kindle HD is the Nook HD and HD+. The larger Nook HD+ has a 9-inch touchscreen with a 1920×1280 pixel resolution. The processor is a 1.5GHz dual-core OMAP 4470, there’s 1GB of RAM, and it will run Android 4.0 (ICS), but don’t expect to run any Android apps. Barnes & Noble, like Amazon with its Kindle Fires, has stripped out all Google services and replaced them with its own. It’s 16GB or 32GB, but it does have a microSD card slot. It also features multiple log-in support and Nook channels for curated recommendations. This is serious competition for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and might be the tablet to have if reading is your priority.

Samsung ATIV Tab

Samsung ATIV Tab

The Ativ Tab is 10.1-inch slate running Windows RT; we forgive you if it reminds you of the Android Galaxy Note 10.1 when you look at this. It has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a screen resolution of 1,366×768 pixels, and it comes in 32GB or 64GB varieties. Battery life looks to be a highlight as Samsung is promising 12 hours of movie playback. The drawback is that it might be expensive (no official price yet), and the keyboard dock is an optional extra.

ASUS Vivo Tab (810)

Asus Vivo Tab

The impressive Asus Vivo Tab brings us an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 Super IPS+ display, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of solid state storage. It runs full Windows 8 and also boasts NFC support, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Naturally it has a keyboard dock which transforms it into a laptop and will come as standard. There’s a Windows RT version with a 10.1-inch touchscreen which will be cheaper, but no price or release date has been confirmed for either just yet.

Wikipad

Here’s a curveball for all you tablet hunters out there – the Wikipad is a dedicated gaming tablet running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 resolution touchscreen, the Nvidia Tegra 3 T30 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, and 1GB of RAM. The USP is the attachable controller frame that the tablet slides into for comfortable gaming and enhanced sound. It also has 16GB storage, a microSD card slot, and an 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. A partnership with Gaikai for streaming premium console and PC games from the cloud could make this the perfect gamer’s choice, but has it done enough to justify a $500 price tag? We’ll find out.

HP ElitePad 900

ElitePad 900

If the Dell Latitude didn’t tickle your fancy, perhaps the HP ElitePad will. This is another business tablet and it has optional accessories including the “Productivity Jacket” which essentially transforms it into a laptop, the docking station which makes it a desktop, a tough case, an extended battery case, and a stylus. It has a 10.1-inch touchscreen, an Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal SSD storage. Pricing is unknown and this one won’t hit the market until January 2013.

Kobo Arc

Kobo Arc Tablet

Third in the e-reader race behind Amazon and Barnes & Noble we find Kobo puffing and panting its way along. The Arc is another Android tablet that is aiming to compete with the Fire HD and the Nook HD. It runs Android 4.0 (ICS), has a 1.5GHz dual-core Texas Instruments processor, along with 1GB of RAM, and a 1280×800 pixel 7-inch touchscreen. Pricing and specs are competitive for this November release so it could help close the gap on the frontrunners.

Archos 101 XS

Here’s another 10.1-inch tablet with a keyboard cover that transforms the tablet into a netbook. The Archos 101 XS uses a magnetic design and it is very thin and light if you remove the keyboard cover. It runs Android 4.0 (ICS) with the standard 4.1 (Jelly Bean) upgrade promise, but since it is vanilla Android that upgrade should happen soon. There’s nothing remarkable in the specs, but they are solid. There’s a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 1280×800 pixel resolution 10.1-inch touchscreen. It has 16GB storage, but there is a microSD card slot. It should be available in November.

Lenovo ThinkPad 2

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 - Windows 8 Start Screen

This Windows 8 tablet has a 10.1-inch 1366×768 pixel touchscreen and boasts ten hours of battery life. It comes with a stylus and there’s an optional keyboard attachment. You can get a good look at it in out Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 hands-on. It has NFC and 4G LTE support, as well as an 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Early rumors suggested a frighteningly high $800 price tag with the keyboard attachment, which could make it a bit too expensive, but from our early hands-on, it does appear to be one of the best Windows 8 tablets coming out, complete with a stylus.

Are there any other new tablets on the way that you’re excited about? Post a comment let us know about your upcoming tablet pick.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Star Wars to Skyrim: Former BioWare producer heads new Bethesda Studio

Rich Vogel, laid off from BioWare in July, has joined The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim publisher Bethesda to head a new studio.

Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax Media’s grand expansion continues. The company announced on Wednesday that it’s opening a brand new studio in Austin named Battlecry Studios, headed up by none other than Rich Vogel. Vogel was the executive producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic until he was laid off from BioWare Austin following one of the numerous rounds of layoffs that plagued EA’s floundering MMO across the summer.

Prior to working with BioWare on The Old Republic, Vogel worked on other standards of the genre including Ultimate Online. While his specialty is in MMOs, though, he won’t be joining ZeniMax Online, the studio hard at work on The Elder Scrolls Online. Job listings for Battlecry Studios do, however, call for developers with a “passion for online games.”

What could Battlecry Studios be working on? Bethesda’s main office is still busy pumping out content for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and rumors hint that it’s busy scouting locations in the Boston area for inclusion in Fallout 4.

Battlecry isn’t the only ZeniMax studio based in Austin though. It shares the town with Arkane Studios, the company behind the much hyped Dishonored. It’s likely that Battlcry’s task will be to build another original IP for Bethesda to use in its attempts to grow.

October is a big month for Bethesda Softworks and its parent company ZeniMax. Dishonored’s release next Tuesday marks the next phase of the company’s aggressive expansion beyond the role-playing realm of its core studios. Early buzz pegs Dishonored as one of 2012’s bright spots though.

Past efforts to build beyond Fallout and The Elder Scrolls haven’t worked too well in recent years. Wet slumped out to retail after a prolonged development, Brink was an interesting but failed experiment, and Hunted: The Demon’s Forge was ignored by players despite an aggressive marketing campaign (and deservedly so, since it was horrible.) Elsewhere ZeniMax has invested heavily in the development of other ambitious titles, and has had no problem with cutting them from the line up when they’re no longer working out. Prey 2 is a famous example from earlier this year. (Bethesda still hasn’t officially canceled the game, though it removed it from its website in August.)

The good news for Battlecry then is that Bethesda will fund it well. The bad news is that its early work has to be strong if the studio is going to survive.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Jolla gives new life to MeeGo mobile OS, reborn at Sailfish

Finnish mobile developer Jolla has announced plans to showcase its upcoming MeeGo-based mobile operating system at the two-day Slush startup conference in Helsinki, Finland starting November 21. The company, comprised of several former Nokia employees, has managed to raise €200 million ($258 million) in funding in addition to €10 million of their own money to develop an OS codenamed “Sailfish.”

MeeGo came to life when Nokia and Intel agreed to merge their two operating systems (Maemo and Moblin, respectively) in February 2010. The OS showed promise as highlighted in Engadget's review of the Nokia N9 handset but it was pretty much a stillborn product. Nokia officially announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to use Windows phone as their principal smartphone strategy, effectively throwing MeeGo to the wolves – otherwise known as making it available to other developers to use.

Sailfish will be open-source although it will use some UI elements licensed from others. The company plans to make the developer story and SDK available at next month’s unveiling as well but even more interesting is the fact that Jolla will demo a new phone.

Jolla’s timing is interesting considering the mobile landscape will be dominated by new Windows 8 phones over the next few months. Introducing a new operating system and new hardware in the middle of Microsoft’s perfect storm will be a challenge to say the least. Sailfish could put a lot of pressure on Nokia if it’s successful considering the partnership with Microsoft has yet to pay off.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Microsoft sends invites for Oct. 29 Windows Phone 8 event

Microsoft sends invites for Oct. 29 Windows Phone 8 event

Hello, hello, hello

Microsoft isn't hibernating this fall as it's gearing up for the Oct. 26 launch of the Windows 8 OS and, TechRadar learned Thursday, the Oct. 29 reveal of Windows Phone 8.

Press invites are going out and TechRadar will be on hand to "Meet Windows Phone 8," as the company's save-the-date note suggested.

The event's going down at 10 a.m. PDT in San Francisco, nearly 3,000 miles from its W8 New York City event a few days before.

We've tinkered with the mobile operating system before and our hands on review is here, but Microsoft is sure to reveal some juicy details come that Monday.

Joining the party

A basketful of Windows Phone 8-running machines have seen the light of day recently, from HTC's Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S to Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820.

Samsung's even in on the fun with its Ativ S smartphone.

Now, Microsoft's actually letting the world in on what these manufacturers have apparently already seen.

TechRadar heard word Oct. 29 would be WP8 birthday, so to speak, and now we can't wait for the festivities.


Source : techradar[dot]com

iPad Mini apparently enters production, instantly hits supply problems

A new report suggests the Apple iPad Mini has gone into production, and that it's already plagued by supply problems.

Sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal have said that components for the device we currently know as the iPad Mini have entered mass production. As with everything iPad Mini related, the sources are anonymous but “familiar with the situation.”

The report says it’s the device’s touchscreens that are being built, and again speculates that they will measure 7.85-inches, and have a lower resolution than the 9.7-inch iPad.

However, previous rumors have suggested the iPad Mini will share the new iPad’s 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina screen, and that production was supposed to start in August.

This news comes soon after a quote from an anonymous Apple investor, who in turn was quoting from a gaggle of unnamed sources, said invitations to the press event for the iPad Mini’s announcement would appear on October 10. An October launch has been on the cards for a while, but then, so was a joint iPhone 5/iPad Mini event.

Supply problems

But, nobody said making a hypothetical product was going to be easy, as no sooner had the elves begun working on the iPad Mini, than those ever problematic supply problems arrived. This time it’s Brian White, an analyst for Topeka Capital Markets with the inside gossip, saying that suppliers had found the iPad Mini’s specification a “challenge” and that the production had suffered because of it.

This, White says, is the reason for the iPad Mini’s delayed launch.

He goes on to talk about “continued yield challenges” — supply chain geek talk for producing the right number of products, at the right time, to make the most profit — before adding that while the iPad Mini is “on track to reach acceptable volume levels for launch,” there will be supply problems “during the first month or so.”

In other words, demand will likely outstrip supply, which is just the way Apple likes it.

The iPad Mini is supposed to be Apple’s response to the popularity of budget tablets such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7. For this reason, if it does ever arrive, the price will most probably be the primary talking point, and it’s expected to be no more than $300.

We’ll know more on October 10, or not, as the case may be.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

The Last of Us: AI so good you’ll weep when you kill it

The Last of Us

We speak with one of the Lead Gameplay Programmer for Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us about the next generation of AI, and how it could change the way you think.

In a dilapidated hotel room in what used to be known as the city of Pittsburgh, a man is on his knees begging for his life.

The events that led him to this point still resonate through the ruined hotel, a building now littered with the bodies of his fellow hunter scavengers. It all went wrong as soon as they spotted the grizzled middle-aged man escorting a spry 14-year old girl that, unlike the rest of them, seemed to belong in this shattered new world. It’s all she knows.

Joel fights

He would have sworn he heard the sound of a hammer falling on an empty pistol chamber. Otherwise, he and his fellow marauders would have adopted a different tactic. It would still have been risky to attack a man with a loaded weapon of course, but the lure of scavenging the real, working ammo was just too great. Even when a Molotov Cocktail forced him to abandon the frontal assault and try to silently flank the grizzled man, the odds were good. Then the gun sounded its empty cry and the attraction of ammo turned to the primitive rage of revenge.

He had the man too, dead to rights. He should never have backed up into the hallway to get a better angle. If he hadn’t, the girl wouldn’t have been able to hit him with a rock and disorient him. And now, staring up at the barrel of his own shotgun pointed at him by a stranger with a grim demeanor, the failure of his tactics echo through the world. Maybe the next group will have better luck. Maybe they will attack the grizzled man in a better way. He’ll never know though, as his pleas fall on deaf ears and the shotgun blast permanently ends the discussion.

The dead man is not a playable character in The Last of Us, but rather an incredibly smart enemy AI, that is programmed to react based on your actions.  This time he ended up as the loser, facing a shotgun as the penalty, but if the player had taken a left instead of a right, or the AI happened to see the gun earlier and taken cover, things may have played out in a significantly different manner, and the player might be the one staring at the shotgun. Maybe next time.  

As the AI enemy drops to the floor, dead, the man left holding the shotgun is Joel, the protagonist of the upcoming game from developer Naughty Dog, The Last of Us; the teenage girl is Ellie. Together the pair are fleeing west in a world that looks like a cracked reflection of our world. Twenty years have passed since a plague wiped out most of humanity, leaving billions of corpses along with mutated things in its wake. Cities once grand and dominant now sit abandoned, slowly being reclaimed by nature.

As you take control of Joel, you and Ellie embark on a memorable and compelling adventure through this scarred landscape. Naughty Dog, the developer behind the critically acclaimed Uncharted series, already knows how to craft a tale and make it cinematic (just look at all the awards the Uncharted series has won for proof of that). But this game will feature a new element. For The Last of Us, to match the all new setting, story, and characters, Naughty Dog has also completely reworked the computer AI for your companion Ellie, as well as your enemies. Not only will this make Ellie a more effective partner, it means that the foes you face will have a logic to them — they will react to you. And when you kill them, you will feel the weight of that decision.

