Apple's Mavericks already on 5.5 percent of Macs, firm says

Ad network Chitika says Apple's free Mavericks OS X software update is already on 5.5 percent of Macs, proving to be the fastest update yet.

(Credit: Apple) 

 

Apple's OS X Mavericks update, which was released for free on Tuesday, is already installed on 5.5 percent of all Macs and rising quickly.
That's according to advertising network Chitika, which says the OS is seeing three times the adoption of last year's OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion" update during the same first 24-hour period.

(Credit: Chitika) 

 

One simple reason for that? The software update, which Apple says brings more than 200 new features to Macs, was given out for free. That's a first for Apple, which charged existing Mac owners $20 for last year's update, and even more for some previous versions.
Chitika's numbers, which are based on millions of ad impressions on Web sites in North America, are less than half that of the 11.6 percent adoption rate reported by GoSquared, which has a live tracker. Apple could provide its own, official download figures as soon as this week, as it's done with previous releases.
At last tally, Apple's Mac user base was 72 million users, though that number could be larger. Apple reported that figure at WWDC in June, and it was double the figure from five years before. Between then and now the company's announced sales of an extra 3.8 million Macs, and will report additional figures for its September quarter next week.

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Nokia Lumia 2520 vs. Microsoft Surface 2: Do we need two Windows RT tablets?

With Microsoft's Surface 2 now released and Nokia's Lumia 2520 on the horizon, we thought now would be a good time to compare the only two new Windows RT tablets.

Nokia's Lumia 2520 is essentially the company's version of Microsoft's Surface 2, including a keyboard that doubles as a screen cover.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle) 

 

After the less-than-stellar debut of Windows RT last year, the subsequent cancellation of Samsung's Windows RT tablet, and Microsoft's $900 million Surface RT write-down, I honestly didn't expect another RT tablet from anyone other than Microsoft to be released, ever. However, earlier this week, Nokia announced its first Windows RT tablet, the Lumia 2520.
Its announcement comes right on the heels of the Surface 2's release, so what better time to compare the merits of each. And while I haven't actually seen the 2520 in person, CNET has. Also, after reading our First Take, speaking to my colleague Sarah Mitroff -- who did see it in person -- and looking closely at the specs, I feel I have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Do we really need two Windows RT tablets?
Before Nokia's announcement of the Lumia 2520, I'd really made peace with the idea that Windows RT would be something only Microsoft would support and that we'd likely see it phased out by the time the Surface 3 rolled around.
The main reason being that vendors like Asus had figured out how to offer a full Windows 8.1 tablet for a lower price. There just didn't seem to be much reason for Windows RT, and the idea of another vendor hopping into RT's nebulous waters, didn't seem feasible.

I first wondered if this had anything to do with Microsoft's plans to buy Nokia's product division. However, Roger Cheng's analysis handily squashes that idea. A more perplexing question is: what does Nokia see in Windows RT that Samsung and a good number of consumers didn't?
Besides its lack of apps and missing legacy program support, Windows RT is a good tablet OS, but there remains a stigma attached to it. A "this is the lesser" sort of stench.

Microsoft's Surface 2: The other Windows RT tablet.

(Credit: Josh Miller) 

 

Perhaps Nokia believes that with only two RT tablets for consumers to choose from, its chances of making a profit are that much greater. The company essentially appears to be simply following Microsoft's lead here. The Lumia 2520 is pretty much what you'd imagine a Nokia version of the Surface 2 tablet to be.
I think the justification for two so similar tablets will depend entirely on the 2520's price. If it heavily undercuts Microsoft, yet still delivers an experience on par with the Surface 2, then yes, I'd say it was worth it. That would give the relative few consumers interested in RT an option and would likely force Microsoft to lower the Surface 2's price.
However, that scenario isn't very likely. What's more probable is that Nokia will compete head-to-head with the Surface 2, and, thanks to its out-of-the-box LTE support, included video-editing software, and its unique take on the keyboard accessory, the 2520 will be a viable alternative to the Surface 2.
Whether you're comfortable settling for an RT tablet -- when full Windows 8.1 exists -- is a question you'll have to answer yourself.

Design
The Surface 2 isn't much different from its predecessor in look and feel. It still feels like a high-quality device, and other than an additional kickstand angle, it's pretty much the same tablet (although the new silver-gray finish is quite pleasing to the eye).

The Lumia 2520 is thinner, lighter, and feels more compact than the Surface 2.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle) 

 

According to my colleague Sarah Mitroff, the Lumia 2520 has a more curved design and feels more compact and lighter compared with the Surface 2; however, there's no built-in kickstand on the 2520. It's difficult to get a sense of its feel from pics, so I'm looking forward to checking it out myself.

Features
While the Surface 2 currently comes in a Wi-Fi-only model -- an LTE version is planned for 2014 -- Nokia says it will only release LTE versions of its tablets, starting with the 2520 and continuing with any releases. This means that you'll only see the Lumia 2520 sold through cellular providers like AT&T and Verizon.
As for ports, the Surface 2 includes a full USB port, Micro-HDMI, and microSD. The 2520 features the same ports, but throws in NFC as well.
Like the Surface 2, the Lumia 2520 also comes with the latest version of Office, but Nokia goes one step further by including Nokia's proprietary video-editing software called Video Director. The software allows you to take short video clips and stitch them together into one movie, adding effects and extra panache of your choosing.

The screen
The Surface 2 features a 10.6-inch screen, while the Lumia 2520's screen is a slightly smaller 10.1 inches in size. Each screen runs at a 1,920x1,080-pixel-resolution. And while these are undoubtedly high resolutions, they're not the highest we've ever seen. However, each screen employs techniques that extend their quality and presentation value beyond simple sharpness.

There's more to a screen's quality than simply its resolution.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle) 

 

In an effort to increase the quality of the Surface 2's display, Microsoft fused the touch layers, the cover glass, and the LCD into one. So instead of three separate pieces making up the screen -- each with its own reflective properties, thus reducing image quality -- fusing them together into one means you have only to account for one reflective layer, reducing image quality degradation.
From my hands-on experience with the Surface 2, it appears to work. The screen is almost impeccably sharp, with a wide viewing angle, accurate color, and a high contrast.
The Lumia 5250 takes a different approach to achieve a similar end. Like Lumia phones, the tablet uses Nokia's ClearBlack Display technology, which through an array of polarizers, essentially controls the light coming into the display in a way that reduces reflections and increases screen contrast.

The keyboard
I love using the Surface 2's Type Cover 2. It's an amazingly comfortable keyboard that of course doubles as a screen cover. This new version also includes a handy backlight feature.

The Surface 2's Type Cover 2 gets some backlighting action.

(Credit: Josh Miller) 

 

As for the 2520, since it doesn't include a built-in kickstand, Nokia put one in the keyboard accessory instead. It looks a lot like the Type Cover 2, from its fully depressible keys, to the disappointingly flush touch pad. However, when folded around the tablet it looks exactly like a Trapper Keeper, shamelessly appealing to my '80s childhood nostalgia.
That said, my favorite feature of the new keyboard is that it extends your battery life by an additional 5 hours. My least favorite thing is its $150 price. That's $20 more expensive than Microsoft's Type Cover 2, but the battery life extender kind of makes up for it. On paper, at least.

