Category Archives: News

Barnes & Noble sizes up the competition with Nook HD+ and Nook HD tablets

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Like clockwork Barnes and Noble has outed new slates to compete head-to-head with Kindle’s new Fire tablets. There’s two of ’em, a 9-inch and a 7-inch, and they take aesthetic tips from their predecessors Nook Tablet and Nook Color, so let’s dive right in.

The 9-inch Nook HD+ boasts a full HD display (1920 x 1280 resolution, 256 pixels per inch) and it’s powered by a 1.5GHz OMAP4470 dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. It’s lightweight at 515 grams and promises up to 10 hours of reading and 9 hours of video playback. As far as ports go there’s a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, one HDMI-compatible port, microSD, and a charging port. WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth are built-in. It comes in a black “slate” color in 16GB ($269) and 32GB ($299) storage variants. The HD+ is up for preorder today and goes on sale in November.

The 7-inch Nook HD packs a 720p display (1440 x 900 resolution, 243 pixels per inch) and it’s powered by a 1.3GHz OMAP 4470 dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. It’s even lighter than it’s more powerful sibling at 315 grams and its battery promises nearly the same life expectancy. The ports, expanded memory, and wireless connectivity remain the same. It comes in not one but two colors–black “smoke” and white “snow.” The 16GB models will sell for $199 and the 32GB models will go for $199 when the HD releases this November. Like the HD+, it’s available for preorder today.

So if you’re in the market for a new device that delivers reading experiences (books, magazines, newspapers), video and music playback, and apps, the competition (read: Google, Amazon, Apple) just heated up.

[Via B&N]

Nintendo announces 23 games launching with Wii U on November 18

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A couple weeks back Nintendo revealed some juicy information pertaining to the Wii U including pricing, availability, and games. The house that built Mario announced that over 50 games will release over the course of a specified launch window that runs from November 18 (launch day) to March 31, 2013. Thanks to a newly minted press release (in full after the break), we now have a better idea of what games specifically will be sold alongside the console on launch day. A total of 23 titles–including New Super Mario Bros. U, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin’s Creed III, ZombiU, and EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 13–will be available day and date with the system.

Says Nintendo of America’s Reggie Fils-Aime: “We’re making sure that Wii U owners will have great games to play from the moment they open the box, and that a steady stream of fun new games is always on the way. We have something for everyone, from new franchises to creative new approaches to familiar favorites.”

Jump after the break to see the full list of launch window titles; the ones marked with “Nov. 18” come out the same day as the Wii U.

[Via Nintendo] Continue reading Nintendo announces 23 games launching with Wii U on November 18 →

Apple sells over 5 million iPhone 5s during launch weekend

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To say Apple’s latest iPhone is popular is a huge understatement. In a press release outed on Monday, Apple reported that over five million iPhone 5s were sold in three days over the course of the device’s launch weekend (Friday, September 21 to Sunday the 23rd). Two million of them were preordered in the first 24 hours. In addition, Apple shares that over 100 million devices have been updated to iOS 6 since its September 19 debut.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

To restate what Cook said in his obligatory quote, the press release admits: “Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.”

Today the iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore,and the UK. On September 28 it goes on sale in 22 more countries and by the end of the year it will be sold in over 100 countries. This is only the beginning for the smartphone to beat. Jump after the break for the full PR.

[Via Apple 1, 2] Continue reading Apple sells over 5 million iPhone 5s during launch weekend →

2012 Emmys results: ‘Modern Family’ & ‘Homeland’ big winners

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On Sunday night, Modern Family and Homeland scored big wins at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. The ABC comedy was awarded a total of four Emmys: Eric Stonestreet for Outstanding Supporting Actor; Julie Bowen for Outstanding Supporting Actress; Steven Levitan for Outstanding Director; and the show was named Outstanding Comedy. Elsewhere in comedy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) managed to beat Amy Poehler for Outstanding Actress; Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) rock his category to surpass Jim Parsons, Louis C.K., Larry David, and Alec Baldwin to win Outstanding Actor. Speaking of Louie, the comedian took home two Emmys–one for Outstanding Writing for the Louie episode “Pregnant” and another writing achievement for his standup special Live at the Beacon Theatre.