Jason Gregory“We can have characters that are not just pop up targets that die after five seconds of being on screen, and you can really get to understand them as real humans — to feel that impact, and maybe a little bit of guilt of having killed someone, realizing this is a real guy,” Jason Gregory, Lead Gameplay Programmer for The Last of Us told us. “He would have killed me if I hadn’t killed him, but it still kind of feels bad. That’s a fascinating emotion for me as a game player.”

It is no secret that Sony has had a huge advantage over the Xbox 360 when it comes to exclusive titles, and no third-party publisher better exemplifies that than Naughty Dog. Following the success of the Jak and Daxter games, it released what may be the best series on this generation of consoles, Uncharted.

Those games (at least beginning with Uncharted 2) redefined what an adventure game could be, and offered a cinematic flair that would leave most Hollywood directors gasping in jealousy. From just barely escaping the onslaught of an attack helicopter by jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a Himalayan city, to escaping a capsized cruise ship before it sinks, the series is renowned for its presentation. It is not, however, well known for its combat mechanics.

It isn’t a bad combat system per se, it’s just uninspired. You typically run in, find cover, and wait for enemies to pop their heads up so you can conveniently shoot them. Barring the odd grenade, you don’t even have to move too often. That is not the case in The Last of Us.

“Both Ellie and the enemy AI has been completely revamped for this game,” Gregory said. “We’re still using some of the lower-level systems — the animation systems are obviously leveraged from prior technology — but all of the enemy perception, the way that they analyze the play space, how they decide where they are going to go, is brand new technology.”

While not an open-world setting, The Last of Us will always give you options on how to proceed. There are a few situations where the story forces you into a combat situation, but in most areas you can make it through quietly by taking out one or two guards. You’ll certainly miss some items, which are important elements to your survival thanks to a new crafting system, but you’ll also avoid the intelligent AI that react to what the developers are calling the “Balance of Power.”

molotov ready“Basically every AI character has a set of behaviors that are for when they are being aggressive, and another set of behaviors for when they are trying to hide from you, take cover, flank you, and so on,” Gregory explained. “And they make those judgments based on their perception of what you have shown to them. So it’s a bit like a poker game. If you reveal your hand, if you brandish a gun at them, they’re like ‘holy crap, this guy has a gun!’ and they start running. If you sneak around they may not know that you have a gun until you take that first shot.”

Since video games got big enough to need marketing that went beyond the odd page in a comic book, publishers and developers alike have claimed that their new AI system is revolutionary. You hear it again and again, how the AI is so responsive that it will blow your mind. “It is all most like it can think for itself!” we’re told, but again and again the result is generally underwhelming, and the promoted freedom of enemy behavior typically boils down to a few key behaviors programmed into an enemy that may have a random pattern of movement. It can still be challenging and immersive, but figuring out the enemy AI is generally easy. It isn’t often that the enemy AI can figure you out instead.

“It’s all based on their perception, and they’ll switch behavioral modes based on what’s going on,” Gregory said. “When they’re in attack mode, they’ll band together, they work as a team and they’ll be more aggressive. When you’re in the position of power, when the balance of power shifts, they’ll try to take cover more, they’ll try to flank you, they’ll try to sneak up behind you.”

It all comes down to that “Balance of Power,” which means that everything you do, every item you collect or pass up, matters. If you enter a situation where you are well armed, then the AI reacts accordingly. If you are spotted and weaponless, you will end up reacting to the enemy instead. It fundamentally changes how you will approach each situation.

joel ellie

Helping you maintain the position of power will be your partner Ellie. The nature of the relationship between the two characters is at the heart of the story and will unfold through the course of the game, but it is more complex than a traditional surrogate father-daughter pairing.

The game begins in a quarantine zone in Boston, 20 years after the plague. Through an as-yet-unrevealed set of circumstances, Joel and Ellie’s paths cross. Joel’s past is shrouded in secrecy, although it is somewhat implied that he was part of a hunter group and has a dark history. When a dying friend asks Joel to look after Ellie, he agrees, but that quickly proves to be far more difficult than first thought. The pair are soon forced to flee west as they are pursued into the brave new world.

