In a recent interview, Visceral Games VP Dead Space Executive Producer, Steve Papoutsis, confirmed that co-op was always something that Dead Space toyed with, long before it was introduced for Dead Space 3.

When Dead Space 3 revealed that it would feature co-op functionality that was deeply ingrained in the game, fans on the Internet reacted in a way that only fans on the Internet can: they raged. The objection was simple and fundamental; Dead Space is a survival horror franchise, and including a co-op function will do to it what it did to the Resident Evil franchise. It turned the survival horror series into action horror.

One of the things that rubbed people the wrong way with the Resident Evil treatment was that the franchise was always designed to be a single player offering, but then suddenly introduced a component that radically changed the way the game played. That series was introduced in 1996, and for over a decade the franchise grew based on what that first game established. Then it all changed, and not for the better.

So when Visceral announced that Dead Space 3 would feature co-op, you could almost see the internet fanbase collectively groan. There were fans that kept the faith, but to many it felt like the series was shifting away from its core identity. Turns out though, that’s not the case at all.

“Dead Space 1, believe it or not, when we were finishing that game up we messed around with turning on co-op at the very end of the development cycle, just to see if we could do it,” Papoutsis told us in a recent interview.

Dead Space 3 was designed to be played as either a single player campaign or with a friend via co-op. The single player campaign will once again put you in the shoes of the beleaguered engineer and monster-magnet, Isaac Clarke, but it will also feature drop-in/drop-out co-op, with the second player taking the role of EarthGov Sergeant John Carver. When you play solo, the character of Carver makes the odd appearance, but will leave you on your own for the most part, while the co-op will have Isaac and Carver fighting side by side. The two modes will make the game feel much different, but both modes are complete and gamers will have the choice of how to approach it. 

There will even be certain occurrences specific to each character. For example, Isaac – who is dealing with an increasing amount of insanity thanks to his encounters with the “Markers,” the objects that created the horrific necromorphs – could face a bout of hallucinations. While he is incapacitated, the enemies may take advantage and attack Carver, who will be left to fight them off on his own. The two characters will work together towards the same end goal and finale, but there will be some variations on the path they take.

This will be something completely new for the franchise, but not to Visceral.

“We weren’t going to add [co-op to the first or second Dead Space], because clearly you have to think about that way in the beginning, and the environment has to be just so. It has to be part of the plan, it’s not a thing you just turn on,” Papoutsis told us. “But it was something we turned on just to experiment with, and we said ‘wow, that’s kinda cool, that could be cool someday, let’s keep that in the back of our minds.’ And there you go, bam, Dead Space 3 co-op.”

We’ll have to wait until February 5 when Dead Space 3 is released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 to see if it all works, but it’s good to know that this isn’t just something that was tacked on, or added as a way to keep the series fresh. It was always there in the minds of Visceral, which should put fans slightly more at ease when they return to the horror filled world of blood, gore, and needles injected into eyes. Then again, maybe not.

A recently launched project on Kickstarter claims to have created the thinnest wearable wristwatch.

As the mobile industry continues to expand and evolve, we’re also beginning to see a surge in the type of wearable technology that could be available in the future. A recently launched Kickstarter project claims to have created the thinnest wristwatch in the world.

While the CST-01 wristwatch that  may not come with Internet connectivity or fancy features, the technology that goes into its design is just as impressive. The CST-01 is made of stainless steel and resembles a thin cuff measuring just over an inch in width. The design is what really stands out here: the CST-01 is a thin and entirely flexible band that implements the use of electronic ink to display the time.

That’s right – this means there are no buttons, no dials, just the displayed time. Its designers claim that it’s the thinnest watch ever made, measuring at only 1mm in thickness. The wristband’s flexibility allows it to wrap around wrists of all sizes, and it comes with a magnetic charging station as well. This charger is also used to adjust the time, since the watch does not feature and buttons or switches.

The e-ink that provides the time is the same type of low-power tech found in e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle. It isn’t only time teller to use this display technology, but it is the first of its kind in terms of design. Previous devices applied the use of e-ink to more conventionally designed timepieces such as smart watches.

“Everything about the design and engineering was thoroughly considered for its functional and aesthetic benefits,” the description on its Kickstarter page reads. “The CST-01 is the most minimal expression of a timepiece, it’s ‘time’ embedded in a band.” The designers behind the project, Dave Vondle and Jerry O’Leary, said that they planned the device’s appearance around the use of e-ink. 

“The concept of the watch was inspired by the qualities of E Ink segmented displays; ultra thinnes, readability, ruggedness, flexibility, and low power,” the Kickstarter page reads. “We developed our own segmented font designed for E Ink screens to make the numbers look great.”

The Chicago-born project, which launched on Jan. 8 and already boasts more than 3,000 backers, has already more than doubled its goal of $200,000. When it comes to wearable technology, projects such as the CST-01 further demonstrate the possibility of flexible display technology. Samsung has been showcasing this type of tech for quite some time, and it will be interesting to see this implemented into future mobile devices or e-readers. 

