Google is reportedly working with Samsung to develop a co-branded high-end Nexus tablet featuring a 10.1-inch screen, moving into an area of the tablet market dominated by Apple with its 9.7-inch iPad.

While Apple appear to be about to go small with its enormously popular 9.7-inch iPad device, a new report suggests Google is soon to go big with its 7-inch Nexus tablet.

According to a Cnet report, the Mountain View company is busy developing a 10.1-inch tablet with Korean electronics giant Samsung.

The information comes from Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, who said that supply chain activity indicated the new tablet was on its way, though a time frame for its launch wasn’t given.

Shim said the new tablet will have a screen density even higher than that of the third-generation iPad. Apple’s newest iPad has a 2048 x 1536 screen resolution (264 PPI), whereas Google’s offering will reportedly have a 2560 x 1600 display (299 PPI).

Google partnered with Taiwan-based Asus to produced its well-received 7-inch Nexus tablet, however, it appears that Samsung has been chosen to work on the larger device. The Korean company currently produces Google’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone, released late last year.

Buoyed by the success of its Nexus 7 tablet, which launched in the US in July, Google appears to be looking to try its luck in the 10-inch tablet market, currently dominated by Apple with its iPad. And, according to Shim, the co-branded device won’t be a cheap alternative to the Cupertino company’s big seller, with the analyst describing it as a “high-end device.”

Apple, meanwhile, is expected to launch a smaller, 7.85-inch version of the iPad this month, with a price tag of between $300 and $350. The new tablet could well damage sales of Google’s cheaper Nexus 7 tablet, as well as the latest versions of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets. Whether a 10.1-inch co-branded tablet from Google and Samsung can tempt buyers away from Apple’s iPad is another question, and one we may be able to answer once more details of the device come to light.

Apple has responded to the fallout over the iPhone 5's purple lens flare effect, saying it's due to position and the device's smaller camera.

Apple is pointing the finger of blame squarely back at iPhone 5 users complaining about a purple lens flare effect the smartphone’s camera is creating. In a public support document, Apple says:

“Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the end of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize of eliminate the effect.”

As we explained at launch, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 have nearly identical cameras. The iPhone 5, however, does use camera that’s 25 percent smaller, better low light mode, and a sapphire crystal lens. The smaller, thinner phone, obviously, translates to this need for a smaller camera, which is generally bad news. Still, reports thus far have been that the iPhone 5’s shooting quality stands up to that of the iPhone 4S. In fact, most reports say that most perceptible improvements between the two can be traced to the iPhone 5’s upgraded display, which is making its photos look that much better. In reality, however, the changes are barely noticeable.

With the exception, of course, being the purple lens flare. Here’s a quick lock at the same shot taken with the iPhone 5 (at left) and the iPhone 4S (at right).

As you can see, the purple lens flare only shows up with the iPhone 5. While Apple says the issue can be blamed on the positioning, there’s speculation it might have something to do with the sapphire crystal lens – it certainly sounds like something that would create a hazy purple effect. Others suggest it’s the elimination of the infrared cut filter that’s causing what should look black or gray to turn out purple.

There’s been ample conversation about other phones responsible for the purple flare as well, though the iPhone 5 has managed to really rouse the masses – as it should: It’s the hottest phone on the market, and the latest iteration of what’s arguably been the best smartphone camera yet. Apple’s “you’re doing it wrong” response isn’t going to placate upset buyers who were hoping for the next greatest pocket cam-meets-smartphone combo.

Microsoft has failed in the mobile market. Could Windows Phone 8 be the salvation it is seeking?

“If at first you don’t succeed try, try, and try again.”

It has been two years since Windows Phone launched, yet today it sits as a distant last place competitor in the smartphone market. Despite two years of effort, Microsoft now holds a lower market share than it did in 2010. Things couldn’t be much worse for Windows Phone. Later this month, we will see Microsoft’s third major push to gain momentum with its Android and iPhone alternative. No one can accuse Microsoft of not trying, but will its persistence and self-belief pay off with Windows Phone 8? Let’s take a closer look.

From bad to worse

You may not believe it, but Windows Mobile once claimed a 42 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market — though it was a much smaller and much different market than the one we know today. Things began to change quickly when the iPhone came out in 2007, followed by Android in 2008. By 2009, Windows Mobile’s market share was down to 15 percent. That heavy decline is even worse than it looks because the smartphone market was drastically increasing in size during that period. Windows Mobile was vastly inferior to the competition (at least in the eyes of consumers), and in 2010 Microsoft scrapped it completely and launched a new operating system built from scratch: Windows Phone 7.

There’s no denying that Windows Phone is a lot better than Windows Mobile, but its failure has been nothing short of spectacular. Last summer, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer summed it up bluntly, saying that with “phones, we’ve gone from very small to very small.” That trend has continued as Windows Mobile has gradually faded away and Windows Phone has failed to grow. The release of Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) a year ago and Nokia’s first Windows Phones promised much, bult have both failed to deliver any significant gains.

In July this year, Nielsen revealed that Windows Phone held just 1.3 percent of the U.S. smartphone market. That statistic compared rather embarrassingly with a 3 percent share for Windows Mobile.

What does Windows Phone 8 offer?

Microsoft revealed some Windows Phone 8 features at a press event in San Francisco back in June and showed a little more at the event with Nokia in September. WP8 offers better integration with the Windows platform and that should make life easier for developers. It also means solid enterprise management support and a big potential play for enterprise adoption.

The terribly strict hardware restrictions on Windows Phone 7 have been ditched so better hardware is supported and there’s more room for differentiation. That includes microSD cards, three screen resolutions, and multi-core CPUs.

The OS also now has the ability to take screenshots and there are lock screen notifications tied directly to specific apps that support push notifications, bringing it up to speed with Android and iOS in a few ways.

