Google and Apple in "nuclear disarmament" talks

September 1st, 2012, 19:00 Posted By: wraggster

Is there an end in sight to the ongoing mobile patent wars?
Google's Larry Page and Apple's Tim Cook have been in secret talks with the aim of preventing the two firms descending into the kind of legal warfare that has plagued Apple and Samsung.
At least, that's according to a report in Reuters, which says the two CEOs have been engaged in conversation about patents in the wake of the Apple v. Samsung ruling.
The also says that in-person meetings are potentially in the works.
There's no way of knowing yet if this story is even true, let alone if the talks are bearing fruit, but it's good news that there is at least the suggestion of the two mega-firms meeting to find a solution to potential problems.
The current situation cannot continue indefinitely, and if there we are ever going to see a truce in the mobile patent wars it will take a long-term commitment and lots and lots of conversation to find a solution that is acceptable to both sides.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...t-talks/019198

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Nokia webcast for upcoming Windows Phone 8 release goes live

September 1st, 2012, 19:35 Posted By: wraggster

Nokia has invited the public to view its Windows Phone 8 press event live via a dedicated webcast.
The joint event with Microsoft will take place on September 5th and 10am EDT. It is hotly tipped that Nokia will showcase a new line of phones that will run on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.
Smartphone fans and tech journalists alike are expecting to see the Nokia Phi make an appearance. Said to be thinner and larger than previous Nokia Lumia devices, the Phi is rumoured to have a 4.7-inch screen.
Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8 at an event earlier this year, claiming that it is the most advanced mobile OS the company has ever produced.
We know from that event that Windows Phone 8 can support two new screen resolutions – 1280 x 768 and 1280 x 720. We also know that the mobile OS has NFC wireless sharing, making it easier to share photos, docs and other info.
Bookmark www.nokia.com/global/about-nokia/webcast/live/ and tune in on September 5th to see what Nokia and Microsoft unveil.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...es-live/029066

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Top 5 mobile and tablet apps

September 1st, 2012, 19:38 Posted By: wraggster

This week sees the new Simpson’s game shoot to the top of the free iPhone and iPad app charts.

IPHONE

Free
1. The Simpsons: Tapped Out
2. What’s My IQ?
3. C4 Paralympics
4. Stupidness 3
5. Trigger Fist

Paid
1. WhatsApp Messenger
2. The Curse
3. What’s My IQ? PRO
4. Living Earth HD – World Clock and Weather
5. Angry Birds Space

IPAD

Free
1. The Simpsons: Tapped Out
2. What’s My IQ? HD
3. Virtual Surgery Pro
4. 101-in-1 Games HD
5. Talking Ginger for iPad

Paid
1. Galaxy on Fire 2 HD
2. Bastion
3. Living Earth HD – World Clock and Weather
4. Pages
5. MONOPOLY for iPad

ANDROID

Free
1. Maps
2. Gmail
3. Street View on Google Maps
4. Facebook
5. YouTube

Paid
1. SwiftKey 3 Keyboard
2. Cut the Rope
3. Titanium Backup PRO Key * root
4. FIFA 12 by EA SPORTS
5. Asphalt 7: Heat

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-apps-4/029063

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Tokyo court: Samsung didn't infringe Apple patent

September 1st, 2012, 19:40 Posted By: wraggster

The Tokyo District Court has today ruled that Samsung did not infringe on patents held by Apple.
It follows last week's decision by a US court that the South Korean firm had in fact infringed on a number of Apple's patents and was ordered to pay more than $1bn in damages.
Samsung was found to have infringed Apple's patents for its mobile devices including both the iPhone and iPad.
Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji dismissed the case, which was filed by Apple back in August, after it found Samsung did not violate the rival firm's registered patents.
The patent itself related to the transfer of data and synchronisation of music and video between devices and servers.
Samsung told the BBC in a statement: "We welcome the court's decision, which confirmed our long-held position that our products do not infringe Apple's intellectual property."
The firm has stated it plans to continue its court battle against Apple and will appeal against the US ruling.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-patent/029061

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Big Fish launches cloud gaming service on Android

September 1st, 2012, 19:43 Posted By: wraggster

Publisher also plans to release streaming tech on connected TVs later this year

Casual games group Big Fish has launched a new cloud gaming service on Android.
Available on tablets via Google Play, Big Fish Unlimited allows users to stream more than 100 titles to their Android devices.

Launched on browser last month, the publisher said it also plans to take the service to Connected TVs later this year.
“With the addition of support for Android devices, Big Fish Unlimited is now a truly multi-platform streaming service and live on two screens: PC and Mobile,” said cloud gaming GM Will O’Brien.
“We are very excited to support the recently launched, exceptional Nexus 7 tablet from Google. Instant cloud gaming is a perfect fit for this fast-performing device.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...ice-on-Android

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Download With Caution: Romney, Obama Campaign Apps Have Privacy Flaws

September 1st, 2012, 19:54 Posted By: wraggster

Apps released by both the Obama and Romney campaigns have been found to have 'privacy issues.' From the article: "Experts at GFI Software looked at the Android versions of both apps, discovering both to be surprisingly invasive. Obama for America and Mitt's VP request permissions, access to services and data and capabilities beyond their core mandate

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/1...-privacy-flaws

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

BBC Keeps Android Flash Alive In the UK

September 1st, 2012, 19:56 Posted By: wraggster

Although Adobe wants to can mobile Flash, the Android Flash app has returned to the Google Play store in the UK after disappearing earlier this month. It has come back because of pressure from large organisations, in particular the BBC, whose popular iPlayer video on demand service uses Flash. The Android app is back, apparently for as long as it takes the BBC to move to HTML5

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/...live-in-the-uk

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Russia's New Secure Android Tablet Keeps Data From Google

September 1st, 2012, 19:57 Posted By: wraggster

It seems Russia's defense ministry doesn't trust Google's tablet computers: a new Android device presented to a top Russian government official boasts encryption and works with software and a global positioning system made in Russia, the AFP reports. The OS has all the functional capabilities of an Android operating system but none of its hidden features that send users' private data to Google, addressing concerns that data stored by Google could slip into the hands of the US government and expose some of their most secret and sensitive communications. Two versions of the tablet will supposedly be made — one for consumers and one for defense needs."

http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/09/0...ta-from-google

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

HP Launches Beta of Open webOS

September 1st, 2012, 20:00 Posted By: wraggster

HP done gone and released the open source version of webOS. From the article: 'Gone are the days of HP's TouchPad and Palm ambitions, but HP is moving ahead with its plans to make webOS, its beleaguered mobile operating system, live on as open-source supported platform. Today it's launching the beta release... The release will have 54 components available as open source, the blog says, some 450,000 lines of code under the Apache 2.0 license.'"There are two flavors: an OpenEmbedded based version for targeting mobile device (kudos there!), and a desktop build which runs Lunaas an application on the desktop (how long until someone writes a rootless version?). More info at the Open webOS project overviewpage, with source code over at GitHub

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/...-of-open-webos

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Double Fine announces free-to-play iOS game

September 1st, 2012, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster

Double Fine has announced Middle Manager Of Justice, a "superhero management game" due soon for iOS, and the company's first free-to-play game.
Announced in typical style on Double Fine's website, the game casts players as a middle manager in Justice Corp, tasked with training and managing the next generation of crime-fighting superheroes and running an office.
Middle Manager Of Justice is the first product of a three-game partnership with Dracogen, Inc, the company which funded the Steam re-release of Double Fine platformer Psychonauts last year.
The game's creator is programmer Kee Chi, who has confirmed on Twitter that Middle Manager Of Justice will launch in Canada in a few weeks, and worldwide shortly afterwards.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/doub...-play-ios-game

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Purported HTC Accord Windows Phone schema leaked on Twitter

September 1st, 2012, 22:54 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple adds Samsung's Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to ongoing patent

September 1st, 2012, 22:56 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

ZAGG intros a pair of Bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad

September 2nd, 2012, 00:58 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Sources claim Sharp's production of iPhone screens delayed

September 2nd, 2012, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Next Apple earbuds potentially sighted in Vietnam, may fix an iconic design (video)

September 2nd, 2012, 13:12 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

The Most Blatant Hardware Clone Ever: Droid X360

September 2nd, 2012, 13:15 Posted By: wraggster

The recent patent tussle between Apple and Samsung gives a fascinating insight into how intellectual property is safeguarded in the US. Companies are quite prepared to sink millions of dollars into litigation in an attempt to remain one step ahead of their rivals, and often the cases put forward appear nonsensical and flimsy to all but the most eagle-eyed patent lawyer - hence Samsung's bemused statement following the recent trial (which it lost) that Apple has essentially copyrighted 'rectangles and curved edges'.
Contrast this situation with the burgeoning electronics market in China, and the notion of bickering over tiny details seems almost laughable. In the sweatshops of the Far East, anything goes - something which is proven emphatically by the Shenzhen XunLong Droid X360, a handheld console which at first glance seems to have been manufactured purely to infringe the copyrights of as many companies as possible. Of course, the diminutive nature of these firms helps them to avoid the wrath of Sony, Motorola and Microsoft's lawyers - all of which have good reason to feel suitably aggrieved by the very existence of the Droid X360 - and we can't even begin to imagine how difficult and impractical it must be to file legal proceedings against a company in China, irrespective of how many dollars you have in the bank.
The irony is that despite the dodgy nature of the Droid X360 - which cost us around £75, including shipping from China - in some respects it actually manages to trump the console on which it is based. While it might lack the build quality and level of refinement displayed by the PlayStation Vita, it scores points in other key areas - you can use it to surf the web, send and receive emails, watch HD movies (both on the unit itself and on your TV using the bundled HDMI cable) and download thousands upon thousands of applications from the Google Play market.

[h=3]Droid X360 and PlayStation Vita: Separated at Birth?[/h]To the untrained eye, the Droid X360 and PlayStation Vita look practically identical. Everything from the positioning of the buttons to the transparent shoulder triggers has been faithfully replicated on the Chinese pretender; the key differences are a thinner body and the removal of the touch-sensitive pad on the rear of the device. In terms of weight, the two consoles are again quite similar.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df...id-x360-review

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPad mini to launch October with 7.85 inch display - report

September 2nd, 2012, 13:17 Posted By: wraggster

Apple is developing its much-rumoured iPad mini for launch in October, according to a new report.Time to start queueing.

The next version of the company's hugely successful tablet series will sport a 7.85 inch display, four separate sources confirmed toBloomberg.That's smaller than the standard iPad display (9.7 inches), but a shade larger than Amazon's Kindle (6 inches).Tech companies LG and AU Optronics have signed on to produce the device's screens, while controversial manufacturer Foxconn is back providing the tablet's laminated coating.Rumours of the iPad mini have cropped upthroughout the year. Production is allegedlynow due to start.Apple has a press event scheduled for 12th September - it likely won't be long until we hear the details officially.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...display-report

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Will Developers Finally Start Coding On the iPad?

September 2nd, 2012, 22:06 Posted By: wraggster

It's not so long since Apple silently dropped the restriction about iOS apps for programming — iPad owners can now code in Lua with Codea or with Python for iOS. Yesterday, a new app called Kodiak PHP brought another IDE to the iPad, this time for PHP coders. Pandodaily's Nathaniel Mott describes it as a full-blooded software development tool with comparison to other iOS apps. Cult of Mac reports that the demise of the Mac might be closer than we think, but are developers really ready to use the on-screen keyboard to do some serious work?"

http://developers.slashdot.org/story...ng-on-the-ipad

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

ePSXe for Android

September 3rd, 2012, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster

Authors of the best Sony Playstation emulator for Windows released ePSXe for Android! Now you can play in your favorite PS1 games on your mobile phone.
File: Download
News source: http://www.epsxe.com

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

MasterGear for Android v2.7

September 3rd, 2012, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-19217.html

Marat Fayzullin has ported his (commercial) MasterSystem, GameGear, SG-1000, SC-3000 and SF-7000 emulator MasterGear to the Android platform: MasterGear for Android

Quote:
* Audio quality significantly improved.
* Switched to the new, fully configurable virtual joystick.
* Optimized screen updates sync, for better framerates.
* Fixed cut-off landscape display on Nexus7.
* Added two more Freeze/Restore slots.
* File selector now memorizes the last selected position.
* Added option for keeping screen on at all times.
* Fixed support for Sixaxis gamepads.
* Fixed a bug in the Z80 CPDR instruction.
* Added support for opening files directly from file managers.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Spark 360 version 6 now on Play; iOS version GPL’ed

September 3rd, 2012, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

I didn’t post about this (Google Play does a decent enough job with update notifications), but version 6 of Spark 360 for Android has been available on Google Play for a few days now – it includes Spark Trophies, as well as localizations in German, Spanish and French. I’ve already been made aware of a handful of bugs with shortcuts – fixes for those will be forthcoming.
I have released the source code for the iOS version; the release includes a fix for the recent Live login update, so if you have a dev/Xcode setup, you should be able to run the app once again. Of course, the app is still not available on the AppStore, and I’m not sure if/when it will be again.
The code for Spark 360/iOS is licensed under GPL3, and includes a handful of components covered under other licenses. Happy hacking!

