Though it certainly seems to have vanished off the radar, Prey 2 lead level designer Nathan Cheever wants us all to know that the game has not been canceled, it's merely "in limbo."

Yesterday Human Head Studios’ Nathan Cheever took to Twitter to succinctly explain the plot of the firm’s upcoming sci-fi shooter Prey 2. “Prey 1 = Indians in Space. Prey 2 = Cowboys in Space,” he tweeted. That sounds like a great premise for a video game, but unfortunately the next words in Cheever’s message leave the game’s fate up in the air. “P2 hasn’t been officially canceled, only in limbo.”

As Cheever later points out, this shouldn’t really be earth-shaking news. Bethesda said that the game would be delayed way back in April of this year. However, what Cheever fails to mention is that though Bethesda claims that the game will be delayed, it never offers a window for when the game might see the light of day. Not even a vague “TBD 2013.” It still being “in limbo” six months after Bethesda’s latest comment doesn’t suggest that the company is ready to prepare it for release any time soon.

The most distressing part of this tale is the reason why Bethesda opted to put Prey 2 into hiatus in the first place. According to Bethesda’s official statement, Prey 2 was delayed “due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards.” Nothing between that time and now suggests that any improvements have been made to the title, or even that either publisher Bethesda or developer Human Head Studios are still putting work into the project.

Way back in April we were optimistic about this delay. At the time we were still pumped from E3 2011 where the game made a fantastic showing. Now though, we’re not so sure. If the company can’t get the project back on track in half a year, we’re wondering if the Prey 2 project can ever return to its former heavily-anticipated glory.

With just hours to go before its Kickstarter campaign wraps up, Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian's Project Eternity is now the most-funded video game in the crowd-funding service's history.

As 2012 winds down, it’s evident that the most hyped video games in the world weren’t those that actually came out this year, or even those that were announced for the future by major publishers. The most hyped games in the world are those due out in 2013 and beyond that were funded by fans themselves on Kickstarter. InXile’s Wasteland 2, Camouflaj’s Republique, Leisure Suit Larry, the Double Fine Adventure; gamers’ raised tens of millions of dollars for these projects. The biggest success story of them all, though, is turning out to be Obsidian’s Project Eternity.

As of this writing, with hours to go before the campaign closes, Project Eternity has raised just under $3.7 million dollars, making it the most funded video game in Kickstarter history. The previous record holder was Double Fine’s still unnamed adventure game that raised $3.3 million at the beginning of the year.

Obsidian’s original goal was to raise just $1.1 million for its new role-playing game.

The developer’s past games, major success like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Fallout: New Vegas, were hampered by rushed development cycles. Now that Obsidian won’t be beholden to a publisher’s schedule, it will be interesting to see what kind of polished product they release.

By digging through the source code of a recent Skyrim patch fans have discovered what appears to be information about the game's next DLC, an addition that they claim includes mounted spellcasting and the ability to ride dragons.

The next DLC addition for Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be called “Dragonborn.” It’s set on the island of Solstheim, includes new weapons and armor, and your character may even learn how to ride a dragon. At least that’s what a collection of clues recently unearthed by Skyrim fans seems to suggest.

By digging into the source code of the latest Skyrim patch (1.8 for those keeping score at home), a Skyrim forums user known as “Mardoxx” uncovered a number of very suggestive items that seemingly outline Bethesda Softworks’ upcoming plans. Items like this one…

$Crafting_$DLC2ArmorBonemold BONEMOLD
$Crafting_$DLC2ArmorChitin CHITIN
$Crafting_$DLC2ArmorNordic NORDIC
$Crafting_$DLC2ArmorStalhrim STALHRIM
$Dragonborn Quests Completed Dragonborn Quests Completed
$DRAGONBORN_ESMName Dragonborn
$DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT_PS3 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT

… which not only suggests upcoming downloadable content for the PlayStation 3, but also outlines four different armor types labeled for inclusion in “DLC2″ and repeatedly uses the word “Dragonborn.” Why Dragonborn? As it turns out, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media Inc. received a trademark (.pdf) on the word on September 5, 2012. That wouldn’t be so abnormal, given that the protagonist of Skyrim is constantly referred to as Dragonborn, except that ZeniMax’s trademark application specifically points out (.pdf) that this mark is to be used as a name for “computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the internet and wireless devices.”

Even more interesting though, is this item uncovered in the patch:

DragonMountedDualMagic.txt
DragonMountedDualStaff.txt
DragonMountedMLhSolo.txt
DragonMountedMLhStaff.txt
DragonMountedMRhSolo.txt
DragonMountedMRhSolo_ShieldOrTorch.txt
DragonMountedMRhStaff.txt

That “DragonMounted” prefix you see in all of the above entries is very similar to the “HorseMounted” prefix you’d find in Skyrim’s code immediately preceding various actions a player can perform while mounted. This could be a suggestion that the next DLC includes a short, scripted dragon ride in which your character can freely use their items, or it might suggest that players will be able to rely on dragon steeds. Either way, dragon riding seems to be a facet of this next add-on.

As for how Mardoxx figured out where this hypothetical Dragonborn DLC would be set, while digging through the patch’s source code he came across a set of map markers, like those seen in Skyrim’s original iteration. Instead of being tagged with the names of any known Skyrim locations however, these markers all bore the names of Solstheim locations. That image at right includes the headers, and according to Mardoxx they are labeled, “clockwise from top, Telvanni Tower, To Solstheim, Raven Rock, Castle Karstaag, Standing Stones, To Skyrim, Miraak Temple.”