You’ll also find features like NFC support for a digital wallet payment system, more customization options with improved Live Tiles, and a series of lenses for onboard camera effects. Throw in Nokia Maps, Internet Explorer 10, and Skype with VoIP integration, and the new platform looks a lot better than the old one.

A Microsoft spokesperson told us, “We’ve only previewed a few select features of Windows Phone 8, but you can already see that Windows Phone is the only smartphone with Live Tiles to keep you closer to the people and things that matter most to you. Windows Phone 8 adds an even more dynamic and customizable Start Screen, IE 10 based browser, new hardware capabilities like dual core chips and NFC and support for a wide range of business scenarios with the addition of encryption and the new Company Hub.”

Claims like this have some predicting big gains for Microsoft in mobile, including Gartner and IDC, who predicted that Windows Phone would overtake iOS to claim second place in the smartphone market by 2015.  Of course, many of those same analysts predicted a much stronger comeback for Nokia.

You’d be forgiven for asking if it’s too late for Windows Phone 8, but there are still believers out there. Bet against Microsoft and its fans will point to the huge losses it incurred on the Xbox platform before finally winning out in the U.S. videogame console market.

Show us the hardware

If we’re going to consider the potential success of Windows Phone 8 then we have to look at its next round of devices.

Microsoft previously denied it will make its own smartphones to run WP8, but that was a while back and the rumors won’t go away. Anonymous sources have told BGR and WPCentral that a Microsoft-branded Windows Phone is imminent, but that it won’t launch in the first wave of WP8. For now, at least, it is relying on its partnership with Nokia and some of the other top manufacturers to kick-start the platform. Early signs are very positive with Samsung, HTC, and Nokia all announcing competitive Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

The first surprise in the new WP8 line-up was the Samsung ATIV S. We knew that Samsung would release some devices, but having Samsung officially announce the first ever Windows Phone 8 smartphone did seem like a bit of a slap in the face for Nokia. We are expecting to see more WP8 devices from Samsung before the end of the year.

Next up was partner Nokia in a joint event with Microsoft which also included a peek at the platform. The flagship WP8 device is the Nokia Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 820 also made an appearance. The whole demo focused heavily on the leading smartphone camera technology, but it was soured a little in the days that followed when Nokia had to issue an apology for a faked PureView video ad. We also saw some handy looking AR (augmented reality) in the shape of Nokia City Lens.

HTC announced its WP8 devices at an event on September 19. The company did suggest beforehand that it would focus more on Microsoft’s platform amidst performance woes that are partly linked to an over-reliance on Android. Jason Mackenzie, HTC’s president of sales and marketing, said, “I feel very strongly we’ve got very concrete carrier support in every region around the world including the United States and I’m not talking about just one carrier. Our plan is to go big on Windows 8.”

The HTC 8X and the 8S will be the first Windows Phone 8 devices from the troubled manufacturer. With Samsung dominating the Android world, HTC hopes to claim the flagship WP8 smartphone and drive adoption of the new platform.

There will be other partners releasing WP8 devices. Huawei has already announced that it will release WP8 smartphones before the year’s end. We think Acer will release a WP8 device next year. Asus and Sony are flirting with the idea, but don’t hold your breath.

Leaving behind current users

There are some downsides to Windows Phone 8. Microsoft’s small, but loyal userbase will be somewhat left in the dust. There will be no upgrade to Windows Phone 8 for old Windows Phone users. Instead, there will be a Windows Phone 7.8 that will offer some of the new features, like the new resizable homescreen Live Tiles. In addition, all of the old WP7 apps will be compatible with the new platform, but it doesn’t work the other way around, meaning that WP7 users likely won’t be getting new apps once the new platform hits the market. That’s not going to please anyone that went all out and bought a WP7 device, but Microsoft deemed it necessary. In the words of Joe Belfiore, Manager of the Windows Phone Program, “Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology, which means that it will not run on existing hardware.”

A welcome alternative or a third wheel?

It’s possible that Microsoft could appeal to consumers because it is different from iOS and Android. A Microsoft spokesperson suggested to us that, “The smartphone market continues to grow rapidly and there’s a strong appetite for a new approach and a third ecosystem. We’ve all seen how quickly market share can shift in this business.”

It’s difficult to see what it offers that the leading platforms haven’t already covered, though. Sure there’s the security and enterprise angle, but with the Bring-Your-Own-Device to work trend taking off so widely it’s tough to imagine IT departments forcing WP8 smartphones on staff who would prefer an iPhone or the latest Android.

On the other hand, the tie in with Windows 8 could really help drive sales and might be what Microsoft is banking on. “Our uniquely personal OS along with widespread partner support and the wave of excitement surrounding Windows 8 make this an exciting year for Windows Phone,” a spokesperson for Microsoft told us.

Hurdles to overcome

Patent litigation may work in Microsoft’s favor. As manufacturers using Google’s Android OS continue to face lawsuits from Apple, more manufacturers may lean in Microsoft’s direction because of its existing cross-licensing agreement with Apple. What we don’t know is whether the fear of patent infringement suits is really enough to drive manufacturers away from the dominant platform with the highest penetration. Microsoft is hoping that it is.

Microsoft also needs to better woo wireless carriers. The fact that none of the WP8 devices announced have fixed release dates or pricing comes in stark contrast to Motorola’s joint event with Verizon and Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement. Microsoft needs more than just AT&T to jump onboard. Good Windows Phones need to be on every carrier.

There is hope

Overall, we think there’s a good shot Windows Phone 8 could finally make a dent in the market. The new crop of handsets appears to finally compete with Android on processing power and Microsoft is trying to use color to show that its phones are different from the competition. But being “different” has never been a huge problem for Windows Phone. The biggest challenge for Microsoft will be how to make people crave that difference. There needs to be cool, notable features and talking points that will start spreading word of mouth, and Microsoft must eliminate lingering reasons that prevent customers from making the switch. The buzz over Windows 8 may help, but for Microsoft to really change its fortunes, it needs to take a cue from the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and create its own “reality distortion field.” Despite being on the market for two years, somehow, Windows Phone needs to become the magical hot new thing.

