Ever since Apple decided to do little about the iPhone 4's pronounced reception issues except suggest that users hold the thing differently and / or buy a nice case, the voodoo engineering remedies have been flying in full force -- sure, we'll admit we tried sticking some tape over the side of our phone (no dice), but we stopped short when people suggested we try a couple coats of nail polish (insanity). Even we have limits, after all. But the latest snake oil fix is definitely the craziest we've heard so far: according to a 13-page (and growing) thread at MacRumors, the iPhone 4's reception issue can be fixed by adjusting or even trimming the micro SIM so the contacts don't touch the metal tray. The popular belief is that touching the side of the phone somehow shorts across the micro SIM, causing (mumble mumble) and leading to dropped signal. Making things more interesting, Apple and AT&T are apparently using several different types of micro SIMs, including one with a significantly larger contact area -- you can check a shot of two of our iPhone 4 micro SIMs side-by-side after the break.

So does all this hocus pocus actually work? In a word, no. We tried it on a few of our particularly bad iPhone 4s -- the ones that consistently demonstrate the issue -- and achieved no meaningful results. We even went so far as to line the edge of one of our trimmed micro SIMs in electrical tape (pictured above) to ensure that no contact was being made, and we were still able to flatline the phone using the "death grip." Sorry folks -- we wanted this to work too, but it looks like people are just being hopefully optimistic. We'd say the real fix is going to have to come from Apple -- and given the growing discontent over this relatively severe issue, the sooner the better.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/d...enna-issue-pr/ ...

You didn't think the folks at iFixit would simply teardown the iPhone 4 and call it a day, did you? They've now gone the extra mile and done a detailed teardown of the iPhone 4's gyroscope with a little help from Chipworks. That's of course a MEMS (or microelectromechanical system) gyroscope and, according to Chipworks, nearly identical to an off-the-shelf STMicroelectronics L3G4200D gyroscope, which is actually what they used for the teardown. What's more, they also went even further and put another gyroscope (not used in the iPhone 4) under an electron microscope just to illustrate how incredibly complex and minute the structure of MEMS gyroscopes are. Head on past the break for a glimpse of that, and hit up the link below for the complete teardown.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/i...-4s-gyroscope/ ...

Apple hasn't been shy about dropping support for older hardware and software in recent years, and it looks like the iPhone and iPod touch are no exception: according to a short note on the iPhone developer site encouraging devs to get ready for iOS 4, the App Store will no longer affect apps that target iOS 2. That doesn't really mean much right now -- apart from a few iPod touch owners who didn't pay the $10 iOS 3 upgrade fee, we doubt there are many people out there still running iOS 2 -- but we can see Apple dropping support for iOS 3 apps next year when iOS 5 and a new iPhone are announced, and that'll effectively be the end of the original iPhone and touch, which can't be upgraded to iOS 4. That's a four-year shelf life, which isn't too bad considering the insane pace of mobile development, but we can still shed a tear -- especially since we paid $599 for the damn thing on contract way back when.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/i...the-app-store/ ...

What did JFK, Obama, and Martin Luther King Jr. all have in common? If you believe the makers of You Prompt-It!, it's the ability to use a teleprompter. And now you can join the pantheon of important Americans who inspire us regular schlubs to greatness. What does your $130 get you? Tripod, base, beamsplitter glass display, and a carrying case. Fits your iPhone or iPhone-esque device, and will sit comfortably on your laptop. To get that scrolling text effect, the manufacturer suggests that you check out the PROPROMPTER app from the App Store. What are you waiting for? We're quite frankly getting sick of all the hemming and hawing on your YouTube rants. Maybe now you can start winning people over with your "Larry King is an alien from the future" message -- it's worth a shot at least.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/p...-meetings-int/ ...

Peter Molyneux, head of Microsoft Game Studios, has confirmed that little-seen Kinect title Milo and Kate is "a full product", but admits that it has at times proven difficult to convince Microsoft about the project.

Opening the second day of the GameHorizon conference in Gateshead, he said "Milo has been a really hard thing to do and a really hard thing to describe. I have real sympathy for the [Microsoft] people over in Redmond, because they understandably have some questions.

"The biggest challenge for us is convincing people what we're doing is actually going to work, is going to reach a new audience, is going to be an idea that people love. That for me is a massive challenge. Convincing people what you're doing is something that can change the world."

Responding to GamesIndustry.biz's query about the project's status following yesterday's comments (later retracted) by Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg that it was still a "tech demo," he was adamant that it was not in any danger.

"Poor Aaron Greenberg - he's on the PR team, he hasn't seen it since last year, so he came up with this stock answer that Milo is alive and well and living in Guildford but it's still a tech demo.

"I feel sorry for him, he hasn't seen the game since last year. If I had spent time with him and showed him the game recently, he'd know what was going on."

"All that technology that we showed at E3 last year actually does work," he promised. Added GameHorizon chair Ian Livingstone OBE, "I've seen it. It works, Peter. Honestly."

Molyneux also revealed that he would be finally unveiling Milo's current form at the TEDGlobal conference in two weeks.

"This is a full product that we're working on. It's not going to be released this year for sure, it's not part of the launch line-up - I think it would be inappropriate to be so, it's using Kinect in a very different way which is very sensitive. It is going to be somewhat premiered at this TED talk on Tuesday in two weeks time."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...logy-does-work ...

Today you'll find a demo of the magical LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 on the PlayStation Store.

Eurogamer awarded a whopping 9/10 to this marvellous recreation of Rowling's story. But then, not all of us are overgrown children. Are we?

You'll also find demos for Aqua Panic HD and Death Track: Resurrection.