http://0xff.akop.org/2012/08/30/spar...version-gpled/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Mobile phones have ten times more germs than toilets

September 3rd, 2012, 20:57 Posted By: wraggster

Make sure you use soap and water after sending a text.
People have been known to use their phones while scoffing food,sitting on the pan, and even during adult stuff, so it's likely a few foreign substances will be coating users' devices.
That said, it's still pretty shocking that Arizona University researchers (via Daily Mail) have found the average mobile phone has more bacteria than that of a toilet.
Some cases even yielded the disgusting results that there's ten times as much bacteria than the location people use to clear out their bowels.
The reasons behind the spread is the way users share their devices – clearly people have hugely varying hygiene levels – and the fact most people will never clean the devices which creates a layer cake of grime.
The phone-based bugs can cause nausea and stomach issues, but users are reluctant to ply electronics with cleaning products.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...toilets/019223

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

3G version of Google Nexus 7 is on the way

September 3rd, 2012, 20:59 Posted By: wraggster

Asus has increased production in preparation for mid-October launch.
Google's Nexus 7 tablet has sold fantastically well, and sales may be about to receive another spike.
The reason for the surge in sales? A 3G version of the popular tablet.
According to a story on modaco.com, a Google insider says that a 3G version will launch in about six weeks, with manufacturer Asus ramping up production in preparation.
There will be no other hardware changes, and the exact launch date and territories are yet to be confirmed, but this is a big deal for the Nexus.
While the device received excellent reviews, there was concern that the tablet would not be a real alternative to the iPad without the option of a 3G model.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...the-way/019221

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

29 per cent of Android phones sold are over 4.5 inches

September 3rd, 2012, 21:01 Posted By: wraggster

And this tumescence is changing what people do with their handsets.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has tracked the trend for bigger screens and says 29 per cent of phones sold in Q2 were bigger than 4.5 inches. It reckons it's affecting video consumption in particular – with two thirds of users watching when they have a phone over five inches in size.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, said: “It is interesting to look at the impact a larger screen size has…particularly as the line between tablets and smartphones becomes more blurred.
"Consumers who own a smartphone with a larger screen tend to be much more engaged with their device across a whole array of functions. For example, only 19 per cent of consumers with a screen smaller than three inches download and watch videos, compared to 65 per cent when the screen is five inches or more."
Elsewhere the stats show Android continues increased its share of the European market by 20.2 per cent in the past year. Surprisingly, Windows has managed to maintain its per cent share despite a raft of new Windows 8 products being announced. However, this has been achieved through heavy discounting.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-inches/019214

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Bruce Willis and Samsung both planning lawsuits against Apple

September 3rd, 2012, 21:02 Posted By: wraggster

Bruce Willis wants his daughters to inherit his iTunes music and Samsung wants Apple to pay if the iPhone 5 has 4G LTE.
Willis is considering legal action to address the issue of transferability of iTunes Store music purchases. He wants his daughters to be able to inherit his music collection upon his death, but Apple’s terms prohibit any transfer of ownership.
As an alternative to going ahead with a lawsuit, Willis is also said to be considering setting up a family trust to own his iTunes music.
As well as battling with Brucie, Samsung also has it in for Apple. The Korean manufacturer is reportedly planning to sue Apple if the company’s new iPhone uses 4G connectivity.
Apple has repeatedly argued that a selection of Samsung’s patents should be made industry standards due to their broad, sweeping nature.
This news comes just days after Samsung was ordered to pay $1.05 billion to Apple following a longstanding dispute over design patents in the US.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...t-apple/029077

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Shocker: smartphone users like bigger screens, market share may respond accordingly

September 3rd, 2012, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Is the Nokia Lumia 920 coming with 8-megapixel FauxView?

September 3rd, 2012, 21:36 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

nds4droid v8

September 4th, 2012, 02:28 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

nds4droid v8 is released. nds4droid is a free, open source Nintendo DS emulator for Android based on DeSmuME. It is currently in it's infancy but does support most of the features one would expect in an emulator.

nds4droid v8 Changelog:
- Completely customizable controls! You can adjust the size and location of the on screen touch buttons, or disable them entirely and map them to hardware keys
- Support for all orientations (no longer locked to portrait mode)
- Minor speed improvements
- Updates the Korean translation
- Adds a partial Portuguese (Brazil) translation
- Adds a partial Chinese (Simplified) translation

http://www.mediafire.com/?cs24612992kaq65

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

MasterGear v2.7 for Android

September 4th, 2012, 02:37 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

MasterGear v2.7 for Android is released. MasterGear is a program that emulates 8bit SEGA videogames on your computer. It runs games made for SEGA MasterSystem (Mark3 in Japan) and GameGear, as well as their predecessors: SG1000, SC3000, SF7000, and Mark2. MasterGear will also help hobbyists who still write software for these systems to debug their works without using rare and costly development hardware.

MasterGear v2.7 for Android Changelog:
* Audio quality significantly improved.
* Switched to the new, fully configurable virtual joystick.
* Optimized screen updates sync, for better framerates.
* Fixed cut-off landscape display on Nexus7.
* Added two more Freeze/Restore slots.
* File selector now memorizes the last selected position.
* Added option for keeping screen on at all times.
* Fixed support for Sixaxis gamepads.
* Fixed a bug in the Z80 CPDR instruction.
* Added support for opening files directly from file managers.


https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fms.mg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Speccy v1.8 for Android

September 4th, 2012, 02:45 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Speccy v1.8 for Android is released. Speccy is a ZX Spectrum Emulator. Speccy emulates 16kB, 48kB, and 128kB versions of Sinclair ZX Spectrum, as well as Spectrum +2, +2A, and +3, as well as Timex Sinclair models.

Speccy v1.8 for Android Changelog:
* Audio quality significantly improved.
* Optimized screen updates sync.
* Fixed cut-off landscape display on Nexus7 and other tablets.
* File selector now memorizes the last seleted position.
* Switched to the new, fully configurable virtual joystick.
* Added support for opening files directly from file managers.
* Added Settings option for keeping screen on at all times.
* Fixed CIRCLE button for Xperia Play and support for Sixaxis gamepads.
* Fixed a bug in the Z80 CPDR instruction.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...com.fms.speccy

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

fMSX v3.6 for Android

September 4th, 2012, 02:46 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

fMSX v3.6 for Android is released. fMSX is a program that emulates MSX, MSX2, and MSX2+ 8bit home computers. It runs MSX/MSX2/MSX2+ software on many different platforms including Windows, Symbian, MacOS, Unix, MSDOS, AmigaOS, etc.

fMSX v3.6 for Android Changelog:
* Audio quality significantly improved.
* Optimized screen updates sync.
* Fixed cut-off landscape display on Nexus7 and other tablets.
* File selector now memorizes the last seleted position.
* Switched to the new, fully configurable virtual joystick.
* Added support for opening files directly from file managers.
* Added Settings option for keeping screen on at all times.
* Fixed CIRCLE button for Xperia Play and support for Sixaxis gamepads.
* Fixed a bug in the Z80 CPDR instruction.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fms.fmsx

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.7 for Android

September 4th, 2012, 02:46 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.7 for Android is released. Virtual GameBoy Advance (VGBA) is a program that emulates Nintendo's GameBoy Advance on your computer. It runs GameBoy Advance games on PCs, PDAs, or just about any other sufficiently fast computer. It also helps debugging GameBoy Advance software without using a costly development system.

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.7 for Android Changelog:
* Fixed Pokemon Emerald cheats. "Buy Any Item" now works in the Cheatopedia.
* Fixed Final Fantasy V and Pokemon Emerald bugs accidentally introduced
in the last release.
* Rolled back some of the latest audio changes, as many people
complained these changes made the sound worse. Will add them later.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...d=com.fms.vgba

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 event on September 12

September 5th, 2012, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster

Apple sends out invitations to San Francisco press gathering.
Apple has sent out invitations for an event on September 12 in San Francisco, where it's likely that the long-awaited iPhone 5 will be unveiled.
After months and months of rumour, speculation and supposed leaks, in just over one week we'll finally know what Apple's next smartphone is going to be like.
Probably...
Because, you see, the thing is, there's still no 100 per cent guarantee that the press gathering on September 12 is actually about the next iPhone. It almost certainly is, especially when you look at the image on the invitation the company sent out (above). See the 5 in the shadow cast by the 12? If it's not the iPhone 5, then this is an epic piece of trolling on Apple's part.
Furthermore, we still don't even know that it will be called the iPhone 5. Remember what happened with the iPad 3?

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...mber-12/019246

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

BBC iPlayer content can now be downloaded to iPhone and iPad

September 5th, 2012, 00:28 Posted By: wraggster

Users are finally able to watch Doctor Who, EastEnders and Cash in the Attic without an internet connection.
The BBC has confirmed that mobile users will now be able download TV shows via the iPlayer app for the first time.
From today (Tuesday), licence-fee payers can download BBC programmes from the iPlayer watch them offline on iPhones andiPads, including while abroad.
The function will launch on Android devices in the near future.
Daniel Danker, the BBC's general manager of on-demand programmes, said: "This fundamentally changes one of the most annoying restrictions about viewing programmes. It means audiences are liberated from the constraints [of online-only viewing] and it fundamentally changes what it means to go on holiday."
He continued: "With mobile downloads, you can now load up your mobile phone or tablet with hours and hours of BBC programmes, then watch them on the road, on the tube, on a plane, without worrying about having an internet connection or running up a mobile data bill."
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...nd-ipad/019242

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

China to overtake the US in smartphone shipments

September 5th, 2012, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

Demand for low-end smartphones is set to push China to the top of market share rankings
With the sub-$200 Android market pushing sales forward, the International Data Corporation (IDC) says that China will become the largest smartphone market in the world by the end of 2012.
And the leap to the leading position is not by a small margin; China is expected to account for 26.5 per cent of smartphone shipments this year, with the US in a distant second at 17.8 per cent. Last year, China had 18.3 per cent and US 21.3 per cent.
Along with China’s rise, IDC points out that there are several other countries will assume key-market roles over the next several years, in particular Brazil and Russia.
James Yan, senior market analyst for computing systems research at IDC China, said: "Regionally, we expect smartphone demand to flow down to lower-tier cities.
"After going through a period of sustained high growth, top-tier cities are likely to see decelerating smartphone growth rates. In contrast, secondary cities are expected to experience accelerated smartphone growth, with strong demand for low-cost models as well as high-end models, which are desired as status symbols."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ipments/019232

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple hints at imminent iPhone 5 release

September 5th, 2012, 00:33 Posted By: wraggster

The tech world has been predicted and reporting rumours surrounding the rumoured iPhone 5 for months now, whilst Apple has remained tight-lipped.
Well, Apple seems to have ended that silence in typical stylish fashion with their latest announcement.
The firm has sent out press invites for its upcoming conference scheduled for September 12th, which has been highly tipped as the basis for the launch of the new iPhone.
Whilst nothing is confirmed, it seems all but certain that this will indeed be the case.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...release/029094

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Acer set to launch Windows Phone 8 handset in 2013

September 5th, 2012, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster

Acer will release six new smartphones in 2013 – one will run Windows Phone 8 and the other five will run on Android platforms.
The entry-level models will feature chips from MediaTek while the higher end phones will have dual-core CPUs from Qualcomm.
The handsets will be released in Europe and sell through existing sales channels. Acer is also looking towards China and Southeast Asia, specifically at Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and India, which are some of the key growth markets in that region.
It is reported that as of next year Acer smartphones will be manufactured mainly by ODMs Qisda and Compal.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...in-2013/029091

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

AntiSec leak over 1m Apple device UDIDs from hacked FBI laptop

September 5th, 2012, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster

Hacking group AntiSec has released over 1 million Apple Unique Device Identifiers allegedly obtained from an FBI laptop.
AntiSec claims to have over 12 million UDIDs, along with user names, device names, phone numbers and addresses.
The group issued the following statement describing how the data was obtained:
“During the second week of March 2012, a Dell Vostro notebook, used by Supervisor Special Agent Christopher K. Stangl from FBI Regional Cyber Action Team and New York FBI Office Evidence Response Team was breached using the AtomicReferenceArray vulnerability on Java, during the shell session some files were downloaded from his Desktop folder one of them with the name of "NCFTA_iOS_devices_intel.csv" turned to be a list of 12,367,232 Apple iOS devices including Unique Device Identifiers (UDID), user names, name of device, type of device, Apple Push Notification Service tokens, zipcodes, cellphone numbers, addresses, etc. the personal details fields referring to people appears many times empty leaving the whole list incompleted on many parts. no other file on the same folder makes mention about this list or its purpose.”
UDIDs on their own are relatively harmless, the privacy risks come from these IDs being used across apps and ad networks to piece together the interests of the users. It has been reported in the past that by leveraging existing networks, information and, on rare occasions, login access can be obtained from UDIDs.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-laptop/029084

