feedburner
Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

feedburner count

Blizzcon 2009 Sparks New Battle.Net and Starcraft II Details

Labels: ,

By now, you know that StarCraft II is delayed until Q1 2010 and Blizzard will be launching Battle.net 2.0. The new Battle.net will feature "Real ID" which will prevent spam accounts and will "ensure better matchmaking." This means no more facing noobs to increase your record online - it's a sad day for those people. Starcraft II will have a feature called "Marketplace", but it won't be available at launch. When it does launch, players will be able to give away their maps for free or sell their maps for a small price. If you want to see a gallery of new Starcraft II photos, check out the links below.


Pardo believes that the new matchmaking system is more powerful than Microsoft's TrueSkill and when paired with Real ID, it should help players of all skill levels get into games that they have a chance to win. On this point, the ladder system has been improved to take player skill into account. After a player completes around 10 games, they will be placed into a skill tier. Within each skill tier, the player is matched up with 99 other players in 100 player divisions. The focus of the season is on competing with these 99 other players with tournaments taking place at the end of each season between division leaders.

[G4 TV, Kotaku]



First Flexible and Transparent Non-Organic LED Display

Labels:

Back at SID, Samsung showed off the world's largest bendable OLED display. Well, some scientists have just made flexible and transparent non-organic LED displays. This is pretty cool, but the technology is still young and difficult to make. You can take a look at both links below, Ars has a ton more information though.

[Ars Technica, Gizmodo]

Some Windows Mobile 7 Minimum Requirements Leak Out?

Labels: , , ,

Windows Mobile 7 is over a year away, according to what we heard two days ago, but something interesting popped up recently. Above is some of the minimum requirements of a WinMo 7 handset, which could mean that dumbphones could be a thing of the past - okay I lied. But, the WiFi 802.11 n chip minimum requirement is definitely welcomed. But, by next year, I'm sure it'll be normal for every phone to have this chip anyway.

[WMExperts]

Get Hands-On With the Zune HD This Weekend at Select Best Buys -- America Only

Labels: ,

If you're like me, you should be very interested in Microsoft's Zune HD. Apparently, this weekend will be a big weekend because the Zune HD will be at select Best Buy's this weekend. Keep in mind that it's not for you to buy though, but you will be able to test it out. I would be excited, if this included Canada, but it's a US thing only. Here's Nvidia's list of exactly which Best Buy's will be getting the Zune HD's - warning, it's a PDF.

[Maximum PC]

Snow Leopard to be Available Next Friday, August 28th!

Labels: , ,

According to the latest unconfirmed news, Snow Leopard will be available well in advance of Microsoft's Windows 7 OS. This is great news for Apple and Mac fans around the world because this will be a big upgrade. Actually, you can check it out on Apple's official website now. This shipping date should affect all Mac users; I hope you pre-ordered your copy already.

[9 to 5 Mac, TUAW, Gizmodo, Mac NN]

Nvidia Ion-Based Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Delayed Until Windows 7 Gets Released

Labels: , , , , , ,

The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 has been around for a while, but the Nvidia Ion-equipped one won't be available until Windows 7 comes out. This means that it has been delayed until late October or early November. The IdeaPad S12 with Nvidia's Ion chipset will be available for $549 USD.

[Liliputing, Gizmodo, Engadget]

Low-Cost Samsung S3650 Handset Launching in Europe In a Couple of Weeks

Labels: ,

Another touchscreen handset looks like it's ready to be released in Europe over the next couple of weeks. This here is the Samsung S3650 Corby handset and it has: a 2.8-inch touchscreen QVGA display, a 2MP camera, a microSD card slot, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP, an FM radio, and YouTube / MySpace / Facebook access. This handset recently passed the FCC, so it could be launching in North America as well. Check out the official FCC filing here.

[Unwired View]

DJ Hero Hitting the US on October 27th, Launching Worldwide in Late October

Labels: , , ,

At GamesCom this year, Activision has mentioned that DJ Hero will be available in the US starting on October 27th. The rest of the world will get it in late October as well, so that'll be after October 27th - I guess. DJ Hero will have 93 mixes and 100 different tracks for you to play. We don't know the cheapest price DJ Hero will come in, but there is a rumoured $120 USD bundle coming. A Renegade Edition will reportedly be available for $200 USD though.

[Joystiq]

HTC Click Official, Hands-On Video With Mutant

Labels: , , ,

Below is the first hands-on footage of the HTC Click that we have ever seen. Clearly, it has the old HTC-looking style to it. In the video, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, GSM connectivity, and, of course, the Donut build of Android. I don't mean to be mean, but you may notice that the guy in the video has six fingers. Check out the video below.



[Phandroid, Gizmodo]

Silver Asus Eee PC 1005HA Launching in Japan Next Month

Labels: , , , , , , ,

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA is a netbook that launched in black, white, blue, and pink. Just in case you don't like any of these colours, I should inform you that a silver colour will be launching in Japan next month. The best part is that it is trading the plastic with a metal lid. You can head over to Kakaku to check out the silver model. It is going to launch for ¥47,700 yen ($509 USD), but we don't know if the US will get their hands on this netbook colour.