The processor
The Surface 2 houses a 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 4, while Nokia went with a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 for the Lumia 2520. The Tegra 4 is great for smoothly navigating the OS, quickly decoding streaming video, and loading apps. Alas, as a gamer, I was a bit disappointed.
The processor isn't as powerful as the 1.9GHz version of the Tegra 4 in the Nvidia Shield, and if Microsoft had gone with a faster processor, it would have gone at least a little ways towards future-proofing the machine. Don't get me wrong; it delivers the gaming goods, just not impressively so.
On the other hand, the Snapdragon 800 has already proven itself in the Kindle Fire HDX, virtually tying with the Nvidia Shield and beating every other processor before it when it comes to gaming performance. As a result, I expect the 2520 to be a more capable gaming machine than the Surface 2.

Cameras
The Surface 2's front-facing camera is rated at 3.5-megapixel and is the sharpest, clearest, most colorful front camera I've yet seen on a tablet. The 5-megapixel back camera is no slouch, but since rear tablet cameras typically have better specs I wasn't as overly impressed. Still a great tablet camera though.

Expect the 2520's back camera to outclass Surface 2's.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle) 

 

The Lumia 2520 kind of takes the opposite track. It features a 2-megapixel front camera, but a 6.7-megapixel rear camera. So, if the megapixel rating is anything to go by -- and it sometimes is, but not always -- the Surface 2 will have a better front camera, while the 2520's rear camera should be the more impressive of the tablets. The proof however will be in the pudding.

Price
Surface starts at $449 with 32GB of storage and there's a 64GB version for $549. The 2520 doesn't yet have a set price and so far only AT&T and Verizon have announced plans to sell it in the U.S.
I can't imagine Nokia would charge more than Microsoft for its tablet. My guess is that it'll want to undercut Microsoft's price a bit or possibly offer more storage for the same price. It would also be nice to see a 128GB configuration when the price is finally announced.

We shall see
Once the 2520 is actually released, we'll have a clearer picture of its merits and how they truly compare to the Surface 2's. Yes, the world of Windows RT just got a bit more interesting, if for no other reason than to see how this new unexpected competition plays out.

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Apple's new iPad pricing: A head scratcher or brilliant?

You can spend anywhere from $299 to $929 to buy an iPad this year, but things get very muddled with a mix of old and new.

Apple's new iPads.

(Credit: James Martin) 

 

The first question I got from several readers, colleagues, and friends yesterday was "so which iPad should I buy?"
Many were very smart people who keep up with the ins and outs of technology, which leads me to believe that Apple's new lineup might leave some consumers scratching their heads when faced with a potential purchase this holiday.
As with years past, the new lineup is a lot of the old and a bit of new. Last year's iPad mini is $30 cheaper and will stick around, as will 2011's iPad 2 with two 16GB models (one with only Wi-Fi, and one with 3G).
New this year are a full-sized iPad -- the iPad Air -- and iPad Mini with a Retina Display. The mini comes in two screen resolutions, both at the same 7.9-inch size. People simply pay $100 more if they want the Air with its larger screen. Everything else about the two new tablets, right down to the battery life and their innards, is the same.
This, combined with no bump to the amount of baseline storage you get (an important thing for a tablet) sets up a peculiar situation in which you can go $100 or so each way and end up with a markedly different device, often with trade-offs.

Do the math
One example of a trade-off: Want Apple's cheapest tablet? Get the Wi-Fi version of last year's iPad Mini. But it's only 16GB and you can't go higher without upgrading to one of the two newer models, which at 32GB would run either $499 for the Mini, or $599 for the Air. In the case of the Air, that's the price of simply buying a second first-generation iPad Mini.
Another example: You want to get one of the newer models -- but with cellular, and you don't want to pay much. Your cheapest option is the 16GB Mini with Retina for $529. But for $70 more, you can get an Air with a larger screen and twice the storage -- however, you're back to Wi-Fi only.
There also remains the very top end of the line, which runs up to $829 and $929 respectively, for the 128GB iPad Mini and Air. The $829 option for even the latest Mini is within $70 (the price of a leather Smart Cover) of costing the same as a brand-new 11-inch MacBook Air from Best Buy.

The parts that make the difference now are storage and cellular chips

This is not a new thing, by any means. Apple became the profits juggernaut it is by offering a "good, better, best" option with its computers and later iPods. The part that's typically made the difference has been storage, RAM, and the optical drives that consumers bought for their notebooks and desktop towers (something that's gone kaput). As Apple's business has evolved into tablets and smartphones, the parts that make the biggest difference now are storage and cellular chips, both of which can tweak the price by $100 per tier -- even when Apple's paying far, far less.
Case in point: Apple's latest, the iPhone 5S. According to a teardown by IHS iSuppli last month, that same 16GB of NAND flash memory -- which is the entry point of storage on all of Apple's tablets since 2010's iPad 1 -- runs an estimated $9.40. Bumping up to 32GB costs $18.80, while going up to 64GB costs $29 total. Those same upgrades cost users $100 for each tier on the iPads, meaning consumers pay more than 10 times what it likely cost Apple.
It's a similar story for the cellular chips that cost users an extra $100 if they want to connect to cellular networks. Those same chips only run around $25.60 for the iPad 2, iSuppli says, while the newer 4G LTE chips cost about $41.50.

iPads piled up at an Apple store at launch from the third-generation iPad.

(Credit: James Martin) 

 

What people are actually buying
This $100-per-step upgrade has gone on for years and worked out well for Apple, but perhaps it has never made such a difference as with these tablets, which are priced so close together. With notebooks, which could run between $1,000 up to $3,000, there was more wiggle room for such parts, something that makes more of a difference with gadgets that cost less.
The reality is that most people buy the mid-range version of the iPad, or at least they were early last year. A report covering three months of 2012 holiday iPad sales by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners suggested that the 32GB model of the iPad 2 accounted for 49 percent of all sales, with the 16GB model following at 31 percent. Of course, two new models and the iPad Mini have been released since then, making the comparison less than ideal.
Looking at something more recent, gadget trade-in service Gazelle says that 16GB iPads have made up 42 percent of all iPad models traded in since its program started. Last year alone that mix was a tad lower, with 16GB iPads accounting for 38 percent of trade-ins, a figure that jumped to 47 percent of trades so far this year.

Apple, to its credit, has removed some of the need for lots of storage on its devices, with things like iCloud, Photo Stream, and iTunes Match and iTunes Radio for streaming and storing music tracks. Still, there's no debating that apps, games, videos, and especially magazines can take up incredible amounts of storage quickly.
There's also little debating that while some could see potential consumer confusion in Apple's myriad iPad offerings, the results could be increased sales come this holiday shopping season.
"The new iPad Air is a very attractive upgrade," Barclays Capital's Ben Reitzes told investors on Tuesday, adding that the firm's original estimate that Apple would surpass 20 million iPads sold over the next two months was "conservative."

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New iPad Air: Lighter, thinner 9.7-inch tablet weighs just 1 pound, arrives Nov. 1 (hands-on)

Apple announced the iPad Air, its fifth-generation iPad, October 22 in San Francisco at the company's annual unveiling event. Thinner, lighter, and with a more powerful processor, the 9.7-inch iPad Air with Retina Display brings some design and performance enhancements to the best-selling tablet, but not as many additions as we had hoped for, or as rumors suggested.
In fact, we'd say that Apple missed some opportunities to wow us with a tablet that could have perhaps had a larger screen with higher resolution, a higher-megapixel camera, or laptoplike accessories. At the very least, this was Apple's chance to recapture its spirit of innovation and give us something different, rather than what amounts to a polished iteration of what we already had.
For instance, there's no gold-hued version as with the iPhone 5S, and Apple mentioned nothing about incorporating the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that uses biometric data to unlock the phone and approve purchases. Also, by keeping many key specs on par with last year's model, Apple's full-size iPad and iPad Mini are now more similar than ever, except that the Mini costs $100 less.

