Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Review (iPhone, iPad)

Most gamers remember the first time they played a Grand Theft Auto title. It was eye opening as it introduced players to an open world or crime. It's weird to think a game that was on consoles 10 years ago is on a mobile platform, but now gamers can revisit the '80's with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

It weird to think it’s been ten years since we were first introduced to the 1980′s style crime haven of Vice City. The guys at Rockstar laid the groundwork with Grand Theft Auto 3, but it was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City that really made people take notice. Back in 2002, we were satisfied with playing through the rise of Tommy Vercetti on our consoles and would have never imagined being able to play it on the go. Thanks to powerful portable devices and Rockstar’s dedication to porting its classics, we can revisit Vice City on iOS and Android.

Reuniting with the game’s protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, is sure to give any gamer that made the climb to crime ring kingpin some nostalgia-filled goose bumps. Hearing the familiar voice of Ray Liotta as Tommy proves that, years later, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was ahead of its time in storytelling and voice talents. That point is hammered home with other notable actors and stars like Gary Busey, Burt Reynolds, Lawrence Taylor, and Blondie singer Deborah Harry appearing throughout the game. Vice City is in the upper echelon of voice acting for mobile games.

While the voices are the same as the original, you’ll likely notice that Vice City has gotten a little makeover since your last visit. While the graphics stil fall short of some of mobile’s benchmarks, the world is sharper and characters have more detail than the 2002 release on the Playstation 2. The glaring orange hues of the Vice City sunset seem more vibrant than ever on a portable screen, showing us just how far we’ve come in a decade.

Playing this version of Vice City is a little different. There’s no controller anymore. Vice City embraces the touch screen, opting to abandon gamepad support with full touch and tap controls. Thanks to some improvements from the controls first put in place by the Grand Theft Auto 3 iOS port, Vice City controls quite well. Wherever you place your thumb on the left side of the screen, you’ll create a virtual joystick to control movement. Buttons on the right side allow you to run, jump, attack, and get into a vehicle. Some of the buttons are too small by default, especially the one that allows you to activate taxi or ambulance missions. Things like your horn and camera angle, likely deemed to be unimportant, have very small, almost unnoticeable buttons. You can customize the size and location of all the controls in the settings to fit your personal preferences.

While the controls work well and respond properly, the combat still isn’t as good as it could or should be. An auto-lock feature when firing your gun is welcome, but melee combat is pretty bad. You will miss punches, or just punch the wrong person entirely. Technically, this is pretty true to the original Playstation 2 release which also had some combat issues, but it’s one of the things that we wouldn’t mind seeing changed.

This isn’t the only time where things will get a little glitchy, as there are some odd audiovisual blips that will cost you a life or at least some time every now and then. There were multiple oddities I experienced over the course of playing. Once while I was atop a parking garage trying to escape the police, a cop appeared out of thin air right in front of me and arrested me. Another time I got into a police car with a cop in the passenger seat. He did nothing for a good five minutes, then suddenly stepped out of the car while I was driving full speed and arrested me after stopping the car on a dime with what I can only assume was some sort of super strength. These odd moments will happen and will undoubtably set you back over the course of the game.

You’ll probably die a lot during your adventures in Vice City. For example, make sure you remember that this game came out before characters in the Grand Theft Auto universe learned how to swim or you’ll be reminded the hard way. You’ll get arrested a bit, too. Luckily the cops in Vice City have the most lenient rules in the history of law enforcement. Killed ten officers, stole a bus, ran over pedestrians, destroyed public property? Give them a portion of your cash pile and your weapon and you’re right back on the streets. Getting the attention of police is almost impossible unless you actually directly interact with them. They’ll occasionally stop you from stealing a car or beating pedestrians for no apparent reason, but barely tapping a cop car in traffic is the best way to irritate them. 

What won’t irritate you is the detail put into the audio experience. GTA:VC resurrects the perfection of its ’80′s soundtrack with iconic tracks from Foreigner, Flock of Seagulls, Run D.M.C, and Judas Priest and places it over 8 radios stations. Sprinkled in are some hilarious radio programs and parody-style commercials. Things like this round out an welcome retread into the world of Vice City.

Packed into a now-portable package is everything that you remember from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: the well-executed story, the sheer bliss that comes from speeding down the street with a complete disregard for whatever the next mission might be because you stole an awesome ride and feel the need to take it for a spin, the amazing moments that you create by flying off ramps and over roads to elude your pursuers, and all the great side missions that keep you playing well past the end of the story. Things like this makes forgiving the mistakes and glitches of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a lot easier to swallow, if not completely unnoticed in your overall experience. Its good to be back.

You can download Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store for $5


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Instagram: ‘We have no plans to sell your photos’

Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has responded to anger over the photo-sharing service's updated terms of service, and has clarified that the company has no plans to sell users' photos, or package them as part of advertisements.

Following a wave of user backlash, Instagram says that it will edit its updated terms of service and privacy policy to better clarify what it will and will not do with users’ photos.

In a blog post, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said that interpretations that that the company reserves the right to sell users’ photos are not true. Systrom also says that Instagram does not “have plans” to turn user photos into parts of advertisements, and that it will “remove the language that raised the question” about what its terms of service really meant.

“Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram,” wrote Systrom. “Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.”

The portion of the Instagram terms of service that cause the most confusion currently reads: “To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

This language, Systrom says, was merely intended to give Instagram the flexibility “to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram.” He also says that the company hopes to make it possible for both users and brands to “promote their photos and accounts to increase engagement and to build a more meaningful following.”

“Our main goal is to avoid things likes advertising banners you see in other apps that would hurt the Instagram user experience,” writes Systrom. “Instead, we want to create meaningful ways to help you discover new and interesting accounts and content while building a self-sustaining business at the same time.”

Systrom further reiterates that “Instagram users own their content,” Instagram does not; and the photo-sharing service’s privacy settings have not changed. “If you set your photos to private, Instagram only shares your photos with the people you’ve approved to follow you,” he writes.

While the current drafts of the Instagram terms of service and privacy policy remain, Systrom says that updates to these documents will be “coming soon.”


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

NECA reveals replica Gravity Gun, plans to sell it in Spring 2013

Gravity Gun NECA

NECA, a company that specializes in creating gorgeous toys for adults, has announced plans to release a 1:1 scale replica of Half-Life 2's iconic Gravity Gun in the Spring of next year

Statistically speaking, since you’re currently reading text on Digital Trends’ gaming section, it’s almost certain that you’ve played Half-Life 2. In turn, it’s also almost certain that you’re familiar with the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator — though you likely know it best by its colloquial name: The Gravity Gun. Now, if you’re anything like us, from the moment you picked up this gadget in the junkyard behind Eli Vance’s makeshift, erstwhile laboratory, you adopted the weapon as your default means of destruction. Though Half-Life 2 features a swath of cool guns, including a Dirty Harry-esque hand cannon and a crossbow that flings red-hot chunks of jagged rebar, there’s something very special about a weapon that simply grabs objects from the environment only to then launch them at your foes with deadly velocity.

Unfortunately, here in the real world our best military scientists have yet to develop anything so creatively lethal. We’ve got guns that fire thousands of rounds per second and bombs that can atomize huge chunks of the planet, yet nothing that can instantly turn a broken down toilet into a dangerous, man-portable projectile. However, thanks to the efforts of toy maker NECA, you’ll soon be able to purchase the next best thing.