Will Call Of Duty fans enjoy a handheld Black Ops sequel without the now obligatory "secret" zombie mode?

When Call Of Duty: Black Ops Declassified arrives on November 13 it will be the series’ debut on Sony’s Vita handheld. It will also mark the first Call Of Duty: Black Ops title in which players wil not discover an arguably hidden mode that tasks them with surviving endless waves of shambling undead enemies.

“This is the first Call of Duty game on Vita, and it needs to deliver on its core strengths — arguably, multiplayer gaming with twin-stick controls in a portable format. That’s the core experience, and that simply needs to come first,” wrote Activision representative Dan Amrich on this official blog.

“There’s always a list of things you want to do and things you need to do, and at the end of the day, realistic goals are the ones that people actually attain,” Amrich added.

Though his words are entirely logical, it remains to be seen how fans will react to this news. Ever since the zombie mode was introduced to the Call Of Duty games via 2010′s Call Of Duty: Black Ops, it has become a favorite among fans who view it both as an excellent multiplayer offering, and as a relatively relaxing alternative to the main thrust of the Black Ops games. Will they still dig the Vita iteration of the series without ambulatory corpses to shoot?

As if to answer this question, Amrich had one more important note to offer fans: “Declassified will offer a Hostiles Mode, which challenges you to defeat waves of enemies, but alas, those enemies are not shambling corpses.” So, prospective players, will this “Hostiles Mode” be good enough to satiate your bloodlust? We’re not being hypothetical here, we’re genuinely curious: Is the draw of Black Ops’ zombies mode in the endless waves of enemies advancing on your position and forcing you to think strategically about how best to survive the onslaught? Or does the mode succeed purely because it features rotting cadavers for you to perforate with fully automatic weaponry?

If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how this game performs at retail. The Call Of Duty series is perennially successful, but it’s entirely possible that Declassified’s lack of zombies (and, let’s be honest, consumer fatigue of the series) may mark the franchise’s Vita debut as its first fiscal failure.

Now that it's no longer churning out Halo sequels, Bungie has picked up designer Danny Bulla to assist with its mysterious next game.

Despite its work on classics like Marathon and the Myth series, Bungie is a developer whose name will always conjure images of the Master Chief gunning down hordes of Covenant soldiers. Up until the announcement that 343 Industries would be developing Halo 4, Bungie was the “Halo company.” It’s been that way since Halo first hit the original Xbox in 2001, and despite the growing excitement of fans for the imminent Halo 4, Bungie will remain closely linked to the series, if only in our collective memories.

Given that decade-plus of being known for exactly one series, it only makes sense that Bungie’s employees might want to do something a bit different for their first post-Halo title. We don’t know much about this game, but with a recent hiring, the firm has maybe shed a bit of light on the topic.

A Bungie community member known as “DJ Yella” asked the firm what it thought of Rockstar Games, the company behind the massively successful Grand Theft Auto franchise, as well as the slightly less successful but no less awesome, Red Dead Redemption. Bungie’s answer was unexpectedly candid.

“We liked Red Dead Redemption so much that we hired Danny Bulla to come here and help us fill your next sandbox,” the firm’s representatives wrote. “He’s doing some amazing work and, so far, he hasn’t tried to lash any of us to a pair of railroad tracks.”

Though you likely don’t recognize the name immediately, Bulla is most famous for his work as a designer on Red Dead Redemption as well as its zombie-focused Undead Nightmare expansion. Prior to joining Rockstar, Bulla worked as a designer on Midway’s relatively average sci-fi shooter Blacksite: Area 51.

Taking all of this information into account, let’s sum up what we know so far: First, Bungie is working on a new game that it describes as its “next sandbox.” Second, Danny Bulla, a designer on one of the most well-designed open-world sandbox titles in recent memory, has been hired to work on this game. Third, the game’s title is rumored to be “Destiny” (though this could easily be a code name or a mere placeholder until the company comes up with a more apropos title).

So far the Internet, with its vast powers of crowd-sourced speculation, believes this to mean that Destiny will be similar to one of Rockstar’s open-world titles, but we’re going to hold off on drawing any conclusions here. Bungie has a new game, it’s going to be a “sandbox” title and Danny Bulla has been hired to work on it. Realistically that says nothing concrete about this project, so until Bungie offers up more solid info, we’ll be waiting patiently and shooing away thoughts of the Master Chief shooting bison from the back of a mighty stallion.

Sony's PlayStation would-be mascot Kevin Butler was sued by his former employers for playing Mario Kart in a Bridgestone tires commercial.

If you’re an actor playing a fictional character in an advertising campaign, you better not take any jobs later in your career with a competing brand. At least if you don’t want to get yourself sued. Jerry Lambert, known for playing fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler in a series of PlayStation 3 and PSP commercials between 2009 and 2011, is being sued by Sony Computer Entertainment for showing up in a commercial playing Wii games.

The commercial in question is for Bridgestone tires, wherein Lambert appears playing Mario Kart Wii. Followig the commercial’s release, Sony sued both Bridgestone and Lambert’s company Wildcat Creek, claiming that the both are guilty of violating the Lanham Act, which prohibits, amongst other things, trademark dilution.

“We invested significant resources in bringing the Kevin Butler character to life and he’s become an iconic personality directly associated with PlayStation products over the years,” a Sony spokesman told Kotaku, “Use of the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony’s intellectual property, creates confusion in the market and causes damage to Sony.”

A fiber cut somewhere in the U.S. has led to major outages in Sprint's network. The hardest hit customer has been Alaska Airlines, which had to delay its flights.

Sprint users have taken to Twitter with the a fiery passion as the network has reported sizable outages in Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. Perhaps most inconvenienced by the occurrence is Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, as it is unable to check in passengers. Flights are currently delayed as Sprint attempts to sort out the issue.