Samsung may reveal a fresh addition to its line of Galaxy Note products. A Samsung news blog has reportedly uncovered specs for this rumored 8-inch device.

Now that CES is over, Samsung is gearing up for next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where the company is expected to unveil a brand new Galaxy Note tablet.

The Korea-based electronics firm will reportedly reveal its Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet, according to Samsung news blog Sam Mobile. The website doesn’t specify exactly where this information came from, but does provide a list of specifications for the device.  Like most tablets, this rumored slate is expected to come in two flavors. One edition will feature 3G and Wi-Fi, and the other will be Wi-Fi only.

None of this information has been confirmed, but the alleged follow up to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 is expected to come with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, a 4600 mAh battery, a 5-megapixel front facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. As for the display, we may be seeing a Super Clear LCD screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Whether these specs turn out to be true or not, we can expect the tablet to come in the standard 16GB or 32GB variants.

This isn’t a drastic improvement from the current generation Galaxy Tab 7.7 in terms of tech specs, but it could prove to be an appealing alternative to Apple’s iPad Mini. It’s similar in size to Apple’s offering, allowing for more screen space than Google’s Nexus 7 or other smaller-sized slates. However, the alleged Galaxy Note 8.0 would come equipped with Samsung’s signature S-Pen stylus, offering a different set of features than Apple’s miniature iPad. In addition, since Samsung’s rumored tablet comes with Android 4.2 at launch, we can probably expect some of the recently announced Premium Suite features as well.

While Sam Mobile seems to have the scoop, its set of reported specs is missing one key piece of information. There was no mention of what kind of processor would power the device. We’re hoping that one of Samsung’s new quad-core Exynos chips will be inside, but we’ll have to wait until the Mobile World Congress to find out for sure.

If these rumors turn out to be true, Samsung will be adding yet another major player to the already saturated tablet industry. While an 8-inch Galaxy Note may not outsell the iPad Mini, offering the premium suite S Pen-enabled features on a miniature tablet would make sense for Samsung.

This isn’t the first time this device has made an appearance on the Web. Back in December, a device with the same model number, code name and specs appeared in the GLBenchmark’s database.

It’s been a long five years since The Behemoth released Castle Crashers but the long wait for its follow up, BattleBlock Theater, is nearly over. The Behemoth is accepting applications for a closed beta test of the game.

The Behemoth will not be rushed. Long before indie video game developers were hot commodities, The Behemoth made a name for itself with the difficult, but charming shooter Alien Hominid. That game made its debut on Newgrounds all the way back in 2002, and it was another six years before they followed it up with the excellent Castle Crashers. Its next game, BattleBlock Theater was announced all the way back in 2009. After a healthy wait, the game is finally going into beta testing.

The Behemoth is now accepting applications from Xbox 360 owners to participate in a closed beta of BattleBlock Theater. Only 10,000 applications will be selected to participate in testing that will be carried out throughout February and March.

There are a few requirements. Testers have to be Xbox Live Gold members, be at least 13-years-old, and a registered Behemoth Forums user. Anyone thinking that this is an opportunity to play what looks like a hilarious competitive platforming game should also take note of the BattleBlock Theater Beta Test Task List, laying our what’s actually expected of testers. In short it’s homework to go with the game.

As of this writing BattleBlock Theater is only announced for Xbox 360. Castle Crashers started as an Xbox 360 exclusive as well before making the jump to PC and PlayStation 3.

As promised, the Terminator will be back, thanks to writers Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier.

When James Cameron’s The Terminator hit theaters in 1984, it was an immediate hit. The film helped to launch Arnold Schwarzenegger to stratospheric levels of movie stardom and also launched a franchise which included one really excellent sequel, then two other movies that most fans of the franchise would likely rather forget. Still, though 2003′s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and 2009′s Terminator Salvation may not have been the sequels people had hoped for, they still made tons of cash and as a result the Terminator franchise will continue to live on in Hollywood.

This morning we received the first concrete word on what direction the next Terminator film might take. According to Deadline Hollywood, two writers have been assigned the task of writing a script for the next, currently unnamed Terminator sequel. Patrick Lussier is best known for his work as an editor, with such films as Scream and the 2009 My Bloody Valentine remake among his credits. He has served as a writer on films like Dracula 2000 and Drive Angry, though his overall experience in writing Hollywood scripts seems both limited and largely unrelated to his newest assignment.

By contrast, the other writer tapped for the next Terminator movie is Laeta Kalogridis. She had a hand in writing the screenplays for both Scorcese’s Shutter Island and James Cameron’s eternally-in-production Battle Angel (a live-action/CGI movie based on the Battle Angel Alita manga series). Kalogridis is described by Deadline as “tight” with Cameron, and should thus be seen as the most intriguing addition to the crew of the inevitable Terminator sequel, at least as far as fans of the first two films are concerned.