Design and in-hand feel
From the moment you first pick it up, the iPad Air's weight and slimness are two of its most significant new features. Tipping the scale at just 1 pound, the iPad Air's heft is down from the 1.44 pounds of the fourth-generation iPad. It also measures an extremely thin 7.5 millimeters (0.29 inch), as opposed to the predecessor's 9.4mm depth (0.37 inch) -- that's a 20 percent slimmer build, if you're keeping count. The bezel is also much narrower, too; 43 percent so, in fact.

A tablet's heft plays a crucial role in how quickly your arms tire holding it. In this update, Apple has managed to reduce its hardware's weight by almost half a pound, an impressive feat that you're only likely to notice because you hardly notice it at all. In fact, even though we knew the specs, nothing can prepare you for how light and slim the iPad Air actually feels in real life.
The weight makes it much easier to hold with one hand, and the pared-down bezel makes the screen absolutely pop. Our first impression: the iPad Air is like the iPhone 5S of iPads: refined, reduced, and overall improved.

Performance and other hardware
A new A7 chip inside makes the Air eight times faster than the iPad 4, according to Apple. For reference, this is the same 64-bit chip populating the iPhone 5S. Like Apple's latest smartphone, the Air's A7 also comes with the M7 motion coprocessor, which promises graphics that render at twice the rate of the previous iPad.
In terms of graphics, that means that this iPad Air is 72 times faster than the original iPad in GPU performance, but who's counting? All that really matters is how it stacks up against today's top tablet performers (and more on that to come when we actually get review units in-house.)
In terms of Wi-Fi, there's MIMO wireless technology onboard, but the Air is using the 802.11n standard, not the the more current "ac" Wi-Fi designation.

The iPad Air is Apple's extremely light fifth-generation iPad.

(Credit: Scott Stein)

 

We're sorry, but nobody looks cool taking photos with a tablet. However, if you must (and it's quite possible that your tablet contains the best camera you own), then the iPad Air has a 5-megapixel iSight camera on the rear that Apple says takes improved low-light shots. On the front, video-chatters will find the refreshed FaceTime HD camera, which gives you larger pixels to make images look clearer, according to the claim. Dual microphones will help capture even sound.
Apple is always cagey when it comes to sharing battery capacity details, but the company does list a 32.4-watt-hour rechargeable lithium battery, and promises to keep up its 10-hour battery life rate on the Air.
On the software front, free and redesigned versions of core Apple apps -- like iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote, and GarageBand -- have been reworked for iOS 7 and the iPad.

iPad Air or iPad Mini 2?
With the iPad Mini 2's Retina Display and updated specs, the iPad Air becomes a little less dominant in this space. Its similarity to the $399 iPad Mini with Retina Display makes us wonder if Apple is cannibalizing iPad sales for the smaller, cheaper device.
Are you willing to pay $100 more for a larger screen? Yeah, you might be, if you value more expansive screen real estate and rely on that virtual keyboard.

Pricing and availability
As with past models, the iPad will come in both Wi-Fi and cellular versions that support LTE.

	16GB	32GB	64GB	128GB
Wi-Fi	$499	$599	$699	$799
Cellular	$629	$729	$829	$929

The iPad Air ships November 1 in space gray and black, and silver and white colors (but no gold, sorry). Prices start at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi version, with the cellular model coming in at $629. In addition to a wave of other first-release countries, it's coming to China with Wi-Fi, a first for Apple.
Although the iPad Air completely replaces the fourth-generation iPad, Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 for $399.

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Android 4.4 KitKat: What we expect about the announcement, specs, and release date of Google's next OS

At a casual glance, 4.4 KitKat looks much like the current version of Android.

(Credit: TuttoAndroid)

 

The next version of Google's platform, Android 4.4 KitKat, is set to arrive any day now. After three helpings of Jelly Bean, we would hope that the Nestle-inspired build should prove to be a larger update, but so far signs point to minor enhancements.

Until recently, Google has done a great job keeping KitKat under wraps. Officially, Google has only said that its goal with KitKat is to "make an amazing Android experience available for everybody." Some posit this to mean we could see new Android-powered devices such as game consoles, smartwatches, smart TV, and laptops. Others look for a kinder, gentler platform that plays nice with older hardware.
This past weekend proved to be the biggest break in regards to what Android 4.4 looks like as well as some of its potential features. Some changes and details may include tweaks to the app launcher, notification bar, and dialer. Nothing too crazy, of course, but rather a color adjustment here or a transparency there.

When it might be announced

Some rumors suggest that Google has lined up the KitKat introduction for as soon as October 15, but I suspect an invitation for an official event instead. At the least, I expect that Google would dish the new feature set in a live YouTube broadcast. Assuming it plans to introduce new Nexus 5 hardware, which it should, then we might look for at least one day's notice before the big announcement. Other dates tossed around of late indicate that the end of October might also be in order. Should that be the case, there's still time to send out a few "save the date" e-mails and blog posts.

The software we could get

So far, leaked images like those in the gallery above point to minor, cosmetic changes, rather than a massive overhaul. The application drawer could move away from the all-black background in favor of a transparent bar. The pervasive notification area also appears to get the same treatment; a few screenshots show the top bar as having the see-through effect. In a related note, a 9to5Google report shows the notification bar with colors that match or complement various apps. The dialer app, for instance, brings up a blue bar, while the Hangouts app has a green one. It's possible that these particular apps were designed with their own colors and that the transparency is otherwise still present.

The Android 4.4 lock screen could include quick access to the camera.
(Credit: TuttoAndroid)

According to Italian Android blog TuttoAndroid, the lock screen will include shortcut to the camera application. The move would make sense as most custom launchers and lock screens have moved to integrate the oft-used feature.

A slightly more meaty addition, TuttoAndroid site also claims the "always listening" functionality employed in the Motorola Moto X can be found in the Android 4.4 experience. Should this prove true, users can expect quick access to Google Now and searching without having to touch the phone.
An Android Police report from this weekend suggests other changes could come in the area of app folders and widgets. According to their findings, folders are no longer limited to 16 shortcuts and will simply scroll if there are more. Widget placement moves out from the app drawer and back to the more traditional long-press method on the home screen. Speaking of which, users may soon find that the stock Android 4.4 experience allows for more than five home screen panels.
The stock camera experience should see a number of adjustments as well, including options to apply filters, borders, and effects. While Google+ already allows for photo editing and manipulation, it asks that a user have already uploaded the image to the cloud. Other tweaks to the shooter could yield straightening, mirroring, and color balance. If the final product resembles the leaked images we saw, then the app itself could get a makeover. Tweaks could come in the form of streamlined UI with quicker access to flash settings, timers, and image size.
As we discovered in a recent leak, other changes may include the option to save images locally in PDF format, export images in a variety of sizes and quality, and apply built-in filters and effects.

Native printing could be built into Android and may allow for options such as paper size, number of copies, orientation, and choosing between color or black and white.
From the sound of it, Google might simply include Cloud Print at an OS level instead of relying on its standalone application. We might also see wireless display support (via Miracast) in this next version of Android.
One area where Google has struggled to gain traction, mobile payments, could be rolled into the Android 4.4 platform. Screengrabs show a "Payments" option, but it's unclear what its role could mean for people. Presumably this is simply the place where one manages their Google Wallet account. Perhaps the thought is that by including it in the standard Android experience, it gains a larger awareness. The more you know it exists, the more likely you might be to use it.