A statement issued by Sprint to TechCrunch, a fiber cut somewhere in the Pacific Northwest is responsible for the outage. How exactly one cut fiber can take down a network, we do not know. Differing reports come from Alaska Airlines, as it has stated the wire was cut in Wisconsin. One theory (my theory) is this is a continuation of the finger pointing that took place after the questionable Seattle Seahawks victory over the Green Bay Packers, but there is no truth to it.

While details are sparse, a few things do appear to be known: At least one fiber optic wire was cut and resulted in the wide-spread outages that transcend a single region and Sprint is desperately trying to solve the problem. According to the Associated Press, connection has been resorted for Alaska Airlines. The company had switched to manual check-ins in hopes of getting its passengers to their destinations. It is warning that there are likely still delays expected. We’ll have more as it develops.

Come October 9, The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner, will finally make its debut.

Great, unexpected news for those of you who are fans of Telltale Games’ episodic video game based on Robert Kirkman’s bleak comic book series The Walking Dead: The fourth episode, dubbed “Around Every Corner,” will see official release over the next two days. Specifically, the game will be available from the PlayStation Network Store as soon as Sony updates it on October 9, while the Xbox Live Arcade iteration of the Episode, as well as its PC and Mac analogues, will arrive on Wednesday, October 10. As with previous episodes, all versions, regardless of which service you purchase them through, will set you back $5.

Though any additional episodes of The Walking Dead are always welcome — you’ve seen our glowing, hyper-positive reviews of the episodes released so far, right? — Episode 4 is a particularly exciting arrival. Unlike past episodes, Around Every Corner has been written by Gary Whitta. If that name sounds familiar, it may be from his years as Editor In Chief of PC Gamer magazine, or from his work as a Hollywood screenwriter. Most notably, Whitta penned the script for the post-apocalyptic Denzel Washington-starring action flick The Book Of Eli.

As a bit of an aside, Whitta was also attached to write the ill-fated live-action English-language adaptation of classic anime epic Akira from 2008 to 2009, but we won’t hold that against him.

Those of you concerned that Whitta will come into the series and in an attempt to make it his own may somehow corrupt the so-far impressive adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comics need not worry: Though Around Every Corner is Whitta’s first attempt at writing an episode himself, it should be noted that he has served as something of a supervisor for the writing in every Walking Dead episode to date. If that’s not enough for you, we should be publishing an interview with the man shortly in which we discuss the imminent Episode 4, as well as numerous other facets of The Walking Dead, so keep an eye out for that.

As for what we can expect to see from Episode 4, we’re momentarily as in the dark as you are. We expect the series’ gradual shift toward increasingly bleak, oppressive situations to continue, and we’d assume that people will die in this next episode, but given the number of corpses created by Episode 3, we’re growing increasingly concerned that Telltale is running out of ancillary characters to kill. More accurately, we worry that certain key beloved figures who we’ve grown very attached to over the past three episodes might meet a violent end in this latest installment. There’s more on that in the interview we mentioned, but for now let’s keep our collective fingers crossed that a certain little girl doesn’t get her brains chewed on by a shambling corpse.

Looking for an entry device with a reasonably large screen? For the most part, entry models tend to stick with single-core processors and 3-inch screens. The LG Optimus L9 from T-Mobile is a bit different.

While we don’t know the pricing for sure, this is clearly a lower-spec’d version of the flagship Optimus G. They share the same battery, overall looks and both have a premium feel. With that in mind, pricing will likely put it between a lower end and mid-range device.

Here are the full specs:

• Dual Core 1Ghz processor
• Android 4.0 ICS
• 4.5-inch qHD Corning® Gorilla Glass 2 Display
• 4G speed through T-Mobile
• LG QuickMemo
• 5-megapixelCamera with LED Flash
• True-to-Life 1080p HD Recording
• Long-Lasting 2,150 mAh Battery
• Wi-Fi® Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n/a
• Slacker Radio built in

It’s clearly not a powerhouse, but it is no push over either. Other interesting features include the ability to connect up to five devices for hotspot sharing, though you’ll need a special plan to do it. Wi-Fi calling is also supported, which means that you can still make calls even if you are in an area with horrible coverage. Like taking photos with friends and family? You can even jump into the photos and simply say “cheese” whenever you are ready, it will take the picture for you without any further need to push anything on your part.

Is it worth getting? Honestly, until we have an exact price and release date that is hard to say. There are many smartphones in the “high range” that came out months ago and are preparing for price cuts. If T-Mobile doesn’t offer the phone at a price that is truly able to undercut the competition, there are likely better options that won’t cost you too much more.

The Favella map was removed from online multiplayer in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 following complaints from Muslim gamers.

People keep playing old editions of Call of Duty, even after the majority of the community has moved on to Activision’s latest release in the series. Case in point: Just one month ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s release, Activision is issuing an update to 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Rather than bring new content to the last Call of Duty produced by Infinity Ward alongside Vince Zampella and Jason West, Activision is actually removing a multiplayer map from the game due to complaints from Muslim gamers.

Reports say that a number of Muslim players complained that a bathroom in the Favela multiplayer map, used in both Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3, featured paintings whose frames are adorned with Arabic script from the Qu’ran that reads, “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.” Lovely a sentiment as that is, Islamic law dictates you can’t have holy writings in a bathroom.

“We apologize to anyone who found this image offensive,” an Activision spokesman told Kotaku, “Please be assured we were unaware of this issue and that there was no intent to offend. We are working as quickly as possible to remove this image and any other similar ones we may find from our various game libraries. We are urgently working to release a Title Update to remove the texture from Modern Warfare 3. We are also working to remove the texture from Modern Warfare 2 through a separate Title Update. Until the TU is ready, we have removed the Favella multiplayer map from online rotation.”