As to what this would-be Terminator 5 might be about, we’re still in the dark. We’d expect a cameo from Schwarzenegger now that he’s left the world of politics and returned to film, though at age 65 we wonder if he’s able to contribute anything to the film outside of a winking reference to its predecessors. Further, we’d like to think this new Terminator film will finally depict the raging, futurisitic man-versus-machine conflict hinted at in the first two Terminator films, but properly filming such a thing would likely be very expensive. In the end, we just don’t know enough about this movie to properly speculate on what direction it might take. At least not until producers Skydance Productions and Annapurna Pictures opt to let us in on who they’ve selected to direct the film. We’ll bring you more on this movie as it emerges.

As recently as 2011, the expectation was that the social gaming industry was the future of big money in video games. Companies like Zynga were valued in the billions. In 2013, not so much. Investment in social game companies dropped by $1 billion in 2012.

An important rule to follow in the video game business: What seems suddenly like the most profitable new market in the world one day, can become a wasteland the next. At the beginning of the ‘00s, the industry was convinced that mobile gaming would be the next boom market, but it was another decade before mobile became the force it is today. Over the past five years, the expectation has been that social games played on mobile devices and browsers through networks like Facebook would be the next fabled boom. Even just a year ago, that seemed true: Zynga was valued at more than $10 billion just before the FarmVille maker went public. Today it’s valued below $2 billion and shares are trading below $2.50. It’s not just Zynga, either. The social game development bubble has  burst.

According to a new Digi-Capital report (via GamesIndustry International), investment in social game companies fell a staggering 94-percent between peaks in 2011 and the end of 2012, a total decline of $1 billion. Just $853 million was poured into social game development in 2012, and most of that was not into would-be FarmVille contenders, but real money gambling game makers and “Middleware.” Middleware actually account for 35-percent of all social game industry investment.

Middleware doesn’t refer to actual games, but rather the software used for “gamification” of other services. For example, the software that powers something like GameStop’s PowerUp Rewards program, basic as that customer loyalty service is with its growing points, could be considered middleware.

There was still plenty of activity in the social game industry, though. While there was little money poured into new operations, 2012 was a period of significant consolidation, with tons of companies merging or getting bought up by large companies. Mergers and acquisition transactions, according to Digi-Capital, totaled $4 billion in 2012 with companies like China’s Tencent and others leading the charge.

What does this mean in terms of how games will actually be made over the next few years? For one, young designers looking to fund a new studio by developing social game prototypes should look elsewhere for the time being. The market has cooled. In terms of big publishers like Electronic Arts who have poured huge amounts of money into social game studio acquisitions over the past few years, don’t expect a huge number of new games from them. Development will likely shift towards integrating social elements into existing PC, console and mobile games. Hope you enjoyed that Mass Effect 3 multiplayer and social network integrated iOS game, because much more of that is on the way.

HelloSign for Gmail is a helpful tool, but there are many other e-signature apps you can use to sign any electronic document without having to waste paper and time.

In an age when most of our documents, driving directions, and Groupons can be pulled up on our smartphones, many of us no longer own printers or scanners. Frankly, we don’t miss these space-sucking products – that is, until we receive an email asking us to return a document with our signature. Short of visiting and paying for the services at a Kinkos, or waiting until you’re back in the office, you may think you’re out of luck. Fortunately, there are many apps you can use to electronically sign documents. Yesterday, HelloSign released its new Gmail plugin that makes affixing signatures to documents a lot faster and easier. But HelloSign is hardly your only option. Listed below are five other ways you can add electronic signatures to paperwork.

1. SignNow
Price: Free
Operating System: Any

Out of all the options listed, we’ve used SignNow the most. Simply import the file you want to sign (PDF, DOC/DOCX, and other common image files), and  either draw in your signature, or you  upload a photo or a scanned image of your handwriting (make sure you sign on white paper so you can easily edit the image into your documents). SignNow has both Web apps and mobile apps. The Web app can be used on any operating system, but it’s a bit difficult to use. Its interface isn’t responsive enough to recognize handwriting in real time, even while using a graphics tablet. That being said, once you’ve successfully signed one document, you can reuse your signature again and again. We found working with SignNow’s iOS and Android apps much easier as they don’t lag. Also, signing your signature on a touchscreen display is just easier.

SignNow has a paid version with several collaboration features, but, unless you sign a lot of paperwork with other coworkers, it’s not necessary. The free version has everything you need. 

2. PDFescape
Price: Free
Operating System: Any

Though there are many online PDF editors out there, we’re particularly fond of PDFescape. Since it’s entirely Web-based, you don’t need to download anything. In fact, you don’t even need to sign up for an account. You can sign any PDF file using the Freehand option, but you can also upload a photo or a scanned image of your signature to make things easier. You’ll probably want to upload a photo, since we found it hard to replicate our signatures on PDFescape’s interface.

3. Adobe Reader
Price: Free
Operating System: Windows or Mac OS X

Unlike the previous options mentioned wherein you can edit documents via Web interface, using Adobe Reader to sign requires you to download and install a program. Once installed, you’ll see the Sign option when you open a PDF. Clicking on the Sign option opens a pop-up window where you can draw in your signature, type your name, or insert an image of your handwritten John Hancock. 