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Unreleased Nokia Lauta QWERTY slider emerges, shows where MeeGo might have tread

September 5th, 2012, 01:26 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Nokia announces Lumia 820

September 5th, 2012, 21:16 Posted By: wraggster

The 920's little brother has a 4.3 inch display and changeable covers.
Hot on the heels of the Nokia Lumia 920 announcement, comes the unveiling of the mid-range Lumia 820.
Another Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the 820 has the same guts as the 920 (a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4) but will have a smaller 4.3 inch screen, an eight megapixel camera and just 8GB of storage.
The look of the 820 can be changed using different covers in a range of colours including red, grey, white, black and yellow; and some covers will enable NFC and wireless charging.
Again, no pricing or availability info yet.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...mia-820/019263

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Nokia Lumia 920 is official

September 5th, 2012, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster

Windows 8 phones will have a 4.5 inch display and wireless charging.
In a press conference this afternoon, Nokia unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 920.
The phone has superior specs to the previous Lumia, namely a 1.5GHz dual core processor and Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 operating system.
The dealmaker here may well be the inclusion of wireless charging. Nokia will make its own charging accessories available, including a Fatboy "pillow" unit (pictured below). The phones are compatible with the Qi standard, which means that there should be more public places to charge in the future. It also appears that the technology is built into the handset itself, meaning no need for a special battery cover.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...fficial/019262

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Almost a third of iPad owners fancy a seven-inch screen

September 5th, 2012, 21:20 Posted By: wraggster

But you can hold off on the iPad Mini as 62 per cent still think a ten-inch option is most appealing.
Screen size is a rising consideration for smartphone and tablet OEMs. It seems more of the former are opting for four-inch plus designs, while the latter deliberates over a high end ten-inch option or low end seven-inch model.
And with talk of an iPad Mini on the way, Strategy Analytics has found that at least 62 per cent of iPad owners in the US, the UK and China prefer ten-inch devices.
The ten-inch favour fell to 46 per cent of owners in Germany, though 31 per cent of would prefer a seven-inch screen, and a quarter of Japanese user would also go with the smaller option.
However, 20 per cent of all tablet owners across all six surveyed countries would be willing to go seven-inch for their next buy.
Martin Bradley, author of the report, Strategy Analytics, said: "The survey also indicated that demand for seven-inch screens among future tablet owners was slightly stronger than for current iPad owners."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-screen/019261

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

LG has more phone users in the US than Apple

September 5th, 2012, 21:21 Posted By: wraggster

For all the hype, more people are using Extarverts et all than iPhones.
It's easy to get carried away with all things iOS and assume that Apple dominates the device space in its home country.
This may be the case in terms of mindshare, but the shipment figures say otherwise. Especially when feature phones are taken into account.
comScore's July MobiLens survey of more than 30,000 US mobile subscribers reminds us that millions of phone users are either sticking with legacy handsets or buying cheap new ones.
It reports that Samsung has the most users with 25.6 per cent, followed by LG with an 18.4 per cent share. Both are ahead of Apple on 16.3 per cent.
Of course, subscribers are moving to smartphones with every month that passes. comScore says more than 114 million people owned smartphones as of July – that's up seven per cent on April.
Android ranked top with a 52.2 per cent market share (up 1.4 per cent), while Apple’s share increased two per cent to 33.4 per cent.
They gained at the expense of RIM, Microsoft and Symbian.
In terms of what they're using these devices for, 75.6 per cent used text messaging while apps were used by 52.6 per cent of subscribers (up 2.4 percentage points).
Browsers were used by 51.2 per cent and accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 1.9 percentage points to 37.9 per cent of mobile subscribers.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...n-apple/019257

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Six per cent of people won't buy an iPhone because they hate Apple

September 5th, 2012, 21:23 Posted By: wraggster

Meanwhile, 20 per cent of Android users want the new Apple smartphone when it arrives.
Thirty per cent of people say they don't want the new iPhone when it comes out, with 20 per cent of those saying that they will never buy an iPhone because they hate Apple. A further 35 per cent refuse to consider an Apple handset because of the prohibitive cost.
The survey conducted by Techbargains.com found 45 per cent of respondents definitely do want the iPhone 5, with five per cent planning to wait in line on the day of release.
Of those questioned, 20 per cent of Android users want the new iPhone and a massive one in three BlackBerry and non-smartphone users want to make the move to Apple too.
The data also shows that when the new iPhone finally arrives, what consumers want to see more than anything else is increased battery life, followed by a faster processor.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...e-apple/019247

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 could see the fastest rollout in Apple's history

September 5th, 2012, 21:26 Posted By: wraggster

In the past Apple has staggered big product launches, with China having to wait months following a US debut.
But today, China Unicom employees have claimed that the iPhone 5 will launch on the network by the end of the year.
If these rumours of a 2012 Chinese release are true, the iPhone 5 could see the fastest rollout in Apple’s history.
Apple’s last smartphone launch was the iPhone 4S last October which debuted simultaneously in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the UK. Chinese Apple fans couldn’t get the handset until three months later in January.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 at a special event on September 12th and it has been hotly tipped that the handset will become available in the US from September 21st.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...history/029096

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Leaked Photo Shows Touch-Screen BlackBerry 10 Phone

September 5th, 2012, 21:44 Posted By: wraggster

A new leaked photo of the BlackBerry 10 smartphone, or the 'London,' promises a completely different looking BlackBerry than the world is used to. According to the BlackBerry news site N4BB, a photo of the device (which is designed by Porsche) shows a slender touch-screen phone that is the color 'gun metal.' Several apps are shown in the photo, including Facebook, BBM, and DocsToGo. ... The London is the first BlackBerry 10 and is slated to have a TI OMAP dual-core CPU running at 1.5GHz, as well as 1GB of RAM, 16GB storage, and an 8-megapixel camera."

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/...berry-10-phone

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Galaxy S III becomes top selling US smartphone, overtaking iPhone 4S

September 5th, 2012, 23:31 Posted By: wraggster

Apple’s iPhone 4S has finished out of first in monthly smartphone sales for the first time since its launch eleven months ago.
Apple Insider reports that the recently released Samsung Galaxy S III won out in August, though the trend is not expected to continue.
Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley expects the lead to be short-lived, with Apple’s impending iPhone 5 announcement set for next week.
Walkley states his checks with US carriers found that iPhone sales have been particularly weak leading up to the reveal and subsequent launch of the new iPhone. That, he claims, is the sole reason attributed to last month’s victory for the Galaxy S III.
"We believe this is the first month since the iPhone 4S launched in October 2011 that it was not the top selling smartphone in the U.S. market," Walkley wrote. "However, our checks indicated strong consumer interest and likely demand for the iPhone 5, and we believe Apple will return to strong number one smartphone share in the U.S. post the iPhone 5 launch."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/galax...one-4s/0102354

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google's Eric Schmidt: 1.3 million Android activations a day, 480 million devices wor

September 5th, 2012, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster


Kicking off the Motorola event in NYC, Google's Eric Schmidt has revealed some new Android figures for its captive audience of journalists and bloggers. It's now notching up some 1.3 million activations a day, which includes around 70,000 tablets ("We were late to them", notes Schmidt) every 24 hours. In total, that makes for just shy of 500 million Google-powered mobile devices around the globe -- 80 million in just over two months.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/05/g...vations-a-day/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Windows Phone 8 introduces new Lens apps: Bing Vision, Photosynth and CNN iReport lau

September 5th, 2012, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Nokia: 7 million Lumia phones sold to date in 54 countries, 4 million in the last qua

September 5th, 2012, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Middle Manager of Justice approved for free iOS procuration [update: pulled]

September 5th, 2012, 23:58 Posted By: wraggster

Double Fine's Middle Manager of Justice is now available on the App Store, and at a cost of $0.00 it shouldn't significantly impact your outlay. Yes, that was our attempt at being Scott Adams.

Double Fine's iOS debut throws you into the over-referenced world of superhero management. As a middle manager at Justice Corp. it's up to you to train your super-powered lackeys, upgrade their super-equipment, all while keeping the super-paperwork in check. With the game being super-free-to-play, it would be super-rude of you not to try it.

Update: Double Fine has pulled the game from the App Store, noting that the version that "accidentally" went out last night is incomplete. "Please note that the game isn't indicative of what it should be yet," said creator Kee Chi. "All the bugs will be ironed out, and there is much tuning to be done."
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/05/mi...s-procuration/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

87 per cent of mobile users are HIDING SOMETHING on their device...

September 6th, 2012, 20:51 Posted By: wraggster

Infographic shows content includes private contacts, flirty texts, and sexy photos – what's lurking on yours?!
Security provider NQ Mobile found that more than half of consumers think celebrities lie about hacking scandals to generate publicity.
Given that, the firm asked the sceptics about their content stored on their own devices and found that just 53 per cent of smartphone owners use a passcode, despite the fact 87 per cent of them have content they want to hide.
Some things were perfectly innocent, 52 per cent cited family photos and 40 per cent claimed work documents.
However, 35 per cent want to keep flirty texts a secret, while 26 per cent have sexy photos and videos to hide – a mixture of themselves and of other people.
Conrad Edwards, CEO, NQ Mobile, said: "When only half of smartphone users actually lock their phones, it's unclear whether these celebrities' devices are being hacked or simply being left open for people to snoop.
"What is clear, is that you don't need to be a celebrity to have things on your phone you'd rather others not see."
The firm cautions people to protect their data by locking it, sharing personal info on social media wisely, research the intentions of apps, and use anti-virus software.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-device/019280

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Ice Cream Sandwich lives on 20.9 per cent of Android devices

September 6th, 2012, 20:53 Posted By: wraggster

Adoption up by almost double in two months.
Google's Ice Cream Sandwich OS rolled out in November last year, and three months down the line it had only reached one per cent of Android devices.
But seven months later and ICS has penetrated 20.9 per cent of the little green robot's tech, almost double the 10.7 per cent in July.
Meanwhile, Jelly Bean has a minor adoption with just 1.2 per cent, though it's garnered a faster rate than ICS to reach it in just two months.
Of course, Jelly Bean's share will increase once Google allows native installs, a feature currently saved for its Google Nexus 7tablet.
Gingerbread is still the mightiest update on the market with 57.2 per cent and looks to retain its dominance for sometime, but the ICS growth means it's fallen by around seven per cent

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...devices/019279

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

57 per cent of app users avoid some offerings due to privacy fears

September 6th, 2012, 20:54 Posted By: wraggster

Some refuse to download the app at all, while other uninstall iffy designs.
New data from Pew Research says 88 per cent of US adults now own a mobile phone, with 43 per cent downloading apps to their devices.
Of course, apps are big draw for many, but users are reluctant to use some with rife reports of spam, malware, UDID, personal data tracking doing the rounds. The FBI was even forced to intervene in a pirate Android racket.
54 per cent of app users decide against downloading an app when they see the amount of personal data they need to share to gain access.
Meanwhile, 30 per cent of app users have uninstalled apps after noticing the data it had access to.
That's equivalent to 57 per cent opting for both methods of app evasion.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...y-fears/019276

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

20 million Galaxy S III phones sold in 100 days

September 6th, 2012, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster

The phone that Apple couldn't stop is Samsung's most successful yet.
Samsung has announced that the Galaxy S III has sold more than 20m units in just 100 days.
The smartphone has sold six times faster than the Galaxy S, and three times faster than the Galaxy S II, and has become the company's most successful phone ever.
Samsung says its flagship phone's sales break down like this:

• Europe: 6m units
• Asia: 4.5m units
• North America: 4m units
• Korea: 2.5m units

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple refuses third-party adapters

September 6th, 2012, 21:49 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has reportedly refused to offer third-party developers and manufacturers details surrounding its new dock connecter, which is rumoured to be a feature of its latest iPhone.
It is believed that the firm wants to be the exclusive source of adapters for the sixth-generation device, and as a result, isn't sharing the specs or designs of its new smaller connecter.
Sources close to the company go as far to say it will aggressively use "licensing agreements and threats of lawsuits" in order to prevent third-party adapters from appearing on the market.
Questions were asked when it was first reported that Apple would do away with its traditional 30-pin connecter in favour of a smaller alternative, as it would render the entire catalogue of currently available accessories useless.
Users were comforted by the news of an adapter that would potentially save their favourite accessories - and ultimately, a great deal of cash.
However, if these reports are true, it would be hard to imagine any other motive for Apple's decision other than to maintain dominance over the adapter market and boost the marketability of its own accessories.
Initial reports from iLounge indicate the adapter will sell for around $10, as well as a USB cable for around $19.
It is not yet clear if Apple will eventually allow third-party firms to produce adapters for its flagship device, but that won't happen until the end of 2012 at least, at which point Apple expects to have sold approximately ten million of its adapters.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...dapters/029109