There's an extravagant price reduction for Super Stardust HD this week that snips the price from six quid down to one pound (until 7th July). Outrageous! Eurogamer gave Super Stardust HD 9/10! in 2007.

On top of that, Sony has put the Fat Princess price on a permanent diet, trimming a hefty £12 down to a confident £8.

Elsewhere, the Digital Comic Store welcomes more DC Comics and the debut of Black Panther, whoever he is.

Today's PlayStation Store update can be found below.

PS3 Additional Special Offer (available until 7th July)

Super Stardust HD (was £6.29/€2.99 now £1.19/€1.49)
PS3 Permanent Price Reduction

Fat Princess (was £11.99/€14.99 now £7.99/€9.99)
PS3 Demos

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Aqua Panic HD
Death Track: Resurrection
PS3 Games

Sam & Max Episode 1 Standalone: The Penal Zone (£6.29/€7.99)
Polar Panic Full Game Bundle (£7.99/€9.99)
PS3 Add-On Game Content

Fat Princess Fat Roles Expansion Pack (£3.99/€4.99)
Super Street Fighter IV Super Classic Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
LittleBigPlanet Sacktue of Liberty Costume (free)
Agarest: Generations of War Additional PP+ (£5.49/€6.99)
DJ Hero Dance Party Mix Pack (£6.29/€7.99)
Way of the Samurai 3 Accessory Set (free)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Rock Band, Rock Band Network, Guitar Hero 5
Minis

The Mystery of the Crystal Portal (£3.99/€4.99)
Hello Flowerz! (£3.99/€4.99)
PSP Games

Everybody's Tennis (£16.99/€26.99)
PSP Add-On Content

Toy Story 3 Woody's Roundup (€1.99)
LittleBigPlanet Fantasy Level Kit (free)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/po...-onto-ps-store ...

There's yet another Yakuza game in the works, series director Toshihiro Nagoshi has confirmed.

According to Japanese mag Famitsu (translated by Andriasang), the new game has been in development alongside PSP title Black Panther Yakuza Chapter, and will be released on the PS3.

It looks like the fifth main Yakuza game, although Nagoshi refused to officially name it.

He did, apparently, promise it'll "do honour" to the Yakuza name, which is apt, really.

All we know is that we'll get a closer look at popular Yakuza character Majima Goro, who will be playable. Nagoshi also mentioned the word "destruction", which sounds like fun.

"We want to show evidence of 'there are still these possibilities for the Yakuza series'," said Nagoshi. "We won't be throwing out the past methods of enjoyment, but we will be taking a scalpel to the fundamentals of the game systems."

This game may or may not be the Yakuza title teased at a Japanese Yakuza 4 event that took place earlier this year.

Yakuza 3 only arrived on these shores in March. Yakuza 4 will be released for PS3 here in spring 2011. Eurogamer reviewed the openworld crime game on import in April.

More details are expected at this year's Tokyo Game Show.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...game-confirmed ...

Peter Molyneux has labelled demos "a horrible concept" and revealed plans to release upcoming action RPG Fable III as a series of downloadable episodes.

"Soon after the retail launch we're doing episodic," he said at the GameHorizon conference in Gateshead, and reported by sister site Gamesindustry.biz.

"We break it down in chapters. We give away the first chapter entirely free, the first hour. When you reach a certain point in the game it says 'thank you for playing the pilot of Fable III, do you want to spend an extra 2-5 or whatever dollars to buy the next episode, or buy the whole lot?' Press 'yes' and you will immediately continue playing."

"It supports this freemium idea," he added. "It gets around this horrible concept of demos. Anyone out there who thinks a demo is a good idea is crazy. It's never a good idea, because demos are usually done at the end of a game and they require an enormous amount of design talent to make a demo. The other thing is you're more likely to satisfying the curiosity of a user rather than entice them to play more."

Molyneux insisted selling Fable III in downloadable chucks as well as at retail will help achieve targeted sales of five million and generate a whopping $150m in profit.

"We are driving to sell more than five million units and to make a profit in excess of $150 million. We have to do that because if a franchise doesn't reach that level it will inevitably wither."

We've seen this approach before, of course. Nine months after the release of Fable II, Microsoft sold the game in downloadable episodes on Xbox Live.

Apparently the first episode was downloaded 1.6m times, and as a whole the episodes earned $15m.

Fable III will be released on 26th October simultaneously for PC and Xbox 360.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mo...s-are-horrible ...

UK retailer ShopTo has called for Microsoft to lower the price it expects gamers to fork out for Xbox 360 motion sensor Kinect.

ShopTo pre-orders for Kinect are open now with a £124.86 price tag.

The current RRP of £129.99 and release date of Friday, 19th November listed on ShopTo are "placeholder", CEO Igor Cipolletta told Eurogamer this morning.

However, Cipolletta guaranteed those who pre-order Kinect will get the Xbox 360 add-on for the listed price irrespective of whether Microsoft's trade price is higher.

"It's too high," Cipolletta said of Kinect’s pricing.

"We believe that with this current economy it should be around £70. For £140 you can buy a Wii.

"Pre-orders are very low," he added.

Cipolletta doesn't expect Microsoft to bundle Kinect with the new Xbox 360 250GB model, set for a UK release on 16th July, although admitted that Microsoft may reveal such plans in the near future.

Last week Microsoft popped Kinect on its own online store priced $149, despite spokesperson Aaron Greenberg's repeated assertions that the $149 price tag put forward by US retailers is "purely speculative".

Cipolletta said that he has been told that Kinect's rumoured US pricing is correct, and based ShopTo's pricing on it.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sh...k-kinect-price ...