In an announcement posted to the company’s official website this morning, NECA revealed plans to offer a 1:1 scale replica of the Gravity Gun in the Spring of 2013. Though the notice fails to specify an exact date for this thing’s release, and likewise offers no information on how much a Gravity Gun replica might cost, NECA claims that it will begin accepting pre-orders for the replica very soon. Again, no specific date is offered for when the pre-order campaign might kick off, but if we had to guess we’d assume that NECA will offer up all of the pertinent information alongside the replica’s first public debut at the 2013 New York Toy Fair in February.

That’s an important point, as any prospective purchasers are going to want to put their money down as soon as possible. NECA’s announcement claims that this replica is going to be a limited edition affair, and while it won’t be as rare as the company’s earlier Portal-themed replicas, we doubt you’ll be able to find many Gravity Guns on offer past the first month of its public availability. As this gun would instantly appeal to both toy collectors and Half-Life fans, you’re going to be competing with tens of thousands of other prospective buyers on this replica, so it would behoove you to get your order in as soon as possible. For our part, we’ll bring you word on pricing and availability just as soon as NECA is ready to make that information public.

In the mean time, NECA has tossed up a handful of images from the first prototype replica. You can find our favorite one above this text, but if you’d like more simply click through to NECA’s website. If any of you rabid Half-Life fans can find fault with NECA’s work, we’d love to hear it as we’ve spent all morning drooling over this thing.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Brazilian company launches 'iphone' Android handset

Brazilian company launches 'iphone' Android handset

Countdown to lawsuit in 10...9...8....

The tech firm that owns the rights to the word 'iphone' in Brazil has launched an Android phone under the illustrious monicker.

The Gradiente iphone Neo One is a low-powered device running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and only features a single core 700MHz processor and a low-res 320 x 480, 3.7-inch display.

There's a 5-megapixel camera and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing offering, along with 3G connectivity, 2GB of RAM and dual-SIM capabilities.

Although, specs wise, the handset is virtually incomparable with the all-conquering iPhone, it's unlikely that Apple will be taking this 'iphone' launch lightly.

All guns blazing

The brazen Brazilians won exclusive rights to the word 'IPHONE' in 2008, just one year after Apple launched the original iPhone handset in 2007, but this is the first time have used the name.

Even though Apple does not own the word in Brazil, it is likely to go after the iphone Neo One all guns blazing as it is, unquestionably, a competing product.

For now, the device is on sale in the country for 599 Brazilian real, which works out at about £176 (USD$286, AUD$272).


Source : techradar[dot]com

Apple releases iOS 6.0.2 update to fix iPhone 5 and iPad Mini Wi-Fi issues

Apple has just rolled out an iOS update that will fix issues with Wi-Fi affecting its iPhone 5 and iPad Mini devices.

On Tuesday, Apple released an update exclusively for its iPhone 5 and iPad Mini devices. This iOS 6.0.2 upgrade fixes a bug affecting the speed and connectivity of the devices’ Wi-Fi radios.

Users can opt to download this update either through iTunes or over-the-air (OTA). Earlier today it was reported that the OTA software update tool was encountering an error, but users should check back to see if the issue has been solved. The update doesn’t list any other improvements, but Wi-Fi issues have plagued iPhone 5 and iPad Mini owners for quite some time now.

“I had Wi-Fi issues on the iPhone 5 and couldn’t resolve them,” user Motyoj posted in the Apple Support Communities forum on October when referring to Wi-Fi. “They (Apple) sent me a new unit and it’s no better than the one it replaced.”

“I have an iPad Mini and the Wi-Fi disconnects as soon as I go little far from [the] Wi-Fi router, it always says ‘Unable to connect,” user harshacg posted in Apple’s support forum just today in reference to the iPad Mini.

This isn’t the first time Apple has had to address Wi-Fi problems with its flagship smartphone. Back in September, less than two weeks after iOS was released, Apple rolled out a fix for the iPhone 5’s Wi-Fi network data bug. However, this issue was not directly related to the problems iPhone 5 owners are currently experiencing. This bug appeared to be specific to Verizon Wireless users and caused devices on the carrier’s network to consume cellular data even when a Wi-Fi connection was established.

While these Wi-Fi issues affecting the iPhone 5 have persisted since the device was released for some users, they were largely hindered by the negative reception of Apple Maps following iOS 6’s launch. The company’s self-branded navigation app debuted with its new mobile operating system and was met with widespread criticism due to a lack of public transit directions and inaccurate location labeling. Luckily for iOS 6 users, Google just released its Google Maps app for Apple’s latest mobile platform, although Apple Maps still acts as the default directions app.

Despite Apple releasing its iOS 6.0.2 update today, the company is still reportedly testing its first major update to the software: iOS 6.1.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Microsoft promotes Kinect as a tool for the military

Xbox 360 with Kinect peripheral

Though the Kinect peripheral has found little traction among gamers, Microsoft hopes that it might be used to help train our troops and provide physical therapy to the wounded.

If you happen to be one of the millions of Xbox 360 owners who also owns a Kinect, you’re no doubt aware that the motion-sensitive, three-dimensional camera system lacks a solid stable of games that take advantage of its unique capabilities. Further, you’re also likely aware that the Kinect itself is a very cool piece of hardware. While Microsoft continues to struggle in its efforts to find a proper consumer niche for the device, it may have instead discovered an even more important use for the peripheral.

A newly-published DefenseNews report reveals that Microsoft has been in contact with the US military in the hopes that it might be able to utilize the Kinect both as a training tool for our troops and as a rehabilitation aid for those soldiers wounded in combat. DefenseNews claims that Microsoft and the United States Air Force are currently working together to “define requirements for a Kinect therapy system” that would use off the shelf software to rehabilitate injured soldiers without the need for these veterans to visit an actual medical facility, thus saving them and the government huge sums of money.

“Microsoft is committing R&D and marketing resources to ensure that the [military] community is aware of the capabilities of the product, as well as the breadth of our partner community, which includes the system integrators,” said Microsoft Senior Technology Architect Phil West. “The targeted scenarios include therapy-related functions, but they also span training and simulation, interactive user interfaces, and so on.”

As West points out, Microsoft believes the Kinect could have potential not only as a therapy tool, but as a low-level simulator that can aid in a soldier’s training. Given the Kinect’s relatively low cost — Amazon currently lists new Kinect units at a mere $100 — and the fact that you can grab one (or a dozen) by walking into any given electronics retailer, the device is, if nothing else, far more readily available than purpose-built simulators or human trainers. As a result, a number of government branches have expressed interest in the device, including the Air Force, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (more commonly known by its acronym, DARPA), and the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine, as well as many civilian companies with close government ties, such as Lockheed Martin.

Finally, and perhaps most controversially, West believes the Kinect could even aid in the recuperation of soldiers afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. “They can use avatars, which allows anonymity, but also allows for representatives who are therapists or licensed psychiatrists to connect with them,” West said. “Therapists can say, ‘I know who you are because I have your case file. No one else in the room has to see in your face.’ It gives a way to engage and talk through problems while preserving anonymity.”