The Showtime political drama Homeland was awarded five Emmys: Claire Danes for Outstanding Actress; Damian Lewis for Outstanding Actor; Outstanding Writing for the “Pilot” epiosde by Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, and Gideon Raff; at the Creative Emmys the show picked up Best Casting; and lastly it broke Mad Men‘s impressive streak and won Outstanding Drama. Elsewhere in drama, Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) was crowned Outstanding Supporting Actress; Aaron Paul triumphed over his Breaking Bad co-star Giancarlo Esposito to win Outstanding Supporting Actor; and Tim Van Patten nabbed Outstanding Director for his work on Boardwalk Empire.

Other notable wins… the HBO movie Game Change swept the Miniseries/Movie category with five wins including Outstanding Actress (Julianne Moore), Outstanding Writing (Danny Strong), Outstanding Directing (Jay Roach), Best Casting, and it took home Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. The highly rated History channel miniseries Hatfields and McCoys won two Emmys and Jessica Lange nabbed Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role in FX’s American Horror Story. And like clockwork Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart won Outstanding Variety Series for the tenth year in a row.

Jump after the break to see all the night’s winners. Continue reading 2012 Emmys results: ‘Modern Family’ & ‘Homeland’ big winners →

James Gunn confirms his involvement in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

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Marvel’s second phase of film offerings includes mostly sequels to already established franchises like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Two of them–namely Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy–have the potential to become franchises of their own. On Tuesday director James Gunn (Slither, Super) confirmed speculation by announcing via Facebook he will in fact helm the adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy:

For a month or so there’s been a lot of Internet speculation about my involvement with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Until now I haven’t said anything, because I’m trying to be less expulsive about this project than I am about the rest of my life. But last night I got the go-ahead from Kevin Feige to let you all know that, yes, indeed, I am rewriting and directing Guardians of the Galaxy. As a lifelong lover of Marvel comics, space epics, AND raccoons, this is the movie I’ve been waiting to make since I was nine years old. Kevin, Joss, and all the folks at Marvel have been amazing collaborators so far, and we’re committed to bringing you something majestic, beautiful, and unique. I am incredibly excited. I am also incredibly grateful to the fans and the press for all their words of encouragement and support regarding my involvement with this project since the news first leaked. Thanks – you have, honestly, touched and overwhelmed me. And that’s it for now. Other than the occasional photos of my dog and cat here on Facebook, I’ll talk to you again in August 2014 when Guardians is released!

Concept art for the flick includes a superhero team made up of Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. Yes, a gun-wielding raccoon is involved. And with Gunn directing, things are about to get wild, wacky, and extremely radical. Hear what Avengers helmer Joss Whedon has to say about Gunn’s involvement in a video interview posted after the break. Continue reading James Gunn confirms his involvement in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ →

HTC shows off Windows Phone 8 offerings 8X & 8S

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Following Nokia’s Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, HTC unveiled their Windows Phone 8 flagship device, Windows Phone 8X and a budget-friendly mid-range model, Windows Phone 8S.

The 8X sports a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720) Super LCD 2 display with Gorilla Glass 2 protection with a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB RAM, 16GB of storage, a rear-facing 8 megapixel camera featuring a CMOS sensor with backside illumination, an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens, and a dedicated imaging chip, and a front-facing 2.1 megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture and 88 degree ultra-wide angle. Both cameras can shoot 1080p video. NFC, Beats Audio, a 1,800mAh Li-ion battery, and LTE support are built-in. The 8X will come in a variety of colors including California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red, and Limelight Yellow when it ships this November. AT&T and T-Mobile have confirmed they will carry HTC’s flagship WP8 device at that time.

And then there’s the mid-ranger, the 8S. This model packs a 4-inch WVGA LCD screen with Gorilla Glass, a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage with microSD expandability, and there’s a 5 megapixel camera ’round back with support for 720p video recording but you won’t find a front-facing shooter here. A slightly less powerful 1,700 mAh battery gives the thing juice. The 8S will also ship this November in following hues: Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue, and High-Rise Gray.

When release dates, pricing, and exact carrier support become apparent, you will be notified. Over and out.

