Sunday 21 July 2013

Galaxy S5 release date: what Samsung learned from its S4 mistakes

What do you want from the Galaxy S5? You might find out what it offers sooner than expected. The Galaxy S4 is sinking so quickly in the sales department that Samsung may have no choice but to give the Galaxy S5 a release date this year, well ahead of its planned spring 2014 launch timeframe, in what will essentially be a do-over. At issue for Samsung is whether it can learn from the numerous mistakes it made with the S4, which despite a widely hyped launch saw its sales numbers quickly fall to the point that it’s harming the company’s bottom line. Here are the top S4 mistakes, and the ways Samsung can fix them as of the Galaxy S5 release date.

Styling: The Galaxy S4 is mostly S3 all over again, a barely noticeable smidge taller and thinner, with that same cheap feeling plastic body. No one ended up caring that its internal specs are night and day more powerful. With the Galaxy S5, Samsung will have to offer a radically redesigned look and feel so even the least technical and least attentive Android buyers will instantly grasp that it’s something new.
Software: What Samsung learned here is that if you’re going to pack a phone full of in-house apps, make sure they’re desirable and work right. The base S4 model is literally half-full with Samsung’s own apps, many of which are buggy and obtuse and ripe for deletion. Samsung isn’t a software company, so any apps bundled with the Galaxy S5 need to come from legitimate software vendors, making them actual selling points instead of leaving users griping about the lost storage space.
Forward compatibility: Samsung released the Galaxy S4 a couple months ahead of the release of the Android 4.3 system software, and there’s still no word as to whether it’ll be compatible, leaving some users afraid to buy one. With the Galaxy S5, Samsung must ensure it’s forward compatible with Android 5.0 and whatever comes afterward, so it can advertise that fact from its release date onward.

Dead Rising 3 to appeal to everyone

The Dead Rising series looked as though it had taken a more serious, sombre approach to the open world zombie survival genre. At least, this was the impression that we got when we first saw Dead Rising 3 gameplay at E3. The game seemed grittier, ominous and altogether more realistic than it’s predecessors (short of a ‘Sledge Saw’ splitting a zombie in two after being hurled 2 car lengths). Fear not though DR fans, as Capcom have endeavored to make the Xbox One exclusive appealing to all gamers, including fans of the somewhat crazy prequels Dead Rising 1 and 2.

Marty Sliva, associate Editor of IGN, was able to play a 30 minute demo of Dead Rising 3 at E3 last month. His article on the IGN website goes further into detail about the different ways of playing the Xbox One launch title. Gamers have the option to play seriously, to mess around, or to kick back and experience a no-hassle sandbox mode.
Various crazy shenanigans are still very much possible in the game, sticking true to Dead Rising form. Marty mentions a flaming sword, shark costumes and traffic cone antics, while another source has already mentioned mankinis and a drivable hearse. In an attempt to draw in not only a more casual crowd, but also the more hardcore gamer, Capcom have added autosaves and removed the timer. The devoted Dead Rising fanboy will not be alienated though, as they can revert to the Nightmare mode of earlier games in the series. In this nostalgic mode, autosaves are once again emitted and players will have a limited amount of time to reach objectives and start missions before they fail entirely.
More information can be found within the IGN article, including some new information on smartphone integration and a complete lack of loading screens. So there you have it; fanboys, hardcore gamers and casual gamers can all enjoy Dead Rising 3.

Saturday 20 July 2013

Strider HD Revival Announced by Capcom

Strider is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in new title set to release early 2014, Capcom announced at San Diego Comic Con.
The game is being developed by Double Helix. The studio’s previous work includes the 2008 title Silent Hill Homecoming and 2012′s Battleship video game. Double Helix is also currently developing the Killer Instinct reboot, which is set to release exclusively for Xbox One.
Strider Hiyru will be returning as the main character in the new side-scrolling action title. The quick combat and free-flowing action that made the franchise famous is back for the new Strider game. However, players will have much more moves and weapons at their disposal this time around. Strider will have access to new plasma cypher variations and ranged weapons to defeat enemies. Players will even be able to call for support from allies to help defeat the most difficult opponents.

Unique, varied enemy types throughout the game will provide for challenging combat scenarios. Enemies include cybernetic soldiers, bio-mechanical creatures and everything in between.
The game is set in a dystopian future Earth in the year Meio: 048. An oppressive ruler named Grand Master Meio has gained control of the entire planet and is ruling with an iron fist. Strider is the only person capable of freeing the planet from his rule and destroying the evil emperor.
Strider will be exploring the metropolitan environment of Kazakh City, which features a mix of traditional Russian architecture and futuristic buildings. Players will be able to explore the city freely and see how the massive environment interconnects.
The Strider franchise began with the release of the original arcade game Strider in 1989. After experiencing success in arcades, Strider was later ported to consoles.
Capcom released a trailer alongside the announcement of the new Strider game. The trailer can be viewed below.