An updated app suite

As far as the Pure Google app experience is concerned, we may see Drive, Keep, and Quickoffice come preloaded by default (right now they're optional downloads or bundled with one carrier or manufacturer experience). As many of you know, this trio of products and services work seamlessly with other Google properties and adds a layer of productivity. To get a sense for how Android 4.4 KitKat might look in action, be sure to check out the video below. Again, the details are not all that obvious and easy to overlook. However, the experience seems to be one that is smooth and fluid. This is to be expected; Google will continue pushing for performance optimizations across the board.
You might miss it the first time around, but the messaging app is nowhere to be found in the video. As the standard app for sending and receiving SMS and MMS, it's possible that Google is transitioning to Hangouts for its communications. We have long expected to see a unified chat and messaging service from Google; this could be the sign of such an animal.

When KitKat could land

KitKat is expected to ship with the Google Nexus 5 smartphone first, and then later come to other Nexus devices via over-the-air updates. If history is an indicator, the most recent Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2013, and Nexus 10 devices, as well the previous generation Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 2012 to pick up the release first, maybe a few weeks after the launch.
In terms of all other devices, I suspect the same rules still apply; newer and more popular models will get priority seating aboard the S.S. KitKat, like the LG G2 and HTC One. Note that phones that use custom interfaces (that's most of them) will take longer to get the update. Handset makers are becoming ever more vocal over social media so look for OEMs to detail specific devices in blog posts and status updates. Realistically, if you are running 4.1 or 4.2, you might expect some Nestle love this winter.

What's missing?

Taken as a whole, the 4.4 KitKat version of Android looks like it's a minor, not massive, step forward. But, given this is still a version-point update and not a full 5.0 release, we should keep our expectations in check. Is there something in Android that you see as lacking at the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean platform level? Which features in other smartphones that you would like to see come to Android? I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below.

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When, where, and how to buy Apple's new iPads

Here's everything you need to know about picking up a new iPad Air or iPad Mini with Retina Display.

(Credit: James Martin) 

 

Lines are likely to begin forming shortly for Apple's new iPads. The company unveiled two new models at a special fall press event in San Francisco on Tuesday. The iPad Mini with Retina Display now includes a faster processor, improved graphics, and a high-resolution screen, and the larger iPad also received an improved design and a performance boost.
The biggest change is the addition of a Retina Display to Apple's smaller and more affordable tablet. The iPad Mini has a 7.9-inch 2,048x1,536-pixel-resolution display, the same 64-bit A7 processor as the iPhone 5S, an M7 motion coprocessor, and improved graphics performance.

The larger iPad is redesigned to be thinner, lighter, and more powerful than its predecessor. The tablet, now known as the iPad Air, is 20 percent thinner than the fourth-generation iPad, has a 43 percent smaller bezel, and weighs only a pound, compared with the iPad 4, which weighs 1.4 pounds. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, called the iPad Air the "lightest full-size tablet in the world."
The device includes the same 9.7-inch Retina Display as before, but it is now equipped with the company's 64-bit A7 processor, M7 motion coprocessor, and improved graphics.
Both the iPad Air and new iPad Mini feature a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0, dual microphones, MIMO wireless technology for Wi-Fi speeds up to 300Mbps, and are rated with up to 10 hours of battery life.
Here's how you can get your hands on Apple's latest tablets as soon as possible:

When and where

Apple
The iPad Air will be available in Apple's online store at 12:01 a.m. PT on November 1. The device will also be available in the company's brick-and-mortar locations nationwide at 8 a.m local time that day. Apple will offer the larger iPad starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only model with 16GB of storage. Models with 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of storage can be had for $599, $699, and $799, respectively.
4G LTE versions of the iPad Air start at $629 for the 16GB model, and 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB models will be offered for $729, $829, and $929, respectively.
Apple didn't announce a release date for the iPad Mini, instead noting that it will be available "later in November." The Wi-Fi-only Retina Display model will start at $399 and come with 16GB of storage, $70 more than the original iPad Mini when it was first announced last October. The 16GB 4G LTE version will start at $529. Models with 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of storage in both Wi-Fi-only and 4G LTE configurations can be had at increments of $100.
Oddly enough, Apple will be keeping the more than 2-year-old iPad 2 around for another year. The device is available now with the Wi-Fi-only model costing $399, or a 3G model for $529. Both models include 16GB of storage.
Last year's iPad Mini will also be sticking around. The smaller tablet is available for $299 for the Wi-Fi-only 16GB model, or $429 for the 4G LTE version with 16GB of storage.

(Credit: James Martin) 

 

Carriers
All four major carriers in the United States -- Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- plan to carry both the iPad Air and new iPad Mini.
AT&T will offer both tablets with three different data plans: 250MB of date per month for $14.99, 3GB of data for $30, and 5GB of data for $50. Verizon is offering 1GB of data per month for $20, 2GB for $30, and 5GB for $50. And Sprint is offering 1GB of data per month for $14.99, 3GB of data for $34.99, and 6GB of data for $49.99.
Continuing its "uncarrier" initiative, T-Mobile will be giving customers 200MB of data each month for free. Those looking for more can sign up for one of the carrier's larger plans: 2.5GB of data per month for $30, or 4.5GB of data per month for $40.
T-Mobile on Wednesday announced that customers can purchase a new iPad from the carrier with no money down. The iPad Air will be offered for $26.25 per month for 24 months, while the new iPad Mini can be had for $22.08 a month for 24 months.

Retailers
In the past, retailers such as RadioShack, Target, and Best Buy have offered Apple's tablets. We expect the iPad Air to be offered in these retail stores on November 1, starting at 8 a.m. local time, as well.
Walmart on Thursday announced that it will be offering the iPad Air in-stores on November 1st for $479, $20 off the regular price. The company has also launched a trade-in program at Walmart and Sam's Club locations that will give customers up to $300 store credit for their current tablet. A similar program was also announced by Best Buy earlier this week. The company is offering up to $200 in the form of a Best Buy gift card for older iPad models. Best Buy's program runs until November 9th.

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Create a file manager desktop background image in OS X

 If you regularly use your desktop to organize files, then you might benefit from creating a custom image to manage your workflow.

Often when using your computer, your desktop will be covered by the various applications you use. In many cases, people will almost never see enough of their desktops to make it of any relevant use; however, others regularly close, hide, minimize, quit programs and organize files on their desktop for the convenience it offers.
If you are one of these people, then OS X offers several options for organizing files on your desktop. These can be invoked by clicking on your desktop, and then choosing an option from the View menu to sort Desktop items. This is also available by right-clicking the desktop and choosing a sorting option from the contextual menu.
While the sorting options Apple provides can organize files by type, name, creation and modification dates, among others, if you wish to manually sort the items then you can by selecting "None." You can also select "Snap to Grid" which keeps items on your desktop from overlapping.
This option allows you to place items anywhere on the Desktop without them snapping back to a predetermined location. If you choose to use your desktop in this manner, then there is a way to provide an organizational scheme for your desktop items by creating a custom desktop image that will section off areas for specific file types, or for specific aspects of your workflow.

The image being edited in Preview is reflected on the Desktop. Creating custom sections can be useful for organizing your files (click for larger view).