4. DocuSign Personal
Price: Free
Operating System: Any

DocuSign is another Web-based service. You can upload your document from your hard drive or directly from your Box account and then choose from one of the cursive fonts to sign your name. Alternatively, you can draw in your signature. The Personal version of DocuSign is free, but you can upgrade anytime. Upgrading to the Professional version will cost you at least $15 per month, but it gives you the option of inviting multiple people to sign your document, sending reminders to signees, and collecting credit card or PayPal payments, among others. There’s also a DocuSign for Outlook, as well as DocuSign apps for Android and iOS. 

5. Preview on Mac
Price: Free (comes with Mac OS X)
Operating System: Mac OS X 

You don’t even need a third-party application if you have a Mac –  all you need is the included Preview app. To add your signature, launch the Preview app, go to Preferences, and click on Signatures. Choose Create a Signature, and another window will pop up with a pane showing you what your computer’s webcam can see. Sign your name on white paper and hold it up near the webcam. Preview will recognize your handwriting and upon clicking Accept, it will save that image as your electronic signature. The next time you need to sign a document, just click the pencil icon on top of Preview and choose the Signature icon from the pop-up menu bar. 

These are but a handful of ways to electronically sign documents. If have preferred methods or applications other than the ones we listed, let us know in the comments!

The descent of RIM has been well-documented in the tech press, but the obituaries may have been scribbled prematurely. BlackBerry 10 is almost here and it could spark a major comeback for the brand.

We’ve been waiting a long time for BlackBerry 10 and it’s widely perceived as the last roll of the dice for RIM. The BlackBerry brand has fallen behind the competition as iOS and Android have carved up the smartphone market between them. When we last pointed out that BlackBerry wasn’t dead yet, in the summer, the share price was languishing below $8 and it has been steadily climbing since then, almost hitting $15 as the new platform comes into sight on the horizon.

Thorsten Heins replaced co-CEOs Balsillie and Lazaridis almost exactly a year ago and he decided that the new platform would not be rushed. Despite the pressure on the company, he recognized that another poor update would make things worse. At BlackBerry World last May he said “I want this BlackBerry 10 to be perfect.”

It’s worth remembering that RIM has actually been adding subscribers in the last few months. Market share has dwindled, but the smartphone market has been growing fast enough to mask that. It was only last quarter that RIM lost subscribers for the first time, down from 80 to 79 million. The company has laid off thousands, restructured, and amassed a $2.9 billion war chest to launch the new platform. There can be no doubt that BlackBerry 10 has to succeed if RIM’s future is to be healthy, but we’ve heard enough doomsaying. Here are a few reasons why BB 10 might just surprise everyone and put RIM back in the game.

Securing the enterprise

For Fortune 500 companies and government agencies across the world BlackBerry has always been the platform of choice. RIM forgot its base with BlackBerry 7 as ill-advised and rushed attempts to court the mass market damaged the brand. The company will not make the same mistake again. The BlackBerry platform still has a solid reputation in the business world for a high level of security and reliability. BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BES, is a powerful tool for IT departments. 

RIM just reported that 1,600 companies have already signed up for BlackBerry 10 training. Prospects for BB 10 in the enterprise are bright and its biggest rivals, Android and iOS, are consumer-focused first, with businesses clocking a distant second. Windows Phone 8 could be BB 10’s only real competition in this space.

Dividing work and play

Thinking about the enterprise goes beyond secure email and enterprise apps. RIM has also included a separation between Personal and Work modes so users can switch between them at a touch. Personal mode allows you to install whatever apps or games you want and deal with personal email in an encrypted partition. Work mode is a separate partition that can be locked down by your employer. It’s a clever solution to the company subsidized smartphone and the BYOD trend. Your employer can exert some control over the Work side of your device while your Personal partition is beyond their control.

Standing out from the crowd

We’ve seen plenty of predictions about Microsoft finally hitting its stride in mobile with Windows Phone 8 and one reason you’ll see frequently being cited is that it’s different from the present incumbents, Android and iOS. That’s one of the best things about BlackBerry 10 – it’s a genuine alternative, not a weak copy. It will look familiar to Android, iOS, or WP8 users, but feel very different to use. The integration of gestures, the speed, the active frames, the general flow between apps and services; it all appears to be well-thought out and intuitive to use. It’s also important to note that BB 10 isn’t missing any major feature that’s standard on Android or iOS. 

If people are bored or frustrated by Android or iOS then BB 10 could easily catch their attention as a viable alternative.

Attracting developers

RIM understands the importance of attracting developers to the platform and establishing a decent pool of apps for new BB 10 customers. There’s no way the platform is going to catch up with iOS and Android at the 700,000 plus mark, but who needs 700,000 apps? As long as the big apps are all present and correct and there’s a decent choice in BlackBerry App World customers will be happy.

At the weekend RIM was able to attract 15,000 app submissions by offering $100 for every ported app which is accepted and offered for sale in the BB 10 app store. Other incentives include the chance to win BB 10 development handsets and trips to developer conferences. RIM also set aside $10 million to offer developers with apps that exceed 100 downloads and earn at least $1,000 a guaranteed top up to $10,000. The aim is to launch with 70,000 apps and that would be unprecedented for a new platform.