New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents (update: pricing and pics)

It appears that the rumored sequel to the Nexus 7 is close at hand, according to internal documents sent to us by an anonymous tipster. Apparently, the new device will be sold in stores alongside the current iteration (at first, at least, though we can't be certain if this will only be until existing stock runs out). The docs indicate that stores will receive the tablet as early as the 20th, though we wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see it until the 24th or later, given Google's product event on that date. This particular model being discussed is the 32GB version, but we're not certain if it will be available in 16GB as well or if it's just not going to be offered at this specific outlet. We'll update you as we learn more about it, but it's pretty clear that next week's announcement will be rather significant.
Update: According to a shot of an inventory screen sent in by our tipster, the retail price for the 32GB model is set at $269.99.
Update 2: A tipster sent in photos of the alleged device to Android Central. While we can't know for sure that this is the exact same tablet that we expect to see next week -- it could simply be a prototype, for instance -- it at least looks quite feasible. There's a pair of pictures after the break.
New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents
New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents
New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents update pricing and pics
New Nexus 7 coming to retail outlets next week, according to documents update pricing and pics

Google's Moto X phone coming Aug. 1?

Bet you thought the summer months were supposed to be quiet for product introductions? Not in the fast-moving mobile space where Google plays.

Motorola has sent out invitations to a New York City launch event scheduled on August 1 for the U.S.-made Moto X smartphone. That debut promises to be the first major new device since Google bought the Motorola Mobility business. Google CEO Larry Page on Thursday teased interest for the phone's imminent arrival during the company's earnings call.
Motorola is also expected to be at the forefront of a Verizon Wireless media gathering on Tuesday in Gotham, where the latest Motorola Droid handhelds are expected to be unveiled.
Meanwhile, Google executive Sundar Pinchai, who runs the Android and Chrome businesses, is holding a press breakfast in San Francisco the next morning, with signs pointing to the unveiling of Android version 4.3, the latest iteration of the company's operating system software for phones and tablets.
And on August 7, LG is staging its own Manhattan event and is likely to introduce the successor to its Optimus G flagship phone. LG can only hope that consumers won't be tuned out by then. After all, isn't this supposed to be vacation season?

Microsoft stock plummets 11%

SAN FRANCISCO — Shares of Microsoft fell sharply Friday, erasing billions of dollars in the software giant's market value, a day after the company announced earnings below Wall Street's expectations.
Microsoft shares fell $4.04, or 11.4%, to $31.40 in trading on Friday.
On Thursday, Microsoft missed financial targets on both top- and bottom-line results. The company reported net income of $4.97 billion compared with a loss of $492 million in the same period a year ago, when the company wrote down $6 billion for its purchase of digital advertising company aQuantive.
The software behemoth took a $900 million write-down for slashing the price of its Surface RT tablet amid lackluster demand. That came as a strong signal to investors that Microsoft's mobile plans were coming up short in the face of deteriorating PC sales.
"The PC may have reached its peak in 2011, and Microsoft is still struggling to get traction with tablets and smartphones. The write-down of the Surface RT inventory highlights this point," says BGC analyst Colin Gillis in a note to clients.
Excluding the Surface RT writedown, earnings per share came in at 66 cents, short of the 75 cents per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Revenue grew 10% to $19.9 billion, but that was also shy of the $20.7 million expected.

Nokia Rivendale and HTC Z4 codenames leaked online

The HTC Z4 and Nokia Rivendale codenames have emerged via Twitter sources

HTC Z4 and Nokia Rivendale codenames have leaked on Twitter suggesting forthcoming models.
The codenames emerged via trusted Twitter source @evleaks, which also mentioned an Amazon GLP70, Lenovo Aupres and Lenovo Snoopy. The Twitter tipster did not cite where this information came from, though we suspect it’s probably out of the Asian supply network.

Nokia is believed to be preparing a follow-up model to its recently launched Lumia 1020, though this is thought to be a device tied into a US-facing deal with network AT&T, based on comments made by Nokia chief Stephen Elop at the New York launch.
However, as this is the only known reference to the device, this does not necessarily rule out the possibility that a global edition of whatever it is, might also be in the offing.
The HTC Z4 designation is interesting. Previously the company’s flagship, the HTC One, was first spotted with the codename ‘M7’, while the newly launched HTC One Mini emerged earlier as the ‘M4’. This is the first mention of any device using the Z prefix, but the fact that it is Z4 could possibly imply it is a miniaturised version of another model also in development. Could there be an HTC Z7 too? HTC’s rumoured phablet, the HTC One Max, is associated with the codename T6.
What would we like to see? Well, if you consider that HTC made a big deal out of its Ultrapixel camera technology we’re wondering if it’s ramping that up a notch or two, what with Nokia’s Lumia 1020 and Lumia 925, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom running around changing everyone’s perceptions of what a camera phone should be like.
As you can see in our HTC One review, we thought the camera tech was impressive, but did wonder what the same approach might yield on an 8-megapixel sensor instead of a 4.3-megapixel setup. Go on HTC, show us how its done.