Though we applaud Microsoft’s novel attempt to aid our troops with tech initially developed to fight the ongoing war against Nintendo and Sony, we doubt that the Kinect will see widespread use in the near future. Not because the idea is a bad one, but instead because the military requires intensely rigorous testing of all technology prior to unleashing it on the troops. There’s a reason why the M-16 assault rifle remained in service for four-plus decades, despite the introduction of numerous weapons with far more advanced feature sets. Then again, even if the government doesn’t end up deploying Kinect-based therapy tools or training simulators for another half decade at least by then the peripheral should be dirt cheap.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang documentary premieres on Xbox Live

2 player productions

2 Player Productions Kickstarter-backed documentary on Sweden's most famous video game developer finally gets its debut. Minecraft: The Story of Mojang will air on Xbox Live this weekend.

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang, a documentary on the wild rise of Markus “Notch” Persson’s world-building adventure game, will reach its first major audience on Saturday, Dec. 22 when the movie debuts on Xbox Live. Filmmakers 2 Player Productions announced the premiere on its website on Monday.

Unfortunately the movie is only available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, but at least it isn’t restricted only to the US. Gold subscribers in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, Finland, Belgium, Austria, and Mojang’s home country Sweden will also get a chance to check out the picture that night.

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang actually started life over a year ago as a 20-minute short film used to drum up interest in a full-length feature. The proof-of-concept helped fuel a successful fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. After raising more than $210,000, well over the $150,000 goal, the movie was finished this fall.

2 Player Productions’s last feature was the excellent 2008 documentary Reformat the Planet which chronicled the lives of chiptune musicians like the band Anamanaguchi and the rise of the Blip Festival.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Samsung no longer asking for European injunction against Apple

Samsung no longer asking for European injunction against Apple

Samsung won't get in the way of European Apple sales

One day after Judge Lucy Koh ruled Samsung's phones wouldn't be banned in the U.S., the South Korean manufacturer has decided to stop seeking a sales ban on Apple products in Europe.

On Tuesday, Samsung announced it would cease injunction attempts against Apple in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

"[We] strongly believe it is better when companies compete fairly in the marketplace, rather than in court," Samsung said in a statement released to The Verge, echoing a criticism it's brought up about Apple's litigation habits before.

"In this spirit, Samsung has decided to withdraw our injunction requests against Apple on the basis of our standard essential patents pending in European courts, in the interest of protecting consumer choice."

Round and round

However, even though Samsung won't be trying to convince the European courts to ban sales of Apple's products, the company will still continue seeking damages for patent infringements.

The ongoing legal drama between Samsung and Apple seems destined to continue, as until this point, neither party has budged without some motivation from the court system.

Though Samsung is dropping its injunctions against Apple based on the standard essential patents, the company is still under investigation by the European Commission for potentially breaking anti-trust laws related to those same patents.

Apple was awarded $1 billion in damages from the U.S. ITC, but is still seeking even more, with the hope to gain more than an additional $700 million from Samsung.

These proceedings continue to happen, despite Samsung and Apple actually being partners in manufacturing the iPhone.

Both parties claim that the working relationship shared by the companies won't be affected by the trial, however there are rumblings Apple is looking elsewhere for aid in future phone development.

More progress is expected to be made in both Apple's case against Samsung and Samsung's case against Apple in the new year...and hopefully there will be an end to this endless courtroom drama.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Grab Episode 1 of The Walking Dead free on iOS

The Walking Dead

For a limited time, if you own an iOS device and have Internet access, you can enjoy the first episode of Telltale Games' The Walking Dead (our 2012 Game of the Year) for free.

At this point, you have no excuse not to know of Telltale Games’ phenomenal adventure game adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. Not only did the episodic game earn Digital Trends’ first ever perfect 10 out of 10 review score, we also recently named it our 2012 Game of the Year, despite stiff competition from massive blockbuster titles like Halo 4, Dishonored and Borderlands 2. In short, we’re big fans of The Walking Dead, so when the first episode of the game’s iOS incarnation suddenly saw a drop from its standard $5 price point to an inarguably enticing “absolutely free,” we just had to let you all know about it.

If you fire up your nearest iOS gadget and pay a visit to Apple’s App Store this very minute, you’ll find Episode 1 of the first season of The Walking Dead available for free download. While you’re there we’d recommend downloading it, as this is a limited time offer. You won’t find specific dates listed anywhere on the app store, but we contacted Telltale and the company told us that this deal will only run from now until the beginning of 2013.

Hopefully we’ve already impressed upon you that this first episode is certainly worth a few moments of your time and a modicum of bandwidth, but perhaps you’re concerned that the game might not run very well on your iOS device. Fortunately, we’ve tested this iOS release on a number of Apple devices: All iPads will run The Walking Dead flawlessly, and both iPhones 4S and 5 have no problems with the game. The iPhone 4 can run it, but it does exhibit a bit of slowdown in particularly hectic, action-packed scenes. We wouldn’t describe these moments as game-breaking, but know that if you’re still using an iPhone 4 you may see periodic technical hiccups. That said, given the game’s slow pace and focus on characters interacting with one another, these action-packed scenes are the exception rather than the rule, so even at its worst The Walking Dead is perfectly enjoyable.

In addition to this very generous offer, Telltale Games is discounting a huge number of its other titles. The company’s adventure game adaptations of Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and Law & Order join Sam & Max, Hector and Tales of Monkey Island at a newly reduced $1 price point. Unlike The Walking Dead however, these discounts apply to every episode of the aforementioned games, meaning that from now until the end of 2012 you can snag the full versions of any of those titles for no more than $6 total. As the adventure game genre is one of the few gameplay styles that perfectly suits the buttonless iOS control scheme, there’s little reason to miss out on this offer.

Speaking of full versions, if you do download the first episode of The Walking Dead and find yourself craving more (and trust us, you will), you can then purchase the other four episodes of the game for a mere $15. Just be sure to ignore the in-app purchase option that has Episodes 2 through 5 listed at $5 a piece and instead grab these episodes bundled from the App Store directly.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Facebook Rumored to be Developing Snapchat-Like App

With Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram earlier this year, it is well known they have great interest in mobile apps. With that in mind, Facebook is now said to be working on a new app.  This mobile app, set to be released in a couple of weeks,  is supposed to be similar to that of Snapchat.

If you are not familiar with Snapchat, it is an app that allows its user to take a photo and share it for a preset length of time before it is automatically deleted.  This is a good way to share your photos that you don’t want to take up space in your Facebook albums and be able to forget about it, knowing it will be deleted.

This app would be a good way to enhance Facebook’s privacy possibilities.  Already on Facebook you can limit what users see what photos by placing them in groups (not circles).  You can then share certain photos with certain groups.  For instance, you would only share your party pics from your trip to Cancun, with your close friends group, so that your boss doesn’t see that you really weren’t sick that day.  This app will just help Facebook have the ability to lock that down even more.  So keep posted for more information on the upcoming release of this rumored app.

What do you think, is this something you would use?



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Alas, Nokia says no Windows Phone 7.8 for Lumias until 2013

Alas, Nokia says no Windows Phone 7.8 for Lumias until 2013

Users on the older Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 will receive Windows Phone 7.8

Despite buzzes to the contrary, the Windows Phone 7.8 update will not arrive on Lumia phones until early 2013.

Some Nokia Lumia 800 users claimed on Monday to have received the update earlier than expected, but unfortunately that was not the start of a wide release for the Windows Phone update.

Nokia spokespeople were quick to clarify what actually went down, explaining the situation to Dutch-language site Tweakers.

Apparently Monday's early WP7.8 release was exactly that - an early test release to bring certain users' pre-production handsets up to speed before the full update launch.