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 off the factory line captured in video... probably

September 7th, 2012, 00:14 Posted By: wraggster

We’ll know for certain if this video is legitimate in on September 12^th.
That’s when Apple will reveal the iPhone 5 to the world, but by all accounts this video looks accurate, and certainly concurs we’ve everything we’ve heard about the handset so far.
Neowin reports that the prototype that’s pictured comes direct from the production line and, for sake of comparison, is shown next to an iPhone 4S.
Things to look out for include the new smaller cable port, the altered physical home button and, of course, the longer, larger screen.



http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/iphon...obably/0102429

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

New Kindle Fires start at $159, go to $499

September 7th, 2012, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

Amazon's pricing looks to shake up the market
Amazon didn't disappoint today with its announcements, introducing new hardware, software and services up and down its Kindle product line. The standard Kindle e-book reader is now $69, and a new Paperwhite reader with a higher-res touchscreen and frontlighting begins at $119. For the game industry, though, it's all about the Kindle Fire, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos today pumped pure oxygen into the flames. He's starting from a strong market share place, stating that the Kindle Fire accouinted for 22 percent of all tablets sold since its debut.
The new Kindle Fire has doubled its RAM to 1 GB (storage is still 8 GB) and includes a 44 percent faster processor, a front-facing camera and better battery life for the astounding price of $159, down from the previous $199 price. This puts them $40 less than Google's Nexus 7 tablet. The tablet will ship September 14, with pre-orders beginning soon.
The real stars are three new Kindle Fire HD models. The Kindle Fire HD 7 is a 16 GB, 7 inch tablet that features the TI OMAP 4470 dual-core processor that Amazon claims is faster than the Tegra 3; screen resolution is not yet announced. Like its larger cousins, it will have dual speakers, Bluetooth, HDMI output, and enhanced Wi-Fi. The Kindle Fire HD 7 will retail for $199.
Next up is the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 tablet, with an 8.9" 1920 x 1200 display at 254 ppi resolution. The device is 8.8 mm thick and weighs 20 ounces, and the screen has a polarizing filter to cut down glare. The processor is a TI OMAP 4470, it has dual speakers, and it is the first tablet with MIMO, dual-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz) technology, which Amazon says makes the tablet's WiFi 41 percent faster than the latest iPad. There's also Bluetooth (presumably 4.0) support and HDMI output, and 32 GB of storage, all for $299.
Finally, the high end of Amazon's product line is the 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE and 32 GB of storage for $499. You get 250 MB of data a month, 20 GB of cloud storage and a $10 Amazon Appstore credit, all for $50 a year. That appears to be an impressive deal, compared to current iPad pricing where a 32 GB iPad with 4G LTE is $729.
Amazon also announced Whispersync for Games, which would allow game developers to store game progress in the cloud.
The competition has suddenly gotten very fierce for holiday hardware dollars. The entry level Kindle Fire is now less expensive than a Nintendo 3DS ($159 versus $169), and the Kindle Fire HD 7 undercuts the PS Vita by $50. When Nintendo rolls out the Wii U, Amazon's tablets will be competing for household dollars. We still have yet to see the new iPhone, which is sure to sell in the millions over the holidays. Apple is rumored to be announcing the new iPad Mini in October, supposedly a 7.85 inch tablet that will sell for $249. Apple may be rethinking their pricing all up and down the tablet line in light of Amazon's aggressive pricing.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...9-go-to-USD499

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Sega porting free-to-play Rhythm Thief to iOS this winter

September 7th, 2012, 00:45 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GameStop interested in Ouya

September 7th, 2012, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

"We will be a part of any console launch in the future," GameStop CEO J. Paul Raines told Joystiq this morning, when asked about GameStop's interest in stocking the Ouya console.

Though he was clear to note that the company did not have an official announcement regarding any potential plans to carry the Android console, Raines was positive about the device. "We think Ouya's cool. We love the idea of open-source components. Everything we've read is great."

Raines related the new console to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that GameStop sells – and that Raines turned on during our conversation in order to remember a game he wanted to talk about (It was Dead Trigger.) "Here's the exciting thing that's happening: if you look at the power of the processor like the Tegra 3 or the x86 stuff that's coming on Windows tablets, you've got a processor now and graphics capability that are really exciting," he said.

"There will be games developed for that stuff. So you're going to see more of these open source type products, and we will be right in the middle of all of it."

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/ga...ested-in-ouya/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Kindle Fire HD To Be Released October 26th

September 7th, 2012, 09:20 Posted By: wraggster

Yesterday Amazon announced to the world the Kindle Fire HD and a new improved Kindle Fire, well today Amazon UK have confirmed that on October the 25th both new Kindle Fires will be coming to the UK, the new kindle Fire will be priced at £129 whilst the higher spec Kindle Fire HD will go for £159/£199 depending on how much storage you want, heres some details on both:

Kindle Fire HD

Kindle Fire

Amazon.com's #1 bestseller – now even better

New 1.2GHz processor and 1GB RAM for 40% faster performance than the original Kindle Fire Vibrant 7" colour touchscreen for browsing, watching, playing, and reading Perfect portability - thin, light, and durable Over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, and magazines, plus tens of thousands of popular apps and games such as Angry Birds Space, Skyscanner, Jamie's 20 Minute Meals and Auto Trader One-month free trial of LOVEFiLM Instant video streaming for unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV series Ultra-fast web browsing and e-mail over built-in Wi-Fi, with integrated support for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and more, as well as Microsoft Exchange calendar, contacts, and email Free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content Includes special offers personalised for you and sponsored screensavers.Learn more

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

PayPal arrives on Windows Phone

September 7th, 2012, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster

Payments app is the latest big name to appear in the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Microsoft is forcing people to take Windows Phone more seriously by adding big name services to its selection of apps.
This time, it's payment service PayPal that has been added into the mix.
The app doesn't have NFC support just yet because NFC-enabled WinPho devices aren't arriving until Windows Phone 8 drops, but the app still allows users to request money, send money, check balances and use PayPal Here to search for businesses that allow purchases via the app.
It doesn't yet have the option to take a picture of your credit card to add it as a payment option, but that is coming soon too.
PayPal is available from Windows Phone Marketplace now.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...s-phone/019294

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Two-thirds of Brit iPhone owners plan to buy an iPhone 5

September 7th, 2012, 21:48 Posted By: wraggster

And they expect it to sport NFC, 4G, and an improved battery.
Apple released a mysterious alert this week to say 'It's almost here', which hints the iPhone 5 will arrive on September 12th, a date that's been the industry prediction for some time.
YouGov has found that 18 per cent of Brits know Apple is about to launch a product, which demonstrates the power of Chinese Whispers and rumour.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent would consider buying an iPhone 5, which spikes to 67 per cent of iPhone owners who say they expect to purchase one in the future.
37 per cent of non-iPhone owners suspect it will have longer battery life and 4G support, while a further 67 per cent of iPhone users agree better battery is on the way.
Additionally, 34 per cent of the device owners reckon NFC and mobile payments will be included, 44 per cent expect Siri to speak English and not American, and 63 per cent expect the 3.5-inch screen to get a size upgrade.
Check out the top ten iPhone 5 wishes here – 93 per cent want a stronger screen.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...phone-5/019291

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Android gaining ground on paid apps

September 7th, 2012, 21:50 Posted By: wraggster

iPhone users are downloading fewer premium apps while Android users are buying more.
A survey of 17,000 smartphone users shows that Android users are catching up with iPhone users when it comes to buying apps.
In 2011 Apple was streets ahead with with 39 per cent of iPhone users having more than 20 paid apps, and only three per cent having none.
On the other hand, Android users were more likely to have no paid apps at all (12 per cent) than they were to have more than 20 (ten per cent).
In 2012 those numbers have changed significantly.
This year, 19 per cent of Android users and 26 per cent of iPhone users now have more than 20 paid apps on their phones. Meanwhile, the number of those with no premium apps at all is now more balanced: six per cent of iPhone users (an increase of three per cent) and seven per cent of Android users (a drop of five per cent) don't have any paid-for apps on their phones.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...id-apps/019285

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Google is activating 1.3m Android devices a day

September 7th, 2012, 21:51 Posted By: wraggster

That's 300,000 more per day than in July.
What a week this is turning out to be for the smartphone space. Two new Nokia Win8 devices, more Razrs, a big splurge from Amazon and - in the middle of it all - a reminder from Google of the ongoing acceleration in the Android platform.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed the 1.3m stat at a Motorola event and added that 70,000 of the activations are tablets.
There are now 480m Android devices in use.
The activations figure just keeps on rising, up from 700,000 a day in December 2011, 900,000 a day in June and 1m a day in July.
In the past these numbers have been disputed by Apple, which has claimed that Google has included OS updates as 'new' activations. This has been denied by Google.
Let's see what Tim Cook says next week...

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...s-a-day/019283

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Top 5 mobile and tablet apps

September 7th, 2012, 21:54 Posted By: wraggster

This week WhatsApp continues to top the paid iPhone charts, whilst N.O.V.A 3 leads the way on Google Play’s paid app chart.

IPHONE

PAID

1. WhatsApp Messenger

2. Hardest Game Ever

3. Color Splash

4. The Curse

5. VS. Racing 2

FREE

1. Hardest Game Ever

2. Airport Scanner

3. The Crystal Maze

4. The Simpsons: Tapped Out

5. Football Players Quiz

IPAD

PAID

1. Pages

2. Galaxy on Fire 2 HD

3. Keynote

4. Numbers

5. iMovie

FREE

1. Airport Scanner

2. The Simpsons: Tapped Out

3. The Crystal Maze HD

4. What's My IQ HD

5. Solitaire

ANDROID

PAID

1. N.O.V.A 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

2. SwiftKey 3 Keyboard

3. Beautiful Widgets

4. Virtua Tennis Challenge

5. Gangster Rio: City of Saints

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-apps-5/029128

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPad Mini exists; images leaked online

September 7th, 2012, 21:57 Posted By: wraggster

Images of the rumoured iPad mini have surfaced online, showing off a backplate for the device, which is complete with a cut-out for Apple's new nine-pin dock connector.
The existence of the device has often been questioned, particularly considering comments made by the late Steve Jobs surrounding a smaller, seven-inch version of the acclaimed iPad.
When discussing Android based tablets in 2010, which incorporate seven-inch screens on its devices, Jobs said: "One naturally thinks that a 7-inch screen would offer 70 per cent of the benefits of the 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a 7-inch screen is only 45 per cent as large as iPad's 10-inch screen. You heard me right. Just 45 per cent as large."
"If you take an iPad and hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on a 7-inch tablet are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the iPad's display. The size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps, in our opinion," he continued.
Chinese news site tech.163.com posted the images, claiming they were received from "informed sources".

Features of the backplate include a connector slot of a size appropriate for Apple's widely rumoured nine-pin connector, as well as cut-outs for a camera and volume and toggle controls, and even dual speakers on the plate's base.

The existence of such a device is still yet to be confirmed, but these images - unless part of an elaborate hoax - seem to look legitimate.
These images appear at an interesting time as Amazon announced just yesterday, its range of Kindle Fire HD tablets, which are available in both seven-inch and 8.9-inch models.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-online/029126

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple's iPhone 5 could sell 10 million in first week, says analyst

September 7th, 2012, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates a healthy first week for Apple
Apple is expected to reveal its iPhone 5 at an event on September 12, and analysts are already speculating how big the newest iPhone could sell. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates that the new phone could sell between 6 to 10 million units assuming an expected release date of September 21.
"We believe that if the 21st is the actual ship date, Apple could sell six million to 10 million iPhone 5s in the final week of September barring supply issues," Munster said in a note obtained by AllThingsD.
Apple is already expected to report iPhone sales of 22 to 23 million for the third quarter, but Munster believes the iPhone 5 could push that number between 26 and 28 million units.
In contrast, Samsung has announced that its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone has reached 20 million sales units in 100 days. Samsung was able to throw its weight around and have the same model of the Galaxy S III released on every carrier, much like Apple with its iPhones.
"The GALAXY S III has enjoyed tremendous attention and popularity since its launch in May, and we are thrilled with its success," said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "I would like to express my sincere appreciation to customers who have chosen the GALAXY S III. We will never stop providing the latest smart mobile technologies to help users live a life extraordinary."
In addition, Microsoft and Nokia showed off the Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 this week. The phones mark both companies' push into a market controlled by iOS and Android. A market Windows Phone 7 was unable to find a sizable place in.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...k-says-analyst

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GameStop could stock Ouya

September 8th, 2012, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster

CEO says retailer "will be right in the middle" of open source products
[h=3]GameStop[/h]gamestop.com


Game CEO Paul Raines has expressed an interest in stocking the open source gaming device Ouya.
"We will be a part of any console launch in the future," he told Joystiq as they discussed the upcoming product.
"We think Ouya's cool. We love the idea of open-source components. Everything we've read is great."
The Ouya was announced last month and will run an Android OS, and developers and publishers like Rob Bowling's Robotoki, Square Enix and Namco Bandai have all committed to publishing games on the device.
That's something Raines seemed well aware of.
"There will be games developed for that stuff. So you're going to see more of these open source type products, and we will be right in the middle of all of it."
This week Raines also revealed his expectations for next-gen console releases, with the Wii U releasing at Christmas, one console arriving in 2013 and another in 2014.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...uld-stock-ouya

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Wikipad costs $499 at GameStop starting October 31, gives Android a gaming costume

September 8th, 2012, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

For Android Users, 2012 Is Still the Year of Gingerbread

September 8th, 2012, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster

Three major revisions of Google's Android operating system have launched since the company released Android 2.3 more than 21 months ago in December 2010, but Gingerbread is still the most widely used version of Android by a wide margin. A study conducted early this year by graphic designer Chris Sauve projected that based on Android adoption trends up to that point, Android 2.3 Gingerbread would be the dominant version of Android in 2012 despite the fact that Android 3.0 Honeycomb and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich had already been released. Now, as the fourth quarter of 2012 approaches, data from Google's Android version distribution tracker confirms once again that those projections were accurate.

