• May 2013 - The Announcement of the Xbox One

    Its Now May 2013 and the Next Gen Console race is hotting up. Today May21st we have the announcement of the New Xbox One and details coming in all the time of the PS4. If your a fan of mobile phones then im sure you have already brought a Samsung Galaxy S4. If your after a WiiU then Target are selling the console at a decent £240.

  • Apple iPhone

    Industry reaction to the iPhone 5 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 13th, 2012 21:33
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

    Four-inch Retina Display, but no jaw-dropping revelations.
    Let's talk about the iPhone 5. (Click here for all related stories)
    Prior to its launch last night, Apple's latest gadget had already secured a mammoth following, with 10m people expected to buy one on September 21st – massively outstripping the 4m 4Ss sold in three days.
    Rumours covered plausible features like NFC, but also theridiculous, with talk of an $800 price tag and Apple-made bolts that couldn't be unscrewed.
    ME said Apple must be innovative for true success, avoiding the same rehashed design with minor additions like Siri and improved cameras, giving loyalists what they deserve.
    Well, the iPhone 5 does have an improved camera, but for the first time it also has a four-inch screen, 4G LTE and an A6 processor.
    It also claimed to be the "world's thinnest smartphone" – it isn't.
    93 per cent of consumers wanted a stronger screen and 86 per cent wanted a mini USB port – they didn't get their wishes.
    The most notable feature missing from the device, of course, is NFC, meaning Apple is now trailing its rival Samsung who has shifted 20m NFC-enabled Galaxy S III phones in 100 days.
    Check out some opinions from industry insiders below (accessories, enterprise apps, market research, social gaming.)
    Dan Ashman, head of product at Breffo, said: "The new iPhone 5 presents a huge opportunity for the accessory industry especially with the new 80 per cent smaller adapter."
    Lynnette Prigmore, head of product, Proporta said: "We're really pleased to see Apple live up to the expectations surrounding the iPhone 5. With the upgraded graphic ability, the new A6 chip and impressive camera function, Apple have once again raised the bar for the Smartphone industry."
    Jim Hemmer, CEO of Antenna Software, said: "The iPhone 5 has not been re-designed – it has been re-fitted. It was the same story with the new iPad when it launched earlier this year, and that’s going to raise more questions about Apple’s ability to innovate in the post-Jobs era.
    "Even more so when you consider that the most significant update to the iPhone 5’s hardware — an increased screen size — looks like it’s straight out of Samsung’s playbook."
    Hemmer makes a brilliant point, large screen sizes is what Samsung is famed for, yet Apple saw fit to sue Samsung left, right, and centre, which may see the tables turn in due course.
    Dominic Sunnebo, consumer insight director, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, said: "The release of the iPhone 5 will give Apple a huge spike in market share as the large number of out of contract iPhone users upgrade to the new device.
    "Apple customers are particularly loyal to their brand, and around 90 per cent of Apple consumers who are out of contract have told us they plan to upgrade to the latest model.
    Alex Rigby, chief creative officer and co-founder of Playdemic, said: "For gamers who enjoy graphically intensive experiences, the new iPhone brings the experience closer to console quality gaming.
    "One thing that still lacks however is improvements to the actual gameplay. While a wider screen provides more space for viewing when thumbs are on the screen, a lack of haptics or touch capabilities on the back prevents a true console gameplay experience."
    What do you reckon? Are you ordering your accessories already? Can the iPhone rival consoles? Or is it just a nicely dressed refit that nabs inspiration from Samsung?

    http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...phone-5/019362     ...
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    iPhone 5 hands-on! 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 13th, 2012 10:20
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone
    Article Preview

    At long last, the iPhone 5. We just got our hands on Apple's latest smartphone following its unveiling in San Francisco, and suffice it to say, it's a beautiful thing. Some might say we've been waiting for this moment since October 4th of last year, but another crowd may say that the real next-gen iPhone has been on the burner for much longer. Indeed, this is the first iPhone since June of 2010 to showcase an entirely new design, but it's obvious that Apple's not going to deviate far when it comes to aesthetics.
    Apple followers will aptly recall Steve Jobs' quote in July of 2010 -- you know, that one about "no one" wanting a big phone, with current CEO Tim Cook seated just feet from Steve as the phrase was uttered. Now, however, Apple's inching ever closer to that very realm, with an elongated 4-inch display that enables new apps to take advantage of more pixels (1,136 x 640), while legacy apps can still operate within a familiar space. The phone itself doesn't feel too much different than the iPhone 4 and 4S; yes, it's a bit taller, but by keeping the width the same, you'll utilize a very familiar grasp to hold it.
    In typical Apple fashion, even the finest details have been worked over tirelessly. The metal feels downright elegant to the touch, and the same line we've said time and time again applies here: there's no doubting the premium fit and finish when you clutch one of these things. Yeah, the headphone port's now on the bottom, but avid Galaxy Nexus iPod touch users shouldn't have too much trouble adjusting.

    http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/i...video-details/     ...
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    iPhone 5 launching on September 21 for $199 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 13th, 2012 00:26
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone
    Article Preview

    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


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    iPhone 5 revealed, "full console quality" graphics promised 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 12th, 2012 23:03
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone
    Article Preview

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

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 12th, 2012 22:40
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone
    Article Preview

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

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 12th, 2012 22:39
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

    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     ...
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    iPhone 5 is officially unveiled 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 12th, 2012 22:32
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

    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
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    Samsung Expected To Sue Apple Over iPhone 5 LTE Networking 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 12th, 2012 00:12
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

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

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 11th, 2012 22:36
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

    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?


    If you're out of contract (or willing to buy yourself out), are you going to grab a new iPhone, or perhaps pick up a Lumia 920 or Samsung device instead?

    http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...omorrow/029150     ...
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    YouTube finally launches its own iPhone app 

    by
    wraggster
    Published on September 11th, 2012 22:33
    1. Categories:
    2. Apple iPhone

    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     ...
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