Windows Phone: 7.8 vs. 8

Monday's early release could give Nokia time to optimize the update before it rolls out to all Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 users.

That release will occur early next year, according to the latest statements from Nokia's spokespeople.

Windows Phone 7.8 is a consolation prize of sorts for Lumia 800 and Lumia 900 users, as the slightly older devices won't be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 like the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920.

Fortunately for Nokia users with the older-gen Lumias, Windows Phone 7.8 includes many of WP8's features, like customizable Live Tile sizes and the option to make Google the search engine in Internet Explorer.

They will just have to exercise patience a little longer.


Source : techradar[dot]com

DT’s ‘Better Than Socks’ Holiday Giveaway: Powerbag Business Class Pack

powerbag business class pack header

Want a way to keep your devices charged when you're on the go, far away from an outlet? Enter to win the Powerbag Business Class Pack and you'll never be caught with a dead phone again.

DTs-Better-Than-Socks-Holiday-Giveaway-Drop-Cap

How many times have you been running around town only to realize your cell phone has about 10 percent of its battery life left and you still need it to get you through the night? Instead of trying to find the nearest Starbucks to recharge your phone, why not just plug it into your backpack? For the eighth day of our Better Than Socks Holiday Giveaway, we’re offering the rechargeable Powerbag Business Class Pack, armed with a built-in 6000mAH battery.

When fully charged, the Powerbag  lets you charge your smartphone up to four times. It includes Apple, micro-USB, and mini-USB connectors, and a USB port, making it possible to charge hundreds of different devices, including all versions of the Kindle, the Nook, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, and iPod nano. The bag can hold up to a 15-inch laptop, and also has a dedicated tablet compartment. 

Pressing the logo button quickly will let you see how much power you have left. When it’s time to recharge the bag, simply plug it into a wall outlet using its water-resistant AC adapter. Made with traveling in mind, the Powerbag has a checkpoint friendly FlyFlat design, so there’s no need to remove your laptop while going through airport security.

Want to travel in style without ever having to worry about being without power? Just leave us a comment below with where you plan on taking the bag if you win.  The contest ends Monday, December 24, and we’ll notify the winner the following day.

If the Powerbag Business Class Pack doesn’t really do it for you, check out the rest of DT’s “Better Than Socks” Holiday Giveaways all month long.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Konami: Metal Gear Rising 2 with Platinum a possibility, no Rising Wii U

metal gear rising wii u

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance won't be out until February but Kojima Productions is already discussing the possibility of collaborating with Platinum Games on a sequel. Meanwhile, the studio shoots down the possibility of Rising for Nintendo Wii U.

Platinum Games had a year of wild ups and downs. Back in December of 2011, Hideki Kamiya and Atsushi Inaba’s studio was surging after news came out that Platinum had taken over development of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. By the middle of 2012, though, it had seen one project cancelled with the Sega-published version of Bayonetta 2 and another delayed indefinitely in Anarchy Reigns.

Now it’s come full circle, with two new games in the works for Nintendo, Anarchy Reigns scheduled for January, and a February release for Metal Gear. The studio’s in good shape for the future too, as Konami is already discussing working with the studio again.

“If people like Metal Gear Rising, if the fans who play this game ask for more, that would be awesome,” producer Yuji Korkado told Eurogamer, “That would be great for us and we would be happy to consider working on another game in Metal Gear Rising. This is a game we definitely couldn’t have created at Kojima Productions.”

Naturally, then, Platinum would have to come back to work on the sequel. But only if it works with Kojima again. “This is a game Platinum Games couldn’t have created on their own. We think of this as a product that came from the collaboration of both. So if we were to create a sequel we definitely want to work in a similar partnership.”

Following the release of Metal Gear Rising, Platinum Games will release its first projects for Nintendo’s Wii U including Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101. Given their experience with the platform, is Konami interested in having Platinum port Rising to Nintendo’s new console? Publishers like Ubisoft, Namco, Tecmo Koei, Electronic Arts, and Activision have all ported PS3/Xbox 360 games like Rising to the platform already. For now, Konami plans to skip Wii U.

“One of the strongest appeals of the Wii U is the GamePad,” explains Korekado,” However, we’ve constructed Metal Gear Rising so you can fully enjoy the game on the controllers whether it’s on the PS3 or Xbox 360. So, currently we aren’t thinking of Metal Gear Rising on the Wii U.”

Digital Trends sat down with both Korekado and Platinum’s Atsushi Inaba during its recent preview of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. You can read that interview right here.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Apple iOS 6 Maps help could come from Foursquare

Apple iOS 6 Maps help could come from Foursquare

No wonder Apple Maps users are unhappy

Rumor has it Apple is in talks with location-based social network Foursquare to boost its lackluster iOS 6 Maps offerings.

According a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, Apple is looking to share in Foursquare's map data, which could be used to integrate Foursquare users' tips and ratings directly into Apple's iOS 6 Maps.

Adding Foursquare's map data to iOS 6 Maps could potentially improve the app's ability to locate businesses and other points of interest, which did not live up to the standards set by Google Maps in earlier iOS versions.

Tuesday's report claimed that Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue has spent the last few weeks meeting with Foursquare representatives, though nothing is concrete yet.

Fixing Apple's "maptastrophe"

TechRadar has reached out to Apple and Foursquare to find out if the two companies have anything to share, though at this stage that's unlikely.

Previous versions of Apple's iOS operating system used Google Maps, but Apple ditched Google in favor of its own, internal solution with the launch of iOS 6.

That didn't go over so well, though, with users complaining of inaccurate and incomplete data in Apple's maps.

Apple has been playing catch-up ever since, reportedly poaching Google Maps makers to fix its own app and issuing apologies straight from the mouth of CEO Tim Cook.

The Wall Street Journal's report claims that Apple is in talks with other companies in addition to Foursquare to help improve iOS 6 Maps.

Google delivers

Google, meanwhile, responded last week with its own iOS 6 Maps app, which brought back many of the features - local transit, Street View, etc. - that iOS 6 users had been missing.

And iOS 6 users turned up in droves to download the replacement Maps app; Google announced today that Google Maps for iOS 6 was downloaded 10 million times in the first 48 hours.

Now if only Apple would allow iOS 6 users to delete its in-house Maps app from their devices, everything could go back to normal.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung steals top cellphone seat from rival Nokia

Samsung steals top cellphone seat from rival Nokia

Hail to the king

For nearly a decade and a half, Nokia has dominated annual cellphone sales over rivals like Samsung, LG, and more recently Apple.

Based on a new report, Nokia's reign is about to end, as Samsung is expected to usurp the incumbent champion based on its 2012 performance.

Analytics company IHS has forecast Samsung will finish 2012 with a hold on 29 percent of the cellphone market, while Nokia will retain only 24 percent.

In 2011, the companies actually had nearly inverse those numbers, with Nokia maintaining its control with a 30 percent share compared to Samsung's 24 percent.

Numbers game

"The competitive reality of the cellphone market in 2012 was 'live by the smartphone; die by the smartphone,'" said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS.

For its part, Samsung definitely delivered on the smartphone front, with devices like the Galaxy S3 leading the charge.

Samsung had squashed the competition during the third quarter, selling 98 million phones (55 million of which were smartphones) on its way to a 22.9 percent share of the market.

Nokia meanwhile was big in the cellphone market during the third quarter, moving 82 million devices, though only 7.2 million of those were smartphones.