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/...of-gingerbread

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Samsung: Android's Multitouch Not As Good As Apple's

September 8th, 2012, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster

Hoping to avoid a sales ban in the Netherlands, Samsung has said that Android's multitouch software doesn't work as well as Apple's. Samsung lawyer Bas Berghuis van Woortman said that while Apple's technology is a 'very nice invention,' the Android system is harder for developers to use. Arguing the bizarre counterpoint, Apple's lawyer Theo Blomme told judge Peter Blok, that the Android multitouch isn't inferior and does so infringe on Apple's patent: 'They suggest that they have a lesser solution, but that is simply not true,' said Blomme."

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/09/...good-as-apples

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

2012 iPhone to support global 4G LTE

September 8th, 2012, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

No Opt-Out For Ads On New Kindle Fires

September 9th, 2012, 12:34 Posted By: wraggster

Lost amid the announcements for Amazon's new tablets and e-readers was the news that their latest Kindle Fire tablets would include advertisements. So-called 'Special Offers' would place ads on the devices' lock screens in a similar fashion to the lowest price Kindle e-readers. However, on the e-readers, you had the option to 'buy out' the ads by simply paying the difference in price between the cheaper device and the regular version. But Amazon has no confirmed there is no way to opt out of the ads on the new Kindle Fire tablets."Update: 09/09 03:02 GMT by S : Reader Aoreias sends words that Amazon has now changed its mind. A spokesman announced thatusers will have the ability to opt-out for a fee of $15.

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/...w-kindle-fires

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Playstation Mobile SDK Update 0.99.11

September 9th, 2012, 12:40 Posted By: wraggster

via http://wololo.net/2012/09/07/just-in...pdate-0-99-11/

Sony just made an update available for the Playstation Mobile SDK.The “changelog” is as obscure as one would expect from Sony: “minor bugfix update for application execution stability which all developers are advised to update to.“. This could mean anything, and comes just a few days after a user mode hack was announced, potentially in the PSM. However for now I cannot tell if the two events are related.Those of you who use the PSM for their Vita apps are invited to update at the following url: http://www.playstation.com/psm/devel.../download.html .
Full PR below:

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GBA Emulator Released for Symbian OS Phones

September 9th, 2012, 12:49 Posted By: wraggster

The Android and iPhone families of phones may be the talk of the town but Summeli is back with a new GBA Emulator for Symbian phones.

the gpSP is a gameboy advance emulator originally written by Exophase. And now it’s ported to the Symbian OS!
It seems that Nokia has changed something with Symbian memory management in new Symbian Belle refresh update, and it seems that the old gpsp 0.7.1 doesn’t work anymore after Belle refresh update. This version contains minor adjustments to the memory management to make it will work with Symbian belle refresh again.
This version supports only Symbian^3 phones with Symbian Belle refresh installed (N8, E7 etc.). The old Symbian Anna users should still use the older gpSP 0.7. The S60 5th edition users should use the gpsp 0.6.5 for S60 5th edition
What’s new:

• Support for Symbian Belle Refresh

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.8 for Android

September 9th, 2012, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.8 for Android is released. Virtual GameBoy Advance (VGBA) is a program that emulates Nintendo's GameBoy Advance on your computer. It runs GameBoy Advance games on PCs, PDAs, or just about any other sufficiently fast computer. It also helps debugging GameBoy Advance software without using a costly development system.

Virtual GameBoy Advance v3.9.8 for Android Changelog:
* Added screenshots, two more slots, and the autosaved state to the Freeze/Restore feature.
* Improved GameShark / ActionReplay emulation, more cheats work now.
* Fixed Mario&Luigi hangup when entering the main city.
* Fixed Fire Emblem Cheatopedia entry, all Fire Emblem cheats now work.
* Fixed Porygon2 cheat and added "Buy Master Ball" cheat to the Pokemon Emerald Cheatopedia entry.
* Made Cheat Editor remove spaces from input and save cheats reliably.
* Added Italian translation.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...d=com.fms.vgba

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

US mobile gamers outnumber core gamers

September 10th, 2012, 14:33 Posted By: wraggster

125 million people in the US and UK now play mobile games and are spending more than ever.
According to a new report from NPD, mobile gamers account for 22 per cent of all gamers in the US - up nine per cent from 2011.
The overall number of gamers is down, however, with 211.5 millionin the US today, compared with 223.5 million a year ago.
Of the six gamer segments in the report, only mobile gamers and digital gamers saw numbers increase between 2011 and 2012. All other gamer segments experienced declines.
The six segments are:

• Mobile gamers
• Digital gamers
• Core gamers
• Family/kid gamers
• Light PC gamers
• Avid PC gamers

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

New Lumia is not Nokia's 'last chance'

September 10th, 2012, 14:33 Posted By: wraggster

Company says: “This is a step in the journey. This characterisation that it is the last step is not reality."
When Nokia's Windows Phone 8 smartphones were unveiled last week, the reaction was not what the Finnish firm expected.
While users seemed excited by the clean design, wireless chargingand high-quality cameras, the markets did not share that enthusiasm and Nokia's share price fell by up to 15 per cent with analysts blaming the Nokia Lumia 820 and 920's lack of ‘wow factor’.
Now, Nokia's senior vice president of smart devices, Jo Harlow has stepped up to defend the company, saying: "This is a step in the journey. This characterisation that it is the last step is not reality. These are two devices; they’re not all the devices that we’ll base on Windows Phone 8. This is our strategy and it’s a journey; there’s not one moment in time that defines everything.”
Some critics have also complained that the new Nokia phones don't offer enough differentiation from Android and iOS devices. However, others have suggested that this is a deliberate strategy.
Tony Crisp, an analyst with research firm Ovum, says that Microsoft may be holding back on flooding the market so they may develop the natural benefits of collaboration with other Microsoft products, including Windows 8.
He also added that, with the legal disputes with Samsung, Apple and others still raging on, the future may offer up further opportunities for Microsoft and Nokia to capitalise on
Jo Harlow claimed that the firm was able to improve the overall Windows Phoine platform and still provide differentiated products, citing NFC and improved maps as ways in which Nokia had benefited from its close relationship with Microsoft.
She said: “It’s always a decision should this be in the platform or should it be unique to us. It’s always in our interest to grow the platform, and if we have tonnes of differentiations it makes us slower when Microsoft gives us the software to implement.”
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-chance/019304

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Could the new iPhone face import bans?

September 10th, 2012, 14:34 Posted By: wraggster

HTC has accused Apple of infringing two patents regarding data transmission, judge says challenge is probably valid.
Apple may have a hard time invalidating HTC’s new data transmission patents, which could potentially lead to an import ban on a select number of iOS devices, including the new iPhone.
The Taiwanese manufacturer has accused Apple of infringing on two of its different patents related to wireless networking.
More specifically, the patents relate to technology that is essential for 4G LTE (long term evolution) devices. If Apple announces support for 4G LTE networks in its new iPhone, then HTC may seek an import ban.
A report on Android Authority says, 'the strategy is intended to force Apple into a settlement and get the company to drop its many patent infringement suits against HTC.'
The patents in question this time were bought from ADC Telecommunications Inc. by HTC in April 2011 for $75 million. If the new iPhone does use LTE, HTC can argue that it should be subject to an import ban because it was in production during the pre-trial investigative portion of the patent case.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) judge, Thomas Pender, told Apple: “I don’t care if they bought these patents to sue you or not. They are a property right. Clear and convincing means something to me. I have to be pretty darn certain a US patent is invalid.”
However, Apple lawyer Michael McKeon says that HTC has altered its allegations in the case, believing that HTC initially claimed the patents covered wi-fi technology but now says they cover 4G. McKeon also argued that the patents don’t cover mobile technology at all.
Apple also asserts that HTC does not have the proper ownership rights of the patents, though Judge Thomas Pender says he is unlikely to support that argument.
It's doubtful that this case will result in the iPhone being banned from sale in the US, but as for the rest of world… stranger things have happened. The only thing that is certain is that the patent lawsuits strangling the industry aren't going away any time soon.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...rt-bans/019300

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Majority of Mobile Malware Now Reliant On Toll Fraud

September 10th, 2012, 14:41 Posted By: wraggster

Spyware is no longer the primary concern with unwanted software on mobile devices. According to mobile security firm Lookout,most mobile malware performs 'toll fraud' — billing victims using premium SMS services. The problem is very geographically-dependent, worst in areas with weak SMS regulation, particularly China, Ukraine, and Russia, where users are 10,000 times more likely to have malware on their phones than users in Japan, for example. Other risks include mobile ads surreptitiously uploading personal data, as well as apps that download other malware without users knowing. The full report is available

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/09/...-on-toll-fraud

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

It is possible to opt out of ads on the Kindle Fire

September 10th, 2012, 19:54 Posted By: wraggster

Amazon makes a U-turn, but freedom from advertising comes at a price.
The applause for the new Kindle Fire range had barely finished echoing before Amazon started getting stick for its plans to make the devices ad supported.
The tablets come with ads built in, which display on the lock screen, but unlike earlier Kindles, there's no option to pay for an ad-free version of the device.
Amazon said: "Special Offers appear directly on your Kindle Fire. Offers appear on your lock screen, and you can also view offers from the Home screen by tapping Offers. By delivering these offers to your Kindle Fire, Amazon is able to sell it for a lower price."
The internet was in uproar. How dare Amazon betray us like this? The Kindle Fire HD looks amazing, but not with ads. Nuh uh. Even worse was Amazon's response to these complaints, telling people that there will be no way to opt out of these ads.
But then, 24 hours later...
Amazon revealed that, yes, Kindle Fire users will be able to opt out of the ads, but it will cost $15 (post-sale) to cover the lost ad subsidies.
An Amazon spokesman said: "With Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD there will be a special offer opt-out option for $15. We know from our Kindle reader line that customers love our special offers and very few people choose to opt out. We're happy to offer customers the choice."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...le-fire/019313

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Lumia 920 just one 'step in the journey' for Nokia

September 10th, 2012, 19:55 Posted By: wraggster

When Nokia's latest smartphone, the Lumia 920, was unveiled last week, alongside the lower-specced 820, it came out to a mixed but generally positive reaction.
Nevertheless, the firm's shares dipped by 15 per cent afterwards, and now the industry is speculating whether this is a last opportunity for Nokia to reclaim market share.
Nokia's senior vice president of smart devices, Jo Harlow, defended the company whilst speaking to The Telegraph, saying: "This is a step in the journey. This characterisation that it is the last step is not reality. These are two devices; they’re not all the devices that we’ll base on Windows Phone 8. This is our strategy and it’s a journey; there’s not one moment in time that defines everything.”
Jo Harlow claimed that the firm was able to improve the overall Windows Phone platform and still provide differentiated products, citing NFC and improved maps as ways in which Nokia had benefited from its close relationship with Microsoft.
She said: “It’s always a decision should this be in the platform or should it be unique to us. It’s always in our interest to grow the platform, and if we have tonnes of differentiations it makes us slower when Microsoft gives us the software to implement.”

