Is mobile gaming the new animation? Disney's success with the game Where's My Water - Creating a new franchise that the company is taking into toys, theme parks and now cartoons - would suggest so.

Having conquered animation, live-action, television and movies, Disney is slowly moving towards a new level of online dominance, thanks to a little alligator called Swampy. After starring in a mobile game called Where’s My Water? that has racked up over 100,000,000 downloads, Disney has plans to turn Swampy into a transmedia icon with a new animated series that’ll be streamed on both Disney’s own website and YouTube starting next month.

Originally released in September 2011, Where’s My Water? has seen multiple updates since, originally on a monthly basis (October, November and December saw new chapters being added to the game), and then on an irregular basis following (After a three month gap, updates were released in March, April, May and June of this year, before again going on hiatus until September). Talking to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney Mobile Games SVP and General Manager Bart Decrem described the game as “an amazingly productive game,” saying that “we’ve expanded on this game about twice as fast as any other major game series, while continuing to put quality first.”

“It’s incredible to think how six months after launching on the App Store, consumers were able to buy Swampy plush toys, apparel and accessories at major retailers,” he said, discussing the brand expansion of the game (Besides the animated series and game updates, a line of Swampy merchandise has been released, available at Disney theme parks and other retail outlets). “Since then, the line of Swampy merchandise has grown quite a bit.  You can get Swampy pins at Disneyland, a fun collection of Swampy’s favorite duckies, and Hasbro just launched a Swampy board game. For Halloween this year, we even have a Swampy costume.”

Decrem calls Where’s My Water “a huge opportunity for Disney, with probably more opportunities than almost any other mobile game when you look across the company,” going on to say that mobile gaming in general is “such an important platform for the company.” He continues, “a whole new generation of Disney guests is growing up with their iPhones, iPads or Android devices as a primary screen – not to mention huge new markets like China and India opening up for the company. We have a huge opportunity to bring existing Disney characters and stories to life on this magical new canvas, but also to create new Disney characters here — characters that hopefully will stand the test of time.”

The company is definitely pushing for more mobile gaming publishing, with games attached to Phineas and Ferb and Frankenweenie having been released in the last few months. But, while those games featured existing Disney franchises, Where’s My Water demonstrates the true value for Disney of mobile gaming: An easy – and relatively cheap – way for the company to introduce all-new characters to the public, and create all-new franchises that can be expanded into television, movies and beyond.

Apple's on the verge of launching a new, smaller iPad. We dive into the rumors to figure out what you should expect from the new tablet, and why Apple decided to reverse course and make a smaller tablet after criticizing them.

Tomorrow Apple is holding a product launch event in San Jose, and almost the entire technology world is expecting the company to unveil a new, smaller version of its top-selling iPad tablet, just in time for the holidays. For the record, we expect Apple also has another thing or two up its sleeve — and Digital Trends will be covering the event so you can stay at the head of the curve.

However, there’s one major problem with a (still hypothetical) smaller version of the iPad: Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs apparently hated the idea, famously saying that a 7-inch tablet would need to ship with sandpaper so users could file down their fingertips to touch on-screen keys and buttons. But Apple has never been afraid of changing its mind, and clearly the mobile world has changed since Jobs railed against smaller tablets.

With those changes in mind, what can we expect from Apple tomorrow?

The most likely scenario

The basic elements of a smaller iPad are pretty easy to guess. Apple isn’t going to try to re-invent the monstrously-successful iOS and iPad ecosystem with a radical new device. Instead, it’s is far more likely to build on what it’s already accomplished with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch and expand the ecosystem to include one more category of touch-oriented device.

Screen: A smaller iPad tablet will most likely have a 7.85-inch display. That puts it in line with other e-readers and media tablets on the market, and neatly splits the difference between the iPhone/iPod touch lines and the full 10.1-inch iPad.

We’re willing to bet a smaller iPad will have a 1,024 x 768 pixel display, and not a “Retina” display like those found in recent iPhones, the iPad 3, and Apple’s latest MacBook Pro. It might seem non-sensical for a new iPad not to have a Retina display when Apple has been pushing high-rez displays across its product lines — after all, a Retina screen has become a selling point for Apple’s top-selling products. However, a 1,024 x 768 pixel display will still have a density of 163 pixels per inch on a 7.85-inch display — which isn’t too shabby — and means Apple can both save money on the cost of the display in a smaller iPad and keep the graphics processing and power consumption needs of that display to a minimum. That means longer battery life. A 1,024 x 768 pixel screensize also means the device would be compatible with all existing iPad apps (and the vast majority of iPhone apps).

Processor: We’re also willing to bet that a new, smaller iPad will sport Apple’s A5X processor — the same chip at the heart of the iPad 3 — and not the more-powerful Apple A6 processor at the heart of the iPhone 5. Again, in part this will be a cost-reduction move — Apple can make the A5X in quantity more cheaply than the A6 right now. But it’s also because the A5X is no slouch itself: it can handle screens with four times as many pixels (the iPad 3) and it’s powerful enough to support Apple’s voice-driven virtual assistant Siri. It’s more than enough to handle a (hypothetical) smaller iPad.

Lightning connector: One thing from the iPhone 5 (plus the new iPod touch and iPod nano) that we do expect Apple to roll into a new tablet offering is the new Lightning connector. True, it requires an adapter to use Lightning connectors with the range of iOS peripherals based on the 30-pin dock connector, but Apple isn’t going to be wishy-washy about the Lightning connector. It needs a simpler, thinner connector so it can continue to shrink iOS devices going forward. The Lightning connector lets Apple make a smaller iPad thinner (and probably lighter) than its predecessors.

Big questions

The basic outlines of a smaller iPad are pretty obvious, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of grey areas. Here are our biggest questions.