Apple has managed to hold onto third place thanks to pulling in 10 percent of the sales, but the company still has a long way to go to catch up to either Nokia or Samsung.

Changing of the guard

IHS attributed Nokia's declining performance to the change in direction, as the company is now moving towards Windows Phone 8.

Though smartphones like the Lumia 800 and Lumia 920 did release before the end of 2012, their presence was clearly not enough to make up the ground lost to Samsung earlier in the year.

Conversely, the analytics firm points to Samsung's ability to appeal to both the high-end and low-end of the smartphone market as a chief reason for its success.

Samsung saw its smartphone shipments rise 8 percent from 2011, giving it the greatest growth, and a healthy 28 percent of the market.

Meanwhile, Nokia saw the biggest dip in its smartphones shipped, and fell to just 5 percent, which was an 11 percent decrease over 2011.

Apple was then able to hold onto its second place position as far as smartphones were concerned, gaining 20 percent of the total market.

HTC and Research in Motion both barely factored into the equation, with each company holding onto 5 percent of the smartphone market.

RIM's fortunes may be on the upswing in 2013 however, with the anticipated launch of BlackBerry 10 just a month away.

The evolution of smartphones in the current market has accelerated quite quickly, and it will be interesting to see just how well all these competitors perform during the upcoming year.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Amazon phone release date, news and rumors

Amazon phone release date, news and rumors

Hopefully, it will be smaller than this

With the runaway success of Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet - the media-happy device owns over half the Android tablet market - it seems only natural that the company would turn to smartphones next.

Amazon's strategy of putting all its media content directly into consumers' hands has worked out well so far, so wouldn't the Seattle company take the next logical step?

Like the Kindle Fire, an Amazon smartphone would be a veritable home-shopping network - replete with Kindle books, Android apps and Amazon Prime video - only as a phone, so it would be the only device users would really need.

Given the anticipation that's built up around a product that's not even certain to exist, we figured it wise to compile all the rumors and speculation in one place.

Foxconn to manufacture Amazon phone for summer 2013 release date

This might be the most concrete rumor yet regarding the Amazon phone. Supposedly the online retail giant has inked a deal with Foxconn to manufacture its first smartphone. Industry insiders also expect a summer 2013 release.

According to the reports, the phone may also have a dirt-cheap asking price of $100-200 (around £60-120/AU$95-190). This would fall in step with Amazon's strategy with its Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite line, devices sold at highly competitive prices in order to get customers investing in Amazon's media library.

While the involvement of Foxconn is not surprising, since the company has become a prolific manufacturer of all things electronic, it is somewhat troubling given its reputation for overworked, striking employees. Maybe the Amazon phone will be one of the first devices assembled in American Foxconn factories?

Amazon Phone rumors catch fire

Rumors of an Amazon Phone started to catch on in late 2011, when analysts began predicting the Amazon Phone's existence, despite a lack of hard evidence.

That hard evidence, by the way, still hasn't made an appearance, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning away.

Kicking things off, analyst firm CitiGroup reported that it discovered the existence of the then-unheard of Amazon Phone through its "supply chain channel checks in Asia."

Analyst Mark Mahaney led the Amazon Phone charge, proclaiming that the bookseller was in cahoots with infamous Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn to build the device.

Other analysts agreed: "A smartphone would be a logical next step for Amazon," ABI Research's Aapo Markkanen told Wired in May.

"The lock-in effect of a great content ecosystem shouldn't be under-estimated," he continued.

Bloomberg fed more fuel to the Amazon Phone fire in July, when its anonymous sources ("people with knowledge of the matter") confirmed that Amazon and Foxconn remained hard at work on the smartphone.

Further, the same report claimed that Amazon is busy hoarding as many wireless patents as possible to defend itself from the inevitable infringement suits that follow any modicum of success in the market.

Windows Phone executives board the good ship Amazon

The summer heat must have helped the Amazon Phone fires spread, as July gave birth to yet another bout of speculation when two Windows Phone vets joined Amazon.

First Brandon Watson left the Windows Phone team to become Amazon's director of Kindle cross platform, then Robert Williams, previously Windows Phone's senior director of business development, joined Amazon as its app store director.

Of course, the mere fact that the two previously worked on Windows Phone in no way proved that Amazon had brought them on to work on its own phone - but then again, it's not that far of a stretch, is it?

To further stoke the flames, it appeared toward the end of July that Amazon's innovation center - Lab 126 - had been hiring workers to develop new mobile devices that would run on wireless carriers' networks.

In other words: an Amazon Phone. Imagine that.

Amazon Phone release date

In CitiGroup's original 2011 report, the firm predicted that the Amazon Phone release date would fall in Q4 2012, though that's looking less and less likely the more time passes without a peep from Amazon.

That doesn't mean it's not going to happen, of course, but other rumors since then have been somewhat less optimistic about the Amazon Phone release date.

Less than a week after Bloomberg's report that Amazon and Foxconn still had their collective noses to the grindstone, another source (this one from Amazon's component suppliers) told the Wall Street Journal that the bookseller was already testing Amazon Phone prototypes.

That report claimed that the device could go into production during the second half of 2012, and that the Amazon phone release could fall in late 2012 or early 2013.

Amazon Phone price

From the beginning, speculators foretold that an Amazon Phone would hit the low end of the price spectrum.

In part, it's assumed that Amazon would sell the device wholesale (or maybe even at a loss) in order to further expand its digital content distribution.

Every pair of hands holding an Amazon Phone comes with eyes, ears and a wallet, after all.

CitiGroup analyst Kevin Chang said in 2011, "For a normal brand like HTC, they need to price the product at $243 to make 30 percent gross margin. If Amazon is actually willing to lose some money on the device, the price gap could be even bigger."

That means the Amazon Phone price could sink as low as $170 or even $150, though Amazon would surely make up the difference somehow - just like it does with the Kindle Fire.

Amazon Phone specs

There's been little speculation about the Amazon Phone's specific hardware features, considering there's yet to be any official word - or even a measly leaked prototype image - to go off of.

But the WSJ's source claimed that the Amazon Phone's screen size would fall somewhere between 4 inches and 5 inches, placing it right in line with top Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 andHTC One X.

The Amazon Phone would at least need to perform well enough to reliably stream content and be integrated with Amazon's various media and cloud services, and the better the resolution, the more attractive the device would be for streaming video.

Battery life will be another important factor, as nothing will turn the average consumer off faster than being interrupted in the middle of "Real Housewives" by a pesky low power warning.

Will the Amazon Phone run Android?

An Amazon Phone is almost dead certain to run on some variation of Android, as Google and Amazon, despite occasionally finding themselves at one another's throats, can just as often be found sitting snugly in one another's pockets.

According to some reports, the retail giant has even considered stocking Google tablets like the Nexus 7 in its stores, indicating that their rivalry can't really be all that heated.

Besides, Windows Phone is sat firmly in Nokia's camp, at least for the lifespan of Windows Phone 8 - Microsoft's not about to throw away years of build-up just to hop in bed with Amazon.

That leaves BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, who - to be fair - is rumored to be shopping the BlackBerry 10 OS around for a licensing deal.

But there's a chance BB10 will be more or less dead on arrival, and either way, an OS swap at this point would just be too risky for Amazon, who'll already be tossing the dice with a smartphone gambit in the first place.

Furthermore, Citigroup's initial Amazon Phone report from 2011 claimed that the bookseller would have to pay royalties to Microsoft, all but spelling out that the phone would be another Android device.