A loyal fan base

Can RIM persuade the 79 million subscribers it has right now to upgrade to BB 10? Even a percentage of those customers upgrading would give the new platform a great start. Then you have to consider all the BlackBerry fans who switched to iOS and Android in the last few years. Some of them won’t be coming back, but not everyone is enamored with the market leaders. The BlackBerry name still has a lot of goodwill and if RIM can present a decent proposition with BB 10, it will tempt some customers back.

The Hub: a universal inbox

Forget about dipping in and out of multiple apps. The BlackBerry Hub is a truly universal inbox. It can suck in multiple email accounts, call history, BBM, text messages, popular third-party apps like Whats App, as well as social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. With built-in calendar functions, this is your one-stop shop for new information and it could be a real time-saver. If you fear information overload don’t worry because it’s easy to filter for the accounts you want to check.

Multitasking

Part of the reason that BB 10 flows so well is the focus on multitasking. Dropping in and out of apps to deal with notifications is a pain point for smartphone users. With BB 10, you can swipe to take a peek at your inbox without leaving the current app. If you swipe left to right you’ll see the other apps that are running in the background and you can switch quickly. Even the home screen focuses on recently used apps and you can have up to nine applications active simultaneously.

That trademark physical keyboard

There’s no doubt that touchscreens are here to stay, but some people will always prefer a physical keyboard on their smartphone and RIM make the best in the business. The quality and feel of the BlackBerry keyboard is unmatched and that will attract a niche audience to choose BB 10. The platform is said to launch with a full touchscreen phone and another touch phone with a QWERTY.

It’s also worth pointing out that RIM has worked on the touchscreen keyboard in BB 10 so it is well-spaced, accurate, offers decent predictive text, and even simultaneous multi-language support. It’s already one of our favorite touch keyboards.

BBM

BlackBerry Messenger was once a killer feature for the platform and it could be set to take center stage in BB 10. The real-time chat client is going to expand on instant messaging to include voice calls over Wi-Fi. RIM has also worked on BBM Connected which is about integrating other apps like Facebook. If the rumored video chat and screen sharing functionality is thrown into the mix then BBM could be a killer feature again.

Embracing the new

There are a couple of features that signal RIM’s willingness to embrace new trends. The most notable is perhaps the camera app and something the company is calling “Timeshift.” When you take a photo you can rewind or fast forward via a dial to pick the best facial expression and a slider lets you pick the best pose to create a composite image that’s just the one you want. If it works well then it could be a great feature.

We’re also hearing that BB 10 will support NFC and mobile payments thanks to a partnership with Visa. The rise of mobile payments has long been predicted, but so far it has failed to catch on in a major way. RIM could be jumping onboard with this at just the right time and Visa is a great company to partner with in this space.

You can check out the new platform for yourself from January 30, but if you can’t wait then you should take a look at our BlackBerry 10 hands-on. One way or another 2013 is shaping up to be a big year for RIM.

The Writers Guild of America has compiled a list of nominees of what it considers the most well written video games of 2012 using criteria that somehow placed Halo 4 and 007 Legends on the list.

This morning, the Writer’s Guild of America unveiled its annual list of best writing nominees. The Guild covers almost every form of media, from films to television to zero-budget web series’ and as you might expect this includes video games. Based on the WGA’s list though, we’re not entirely convinced that the Guild is all that familiar with the medium.

We’ll get to our complaints with this list in a moment, but first let’s take a look at which games the WGA considers to be the best examples of games writing to emerge from 2012:

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING

VIDEOGAME WRITING 

• 007 Legends, Written By Bruce Feirstein; Activision
• Assassin’s Creed III, Story By Alex Hutchinson, Corey May, Matt Turner; Multiplayer Story By Richard Farrese, Jeffrey Yohalem; Lead Scriptwriter Corey May; Scriptwriter Nicholas Grimwood, Russell Lees, Matt Turner, Danny Wallace, Ceri Young; Ubisoft
• Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Scriptwriting by Richard Farrese, Jill Murray; Ubisoft
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Writing Consultant Marv Wolfman; Disney Interactive Studios
• Halo 4, Narrative Design Christopher Schlerf; Microsoft Studios
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Written By John Garvin; Sony Computer Entertainment America

Research in Motion once dominated the smartphone battlefield with its BlackBerry series of products, but it has been pushed to the wayside by iOS and Android in recent years.

RIM is making a big push this year with BlackBerry 10 and now a leaked document from Waterloo is showing off all kinds of official details about the upcoming L-Series smartphone.

The official doc leaked from RIM looks like it is a presentation geared toward sales reps, educating them on the ins and outs of not only BlackBerry 10, but also the new L-Series touchscreen smartphone (which could launch as the BlackBerry Z10) itself. We’ve heard some info about this phone, but now we’re getting something more concrete. There’s a presentation slide with the BlackBerry 10 L-Series specs, for instance. It details a 4.2-inch 1280×768 HD display to go along with 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage and a 1800mAh battery.

