Windows Phone 8 devices are having reboot issues, the FBI nabs iPad Mini thieves, Mars may be safe for humans, Apple patents the page turn, the Wii U hits shelves across America, and Google accidentally kills Christmas.
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Dropbox reaches 100 million users, Nokia unveils their ‘Here’ map technology, Vimeo teases new pay-per-view service, and Google Fiber debuts in Kansas City.
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Twitter urges users to change passwords, Mastercard announces card with keypad and LCD technology, LG unveils Ultrawide displays, Netflix allegedly mulls programming deal with traditional studios, and James Bond Skyfall hits theaters.
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The release of the Samsung Ativ S has been delayed in the UK, moving from mid-November to mid-December. A similar fate has befallen the Ativ Tab, Samsung's entry into the rapidly shrinking Windows RT tablet market.
Samsung was the first to announce a Windows Phone 8 device, when it revealed the Ativ S at a packed IFA 2012 event. It was also joined by a 10.1-inch tablet named the Ativ Tab, which runs Windows RT. Unfortunately, despite this early lead, it’s possible the Ativ S will end up being the last of this first wave of Windows Phone 8 handsets to arrive.
Since the Ativ S’s debut, other manufacturers have not only announced, but launched their Windows Phone 8 hardware, with HTC beating the competition on to the shelves with the 8X. Samsung was expected to put the Ativ S on sale very soon, with November 19 being accepted as the UK release date.
This has now changed, as according to UK online retailer Clove Technology, the Ativ S has been pushed back to the second week of December, with stock expected to arrive on December 10. A glance at Amazon UK’s page tells a similar story, with a five to seven week despatch date quoted.
In the US, the Ativ S — a phone which impressed us — hasn’t found a network interested in stocking it yet, but Verizon has been rumored to be coming up with a version named the Odyssey, and that it could possibly arrive in November. A look online reveals Expansys USA expects the Ativ S to arrive on November 23. We’ve contacted them to see if this still stands, and will update here if we hear back.
So, it’s not looking like good news for the Ativ S, and worse still, the Ativ Tab has also suffered the same delay. Clove has added the same December 10 date for the tablet, which makes the whole affair sound like supply or production issues, however it’s not the first Windows RT tablet to have its release pushed back.
Microsoft’s Surface tablet has caused problems for Acer and Asus, with the former deciding not to release its tablets at all, while the latter has cut the price of its Vivo Tab RT in order to better compete in the market. Is Samsung having similar concerns, and held its own tablet back while it considers its position?
Samsung hasn’t made any official statement about the Ativ S and Ativ Tab’s delay.
HTC and Verizon have sent out invitations to a press event on November 13, where it's rumored to be announcing the Droid DNA, the US version of Japan's J Butterfly smartphone that's equipped with a 5-inch, 1080p display.
Phone fans could be in for a treat next week, as HTC and Verizon have sent out invitations to a press event to be held in New York on November 13, where we could get the first 1080p smartphone/tablet hybrid launched outside Japan.
The invite doesn’t appear to contain any hidden messages, showing nothing more than a lens-flared light on a dark background, but a few leaked press pictures could give us a better idea what these long-time partners are preparing for us.
The images popped up on @evleaks’ Twitter account this week, and show a big-screen, Verizon-branded HTC smartphone that bears a striking resemblance to the HTC J Butterfly.
Quite how such a bizarrely named phone could slip you memory, we’re not sure; but just in case it has, here’s what it’s all about. Announced last month in Japan, the J Butterfly has a 5-inch display with a headline-grabbing 1080p resolution. It seemed inevitable that HTC would let the Butterfly spread its wings at some point, and the Verizon event seems like the ideal launchpad.
Five-inch, full HD touchscreens are set to be the next big thing in the world of the smartphone display, with Sharp’s 1080p IGZO screen making its debut this week, and LG confirming recently that it’s also working on a similar panel.
It’s highly unlikely the J Butterfly name will remain on the US version though, and instead it’s likely to be another “Droid” device, this time the Droid DNA. That name has appeared on both the FCC’s website and a leaked Verizon price list, and has superseded other possible names including the HTC DLX and the HTC X5. Neither of those names are dead though, and could be used for a GSM version of the phone.