TechRadar's Amazon Phone wish list

We at TechRadar aren't immune to the charms of an Amazon Phone, even if it does only exist in the imaginations of analysts and tech bloggers at the moment.

That's where this wish list of Amazon Phone features came from, as well, after all.

On the list are such far-fetched notions as an at-cost Amazon Phone price point, something that's basically been assumed all along, as well as slick cloud and streaming integration, a refreshed app store, exclusive shopping discounts, and killer hardware features like NFC.

Whether any of that will actually come to fruition - or whether the Amazon truly even exists or really is just a figment of a thousand overactive imaginations - will be seen only when Amazon decides to step out of the shadows and into the firelight.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Microsoft apologizes to Halo 4 players with free DLC then bans them

halo 4 banned

Let it never be said that the distribution of downloadable content can't cause wacky hijinks. The botched release of the Crimson Map Pack DLC for Halo 4 led Microsoft to give away paid content for free and then to accidentally ban players for using it.


Halo 4
has gotten more than a few Xbox Live members banned from Microsoft’s gaming network. Weeks before the game officially came out, retail copies of the game had leaked out to many stores and gamers took to their consoles hoping for early matches only to have their accounts permanently blocked from Xbox Live.

On Dec. 10, Microsoft saw another Halo 4 of sorts when the Crimson Map Pack downloadable content was supposed to be made available for download. Intended for owners of specific versions of the game or those that purchased an online pass, the Crimson Map Pack was freely available to all players. Then Microsoft started banning some of them for playing the downloaded content online.

A brief recap: Access to the Crimson Map Pack was supposed to be available to Halo 4 Limited Edition owners and anyone that purchased the $25 Map Pass via Xbox Live Marketplace. Many people weren’t able to download the content and so Halo 4 creators 343 Industries offered a solution to access it which in turn made it available to all players, even those that didn’t pay for it. Sensing an opportunity for some positive PR, Microsoft in turn said the content was free on purpose.

“As an additional reward to those customers that participated in out ’14 Day, Buy and Play’ program, we are providing complementary access to the Crimson Map Pack for a limited time,” reads Microsoft’s statement, “There were some initial complications with the distribution of the ’14 Day, Buy and Play’ reward tokens, and so we decided to provide the additional reward of complimentary access to the Crimson Map Pack as a ‘thank you’ to our customers that contributed to the success of the Halo 4 launch.”

Trouble struck over the weekend, though, as by Monday morning players were reporting on the official Halo 4 forums that they were receiving permanent bans from playing Halo 4 online because playing the free Crimson Map Pack equated to “violating the terms of use and/or committing a code of conduct violation.” It would seem that no anti-piracy measure is perfect!

According to Microsoft, though, these bannings were accidental and isolated. “There was a situation (on Sunday) in which less than 200 Halo 4 users were being incorrectly banned from accessing certain parts of the game (not banned from Xbox Live as a whole), and we have since resolved the issue,” said a representative, “All player accounts impacted are working as normal.”

The days when playing a game on a video game console made putting in the game, turning the box on, and playing are officially dead.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Star Wars: The Old Republic expands in January with Rise of the Hutt Cartel

rise of the hutt cartel

Star Wars: The Old Republic celebrates its first birthday with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the first expansion for the MMO. BioWare is bringing a new planet and a new level cap to the game, but will it be enough to lure back lost players?

Star Wars: The Old Republic is just days away from celebrating its one year anniversary. BioWare’s first MMO has survived in the brutally competitive online role-playing market, but only barely. Electronic Arts invested unprecedented sums in the game it made to compete with World of Warcraft, but the world had already moved on to other gaming experiences by the time it released. Following myriad updates and a controversial re-launch as a free-to-play game, Star Wars: The Old Republic is ready to move into its first major expansion. Star Wars: The Old Republic—Rise of the Hutt Cartel will be out on Jan. 7, 2013.

“We know our fans want to keep experiencing the classic Star Wars storylines they love, and that’s what we’re delivering with the Rise of the Hutt Cartel,” said BioWare Austin’s Jeff Hickman, “The planet Makeb is shaping up o be one of our most breathtakingly beautiful settings and the clash with the Hutt Cartel is epic and exciting.”

In addition to the new planet and storyline, BioWare has raised the level cap for Old Republic players to 55, opening up new skills to players amongst the hundreds of thousands that quit playing the game earlier this year. That’s no exaggeration either. Between February and May of 2012, The Old Republic’s player base declined from 1.7 million to 1.3 million, and that was before Electronic Arts made the decision to make the game free-to-play in the middle of summer.

The decline in members was just one of The Old Republic’s troubles in 2012. Daniel Erickson, the game’s creative director, abruptly left BioWare at the beginning of October. He left the company just two weeks after BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk resigned from Electronic Arts. Those two were instrumental in establishing BioWare’s relationship with Star Wars license holders Lucasfilm and LucasArts, who experienced their own upheaval this fall when Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney.

To top things off, Star Wars: The Old Republic’s debut as a free-to-play game was so widely reviled by the game’s community that BioWare had to overhaul the new pay structure almost entirely within three weeks of the re-launch.

Rise of the Hutt Cartel is the first expansion for The Old Republic and it may also be the last. Since it’s releasing so soon after his departure, the expansion likely represents the last of creative director Erickson’s vision of the game. Since that vision didn’t connect with players in the first place, it may be for the best that the MMO head in a new direction in the future, but it’s up in the air whether anyone will be left to play by that time.

 


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Best Android phone - which should you buy?

Best Android phone - which should you buy?

Which is the best Android phone for you? We've got the answers

Our verdict on the best Android phones - constantly updated

There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS.

We're now seeing the latest wave of phones upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Android Jelly Bean options too, although it's currently limited to a few devices, such as the Google Nexus 7 tablet and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphone.

Samsung makes loads of them. Sony's cut the Ericsson ties but still is cranking out the Google-branded handsets. Then you've got Android-powered phones from Acer, LG, Huawei and many others, and while HTC has ceased the practice of releasing more phones than centipedes have shoes (they do wear them, you know) it's still one of the more prominent Android manufacturers.

The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.

Do you physically and emotionally need a QWERTY keyboard? Are you the sort of oddball who prefers the rough pressing needed to make resistive touchscreens work? If so, you won't find much luck here, as those technologies are sadly phased out of the Android world as buyers get enamoured by fancy, glossy capacitive touchscreens.

Are you struggling to work out which are the best Android Widgets? Or even stuck wondering: 'Actually, what IS Android?'

To help find the best Android phone for you, we've rounded up the best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues.

So here they are - the best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.

12. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Samsung galaxy nexus

Google and Samsung's 2011 flagship phone was, for a long time, the only official way to get the all-new Android 4.0 experience on a phone, and for that reason alone was a must-have for any Android user. The good news is it's now got the latest version of Android Jelly Bean platform as another reason to pick it over the competition.

As a smartphone itself, it's a good all-round performer, too, although the omission of an SD card slot is a slightly odd decision.

The large 4.65-inch screen is glassy, smooth and responsive, running at an immense 720 x 1280 HD resolution. It's bright, plus the 1.2GHz dual-core processor keeps everything running well, while the curved chassis is just about stylish enough to give the phone an edge over some of the more boring black slabs out there.

Quick verdict

The only downside to this phone is the price: with the Google Nexus 4 on the market, it's actually more expensive than its successor. We're keeping it in the top list for now as it's still a cutting edge experience, but we urge you to check out the newer version first.