Going on par with other major smartphones of the day, the BlackBerry Z10 will reportedly have two cameras: a 2MP camera on the front for 720p video calls, plus a 8MP shooter on the back with autofocus, 1080p video, 5x digital zoom, and LED flash. Connectivity brings the upcoming L-Series on par with other high end smartphones too, boasting NFC and 4G, along with the usual allotment of WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS.

So, why is it called the L-Series if it might be marketed as the BlackBerry Z10? That’s because it’s coming in four different flavors named after four different L cities. The BlackBerry London will have 21Mbps HSPA+ in lieu of 4G, while the BlackBerry Laguna, BlackBerry Lisbon and BlackBerry Liverpool will have variations on 4G LTE for different markets. We expect to see the official formal unveiling on January 30, so stay tuned.

Facebook unveiled Graph Search this week, and, even though it wasn’t the fabled Facebook Phone, the new feature makes Facebook all the more powerful in the hands of users. Desktop users, that is. Here’s why Facebook should move search onto mobile tout de suite.

Facebook’s Graph Search announcement met with an outsized response from the tech press this week. Those of us who wanted a Facebook phone – ill-advised as that may have been – came away somewhat disappointed by Mountain View’s foray into search. Others might see this as yet another step into Facebook’s vision of total online hegemony, turning the social network into the de facto Internet.

The fact remains, however, that Graph Search is a confusingly desktop-only affair right now. We’ve been told that Graph Search will hit mobile “tomorrow” (figuratively, not literally), but for a company that Zuckerberg has characterized as “really a mobile company” those innovations need to be happening right now. Right where most of Facebook’s users can see them.

Recommendation Engine par excellence

There’s no question that Facebook is taking on the Web at large with this new effort. LinkedIn, Yelp, Foursquare, and even OkCupid have a few things to worry about since Facebook has now planted itself firmly in all their wheelhouses.

But where Facebook may face obstacles disrupting online recruitment and dating – put simply, it’s a whole lot easier to search for a stranger than to message one – local search is where it can bury the competition.

Presently, Facebook has more than 1 billion users. 600 million of those are mobile users, and roughly 100 million only use the site on their mobile devices. Such users will want to find the best restaurants and best night spots, not from home, but when they’re already out and about. Facebook can accomplish that with ease, having already scaled to meet that potential demand; the platform is already advertising Graph Search as something businesses should be very, very interested in utilizing. The site also already has a check-in function, as well as the newly implemented Nearby feature. With the power of Graph Search, users needn’t reference Foursquare or find places on Yelp. Facebook will have locked them in as soon as they step out the door.

Your new phone book

With yesterday’s rollout of free calling via Messenger for iPhone, Facebook can now officially stand alongside the likes of Skype as a true VoIP solution. The ramifications of this step are huge, as Facebook’s community dwarfs Skype’s, and free calls over Wi-Fi or data gives people the means to save a ton on cell service. The iPhone is now as close to a bonafide Facebook Phone as we’re going to see, and the feature can’t be far behind for other platforms.

Merging search into such a product is a no-brainer. Your contacts and your favorite places are only a few clicks away. All that’s left is video calling. But guess what: Facebook already has a deal with Skype to make that happen on the desktop. Adding mobile to the mix could create a perfect storm that changes mobile telephony in a big way.

Voice search

Mark Zuckerberg made much of the fact that Graph Search understands natural speech when you enter queries. “Costa Rican men living near New York City” could seriously be something you could search for on Facebook, and Graph Search will deliver. I’m not saying you should do a search like that, but you could and that’s a powerful thing.

But what sense is there using natural speech if it can’t be spoken? Facebook would be in a place to compete with the likes of Siri and even Google Now by making search voice-ready. Of course, the engineering to bring such a project to fruition would outstrip what Facebook has already accomplished with Graph Search. Still, it should be on the radar for the next step in their plan for world domination improving the user experience.

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And isn’t this the entire point? Facebook, like its arch-nemesis Google, is now an ad company, and its greatest strength is in serving ads to its now more than one billion customers. There’s simply no way to pretend that the search queries users will pump into Graph Search won’t be used to better connect people to services, companies, and experiences according to their Likes, wants, and needs.

Facebook, for its part, can’t pretend that computing is stagnant. People have increasingly begun to enjoy everything they have to offer on their smartphones and tablets. The app economy is entrenched, and Zuckerberg and his ilk would be foolish to leave money on the table for very long. So much has already been said about Facebook’s need to innovate. The developers in Mountain View need to understand that their revenue stream aren’t sitting at their desks anymore. They’re out in the world, and Facebook needs to meet them there.

MediaFire is a well known option for online file storage and sharing. Now it’s bringing its services to Android, and it’s got a whole bunch of space available. Android users will be given 50GB of free storage in the cloud service, though some limitations with the app may make that less appealing.

For a cloud storage solution to stand out today, it needs to have something unique to it – something that no other cloud option can offer. MediaFire’s Android app has found a pretty strong hook for itself by offering users 50GB of free space in its virtual hard drive in the sky.