Unfortunately lacking from Mardoxx’s findings is any indication on when we might expect to see this DLC. Given the pace at which Bethesda Softworks has been releasing new content for Skyrim it seems likely that an announcement might appear in the next month. We’ll just have to wait and see how much of this stuff is actually included.

The latest update fo the Xbox 360 dashboard is slowly releasing in different territories starting this week, brining new features like Internet Explorer to the platform. Microsoft still has changes to make before it perfects its digital entertainment ecosystem.

Microsoft is brewing up a fairly quiet storm for its Xbox 360 business this year. This week brought many announcements and new releases for the company’s console, identifying it even more with entertainment of all stripes rather than just video games. There was an Xbox 360 price drop to $250, Xbox Music opened for business, and now comes the new Xbox Dashboard update, a release that finally brings Internet Explorer to the seven-year-old machine.

Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, the director of Xbox Live, announced via his blog that Microsoft is releasing its latest update for the Xbox 360’s proprietary interface starting Tuesday. Roll out is a more appropriate term than release, though, as not all regions will be able to download the update immediately, and it may take until November for it to be available in all regions.

“To ensure a stable release, this will be a gradual deployment across subscribers and regions over the course of the next week,” reads Hryb’s post, “Our initial deployment will reach approximately three million consoles worldwide, with additional users being updated over the course of a couple weeks. Don’t panic if you don’t see an immediate update, just keep checking back in.”

In addition to Internet Explorer, there are a number of other changes coming to the Dashboard, including improved search tools, the ability to customize your Dashboard front page by “pinning” your most used apps and services to the front, and the rebranding of the Zune Video Marketplace as Xbox Video.

Xbox SmartGlass support isn’t officially a part of this update. That won’t be released until Windows 8 hits on Oct. 26.

None of these changes are system sellers. Microsoft isn’t going to get people lining up on Black Friday because its downloadable video store has a new name and there’s a web browser on its gaming console. This Dashboard update will, however, make Microsoft’s myriad services a more uniform and understandable across its platforms. This update will bring the console ecosystem in line with where the Xbox brand is on phones, PCs, and tablets.

Microsoft will have to work hard not to frustrate consumers though. Internet Explorer is a potent tool for the Xbox 360, not for basic web services, but for its potential access to video entertainment. Microsoft will obviously block users from accessing video websites like Hulu, though, forcing them to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription so they can use Xbox-based apps. This Dashboard update, and its place in the larger Microsoft entertainment business, is only a half step. The company needs to drop Xbox Live Gold next, and make these web services free across its platforms, or it won’t be able to compete properly with Apple.

According to a recent study, Americans pay three times as much for their LTE network service than most Europeans -- and nearly ten times more than what Swedish citizens pay.

We can now add 4G LTE service to the list of things Americans pay significantly more to have than the rest of the world — right next to education and health care. According to a GSM Association study reported by the New York Times, Americans pay three times more per gigabyte of data than the average European consumers — and ten times more than Sweden. But at least we can get a large pizza for just $5, right America?

The study revealed that America’s leading LTE provider, Verizon Wireless, charges its subscribers $7.50 for every gigabyte of data downloaded over its network. In comparison, the average cost of a gig in Europe is $2.50. Sweden leads the way in inexpensive service, with data only ringing up at $0.63 per gigabyte.

Verizon spokeswomen Brenda Raney did counter this information by pointing out the Verizon plan that is being compared is from its Share Everything plan, which includes unlimited call and text minutes and allows data to be shared among ten devices. If a person was to purchase a data only plan, similar to how the European providers offer service, they would only pay over twice the European average with a cost of $5.50 per gigabyte. Of course, Europeans separate talk and data plans, though. Verizon, on the other hand, is forcing all new users to sign up for Share Everything plans. And though you can connect up to 10 devices to an account, there is a monthly fee per device, which ranges from $10 to $40. 

Verizon was the first company to roll out 4G LTE in the United States, followed by AT&T. Verizon still owns the market with 11.6 million LTE subscribers (AT&T reports just short of a million), or about 43 percent of the world’s 27 million LTE users. The lone country to beat Verizon to market just happens to be the cheapest: Sweden. The cost gap seems to have everything to do with competition, though. Europe has 38 of the world’s 88 LTE providers fighting for subscribers. Austria and Finland have three within their borders alone. Meanwhile, the world’s largest market for mobile, the United States, is still playing catch up in this regard.

This has actually been a trend with phone service in the United States. The average cost of a 3G contract runs an American citizen $115 a month. In comparison, citizens of the Netherlands pay $51 and those in Britain pay $59. The higher costs keep the adoption rate at a slow climb, which in turn keeps the cost up on those that have jumped on board because the provider has to recoup costs from building  the network. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle that is very American: Pay more, consume more, and get less.

Straight Right, the Australian studio hard at work converting BioWare's Mass Effect 3 for the Nintendo Wii U, is working on another port of a triple-A franchise for Nintendo's new tablet controller console. This time, for Square-Enix.

Straight Right games, Australia’s premiere (only?) Wii U developer, has offered up a hint as to what their next title for Nintendo’s tablet controller console will be.

Australian studio Straight Right is a real up and comer in the console development world. Headed by Tom Crago, formerly of Tantalus Interactive, Straight Right has yet to release an original IP hit. In fact, outside of the iOS version of Electronic Arts’ Shift 2: Unleashed, Straight Right hasn’t released a single game. The studio is working on multiple projects for Wii U, though, one of which is a launch title of Mass Effect 3.

As we reported in September, Crago said, “We made a number of bets on the Wii U, so we’re certainly hoping that the platform comes strongly out of the gate. We’ve got two other titles in development. One of them is original, our own IP, and another is based on another big franchise that will come out in 2013. It’s a big title and you will have hears of it.”