11. Orange San Diego

Orange San Diego

The Orange San Diego is one of the first phones to be based on an Intel chipset, and as such comes with a lower price tag too.

The San Diego is a serious contender for anyone looking for a decent mid-range smartphone who doesn't want to break the bank for some flagship features - although you won't get the full range of Android apps.

It's a worthy successor to the likes of the the San Francisco and San Francisco 2, and the power of the camera alone makes it worth checking out.

Quick verdict

One of the cheaper phones in this list, it's very much worth a look if you're a fan of the citric network, or just fancy going against the flow of ARM-based chips in every other phone on this list.

10. Sony Xperia S

sony xperia s

The first phone released under the Sony brand for well over a decade is a fantastic smartphone, combining an extremely sharp and clear display with a powerful processor and some clever Android usability tweaks from Sony's engineers.

The camera also produces some excellent results, and while it's not the newest Sony phone on the market any more, we're still very much fans thanks to some cheeky price drops.

Arriving with Android 2.3 as its OS, Sony finally released a 4.0 upgrade for the Xperia S, adding in the updated browser, new lock screen features and more. This will be followed by Android Jelly Bean too, although not until Q2 2013 sadly.

Quick verdict

An impressive upgrade from last year's excellent Arc models, this is a big, classy phone that performs well right across the board. It's getting on a little bit, but the lower price and a promised later version of Android still make it a winner.

9. Motorola Razr i

Motorola Razr i

What do we like about the Motorola Razr i? Well, the main thing to get excited about is the edge-to-edge display: it's something of a quirk in the smartphone industry, although we suspect we'll see more devices hopping on board soon.

The fact that you can expand the storage by up to 64GB makes this an attractive option. And it's an easy phone to use without too much customisation to confuse Android newbies, showing you can have a phone that works well without breaking the bank, and at a smaller size too.

And let's not forget about that screen: with the edge to edge display, it really pops and fizzes in the palm, with the Super AMOLED display impressing.

Quick verdict

The Razr i fails to deliver a knockout blow in terms of price or specs, but it's a well-packaged and attractive device that's a perfect alternative to today's behemothic handsets.

8. Samsung Galaxy S2

Samsung Galaxy S2

The Galaxy S II still offers a genuinely exciting experience, managing to eclipse all other Android phones in every field when it was first launched.

Apps install ridiculously quickly, while browsing web pages is so fast it's hard to believe you're looking at a phone screen. The large display is robust and, despite the slim and lightweight case, build quality manages to impress.

OK, it's not the latest Android phone on the market, but we're impressed with the update to Android 4.0 and the lower cost, not forgetting things such as the fact that many of Samsung's Touchwiz widgets are resizable, making it a phone that's fun to customise and spend time playing with.

This was Android made fast and thrilling in a bygone age, but it's still one of the best Google-powered phones around.

Quick verdict

The first of 2011's dual-core Android phones to offer an experience that felt significantly ahead of the competition. Incredibly fast in all areas, with a super screen and very useful camera - it's Android 4.0 but at a much lower cost than the Galaxy S3.

Try to get it on a 12 month deal if you are thinking about picking it up though; we hate to see people on REALLY outdated software.

7. Sony Xperia T

Sony Xperia T

This is James Bond's phone apparently. Well, he was seen using it in Skyfall, so that's good enough for us. It packs some lower specs than others on this list, but combines them in an attractive unit.

The Xperia T heads back to the design language of the Xperia Arc, meaning it's got a lovely curved back that sits comfortably in the hand, and the large and expansive screen provides great video playback thanks to the Bravia Engine.

Sony has produced another impressive smartphone that offers the functionality and performance we're looking for in a top-level handset.

That being said, when compared with the earlier Sony Xperia S, or some of the other flagship Android handsets, the difference is negligible.

Quick verdict

It's a top smartphone this year, and while it's similar in power to the Xperia S, it's still a more attractive package with a touch more raw grunt and faster update cycle to get us hot under the tuxedo collar.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Mobile Radeon HD 8000M GPUs announced, shipping now

AMD has extended its line-up of mobile GPUs with a few brand-new models filed under its latest class of Radeon: the HD 8000M-series. The new chips deliver better performance, but are expected to do so with reduced power consumption, lower thermals and prices similar to their HD 7000M-based predecessors.


A Radeon HD 8700M trounces a GeForce 650M G5 in a variety
of internal (i.e. possibly somewhat exaggerated) AMD benchmarks.

The new line-up will feature an entirely 28nm-based Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. It's interesting to note this is not exactly a die shrink, as AMD's highest-end 7000M offerings were already 28nm; however, most of its 7000M line-up remains 40nm. Being GCN-based means all HD 8000M models will feature full Direct X 11.1 support and utilize ZeroCore, a technology which essentially powers down unused cores in an effort to save energy.

Equipped with a Radeon HD 8555M GPU, the Asus Vivobook U38DT currently being sold in Germany is the first notebook to see 8000M-series silicon. The 8500 series features an "up to" 650MHz core with 384 stream processors and the option of either GDDR3 @1125MHz or DDR3 @1000MHz.

Other GPUs set to be released soon include 8600M series models (384 stream processors, 725/1125MHz), 8700 series models (384 stream processors, 850/1125MHz) and a higher-end 8700M series which boasts 640 stream processors, 700MHz core and exclusively uses GDDR5.

The highest-end models are likely to turn up in Q2, which will take aim at uncompromising gamers and enthusiasts.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Leaked slide touts NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor specs

Leaked slide touts NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor specs

NVIDIA may use CES 2013 to reveal a more powerful Tegra 3 chip

Mobile users curious about which chip might power their favorite gadget next year will want to get a sneak peek at the specs for NVIDIA's Tegra 4 processor, promising six times the graphics power of the current Tegra 3.

Engadget reported Monday that a NVIDIA presentation slide leaked in China appears to reveal the company's plans for its forthcoming Tegra 4 processor, codenamed "Wayne."

Featuring the same 28nm process found on the current (and very power efficient) Tegra 3 processor, the slide describes the Tegra 4 as packing 72 cores - six times the power of the Tegra 3, and a whopping 20x boost from the Tegra 2.

With all that graphics power, Tegra 4 cores will be capable of powering a display up to 2560 x 1600, 1080p at 120Hz and there's also a rather brief mention of 4K, should you have sufficient HD content to throw at it.

CES 2013 reveal?

Despite the huge leap in graphics processing, the leaked slide shows no bump for the actual CPU cores, although NVIDIA does appear to be moving the Tegra 4 to ARM's latest Cortex-A15 design.

Judging from the specs, the Tegra 4 might also be NVIDIA's first mobile processor to come packing USB 3.0 along with dual-channel DDR3L memory.

The report appears confident that NVIDIA may use the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2013 in early January to officially debut the Tegra 4, where they'll likely be duking it out with Samsung and Qualcomm's latest and greatest.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Day of Cease Fire planned for Dec. 21 to support Sandy Hook families

Gamer Fit Nation's CEO is organizing an event for Friday asking gamers to not play online shooters for 24 hours to show support for those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

There is no good way to pause and share support with those who lost life and loved ones during the Friday shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. Everything, whether it’s a moment of silence or a promise of solidarity in the face of violence, is not enough. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, though. The health and fitness-centric Gamer Fit Nation and its CEO Antwand Pearman are trying to do something for the victims of the massacre with the Day of Cease Fire for Online Shooters event scheduled for Friday. It’s an unusual moment of silence, and a laudable one.