The storage service MediaFire has been offering online file sharing solutions for some time, now. When it released its app for iOS, it made 50GB of space available to users in the same way it’s doing with Android. Like it’s iOS counterpart and the many cloud apps that came before it, MediaFire’s Android app allows users to upload and download files at whim. The app also allows users to search and view files that are stored in the cloud. MediaFire’s app isn’t quite as feature rich as, say, Dropbox, but it has the distinct benefit of offering up a whole lot more space for zero cost to the user. It will likely make for a great option for people running out of local storage space.

It may be worth noting that MediaFire comes with a few limitations. An upload with a free account cannot be larger than 200MB (increased to 1GB with a $1.50 a month fee for the Personal plan). The service will also nudge you to move or interact with your files if they haven’t been touched in over 300 days. These might be deal breakers for some and mild inconveniences for others. Proceed to download as you see fit. The MediaFire app for Android is available for free in the Google Play Store. 

After 45 years of untouched changes, American Airlines has revealed a well deserved new design that boasts patriotism and lots of added tech on board. Is the upgrade too little too late?

American Airlines has unveiled a new look to its entire brand and is calling it #NewAmerican. You know, because the old American reminded us too much of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Okay, not really, but I can’t help but think of that every time I type aa.com into my browser window. With the new American Airlines logo, no longer will you see the generic Helvetica double A’s but instead, an actual “Flight Symbol” logo with a minimalistic font to accompany it. Along with the visual changes (which AA hasn’t touched since 1968), the company is also aiming to pump up its tech specs on-board, including electrical outlets and Wi-Fi availability on “nearly all U.S. flights” starting in early 2013.

New planes will also be outfitted with television screens to offer in-flight movies, shows, music, and games so you don’t have to stare out of the window through the entire flight. The move toward connectivity is obviously a money maker for AA since we’re all so increasingly addicted to the Web, and we’re surprised it took them this long to update its in-flight entertainment. Other airlines such as Virgin America and JetBlue have been offering free satellite television on their flights for years.

Not only will passengers enjoy new tech on upgraded AA planes, flight attendants will also receive new gear with which to work. Instead of waiting to hear flight information at the airport, AA flight attendants will be given Galaxy Note’s so they’ll have access to your connecting gate information, flight status, and loyalty information so they can creep and say hi to you by name even before you introduce yourself (but why would you?). Meanwhile, pilots will be rocking iPads in their cockpits to reduce paper waste. If all this doesn’t scream American thanks to increased use of technology and varied instances of red, white, and blue, then you’re probably better off flying Delta. Traitor.

How much this will change, enhance, or worsen the typical American Airlines flight experience is beyond us, but one could only hope updates are always for the better. Now if you’ll only do something about those first checked baggage fee. Pretty please?

Yesterday’s record-breaker is today’s ignored multiplayer game. After more than eight years, Halo 2 is finally going offline, as players on PC dwindle to a trickle. But you can’t keep a good game down.

The passing of the PlayStation 2 isn’t the only event in the past month that marks the true end of this millennium’s first video game console generation. Just over eight years after the game’s record-breaking release in the fall of 2004, Halo 2 is going offline once and for all.

“We’re sad to report that service end-date for Halo 2 PC Multiplayer will be February 15, 2013,” reads an update at the Halo Waypoint blog, “We’ve been monitoring the population for months, and it’s been peaking consistently at approximately 20 players or less. Those that own this game can continue to enjoy multiplayer over LAN after that date; however our network services will be turned off at that time. We love you, Halo 2 PC, and you will forever live in our hearts.”

Close to 2.4 million copies of Halo 2 for Xbox were sold during the game’s first day on sale in November 2004, earning Microsoft $125 million and making it the biggest entertainment release (in terms of sales) in history at the time. Its record has been broken many times over since, by its successor Halo 3 first, and later Activision’s Call of Duty series.

Halo 2 has been on life support on the PC. The Xbox edition of Halo 2 was taken offline in April 2010, but a number of players actually refused to sign off from the game, keeping it open until well into May. In the parlance of the series, Halo 2 fans will be forced to finish the fight for good come February. Though they likely won’t have to stay offline for too long.

Microsoft is no stranger to re-releasing products when there’s profit to be made, and with Halo 2’s tenth anniversary coming up at the end of 2014, a Halo 2 Anniversary Edition in the vein of 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, seems like a given.

Rumor is that Halo’s current steward, 343 Industries, is already hard at work on an HD remaster of the game. In July it was reported that 343 was giving Halo 2 a facelift to that of the first game. With a 2014 release date, it may well look even prettier given that Microsoft will be pushing its rumored new console by that time.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you devoted 20 Halo 2 players. Take a year off!

A patent application shows Google could be working on a virtual input system for Project Glass, which would project controls on to your hand or arm using a laser, then read your input using a camera.

Just in case you didn’t think Project Glass was sci-fi enough, Google has come up with a virtual user interface which will be projected onto a surface using a laser. Engadget has unearthed a Google patent describing the technology, and it’s a wonderfully simple solution to the problem of how to control something attached to your face. Of course, when we say simple, we mean it as in simple to use and definitely not simple to design and execute.