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...r-nokia/029143

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Reports suggest September 21st launch for iPhone 5 in the UK

September 10th, 2012, 20:09 Posted By: wraggster

The iPhone 5 will launch in the UK on September 21^st, according to online reports.
The new handset will be revealed to the world in the late hours of Wednesday afternoon (September 12^th) via an exclusive event in the US.
Geeky Gadgets claims to have word from more than one source, including one from a “major UK mobile carrier”, that the device will officially go on sale in the UK on Friday September 21^st.
Backing up this claim, MacRumours claims to have learnt that courier firm FedEx is making preparations for a “surge volume event” taking place between September 21^st-24^th.
The company is apparently also “limiting employee travel and training around this period, making sure as many workers as possible are on hand to deal with the surge of shipments”.
As for the iPhone 5, you can see what is still believed to be the first authentic video of the handset here.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/repor...the-uk/0102611

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

ePSXe for Android 1.7.7

September 10th, 2012, 22:51 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-19248.html

After more than four years a new version of the PlayStation emulator ePSXe has been released.


Download on Google Play: ePSXe for Android 1.7.7

Quote:

Version 1.7.7
* Fixed support for Tegra2 devices, tested in S. Galaxy Tab, Sony Tablet S and Acer Iconia A500. (thanks C. Allen, K. Pompper, K. WAN, M. Hunger, J. L. Fuentes).
* Fixed some GPU bugs (Valkyrie Profile, Metal Gear Solid, Looney Tunes Racing),(thanks P. Vang, T. Larkin)
* Improved the frameskip functions (Dragon Ball F. Bout), and new option enable frameskip only in high-resolution.
* Fixed some crashes in blit code. (Driver/2 are now working on Nexus S devices). (thanks T. Larkin)

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

nds4droid v11

September 10th, 2012, 22:54 Posted By: wraggster

via http://adf.ly/2419524/www.emucr.com/


nds4droid v11 is released. nds4droid is a free, open source Nintendo DS emulator for Android based on DeSmuME. It is currently in it's infancy but does support most of the features one would expect in an emulator.

nds4droid v11 Changelog:
- Support for cheats. Use the cheats menu option to add and edit Action Replay cheats
- Performance enhancements for ARM based devices
- Adds a French translation

http://sourceforge.net/projects/nds4droid/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

CyanogenMod 10 now available in 'M-Series' monthly builds

September 11th, 2012, 11:36 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Juke launches streaming music app for iPad

September 11th, 2012, 23:29 Posted By: wraggster

Pimped up with new features for the bigger screen.
Juke is the Spotify-like service site and run by 24-7 Entertainment, which is offered as a white label service for partners.
The iPad app was an inevitable addition for a service that is already accessible via smartphone iOs and android app as well as a web service.
The tablet version includes a social media sharing function, full synchronisation of MyJUKE favourites between various devices, PayPal payment function, expanded sound quality, performance optimisation and much more.
Artists’ pages have also been given a visual makeover, as has the “Similar Artists” function that recommends artists to suit the listener’s musical tastes, and represents a further gateway to the JUKE library which now contains over 18 million songs.
So-called Jukers even get exclusive such as video access to a private Nelly Furtado gig in Berlin on September 12th.
Juke costs 9.99 euros a month from a variety of partners.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...or-ipad/019331

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Steve 'Mac Daddy' Jobs is back for iPhone 5 launch, bitches

September 11th, 2012, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

Former Apple CEO is reborn and puts Tim Cook in his place.
Rapper Tupac was recently through innovative holographic tech, which inspired comedy clip maker Mondo give Steve Jobs the resurrection treatment ahead of tomorrow's iPhone 5 launch.
While Tim Cook gloats how powerful he is at the opening of the event, Jobs returns from the afterlife to demonstrate why he is the real king of Apple, supported with his dope rapping skills.
Dead or alive, he's the Mac Daddy.



http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...bitches/019327

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

10m people will buy the iPhone 5 on September 21st

September 11th, 2012, 23:31 Posted By: wraggster

App marketers expected to have a Christmas-like rush of downloads this month.
Apple is set to release the iPhone 5 tomorrow, and Fiksu says that spells a bumper pay day ahead for brands looking to market their apps.
The app marketing company has predicted what's in store for the next-gen device based on iPhone 4S sales, and reckons 10m people will flock to stores on September 21st to get their hands on the new model.
Meanwhile, the cost to acquire a loyal app user (someone that opens an app at least three times) fell by ten per cent and Fiksu is billing the results as Christmas in September.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...er-21st/019325

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

YouTube finally launches its own iPhone app

September 11th, 2012, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster

Just one day before the anticipated arrival of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.
Last month, Apple revealed that YouTube would not be a default app on iOS 6, which it has been since the iPhone first arrived in 2007.
However, that app was made by Apple and was never really any good, and most iPhone users who wanted a full YouTube experience went to the mobile site instead.
So, it was only a matter of time before YouTube built its own app, and here it is… and just one day before the iPhone 5 arrives, fancy that!
This is a great move for both Apple and Google. No phone can truly declare itself the best in the world if it doesn't have indispensable apps like YouTube, while Google is finally going to be able to monetise all those iPhone users by pushing ads in front of YouTube videos - something it was never able to do with Apple's in-house version.
Andrey Doronichev, head of YouTube mobile, wrote in a blog post: “The new iPhone app is available worldwide and unlocks tens of thousands of official music videos, as well as bringing lots of new features to improve finding and sharing awesome videos and channels.
“It’s a new app built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone users the best mobile experience.”

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...one-app/019324

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

No Instagram for Windows Phones

September 11th, 2012, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Source smashes rumours of photo app hitting Microsoft-powered devices.
Facebook-owned Instagram has more than 80m users across Android and iOS, while 40 per cent of the top global brands use the retro photo-sharing app.
Following Nokia's launch of the Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia 920 and 820 last week, The Verge claimed Instagram is heading to the platform, though VentureBeat says that's not the case.
A source reckons Instagram could have been working on a version for WinPho but isn't anymore, with development put on ice following the Facebook buyout.
Facebook refused to comment and it should be noted that it took around 18 months for Instagram to expand from iOS to Android, though that was without the $1bn backing of the world's largest social network.
The takeover has already seen Instagram users almost triple, and at the time of the swoop Facebook said it would play to the app's strengths.
Meanwhile, RIM is thought to be developing a native Instagram-like app for the BlackBerry 10 OS.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-phones/019321

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

It's iPhone 5 Eve - what to expect from Apple tomorrow

September 11th, 2012, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster

A new iPhone is about to be released, with eager Apple fans salivating at the thought of the latest must-have upgrade, whilst the rest of the world is awaiting more info.
An invite was sent out for the press conference with the image above on it - a 12 for the date cleverly reflecting the number 5 - presumably to indicate the iPhone 5 itself.
What do we know about it now?

• It will feature a new smaller dock connector, with 9 pins instead of 30. This should help Apple manufacture a smaller device. However, apparently Apple isn't keen on third-party companies developing their own versions. It's also bad news for anyone with multiple Apple devices who enjoys using just the one charging lead.
• They might include a new style of in-ear headphones.
• The new iPhone could have a larger screen than current models - perhaps 4 inches compared to the 3.5 inches we see now.
• It will probably have a new form factor, with a metallic back.
• It might have 4G capabilities, which in the UK could work through EE - the newly rebranded network from Everything Everwhere.
• Some rumours suggest an A6 quad-core processor, whilst many are hoping for iOS6 too.
• While it's expected to be announced tomorrow, the release date is likely to be September 21st, although some sources are suggesting September 18th.
• It could see the fastest worldwide rollout of an iPhone so far, as rumours suggest China will see the new iPhone 5 by the end of the year.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Android to dominate smartphones for next four years

September 11th, 2012, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

Canalys has predicted that Android will still be the majority shareholder in the smart phone market in 2016, but that the tablet market will see stiffer competition.
According to predictions, smart phone shipments in 2016 will total around 1.2 billion units, with tablet shipments of around 207 million units – meaning compound annual growth rates of 19.5 per cent and 26.8 per cent respectively.
The analyst predicts that Android will hold around 57 per cent of the smart phone OS market, with Apple’s share remaining at around 18 per cent and Microsoft making inroads in the interim.
In the tablet market, however, Apple is predicted to hold just under half the market while increased availability of Windows 8 devices will increase Microsoft’s share to 17 per cent.
“Pads are the fastest growing consumer electronics products in history and are forecast to represent 29% of total PC shipments in 2016. But the market remains dominated by a single vendor. Other PC and smart phone vendors are currently finding it hard to weaken Apple’s position,” said Canalys analyst Tim Coulling.
“The only product that most would consider a big hit is the Kindle Fire, brought to market by Amazon – an Internet retailer. Tight integration of hardware, software and services is a prerequisite for competing in the pad market, even at low price points, and fragmentation among other pad vendors’ offers helps Apple maintain its position.”
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...r-years/029149

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

School Regrets Swapping Laptops For iPads

September 12th, 2012, 01:08 Posted By: wraggster

A school swapped all its staff laptops for iPads — and now wants to switch them back. 'Most staff are IT illiterate and jumped at the chance of exchanging their laptop for an iPad,' a teacher from the school told PC Pro. Now, however: 'the staff room is full of regret.' Difficulties editing old Word and PowerPoint documents, transferring work to and from the device without USB sticks, and problems with projecting the iPad's display to the classroom — bizarrely, using an Apple TV — have led to staff once again reaching for their Windows laptops.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...tops-for-ipads

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Samsung Expected To Sue Apple Over iPhone 5 LTE Networking

September 12th, 2012, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Geek.com:"The courtroom battle between Apple and Samsung seems to be far from over, and come tomorrow Apple is in for a major headache as soon as it makes the iPhone 5 official. That's because Samsung is poised to sue the company over patents it owns relating to LTE connectivity the new smartphone is expected to use. All Samsung needs to confirm is that the iPhone 5 is shipping with 4G LTE and it can then apparently set its lawyers into action. As is typical with these patent lawsuits, Samsung will most likely seek an import ban meaning the iPhone 5 may not be able to leave its manufacturing plants and make it to the U.S. to fulfill pre-orders. If such a thing ruling was made, Apple would most likely do a deal that meant it no longer pursued Samsung product bans, and might even forget about that billion dollar payout."Samsung's not the only one hoping to gain some leverage: itwbennett writes, "Apple's iPhone 5 and iPad 3 may violate a pair of patents bought by HTC back in April 2011 that cover methods used in 4G devices for faster downloads. International Trade Commission judge Thomas Pender said it would take 'clear and convincing' evidence to renounce the U.S. patents."

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...lte-networking

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

And here's the iPad Mini - IN PICTURES

September 12th, 2012, 01:25 Posted By: wraggster

We’ve seen the iPhone 5 – now it looks like we may have our first screens of the iPad Mini.
As published by French site NoWhereElse, the device looks exactly as previous rumour had suggested.
If true this iPad Mini will position itself as a direct competitor to Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7, both of which are vastly cheaper than an iPad 3 and boast a smaller-screened, more compact design.
The next question is whether or not the iPad Mini will be presented alongside the iPhone 5 tomorrow evening when Apple takes to the stage in the US to demo its new handset?



http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/and-h...ctures/0102686

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Zuckerberg: betting on HTML 5 for Facebook mobile app was a 'mistake,' native Android

September 12th, 2012, 01:34 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Free apps dominate market, iOS App Store accounts for 25 percent of all content

September 12th, 2012, 01:37 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple unveils new iPods

September 12th, 2012, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

The iPod Touch gets bigger and the world is treated to a whole new range of Nanos.
Along with the new iPhone, Apple also announced some new iPods. Here's a quick breakdown:
New iPod Touch
The new Touch has a 4-inch screen, is 6mm thick and weighs just 88 grams. It's the thinnest and lightest iPod Touch so far.
It has a 5-megapixel camera with the same panorama feature as the iPhone 5.
For the first time it will have a dual-core chip and Apple say it will offer 40 hours of music playback and eight hours of video playback.
It's got Siri, too, and is available in silver, black, blue, yellow, or red.
Selling at $299 for the 32GB version and $399 for the 64GB version, the new Touch will reach consumers in October.
New iPod Nano
This is the seventh-generation iPod Nano and it has a 2.5-inch touch display. Just 5mm thick, it's 40 per cent thinner than the previous model.
It is available in seven colours - white, black, purple, green, blue, yellow, and red - and has an integrated FM tuner which includes a live pause feature.
The new 16GB Nano will cost $149.
Both the Touch and the Nano will include Apple's new eight-pin dock connector, called Lightning.
The iPod Shuffle is unchanged from last year's model but is available in the same colours as the Nano, costing $49 for a 2GB device.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...w-ipods/019351