[Liliputing]

Lower-End Lenovo O1e OPhone to Sport 3MP Camera

Labels: , ,

The original Lenovo O1 OPhone hasn't even launched yet, but there has been a recent filing for a lower-end Lenovo O1e OPhone. The O1e looks like it will have an all-plastic body, 8GB of internal storage, and a 3MP camera. In case you forgot, the O1 OPhone has a 5MP camera. We still don't know exactly when the O1 OPhone will launch, but it'll be available sometime next month. The O1e OPhone could launch at the same time, but we don't know for sure.

[Engadget Mobile]

Telus to Launch BlackBerry Storm 2 on September 15th

Labels: , , , ,

Apparently, that Telus event set to take place on September 15th could be the launch of the BlackBerry Storm 2. As of right now, it's of course unconfirmed, but it'll definitely be something to look forward. It might not be the Storm 2 since Telus specifically stated that they are going to release something unexpected.

[Slash Gear]

Asus Launching Nvidia Ion-Based Nettop, Eee Top All-In-One PC and Eee Keyboard PC This Fall

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Asus has just mentioned that they are looking to launch three new products this Fall. This includes the Nvidia Ion-based Eee Box nettop, the Eee Top all-in-one PC ET2002T, and the long-awaited Eee keyboard PC. The details on the nettop are still unknown at the time, but it should launch for around $300 USD, so we should probably find an Intel Atom CPU inside. The 20-inch Eee Top PC will be launching for around $670 and the Eee keyboard PC will launch for somewhere between $400 and $500.

[Maximum PC]

Blue Samsung N120 Netbook Now Available

Labels: , ,

So, you haven't got the Samsung N120 netbook yet because you were waiting for more colours? Well, today's your lucky day because the Samsung N120 netbook now comes in blue, as well as the traditional black and white colours. Check it out on Samsung's website.

[Netbooked]

S60-Based Samsung M8000 Handset Spotted, But Might Not Get Launched

Labels: , , ,

The cousin of Samsung's S8000 Jet and I8000 Omnia II has just popped up; this appears to be the Samsung M8000 S60 touchscreen handset. This handset appears to have: a 16:9 touchscreen display with a 640 x 360 resolution, a 3.15MP camera, and HSDPA connectivity. Thankfully, it could also come with the 800MHz CPU that is found in the S8000 Jet. Unfortunately, this handset actually may never launch.

[Unwired View, Cell Passion]

Amazon Says They're Facing PS3 Shortages, Sony Says NEVAARR

Labels: , , , ,

If you don't already know, Amazon is taking pre-orders for the $299 120GB Sony PS3 Slim. In the US, they have a one system limit per person, but in Europe they're being a bit more generous with their five systems per person policy. Amazon has mentioned that this is because their supply is already starting to run low for these new PS3 Slims. Sony, on the other hand, has gone out to counter-attack their claims. They've mentioned that there is no shortage and that they have "trucks and trailers" full of these new systems. I don't think trucks and trailers will help the overwhelming demand, since that's not enough Sony!

[Engadget]

Palm Pre Has "Unprecendented Demand" Says Bell; Bell Launches New Pre Ad

Labels: , , , ,

Bell is launching the Palm Pre in under six days, just in case you didn't know. Apparently, their website is now flooding with traffic, citing an "unprecedented demand" for the Palm Pre. If this is true, let's hope they don't have shortages as well.

Below is an ad for the Palm Pre that has just launched in Canada. Surprisingly enough, it mimics the Apple iPhone ads. Thankfully, the freaky / scary girl is gone. Take a look at it below.



[Mobile Syrup, Crunch Gear]

Nokia Taking Pre-Orders For the 5530 XpressMusic For $290; Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition Shipping in Q3

Labels: , , , , ,

Just like the title says, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is now available for pre-orders on their official US website here. The pre-orders are going for $289.99 USD, but we don't know when it will be shipping. If the rumours of Carphone Warehouse having a "six week exclusive" are correct then it should be available mid-September. That's definitely quite a lengthy wait time, so I hope you're patient. Keep in mind that it could arrive earlier.

Below is the Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition. You may notice it because it's just a variant of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and it has a silver chrome outline, which is identical to the Nokia XpressMusic that was in the retailer photo last week. On Nokia's official website, they have just stated that the 5800 Navigation Edition will be available in Q3 of this year for €285 ($405 USD).


The new phone is bundled with lifetime WALK navigation and voice-guided DRIVE licenses, and it also comes with the latest release of Ovi Maps (which includes high-res aerial images, weather service, terrain maps, and 3D landmarks for over 200 cities). The other features don’t differ from the ones of Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic: Phone Arena
Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition: Unwired View

Android-Based Samsung InstinctQ M900 Headed to UK on O2

Labels: , , , , , ,

Two days ago, the first pictures on the Sprint-bound Samsung InstinctQ M900 popped up. The latest word is that this Android-based handset is actually headed to UK via O2 soon. The specs of this handset hasn't been mentioned yet, so we're still looking into that. Fortunately, we do know that this handset has WiFi connectivity and, obviously, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

[Pocket-Lint]

AT&T to Launch White BlackBerry Bold?