Samsung Galaxy S4 made with new tracking feature

The Samsung Galaxy S4 now comes with a new technology that will help users track down their missing or stolen smart phone or, in dire situations, kill the phone.
While skilled phone hackers can circumvent phone-tracking applications – such as the popular "Find My iphone" – the LoJack system is built into a smart phone's core, or its firmware. To unlock the phone and turn off the tracking device, the thief would have to destroy the firmware, in effect ruining the phone. Of course, there is also the cathartic (and perhaps practical) benefit of being able to "kill" a device when users are unable to retrieve it from a thief. "Killing" a phone renders it useless, meaning that a new operating system cannot be installed.

The feature costs $29.99 per year and includes the cost of tracking down the phone. The LoJack software feature from Absolute Software has previously been available only for laptops and tablets. This is the first time that the technology will be built into the phone itself.
Building tracking capabilities into cellphones like the Samsung Galaxy 4S reflects the rising incidences of phone theft in the past few years, says Mark Grace, the vice president of consumer global at Absolute Software.
The San Francisco and New York attorneys general both issued their support for the creation of a Save our Smartphones initiative to combat this rise in cellphone thefts. In 2012, half of all robberies in San Francisco involved a mobile device. In New York City, 20 percent of all robberies involved the theft of a smart phone – a 40 percent increase since 2011, according to a statement issued by the Save our Smartphone coalition.
New York City has a separate Apple task force that deals solely with the theft of iPhones and iPads.
The Samsung Galaxy 4S is the first phone to have this LoJack software automatically built into the device, but Mr. Grace foresees the possibility of incorporating this software into other smart phones in the future. Though Absolute Software is able to track cellphones without the LoJack software, the process is easier with the mechanism built into a phone’s firmware.
Absolute says that it has been able to retrieve three-quarters of all lost laptops, excluding the number of devices that are permanently damaged, says Grace. The company has ties to more than 6,600 different law enforcement agencies in more than 100 countries, and has recovered more than 30,000 devices

Friday 19 July 2013

Xbox One scores high number of preorders

The upcoming console has picked up more preorders than its predecessor over the same period of time, says Microsoft.

The Xbox One is proving a hit even before it officially launches, according to its maker.
Preorders for the Xbox One have surpassed the number seen by the Xbox 360 during its prelaunch months, Microsoft has reported. The upcoming console has been sold out at most of its major retailers in the U.S.
But the Xbox 360 continues to heat up sales.
For the 30th month in a row, the 360 was the top-selling console in the United States last month as consumers bought more than 140,000 units. Total spending on the Xbox 360 (including hardware, software, and accessories) hit $197 million in June, research firm NPD said on Thursday, the highest number for any console in the U.S.

Nintendo also played well in June, as its 3DS earned the top sales spot across all gaming platforms for the second month in a row, according to NPD.
"To quote Nintendo during E3, 'software sells hardware', which is evident in this month's 3DS results," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. "Strong double-digit increases in the 3DS hardware sales were coupled with triple-digit digit increases in software for June sales. 3DS software sales momentum is building due to a steady flow of content over the past few months, leading to positive year-to-date sales results."
And what of the rest of the video game industry? As usual, not so bright a picture.
Sales of video game hardware fell to $142 million last month, a 30 percent drop from June 2012. Sales of video games nestled in at $296 million, down 10 percent from the same month last year. Still, some titles lit up the charts.
"'The Last of Us' was the top selling game at retail in the month of June," Callahan said. "To put this in context, it had the second highest first-month sales of a PS3 first-party game, after 'God of War 3' in March 2010. 'The Last of Us' was also the third highest game to launch during the month of June since NPD began tracking sales in 1995."
Other titles on the top ten sales list included "Animal Crossing: New Leaf," "Minecraft," "Call of Duty: Black Ops II," and "NBA 2K13."

Panasonic launches world's longest zoom bridge camera

60x zoom Panasonic FZ72 offers a whopping 1200mm

Panasonic has introduced a new bridge camera to sit in its lineup of Lumix FZ cameras. 
The Panasonic FZ72 boasts the world's longest optical zoom with a 60x offering, making it an equivalent of 20-1200mm in 35mm terms. At the wide angle end of the lens, 20mm is approximately 140% wider than a standard 24mm lens provides.
Comprising 14 elements in 12 groups, including six aspherical lenses with nine aspherical surfaces and 3ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses, the lens is small but Panasonic says it will still deliver superb results.
Intelligent Zoom and Intelligent Resolution are included to boost the zoom ratio up to 120x equivalent. A 1.7x tele conversion lens will also be sold separately to boost the lens up to 102x.

Specs

Other features include a new 16.1 million pixel MOS sensor, a Venus processing engine, Light Speed AF and Power OIS (Optical Image Stabliser) to provide correction for blur when shooting handheld or in low light.
Of course, it wouldn't be a modern camera without Full HD video recording available in 60i, 50i and 25p.
Full manual control is available for advanced photographers, while a hotshot is also included for attaching a range of optional accessories.
The Panasonic Lumix FZ72 will be available from the end of August, with prices yet to be confirmed.