 

[Via Engadget 1, 2, 3]

Sony outs redesigned PlayStation 3, and other announcements from TGS 2012

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At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced a new smaller and lighter PlayStation 3. This marks the second time the PS3 has gone under the knife since its debut in 2006. Here are the most significant changes, according to the PlayStation maker:

Thanks to a complete redesign of the internal architecture, the volume and weight of the new PS3 has been reduced by more than half compared to the very first PS3 model with a 60GB HDD, and by 20% and 25% respectively compared to the current PS3. By adopting a sliding disk cover, the new PS3 continues with the characteristic sleek curved body design, which fits various places in the home and enables users to enjoy an array of entertainment content.

Starting September 25, Sony will sell the newly redesigned PS3 in a $269.99 bundle that includes a 250GB HDD, a copy of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception: Game of the Year Edition, and a voucher to download bonus content for the game DUST 514. About a month later on October 30, a 500GB varient will release and come bundled with Assassin’s Creed III; pricing is still TBD. A white version and one with 16GB Flash storage were also unveiled, but these are exclusive to Japan for now. Browse the gallery below for a closer look at the even slimmer PS3.

Also announced at TGS is that PlayStation Plus is coming to the PS Vita. If you’re already a member of Plus on the PS3, there will be no entry fee to port your status to the portable. If you’re a new subscribers you’ll be able to choose from two options: $18 for 90 days or $50 for one year. Plus features for Vita include an Instant Game Collection, discounts for games and DLC, online game storage, automatic updates and trophy sync. Plus for Vita launches this November.

Lastly, Sony announced that PlayStation Mobile is coming to smartphones and tablets on October 3. PSM promises to bring “PlayStation-like” game experiences to PlayStation-Certified devices. Said devices will come from partners like HTC, Fujitsu, Sharp, and of course Sony.

And in related PS news, the augmented reality experience known as Wonderbook will ship November 13. For $79 you get the hardcover Wonderbook that’s filled with AR codes, a PlayStation Eye camera and a Move controller, and the Wonderbook launch title featuring source material from J.K. Rowling Book of Spells. This bundle is all that’ll be available this year, but Sony says to look forward to next year when new Wonderbook titles Diggs: Nightcrawler, BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs, and others from Disney will come out to play.

[Via PS Blog 1, 2, 3, 4]

‘Bates Motel’ finds its Norman Bates

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A&E’s upcoming Psycho prequel series from Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) has just found its Norman Bates. Twenty-year-old Englishman Freddy Highmore, who you should remember from films such as Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush, and The Spiderwick Chronicles, has been cast as the famous series killer invented by Alfred Hitchcock. Cuse celebrated the news in a tweet: “I am so delighted that Freddie Highmore will play our young Norman Bates. He is a wonderfully gifted actor and a great guy.”

In other casting news, actor Max Thieriot (Jumper) has landed the role of Norman’s brother Dylan. In another tweet Cuse shared, “Max Thieriot joins BATES MOTEL playing Norma’s OTHER son, Dylan. Max is a phenomenal, smart & magnetic actor. An amazing casting day.”

Bates Motel is described as “a contemporary exploration of the formative years of Norman Bates’ relationship with his mother, Norma [played by Vera Farmiga], and the world they inhabit. Viewers will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn firsthand how Norma helped forge the most famous serial killer of them all.”

It’s expected to premiere on A&E in October 2013.

[Via TV Guide; Twitter]

The Weeknd readies ‘Trilogy’ release, drops “Wicked Games” as lead single

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Twenty-two year old Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is about to take the industry by storm. If you haven’t heard of the R&B crooner, it’s about time you did. In 2011, Tesfaye released three critically acclaimed mixtapes consisting of nine tracks each through his own label XO. It didn’t take very long for rap superstar Drake to notice his talents; Drake is featured on the second mixtape in the song “The Zone” and Tesfaye would go on to take over Drake’s Take Care track “Crew Love.” After performing at this year’s Coachella, he started a US tour that goes into the fall when he will release Trilogy, an album that will combine all three previously released mixtapes–House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence–delicately mixed and remastered. It will also include three bonus tracks he’s currently producing in the studio today. His label XO has teamed with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records for the commercial release.