If the 5-inch, 1080p screen isn’t enough to get your pulse racing, then should the Droid DNA share the J Butterfly’s other features, it will also have Qualcomm’s high performance, 1.5GHz, quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, plus Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as its operating system.
Previous leaks have suggested a December 6 release date for the phone, but we’ll have to wait for the November 13 event to confirm this, and all the other details concerning HTC and Verizon’s new device.
Samsung and AT&T announce the Ativ and Galaxy Tab 2 for a November 9 release, bringing new Android and Windows 8 devices to the carrier this week.
If you were planning to buy a tablet this holiday season, rest assured you’ll have plenty of variety to choose from when you head to the stores on Black Friday. Today AT&T has announced two more tablets to hit stores on November 9: The Windows smart PC Samsung Ativ, and latest member of the Android-powered Galaxy family, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The Samsung Ativ will retail for about $8o0, and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will cost about $500 — neither of which require a contract for purchase.
The Samsung Ativ comes as the first of Microsoft’s beefier Windows 8 tablets to hit the market in contrast to its Windows 8 RT tablets released late in October. The tablet features an included clamshell keyboard for high-speed typing when you need it, and a multi-touch display to take full advantage of the Windows 8 UI experience. The device also features an Intel Atom 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 64GB of internal memory, and 2GB of RAM all viewed from a crisp 11.6-inch display. Clocking in at $800, this tablet is a small fortune, but runs the robust Windows 8 OS for a totally mobile and productive experience.
The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 serves as Samsung’s sequel to their Galaxy Tab 10.1 released back in 2011, and features Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), an external storage slot, and a slightly beefier battery all viewed from a high resolution 10.1-inch screen. At $500, the Galaxy Tab 2 is certainly not the cheapest Android tablet out there, but nonetheless a feature rich one. Read our full DT review on the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for more info.
To encourage new customers, AT&T is offering a promotional discount for those who buy two qualifying Samsung devices this holiday season. With a new 2-year agreement, customers can get an instant $100 discount for buying any Samsung Galaxy Smartphone along with any Samsung smartphone or tablet of equal or lesser value. As Sprint also announces its roll-out of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for November 11, it’s safe to say AT&T is trying to grab some essential territory before the rest of the carriers release their tablets for the forthcoming holiday season.
The tablet market this holiday season is well inundated with devices of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the iPad Mini to Windows 8 smart PC — the only question is figuring out which one is right for you, and just what the wake of the coming holiday-season tablet war will bring to the market.
With Apple's global launch of the iPad Mini set for 8am, November 2, plenty of consumers in New Zealand, where it's already Friday, will be busy testing out the new device.
When Apple announced that sales of the new iPad Mini would begin at 8am on November 2, residents of New Zealand hoping to get their hands on the new device knew they’d be the first to have the opportunity to do so, beating their San Francisco counterparts by 20 hours thanks to the beauty of time zones.
And so, as the sun goes down on the US on November 1, plenty of customers in the South Pacific country have already unboxed their diminutive iPad and have likely made up their mind as to whether it lives up to the hype.
As the Wall Street Journal points out, New Zealand doesn’t have an official Apple store, leaving resellers to deal with expectant Apple fans.
“I don’t know who will have what (products) where in New Zealand but the retailers will certainly be able to open their doors so people can come in and touch and play straight away,” Apple spokeswoman Fiona Martin told the WSJ.
Kiwi James Griffin tweeted a photo of himself holding aloft his new 7.9-inch iPad Mini, delivering his verdict a couple of hours later: “Love it! It’s the perfect size.”
The device marks Apple’s entry into the smaller-tablet market, taking on the likes of Google with its Nexus 7 tablet and Amazon with its range of Kindle Fire devices.
The Mini, however, is a pricier proposition than its rivals, with, for example, the $329 16GB model going for $130 more than the 16GB Nexus 7.
The latest addition to Apple’s range of gadgets is 53 percent thinner than the full-size iPad, and just 7.2mm thick. Apple decided to leave out its high-definition Retina display with the Mini’s 7.9-inch screen, going instead for a 1024 x 768 resolution with a pixel density of 163ppi.