Given the company’s ties to Electronic Arts, it seemed probable that Straight Right would be working on another Wii U port for that company, likely one of its key 2013 titles like Dead Space 3. Turns out that Straight Right’s next Wii U port will be for none other than Square-Enix.

A NeoGAF forum member spotted a LinkedIn profile for Straight Right’s technical project manager Chris Slater, who joined the studio in June. The current project Slater is working is “porting a triple-A Square-Enix game to the yet-to-be-released Wii U platform.”

Square-Enix is a popular, prolific publisher with a number of triple-A releases under its belt over the past two years. This year alone it’s released, and will release, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Sleeping Dogs, and Hitman: Absolution. The company’s development history, though, does help narrow down what property Straight Right is likely porting.

Square’s Japanese development business is wholly segregated from its western studios that were previously part of the publisher Eidos. Since development of the Final Fantasy series never leaves Square’s internal studios in Japan, and that series is the only remaining console triple-A franchise remaining in the company’s portfolio, upcoming games like Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII are out of the running.

Crago did say that his other Wii U port project is a 2013 game too, meaning that the most likely candidate is Tomb Raider. Developer Crystal Dynamics has often relied on outside developers to complete work on its Tomb Raider games for other platforms. Tomb Raider: Legends, Anniversary, and Underworld all had ports developed by Nixxes Software, not Crystal Dynamics. Since Straight Right already has experience with Wii U, that makes them an ideal choice to port the new Lara Croft adventure.

Path's iOS 6 update will allow existing users to add their Facebook, Instagram, and Foursquare activities to their log.

Up until now, Path users who wanted to fill their accounts with Facebook, Instagram, and Foursquare data could only do so when they signed up for a new account. The most recent update now allows existing users to import data from the three major social networks so you don’t have to start over if you really want to link all the accounts together.

What the iOS 6 update does is essentially allow you to pretend to make a new account, giving you the option to “Start Your Path” all over again and access the Import button for the three services under the Settings page. After the import, depending on the size of the data which you are syncing over to Path, it could take several minutes for your account to list all the moments from the three services you just hooked up.

While the update is helpful to Path users, this sync will inevitably clutter most users’ home feed, logging in every single action from the three big social networks. Luckily, if you’re like most people and only have a limited amount of friends left on Path, this journal won’t look too bad. But if you have plenty of friends who are constantly updating the Path logs, prepare to scroll an incredible amount just to get through a day’s worth of activities. Each log for an Instagram photo already takes up a good amount of display real estate, fitting about a photo and a half per screen. And yes, this is on the iPhone 5′s enlarged screen. 

Either way, it’s to Path’s credit to allow users the option to make that choice if they want to, and the import integration will be useful to existing users who want to remain on the app and make it as content-filled as humanly possible.

No game is more missed in Sony's holiday line up than Naughty Dog's promising survival drama The Last of Us. That game's deeply personal experiences can be shared though, as a Naughty Dog job listing suggests a co-op mode is coming.

Sony could use The Last of Us on shelves this fall. If the ratings for The Walking Dead’s season premiere are anything to go by, the hunger for desperate, post-zombie apocalypse survival stories has not been sated. Sony would make a killing if it had a property in that milieu made by the superstars behind the multi-million selling Uncharted series. Naughty Dog isn’t even close to done working on its critical darling though, since it’s still hiring staff to work on the game. What’s more, the studio seems to be working on content that hasn’t even been shown yet. New job listings for the company suggest that The Last of Us will have co-operative play.

The listing calls for a co-operative game designer. The number one requirement is that the candidate have experience designing both co-operative and single player levels for console games, a “strong understanding of co-op gameplay mechanics” as well as “level design and encounter design.” A “strong passion to innovate in the area of co-op design” is also a must.

Those sound like fairly standard requirements for any designer working on Naughty Dog’s games, though. It could describe the co-operative modes in the Uncharted series as well as it could The Last of Us. There are two other facets of the listing that more heavily suggest that Naughty Dog is considering adding co-operative play to its survival drama.

The ideal candidate will have experience in co-op AI and encounter design, “designing and scripting co-op combat encounters, AI behavior design, and difficulty balancing.” Co-op system design, “creating mechanics, game modes, progression systems, reward structures, social features, etc. to serve the co-op experience,” is another aspect of the job. With The Last of Us’ heavy emphasis on dynamic AI—something notably lacking in the Uncharted series—and social features, which tie heavily into the sense of camaraderie and togetherness that binds Last of Us’ leads, suggest that game.

Naughty Dog has been planning to include multiplayer in The Last of Us for some time. “We are supporting multiplayer with The Last of Us,” said creative director Neil Druckmann in June, “We’re not ready to talk about the details of how multiplayer will be implemented, however we can say that it is not co-op within the main campaign.” Based on that statement and the job listing, it sounds as though Naughty Dog is looking to build separate co-operative modes that still manage to foster the same dynamic, in terms of play and narrative, environment as Last of Us’ core campaign.

Source: Now Gamer

With Windows 8 right around the corner, we’ve put together a list of tablets, good and bad, that will be launching with Microsoft’s latest operating system.

The sheer number of Windows 8 tablets set to launch in the next few months is staggering. We kept thinking we had finished the list, but went back to the drawing board once we found another hidden gem.

Throughout this list you’ll find tablets aimed at the mobile competition, enterprise users, and the larger consumer market. Every major PC manufacturer has brought something to the table. Whether Windows 8 ends up being a huge success or a major flop, nobody can say the operating system isn’t being fully supported by a huge amount of hardware. 