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 is officially unveiled

September 12th, 2012, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster

After months of rabid speculation, Apple's latest smartphone is announced.
In front of a packed audience, Apple's Tim Cook and Phil Schiller unveiled the new iPhone, called... iPhone 5.
After vamping for a bit, talking up the device as "made entirely of glass and aluminum. It's designed and built to an exacting level of standard unlike anything we, or anyone in our industry, have made before," Tim and Phil delivered the specs, and much of the rumour and speculation has proved correct.
The iPhone 5 has a a 326ppi Retina Display, a 4-inch screen with 1136 x 640 resolution. It's the same width as the old phone, but a little bit taller. The screen has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and now allows for six rows of apps on the screen; five rows on each page, with the permanent single row along the bottom.
At 7.6mm it's the thinnest iPhone yet (the thinnest smartphone in the world according to Phil Schiller) and weighing 112g, it's also lighter than the iPhone 4S.
Phil Schiller goes on to say the phone is made entirely of glass and aluminium, Twitter wag @brokenkey adds "…no electronics, just unicorn breath."
As previously reported, touch is integrated into the display, so it's thinner and sharper and has less glare in direct sunlight.
The iPhone 5 is the company’s first 4G LTE phone. In the US, the phone will be on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint;Bell & Virgin in Canada; Singtel and Telstra in Australasia and EE in the UK.
It has a new processor - the A6 - which Apple says is twice as fast as its predecessor and 22 per cent smaller.
The camera has also received an upgrade. It’s still 8 megapixel but is now 25 per cent smaller, includes more features and will take pictures 40 per cent faster. There’s also a panorama mode to allow users to take enormous widescreen pictures.
After much demand, FaceTime will now be available over mobile networks, with the front front-facing camera now 720p.
The battery will provide eight hours of 3G or LTE talk time or browsing and 10 hours of wifi browsing.
Passbook was touched upon, but no great detail was provided. It looks nicer than the earlier versions we have seen though, with some nice animation work.
Being a phone and everything, voice calls have been improved too. The iPhone 5 is has three separate microphones (front, bottom and back) to help Siri's performance, and the earpiece has better noise cancellation,
Oh yes, Siri has been fine-tuned. Maybe more people will use it now. I hope so, especially as users can use it to post directly to Facebook and I enjoy laughing at inappropriate Facebook statuses.
The connecter has changed too. They are going to release an adapter, but it's bulky.
What about omissions? Well, there is no wireless charging, no micro-USB connectivity, and no NFC, which is particularly disappointing.
When it comes to iOS 6, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch all are getting the new OS, which will be ready from September 19th.
As for the iPhone itself, it can be ordered from September 14th (Friday) and will ship one week later (er… the 21st).
The 16GB model will cost $199, rising to $399 for the 64GB version.
So, what do you think? Blown away, pretty much what you expected, or cheesed off? Let us know in the comments box below.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...nveiled/019350

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Sony denies Windows Phone rumours

September 12th, 2012, 23:34 Posted By: wraggster

Sony MD says the company is considering working with Microsoft. Head of mobile says it's not true.
Last week, Sony Mobile's UK & Ireland MD Pierre Perron told reporters that the company is investigating the possibility of working with Microsoft on a Windows Phone.
It made perfect sense, as once upon a time Sony Ericsson made Windows smartphones and the company has been making Windows-based PCs for years.
However, Kunimasa Suzuki, head of Sony Mobile, denies anything of the sort, saying the company has no plans to launch any Windows Phone 8 smartphones and is not engaged in discussions with Microsoft.
He added that the only OS the company had plans for at the moment was Android, but also acknowledged that Sony Mobile has been steadily losing market share, and is no longer profitable, losing $360 million in the last quarter, but is looking to fix that using a variety of means.
Sony may not be working with Microsoft right now, but if Windows Phone 8 is successful, that could all change.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...rumours/019349

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple powers 31 per cent of mobile ad impressions

September 12th, 2012, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Makes up more than 50 per cent when combined with rival Samsung.
Millennial Media's September report analyses Q2 ad impressions across the top 20 mobile phones, top ten app categories, and top five tablets.
Apple was the biggest brand and accounted for 31 per cent of impressions, while the iPhone was the leading mobile device.
Meanwhile, Apple's foe Samsung was the second largest driver of impressions and generates more than 50 per cent of the total when combined with its US rival.
However, despite the success of Apple, Android accounts for 46 per cent of impressions when analysed by operating system, ahead of the 34 per for iOS, 15 per cent for BlackBerry and four per cent for Windows Phone.
The rise of smartphone ownership meant the devices accounted for three-quarters of all impressions, an eight per cent rise year-on-year.
Unsurprisingly, the iPad led the tablet market while 95 per cent of tablet impressions were made via wi-fi, suggesting users are reluctant to take out 3G/4G contracts and prefer the security of indoor use.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...essions/019348

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Do you want to feel cool, happy or tech-savvy? Buy an iPhone 5

September 12th, 2012, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster

Aforementioned feelings are just some that current iPhone users experience.
It's almost here, according to Apple, and the general consensus is that the 'it' refers to the iPhone 5.
Online researcher AYTM has examined Stateside use of the iPhone to find that 75 per cent of current owners plan to upgrade to the device by 2013.
It's quite a wild statement to make when you consider that Apple hasn't said a word of what it's next device will actually feature, but of course, the brand does have an 84 per cent customer loyalty.
The iPhone also brings out a varying number of emotions in users, making 43.9 per cent feel like the king of cool, while 48.1 per cent feel tech-savvy and 48.5 feel happy.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...phone-5/019345

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 needs to be truly revolutionary

September 12th, 2012, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster

It's no longer enough for Apple to rehash existing technology and claim it as its own.
With the launch of the original iPhone in 2007, Apple changed the mobile landscape forever.
Until that point, only geeks got really excited about handsets, and showing off ringtones was the extent to which most people bragged about their mobiles. But then came the iPhone with its lovely screen and decent camera and pinch-to-zoom and apps and all those things, and suddenly, the phone in your pocket was as important as the cleanliness of your fingernails. The iPhone made mobile sexy.
Over the years, other platforms like Windows and Android have caught up with the features offered by iOS, worked on design and learnt to market themselves a bit better, to the point where Android is now the dominant platform and the place where the real innovation is happening.
In fact, it can be argued that very little real innovation has come out of Cupertino for some time, what we have seen instead is the repackaging of existing technology followed by claims of revolution, but that's not going to fly any longer.
Consumers are increasingly knowledgable about emerging technologies and mobile industry goings-on. In September 2012, far fewer people would lose their ****ing minds over ancient video chat services being put in a new box and called FaceTime.
However, one thing Apple is still able to do very well is take relatively niche features and push them into the public consciousness. This is the hope for NFC. If the iPhone 5 does include NFC, then it may be the watershed moment for mobile payments; legitimising the idea, giving consumers the confidence to use their smartphones to pay for goods and services and forcing other firms to up their game.
Increasingly, this seems to be what Apple is for. It is the cool older brother, who sees its younger sibling learning to play guitar, so buys a nicer, shinier guitar and shows all its friends how it can play the riff to Seven Nation Army, pushing the little brother to build his own double-necked Flying V guitar and figure out how to play Stairway... left-handed.
But like parents viewing all this from afar, we've become wise to Apple's tactics and are waiting for the firm to once again stand out and give us something new.
In a world where one can run a business from a budget Android handset and the Samsung Galaxy S III is the smartphone turning heads, the iPhone 5 has to do something truly special and be genuinely revolutionary if it is to repeat the success of its predecessors.
Sure, it'll sell a shitload of units between now and Easter and make an obscene amount of money, but it's what happens afterwards that will give us an indication as to whether Apple can still cut it.
Ultimately, the real hook for the iPhone 5 may be Passbook. A bigger screen and slimmer body has been done before. What Apple needs to do is capitalise on the public's trust, while it still has it - before the perceived bullying tactics damage its reputation irreparably. If people are going to let anyone look after their ID, store cards and boarding passes, it'll be Apple, and it'll be Passbook.
Will Passbook be different enough from existing services to restore Apple's reputation as an innovator? Will the iPhone 5 have any technological breakthroughs that can put it head and shoulders above the competition.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...tionary/019338

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 will be available in the UK on 4G network with EE

September 12th, 2012, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

Rumour becomes reality - only yesterday, at the launch of Everything Everywhere's new brand EE, the firm hinted that it would soon carry the iPhone 5 on its 4G LTE network.
It's just been confirmed by Apple.
The phone won't be exclusive to EE of course, other networks like Vodafone and O2 will carry it too, but 4G will be considerably faster than what 3G users currently experience.
EE says users on its 4G network can expect speeds of up to 21Mbps, compared to an average of 1.5Mbps on 3G. Quite the difference.
Four cities – London, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham – have been switched on to 4G in readiness for EE's customer launch. Its schedule looks to have 16 areas of the country connected to 4G by Christmas, with 2013 population coverage to reach 70 per cent, aiming for 98 per cent to be covered by 2014.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...with-ee/029160

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple reveals iPhone 5 - it will have 4-inch screen and A6 chip

September 12th, 2012, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster

In the biggest surprise of the year (possible sarcasm alert), the iPhone 5 has been announced at today's Apple event in San Francisco.
Here are some of the highlights:

• It has 4G capabilities and will be available through new 4G network EE
• At 7.6mm it's the thinnest iPhone yet.
• And at 112g, it's also lighter than the iPhone 4S.
• Yes, it has a lovely new 4-inch screen with 16:9 aspect ratio
• But until apps are developed for it, they will appear centred. Hmmm.
• 4G LTE has been confirmed, which is good news for UK network EE, which heavily hinted it would have the iPhone on its 4G service just yesterday.
• Battery life has been improved, with up to 225 hours (!) on standby, 10 hours browsing, 8 hours on 3G, etc.
• New iSight camera is 8MP
• You will now be able to take photos whilst also recording a video. Impressive.
• New Lightning dock connector

All in all, is it worth an upgrade? Perhaps if you're out of contract and it's not going to cost you anything extra. Otherwise, if you've already got an iPhone 4S, you might just want to hold tight until the next one (which, let's face it, won't be that far off).


http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...a6-chip/029159

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Enough about the iPhone 5, is the iPad Mini on the way too?

September 12th, 2012, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster

New images have leaked of Apple's iPad Mini, which is still somewhat a mystery. Could this be announced at today's Apple event as well?
We first revealed images of the iPad Mini last week, but now a new source has a further selection to feast those eyeballs on.
As published by French site NoWhereElse, the device looks smart, small, and completely in line with the Apple mobile devices - both phones and tablets - that we've become so familiar with.
An iPad at this size would be a direct competitor to both Amazon's new Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...way-too/029152

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 revealed, "full console quality" graphics promised

September 13th, 2012, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has unveiled the long-rumoured iPhone 5, proclaiming the latest version of its all-conquering smartphone, which this time is constructed entirely from aluminium and glass, as "the best product we've ever made."
Those new materials mean iPhone is the lightest, thinnest phone Apple has ever made, 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than its predecessor, iPhone 4S. Sporting a four-inch screen with a resolution of 1136x640 and 326 pixels per inch, it's a 16:9 display. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide marketing, said the company had opted for this new design "because of your hand. It should fit there."
It also means the screen holds a fifth row of icons, with its calendar able to display a full working week without scrolling. While many apps have been updated for the new aspect ratio, Apple has allowed for those that don't, automatically centering them and adding borders on either side.

Under the hood, the new A6 processor sports a CPU and GPU twice as fast as the current A5. To show off iPhone 5's new graphical capabilities, Schiller introduced Rob Murray, vice president of EA Studios and founder of Firemint, the Australian developer of Real Racing snapped up by EA last year.
Showing off a new version of Real Racing, Murray hailed iPhone 5's "full console quality" graphics and unveiled a new Game Center feature which, it seems, sends ghost data for opponents to race against as if in real time. Schiller, returning to the stage, said the new device can "marry mobile with console graphics. It's never been done before." He insists, too, that despite all this iPhone 5's battery life is better than that of iPhone 4S.
Not much for gamers, then, but more will doubtless be revealed in the coming days, with those developers lucky enough to have been asked to update their apps in advance likely to show off their wares. iPhone 5 ships on September 21; preorders begin on September 14.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/ipho...phics-promised

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 launching on September 21 for $199

September 13th, 2012, 01:26 Posted By: wraggster

Apple takes the wraps off its worst kept secret
At a special press event today, Apple has just announced the iPhone 5, as expected. Apple says it's made entirely of glass and aluminum. It's 7.6mm thin and is being touted as "the world's thinnest smartphone." It looks almost exactly like the leaked images, with a 4-inch Retina display. Apple promises to update all its software to work with the new widescreen display.
The screen also reportedly offers 44 percent more color saturation; it's fully sRGB. And, Apple says that with the touch sensor built into the display, "it's now the most accurate display in the industry."
From a connectivity standpoint, the new iPhone 5 does indeed offer LTE, as expected, and Apple has also included HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, for "ultrafast wireless technology."
Getting into the innards, importantly, iPhone 5 will come packed with a powerful new A6 processor, which provides a CPU and GPU that are each twice as fast.
From a gaming standpoint, this can only mean good things. EA Studios demoed Real Racing 3, and one of the new features on iPhone 5 with Game Center is time-shifted multiplayer, enabling you to race friends on the same track later (essentially asynchronous gameplay).
Apple then dived into two other important areas: battery life and camera functionality. The battery can last up to 8 hours with LTE usage, or it can provide 8 hours of 3G talk time. When using just Wi-Fi, it can offer 10 hours, while music can last for 40 hours and standby can sit around for 225 hours. As for the camera, Apple has included an 8-megapixel sensor with a five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, and a sapphire crystal lens cover, among other new features. Importantly, for avid photographers, image capture is said to be 40 percent faster with iPhone 5. There's also a cool new panorama mode for those extra wide scenes.
Naturally, the iPhone 5 is offering more in the way of video recording too. It has full 1080p recording, improved video stabilization, face detection, and users can take photos while in the middle of recording video.
Also, Facetime now has an HD 720p camera, and the mode can indeed be used over a cellular network (if you feel like gobbling up your data plan, that is). Sound has gotten a nice improvement as well, since Apple has included a front, back, and bottom microphone. Speakers have seen their magnet transducers bumped up to five from three, and the earpiece now includes noise canceling on your own audio out.