4G, or not 4G?: In the United States, Apple’s 10.1-inch iPad 3 is available with optional 4G LTE connectivity from either Verizon Wireless or AT&&T: The contract-free service starts at $15 for 250MB of data from AT&T or $20 a month for 1GB of data from Verizon. (The same prices apply to no-contract 3G service on the iPad 2.) However, perhaps more importantly, an iPad with mobile wireless capability costs $130 more than the same iPad with just Wi-Fi.

We think Apple will probably offer the same $130 4G LTE option with a smaller iPad as it does with the existing iPad line. Plenty of potential customers will be happy with just Wi-Fi connectivity, but folks who actually need mobile broadband for a tablet device aren’t going to balk at paying the same price for it on a smaller iPad as they would for mobile connectivity on the current iPad or the iPad 2. (Heck, the $130-for-mobile price tag goes all the way back to the original iPad.)

Storage: We think a new, smaller iPad won’t debut with anything less than 16GB of storage: that’s the entry threshold for the iPad 2 and the entry-level iPad 3. We expect Apple will also offer a version with 32GB of storage, and wouldn’t put 64GB out of the question since all the rest of Apple’s iOS devices stretch out that far. Although there has been some speculation that Apple will offer a smaller version of the iPad with just 8GB of storage to save costs, that scenario seems unlikely: Apple is one of the largest (perhaps the largest) purchasers of flash storage on the planet: the cost difference between equipping a new iPad model with 8GB or 16GB of storage is not very material. Furthermore (see below) a smaller iPad is almost certainly going to focus on apps, games, and media consumption (including storage-heavy media like movies). iPad apps — even if they aren’t made for a Retina display — can be huge: 16GB of storage is a smarter starting point than 8GB.

Pricing: More than specs, the number everyone is waiting for on a hypothetical smaller iPad is its price. Industry consensus seems to be that it has to cost less than the “standard” iPad (which begins at $500) and be competitive with other 7-inch tablets on the market like the Google Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD 7, both of which start at $200.

Some consider $250 to be a “sweet spot” for smaller iPad pricing — although there’s some potential for confusion there, too. Apple’s latest iPod touch starts at $300, although the previous model is still available for $200. That $300 price tag is $100 more than 7-inch tablets from Google and Amazon, and it can be difficult to explain to people how a device with a smaller screen can be a better deal than a cheaper 7-inch tablet unless those customers place a high value on portability. (And, to be sure, those new iPod touches are very portable: they’re less than a quarter inch thick.) However, given the size and depth of the iOS application and content ecosystem, Apple can probably make an argument that a smaller iPod is worth $50 more than a tablet from Amazon or Google — especially to people who are already Apple customers — particularly if the smaller iPad is substantially lighter and thinner than competitors.

9to5Mac created a stir this weekend by reporting the new, smaller iPads will start at a $330 price point. Although no one will know until Apple unveils pricing tomorrow, the $330 price point seems high. Initially, we thought that it may represent pricing for a smaller iPad with mobile broadband — a version without cellular connectivity would therefore be cheaper. If that impression plays out, that might put the intro price of a smaller iPad at $200. That seems unlikely. Although Amazon and Google are selling tablets at that price point, they’re doing so essentially at cost, they’re doing so hoping to make a profit on the sales of content. Apple’s business model is the opposite: its content ecosystem generates little or no profit, while hardware sales fill the company’s coffers. If Apple makes a smaller iPad that costs $200 to make, Apple is not going to sell it for $200. Apple has always been more concerned with profits than market share.

What about the iPad 2?: The introduction of a new, smaller iPad could be the end of the line for the iPad 2, which is still on sale starting at $400. However, Apple doesn’t seem to be having any trouble selling the iPad 2, even though it’s more expensive than a variety of newer competitors on the market. If I were to guess, I’d bet Apple keeps the iPad 2 around and perhaps knocks $50 off the price. The main argument for discontinuing the iPad 2 with the introduction of a smaller iPad is just to avoid clutter (and hence, confusion) in Apple’s tablet line.

The name: So far, the technology press has been calling a hypothetical smaller iPad the “iPad mini,” following along the naming conventions established by the iPod mini and Mac mini. However, as John Gruber over at Daring Fireball points out, that omits another Apple naming convention: Air.

If Apple’s smaller iPad reflects the super-slim design unveiled with the most recent iPod touch, Apple could convincingly call the device the iPad Air. That also avoids branding it as a diminutive (and, hence, less valuable) version of the iPad, and could establish a smaller iPad as a new class of device — perhaps one that could command a $330 premium in a 7-inch tablet market where devices start at $199.

Reasons Apple reversed course on 7-inch tablets

During an earnings call two years ago, late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs articulated the reasons Apple wasn’t considering a smaller version of the iPad. Some of Jobs’ objections boiled down to:

• Apple’s user testing showed a tablet interface scaled down to a 7-inch screen was substantially less usable than the iPad’s 10-inch display (this was the infamous “sandpaper” point).
• The 7-inch screen size is less than half the physical display size of the 10-inch iPad, and is just too small to make great tablet apps.
• Every tablet user is also a smartphone user so making a tablet more portable isn’t necessary: folks already have a portable device they take with them everywhere.

A few things have changed. First of all, not every tablet user is a smartphone user. Perhaps the pre-eminent example is students, who may use/own tablets for school as part of their curriculum, but who may not be smartphone users. (Similarly, plenty of kids have tablets for entertainment and games, but don’t own smartphones.) There are also plenty of folks who use tablets for entertainment, apps, and reading — perhaps just using Wi-Fi connectivity.

Second, tablets aren’t just about great tablet apps anymore: they’re about media consumption. It’s no coincidence that the primary use of devices like the Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7 are not being positioned as general purpose computing devices but as media consumption devices enabling people to read books, listen to music, and watch television and movies anywhere they go. It may be difficult to build interactive, touch-centric tablet applications that work and look great on a 7-inch screen. But if all you’re doing is sitting back and watching video — or flipping to the next page— 7-inch tablet usually works just fine. In fact, it probably works better than a full 10-inch tablet, because it’s lighter and easier to manage with one hand. The media consumption angle also speaks to Jobs’ first point about 7-inch tablets: when the tablet becomes more of a passive media consumption device, they don’t need a sophisticated touch-based interfaces. A few simple controls will usually do the trick.