(Credit: Screenshot by Topher Kessler) 

 

To make such an image, you can use some of Apple's built-in features. First, create a screenshot of your desktop by pressing Shift-Command-3. This will place the image as a PNG file on your desktop, which will open in Preview by default. When opened, press Command-A to select the entire image and then delete to clear it. Now you can use Preview's annotation tools to add lines, circles, squares, and other shapes to section off areas of the desktop image for your various uses.
For example, if you regularly receive documents that you need to preview and edit, you could draw a square on a section of your desktop image that is large enough to encompass these items. When you set the image as your desktop background, you will be able to drag the relevant items to this area.

Note that by initially selecting and deleting the screenshot's contents you have set the background of the image to be transparent, which allows you to set the desktop's background color in System Preferences and still see it behind the boxes and layout that you create with your custom image.

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Free, familiar, and feature-filled

The good: Mac OS X Mavericks gives you new apps, streamlines familiar features, and adds battery life for laptop users with better power efficiency.

The bad: Older features like Gatekeeper and Launchpad could have used some renovations, but were left untouched in Mavericks.

The bottom line: As a free upgrade that gives you more apps, improved features across the board, and better performance, there is really no reason not to get Mavericks on your Mac.

Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks is now available (download it for free from the Mac App Store), bringing iOS features into the fold along with other additions, including iBooks, Apple Maps, Finder Tabs, and a number of other time-saving enhancements. As a free download from the Mac App Store, Mavericks gives you better security, new features for all the core apps, and tons of handy additions that make it a no-brainer to upgrade.
With Windows 8.1 hitting last week, Apple's Mavericks provides a stark contrast to the vision of Microsoft's operating system. Microsoft's stated intent was to break into the mobile space by creating a touch-centric OS that worked on both desktops and mobile devices and while I like the upgrade for overall performance, I still think changing the way people interact with their computers amounts to more trouble than it's worth (as I wrote in this post from last year). Apple, on the other hand, is keeping its mobile and desktop OS separate, while bringing over iOS apps and features without significantly changing the way you use your computer.
What results is a Mac OS that remains familiar to its users, gives apps a cleaner look, brings more iOS apps to your desktop, fixes old bugs, and improves core technologies for power efficiency and responsiveness. On top of that, it features new interface elements for Safari, a new tagging system for file management, and much more. So while there are tons of new and useful features here, the Mac OS remains familiar, friendly, and functions mostly the way it always has.

Some changes, but mostly the same
One thing that strikes me about Mavericks, along with many of Apple's updates over the past year, is that it is more evolutionary rather than revolutionary. You certainly get more features and performance boosts by upgrading to Mavericks, just as you do by getting an iPhone 5S or an iPad Air, but there's nothing shockingly new that really stands out in this OS. With hardware, there are things you can change to make the experience different (thumbprint scanners and lighter hardware, as examples), but with a software upgrade like Mavericks, it's tough to think of new features at this point that will truly wow users short of tapping directly into your brain. I kid, but how much is there left to add to our operating systems that will change the way we work with computers that really is for the better? I suppose it's a question the big companies are wrangling with now, so we'll have to see what happens as time wears on.

Finder Tabs are just like tabs in Safari. Drag to move them around, and hit the plus sign at the right to add a new one.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker)

 

Installation
Installing OS X couldn't be easier, requiring just a quick trip to the Mac App Store and hitting the download button. I should note that my experience was not typical because I had to download several successive developer previews before downloading the final version. But most people will just download and install the new update, which takes about 20 minutes including an automatic restart of the computer.

Finder Tabs
The new Finder Tabs work much in the same way the tabs do in Safari. A plus-sign button on the right lets you open a new tab, and you can drag and drop tabs just like in a Web browser. With Finder tabs, you'll be able to have two folders open side-by-side in one window, and you can simply drag and drop files across rather than copying and pasting like you would need to in earlier versions of the OS.
Having multiple tabs in the Finder also means you could open one tab for Documents and another for AirDrop, letting you share files with a nearby Mac or iOS user (thanks to iOS 7) in a snap.

Finder Tags
With Mavericks, Apple has chosen to go with a more flexible system for organizing your documents, letting you add tags. Now you'll be able to search on one or more tags to get just the documents you want in front of you. To give you an idea how it works, you could, for example, have a tag for "work" documents and then another for "pictures." If you searched for work, you would get all the items with that tag, and if you searched for pictures, you would get all the images in your library. But by searching on both pictures and work, you'll only get the pictures that are related to work.
I think this is a welcome addition to the Finder and a great way to narrow your searches, but it will obviously only be useful if you are dedicated to adding a tag to all your documents. Still, it makes searching for obscure documents on your hard drive much easier.

Full-screen apps
Full-screen apps were unveiled originally in Lion, but users quickly realized the feature wasn't perfect, especially if you use multiple monitors. Fortunately with Mavericks, the feature now finally works the way it should. You can now put full-screen apps on multiple monitors and switch among them effortlessly. This fix has been much-needed for two years now, so it's good to see the problems ironed out, but I have to wonder why Apple waited so long to do it.

Along with being able to sync directions with your iPhone, you can check out the 3D Flyover views in Maps.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker)

 

Apple Maps
Apple Maps got off to a rocky start with iOS, but has improved considerably over time. Testing it out on a MacBook Pro, the app felt great when navigating with a trackpad, with smooth movement and intuitive gesture control. Everything works about the same as it does on iOS, but some extra features will come in handy for getting directions before you leave your computer.
Now, you can find locations on Maps on your Mac, then sync directions with your other devices, and -- just like the iOS version -- driving times account for traffic. This will be especially useful for planning your trip at home, then quickly syncing with your iPhone for turn-by-turn directions when you hit the road.
Maps is built into the Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps, too. So any time you see an address, you can quickly find it on a map and switch to Apple Maps for a better view and to get directions.

iBooks
As one of the features brought over from iOS devices, iBooks looks pretty much like its mobile counterpart. Just like on iOS devices you'll be able to read and shop for books on your Mac and sync them with iCloud so you can switch devices and never lose your place. You'll also be able to swipe to turn pages (using your trackpad), pinch to zoom in on pictures, and scroll smoothly from page to page. You can have as many books open as you want simultaneously (great for students), and you can highlight sections and take notes -- all of which is synced on all your iOS devices. While this will be nothing new for iOS users, it's great to finally see these features available for Macs.

The new sidebar is incredibly convenient for running through your bookmarks on the left and looking at Web sites on the right.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker)

 

Safari
According to Apple, Safari now demands less from the GPU, uses less energy, and is faster than ever before. Apple says new Nitro Tiered JIT and Fast Start technologies in Safari mean Web pages feel snappier and the app doesn't waste power on Web pages and plug-ins that might churn continuously in the background. That all sounds great, but we're going to test the latest Safari with the older version side by side on two laptops, to see if we notice a huge difference in performance. Perhaps the performance increases are something that would be more obvious on a slower connection, but we'll have to wait and see if it really makes a difference when we take it down to our labs. Check back here soon to see the results.
One big improvement in Safari is the new sidebar that keeps your bookmarks close at hand, and you can use tabs at the top of the sidebar to get to your Reading List and another new feature called Shared Links. Shared Links are recent links from people you follow on both Twitter and LinkedIn, giving you another option for discovering new Web sites and other interesting content from people who use those social networks. The sidebar is probably my favorite new feature improvement in Safari because I like quickly switching between Web sites.

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Get hired with these five Windows Phone apps

Stay on top of your job hunt and build your professional network on the run with these apps on Windows Phone.