Microsoft

Microsoft Surface RT
OS: Windows RT
Screen: 10.6-inch ClearType HD display, 16:9 ratio, 208 ppi
Specs: Nvidia Tegra 3+ processor, 32 or 64GB storage
Camera: “HD” cameras in front and back
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: The Surface tablets are proof that Microsoft is taking control of Windows 8 and its mobile counterpart, Windows Phone 8, by setting the bar for third-party manufacturers. The magnesium casing is sturdy and scratch-resistant and the HD display is covered in second-generation Gorilla Glass. The Touch Cover, though it hasn’t been available for testing, is arguably one of the most innovative accessories in the world of slates, building a full keyboard and trackpad into a screen cover.  

Microsoft Surface Pro 
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 10.6-inch ClearType HD display, 16:9 ratio, 208 ppi
Specs: Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, 64 or 128GB storage
Camera: “HD” cameras in front and back
Connectivity: 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: While the Microsoft Surface RT is saddled to a mobile-only version of Windows 8, with no access to the classic desktop and legacy applications, the Pro version comes with all the power and flexibility of a laptop. This comparison can be pushed even further when your Surface is hooked up to a monitor and wireless peripherals to become a true work station. Plus, it’s extremely easy on the eyes. Bravo, Microsoft. 

Dell 

Latitude 10 
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 10 inches, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Intel Clover Trail, 2GB RAM, 128GB storage
Camera: 8MP rear, 720p webcam front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, TBA broadband options
Price: TBA 

Description: Aimed at enterprise users, the Latitude 10 is a sturdy piece of hardware. Built from a rubberized metal, Dell’s latest tablet is in it for the long haul. It has a removable battery, four USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet port, and HDMI out. The Latitude also sports a fingerprint reader and an optional Wacom stylus. No doubt Dell is hoping business users will appreciate the Latitude’s wide viewing angles, ability to run legacy apps, and practical hardware. 

XPS 10
OS: Windows RT 
Screen: 10-inch display
Specs: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
Camera: TBA
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: The XPS 10 is a tablet first and a laptop hybrid second. The design of the tablet flows seamlessly into the keyboard dock, which also doubles the battery life; a popular feature it seems. In size it’s more of a netbook than a laptop, but the keyboard seems to be a respectable size with spacious keys and a generous trackpad. It’s clear that Dell is hoping to rope in the crowd of PC users looking for a less-business focused tablet compared with the Latitude 10. 

Lenovo 

ThinkPad Tablet 2
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 10.1-inch IPS display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage
Camera: 8MP rear, 2MP front
Connectivity: HSPA+, 4G LTE (AT&T), Wi-Fi 
Price: $650, $800 with keyboard 

Description: A successor to the Android-powered ThinkPad, the second generation device is just one of Lenovo’s entries into the growing Windows 8 ecosystem. Like most of the tablets on this list, the ThinkPad Tablet 2 will have an optional keyboard dock similar to those available for tablets now. The drawback here is that the dock forces the tablet to sit at a fixed angle and can’t be closed like a laptop. 

IdeaTab Lynx
OS: Windows 8  
Screen: 11.6-inch IPS display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: 1.8GHz “Clover Trail” Atom processor, 2GB RAM, 32 or 64GB storage
Camera: 5MP rear, 1.3MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $600, $750 with keyboard 

Description: Unlike the more enterprise-focused ThinkPad Tablet 2, the Lynx is aimed squarely at the consumer market. It’s light enough that it left early reviewers feeling like they were holding something closer to a Kindle than the iPad. The keyboard dock is outfitted with high-end island-style keys. The battery life is nothing to sneeze at either. The Lynx is touting 8 hours of use that can be bumped up to 16 hours when used with the bendable keyboard dock. 

Sony 

VAIO Tap 20
OS: Windows RT or Windows 8 
Screen: 20 inches, 1600×900 pixels
Specs: Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 750GB or 1TB storage
Camera: 1.3MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $880

Description: Called a “tabletop” by Sony, the VAIO Tap 20 is geared towards the household PC market. It features family-friendly applications like Family Paint, an exclusive app that lets two people create virtual art together, and Fingertapps Organizer,  a collaborative calendar and scheduling app to keep everyone in sync. Though it may look like a touchscreen all-in-one, the Tap 20 can run on battery and be moved from room to room as needed. Game night will never be the same. 

Samsung 

ATIV Tab
OS: Windows RT
Screen: 10.1-inch HD LCD display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32 or 64GB storage 
Camera: 5MP rear, 1.9MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: Seemingly based on the design of its Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung decided to try their hand at a tablet for Microsoft’s latest baby. The battery has been upgraded from the Galaxy Note, however, and will last even longer than before. The ATIV Tab also rejects the optional keyboards of the Smart PCs and runs on Windows RT so it will rely on the strength of Modern UI developers to create a compelling app ecosystem and convince consumers that Windows can be fun, as well as productive.  

ATIV Smart PC (Series 5)
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 11.6 inch LCD display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 2GB RAM, 128GB memory
Camera: 8MP rear, 2MP front
Connectivity: 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: The ATIV Smart PC and its souped up brother are Samsung’s first tablets designed with the full Windows 8 experience in mind. Like its infamous smartphone-tablet hybrid, the Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung has chosen to place its Smart PCs firmly on the line separating tablet from laptop. The Smart PC also comes preloaded with Samsung’s signature S Note apps that work with, you guessed it, the S Pen for all sorts of tasks that a finger is just too fat for. 

ATIV Smart PC Pro (Series 7)
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 11.6-inch HD LCD display, 1980×1020 pixels
Specs: Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD 
Camera: 5MP rear, 2MP front
Connectivity: 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: Following the emerging pattern, Samsung made sure to offer a solution for users with serious productivity needs that still want to try out a new form factor. The Smart PC Pro caters to a more power-hungry audience and amps up the processing power with some seriously intense specs for a tablet. If you’re worried about the latch Samsung uses to fuse tablet with keyboard, review units seem to be solid; remaining attached even after being shaken quite vigorously. 