As a result, it’s a fair bet a smaller iPad from Apple will focus on m media consumption, and also try to further expand the iOS user base beyond smartphone owners. One example would be students: children are less likely to have problems using a touch interface on a 7-inch device because they tend to have small, dextrous hands — and if a new smaller iPad were substantially less expensive than current offerings, the iPad could see even stronger adoption in schools. Although this is the wrong time of year to be introducing a product for the education market — October introductions are always about the end-of-year holiday buying season — a smaller, less-expensive iPad would tie in neatly with Apple’s textbook-centric iBooks 2 initiative, announced way back at the beginning of 2012.

What do you think?

So what do you think? Will a smaller iPad be all about trying to beat Amazon and Google out at the lower end of the tablet market? Or does Apple have other tricks up its sleeve that will keep let the iPad keep dominating the tablet market—and raking in most of the profits?

The Unfinished Swan is one of the most inventive and original games available for the PS3. We sat down with the game’s director, Ian Dallas, and discussed the origin of the game, the development cycle, and viewing games with childlike wander.

Tomorrow The Unfinished Swan will be available via the PlayStation Network, and for $14.99 PS3 owners will get a chance to try out one of the most imaginative and unique games on the market today. You take control of Monroe, an orphan that finds himself in the kingdom of a ruler who created the world with a paint brush and his imagination. Using a paintball gun-like mechanic, you uncover the world one splatter at a time as you piece together the story of the world’s formation. For our full review of one of the best digitally downloadable games out today, click here.

We sat down with Giant Sparrow’s Ian Dallas, the director of The Unfinished Swan, as well as the game’s creator. After creating the first prototype for what would eventually become The Unfinished Swan, Dallas entered the game into the Independent Game Festival. He lost, but Sony came to him and offered him a deal to develop the game under the Sony umbrella.

Working hand-in-hand with Sony, Giant Sparrow then spent the next three years developing the game with help from SCE Santa Monica. That time spent working onThe Unfinished Swan has given Dallas a unique look at the world of game development. We spoke about the development cycle, what comes next for him, and finding logic in a chaotic world.

How has it been working with Sony?

It’s been… eerie. I kept thinking that there would be a point where we’d have to butt heads on something and so far they’ve been incredibly friendly and nice about it. It’s just a very good fit because they wanted something they’ve never seen before – that’s why they brought us in to make the game. So they didn’t freak out when the game was really weird and got weirder over the course of development.

So far it’s been incredibly supportive and when we’ve had problems, like in development, they’ve been very proactive about finding other teams within Sony that may have had the same problems, and really helping us to make the game and let us focus on what I consider the interesting parts of development. So yeah, it’s been fantastic.

How do you like working with a smaller team as opposed to one of the bigger, 100+ people developers?

It’s hard to say because I’ve never really worked for a giant team. I [spent] a little bit of time writing for Sam and Max, which was 30 or 40 person company. That’s really the only experience I have working for a developer. So I really like working on a smaller team just because we’re able to focus on, again, what I consider the interesting parts of game development – getting in there and making a game. The amount of time we have to spend in meetings and writing docs to one another is relatively low. You just have an idea and then talk about it and draw stuff on a white board, then get going.

How long have you been working on Unfinished Swan?

Three years at Sony, and I spent another year when it was a grad school project.

So where did the game come from?

I was a grad student at the USC interactive program, and every week in grad school I would come in with a new prototype for how people move around space; that is what I was interested in. And one of the weeks it was just what if you’re in a white room throwing paint around? And the game just started off with that simple mechanic and actually began in the same space that the current game starts in, and just evolved from that.

The thing that I really liked about it was the sense of not knowing. Having a game that really evokes the curiosity and wonder of players, and we try as much as we could to hold onto that as we made it a bigger experience.

So how did you design the physics for it?

The paintballs are actually stupidly simple. Like a lot of things in gaming it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. I was really into doing more complicated splatter effects. I thought that was really important early on. It’s a game about splatting, let’s make sure we do that perfectly. And it turns out that people don’t really notice. There’s a threshold of excellence, where you’re really good versus perfect and amazing, players don’t really notice. So we focused on getting re

ally, really great, and there’s things that when we play the game, we’re like “aw, a paintsplat wouldn’t look like that.” But I think that’s just us being geeks about it and obsessing about it. I think for players it’s perfect.

The splat that we came up with was a texture that came out of throwing real paint against a wall. But when we took a picture of it, it just didn’t look real in the game because you’d see it and it was obviously the same image rotated around. So we kinda had to take reality and munge it up a bit so it was a little more random.

More and more we are seeing some really quality games coming out via digital download. Do you see that as the wave of the future, or is it just the current medium that these type of games are gravitating towards?

I think we’ll see more and more games in general in downloadable formats, and certainly for the near term I think downloadable is where players are going to find the coolest, weirdest, strangest games. I think players have shown that they’re happy downloading games. I think there was a concern a couple years ago that people wouldn’t find these games, that they would fester and no one would ever know about them. But certainly with a game like Unfinished Swan that gives players something they’ve never seen before, people are pretty vocal about trying to find it – they seek it out. It’s a game with an active fanbase that are clamoring for different experiences. So a game like Journey or Swan, people are willing to walk a little farther. Maybe it’s not at GameStop or wherever they be used to seeing games, but they’ll find it.

A lot of titles like Swan and Journey seem to tap into new potential for games.