“We ask for gamers to show their support for the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy that took place in Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School Friday, December 14, 2012,” reads a statement from Pearman on Facebook, “We are simply making a statement that we as gamers are not going to sit back and ignore the lives that were lost. Instead we will embrace the families with our love and support.”

“So if you are an owner of a website I ask that you post to your readers that you will join us in our Day of Cease Fire for Online Shooters. I ask you all to please share and I thank you for reading. This starts Thursday night, Friday morning at 12am and will end Friday night, Saturday morning at 12am.”

Pearman’s request is a tall order just days before Christmas, a period when online gaming populations spike thanks to students and others going on vacation. It’s also the time of year when the newest online shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Halo 4 see peak saturation. The statement that people stand together and refuse to engage in even an entertaining facsimile of violence in the face of real brutality should be all the more powerful as a result.

Video games have shared an ignoble link with school shootings in the past. The Columbine massacre in 1999 was marked by reports of the shooters’ playing early first-person shooters like Doom. The mainstream press has abstained from blaming games or game communities on the mindless actions of shooter Adam Lanza, though tabloids like Britain’s The Sun have made dubious claims that he was obsessed with Call of Duty.

Please do take Friday off from shooters to show your support, even if that’s all you can do.


Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Google Maps app for iOS downloaded 10M times in the first two days

Google Maps returned to iOS in the form of a third-party app less than a week ago and we’ve now learned that the search giant’s app was downloaded more than 10 million times in just 48 hours. If numbers alone are any indication, Apple users have sorely missed Google Maps on their portable devices.

Senior vice president of commerce and local at Google, Jeff Huber, revealed the news recently as a post on his Google+ page. He noted that Google was excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world and further congratulated the maps team for their passion and hard work on this release and previous launches spanning the past seven years.

If you recall, Google’s native mapping application got the boot earlier this year in iOS 6 and was replaced with Cupertino’s admittedly lacking Apple Maps. Google Maps had been a staple of the iPhone since the first handset launched way back in 2007. But much like Apple is doing with Samsung on the hardware side, they were aiming to be less dependent on Google seeing as they are now their main rival in the mobile OS scene.

Apple’s offering was plagued from day one with incorrect directions, missing places on maps and other bugs that led most to have a poor overall experience. This resulted in a public outcry from consumers and tech journalists alike. Apple CEO publically apologized for the fiasco just a week after the iPhone 5 launched, saying his company had fallen short in delivering the best mapping experience possible.


Source : techspot[dot]com

HTC Windows Phone 8S review

HTC Windows Phone 8S review

HTC have been a major Windows Phone player for a while now, arguably second only to Nokia in their output. With Samsung eating up much of their Android market share and Microsoft launching an exciting new version of Windows Phone, the platform is obviously going to be a key area of focus for the Taiwanese firm.

So it's no surprise that they haven't hung around to release some Windows Phone 8 handsets, with both the mid range HTC Windows Phone 8S and its big brother the HTC Windows Phone 8X competing for your attention.

As there aren't many Windows Phone 8 handsets yet the HTC 8S doesn't have a whole lot of direct competitors. Its main competitor is probably the Nokia Lumia 820, but even that is a fair bit pricier, as the HTC Windows Phone 8S can be picked up for around £240 (around $365/AU$345), while the Nokia Lumia 820 will set you back closer to £360 (around $650/AU$649).

HTC 8S review

Nokia are also due to launch the Nokia Lumia 620 before long and that looks to have fairly similar specs to the HTC Windows Phone 8S and a potentially lower price tag, but until then the HTC Windows Phone 8S has found itself a narrow gap in the market where it's the only truly mid range Windows Phone 8 available, while simultaneously being the cheapest WP8 thanks to an absence of low end handsets.

HTC 8S review

The specs confirm its position as a mid range handset. Powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and packed with just 512 MB of RAM. With a 5 megapixel camera, 720p video and just 4 GB of internal storage (albeit with support for microSD cards of up to 32 GB), everything about it screams mid-range.

Things don't change with the Super LCD Gorilla Glass display. At 4 inches it's a decent size but not huge and its 480 x 800 resolution (coming in at 233 pixels per inch) is fine but nothing particularly impressive.

In other words it's got solid specs all around, which on paper are neither impressive nor disappointing for the price.

HTC 8S review

The only potentially disappointing spec is its 1,700 mAh battery, which seems a little on the small side, but it's around the same size as the one in the bigger and more powerful Samsung Galaxy S2 and that holds up well enough.

The first thing to stand out about the HTC 8S is its two-tone colour scheme. Bright colours have become a staple of Windows Phone, but normally you just get the one colour per handset.

HTC 8S review

With the HTC 8S the bulk of the phone is one colour, while a stripe at the bottom is another. Interestingly this sets it apart even from the other phone in the range- the HTC 8X, which again is all one colour. It's a great and distinctive look, making the phone immediately recognisable no matter what angle it's viewed at.

With dimensions of 120.5 x 63 x 10.3mm it's not the thinnest phone you'll ever see, but the curved edges make it seem slightly slimmer and sleeker than it actually is.

HTC 8S review

It continues to impress when you pick it up. At 113g it's got a decent amount of weight to it, making it feel like a fairly premium device rather than a cheap piece of plastic.

Speaking of plastic, there's no brushed metal or glass back on the HTC Windows Phone 8S, it's plastic through and through.

Despite that it doesn't seem flimsy. The rubbery, polycarbonate finish makes it easy to grip and feels good in the hand. It doesn't look or feel cheap either, just different and that's a good thing.

HTC 8S review

The front of the HTC 8S is dominated by the 4 inch screen, as you might expect. Above it there's HTC's logo and a speaker, while below it there's the iconic stripe adorned with three soft touch buttons, specifically home, back and search.

HTC have again stamped their logo in silver onto the back of the phone - this time much bigger. Above it you'll find the 5 megapixel camera lens, while below it there's a logo for 'Beats' audio, below that a speaker and below that the coloured stripe.

HTC 8S review

The top edge of the phone has a 3.5mm headphone port on the left and the power button on the right. The general positioning of the power button is fine, but it's hardly raised at all, making it hard to find and press, in fact we found that we often thought we'd pressed it only for nothing to happen as we'd either missed it or not applied enough pressure.

The bottom edge is home to a micro USB port, used for charging the handset and connecting it to a computer. You'll also find the microphone here.

HTC 8S review

The top of the right edge houses a volume rocker while the bottom is home to a dedicated camera button - which both launches the camera and takes photos. The left edge has absolutely no buttons or ports on it.

You can't remove the back of the HTC Windows Phone 8S. Instead the little stripe at the bottom is removable and gives you access to the microSD card slot and the micro SIM.

HTC 8S review

This does mean that you can't remove the battery, which is a bit of a shame, particularly considering it's 1,700 mAh in size, but otherwise it seems a lot more elegant than taking the whole back cover off.

It also means that the annoying practice of putting the microSD card slot behind the battery has been avoided, meaning that if you have more than one cards worth of media you can swap cards without turning the phone off. Given that there's only 4 GB of internal storage this could be genuinely useful for some users.

The coloured stripe is easy enough to remove but feels securely in place when you put it back on. It's also not as flimsy as some covers, so there's little worry of it breaking when you try to take it off.


Source : techradar[dot]com

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