Between brushing up your resume, filling out applications, and networking with people in your industry, you can end up spending a lot of time spent in front of a computer when hunting for a new job.
If you'd rather get away from your screen and still not fall behind on your job search, there are a few apps that can help. I've rounded up five professional networking and job search engine apps that can help you spot new opportunities and keep you organized along the way.

Augmented reality in Nokia's JobLens app.

(Credit: Screenshots by Sarah Mitroff) 

 

JobLens
First up is JobLens, a feature-packed app from Nokia that includes in-depth information on company history, salary estimates, and location demographics with each job listing. You can find opportunities several ways, but the two most interesting are the map view and "augmented viewer," which uses augmented reality to show nearby job listings in your camera viewfinder.
To use the app, you must sign in with LinkedIn and Facebook, which might turn off anyone hunting for a job who doesn't want to put their Facebook information out there. However, JobLens uses your LinkedIn connections and Facebook friends to find jobs at the companies where your friends and professional contacts work, so you have a better shot of getting the gig. The app even gives you a checklist of tasks to get the job, such as company due diligence and preparing for the interview.
The only downside of JobLens is that the app kicks you the job listing's website in your phone's browser to apply. If you'd rather not fill out an application on a tiny mobile screen, you can save listings in the app to view later.
Nokia's also got you covered if you're hunting for an internship. The company recently unveiled Internships Lens, which does everything that JobLens does, but instead searches for paid and unpaid internships aimed at students.

Get employment stats in the Job Compass app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff) 

 

Job Compass
Job Compass bills itself as a decision-making app that can help guide you to a new career. It includes stats from the US Department of Labor on the industries with the most employees and highest pay, as well as salary breakdowns for nearly any job title you can search for.
The app also has detailed job listings that give you a quick run-down of responsibilities, required experience, and location. Like JobLens, the app bumps you out to the browser to fill out an application, but it also gives you a place to store jobs that you can apply to later if you prefer. In my research for this list I found a lot of crummy job search apps in the Windows Phone app store, but Job Compass is one of the few worth downloading.

LinkedIn helps you build a professional network.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff) 

 

LinkedIn
Building a LinkedIn profile is standard professional protocol these days, right behind writing a resume. The service lets you create a profile with all of your skills and work experience, and then connect with friends, co-workers, and classmates to build a professional network.
You can't create or manage your profile with the LinkedIn mobile app for Windows Phone, but you can search for job opportunities. In the app you'll see recommended jobs that LinkedIn thinks you might be interested in or that match your skills. Unfortunately, you cannot submit applications directly from the Windows Phone LinkedIn app, but you can save jobs for later.
Compared to LinkedIn's website, the app is pretty basic. Still, it's a useful tool to find job leads and stay in touch with your network.

Hunting for jobs on Craigslist+.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff) 

 

Craiglist+
As the newspaper classifieds for the Internet age, Craigslist is a popular place to hunt for a new job because both smaller firms and big companies often post job listings there. For pursuing these ads on your Windows Phone, I recommend Craigslist+.
The app has a pleasing colorful design, is easy to use (provided you're familiar with Craigslist already) and has all the helpful filters you could need to narrow down your search. You can even reply to job posts from the app, though it does open your email client to send the message.

CamCard snaps photos of business cards and creates new contacts.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff)

CamCard
Throughout your job hunt, you're bound to encounter a lot of business cards. If you're anything like me, you don't want to worry about losing those tiny pieces of paper, but manually entering each new contact into your phone sounds less enticing than a root canal. CamCard is one of many business card readers in the app store, and, in my opinion, one of the easiest to use.
Just snap a picture of any business card, and the app does its best to grab the information and sort it into the correct categories, such as work phone and email. It's not always completely accurate, especially when capturing cards with fancy fonts, but it works remarkably well overall. Once it grabs all the information, you can edit anything that doesn't look right and save the contact in the app. CamCard stores the original card photo with the text contact, which you can export to your phone's People app at any time.

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How to add Xperia™ device support for the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller in your Android™ game

A wide range of Xperia™ devices support the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller, bringing a console-like experience to PlayStation® Mobile games. You can also deliver the same functionality to Android™ games.  Read on to learn how to optimise your games for the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller for Android games – you’ll also find guidelines and recommendations, along with the key code mappings for the supported devices.

Develop & optimise your game for the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller for Android games
The DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller provides an intuitive game play experience with gaming buttons and controls. Inputs include:

• Left and right joysticks.
• Directional buttons.
• Digital buttons: triangle, circle, cross, square, L1, R1, L2, R2, Start, Select.

By adding support for the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller in your Android game, you’re adding a number of benefits for the end user:

• An input experience that is more familiar to gamers.
• Freeing up viewing space by removing onscreen controls.
• Allowing the games to be controlled wirelessly and be displayed and played on larger screens.

If you’ve already designed your game with generic controller support, such as for a virtual game pad, it’ll be easy to add support for the DUALSHOCK™ 3 wireless controller. You just need to:

1. Design and convert your existing game interactions to map to the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller, keeping in mind the tips mentioned below, and using DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller keycode mapping table as a reference.
2. Implement your controller design (see keycode mapping table below) and fine-tune the controls to make sure that it “feels right”, to give users the best controller experience possible.

DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller (top view).

Tips when adding DUALSHOCK™ 3 wireless controller support
When incorporating DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller support into your development, you need to follow and keep the following tips in mind:

Tips to keep in mind	Notes
A game should be fully playable using only touch screen controls.	Most devices only have a touch screen as an input controller.
Hardware buttons should be used consistently throughout a game.	Users should be allowed to configure the control settings.
In any menu, except for the main menu, the CIRCLE button should take the user back to the previous menu. In the main menu, the CIRCLE button should prompt the user with the option to exit out of the game.	In North America and Europe, the CIRCLE button is used as cancel. In Asia, the CIRCLE button is used as confirm.
In any menu, the X button should be used as the confirmation button.	In North America and Europe, the X button is used as confirm. In Asia, the X button is used as cancel.
On screen buttons should not appear when the user is using the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller.	There should be an option in the options menu to turn the on screen controls off or on.

Implementing the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller buttons and joysticks
The DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller support can be implemented using standard Android APIs. You’ll also need to know the key code mappings when you’re adding support for the DUALSHOCK™ 3 wireless controller in your game. Any key press on the device is described by a sequence of key events. Each key event is generally accompanied by the keycode getKeyCode() and getScanCode().

Use the table below for the keycode and scancode mappings for Xperia™ devices.
Key code mappings for all Xperia™ devices that support the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller.

Button	Keycode	Scancode
Up	KEYCODE_DPAD_UP	0×124
Down	KEYCODE_DPAD_DOWN	0×126
Left	KEYCODE_DPAD_LEFT	0×127
Right	KEYCODE_DPAD_RIGHT	0×125
Circle: ○ button	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_Y	0x12d
Cross: × button	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_X	0x12e
Triangle: △ button	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_B	0x12c
Square: □ button	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_A	0x12f
L1	KEYCODE_DPAD_L1	0x12a
R1	KEYCODE_DPAD_R1	0x12b
L2	KEYCODE_DPAD_L2	0×0128
R2	KEYCODE_DPAD_R2	0×0129
L3	KEYCODE_DPAD_THUMBL	0×0121
R3	KEYCODE_DPAD_THUMBR	0×0122
SELECT	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_SELECT	0×0120
START	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_START	0×0123
PS	KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_1	0x2d0

The following code snippet shows how buttons are detected from a DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller.

public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event)

{

switch(keyCode)

{

case KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_X:

// CROSS button pressed

break;

case KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DPAD_BUTTON_Y:

// CIRCLE button pressed

break;

...