Yeah, and it’s funny, with Unfinished Swan we find that it really appeals the strongest to two very different groups of people: people that play a lot of games and are kind of tired of that – they’ve had those experiences; but it also really appeals to people that don’t play games at all because they don’t like what games are usually about, like they just don’t have any interest in zombies or whatever. So two very different extremes there, but that’s where we’ve found the biggest audience for this game so far.

It is kind of nice to occasionally step away from the mainstream.

Yeah, it’s exciting. It kind of reminds you what it was like to play games for the first time.

After you’ve finished with Unfinished Swan and it has hit the general public, what are you going to do next?

Work on the next game. I really like making games. I think that’s one of the dirty secrets about game development is that you end up not playing a lot of games because actually making games is more fun than playing them a lot of the time. It scratches a lot of the same itches. For me what I really like in games is to explore and try things out. What I like most about games like GTA or whatever is “what would happen if…” Making games is that times 10. It’s like “what if,” and you throw together a prototype and do whatever you want.

So probably what I will do next is start thinking about the next game and working on that.

Has the development cycle been stressful?

This is my first game ever working as a developer. On previous games I was a writer, you’re not really in the heart of things. It’s been stressful because I think every game is little stressful; there are a lot of things you just can never predict. There will be problems, or there will be awesome things that aren’t problems. So there’s a lot of stress coming from just not knowing what’s coming around, but Sony’s been incredibly cool about removing a lot of the stresses we normally would have. If we have a problem we can just ask. The lead programmer from God of War came by to help us out with a problem. We can go straight to the source for people that really know their PlayStation 3.

Are you already working on a follow up?

I can’t say because it hasn’t been approved…

But in your head you’re already planning something, aren’t you?

Yeah, it’s a game that I’ve been thinking about for the last year or so. In the beginning it started out as a completely different game from Unfinished Swan. It’s odd that as it gets more along and I start to figure out what the game is going to be, there are a lot of parallels between the kinds of experiences that players have in Unfinished Swan and what the new game is going to be like. That is a little bit scary, and also a little encouraging because I think a lot of the artists that I really like, like Terry Gilliam or guys like that, their work is very different, but there’s a through line to it that you can see it’s the same person working on these things. So creating experiences that evoke a sense of awe and wonder is definitely what gets me excited, it’s what gets me up in the morning and thinking “how do I do that.”

You mention Terry Gilliam. Who are some of your other artistic influences?

I think the biggest influence was Alice in Wonderland, and creating a world that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and seems kinda random, but when you look at it there actually is a through line to it. There’s a sense of order that may not be apparent when you see it in the beginning. I think it also mirrors the way that children see the world. For a child, everything seems totally chaotic, but you trust that there’s some logic to it, and hopefully there is that you understand when you’re a little bit older.

Edward Gorey was inspiration, and Shel Silverstein was another  – certainly for the hand drawn cinematics that was the major inspiration.

Any games coming out that have you excited?

I gotta say Assassin’s Creed III is pretty exciting, even though it could not be bigger and louder and more AAA. I’m excited about exploring Revolutionary America. I love that it’s a space I’ve never been in before, and I’m really curious. I think that’s a good use of 600 people, or whatever the number is, to really model out Boston. So I’m pretty excited about not even playing the game but wandering around the city as a virtual tourist. Should be pretty fun.

And certainly The Last Guardian. I’m beyond excited about The Last Guardian. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus was an obvious inspiration here as well, but who knows when that is coming out. I’m trying not to get my hopes up there. I’ll be surprised.

As of this morning, your Xbox 360 is now capable of broadcasting live NBA games alongside a suite of features designed to improve the experience through technology.

Ever since Microsoft opted to transform its Xbox 360 console into a viable replacement for the modern cable box, the company has been pushing to acquire media partners left and right. One of the key areas Microsoft is focusing on is sports, for obvious reasons. Sports fans are intensely dedicated and have proven time and time again an unthinking willingness to drop hundreds of dollars just to see their favorite teams play. While Microsoft has been quite successful in wooing fans of the NFL and UFC, it has had pitifully little to offer basketball fans. At least it did until this morning.

According to an official announcement made by Microsoft, today marks the debut of NBA Game Time, an Xbox Live service that seems to be equal parts basketball broadcast channel and modern, internet-enabled interactive stats-tracking system. Have a look at the features list promised by the PR blast:

• Live Games, Highlights, and Replays in HD – You’ll have access to every live regular season game, in stunning HD. All the games are available in replay, so you can watch on your schedule. And, if you’re short on time altogether, watch the condensed game recap, or just take in the quick highlights. 

• My Teams – Obsess over your favorite team and get up-to-the-minute stats on your favorite players.  With NBA Game Time on Xbox 360, getting to the details is quick and easy.  And to make sure you are in the know, add 4 other teams to follow.

• Stats & Standings – Want to know what’s going on around the league? With Stats & Standings, find out which team is leading a conference or which players top the leaderboards in scoring, rebounding, and more.

• Scores & Schedules – NBA Game Time on Xbox 360 gives you quick access to the scores you want and the schedules you need – right on your big screen. Spoiler Alert! Feel free to turn those scores off too – so you can catch up on your game a little late, without the spoilers.

• Mini Guide – The mini-guide gives you a quick preview of all of today’s games right at the bottom of your screen, and makes it easier than ever to switch between games. 

• Split Screen – Watch two games at once, or watch a live game on one screen while you catch up with highlights or a replay on the other.

• Voice and Gesture Control with Kinect for Xbox 360 – Focus on the court instead of looking for the remote. Navigate through the games, skip to the next quarter, or play, pause, and rewind that buzzer beater, all with the sound of your voice or the wave of your hand.

Residents of Austin and Salt Lake City can now swipe to their heart's content as Isis Mobile Wallet is available in those markets. Nine handsets from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are compatible, with up to twenty Isis-ready by the end of the year.

Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah are now able to experience Isis Mobile Wallet. Nine handsets across three carriers will be compatible with the Isis Mobile Wallet app starting today with eleven more by year’s end, totaling to twenty for those that don’t care for math.

