iPad apps get price hike

iPhone users will be used to getting their apps free of charge or for a small fee, but those looking to pick up Apple’s iPad next month will find that the average app cost will be far higher.

Since the iPad is a brand new device, experts believe that the cost of the apps could fall after it has been on the shelves for a month or two and the developers will no doubt be keeping an eye as to how much consumers are willing to pay in order to gauge the costs of their future releases.

Back when the iPhone’s App Store first opened its doors, some developers attempted to sell social networking applications for £10 and all it took was for iPhone owners to completely ignore their inflated prices for them to fall to more reasonable levels.

What could bring the cost of iPad apps up is the fact that the device has a much larger screen and far more powerful components than its mobile counterpart. This means that app developers will be able to create much more ambitious content, but the investment will be larger and the price of the end product will be consequently higher.

After leaked images showing the iPad App Store before its release appeared online, observers at Gizmodo compiled a list of the comparative prices of existing iPhone apps and their iPad versions. It looks as though iPad users will be paying two or three times as much for their apps, but with added production values and higher resolutions.

Swiss Army USB drive is hack-proof

The Swiss army knife is a highly regarded all-round implement and manufacturer Victorinox has produced knives that also have integrated USB storage in the past, but now a new edition claims to be completely safe from prying eyes.

Victorinox proved that it was not joking about the security systems in place within the Knife/Drive by hiring a team of alleged computer hackers to attempt to break into the device during a promotional demonstration. The firm was offering £100,000 of its own money to the team if they could succeed. They didn’t and the reputation of the device remained intact.

According to Victorinox, the USB memory Knife relies on multiple layers of security to keep hackers out, including fingerprinting and advanced encryption. The device will also self-destruct if anyone attempts to illicitly access its storage, rendering it inoperable as the processing chip and the memory is fried.

As well as a USB memory stick, the knife has a nail file and a small pair of retractable scissors and it can be attached to a key ring to make sure that it stays with you at all times. All of the knife’s functions flip out in the standard manner and the whole thing is finished in a pleasingly see-through red.

Victorinox has released the ultimate gadget-lovers Swiss army knife in the UK with a variety of storage capacities. The 8GB drive will set you back about £50, but if you want the top of the line 32GB drive, you will need to find £180.

Nintendo DS to get 3D upgrade

Nintendo has been upgrading the DS incrementally by making it slimmer and giving it a couple of cameras, but now it is set to launch a completely new handheld that will jump on the 3D bandwagon.

This next DS is definitely coming, but for the moment the media is being forced to speculate as to how it will look, what technology will be inside and even what it will be called. Since Nintendo has never gone in for numbering its console sequels, many expect that it will be called the 3DS, although Nintendo will probably work on something catchier before it is released.

Nintendo plans to make the next DS far more powerful than its predecessor, which is sensible as the current DS is rather less capable than the PSP and completely outclassed by the majority of smartphones, including the iPhone.

You might assume that Nintendo will be forcing its customers to wear those silly dark shades in order to see the 3D effect, but it has confirmed that there will be no need for these as the 3DS will use alternate display technologies.

There are a few techniques for simulating 3D without the need for the polarising glasses, but experts predict that the mainstream market will not see televisions which ditch the specs completely for over five years.

It is believed that the next-gen DS will be on the shelves from March 2011, although Nintendo has not committed to any kind of launch schedule as yet. The 3DS will carry on the backwards-compatibility tradition and let you play original DS titles.

HTC adds Android and renames HD2

The HTC HD2 launched at the end of 2009 and it made a big impact thanks to its 4.3 inch screen and slate-like slimness. Now its manufacturer is replacing the ageing Windows Mobile 6.5 platform with Android, as well as tweaking other hardware aspects.

The Android edition of the HD2 will be called the HTC Evo and it will hold the impressive title of being the world’s first smartphone to work on 3G networks but also moonlight as a 4G handset.

The HTC Evo will have the same 1GHz processor as the HD2, but now HTC has promised to integrate an 8 megapixel camera into the package, which will be the first time it has offered such advanced photographic technology.

The camera will shoot video in high definition and the Evo will sport an HDMI output to allow you to view the clips on a high-definition TV.

HTC is likely to skin Android 2.1 with its own Sense interface and social networking support will be comprehensive, allowing full tweeting privileges.

The retail version of the HTC Evo will feature a free 8GB microSD card to augment the 1GB of onboard storage and there is a front-facing VGA camera for video calling.

At the moment there are no 4G network providers in the UK, so when it launches, only those on operator Sprint in the US will be able to access the next-gen networking technology. Hopefully a backwards compatible or 3G-only version of the HTC Evo will make it over here.

Samsung to create iPad rival

Samsung is planning a brand new tablet computer that will be built to compete directly with the Apple iPad. According to reports, Samsung is looking to trump the iPad in terms of technological clout, with a faster processor and a slicker operating system.

Samsung has so far said that it will be using Microsoft’s Windows 7 platform as the base operating system for its tablet computer. However, new rumours suggest that it will be ditching this in favour of Google’s Android.

Tech site Tweakers has reported that Samsung is dissatisfied with the performance levels of the tablet using Windows 7 and is considering Android as the ideal replacement.

Other rumours that surfaced online have implied that the Samsung tablet computer will feature some kind of mobile broadband connectivity, with 4G potential alluded to in a forum post from Samsung’s Philip Newton.

Mr Newton, who heads up Samsung’s Australian IT division, also said that an Intel Atom processor was probably going to be chosen as the CPU for the tablet computer.

Using an Atop CPU makes a lot of sense, as Samsung is already familiar with this family of processors through its own line of netbooks. The inclusion of 4G connectivity will allegedly allow the Samsung tablet computer to make voice calls as well as providing data access.