Ellie is a child of this new world, and in many ways far more comfortable in it than Joel will ever be. She knows how to survive and adapt, which makes her a useful ally. Thankfully the game is not an escort mission, and you won’t spend your time having to protect Ellie. Instead, when not helping you through the new landscape, she can scavenge on her own and make herself scarce when necessary. The game takes place over the course of a year, and during that time Ellie’s capabilities will grow to match the maturation of the character.

pipe swing missThis is a far cry from ally AI of just a few years ago. When Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005, it was (and still is) hailed as one of the greatest games of that generation. To this day you will still hear people rave about how it was moody and suspenseful, and the action was fun and balanced. You won’t, however, hear too many people say the same about the game’s AI-controlled ally, Ashley Graham, who more often than not became a liability that you had to protect. Games have come a long way since then, and The Last of Us is on the forefront of that technology.

“Ellie is very capable on her own,” Gregory said. “In a way, I kind of think of her as a power up. When you are separated from her, you really feel ‘Wow, I don’t have my ally with me and it’s harder to face the challenges. With she’s with me it’s very helpful.’”

The Last of Us won’t be released until the first part of next year, but it is already well positioned for 2013. As a developer, Naughty Dog has already earned the respect of gamers everywhere. But rather than simply pushing out another Uncharted (which we hope is still in the works as well), it decided to create an entirely new intellectual property, featuring a completely new world, and then decided to completely scrap existing AI programming and create something new.

So the next time you find yourself in a game preparing to hunt down and kill waves of enemies, you may not find it quite so easy. You may find them hunting you. 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Razer asks gamers if they want Project Fiona to become a reality

Razer unveiled their gaming tablet concept at CES early this year under the codename Project Fiona. The idea sparked a great deal of feedback from the gaming community (both in favor of and against) but we haven’t heard much about it since January. That all changed yesterday as Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan took to Facebook to gauge the level of interest in such a device before the team moves any further in the design process.

Tan says Razer has been working on the project since CES and have since narrowed down some key concepts and designs. He goes on to issue a challenge to fans of Project Fiona: if his Facebook post gets 10,000 or more likes / shares in the next seven days, the team will move forward with the concept and make it a reality.

Furthermore, Razer’s chief wants to showcase some of the high-level concepts in an effort to get feedback from gamers. The company will be open to taking suggestions regarding design, hardware specifications, form factor, features and even pricing. Tan closes the post by reiterating Razer’s philosophy – For Gamers. By Gamers.

Based on these conditions, it looks like Project Fiona is well on its way to becoming a reality. As of writing, his post has over 9,500 likes with another six days left in the campaign. It’s likely a lock that the gaming tablet will use an Intel Ivy Bridge processor running Windows 8 but we still don’t know what Razer has in store for the GPU. I can’t help but think that Project Fiona would need something more than integrated Intel HD graphics for it to be considered a serious portable gaming machine.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 are AT&T exclusives in the U.S.

Nokia Lumia 920

AT&T will exclusively carry the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 in the United States.

AT&T just announced that the Windows Phone 8 smartphones, the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will be exclusive to the carrier in the States.

The flagship Lumia 920 is Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 device, which also means its one of the first Windows Phones to pack some impressive hardware. It has a 4.5-inch curved glass touchscreen, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 chip, 32GB of storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. The Lumia 820 is a little smaller with a 4.3-inch display and is being billed as a mid-range smartphone. The stand out feature for both is wireless charging support.

Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of Devices and Developer Services at AT&T Mobility said, “Exclusive to our customers and featuring unique innovations in imaging technology, wireless charging and a bright, sensitive display – all on the nation’s largest 4G network – the Lumia 920 will be one of the hottest phones for the holidays,”

AT&T continues to position itself as the leading Windows Phone 8 carrier and reminded us in its press release that it has sold more Windows Phones than any other carrier to date. It will also offer the HTC 8X.

Both the Lumia 920 and 820 will feature Nokia’s City Lens AR overlay and benefit from all the new features Windows Phone 8 has to offer. The 920 comes in red, white, black, yellow, and cyan; the 820 comes in black.

There’s no word on release date or pricing beyond the fact that the new devices will hit shelves sometime this autumn.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

First impressions of the Windows 8 Acer Iconia W700 tablet

Acer announces its latest tablet, the Iconia W700, complete with a cradle dock, Bluetooth keyboard, and of course, Windows 8 compatibility.