Fans of The Weeknd will all agree: choosing standout track “Wicked Games” from House of Balloons is the perfect single to promote Tesfaye’s Trilogy. You’ll notice striking and subtle differences in the remastered, radio-friendly version of the song. Listen to it below, and compare it to the original. Soon the single will be sold via iTunes, and when it hits the ‘Net I’ll amend the post. If you haven’t already, you can download the mixtapes for free right here.

The Weeknd started out as an undercover oddity whose actual identity was shrouded in mystery. With “Wicked Games” on the rise and Trilogy around the corner, Abel Tesfaye and his decadent themes and soothing, sophisticated style better be ready for the spotlight.

[Via PotholesInMyBlog; Billboard]

Nintendo announces Wii U pricing, availability & launch window titles, details Nintendo TVii service

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66 days. That’s when Nintendo’s next generation home console the Wii U releases. Calculating… the Wii U ships November 18, 2012. Consumers will have two SKUs to choose from: a $299.99 basic set and a $349.99 deluxe set. The basic set includes an 8GB Wii U console and GamePad splashed in white, one GamePad stylus, the sensor bar, an HDMI cable, and AC adapters for the console and controller. The deluxe set adds a Wii U console stand, a Gamepad cradle and stand, a deluxe digital promotion for redeemable points in the Nintendo eShop, and the Nintendo Land game. This slightly more expensive model also upgrades the internal storage to 32GB and switches the console and GamePad’s color to black. The console stand, GamePad stand and cradle will be sold separately, along with the Wii U Pro Controller. Nintendo has confirmed that they won’t be separately selling GamePads at launch since games don’t support two at once just yet.

More than 50 games will be available for Wii U adopters during a launch window that extends from launch day to March 31, 2013. In typical fashion, Nintendo has a Mario game in the mix along with the anticipated Pikmin 3 but you may be surprised to discover many high profile third party games coming to the Wii U as well including Call of Duty: Black Ops II from Activision, Assassin’s Creed III from Ubisoft, and Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition from Warner Bros. Jump after the break to view the full list of launch windows games.

In addition to announcing the Wii U’s pricing, availability, and games lineup this week, Nintendo also previewed a new service that takes advantage of the GamePad. It’s called Nintendo TVii and it serves as an interactive second screen experience playing on the way you “find, watch, and engage” entertainment content. It’s a free service that functions as a “personalized program guide,” collating TV shows, movies, and sports from services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, live TV, and your DVR (if it’s powered by TiVo). The user interface is straightforward; click Movies and you’ll be able to browse a collection of flicks provided by the streaming video companies you subscribe to. Click one and it will begin to play on your big screen TV. During the course of the movie, your GamePad is a second screen that provides additional information pertaining to the content that’s being played. While a TV show or movie is on, you can access social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Nintendo’s own MiiVerse to share and comment on what you’re watching and interact with your friends. The Sports section shows you scores from your favorite teams; tap a scoreboard for additional information related to that game and if it’s playing in your region you can hit play to watch it on your TV. Jump after the break to watch a video demonstration.

The Wii U is up for preorder today at GameStop. Get a closer look at the HD-capable console in the gallery below. PR after the break.

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[Via Nintendo] Continue reading Nintendo announces Wii U pricing, availability & launch window titles, details Nintendo TVii service →

Apple unveils iPhone 5, previews revamped iTunes & showcases new iPod family

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On Wednesday Apple unveiled the next-generation iPhone and it’s called the iPhone 5. They also used their stage time to discuss iTunes+iPod, showing off a redesigned iTunes Store for iOS, a simplified version of iTunes for desktop, and showcasing the next-generation iPod nano and touch. We begin with the top story…

iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 is a beautiful piece of hardware made entirely of glass and aluminum. It’s the thinnest and lightest iPhone to date, measuring at 7.6mm thin (that’s 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S) and weighing 112 grams (20% lighter than the 4S). Apple’s calling it “the world’s thinnest smartphone.” The screen has grown for the first time to 4-inches, boasting a Retina display with 326 pixels per inch and a resolution of 1136×640. The additional screen real estate allows for a fifth row of apps in the home screen, and all of Apple’s apps take advantage of it. Third party apps will see the letterbox effect, but developers can easily tweak their apps to also fill up the screen properly. The iPhone 5 also features 44% more color saturation than it’s predecessor and integrated touch sensors in the screen make it 30% thinner than before outputting a sharper image and less glare in sunlight.