Many industry watchers are interested to see to what extent sales of the Mini affect those of its big brother, and how that might impact Apple’s overall financial performance.
[via MacRumors]
Facebook takes aim at Craigslist, Halo 4 reviews arrive, the U.S. government launches a stolen phone database, Kim Dotcom reveals more details about his new cloud storage service, and Walmart teams up with streaming video company Boxee.
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The Sony Xperia TL will be available on AT&T from November 2 for $100 on a two-year contract. The new phone will be featured in the new Bond movie Skyfall and comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera.
We covered the announcement of the Sony Xperia TL on AT&T and now we can bring you the details on the release date and price. AT&T has just revealed that the “James Bond” smartphone which features in the new Bond movie Skyfall can be snapped up for $100 on a two-year contract.
The big selling point, beyond owning a Bond product placement, is the 13-megapixel camera which is super-fast – capable of going from standby to capturing a shot in 1.5 seconds flat. There’s also HD video recording and a snazzy 4.6-inch HD Bravia-branded “Reality Display” to enjoy your footage on.
Throw in “One-touch connectivity” powered by NFC, which allows you to share content across multiple devices (provided they are NFC-enabled, of course). There’s also 4G LTE connectivity, HDMI, DLNA support, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, which adds up to a fairly decent looking Android phone. Pity it’s shipping with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich); you’d expect Bond to demand the latest version of Android, although Q promises an Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) update shortly.
As part of the 007 tie-in you’ll find an assortment of preloaded content including ringtones, behind the scenes footage, wallpapers, and more. Check out the video for a closer look.
Retail copies of Halo 4 slipped out into the wild weeks ahead of the game's official November release. Creator 343 Industries is undeterred, continuing work on extra content for the game, but Microsoft has responded to the Halo 4 leak by permanently banning players on Xbox Live.
There’s just no keeping media under wraps in the modern age. Microsoft and 343 Industries’ Halo 4 is the latest video game to leak onto the Internet well ahead of its November release date. Images of retail discs of the Xbox 360 exclusive appeared online on the web forum NeoGAF on Thursday, as well as images of the game running on an Xbox 360 dashboard. Full video playthroughs of the game began appearing online later on. “There are people putting the whole thing on YouTube,” Halo franchise director Frank O’Connor told Polygon, “Microsoft is addressing that a single case at a time, it just takes a little while to handle.” The leak is thought to have originated at a manufacturing facility.
While O’Connor said that the team at 343 Industries is unsurprised by the leak, and undeterred from its in-progress development of downloadable content for the game, like new Spartan Ops episodes, Microsoft is getting more aggressive in its pursuit of Halo 4 pirates.
Anyone playing the game on an Xbox 360 connected to the Internet, for example, is receiving a lifetime ban from Xbox Live. These users, according to MCV, are receiving emails to tell them they have been suspended from the service.
“This email is to notify you that your Xbox Live privileges have been permanently suspended due to illegitimate prerelease title play. Because your conduct is in violation, the Xbox Live Enforcement Team has issued a permanent suspension. Your Xbox Live privileges will not be reinstated.”
These users have little recourse as, according to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Code of Conduct, the company reserves the right to suspend new accounts opened by users trying to get around suspensions, provided Microsoft identifies them.
This isn’t the first time that Microsoft has sought and permanently banned Xbox Live users. In 2011, Microsoft discovered a number of users that had illegitimately accessed Xbox Live Marketplace items and began issuing bans from the service that would last until the date 12/31/9999. It has also regularly banned cheaters from using the service. It actually isn’t even the first time it’s banned players for playing pirated Halo games. A number of players received permanent Xbox Live bans in 2010 for playing Halo: Reach a month before it was released.
With Halo 4 appearing on Torrent sharing websites, will the release of Microsoft’s big holiday game be hampered by lost sales? We’ll know in November.
Nintendo finally confirmed the 23 titles in the Wii U launch line up on Wednesday, with impressive support from EA, Ubisoft, and Activision.
There will be plenty to play on November 18th. Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii U launch line up will include 23 games.
