Jonathan Blow is something of a hot property in gaming circles these days. The man behind the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Braid is also one of the more outspoken developers in the industry, and in a recent interview with gaming publication EDGE, the man that thought up one of Xbox Arcade's sleeper hits was typically frank.
With less than a week to go now before the Samsung Galaxy S IV is introduced at a special event in the city of New York, we've compiled a little round up of the almost certain, possible, and unlikely features of what will certainly be this year's biggest release on Google's Android platform.
So-called "social" smartphones have tried, and as yet failed spectacularly to create any legitimate niche within the market. With 1+ billion on Facebook and many millions more using the likes of Twitter, the social smartphone should, at least on paper, be an easy sell; but as HTC found out with the ChaCha and Salsa, not everybody likes to dance is so keen to buy into the idea of a device tailored to the social networks. Undeterred, the "quietly brilliant" Taiwanese company looks set for another stab with its 'Myst' handset, and if a specs leak via Unwired View's evleaks is to be believed, the mid-range handset sounds like a decent effort.
For the last several months, the rumor mill has been chock full of reports about what Apple may have in store for the iPhone this year, especially a brand-new low-end iPhone model to satisfy customers with lower budgets. According to a new report straight out of China, Apple plans on to ship the new low-end smartphones with a Snapdragon chipset, as opposed to the A6 and A6X devices currently used on all of the Cupertino company’s recent iOS devices. This is not new though, as previously a report in January also pointed to a Snapdragon SoC for the low-cost iPhone.
The excitement and anticipation surrounding Google Glass seems to be growing by the day, and considering the seemingly endless array of possibilities the wearable tech could bring, it's hardly surprising. As we continue to laugh at the entertaining sketch of how a typical guy might utilize the new technologies at his disposal, the rather more serious folks at Duke University are developing an app for Glass which learns how your friends dress, helping you pick them out in a crowded place.
Today, some new information pertaining to the upcoming Galaxy S IV smartphone has surfaced on web. The said device is now said to include ‘floating touch’ technology comparable to that within the Sony XPERIA Sola. In essence, this technology allows you to hover over certain elements of an interface, and, as you can on most desktop platforms, view additional information relating to the item you’re hovering over.
The console vendors may note be accommodating when it comes to backwards-compatibility of those oldie-but-goodies, however that has not stopped various classic titles from being re-released on numerous other platforms. Whether it's a port to a modern device or an HD makeover, those old favorites we know and love are still played constantly by those who revere them. If you're a nostalgic gamer, particularly one with an interest in RTS titles, you'll be pleased to learn that Microsoft has found the time in its busy 2013 schedule to bring Age of Empires II back from relative obscurity by affording it an HD re-release.
As always tends to be the case a few months prior to a purported iPhone launch, the rumor mill has been awash with speculation that Apple could follow in the footsteps of Nokia et al and bring wireless charging to its prized smartphone this year. A report surfacing from the famously hit-and-miss Digitimes suggests the Cupertino company will indeed be introducing the technology as a built-in feature to the so-called "iPhone 5S", but 9to5Mac's notion to the contrary would seem more correct.
The tablet and smartphone markets are certainly crowded, although all devices in these two categories perform the main task that is expected of them: allow users to browse the Internet on the go, even 36,000 feet above the ground. However, a new study by in-flight Internet provider Gogo suggests that a vast majority of its usage takes place on tablets, most of them Apple iPads.
Whichever side of the Android / iOS debate you consider yourself, there's no denying that each has its fair share of advantages over the other. The lack of support for widgets is something many iOS users have bemoaned since the very first iPhone back in 2007, but thanks to the marvel of jailbreaking, these individuals seldom need lament Apple's restrictions for too long. Although the HTC One X was only a moderately successful device, it did have a nice weather and clock widget typical of the company's Sense software. Over the years, a number of Sense UI inspired themes have been made available on Cydia for jailbroken devices, and now, the latest version from HTC One X has been ported too for those running jailbroken iPhones.