HP

ElitePad 900
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 10.1 inch display, 1280×800 pixels
Specs: 1.8GHz Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 64GB SSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 1080p HD front
Connectivity: 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: Like Dell, HP wants to make sure its loyal base of enterprise users can access the newest iteration of Windows. To accommodate a business environment, the ElitePad 900 features wide viewing angles. It also has built-in security with HP Client Security 10, full of applications for managing passwords, encrypting drives, and easily accessing BIOS settings. The ElitePad 900 has various peripherals available as well, like a bluetooth keyboard, stylus, and docking station. 

Envy X2
OS: Windows 8
Screen: 11.6 inch IPS display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: 1.8GHz Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 1080p HD front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: According to HP’s website, the Envy X2 is “the laptop that doubles as a tablet.” It’s a phrase that will become all too familiar with the surge of keyboard-docking Windows 8 tablets set to flood the market. The Envy X2 features a gorgeous, brushed metal chassis and will apparently pack some hefty battery power. Like other PC-makers, HP has added an additional battery in the keyboard to double the use time and keep you further away from an outlet. 

Acer 

Iconia W510 
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 10.1-inch IPS display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage
Camera: 8MP rear, 2MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $500 for 32GB, $600 for 64GB, $750 for 64GB and keyboard dock 

Description: The build quality of the Iconia W510 is questionable. Ars Technica received a review unit that wouldn’t power on and had a cracked hinge. With prices comparable to Lenovo’s Windows 8 devices, it seems like a recipe for disaster. At least the Iconia’s design makes it stand out a little from the competitors. Acer’s decided to pack a secondary battery in the keyboard dock as well, boosting battery life from 9 hours to a substantial 18 hours.   

Iconia W700
OS: Windows 8
Screen: 11.6 inch IPS display, 1920×1080 pixels
Specs: Ivy Bridge Core i3 or i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 64 or 128GB SSD
Camera: 5MP rear, 720p front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $800 with keyboard stand 

Description: The Iconia W700 aims to fill a separate void than its cheaper partner-in-crime. The W700 is more tablet-desktop, rather than the popular tablet-laptop hybrid. The cradling station acts as a charging dock, includes 3 USB ports, Micro-HDMI, and can be set at a 70-degree or 20-degree angle. For comparison’s sake, it’s more aligned with the HP ElitePad 900 and Latitude 10. But we have to admit the W700 looks very unbalanced in that L-shaped dock. 

Asus 

Vivo Tab RT
OS: Windows RT
Screen: 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD
Camera: 8MP rear with LED flash, 2MP front
Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi
Price: TBA 

Description: Based on specs, the Vivo Tab RT is clearly Asus’ entry level Windows 8 tablet. Vivo stems from the Latin verb meaning “to live”, a banal marketing ploy Asus may be regretting after Samsung’s ATIV moniker. Where the Vivo Tab RT suffers is in build quality when compared to its higher-spec’d older sibling. The actual tablet is less refined and the keyboard dock is made from plastic, complete with a slight rattle while typing.  

Vivo Tab
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 11.6-inch Super IPS+ display, 1366×768 pixels
Specs: Intel Atom “Clover Trail” processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD
Camera: 8MP rear with LED flash, 2MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 
Price: TBA 

Description: The Vivo Tab offers the user the full Windows 8 experience, legacy apps and all. Once docked, the Vivo Tab RT could be mistaken for a full laptop with even weight distribution, a solid keyboard, and premium build quality. 64GB of storage is definitely no enough for the average media consumer, but it’s not crippling. Would be nice to see some more storage there though. The Vivo Tab also supports Wacom technology and can mimic the S-Pen benefits of Samsung’s hardware. 

Asus Transformer Book
OS: Windows 8 
Screen: 11.6, 13, or 14-inch HD IPS display
Specs: Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB RAM
Camera: 5MP rear, front-facing webcam
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 
Price: TBA

Description: The Transformer Book is Asus’ most powerful Windows 8 tablet, packing the punch of an ultrabook rather than the slap of a slate. The screen sizes are much more practical for everyday use as well, capping out at a decent 14 inches. The aluminum construction doesn’t hurt either, especially paired with a full-sized and backlit keyboard. We are missing a few details about the device, like storage sizes (though we know it will be packing SSD option) and pixel density, but we know enough to be impressed. 

All in all, PC manufacturers have outdone themselves and seem eager to show off the touch-centric side of Windows 8. Whether you need a tablet computer for business or pleasure, there’s a device on this list that will fit your niche, whichever it may be. A lack of hardware is definitely not a problem for Microsoft right now but it will be interesting to see which devices rise to the top. Do you have a favorite? Or would you prefer a true hybrid or more conventional laptop to run Windows 8 on?

Gearbox Software's first Borderlands 2 DLC expansion, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, adds an impressive amount of quest content to the game along with a new focus on the endgame.

The world of Pandora just got a whole lot bigger.  Gearbox Software launches the first full-fledged DLC offering for September’s Borderlands 2 this week, a pirate-themed high-(sand) seas adventure that wholeheartedly embraces the series’ lengthy add-on naming conventions with the moniker Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty. The play is pure Borderlands, but the content is ripped straight from the most popular pirate tropes. You’ve got peg-legged robots. X marking the spot for buried treasure. Ornate new loot boxes that look like booty chests. Hundreds upon hundreds of “arrr” puns. And, naturally, a quest to piece together a magical compass that points the way to a long-lost treasure. Or, in Borderlands 2 terms, an assortment of loot chests filled with guns, guns, and more guns.