Here’s how it could work: A miniature projector is mounted on the arm of Project Glass, which uses a laser to project a pattern on to a surface, be it your arm, hand or the table in front of you. A camera mounted alongside the projector, or on the other arm of the glasses, then maps where you touch and obeys the command. Google sees this being used not only for virtual keyboards, but for big, bold buttons relating to a certain function or service too. In the accompanying picture, Google provides an example of a virtual keypad being projected on to the user’s hand or arm.

In the patent, Google describes how the keyboard would be generated by a laser projector, while a second infrared beam would track the spots where the beam was broken to interpret which characters were being tapped out. Project Glass is currently controlled using a little touchpad on its side, but according to project leader Babak Parviz, the team has also tried out voice commands and head gestures. The virtual input patent could be linked with Google’s plans to eventually turn Project Glass into a fully-fledged smartphone, something which Parviz said his team was already working on.

The developer edition of Project Glass, known as the Explorer Edition, will soon be winging its way to the lucky few who purchased a pair for $1,500 at last year’s Google I/O event, but Project Glass isn’t expected to be made available to the public until 2014.

More and more companies are pushing to make pint-sized, ARM-powered mobile computers. Thanks to VIA, it looks like Raspberry Pi has some definite competition.

The trend of inexpensive credit-card-sized PCs continues with VIA’s launch of two new ARM PCs. Building on its original Android PC model from last year, VIA’s new computers are the APC Rock and APC Paper. According to Geek.com, the computers add new components to the board powered by an ARM processor. Both boards run Android 4.0 and an 800MHz VIA WonderMedia ARM Cortex A9 processor. They can run graphics up to 1080p and have 512MB DDR3 RAM.

The Rock model ships with a VGA port, and both models have HDMI, USB 2.0, microUSB, and microSD ports. The Paper version comes with a recycled cardboard case for extra protection and mobility, and to help keep dust out of the components. The APC Rock costs $79, and the APC Paper is $99. So, for $20 more, you’ll be getting a VGA port and the protective cardboard case.

Both are available for preorder on the APC website, with a projected ship date of March. The price point is higher than Raspberry Pi, which offers a similarly bare-bones machine for just $35, but the VIA options still have solid specs for the growing field of cheap ARM PCs. 

In addition to being the workhorse driving many of the new bite-sized PCs, ARM processors climbed high enough on the ladder to be a concern for processor rival Intel. In fact, Intel is working on pushing into the system-on-a-chip field for smartphones, an area where ARM has excelled and dominated. In the computing world, rumors stirred in November of Apple planning to switch Macs from Intel chips to ARM. ARM chips have become popular for mobile devices because of their efficient power usage, but Intel still has the edge in terms of computing power. For this bite-sized PC, however, the ARM processors have proven a great fit. 

One of the “next-gen” games that made headlines in 2012 may make it to the current generation of video game consoles after all, as Sony’s German office claims that Star Wars 1313 is coming to PlayStation 3.

The next-generation of video game technology rumbled across the horizon of 2012, teasing new technology across the year. Big budget game makers like Ubisoft, Konami, and Electronic Arts tantalized with teases of games like Watch Dogs, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, and Battlefield 4, all games “targeted” at current gen console fans, but also thought by most to be heading to a wave of machines still only rumored. One of the most discussed titles of this next wave of possible next-gen launch titles has been Star Wars 1313. Most assumed that it was destined for a next-gen release, but according to one Sony subsidiary, LucasArts’ next Star Wars video game won’t just be for Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. It will also find a home on PlayStation 3.

Sony’s official German Facebook page announced that Star Wars 1313, the tech demo that caused a stir amongst jaded E3 2012 attendees thanks to its novel take on the fiction as well as its impressive graphics, would be released on PlayStation 3 by the end of the year. That statement was the first confirmation from any source as to what platform Star Wars 1313 would be released for since developer Lucasarts has been reticent to discuss even the PC specifications that might be required to run it.

The site backpedalled from its initial claim though, posting shortly thereafter that no platform had been announced for Star Wars 1313. “Since we are gamers, we hope of course for a release of the game on one of our PlayStation platforms, and wanted to emphasize that with pictures. So sorry again for the excitement!”

LucasArts also followed up with Kotaku. “[That] was an inaccurate post. We have not confirmed any platforms yet for 1313 and do not have any announcements to make at this time.”

It seems that SCEE’s German outfit made an honest mistake in the case, but it’s likely that Star Wars 1313 will appear on current consoles regardless of what platform it’s primarily built for. LucasArts only rarely develops its own tent pole releases, and when it does it maximizes their potential for profit. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the studio’s last signature product. The game was teased in tech demos years before its 2008 release, demonstrating its advanced physics engine. While the game did sport said physics in its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release, Lucasarts also developed a downgraded edition of the game for PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, and Sony’s PSP. Even if LucasArts isn’t willing to confirm Star Wars 1313 for PlayStation 3 this week, it’s still a likely candidate for the console.