}

return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);

}

The left and right analog sticks on the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller returns keycodes (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT for each direction) and can be used as joysticks. Each joystick has two axes (one for vertical and one for horizontal) and the range value can be obtained by calling the getMotionRange(int).  Please keep in mind joystick implementation usually takes more effort and iterations to make the control “feel right”.
For more information and references on the Android gamepad APIs, refer to the InputDevice and MotionRange topics on the Android Developer website.  You can also check out this Android and game controller video from the Android Developers for more tips on how to make your game controller compatible on Android.

How to setup the DUALSHOCK™ 3 wireless controller on your device
Currently, a number of Sony devices offer a setting that will allow you to connect a DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller via Bluetooth™ to play games wirelessly, and the initial setup of the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller is quite easy.
The following Sony smartphones and tablets support the DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller:

• Sony Tablet S
• Sony Xperia SP (C5302/C5303/C5306)
• Sony Xperia Z* (C6602/C6603)
• Sony Xperia Z1 (C6902/L39h/C6903/C6906/C6943)
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra (C6806/C6833)
• Sony Xperia ZL* (C6502/C6503)
• Sony Xperia Tablet S
• Sony Xperia Tablet Z (SO-03E/SGP311/SGP312/SGP321/SGP331)

*DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller can be used when the software is updated to Android 4.2.

DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller setup menu on an Xperia™ tablet.

In the settings menu of the supported devices, there is an option for “DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller”. In addition to the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller and USB cable, the only other extra item you’ll need to setup your DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller is a USB on the go adapter. Once the DUALSHOCK™3 wireless controller is connected, it can be used to navigate through menus to select, start and play games.

PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SIXAXIS is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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GTA V PC torrent scam hits thousands

Thousands of hopeful GTA fans have been infected by a virus scam masquerading as the PC version of Rockstar's GTA V.

(Credit: WCCF Tech)

Rockstar hasn't yet announced a PC version of the overwhelmingly popular GTA V, and fans are desperate for it. A massive number of people — over 614,000 — have signed a Change.org petition to port the game, which smashed through seven world records in its opening weekend, to PC, and industry sources have hinted at a PC version coming in early 2014.
But when you want what you want when you want it, sometimes common sense flies right out the window. Thousands of hopeful PC gamers have downloaded a legitimate-seeming torrent file claiming to be GTA V, only to find their machines infested with malware, WCCF Tech has reported.
The file looks legit, appearing near the top of Google search results, and nearly 7000 users connected; however, appearing as a setup.exe file, the first clue that something could be awry is the file size 18.3GB, compared to 7.7GB for the Xbox 360 version.
When users go to install the game, they're asked to complete surveys that ask for personal information in return for a .txt file containing a key. At this point, though, 18GB worth of malware has already been let loose on the user's PC.
Of course, this isn't the only GTA V PC torrent scam out there — a quick web search reveals several results. Your best bet is, of course, not to download anything that doesn't come from Rockstar or its authorised resellers, especially before the developer has even announced a PC version of the game.

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PlayStation 4 mobile app to launch for PS Vita owners

The app will allow PS Vita owners to use their device as a second screen for the upcoming PlayStation 4.

Sony's PS Vita.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

 

PS Vita users who plan to buy a PlayStation 4 will soon have a "second screen" app at their fingertips.
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment, was recently asked on Twitter whether the Vita would get a version of the PlayStation4 app due out in November for iOS and Android users.
In response, Yoshida promised that Sony would add the app, dubbed PS4 Link, to the Vita with the next update.
Assuming PS Link acts as a full companion app for the PS4, it would allow PS Vita owners to use their device as a second screen, mimicking or expanding the gameplay from the console. It would also let users hop onto the Sony PlayStation network where they can watch what others are playing, accept invitations to join in, and download games directly to the PS4.
The PlayStation 4 is slated to launch November 15 in North America.

(Via PlayStation Magazine)

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Nvidia's Gamestream initiative to bring PC titles to the big screen

Piggybacking off the streaming feature of the Shield, Nvidia lays out its bid for living room gaming by combining its PC chips with its Android handheld.

(Credit: Nvidia) 

 

In the world of PC gaming, nearly everyone is gunning for the living room and the big screen. On the heels of Valve Software's Steam OS and Steam Machine announcements last month, Nvidia has now outlined its plans for bringing PC titles to televisions, branding it Gamestream and combining the performance of its GPUs with its handheld Shield device.
The announcement was made Friday at Nvidia's The Way It's Meant to be Played event in Montreal, where CEO Jen-Hsun Huang outlined his vision for the Nvidia ecosystem.
The effort is the official version of what the company was exploring with the Shield's streaming functionality. That was previously a beta program that introduced the use of the flip-screen handheld's wireless functionality and the company's line of GeForce GPUs to allow for low-latency streaming of console-grade titles from one's PC.
Gamestream is very much the same idea, though now with an official title and a release date slated for October 28. Simply put, GameStream will allow any PC with a GeForce GTX graphics card to send over titles to a living room television by way of the Shield's Wi-Fi, achieved through plugging in the handheld into any monitor with an HDMI-in.
The Shield can also be paired with Nyko PlayPad Pro Bluetooth controller for what Nvidia is calling Shield console mode.
Gamestream will support more than 50 PC games at launch, including highly anticipated releases like Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and will also sync with Nvidia's GRID cloud service.

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Slim Nokia Lumia 1520 has 6-inch HD screen, 20MP camera, quad-core (hands-on)

Bigger isn't always better, but it is in the case of Nokia's 6-inch Lumia 1520, which Nokia unveiled on Tuesday at Nokia World in Abu Dhabi. Slimmer and lighter than you'd expect of a supersize handset , the 1520 brings the goods: a 1080p HD display, a 20-megapixel camera, and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.
In fact, the 1520 -- along with its more scaled-back cohort, the Lumia 1320 -- represents a couple of firsts: Nokia and Microsoft's first phablets, and the first devices to ship with Microsoft's updated Windows Phone OS, which includes a new three-column interface for extra-large phones and a few extra tidbits. The 1520 is also the first handset for both Nokia and Windows Phone to embrace a quad-core CPU.
We got to go hands-on with the surprisingly sleek device, and here's what we found.

Design and build
The first thing you notice when laying eyes and hands on the 1520 colossus is that it's a lot lighter, slimmer, and sexier than many a phablet. Nokia clearly worked hard to keep the 1520's depth a svelte 8.6 millimeters (0.3 inch), which safely steers it clear of past criticism of the chunkiness of the company's smartphone line (like the Lumia 920, and 820 series, for instance).

As you turn the sharp-cornered rectangle around, you'll also see that Nokia extended its mindfulness about keeping the phone design trim and lean to the camera. Though it's a 20-megapixel camera, the mount only protrudes a bit from the back, surrounded by a sloped-up lip. The whole thing is about the size of a quarter. Nokia switches out the Xenon flash of its Lumia 1020 camera workhorse for a dual LED flash here, partially in an effort to watch the 1520's waistline.
The 1520 -- which comes in glossy red, matte black, matte white, and yellow colors (I saw it in red and black) -- handles well for its size. Proportionally, it feels tall rather than squat, though the device is still far too massive for my hands and I had to stretch my fingers uncomfortably to try to perform some tasks one-handed. Of course, my hands are on the smaller side, and size is a matter of personal preference anyhow.
Unlike some other phones of this size, the Lumia 1520 has no software provisions for one-handed operation. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; I'm not convinced that those modifications work so well anyhow. On the other hand, the touch-sensitive targets are larger, so you'll have a good chance of hitting what you want anyhow.
Not to drum it home, but the size really can't be ignored, especially for those who are on the fence about investing in a smartphone this big. I will say that it stuck out halfway from my back pocket, and even more from the front pocket. It did, however, fit better in the front or back pocket of a man's loose slacks, and I could see it sliding into the internal pocket of a blazer. Likewise, there's plenty of room for a 1520 in a satchel or purse.