The Nintendo Wii U’s coming out party in New York City earlier this month was surprisingly light on details about the console’s release. Nintendo was clear about the price—$300 for the system with 8GB of memory and $350 for the system with 32GB of memory and a copy of NintendoLand—but concrete information on everything else from the Miiverse online network to what games would be available was scarce. Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101—These are exciting games but will they be available on the November 18th launch day? That Nintendo said 51 games were coming in a “launch window” that extends to March 2013 only confused matters.
Now things are clearer. As reported by USA Today on Wednesday, there will be 23 games available alongside the Wii U on the day it is released. Only three of those games will be Nintendo first party titles: New Super Mario Bros. U and NintendoLand will be available on the first day as promised, and they’ll be joined by the Nintendo published karaoke game Sing Party.
Ports of major publishers’ 2012 games, including FIFA 13, Darksiders II, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will also be available. There are even some 2011 stragglers sneaking in like Warrior’s Orochi 3.
Especially impressive is Activision’s roll out. The publisher has been, to date, cagey about Nintendo’s new system, but all four games announced at the New York event will be rolled out on launch day. Skylanders Giants, Wipeout 3, Transformers Prime, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will all be available, and while only two of those are potential million sellers, it’s still a strong commitment to put four boxed products out simultaneously.
Ubisoft is also going big, with Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013, ESPN Sports Connection, Just Dance 4, Rabbids Land, Assassin’s Creed III, and the promising original ZombiU.
Rounding out the list are Scribblenauts Unlimited, Game Party Champions, and Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition from WBIE, and Epic Mickey 2: The Power of 2 from Disney.
That’s three more retail games than Nintendo had for the Wii launch in 2006, and while Game Party Champions probably isn’t going to rev many engines, it’s an impressive display of quality. That Nintendo will have November’s biggest releases, Assassin’s Creed III and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 available, right alongside their releases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 bodes well for the system.
Microsoft is gearing up for gold with Halo 4, which launches worldwide on November 6. While the campaign mode has always been an integral part of the Halo franchise, it’s the multiplayer that has helped propel these games to the top of the Xbox Live online rankings. 343 Industries is well aware of the importance of multiplayer. The developer is blowing out the multiplayer experience with War Games (traditional multiplayer) and Spartan Ops (co-op multiplayer). 343 invited media to its studio in Kirkland to play some exclusive new multiplayer levels. Kevin Franklin, lead designer on Halo 4 War Games, talks about what’s new in this exclusive interview – conducted while he was playing the game.
Can you walk us through how you’ve improved multiplayer experience with War Games?
This is Infinity Slayer on Exile, which is one of our new maps in Halo 4. It’s a big vehicle map that’s shaped like a large donut. It really focuses on vehicles and team-based, big team combat. We’re playing Infinity Slayer, which is the all new version of Slayer for Halo 4. It was a real challenge for us as we basically re-invented the Slayer experience. The biggest new edition is that the scoring system is completely different, so you’ll be earning points not just for your team, but also for yourself. And you can run ordinance, which is a reward drop from the UNSC Infinity. It’s the first team to 60 kills or 600 team points. The new weapon I’m using here is the Promethean Bolt Shot pistol. You can charge it up and unleash a one-hit kill or you can feather for faster. The reward drops that come in are a mix of Covenant, Forerunner and UNSC weapons, plus the power-up system. You’ll notice when you’re playing the game that reward drops, or weapon drops, are now called out on the HUD. When a new weapon comes in, which happens about every two minutes or so, everyone can see them. It removes a little bit of that map knowledge edge that was required before. And it makes them much more meaningful objectives that really drive the flow of the match.
What do you guys call the new Warthog?
That’s a Gauss Warthog. It’s a normal Warthog that has a very fast firing chain gun on the back, almost like a rail gun or a pulse gun. The weapon is great for puncturing vehicles. It was a big decision that we made early on with how does each vehicle interact not only with players, but with other vehicles.
How many players can play?
We’re going up to eight-on-eight in our big Team Infinity Slayer story playlist, but in the regular playlist it’s four-on-four with a 12-minute time limit. I’d say 99 percent of our matches end on points, instead of time, which is exactly where we’d like it.
What are some examples of ordinance available in the game?