There are really two separate layers to Captain Scarlett and what it adds to Borderlands 2. We’ll take them one at a time. First up is the add-on campaign and its assorted side quests, amounting to an easy 10 or more additional hours of hunting around Pandora’s wastes. The new DLC pack adds multiple locations for players to explore and, in a first for Borderlands DLC, just about every new loading map has a fast travel station that can be added to your master list of destinations. Much like the vanilla sequel, this first Borderlands 2 DLC pack places a strong focus on small evolutions, fixing the little, niggling complaints that dogged the first game.

All of the new locations also add some fresh flavor to Gearbox’s updated take on Pandora. The DLC town of Oasis and its surrounding regions amount to a dried-up oceanscape, a sandy graveyard littered with the hulks of beached vessels ranging in size from small fishing boats to massive freight liners. There are new sandworm enemies to watch out for in the deep desert as well as a vast assortment of punny plays on bandits and loaders (aka those bipedal Hyperion robots).

The enemy variants are well-conceived too. They’re re-skinned and renamed of course, but some require new strategies as well. The melee-focused “Cursed Pirate” can heal itself whenever it deals out any damage, and it uses rush tactics. The “Anchorman” enemy type, an all-new concoction, is a hulking brute that can pull you in close, Scorpion-style, with a hooked anchor projectile that shoots out toward you on a chain. Then there are Cave Crystalisks which… well, the same strategy of shooting out their leg crystals still works. But they’re blue crystals now!

Also new with the DLC pack is a Sand Skiff vehicle (think Return of the Jedi‘s Sarlacc Pit scene), a hovercraft that you unlock in your very first Oasis quest. Unlike the vanilla game’s two wheeled vehicles, the hovercraft is capable of strafing around its targets, turning it into a much more effective combat tool. Unfortunately, you’ll only be able to use the new vehicle in Captain Scarlett‘s handful of new maps. There’s a lot of potential with this new ride, so hopefully Gearbox comes up with a way to make it accessible in other areas of the game, or perhaps in future DLC releases.

The quest content is pretty much what you’d expect, though it’s a bit light on some of the more inventive tasks that the vanilla game puts in front of players. You’ll come across a line of quests in Captain Scarlett that task you with with locating a hidden treasure — usually marked by a well-concealed X marking — but most of the 10-plus hours of quest content is built around basic fetch and travel tasks. The writing, on the other hand, is up to the same high standard that it was in the core game, and a thoroughly entertaining cast of new characters helps to keep things from getting dull.

Then there’s the other layer to Captain Scarlett, a handful of content and features built around extending your Borderlands 2 endgame. Here’s a top-level breakdown of how it all works: once you complete the DLC campaign, you unlock a level 50-ranked quest built around taking on and defeating an uber-boss (a la Borderlands 2‘s Terramorphous quest). Beat that boss and you’ll unlock another quest with another uber-boss. Think of these as MMO-style “raid” bosses, challenging endgame encounters designed to challenge groups of level-capped players. Defeat these bad boys and you’ll earn Seraph Crystals which can be spent at an Oasis vendor on a new class of pink-hued weapons that rank even higher than the gold Legendaries.

This feels like the start of a much bigger initiative for Gearbox moving forward. The studio’s goal with Borderlands 2 is to have players treat the game like it’s a hobby, the sort of thing that you can keep coming back to in your pursuit of greater power and more loot. Captain Scarlett‘s two raid bosses certainly support that, though I feel like there’s some balancing still to be worked out. Players can only defeat each raid boss once per day, amounting to roughly 10-15 Seraph Crystals for the two wins. Items in the Seraph store hover at around the 120 crystal cost mark, meaning it’s going to take a multi-week commitment to purchase even one of the items there.

I spend a significant portion of my free gaming time playing Borderlands 2, so I feel comfortable saying that this feels a little unbalanced right now. The handful of weapons available in the Seraph store — maybe a dozen or so – are powerful, but they’re not such a huge improvement over the best Legendaries from the main game. Given the daily, multi-week commitment required to unlock even one, putting the time in to accrue enough Seraph Crystals just doesn’t seem like it’s worth the effort at this point. The two uber-bosses offer a fun challenge, no question, but the endgame economy still needs a bit more tinkering.

Make no mistake there’s a ton of potential here. Gearbox is just scratching the surface of what is starting to feel more and more like console gaming’s answer to Guild Wars, a subscription-free MMORPG. The inclusion of raid bosses and the dangling carrot of endgame loot is tantalizing for anyone who fully embraces the Borderlands experience. I simply think that more work needs to be done on keeping players hooked. Whether that’s opening things up to allow farming each raid boss more than once per day, lowering the cost of Seraph store items, or beefing them up considerably is entirely up to Gearbox. Speaking as a Borderlands nut, I still feel more compelled to keep on working toward farming the main game’s Legendary items.

Don’t count the perceived imbalance as a mark against the DLC in any way. This is essential add-on material for Borderlands 2 fans, an extension of what we loved about the September release and a first, stumbling step toward something bigger than what we’ve seen before. It’s a steal at just $10, but it’s a quality content offering no matter what sort of value you assign to it. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll excuse myself and go take on some raid bosses….

Microsoft has revealed that the pricing for its Windows RT Surface tablet starts at $500, with an added $100 if you want to shell out for a keyboard cover.

The pricing and specifications of the new Surface tablets were briefly revealed at Microsoft’s online store today on a page that was quickly pulled. The 32GB version of the ARM-based Surface tablet running Windows RT (a version of Windows 8) will set you back $500. If you want the TouchCover keyboard case in black then you can add another $100. The 64GB version with the black TouchCover keyboard case will set you back $700.