Following the camera presentation, Apple confirmed that the phone's connector is changing, as was rumored. It's called Lightning, and it's an all-digital, 8 signal design. Yes, there will be adapters for all the peripherals using the old connector, and Apple said it's working with accessory makers to now integrate Lightning into all their upcoming products.
Of course, one of the more exciting developments with the new iPhone is the introduction of iOS 6. In a move sure to please developers, Apple said iOS 6 will support phones back to the iPhone 3GS. Apple demoed its new Maps app, which replaces the previous Google Maps, and the company also talked about iCloud tabs, VIPs in Mail, and shared PhotoStreams. As for Siri, which certainly had some kinks on the iPhone 4S, Apple is now integrating the voice recognition service with apps like OpenTable, Facebook and more.
So how much will it cost? $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for a 32GB iPhone 5, and $399 for a 64GB edition, all with a service contract. Apple is also now making the iPhone 4 free with contracts, while the iPhone 4S is being lowered to just $99. Pre-orders will start on Friday and the launch is officially planned for September 21. Apple is boasting that it'll be the "fastest rollout ever" with 100 countries and 240 carriers by end of the year.
Apple also announced a new version of the iPod Touch, which shares many of the same new features as the iPhone 5, including the taller display and Lightning connector. The new iPod Touch will also feature an A5 processor, a 720p front-facing camera, and will be available in five different colors.
We'll have reaction and more to the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 announcements soon.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ber-21-for-199

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Spec Analysis: The New Kindle Fire HD Tablets

September 13th, 2012, 01:27 Posted By: wraggster

Digital Foundry's assessment of the new Amazon slates' gaming prowess
Last year, while researching an iPad feature, an insider in the mobile industry told me that when the dust settles, the only major hardware manufacturers in the mobile market will be those with access to significant content libraries - Apple, Google and Amazon. Almost one year on, the source's prediction is beginning to look eerily accurate - in the tablet arena at least. iPad continues to rule the market, but Google - and now Amazon - have finally stepped up their efforts in challenging Apple's all-conquering slate. Suddenly, everything else is beginning to look rather over-priced and increasingly irrelevant in comparison.
Last week's announcement of the new Kindle Fire tablets shows a renewed focus from Amazon on their tablet range with products aimed squarely at competing with both the Nexus 7 and the iPad. The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD is an intriguing release similar to the Google slate in many ways, with just a small reshuffling in terms of spec: the high-power quad-core Tegra 3 is replaced by a dual-core TI OMAP processor, but the Kindle Fire HD offers twice the storage for the same price.

There are other goodies too: specifically the inclusion of a Micro HDMI port that allows downloaded and streaming movies to run directly on an HDTV. Amazon also takes aim at the iPad by including proper stereo speakers in the unit, based on a collaboration with Dolby, no less - an interesting contrast to the mono-speaker technology found in Apple's tablet.
While display resolution is identical to the Nexus 7 at 1280x800 and using the same IPS technology for improved viewing angles, commentators have noted improved colour reproduction on the Amazon device, along with an improved anti-glare feature which goes some way in addressing the reflective issues on the Google tablet. Amazon is clearly taking media consumption seriously - this is a Kindle after all - and the firm clearly wants to give its hardware the best shot at working in as many different environments as possible.
However, the big concern with the tablet concerns the choice of its main processor: TI's OMAP 4460 SoC (system on chip) graces the 7-inch offering - the same chip found in the Galaxy Nexus Smartphone and in no way competitive with the likes of Tegra 3 or the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, let alone this year's A5X revision. The Nexus 7 tablet acquits itself as a decent games machine, but it's hard to imagine that the Fire HD can offer anything like the same experience: it'll almost certainly be fine for 2D titles, but based on our experience with equivalent hardware, it will definitely struggle with more advanced 3D games. The PowerVR SGX540 integrated into the Kindle Fire HD is very long in the tooth now - roughly equivalent to the now-outmoded Tegra 2 from NVIDIA.

The new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD offers up an overall external package similar to Google's Nexus 7 with a number of useful enhancements, such as HDMI output and Dolby-approved stereo sound. However, it uses a core chipset that's significantly less powerful than the NVIDIA Tegra 3 inside the Google slate.

The situation is improved significantly with the new 8.9-inch Fire HD, which sees Amazon upgrade the spec to a more capable OMAP 4470. It's still a dual-core part in terms of CPU power, but the GPU gets a decent upgrade - enough for firm boss Jeff Bezos to make the bold claim that the integrated PowerVR SGX544 actually has the better of Tegra 3. Certainly in terms of memory bandwidth and floating point operations, it's a white-wash, with the IMG chipset comprehensively out-performing the NVIDIA part. But the SGX544 is an older part, and TI is using a single graphics core rather than the multi-core arrangements found in the iPad.
Once again it's unlikely that high-end 3D apps will match the Tegra 3 tablets in terms of performance, especially bearing in mind the additional resolution the chipset services: NVIDIA's tech has typically been paired with 1280x800 screens, but with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch, Amazon has gone for a full-on 1920x1200 resolution.

Bearing in mind that this is mostly the preserve of 24-inch desktop displays, that's a hell of a lot of pixels crammed into a very small space - not quite of the "Retina"-level, but impressive nonetheless. Unfortunately, when it comes to gaming, more pixels requires more GPU power to maintain performance and it's difficult to imagine that the new Kindle holds a candle to the iPad 2 and "new iPad", where Apple has invested hugely in graphics power, and reaped the benefits.
Yet despite the substantial power differential, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD (curiously, not coming to the UK yet, according to the Amazon UK website) looks like being the most credible challenger to the iPad - in terms of the larger form-factor at least - that we've seen. It retains all of the advantages of the 7-inch model - Dolby audio, HDMI output - and boasts a $299 pricepoint up against the $399 of the iPad 2 and the $499 of the new iPad. The 4G LTE version of Amazon's effort actually costs the same as the entry-level new iPad - a clear demarcation if ever there were one. The intent here seems clear: Amazon has nipped and tucked at the iPad spec while aiming for a similar experience, offering substantial price-cuts into the bargain, with spec improvements added where the firm feels it can actually surpass the iPad without an enormous hardware investment.
Overall then, Amazon's take on what its consumers want from a tablet is an interesting exercise in "give and take", a downgrade in many ways compared to the iPad and Nexus 7, but with enough features to remain competitive in terms of the core functionality, along with some additional thought - and spec - put into features that will perhaps take it beyond its competitors as a media consumption device.
However, in terms of our industry, it is a shame that the games credentials of the device are relatively weak: mobile faces a year of fundamental change, with the appearance of next-gen 28nm parts which will revolutionise the capabilities of next year's tablets and smartphones. In this sense, the "built to a budget" element of the Kindle devices is a little disappointing: games will be rapidly evolving on the mobile platform, potentially even becoming a target for AAA publishers, and the relative lack of power will lock out these new Kindles from this new wave of gaming.

Curiously the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD isn't currently available to pre-order in the UK, being US exclusive for now. That's a shame - the keen price-point in combination with a high resolution 1920x1200 screen makes it look like a winner for general surfing and media consumption tasks. However, like the smaller Fire HD, its graphics capabilities are rather lacklustre at this high resolution.

Questions also need to be asked about the Amazon-specific iteration of the Android operating system developed for the new tablet. It's an extensively re-skinned version of Android 4.0 but without the speed/experience optimisations made in the new Jellybean revision of the OS found in the Nexus 7. Apple's iOS offerings perform well even on a dual-core processor, but even the new Google tablet isn't quite as smooth as the iPad 2 - despite featuring two more CPU cores. Hands-on tests of the Amazon version of the OS, while inconclusive, suggest that the user experience isn't as refined as either of its competitors, and tales of adverts being displayed on the lock-screen are unlikely to endear the device to its more hardcore users.
On the flipside, a number of new features have been added that take the Kindle Fire HD's media consumption abilities significantly beyond its competitors - X-Ray sees users able to access the internet for more information on actors, characters, places or events across both movies and books.

WhisperSync allows Amazon customers to pick up their novels, games or films on other devices at exactly the same place that they left off. "Immersion Reading" even brings together text books with their audio counterparts, both running simultaneously, which Amazon reckons makes the process of absorbing content a lot easier. New Facebook and email clients are promised too - a move designed primarily to make Amazon content easier to share amongst friends.
And that's what is going to make or break the Kindle tablets' fortunes - the quality of Amazon's content. If there's one drawback to this device, it's that there's no access to the core Google Play site, meaning that for apps and games at least, one walled garden has been exchanged for another, somewhat smaller domain. The hacker community's response to this has been to root the existing Kindle Fire and manually add Google Play back in - a relatively simple procedure, but whether this will be possible with the next-gen Kindles remains to be seen. As for any potential impact to the success of the device, the excellent sales of existing Fire product suggest that, similar to the Nexus 7, the combination of a keenly priced piece of consumer electronics in concert with a recognised, trusted brand works well in attracting strong sales.
Crucially, there's little doubt that the new Fire HD products are enormous improvements over the original Amazon Android, with what look like some impressive new features. Amazon appears to have refined and significantly improved its existing, successful formula and these new Kindles will undoubtedly sell very well indeed. But where Apple and Google have produced rounded products with strong gaming credentials, Amazon's proposition is significantly more skewed towards giving customers better access to its own product lines - gaming provision comes across almost as if it is an afterthought, similar to iPhone in the early days. But the bottom line is that in producing a tablet so rich in functionality at such a cheap price, something had to give...

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-spec-analysis

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Chrome for Android's first post-beta update brings better sandboxing, other tweaks

September 13th, 2012, 01:30 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5, updated iPod touch and iPod nano models reach the FCC right on cue

September 13th, 2012, 01:31 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple's Phil Schiller explains new 'Lightning' port, doesn't think much of NFC and wi

September 13th, 2012, 01:31 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPod classic lives to play another day

September 13th, 2012, 01:32 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iOS 6 GM seed now available for developers

September 13th, 2012, 01:33 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iOS Game Center boasts '150 million players'

September 13th, 2012, 01:38 Posted By: wraggster

Apple used its iPhone 5 conference today to talk about its achievements in gaming with iOS devices.
According to Apple, iOS's Xbox Live-like Game Center hub now has over 150 million players. That's quite a few, by the way. By comparison, in February this year Microsoft said it had an audience of more than 40 million Xbox Live subscribers.Apple's Greg Joswick went on to call the iPod Touch "the world's most popular video game player" (thanks Engadget), before revealing the latest SKU, which apparently has "seven times faster" graphics than the old iPod Touch.
According to Joswick, there are over 175,000 "games and entertainment apps" on the App Store - admittedly many of which are little more than filler, but as our recent 'Best iPhone games' features have shown, there are plenty of gems to discover too.
For those interested, the new iPod Touch will don the same enhanced 4-inch retina screen as the newly-announced iPhone 5, and will come in two sizes, 32GB for $299 or 64GB for $399.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...llion-players/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Here's what Real Racing 3 looks like on iPhone 5

September 13th, 2012, 01:44 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple sells 84 million iPads through June

September 13th, 2012, 01:45 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Apple launches incremental iTunes 10.7 update: supports new devices and iOS 6

September 13th, 2012, 01:52 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8 SDK preview program, Windows Phone Store

September 13th, 2012, 01:53 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

iPhone 5 confirmed to use nano-SIM, current SIMs not compatible

September 13th, 2012, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster

While Apple was busy announcing the iPhone 5, it left out mention of whether the device would use the recently approved (and Apple-designed) nano-SIMstandard. Sure enough, the leaks were right once more -- Apple is relying on that even tinier subscriber module for GSM, HSPA and LTE networks. The company also makes clear that there's no going back, so you'll have to chuck your earlier micro-SIM card if you've got one. Such is the price of progress.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/i...ot-compatible/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

BitGym Motion SDK brings Kinect-style games to Android and iOS

September 13th, 2012, 11:15 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

7th-generation iPod nano hands-on!

September 13th, 2012, 11:16 Posted By: wraggster