Why work “urgently” to remove content from a three-year-old game? Activision needs to work at speed, lest the textures in question be used as justification for violence like those riots and attacks on that resulted in Libyan ambassador Chris Stevens’ death following the hysteria caused by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula’s Innocence of Muslims video.

This sort of censorship isn’t new in the gaming industry. LittleBigPlanet’s 2008 release on the PlayStation 3 was delayed so that Toumani Diabate’s song “Tapha Niang” could be removed from the game. The song’s offense was that included the recitation of two Qu’ran passages in the background. Xbox fighter Kakuto Chojin was actually removed from retailers in 2003 when it was discovered that verses from the Qu’ran appeared in the theme song of Muslim character Asad.

September sales data shows that social games are spending time and money on mobile devices, not PC, bad news for an embattled Zynga.

 

Travel back three years, and Facebook was the inevitable future of the video game industry. Big publishers like Electronic Arts and rising stars like Zynga were positioning themselves to grow fat on advertising revenue and microtransactions built by keeping Facebook users glued to their PCs, eyes-open on a browser window portraying an image of their happy little farm. As evidenced by Zynga’s implosion, though, social gaming on PCs is already old news, a sick market with less and less opportunity for creators to make a buck. Social gaming isn’t dead, it’s just moving. Just like they’re doing to the PC market, mobile devices are eating up the social gaming business. What’s more, mobile social gaming’s impact on core game publishers is growing by the day.

Research firm Cowen & Company compiled sales and traffic for social gaming companies on mobile devices and PC. They found that while certain publishers are staking claims on specific mobile platforms, all are pulling social gaming business away from PCs.

“We continue to believe that evidence suggests demand for PC-based casual social gaming is eroding due to the increased availability of casual gaming on mobile devices,” analyst Doug Creutz told GamesIndustry International.

DeNA, publisher of Rage of Bahamut, and its competitor Gree dominated Android charts, with 30 percent of the top 20 games published by one or the other. While Clash of Clans publisher Supercell led the iOS charts, Electronic Arts filled both the iPad and iPhone top 20 lists with games like FIFA 13 and Bejeweled Blitz.

Zynga’s titles like The Ville slid down the charts, though FarmVille 2 still managed to snatch up 6.5 million daily active users.

This shift is already having a significant effect on core gaming brands, not just the casual market that’s been social game publishers’ main source of business. The aforementioned Gree is developing a number of games in series more closely associated with consoles. Konami announced it had partnered with Gree for Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops, a mobile social game, at Tokyo Game Show. Gree has also produced the games for Square-Enix, including Emperor’s Saga, Demon’s Score, Nirvana of Genesis, and the upcoming Galaxy Dungeon. Disney partnered with Gree’s main competitor DeNA earlier this year to produce mobile games like Avengers Alliance.

Social games: Not the future expected, but still a major part of the video game industry’s future.

Consumers won't able to get their hands on Windows 8 for another three weeks, but Microsoft is insuring everything will be in place by rolling out updates to the OS's built-in apps.

Rather than deal with complaints of bugs and issues that usually comes with an operating system’s initial launch, Microsoft has decided to be proactive. Though Windows 8 won’t launch until October 26, the technology giant is pushing out updates for the built-in apps.

According to a Microsoft blog post, over sixteen apps will get a tweaking that will do everything from increase performance speed to add in new functionality. Included in that list are SkyDrive, Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos, Maps, Bing, Finance, News, Sports, Travel, Weather, Music, Video, and Games. 

The first of the apps to get its update was Bing. The update came Saturday and delivered richer local content, Bing rewards integration, zoom functionality on search results, and the ability to select an image in Bing to use in other apps. The biggest of the updates will come later and will continue to roll out until release day. Some of the more notable changes are the ability to crop and rotate in Photos, Bird’s Eye view in Maps, and new content partners including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in News. All of the updates promise to better the Windows 8 experience. Of course, no one would have known that these functions were afterthoughts that weren’t initially available if Microsoft didn’t go and spill the beans about it. Either way, it looks like Windows 8 users will have a few less complaints on launch day later this month.

A Rayman Legends Wii U debut isn't in the cards as Ubisoft bumps its platformer from November to next year.

Nintendo boasted at the end of September that Wii U would launch on Nov. 18 with a potent line up of new sequels like New Super Mario Bros U., anticipated multiplatform games like Assassin’s Creed III, and a stable of exclusive originals to back it up like ZombiU. There would be 23 games in total on day one, edging out the count from the 2006 Wii launch and trouncing the anemic day one line up for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2011. The company got bad news on Monday, though, as one of its marquee exclusives was pushed back into 2013.

Rayman Legends from Ubisoft has been delayed into the first quarter of next year.

“Rayman Legends will launch worldwide in the first quarter of 2013,” said Ubisoft, “We’re happy that fans are excited about the game, and we are taking the time to make sure we deliver a game that lives up to and hopefully exceeds their expectations. We’ll have more details to share soon.”

If you go by the marketing babble of Nintendo of America, this time frame will technically keep Rayman Legends Wii U a launch title as the “launch window” extends from the console’s release until the end of the fiscal year in March. Corporate rhetoric doesn’t necessarily mean much for fans of Ubisoft’s colorful platformer series, though.

The delay is likely for the best though. This is a crucial holiday for Wii U and Nintendo itself, a moment when a mobile-obsessed gaming public and shareholders alike wait to see if the company can reignite the public’s interest in its home console business. In order to make that happen, it needs bright, exclusive games just like Rayman Legends available to the public, demonstrating the tablet controller’s unique multiplayer options. At the same time, Nintendo and Ubisoft can’t risk releasing a game that isn’t ready just to push it out the door for launch. Ubisoft tried that with Wii launch shooter Red Steel in 2006, and that broken experiment soured audiences on third party Wii titles, especially in core genres.

The aforementioned ZombiU, one of Ubisoft’s five remaining launch titles for Wii U, is still on track for November, though. The publisher, not to mention the platform holder, would be wise to make sure that that game has the polish time it needs as well.