With each ordinance you have three choices, which are randomized but they’re also different for each map. The system randomizes what picks are the most intelligent ones for a map. The three choices here are the Fuel Rod Cannon, which is a big comeback from Halo 3; our new Binary Rifle, which is a Forerunner sniper rifle; and the Overshield, which is making a big comeback along with speed boost and damage boost. Once I pick an item – I’ll get the Fuel Rod Cannon — the system will automatically choose an intelligent location around me to call it in. Oh, I got killed by that Banshee truck, which are back again and improved.
Once you get killed do you lose your ordinance?
I lose it, but I can go back and pick it up. And if an enemy were to steal my ordinance, I’ll get extra points if I go kill him and get it back, so you can recoup some of your investment. You’ll notice that player is glowing red. He has damage boost on, which is a power up here to the Infinity ordinance system. That lets him increase his damage for about 20 to 30 seconds as a reward for helping your teammates, getting kills or killing with style. And those rewards are based on medals. I just earned 15 points for getting that kill — 10 of those points were for the melee kill and five were for the revenge. That bumped my ordinance meter on the left closer to getting a new reward from the Infinity. There’s my Fuel Rod Cannon right there, so it wasn’t too hard for me to go get it back again because I knew where it was. We’ve updated the radar, so it’s a little bit faster and more precise. It will also identify vehicles, weapons, ordinance and all sorts of things a little bit differently. It’s a little bit more intelligent at detecting the height of weapons.
What do the Promethean weapons add to the gameplay?
We have the new Forerunner and Pulse Grenades, which are our third grenade type in Halo 4. It drains the player’s energy if they get caught in the midst of the big blast, so it’s a really unique grenade. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
What’s the process been like in developing this multiplayer?
There really are a lot of new sandbox editions to this gameplay, but I think one of the testaments to our sandbox team is how good a job they did of really making them feel and all work together. That only came through with just hundreds of thousands of hours of play testing. The weapons and vehicles have all been re-tuned for this game. Fans always ask us if this is like the Halo 2 version of this, or is it like the Halo 3 version. What we’ve realized is it’s all like the Halo 4 version because the sandbox is so new. Everything has been re-balanced to fit with the ones being brought back and re-done for Halo 4.
When it opens in November, a stretch of toll road between Austin and Seguin, Texas will be the fastest highway in the United States, but not by much.
Texas will soon have the fastest highway in the United States. A stretch of road between Austin and Seguin has been gifted with an 85 mph speed limit, according to the Associated Press.
The Texas Transportation Commission approved the new limit for this 35-mile stretch of toll road, which runs east of the crowded Interstate 35 corridor favored by commuters, after the state’s legislature approved raising speed limits on new roads last year. The Austin-Seguin road opens in November.
For years, American speed freaks have had to watch Germans have all the fun on their autobahns, and this could be an excellent opportunity to really drop the hammer on U.S. soil. It could also help reduce travel times between two of the biggest cities, and potentially others, in the biggest state in the contiguous United States.
However, the decision isn’t as radical as it seems. Texas already has an 80 mph maximum speed limit, so drivers on the new toll road will only be going five mph faster than their fellow Texans.
The 85 mph speed limit also includes an economic incentive for the state government. The state’s contract with the toll operator allows it to collect a $67 million up-front cash payment, or a certain percentage of the toll profits, if the speed limit is 80 mph or lower. If the speed limit is above 80 mph, the state gets $100 million or a higher percentage of the profits.
“We must continue to look for innovative ways to generate revenue and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Texas Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Veronica Byer told the Associated Press.
Sound economic reasoning aside, there are obvious concerns over drivers cruising 10-20 mph faster than nearly every other American.
“The research is clear that when speed limits go up, fatalities go up,” Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said. He said higher speed limits will get people from place to place faster, but they would cause more crashes and, ultimately, deaths.
Texas officials believe that, despite the connection between speed and highway danger, the 85 mph limit is within the envelope of safety.
“Safety is our top priority and tests have shown the designated speed is a safe one,” Beyer said. Speed limits on Texas highways are reportedly set by the 85th percentile method, where the speed limit reflects the maximum speed 85 percent of drivers are willing to drive at or below.
On most highways, speeds are restricted to 65 or 75 mph. Certain stretches of road in Texas and Utah have 80 mph limits. Montana was the last state to have no speed limits, but that practice ended in 1999.