The bigger screen is just the tip of the iceberg. The new iPhone packs ultrafast wireless with built-in GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, and, yes, LTE. In the U.S., LTE will be provided by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. A single chip does voice and data; also inside is a single radio chip and a dynamic antenna. 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi is there as well.

The newly designed-by-Apple A6 chip features a CPU that’s 2x faster than before, with 2x faster graphics as well. The chip itself is 22% smaller than the previous A5 processor. Apple managed to make battery life better, too. It goes like this: 8 hours of 3G talk time, 3G browsing, and LTE browsing; 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing and video playback; 40 hours of music playback; and 225 hours of standby time.

Both the back-facing iSight camera and the front-facing FaceTime camera have been upgraded. The iSight cam features an 8 megapixel sensor (3264×2448) with backside illumination, hybrid IR filter, five-element lens, and fast f/2.4 aperture. The 25% smaller design also boasts a dynamic low light mode, spatial noise reduction, a smart filter for improved color matching, better low-light performance, and faster photo capture (40% faster than the 4S). 1080p HD video recording is still here with improved video stabilization, face detection, and the ability to take photos while recording video. The back-facing camera can also take panoramic shots now thanks to a simple enhancement in the Camera app in iOS 6. Moving to the front side, the FaceTime camera takes 1.2 megapixel photos, shoots 720p HD video, and features backside illumination, face detection, and FaceTime over cellular (with Verizon and Sprint only).

Audio is better with three built-in microphones located in the front, back, and bottom of the phone. The improved speaker design is 20% smaller than before and features a five magnet transducer, a noise-canceling earpiece, and wideband audio for better phone call performance.

Say goodbye to the nearly decade old 30-pin dock connector. Apple announced the new Lightning connector that is found in the iPhone 5. It’s 80% smaller than its predecessor, it’s all-digital with an 8-signal design and adaptive interface with improved durability and get this–it’s reversible, meaning you can plug it into the bottom of your device face up or down. Apple will sell a 30-pin to Lightning adapter for those who own accessories like sound docks that were strictly designed with the 30-pin connector in mind.

Apple spent time detailing the next version of their mobile OS, and you can read all about iOS 6 right here. It brings Apple-designed Maps, the new app Passbook, and enhancements to Notification Center, Safari, Mail, Photos, and Siri (among over 250 new features) to the iPhone and its brethren. It’s available as a free upgrade to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, 3rd-gen iPad, iPad 2, and 4th-gen iPod touch owners on September 19.

Now it’s time to talk pricing and availability. The iPhone 5 features a two-tone exterior and will come in two hues: black/slate and white/silver. It’s priced exactly like the 4S was: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB). It’s available for preorder starting Friday, September 14 and ships one week later on September 21 in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. A week after that it releases in 20 more countries, and by December it will ship in 100 countries with 240 carriers around the world. In other news, the iPhone 4 (8GB) is free and the iPhone 4S (16GB) is dropping to $99 effective immediately.


Continue reading Apple unveils iPhone 5, previews revamped iTunes & showcases new iPod family →

G.O.O.D. Music’s ‘Cruel Summer’ up for preorder, see tracklist here

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Kanye West is cutting it close, but he’s just going to make it. His G.O.O.D. Music compilation album Cruel Summer is set to hit stores September 18, three days before the sweltering season comes to a close. Since the album is now available to preorder digitally at iTunes, the official tracklist is out in the open. You may be surprised to discover that ‘Ye reached out to artists outside his G.O.O.D. Music label to contribute to the album. Such guests include R. Kelly, The-Dream, and Ma$e. A total of 12 tracks make up Cruel Summer, and five of them we’ve already heard: Mercy, Cold, I Don’t Like, New God Flow, and Clique. Disappointing? Perhaps. Even more so is that Kid Cudi is only featured on a single track (all by himself) and Mr. Hudson is no where to be seen.

Jump after the break to view the full tracklisting. The video embedded above features an animated rendition of the artistic tri-fold packaging. [Preorder a digital copy at iTunes / Preorder a physical copy at Amazon]

Continue reading G.O.O.D. Music’s ‘Cruel Summer’ up for preorder, see tracklist here →