No more Microsoft Points! Microsoft's unpopular virtual currency system will be phased out in favor of real money prices on Windows 8.

Death to virtual currency! After seven years of Microsoft Points, the Xbox company is finally going to phase out its virtual currency in favor of regular dollar prices for downloadable games, Xbox Avatar items, movies, and Xbox Music on its Xbox Live network.  The shift is coming sooner rather than later, as beta versions of the new Windows 8 indicate that when that operating system releases on Oct. 26, it will brush Microsoft Points away from all Microsoft platforms. Microsoft has yet to comment on the change, but images posted by The Verge seem to confirm the change.

Windows 8 has been accused of many consumer crimes ahead of its release, so it’s interesting that a platform so widely criticized is also bringing with it a change long asked for by users. The Microsoft Points virtual currency structure equates $1 with 80 points. In someone wants to rent a movie through Xbox Live that costs 320 points, they’re forced to buy a $5 package of 400 points, leaving them with 80 left over. Almost nothing on the service can be purchased for that amount, meaning that Microsoft got you to give them an extra dollar for nothing at all.

This isn’t an altruistic turn for Microsoft, as consumers likely wouldn’t tolerate Microsoft Points for much longer, at least for broad entertainment purchases. Its competitors have already dropped virtual currencies—Nintendo finally abandoned the similar Wii/DSi Points currency for actual money when it opened the eShop. Apple’s influence can’t be understated either. Microsoft has been forced to emulate Apple as much as possible in the construction of Windows 8, and that includes mimicking the iTunes App Store’s pricing structure. Since Windows and Xbox won’t be mutually exclusive environments once the Xbox 720 comes out, naturally Xbox Live had to change as well.

The change isn’t much of a surprise either, as the company’s hinted that Microsoft Points would be phased out all year. Rumors first emerged in January that Microsoft Points would be phased out to give Microsoft parity with Apple and Google in the mobile market place. In August, a number of Xbox Avatar popped up on Xbox Live with real money prices on them rather than point prices. Microsoft claimed it was a mistake at the time. “[A] few Avatar items appeared with an option to purchase with local currency, instead of Microsoft Points, said a company spokesman, “The display error doesn’t signal a change in payment options, but rather an error in how offers were configured in our services which resulted in an inconsistent experience.”

Motorola has quietly killed its line of Webtop laptop docks, which allowed you to turn your smartphone into something resembling a laptop PC.

Motorola has confirmed that the Webtop is dead. Don’t remember the Webtop? It allowed you to plug in your Motorola smartphone to a laptop shell and effectively convert it into a PC. When the company first showed it off with the original Motorola Atrix, we weren’t alone in thinking that the idea had some potential. Unfortunately, the price was too high and the device ended up being too limited and slow. It never took off, despite several revisions.

The Webtop originally launched as a dock for the Motorola Atrix 4G which hit AT&T in February 2011. It is now being scrapped going forward; starting with the Photon 4G, Droid Razr HD, Droid Razr M, and the Droid Razr Maxx HD no new Motorola smartphones are going to support the Webtop peripheral.

Speculation at CNET and Phone News suggests that Google is holding the smoking gun. The Motorola statement mentioned a lack of adoption and said “We have also seen development of the Android operating system focus on the inclusion of more desktoplike features.” So the development direction of the Android platform has rendered it obsolete. Android 4.0 smartphones can adapt themselves to larger screens without a custom second operating system being built in — a major weakness of the Webtop accessories. The lapdock may also have been killed off as part of a cost-cutting exercise at Motorola Mobility.

Pricing was Motorola’s first stumbling block. Despite some critical plaudits, the first Webtop dock cost $500. That eventually dwindled to below $200, but it was too late to spark any real interest. Why pay out for a lapdock when you can buy a cheap laptop for the same price?

There was an expectation that it would be an ideal purchase for business travelers because they wouldn’t need to carry a separate laptop. Instead, they could just plug in their smartphone and get to work. It simply never caught on. With the meteoric rise of tablets, the chances of the lapdock taking off look even more remote so we aren’t surprised to see Motorola making this move.

We have reached out to Motorola for comment but have not heard back as of time of publication.

All laptops are portable, but not all are built for long-distance travel. Here are 10 important factors to consider when shopping for a laptop that's bound for the road.

Laptops are often sold with travel in mind. Many consumers enjoy the idea of a savvy adventurer trotting the globe with cutting-edge electronics in hand, never disconnected from the world back home. It’s an attractive idea, and it sells plenty of laptops.

There’s just one small hitch – most laptops never leave home. Though purchased with adventurous intentions, they often find themselves stuck to a desk or coffee table. Some are lucky enough to make it out on short trips to the local coffee shop or library. Only a rare few see serious mileage.

This reality has a predictable result – contrary to what the ads may say, most laptops aren’t built for travel. Consumers are never told this, so it’s easy to buy a laptop that seems like a road warrior but is instead a couch potato. Here are 10 things you should check before buying a would-be travel companion.

Battery

Endurance is a subject that is quick to come to mind when talking about travel, so let’s get it out of the way first. It’s of course true that you’ll want a laptop with more life than one with less. The problem is finding out how long the battery lasts.

Manufacturer claims can’t be trusted. There is no standardized testing method, so there’s no way to know how the figure touted by marketing has been reached. You should instead trust reviews. We always test laptop endurance using our own benchmarks – as do other reputable review sites. You also should consider your usage. Consumers who run demanding software (like games) will get less life out of the same battery than those who don’t (Microsoft Office).

Display size

The size of a display is important because it’s shorthand for the overall width and length of the laptop. A 15.6-inch laptop is always going to be much larger than a 13.3-inch laptop because it must fit a larger display.

The 15.6-inch form factor is popular because it offers a large, easy to use display. But you can’t fly economy class and comfortably use a laptop with a display this large. Even using it on a bus or train can be unwieldy.