Isis is the joint venture of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile and allows consumers to pay on the go with their phones using NFC technology.  For T-Mobile subscribers, the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S2, and Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G are ready to get some extra breathing room in your pocket by eliminating your wallet. Verizon has the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Isis-ready, with the Motorola Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD to be added within the week. AT&T has not named the handsets it carries that are a go for Isis Mobile Wallet, but it swears there are some.

If you’re living in the Salt Lake City or Austin area, you’ll need to follow a couple simple steps to set up your phone for Isis use. Find a retail store for your service provider and get a free Isis SIM card to ensure your phone’s compatibility. Then grab the Isis Mobile Wallet app from the Google Play store and load in your credit card information. The app currently accepts American Express, Capital One, and Chase cards. Once you’re all set, start swiping away and enjoy the weight that has been lifted from your pants pockets.

There are currently being accepted at hundreds of stores in the Austin and Salt Lake City markets and it comes with some added benefits. Some retailers offer loyalty cards and savings to shoppers using Isis. T-Mobile has stated that activating the application in its store will land a person $10 Isis eCash for free. Users is Salt Lake will get  free rides on all UTA buses, Trax and Frontrunner vehicles through January 31, 2013. 

Telltale Games has outlined the upcoming retail iterations of The Walking Dead, and the special Collector's Edition looks very tempting.

This morning Telltale Games finally revealed what its episodic Walking Dead video game series will look like when its disc-based iteration is sitting on store shelves. We’ve known that The Walking Dead would be receiving a full retail release since last month and as such the standard version of the game isn’t all that shocking, but this announcement is the first we’ve heard of the game’s Collector’s Edition variation.

Before we get to that though, let’s quickly cover the standard retail release. Come December 4, both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners will be able to walk into their favorite gaming retailer and pick up a copy of The Walking Dead. The disc comes packaged just as any other modern console game might be, and includes all five episodes of Season One of Telltale’s episodic game. Instead of the full $60 price tag you find on most video game releases however, The Walking Dead will only set you back $30, regardless of which platform you’re using.

That’s a very solid deal for the entirety of a game which has unexpectedly become one of our frontrunners for Game Of The Year honors, but if you’re a bit more devoted than the average Walking Dead fan and want to show your support of the people behind this game even further, you could spend an extra $40 to pick up the Collector’s Edition.

While not a very expansive package, the $70, GameStop-exclusive Walking Dead Collector’s Edition includes only one real bonus item, but it’s a big one: Those that pick up the Collector’s Edition of the Walking Dead retail release will receive a copy of The Walking Dead Compendium One with exclusive cover art by Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard. That tome — it’s too physically massive to be simply called “a book” — contains the first 48 issues of Robert Kirkman’s original Walking Dead comic book series. That’s over 1,000 pages of incredibly dark yet engaging horror that covers the first five years of the book’s run. If you’ve enjoyed the game so far but haven’t read the comics, this should be a perfect opportunity to discover one of the best series of the past decade (especially as buying the Compendium by itself would set you back $60 anyway).

Obviously we feel that your prime motivation in buying either one of the retail versions of The Walking Dead should be the wildly positive critical response the game has received so far. As our reviews of Episodes 1, 2, 3 and 4 state, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is not just a brilliant adaptation of Kirkman’s bleak universe, it’s also a master class in how to tell a gripping, emotionally resonant story through the medium of video games. That should be the reason why you decide to drop $70 on the game’s Collector’s Edition bundle, but we won’t hold it against you if you do so specifically for that huge volume of award-winning comics. If we didn’t already own all those comics in their original form, we’d be pre-ordering this bundle right alongside you.

The upcoming Assassin's Creed movie may hit theaters sooner than expected, as Ubisoft and New Regency are determined to push this flick into production as soon as possible.

When Ubisoft announced that actor Michael Fassbender had agreed to star in its upcoming feature film based on the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, it seemed an impressive display of how devoted the company is to making this film. Today though, Ubisoft has announced a much more important, if less flashy, agreement with New Regency. 

While Ubisoft created a film wing specifically to work on this Assassin’s Creed movie, the abilities of the newly formed Ubisoft Motion Pictures are somewhat limited when it comes to the complicated logistical issues of creating a movie. By contrast, New Regency has been successfully producing and distributing movies since 1991. Though financial details of the agreement aren’t being disclosed, it would appear that this deal leaves Ubisoft Motion Pictures free to work on the creative aspects of this project while New Regency makes sure that it gets to theaters in a relatively timely manner.

As a result of cementing this agreement in place, Ubisoft claims that the Assassin’s Creed movie is being “fast tracked,” and that the nascent film studio will start work on the film’s script immediately. Being able to expedite the process of creating a theatrical film is obviously a boon, but Ubisoft claims that its agreement with New Regency is designed specifically to make sure that, no matter how long it takes to create this film, the Assassin’s Creed movie will remain true to its pixelated source material.

“Ubisoft chose to partner with New Regency because they are a talent- and filmmaker-driven company, with the same independent and creative mindset that we have at Ubisoft Motion Pictures,” said Ubisoft Motion Pictures CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet. “Bringing aboard New Regency’s renowned production and distribution expertise while maintaining our own creative and financial flexibility ensures that Assassin’s Creed will be a high-quality film that respects the lore and fans of the video game franchise.”

So, good news all around! Normally we try to spend equal amounts of time covering both the positive and negative aspects of any story we report on, but in this case there are no negative aspects. Ubisoft Motion Pictures gets the time and creative freedom it needs to ensure that this film is up to its presumably rigorous quality standards, New Regency gets a high-profile film project that will likely be quite lucrative, and we fans get to see the Assassin’s Creed movie sooner than we might have otherwise.