Most of the phone's chassis is taken up by its 6-inch 1080p HD LCD screen, which made the Windows Phone start screen pop. Nokia always wins my appreciation for its work on ratcheting down screen reflectance with a polarizing filter called ClearBlack Display. Not only is it intended to cut down reading glare in direct sunlight, it also helps keep light bounceback in check indoors.
Looking over at the left spine of the phone's polycarbonate unibody frame, and you'll notice not one closed door, but two. Above the SIM card door is one for a microSD card, which lets you expand the 32GB internal storage with even more space. This slot, which you open with a tool that comes in the box (or a paper clip or earring back in a pinch), puts the 1520 on par in terms of storage with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One Max.
You'll also find the headset jack along its rim, in addition to the Micro-USB charging port, and power/lock, volume, and camera shutter buttons. Nokia proudly points out that the 1520 houses four microphones, one for the top and bottom of each side, to control noise if you do happen to hold the alarmingly large handset to your ear.
OS and features
Along with the 1320, the Lumia 1520 is the first to ship Microsoft's slightly updated OS, imaginatively called Windows Phone 8 Update 3. The main thing you need to know is that this tweak introduces a three-column view for device screens measuring 6 inches and above.
This layout looks natural on the 1520, not toylike as it could have looked if Microsoft had just opted to increase the size of its already large live tiles. The three-column view has the bonus of bringing more icons to the screen, which means less scrolling for you, especially if you make use of the smallest tiles. You'll also find that more e-mails and photos fill the screen, another fringe benefit of upsizing.
Nokia says that Flipboard will ship with this device, a first for Windows Phone after months of waiting. I didn't get a chance to see that in my demo, but I did see Nokia's new Storyteller app, which mashes up your photo gallery with geotagging to create a timeline of your happenings that you can follow along on a map.
The interface looked clean, and I love the idea of Nokia software intelligently using metadata to cluster together photos by theme (yes, you can edit them if the groupings are wrong). Nokia pitches the app as a more comprehensive way to tell family and friends about recent trips, especially since the app uses Nokia's Here mapping software to pull in nearby businesses and landmarks.

Nokia's 6-inch Lumia superphone uses Windows Phone's new three-column interface for extra-large devices.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle)

 

At these early demo stages, it just isn't clear if Storyteller is a pretty but minimally useful addition, or a feature that people will learn to use. Folks who prefer a spatial reference to locations (like my dad, who endearingly interrupts stories to ask for cross streets), are likely to get the most excited.
Back on the hardware end of things, there's NFC onboard, and Qi wireless charging makes its return.

Cameras and video
Nokia's deep investment in outrageous optics continues in the Lumia 1520. Like other Nokia phones, the 1520 uses Carl Zeiss Optics and the PureView technology that Nokia is associating with its brand. There are ball bearings for optical image stabilization, and a dual-LED flash, a departure from the xenon flash found in both Verizon's Lumia 928 and in the Lumia 1020.
You'll also find a BSI sensor and a 2.4 aperture, 16:9 default aspect ratio, and 26mm focal length.
In addition to hardware, the 1520's camera app has roughly the same Nokia Pro cam app we saw in the Lumia 1020, down to the onscreen controls you can tap to futz with exposure ratings, and so on. The 1520's version also bundles in a shortcut to the Nokia Smart Cam app, which was previously a lens of its own. Now, you tap an onscreen button to get at those tools, which includes "Best face" for group photos and some action modes.
Nokia also introduces a separate lens (read: camera app) called Refocus, which works like the Lytro camera to shift focus after you take a shot.
These additions certainly boost the camera's capabilities, but Nokia hasn't made fixes that would answer most of my UI critiques, like clarifying some confusing icons and adding an onscreen control to quickly toggle between the front and back cameras. Note, too, that the default camera app isn't the native Windows Phone camera, so if you'd prefer to use that one, you'll need to switch.
There wasn't much of a chance to really examine image quality, but Nokia has typically been able to produce strong images, especially in low-light conditions. The 1520 won't do the incredible lossless cropping you got with the 1020's 41-megapixel shooter, but cropping in should still yield some detail-rich results. We'll have a deeper look at the camera apps and image quality coming up as soon as we get more time with the phone.

Quad-core power and other hardware
This Lumia is a quad-core first for Windows Phone and Nokia both. In this case, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chipset runs the show. It's certainly among the fastest CPUs CNET has tested on other smartphones, so performance should also be a high point here.
LTE readiness is another capability, even if the faster 4G isn't used in every region worldwide. You'll get 32GB internal storage in the 1520, which is the same you'll see in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and at least one version of HTC's One Max. In addition, you do have that microSD card slot capable of taking 64GB storage, along with 2GB RAM.

Nokia's aftermarket cover folds in on itself to turn into a rather flimsy stand.

(Credit: Nokia)

 

Battery capacity is a respectable 3,400mAh, which should keep the 1520 going for at least a full workday without requiring a charge. Depending on how you use it, you'll drain resources faster doing things like streaming photos and video.

Pricing and availability
With top-notch specs across the board, the Lumia 1520 is sold as a premium device. It'll cost $750 unsubsidized. For reference, this is identical in price to the unsubsidized 32GB iPhone 5S, $30-$50 more than the unsubsidized Note 3 (which also incorporates a stylus and writing software), about $100 more than the Samsung Galaxy S4, and $150 higher than the full-price Lumia 1020 at AT&T. The subsidized prices should break down to about $250 on-contract.
AT&T was the first out of the gate to announce carrier support for the 1520, but there's no word yet on pricing or colors. Look for additional carrier announcements to come to mature markets like the US and parts of Europe, among others. It's likely we'll see the 1520 land in time for the holiday push.

How the Lumia 1520 stacks up
Nokia came to compete in the extra-large smartphone space, and that it does, bringing top-notch specs and attractive hardware to an increasingly crowded field.
Compared with other Nokia phones, the supersize 1520 is a whopper, but it's also thin enough to suggest that Nokia can kiss its thick-Lumia image goodbye. Taken together, top-tier screen, processor, and camera specs make the 1520 the most advanced Windows Phone device there is, although its massive form won't appeal to everyone. It'll also be Nokia's most expensive handset.
When weighed against other phablet designs, the 1520 fits right in. Phones are trending big -- really big -- so it's good for Nokia to throw its own hat into the ring. The Lumia 1520 costs about the same as other premium phablets and brings specs that match, so performance should be roughly equivalent. (Due to its high price, the 1520 isn't meant to compete on the same scale as the $350 Lumia 1320 (also 6 inches), or even the $600 unsubsidized Samsung Galaxy Mega, both of which are positioned as midrange phablets.)
The real question mark hanging over it is if it can survive the rising Android tide. Windows Phone still falls behind Android in adoption and capabilities. While it's unlikely that the 1520 will win new customers away from Android, Nokia won't lose current OS fans and new smartphone users who yearn for that near-tablet size.

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