Most travelers should go with a 12.1- to 13.3-inch laptop instead. They are much easier to operate in tight spaces. Smaller laptops also require smaller bags to hold them, reducing the size of the carry-on.

Display type

Most laptops have a glossy display. This works well indoors, but the reflection of ambient light can make a glossy coat impossible to use outside or in direct sunlight. Even indoor use can be difficult when trying to work in a location with large windows, or bright interior lighting. A matte coat reduces these issues and is a much better choice for travel.

You should also consider an IPS display such as those found on some Lenovo X230 and Asus Zenbook Prime models. These displays have wide viewing angles that make text readable even when standing above or to the side of the laptop. Travelers who collaborate with co-workers while on the go will find this a handy trait, too.

Durability

The average consumer laptop is not built to be durable. Most have glossy exteriors that show scratches easily and don’t reinforce the chassis to prevent damage during a fall. That’s fine for a laptop that spends its time on a desk. It’s not fine for a laptop that will spend its time bumping around a bag, jostling in luggage and moving rapidly between locations.

Durability features include chassis reinforcements like metal display hinges, shock-mounted hard drives and spill-resistant keyboards. These are most often found on business notebooks like the Lenovo ThinkPad and HP EliteBook lines. Anyone planning to travel with a laptop frequently should consider the benefits of these features.

Keyboard

Keyboard quality is important for all travelers. Most will be using their laptop as their primary PC, and many will choose small laptops which have limited space for keys. A good typing experience will improve productivity and reduce frustration.

Consumers should look for laptops that make maximum use of available space by offering a keyboard that’s as almost as wide as the laptop itself. Users should also pay attention to the size of non-alphanumeric keys like Backspace and Shift. Laptops with large letter keys sometimes make that possible by skimping elsewhere — like these keys.

Ports

Most of today’s laptops, even ultraportables, will have several USB ports. It’s important to make sure that at least one, and preferably two, USB 3.0 ports are available. This ensures the laptop can connect to the latest external hard drives and flash drives and move data as quickly as possible.

Also pay attention to the headphone and microphone jacks. Many small laptops reduce both to a single slot. This is a problem for travelers because some headsets and webcams require both headphone and microphone jacks. It also means you can’t use a microphone and headphones at the same time, which could be an issue for anyone concerned about on-the-go recording.

Power adapter

The power adapter is that hunk of plastic that is connected to your laptop’s power cord. Most people don’t pay them much mind, but they can drag you down while you travel. Some laptops still come with big power adapters that easily add another half-pound to the combined weight of your system. Others ship with unusually short cords.

Most small laptops don’t have this problem, but there’s still room for further improvement. For example, a few laptops have power adapters which include Velcro straps that can makes storing the power cord easier.

You also will have to think about local power standards if you are traveling the globe, because a power adapter is usually built only to meet the standards of the country it’s purchased in. Some come with interchangeable tips for different countries, which can eliminate the need for an adapter.

User serviceability

Many new laptops, particularly Ultrabooks, ship with batteries that cannot be easily removed and replaced. This is a problem for travelers because it means they’re stuck with whatever is provided. An extended battery is not an option, and the battery cannot be swapped for a second, fresh unit when it runs out of juice.

Even easily replaced components like the hard drive and RAM are becoming more difficult to replace. This can make the laptop harder to repair on your own or more expensive for an independent shop to service. Travelers should look for laptops that are as easy to open as possible.

Weight

Laptop weight varies even between products of nearly identical size. Ultrabooks are a great example. The heaviest weigh in at four pounds while the lightest come in at around two and a half pounds.

That doesn’t seem like much, but it can be. Lighter laptops are a great boon to anyone who has to carry on in a bag for hours every day. They also are generally more convenient because they take less effort to pick up or slide across a surface. A difference of less than a half-pound is unlikely to matter but anything over a pound will be easy for the average consumer to notice.

Wireless connectivity

All laptops sold today come with Wi-Fi built in, and 802.11n is now the standard. There are differences between adapters, however. Some provide support for dual-band or tri-band, while others don’t. A dual or tri-band wireless adapter will provide better speeds when paired with a compatible router.

There are an increasing number of laptops that ship with 3G compatibility from the factory. Buying one of these laptops makes it possible to connect to your mobile data plan while on the go and use it when Wi-Fi is unavailable. All laptops can connect via a USB dongle, but having the compatibility built-in subtracts an item from your list of things to pack.

Conclusion

Buying a laptop for travel is a lot different than buying one for general use. Traits that normally would not matter, like the laptop’s weight and the size of its power adapter, become extremely important.

While we encourage travelers to use this list, overestimating your needs can also haunt you. If you only travel two or three times a year, you might find yourself unnecessarily cramped with a travel notebook, and be happier with something a little larger. For frequent travelers, though, sticking to these points can make the difference between a productive trip and 

More pictures and a trailer related to the upcoming Angry Birds Star Wars have been floating the Internet, and here's a look at what to expect on November 8.

When Rovio’s @AngryBirds Twitter account posted a teaser image of what appeared to be a Star Wars-related Angry Birds photo, fans got all sorts of excited for the release of yet another new spinoff of the popular gaming app. Today, Rovio has unveiled the new teaser trailer along with an official announcement at New York’s Time Square early this morning. The trailer itself may not show you a lot, but leaked photos of Angry Birds Star Wars show several different birds as our beloved heros with the red bird as Luke Skywalker, the yellow bird as Han Solo, and the big green bird as Chewbacca. Of course, it will only make sense that the Bad Piggies will turn up somehow as members of Galactic Empire or simply as stormtroopers you’ve got to take down. Expect the top level pig at the final level of each stage to be one of the main villains, such as Darth Vader or other sith lords.