Of course, that does nothing to guarantee that this film will be anything but more mindless crap based on a popular gaming franchise designed to sell tickets to unwary fans, but it does shift the majority of the blame in such a scenario squarely toward Ubisoft Motion Pictures. Hopefully the company is as dedicated to creating a thrilling, source-accurate Assassin’s Creed movie as it claims.

A new rumor has surfaced suggesting that Foxconn could be preparing to make its own tablet and smartphone hardware in the near future.

The new rumor comes from DigiTimes, who has a history of spreading rumors that aren’t always 100 percent accurate. Still, they’ve had some good calls too. Does this sound completely crazy? Not really. While building devices like the iPhone and iPad is very lucrative for the company, having their own hardware could help expand their presence even further. Many techies also know that Foxconn builds great phones for other companies, so that might give consumers some confidence that these would be quality products. Of course Foxconn is also known for treating employees badly, and so many consumers outside of China might possibly be leery of buying their stuff.

If they did make such a move, odds are it would only be in the Chinese market and perhaps a few other parts of Asia. This would help them expand without stepping on the feet of its parnters like Sony, Apple and countless others.
Foxconn already has a chain of retail stores in China and plans to open them up in Brazil as well. These stores currently carry PCs, motherboards and other components. Adding smartphones to the mix doesn’t sound that crazy. It’s still hard to say whether there is any merit to the rumor or not.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a small line of Chinese-only devices hit the market running local operating systems like Aliyun OS. If any of this is true, Foxconn just needs to tread carefully and not risk existing partnerships with the bigger phone producers out there.

What do you think? Just a pointless rumor, or something that could prove to be true?

We're preparing for the launch of Windows 8 with a list of hybrids and convertibles ready to share the spotlight with Microsoft's latest OS. These are the devices that truly show off the exciting future of personal computing.

Windows 8 has opened up the playing field for manufacturers to begin experimenting with the tried-and-true PC formula of laptops and desktops. As a result, we’ve seen some great Windows 8 tablets, but there is a newer frontier. Called, hybrids or ‘convertibles,’ the devices below can be used as both a tablet or a laptop. With Windows 8, hardware-makers like ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell are really pushing the boundaries of what personal computing devices can be. 

Below, we have PCs that will slide, flip, and twist their way into homes around the world — that’s the plan, anyway. 

Dell XPS 12

OS: Windows 8
Screen: 12.5 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Specs: Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage
Camera: Webcam
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $1,200 

Description: The Dell XPS 12 has a unique approach to the hybrid form factor. The screen is hinged on the left and right sides, which allows it to flip vertically so that the display can face backward or forward. With the screen in its flipped position, you can close the lid to use the XPS 12 like a tablet and the keyboard and trackpad will be covered. The predecessor of the XPS 12 felt like a cheap netbook, but this version is much closer to an ultrabook with beefy internals and a high-quality build. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11

OS: Windows RT
Screen: 11.6 inches, 1366 x 768 pixels
Specs: Tegra 3 processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage
Camera: Webcam
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $800 

Description: Both Yogas have a screen capable of rotating a full 360 degrees. The patented hinge allows the screen to bend over and rest on the back of the device, leaving the keyboard and trackpad exposed on the underside. The hinge seems to be very solid, though a bit stiff at times, probably to support the different uses being advertised for the Yoga like “tent” mode, which allows the Yoga to be placed on a table like the photo below. Plus, Lenovo says it can last up to 13 hours on battery. The Lenovo Yoga 11 runs Windows RT and on ARM processors. What that means for you is that it is not backward compatible with older Windows applications. It will, however, run quieter and get better battery life.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

OS: Windows 8
Screen: 13.1 inches, 1600 x 900 pixels
Specs: Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage
Camera: Webcam
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $1,100 

Description: The 13-inch Yoga is a performance-driven, larger companion piece to the Yoga 11. Where the smaller version runs the mobile-optimized, Windows RT, the Yoga 13 comes preloaded with the full version of Windows 8 and is well-suited for users looking for a primary work-and-play station. The Yoga packs a whole lot of versatility in a fairly concise package, making it a compelling choice for power users.

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist

OS: Windows 8
Screen: 12.5 inch 720p HD display
Specs: Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive storage (or 128GB SSD)
Camera: Webcam 
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $850 

Description: The Twist works much like it sounds: the screen can be twisted and placed back on the keyboard to switch the device from laptop-mode to tablet-mode. However, it’s not the most beautiful device on the market, looking a bit retro. Originally, we were worried about the hinge strength, but the Twist is capable of all the bending the Yoga is and can be placed in “tent” mode as well. 

Sony VAIO Duo 11

OS: Windows 8
Screen: 11.6-inch display, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Specs: Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage
Camera: Webcam 
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $1,100 

Description: We found the Sony VAIO Duo 11 to be “all gimmick, no game.” The issues came down to hardware limitations like a difficult sliding operation and only one, non-adjustable angle. Though ambitious in its design, the Duo 11‘s physical issues and lack of a full-sized trackpad make it a poor laptop replacement — at least, in our initial testing. There was also a weird software issue, where the Duo 11 wouldn’t auto-rotate when converted to laptop-mode, instead staying in its previous orientation, which you can see above. 

Toshiba Satellite U925t

OS: Windows 8
Screen: 12.5 inch 720p display
Specs: Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD
Camera: 3MP rear, Webcam front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: $1,150 

Description: Our own Jeffrey Van Camp had a chance to get his hands on the Satellite U925t and came away very impressed. The name may be a marketing nightmare, but Toshiba makes up for it in other ways. Unlike the Sony VAIO Duo 11, Toshiba’s slider puts its focus on quality hardware. The hinge is solid; it has a full trackpad; and the screen stays firmly upright at all angles. It’s a bit heavy for a slate (3.2lbs) but strikes a good balance between laptop and tablet without making too many compromises. 