You’ll be able to pick up additional TouchCovers in a range of colors for $100 a pop and the TypeCover keyboard will go on sale at $130.

Microsoft is gearing up for a major advertising push into the holiday season and The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company has placed orders to produce 3 to 5 million of these devices in the fourth quarter. That’s reportedly on a par with the numbers Amazon and Google ordered of the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 respectively, but way below the 10 million iPad minis that Apple has supposedly ordered.

We expect the tablets to go on sale on October 26 in Microsoft stores immediately following the Microsoft Windows 8 event on October 25.

The 32GB Surface RT is hitting the same price point as the iPad 16GB at $500. The tablet war is well and truly on. The speculation about the pricing for the Surface tablets has been rife; at one stage we were hearing a possible price of just $200. With the long-rumored iPad mini widely expected to be announced on October 23, Microsoft could have a hard act to follow. Can the Surface make a splash at this price point? We’ll find out very soon.

In the meantime, check out the first Surface TV ad which ran on U.S. television on Monday night.

Asus has launched the PadFone 2, a revised version of its quirky original, but still featuring a smartphone that docks with a tablet screen.

Asus has announced the PadFone 2, the follow-up device to its quirky PadFone, which first appeared in 2011. The launch event was an international affair, with two almost simultaneous conferences taking place in Milan and Taipei, which were also streamed to audiences online. It’s fair to say that Asus really wants you to know there’s a new PadFone in town.

Asus is focusing on the PadFone’s intuitive design to sell it this time around, and promoting it to people who may not want the bother of purchasing two separate devices, with two network agreements, but still want the convenience of a smartphone and a tablet at all times.

While the original PadFone had a door on the rear of its tablet dock, in which to hold the smartphone, Asus has replaced this with a slot for the PadFone 2. It’s not only more attractive, but far simpler to quickly connect and disconnect the phone. This is important, as the sharing of content from phone to pad is a big thing on the PadFone 2.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves though, so let’s talk about the hardware. The smartphone has a 4.7-inch Super IPS+ touchscreen, covered with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 312ppi. The tablet’s 10.1-inch screen is almost identical, with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, but the pixel density is considerably less at 149ppi.

As the tablet is a brainless dock — or Station as Asus calls it — it relies on the smartphone’s processor and power to make it work, so it’s a good thing Asus decided to use Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz, quad-core APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro chip. The phone comes with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, plus a hefty 2GB of RAM, and a black or white finish.

The PadFone 2 has a 13-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, a 100-shot burst mode that takes six shots per second and an f2.4 aperture. Because the PadFone 2 sits screen-forward in the back of the tablet, the camera can be used when it’s docked. There’s a separate video call lens above each screen too.

Strong battery, high price

Keeping the PadFone 2 up and running is a 2140mAh battery inside the phone, plus a 5000mAh battery inside the tablet. When docked, the tablet recharges the phone, and can do so three times before the battery expires. Asus quoted the phone as providing 16 hours of 3G talktime, but 48 hours when docked along with 27 hours of video playback.

Despite all this technology, Asus has made sure the overall weight hasn’t spiraled out of control, as the phone weighs 135 grams on its own, or 649 grams when mated with the tablet dock. As a comparison, the new iPad weighs 652 grams and the Galaxy Note 10.1 600 grams.

Back to the sharing for a moment. Slotting the phone into the tablet will see certain tasks and apps instantly transfer over to the big screen, with no input needed from the user. This was demonstrated with the gallery, browser and streaming video.

Other features include NFC, LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, plus a speaker system with Asus’ own SonicMaster enhancements, handwriting recognition, dual-language support and an instant translator too.

Asus says the PadFone 2 perfectly embodies what it calls Customer Experience 2.0, as it combines beauty inside and out, plus a great display, audio and performance.

So, you probably want to know how much and when you can get one? If you’re in the USA, it’s almost certainly not going to be this year, as according to Asus, it’s still in discussions with networks. In Europe, release is likely to come between January and March 2013, but there’s hope for a last-minute launch before Christmas too. Asus will release the PadFone 2 in Taiwan at the end of October.

The price? It’s 799 euros for the 32GB model and 899 euros for the 64GB PadFone 2. That’s $1040 and $1175. Those are very big numbers, but take a moment to consider how much a Galaxy S3 and a Galaxy Note 10.1, or an iPhone 5 and new iPad cost together. Do this, and it doesn’t sound so bad.

We do our best to follow all of the latest Apple October 23rd rumors, including a new Mac mini, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and the iPad mini.

This week is off to a flying start with several Apple rumors already “confirmed,” including new Mac minis, a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display, a curvy iMac, and an iPad Mini price list for good measure. All of these products are rumored to be announced at a press conference many think will happen on Oct. 23rd. From the looks of it, Apple may announce a number of smaller, ‘mini’ products at the event

New Mac Mini’s coming

Big fan of Apple’s tiny little Mac? You’re in luck. A new rumor from 9t05Mac points to new versions of the Mac mini rearing their adorable little heads at Apple’s rumored October 23rd event. Supposedly, the new Macs will come in two configurations, with varying memory and processor options as well as a third model for those who want to run OS X Server. Rumor has it that they’ll start shipping immediately after the announcement. Apple hasn’t updated the Mac mini in more than a year.

We assume that the new mini will get some form of visual refresh, but it’s hard to imagine Apple making it a whole lot smaller than it already is. Maybe we’ll get a Mac micro?