Mr Newton said that the tablet will offer greater physical connections than its major rival from Apple, which observers have taken to mean that there will be the option to attach USB peripherals and storage.

BAFTA gaming awards praise latest Batman title

The BAFTA Video Game awards ceremony was held last week and the critics’ choice for best game was taken home by developer Rocksteady for Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Batman’s gritty action adventure title may have taken the most significant gong of the night, but it has had stiff competition from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

MW2 was a winner in one category: the GAME award for top title, which was voted for by members of the gaming public. MW2 launched in November and went on to become the largest gaming release of all time, selling millions in its first few months on the shelves.

Although Batman: Arkham Asylum is set in every comic book fan’s favourite fictional US city, it was actually developed predominantly in the UK, which proves that the games industry is one of the country’s most important from a creative and a commercial point of view.

PS3 exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves took home a selection of awards as well, receiving recognition for its story, action and use of music and special audio effects.

A BAFTA fellowship was awarded to Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, who is the creator of some of the best-loved video game characters of all time, including Mario and the entire cast of the Zelda franchise.

Mr Shigeru gave a speech to the assembled industry guests, saying that the video games industry is one of the least restrictive in terms of what can be achieved with a bit of imagination.

Invisibility technique demonstrated

A group of German researchers have shown off the technology that may well allow the consumers of the future to shroud themselves in clothes that will render them invisible.

So far invisibility-inducing products have been the stuff of science fiction and fantasy, but its seems that we are now at the very early stages of a process for making objects invisible.

When you look at the detailed statistics relating to the recent test, you might be a little disappointed. The object that was made invisible was a microscopic raised area on the surface of a gold bar, measuring a few thousandths of an inch across.

Every technological advance has to start somewhere and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has been instrumental in creating this invisibility technique, rendering the microscopic bump completely invisible from all angles.

According to the researchers, the invisibility was achieved by creating a pile of light-bending crystals on top of the raised gold area. This tiny scale experiment could not be replicated on larger objects as the crystal technology would not work.

Although the recent revelations are unlikely to result in Harry Potter style invisibility cloaks within the next few years, it does show that in practice it is possible to hide something from the eye. There are many other groups working on invisibility technology and it has rather obvious applications in military operations.

Anyone ever caught by a speed camera will no doubt continue to dream of a consumer product that enables invisibility.

iPhone screen guards scrapped by Apple

iPhone and iPod Touch owners will no longer be able to buy the hugely popular screen guards from Apple’s flagship stores, nor from its online retail outlet, after the tech firm decided to ban them completely.

It is not only the standalone film guards which keep scratches and scrapes away from the iPhone that are being axed, but also any case which integrates a film-based screen guard.

Apple fan site iLounge said that Apple will be outing all of these accessories from its official shops from May this year.

iPhone users have reacted with confusion to this news, as the film-based screen protectors are the most popular form of iPhone guard accessory out there, winning over more customers than full blown cases.

Some observers have suggested that Apple could be instigating the ban as part of a campaign to make the iPhone seem more rugged and resilient, with the implication being that the screen protectors are superfluous.

It has also been said that Apple might be banning these products because their use creates too many issues when questions over warranty are brought up as part of the repair and returns process. This conclusion sounds to be a more likely reason for the ban, although nothing official has been made public.

Third party iPhone accessory sites could see an influx of new customers if the ban goes ahead, as many Apple users stick to the official outlets for their latest add-ons. This would be a positive step in some respects, as it would allow many more businesses to benefit from the iPhone’s popularity.

3D TVs destined for pubs

It looks as though 3D sports games could be with the general public sooner than anticipated, after a deal between satellite TV firm Sky and electronics manufacturer LG was announced.

Sky has ordered 15,000 3D TVs with the intention of giving them to pubs, clubs and bars in order to get the 3D revolution going with live sporting events popping out of the screen at punters.

Sky 3D will be available for public display from April 2010 and it is the 47 inch versions of LG’s LD920 televisions that are under order at the moment. Over the next few weeks these could therefore be winging their way to one of your local drinking establishments.

The first 3D broadcast took place in February and the journalists and fans present were in two minds as to how well the technology worked in real life. However, Sky has obviously been given confidence by this test run and 3D TV is being geared up for a full launch next month.

LG will not be selling its first batch of 3D TVs to UK consumers until May, but with Sky supporting its technology it will soon become the brand most closely associated with 3D sport by football fans everywhere.

Anyone looking to get 3D television in their own homes could have to wait until 2011 if some pessimistic observers are to be believed, although Sky thinks that it can push through its first few 3D channels by the autumn. Anyone interested in 3D TV may want to start saving up now.

Miniature craft readied for space flight

NASA is in the final stages of sending a remotely controlled robotic space shuttle into orbit around the earth, according to the latest reports.

The X-37 is much smaller than the space shuttles that take astronauts out of the Earth’s atmosphere and its first unmanned flight into the final frontier will be monitored by experts on the ground in Florida.

The X-37 has been created not to travel into space on its own, but to become a kind of life craft for astronauts. It will accompany future shuttle missions and be attached to the International Space Station in order to provide its residents with a speedy escape route back home in an emergency.

Sources suggest that the total space available inside the craft could be a little as seven feet by four feet, but given that the passengers should only be on board for a short time this should not be a particular issue.

Observers believe the X-37 will be making its first ever voyage into the atmosphere on the back of an Atlas V rocket some time soon. This speculation has been brought about by the news that the X-37 has been transported down to Cape Canaveral, which suggests that a launch is imminent.

The X-37 project is shrouded in the typical kind of secrecy that any quasi-military US organisation applies to its latest developments, but it will be difficult to disguise the rocket as it launches into the clear blue skies over Florida.

<« Previous page — Next Page » 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 « Previous Page — Next Page »