Asus Taichi

OS: Windows 8
Screen: Dual 11.6-inch (or 13.3-inch) IPS displays, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Specs: Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage
Camera: Webcam 
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Price: TBA

Description: The Taichi from ASUS is one of those products that will probably end up being too ambitious for its own good, but that won’t stop us from feeling incredibly excited that it exists at all. The Taichi has two HD displays, one in the traditional laptop position and one mounted on the back of the screen. Early reviews find it’s easy to switch between screens and the Taichi has four — fairly self-explanatory — settings: Notebook mode, Tablet mode, Dual-Screen mode, and Mirror mode.

We can’t wait to see how these hybrid and convertible devices fair in the hands of the masses. There’s definitely a lot of potential here for a new breed of PC and that’s an enticing prospect. What devices do you have your eyes on?

As many as 8 percent of Android app's SSL/TLC protocols may be vulnerable to hackers who can steal personal information, researchers from the University of Hannover in Germany have found.

Researchers recently discovered security vulnerabilities in as many as eight percent of benign (or not intentionally built to steal your information or install malware) Android apps. These apps proved to have inadequate safeguards that would otherwise prevent data theft.

With the frequency with which we’re willing to share our phone numbers, home address, credit card numbers with just about any app, we’ve been taking our personally identifiable information for granted. Third-party developers and malicious hackers can gain unprecedented access to our lives. The latest research paper titled, “Why Eve and Mallory Love Android: An Analysis of Android SSL (In)Security,” by researchers from the University of Hannover in Germany sheds light on why we should err on the side of caution.

Rather than testing for known malicious apps meant to capture your data for illicit use, researchers tested 13,500 free benign apps from the Google Play store and uncovered 1,074 apps had holes in their Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. If you’re unfamiliar with SSL, it’s a two-part authentication system for securely transmitting sensitive data over the Internet, like credit card numbers. TLS is SSL’s predecessor and prevents a third-party from snooping in on your private two-way messages for example.

The 1,074 Android apps that were found to have “inadequate use of SSL/TLS” were susceptible to Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks that can easily exploit and retrieve personally identifiable information about the app’s users.

In a manual audit of 100 apps (which the study did not identify by name), bank information, social media accounts, and cloud storage credentials were just a few of the many personal pieces information that researchers were able to gain access to, and 41 of the 100 apps were discovered to have vulnerabilities. Researchers revealed that they “were able to capture credentials for American Express, Diners Club, Paypal, bank accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Live ID, Box, WordPress, remote control servers, arbitrary email accounts, and IBM Sametime, among others.”

Other additional successful hacks included gaining access to a user’s IP cameras, injecting viruses into an anti-virus app to flag normal apps as viruses, and disabling virus detection altogether. Of these 41 vulnerable apps, between 39.5 and 185 million users are at risk of Man-in-the-Middle attacks.

The researchers then assessed the “average” Android user’s awareness and knowledge about secure connections in an Android browser. The majority of the survey’s participants were students, while the remaining participants were employees. After being asked about the difference between HTTPS and HTTP, and how “a user perceives an SSL warning message,” just 58.9 percent of IT expert participants and only 44.3 percent of non-IT expert participants were able to identify a secure or insecure connection.

While developers may be rushing to get their apps out of the door and a security encryption is the last features on their minds, it’s also clear that users are in need of a crash course on safe browsing practices and security.

Enhance your iPhone 5 experience with the best accessories around.

Apple’s latest flagship smartphone is capable of plenty, but with the right iPhone 5 accessories you can get more from your device. Recharging is always an issue, but there are lots of options to keep your iPhone 5 battery juiced up no matter where you happen to be. You can also take advantage of docks and enhanced speakers to boost the video and audio output of your smartphone. We’ve identified some tempting iPhone 5 docks and speakers right here.

When it comes to iPhone 5 accessories, the options just keep on coming, and there are a lot of little extras that can really improve your experience. We cover everything from Bluetooth headsets for your iPhone 5 to touchscreen friendly gloves.

If it’s protection that you’re after, make sure to check out the best iPhone 5 cases.

The Lightning Dock for iPhone 5 ($25/$35)

Apple decided not to make a standalone charging dock for the iPhone 5, but you can find one if you really want one. The Lightning Dock is a simple iPhone 5 charging dock in three flavors – there’s a hardwood one for $25, or you can splash out an extra ten bucks for the aluminum model, which is also available in black. You can use your own Lightning cable or purchase an extra one for $20. The optional back support will run you another $5.

Jawbone Jambox ($200)

A portable wireless speaker is an accessory you should definitely consider for your iPhone 5, especially if you listen to a lot of music. The Jawbone Jambox comes in a wide variety of colors and styles; it’s really compact, easy to use, and the sound quality is impressive. It doesn’t just work as a simple speaker for enhanced audio either; it also doubles up as a speakerphone for conference calls. There’s no AirPlay support, but this Bluetooth wireless speaker is still one of your best options.

Bang and Olufsen Beolit 12 ($800)

If you want premium sound quality and you’re prepared for a premium price tag then the Bang and Olufsen Beolit 12 is going to tempt you. It does look like a picnic basket, but it supports AirPlay and will charge your iPhone 5 as well. It’s the most expensive option on our best iPhone 5 speaker docks list, but it really delivers on sound.

 Griffin PowerJolt Dual Universal Micro Car Charger ($20)

If you’re out on the road a lot it’s well worth investing in a car charger. This Griffin model plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car and it sports two USB ports. You can plug in your iPhone 5 alongside an Android smartphone, a BlackBerry, a digital audio player, or anything else with a USB cable. It has a compact design and it’s extremely handy, especially if you use your phone to navigate.

Motorola HX550 Bluetooth Headset ($60)

This is an easy-to-use, reasonably priced, Bluetooth headset for your iPhone 5 that will enable you to make and take hands-free calls. It’s ideal for use in the car. You simply flip the boom out to turn it on and there are voice prompts for pairing. You can also tap once to activate Siri. The sound quality is very good and it has decent battery life as well. It may not look as sexy as a Jabra headset or have the quality of a Bose headset, but you’ll pay a lot more for them. The Motorola HX550 Bluetooth headset is great value for money.