As Acer continues to roll out its announcements on its latest Windows 8 lineup, we give you more hands-on impressions of the fresh new products right off the presses. Today, Acer unveils the Iconia W700 tablet complete with an 11.6-inch display in full 1080p high definition at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The Iconia W700 will come in your choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processor, and of course, the 10-point touch capacitive feature that will allow you to make the most out of Windows 8′s Metro UI.

One of the first things we noticed about the Iconia W700 is how modular the system is. The full set comes with a standing dock and a separate Bluetooth keyboard, both of which will allow you to use it like a PC at home or in your office. You can tilt the cradle dock up from 20 degrees to 70 degrees, depending on your viewing preference. Of course, you can also adjust the dock to stand vertically or horizontally.

Take it out of its cradle and you’ve got a tablet that’s approximately half an inch thich and weighs 2.3 pounds — not too much lighter than the Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook announced two days prior. However, the Iconia W700′s got a few more integrations that make it more of a mobile device than the Aspire S7. Case in point, the built-in G-Sensor, E-Compass, and Gyro-Meter — all of which are meant to help with location-based apps so you can check into a Foursquare joint, find your friends on Google Latitude, search nearby restaurants on Yelp, or the like, in as small amount of time as possible.

Spec-wise, you’ve got your choice of 64GB or 128GB SSD with 4GB of memory, a back-facing 5 megapixel camera that can record 1080p HD videos, and a 1-megapixel front facer that can capture 720p videos. The tablet also has a MicroHDMI and a VGA adapter if you want to hook it up to a projector. One of my personal favorite components of the set is that it comes with its own leatherette case that can pack up the dock, keyboard, and tablet all in a neat place. This makes it perfect for travel, and it’s nice to not have to spend extra on a decent case that can store all the little components and accessories.

The Acer Iconia W700 will be available on October 26 starting at $800.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Let’s go MeeGo: open-source OS is on track for its comeback

Jolla MeeGo

Jolla, the company resurrecting the MeeGo mobile OS, has announced $260 million in funding and plans to reveal its first phone soon.

In July, ambitious Finnish startup Jolla announced it had adopted the abandoned — by Nokia, at least — operating system MeeGo, and would be designing and developing new smartphones based around it.

Jolla’s seriousness was proven by the members of its team, the majority of whom worked on MeeGo with Nokia, and therefore were both personally and professionally attached to the project from the start. MeeGo has plenty of fans around the world too, thanks primarily to the Nokia N9, the one and so-far only MeeGo smartphone to be released.

That could all change very soon though, as Jolla has announced that it has raised 200 million euros/$260 million in funding, and that its first smartphone is almost ready for its public debut.

Details on the funding are sketchy, with Jolla saying only that it has formed an alliance with “leading players in the industry,” and that a data center to host the OS’s cloud services and infrastructure will be setup through Cyberport in Hong Kong. This is an important point, as Jolla plans to aggressively target the Asian and Chinese market, calling China a “game changer in the technology industry,” adding how it wants to create the “third smartphone ecosystem in China,” after Android and iOS.

Jolla’s MeeGo OS has a codename too, Sailfish, and it will make its first appearance very soon. Jussi Hurmola, Jolla’s CEO, called the OS “more open than Google Android regarding apps and service development,” and said in a tweet that now the ecosystem support system is in place, the company “is very close to announce the date for the device launch.” Speaking to Lightreading.com, Hurmola said that the launch dates for the hardware would be decided later this week.

International availability promised

International fans of MeeGo shouldn’t despair at this apparent focus on Asia, as a tweet from Jolla’s official Twitter account stated that Sailfish is “definitely not for China only.”

As for the first phone, if Jolla listens to those who voted in its poll to find out the preferred form factor for the debut device, it’ll be a touchscreen QWERTY slider. Of the just over 3,000 people who voted, 47-percent chose it, despite — or perhaps because of — the design having fallen from mainstream grace over the past few years. The phone announced is almost certainly going to be a pre-release device though, as Sailboat isn’t going to be available for licensing until early 2013.

Speculating on whether Jolla has a meaningful future ahead of it is almost impossible at this stage, particularly without a look at the Sailboat OS and the phone on which it will first appear. Concentrating on rapidly developing markets — in this case China — is a solid tactic, and something which other companies looking to re-invent themselves are also doing.

Competition is fierce though, with ZTE already adopting Mozilla’s Firefox OS, and the Alibaba Group pledging to invest $200 million per month into its Aliyun mobile OS. Jolla has certainly got some hard work ahead if it wants that coveted third position in the market.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

It's free
archive