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

9to5Mac has also heard from a “consistently reliable source” that Apple will introduced a Retina display-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro during the iPad Mini’s launch event later this month. It will apparently be thinner and lighter, and offer different combinations of processors and storage options too.

Macrumors.com has found a few potential features for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on a Chinese website, which claims the smaller computer will still have two Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, a headphone socket, an HDMI-out and an SD card reader; just like its bigger brother. There’s also talk of an interesting battery design — although it’s not elaborated upon — and the report is accompanied by a couple of pictures that, frankly, could show absolutely anything.

Before we move on, it’s best to clarify that we’re talking about a product that doesn’t exist being launched at an event that hasn’t been announced for another non-existent product. That said, it’s logical for Apple to produce a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, but at the moment we don’t know when that will happen.

A curvy iMac

The curvy iMac rumors seems to originate from the same Chinese website, where it’s said that the new model will have a curved shell that’s something like “a water droplet,” which sounds more like Samsung’s design philosophy than Apple’s. Naturally, it too is going to arrive at the small “intimate” event apparently set for October 23.

iPad Mini prices

Finally, we’re onto the event’s main attraction, the iPad Mini. A picture supposedly showing a list of iPad Minis that will possibly be stocked by German electronics retailer MediaMarkt has been leaked, complete with prices and basic specs. In addition to the usual 16, 32 and 64GB models, an 8GB iPad Mini may appear. Each version will have the choice of a black or white finish, and either Wi-Fi only or “cellular” and Wi-Fi.

The most basic 8GB Wi-Fi iPad Mini is priced at 250 euros, and the top 64GB Wi-Fi with 3G or 4G at 650 euros. A quick currency conversion gives us $322 and $840 respectively, the latter of which will probably have seen wallets everywhere twitch nervously.

Just like all the other iPad Mini rumors, there’s no way to know if this is really a screenshot from MediaMarkt’s computer system, and equally we can’t take those prices as final either, as Apple’s US pricing is often lower than it’s European equivalent.

October 23 is one week away tomorrow, which means that if an event is to take place, Apple will start to send invitations out very soon. We really, really hope it does too; if only to put an end to these infernal iPad Mini rumors.

Update 10/16/2012 by Jeffrey VC: Rumors of a Mac mini announcement have surfaced and have been added to the list.

Article originally published 10/15/2012

What's a political season without a complete inability to trust the candidates? With the amount of ads and information being flung at voters, it can be hard to sort through it all. These apps will help you keep politicians honest, even on the go.

There is an old saying that states, “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Those that watched the first Presidential debate were presented with a whole lot of the first two items and a fair amount of misuse of the last. It’s best to make yourself as informed as possible before entering the voting booth, but if you’re armed with campaign rhetoric and ideals from advertisements, you’re likely to be disappointed over the next four years. While we can’t always keep our politicians honest, it’s getting easier to check their statements for factual information with the help of some excellent apps. These mobile political lie detectors are invaluable weapons in the fight against falsehoods and manipulated data.

Super PAC App (Free, iPhone)

Between pretty much any program that you watch between now and election day will be nothing bot a string of politically charged ads. These pieces of propaganda are sure to fill your head with promises of what one party will do for you while explaining exactly why the opposing party will fail to do the same. With the influx of cash from Super PACs, thanks in part to the case of Citizens United Vs. Federal Election Commission, it’s hard to keep track of where political ads come from. Super PAC App will tell you who put out a particular ad, how much money that PAC has raised, how much they spent, and how much truth is in the message.

WP Politics (Free, iPad)

Though WP Politics is a heavyweight in the political news apps, it’s also one of the finest resources for fact checking thanks to its integrated Twitter feature called The Forum. In this particular partition of the app is a list of Tweeters known as the Fact Checkers. This is a place to keep your eyes during the debates, as feeds from the finest fact checkers in the business are converged onto one screen and deliver updates live. If something sounds fishy coming out of a candidate’s mouth, these guys will sound the alarm immediately.

Ad Hawk (Free, Android/iPhone)

 Similar to Super PAC App, Ad Hawk is built to tell you exactly who is behind the mudslinging and monumental promises made in political ads. Hold your mobile device up to your TV and let Ad Hawk catch wind of the strategically woven words that come with these ads. The app will identify the ad in question and inform you of who brought it to air. From there, you can do further research on the people responsible for the particular propaganda from within the app. Perhaps the coolest part of this app is it shows how much an organization has spent on positive spin toward one side and negative toward another. It becomes increasingly clear what organizations exist to better their candidates odds and which are essentially smear campaigns.

Settle It! (Free, Android/iPhone)

One of the worst parts of the political cycle is the water cooler conversations that go along with it. People from both sides of the aisle often resort to repeating talking points like parrots for their party’s agenda. What’s worse is those talking points are often based on half truths or outright lies. If a person busts out a ‘fact’ that you think is less than factual, then take it to the ultimate judge: Settle It! This free app from the folks at Politifact gives you the quick and dirty answer on the most hotly debated beliefs. It’s a great tool to have to shut down that friend or family member that gets their information from chain emails and partisan blogs. 

Politifact Mobile ($2, Android/BlackBerry Playbook/iOS)

During the political season, it’s likely that some dirt gets dug and skeletons are retrieved from deep in a candidate’s closet. Unfortunately, there are also often statements and beliefs brought back into the limelight that have been dismissed, debunked, and debriefed long ago. Using its patented Truth-O-Meter, the Politifact Mobile app brings the fact checking organization’s entire history of truth-finding and lie-stopping to your phone or tablet. Check on the promises of the candidates, the overall honesty of elected officials on the Truth Index, and even see which way the wind is blowing with the Flip-O-Meter. It’s a great way to keep candidates honest — even on statements they thought no one would remember.