Bose AE2i Audio Headphones ($180)

Not a fan of the iPhone 5’s new EarPods? Want a cushioned headset that sits around the ear rather than an earplug design? Bose has always been a top name when it comes to audio and the AE2i Mobile Headset is fantastic for listening to music in comfort. It also boasts a microphone and a remote so you can take calls and control your tracks. The build quality is high and these headphones are seriously comfortable. They’re also fairly compact and you can fold them for travel.

Agloves Original ($20)

During cold winters you can keep your hands warm and operate your iPhone 5 outdoors if you invest in some gloves. There are a few options on the market designed to work with touchscreen tech, but many of them will make you look like an extra from Tron. If you just want gloves that look like gloves, keep your hands warm, and allow you to operate your iPhone 5 touchscreen then check out Agloves Original gloves. There are chunkier options for serious cold, but these will suit most people.

Spigen Stylus Pen Kuel H14 Series ($17)

A stylus is very handy accessory for a tablet, such as the iPad, but there’s no reason you can’t use one with your iPhone 5. The Kuel H14 from Spigen is comfortable to hold and pretty durable. It comes in a range of colors and you get a replacement tip. It is quite big, but that helps with balance and grip.

iOttie Easy One Touch Universal Car Mount Holder for iPhone 5 ($25)

You can fit this car mount to your dashboard or windshield with the super sticky suction cup. Your iPhone 5 can be locked in place with one touch and you release it by pressing in the side buttons. This car mount is really secure and it also works with a wide variety of cases. It’s fully adjustable so you can rotate to get the ideal angle you want. You can also plug your iPhone 5 in to charge while it is sitting in the mount. It covers all the bases.

Elago M2 Mobile Stand for iPhone 5 ($25)

Here’s a basic stand that allows you to sit your iPhone 5 at a comfortable viewing angle for video calls, watching movies, or charging. You can sit the iPhone 5 in portrait or landscape views and there’s room for the cable so you can plug your phone into the mains or your computer if you want to. It’s lightweight, but made of solid metal and pretty stable thanks to slip resistant pads on the bottom which also allow for one-handed operation.

Any other iPhone 5 accessories you’d like to recommend? Post a comment and share.

Best known for manufacturing other company's hardware, Foxconn is rumored to be building a range of its own-brand smartphones. Inspired by the success of HTC and Huawei, the rumor may not be as wild as it initially sounds.

Smartphones and tablets are today’s hot products, and technology companies all over the world are producing, or planning to produce, their own hardware in the hope of capturing some of the lucrative market. Those that aren’t, run the risk of missing out and being left behind.

It’s not just the big names getting in on the act either, as Digitimes.com is reporting that Foxconn wants to break into the game too, and that it’s already producing own-branded hardware to be distributed to “telecom carriers and channel operators.”

Now, Digitimes.com has a checkered history with its rumor reports, so it’s advisable not to look at anything they print as 100-percent accurate without independent verification. As wild as Foxconn producing its own phone sounds though, this could be one of Digitimes’ better calls.

As the report notes, Foxconn is looking to repeat HTC’s success. The Taiwanese company started out by making hardware that was badged by networks and other manufacturers — the Palm Treo and several of O2’s Xda series in the UK for example — and has obviously grown into a major force in the industry. It’s hardly a surprise, given Foxconn’s current remit of producing hardware for everyone from Apple to Sony, that it feels it could do the same.

Foxconn is either already working with, or in negotiations with (the report is a little unclear) Commtiva Technology, a company currently tasked with selling Sharp’s smartphones to networks. Commtiva has strong ties with Japanese and Taiwanese networks, where it also promotes the Musn range of smartphones too.

Foxconn’s other businesses

While we may know Foxconn best as the company that makes Apple products, this wouldn’t be the first time it has diversified from its manufacturing role. It has a chain of retail stores in China — some of which are operated by Foxconn employees, after receiving a grant from the company — and plans to open more in Brazil; plus it produces its own-brand computer hardware too, including motherboards and a range of bare-bones PCs.

The computer range provides a glimpse at Foxconn’s possible smartphone plans. They’re stripped down, basic models — the don’t come with any memory or internal storage options — but are fairly cheap at an estimated $280. Most importantly, they don’t wear the Foxconn name, but go by Nano PC instead. Foxconn, often justifiably, has a bad reputation in the West, so anyone buying a Foxconn-branded phone would be ostracized for supporting poor working conditions and child labor. Without a trace of irony, of course.

But Foxconn isn’t likely to be targeting the US, Europe or the UK with its smartphone straight away, starting instead with networks closer to home. While HTC may be its role-model, it’ll be Huawei that could suffer the most, as it too supplies hardware to networks for re-branding, as well as producing its own gradually improving range of phones that wear its name.

Last time, it didn’t end well

This isn’t the first time such plans have been talked about by Foxconn either, and the last conversation reportedly didn’t end well. When ex-Texas Instruments Asia CEO Terry Cheng came in as Foxconn CEO in 2011, he clashed with the chairman of Foxconn’s parent company, Terry Gou, over the proposed development of an own-brand phone range, as he had concerns that the move would affect the company’s core business. Cheng resigned just six months into a three-year contract, citing health reasons, but some reports suggest he was forced to leave by Gou.

These concerns may be justified too, as although there doesn’t seem to be any public information on restrictions regarding manufacturing placed on Foxconn by the companies that use its services, we’d imagine they would keep very close eye on any smartphone that did emerge from Foxconn, given the access it has had to cutting-edge devices all these years.

Digitimes.com’s report closes by saying Foxconn is watching Commtiva’s performance for Sharp, before making a decision whether to entrust them with its own devices. For now, it’s all speculation, but there’s a whiff of possibility about this one.