More leaked photos from the blog Idle Hands also reveal some costumes and franchise toys. If we say so ourselves, the piggies look pretty good in a stormtrooper uniform. Slimming, almost. George Lucas always knows how to capitalize on his franchise, no matter how sold out this gets by combining forces with Rovio. We supposed it could only make sense that when Rovio took Angry Birds to space, it had to incorporate the biggest associated with life in the galactic realm.

We expect more to come from the new Angry Birds Star Wars edition at this weekend’s New York Comic Con, so stay tuned. In the mean time, the game is expected for a November 8 release date, and will be available on iOS, Android, PC, and Mac.

Apple has reportedly ordered up to 10 million units of its rumored iPad Mini tablet — but production problems could cause delays.

More unconfirmed details about Apple’s iPad Mini tablet have arrived.

On Thursday, Taiwan-based DigiTimes reported that Apple plans to ship 9-10 million units of its widely rumored iPad Mini tablet this year. Due to DigiTimes’ spotty record on Apple rumors, however, this report failed to gain traction — until today. A report from the Wall Street Journal out this morning corroborates the DigiTimes data, saying that Cupertino has placed an order for 10 million units of the 7.85-inch iPad Mini for the fourth quarter of this year, according to component suppliers in Asia.

Of course, Apple has not yet commented on the existence of the so-called iPad Mini (a name given to it by the tech press), so it is impossible to confirm any details about the device. However, given the near 100-percent accuracy of rumors surrounding the iPhone 5, we would be quite surprised if the oft-reported iPad Mini is an outright myth.

Rumors indicate that the iPad Mini will have a 7.85-inch display, with a possible resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels — the same as the third-generation iPad’s Retina display. The smaller iPad is also expected to have thinner side bezels, giving it a similar look to the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5. Topeka analyst Brian White tells AllThingsD that the iPad Mini “could outshine the new iPad in terms of how the device feels in a consumer’s hands.”

Reports out last week say that iPad Mini production has already run into a number of snags, with display suppliers for the device unable to meet demand. This could potentially result in significantly delayed shipping times for iPad Mini buyers — a problem that continues to haunt the iPhone 5.

Apple currently owns 68 percent of the tablet market, according to IDC. The iPad Mini is expected to strengthen that position by taking the popular Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, and the Google Nexus 7 device head-on. Analysts predict the iPad Mini will cost between $300 and $350. Apple will reportedly send out invitations for an iPad Mini event on Wednesday, October 10, with launch set for October 17.

A report due later today will suggest Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE are a "threat to security in the USA."

While the Huawei P1 S and the ZTE Grand X won’t be challenging the iPhone 5 or Galaxy S3 for the honor of being the top-selling smartphone in the US anytime soon, the two Chinese companies have been accused of being a threat of a different nature by a congressional committee.

A report penned by the House of Representatives intelligence panel, set to be released later today, voices concerns regarding Huawei and ZTE’s ties with the Chinese government and military. It states that “China has the means, opportunity and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes,” and continues with “based on available classified and unclassified information, Huawei and ZTE cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States and to our systems.”

CBS News included a lengthy segment about the report on October 7’s 60 Minutes program, bringing Huawei’s name into households where it would have previously never have been known, and highlighting the government’s concerns.

The concern doesn’t seem to be related to either company’s smartphone or tablet lines, but about its network infrastructure products, of which Huawei is the world’s second largest producer. According to CBS, the committee is worried that the Chinese government could use any Huawei infrastructure installed in the US “to intercept high level communications, gather intelligence, wage cyber war, and shut down or disrupt critical services in times of national emergency.”

Firms warned to “look elsewhere”

Member of Congress Mike Rogers, who heads up the committee, warns that US firms considering working with Huawei should look elsewhere “if you care about your consumers privacy, and you care about the national security of the USA.”

Naturally, both Huawei and ZTE have denied these charges, with Huawei’s VP of External Relations in the US saying “Huawei is Huawei, Huawei is not China,” and that there has been “10 years of misinformation and innuendo” surrounding the company. ZTE responded to claims that suspicious “back doors” and “beaconing” had been discovered in its network hardware, calling them “software bugs” and communications to enable self-repair in the event of a malfunction.

None of this is particularly new, and Huawei has encountered similar problems in the past. It was blocked from bidding on 3com in 2008 and from purchasing server manufacturer 3Leaf last year, and both Sprint and AT&T have been asked not to use Huawei’s equipment. Outside the USA, Australia banned Huawei from bidding on a lucrative broadband project earlier this year too.

The use of Huawei’s network equipment in the UK is often cited as proof that the US is merely paranoid about the Chinese company. However, on the advice of British Intelligence, a joint “Cyber Security Evaluation Centre” was setup to test all Huawei’s equipment and software before its installation, which has reportedly gone on to be used by other countries interested in Huawei’s hardware, including New Zealand.

Business is booming, regardless of controversy

So what has Huawei, and to a lesser extent ZTE, done to deserve all this negative attention? In Huawei’s case, notoriously media-shy founder and former member of the People’s Liberation Army, Ren Zhengfei, certainly doesn’t help, and neither do ties to state-run Chinese banks, failure to supply requested documentation, and accusations of IP theft from the likes of Motorola and Cisco.

Leaving aside the political aspects of this story, will banning Huawei and ZTE’s equipment help keep sensitive US communications private? Ross Anderson, a professor of security engineering at Cambridge University told The Economist that it would likely only provide a false sense of security, after all, almost all other similar companies use equipment produced in China anyway. It’s a fair point, but unfortunately, it’s not difficult to imagine governments — Chinese or otherwise — using communication networks to spy on citizens or other governments, so the paranoia — justified or otherwise — will remain.

Despite all this, business is on the up. Globally, Huawei reported $32.4 billion in revenue last year, with $1.3 billion coming solely from the US, which was up from $765 million the year before. A total of 70-percent of its business comes from international markets, and the company has recently announced £1.3 billion of investment in the UK’s mobile infrastructure, along with a plan to almost double its 800-strong workforce to 1,500 by 2017.