Labels: , , , ,

According to CrackBerry, they snapped this photo on AT&T's official website. And, yes, this is new. The BlackBerry Bold listing on AT&T's site never had the model colour... until now. You may or may not remember, but last week I reported that the BlackBerry Bold could be coming in white, according to a York University professor. Well, if you put the pieces of the puzzle together, you may realize that AT&T could be releasing the white BlackBerry Bold.

Personally, the black one will probably look better, but I know people out there will definitely want to get a white variant as well. Keep in mind that this is all speculation right now.

[CrackBerry]

Social-Networking Samsung B3310 Being Released Next Month -- Official Specs

Labels: ,

Samsung has announced their latest QWERTY keyboard-packing and social networking handset. This handset has: a 2.1-inch display with a 176 x 220 resolution, a 2MP camera, Bluetooth 2.0 + A2DP, GPRS support, an FM radio, and a microSD card slot. Unfortunately, the B3310 doesn't have 3G support and it's also not available right now. This handset should be available mid-September, but the price hasn't been mentioned yet.

Update on August 24th: According to Unwired View, Samsung officially unveiled this handset in France. Samsung has also mentioned the full spec sheet, so that's: a 2-inch display with a 240 x 320 resolution, a 2MP camera with QVGA video recording, quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, an FM radio, 43MB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The pricing is still unknown.

[Phone Arena]

MSI Wind12 U200 Now Official, Still Not Available

Labels: , , ,

The MSI Wind12 U200 is now on MSI's official website. This notebook has: a 12.1-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, an Intel Core 2 Colo ULV 1.4GHz CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics, a 160GB / 250GB / 320GB HDD, WiFi, a card reader, optional Bluetooth, and a 3-cell battery. Unfortunately, the price and release date have not been officially announced yet.

[Electronista]

Acer Aspire 1410 Now Available For Pre-Orders on Amazon For $450

Labels: , , , , ,

Just over a week ago, the Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T was available for pre-orders in the US as the Aspire 1410 for $450 USD. Well, the same notebook is now available for pre-orders in the US on Amazon for $449 and Cost Central for $460.33.

In case you forgot, the Aspire 1410 notebook has: an 11.6-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, a 1.4GHz Intel ULV Core 2 Colo SU3500 CPU, integrated GMA4500MHD graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HDMI output, and a 6-cell battery.

[Slash Gear, Liliputing]

Nokia "Looking" to Enter Netbook Market, Probably Alongside Intel

Labels: , ,

Back in June (here and here), the rumour mill kept on spitting out that Nokia was planning a netbook for a Q3 release. Yesterday, Nokia confirmed that they are indeed "looking" to release a netbook in the future. They've cited that there is a "lot of opportunity" in the netbook field. They're probably looking to find a new way to make profits, since their mobile phone sales are plummeting. As of right now, we don't know anything about their netbook, but it'll probably have something to do with Intel. They recently announced their Alliance. This could mean an Atom CPU or Intel's Moblin OS... or both.

[Electronista]

Android-Based T-Mobile Pulse / Huawei U8220 Hitting Europe on T-Mobile, €257 Off-Contract

Labels: , , , , , ,

The T-Mobile Pulse just passed the FCC three days ago and now we're hearing that it will launch in Europe for €257 ($366 USD) off-contract. The T-Mobile Pulse is the Huawei U8220 and if you don't want to get it off-contract, you will be able to purchase it from T-Mobile Europe for an undisclosed price.

In case you forgot, here's a short breakdown of the specs: a 3.5-inch touchscreen display with a 320 x 480 resolution, a 3.2MP camera, a microSD card slot, HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps, and WiFi / GPS / Bluetooth support. This handset runs on Google's Android.

[Unwired View]

CDMA HTC Hero Passes FCC, Likely Headed to Sprint

Labels: , , , ,

We've seen unofficial confirmation of the HTC Hero headed to Sprint a couple of times (here and here), but this is as official as it gets. The last HTC Hero that hit the FCC had AT&T / Rogers bands, but this one is a CDMA model. This model is perfect for a Sprint hook-up. We've heard rumours of October 11th, but we don't know how stable that rumour will play out to be.

[Mobile Crunch]

Alltel Now Selling BlackBerry Tour For $199 on a 1-Year Contract

Labels: , , ,

The BlackBerry Tour has been around for a while, but maybe you're waiting for your favourite carrier to have it in their possession. Well, in case you have a secret love affair for Alltel, they are now selling the Tour for $199 on a 1-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. The cheapest plan costs $69.99 USD every month, so that could be a bit too expensive for you.

[Boy Genius]

Telus Now Selling Prepaid LG Masterpiece For $130

Labels: , ,

Two weeks ago, the LG Masterpiece hit Telus for $49.99 CAD on a 3-year contract. Well, another deal is available. You can now get this handset for $129.99 CAD pre-paid with a $20 activation credit. Interested? As usual you can head over to Telus' official website.

[Mobile Syrup]

PS3 Slim Available For Pre-Orders on GameStop For $299, Shipping on August 25th -- Amazon Too

Labels: , , , , ,

According to GameStop, the PS3 Slim costs $299.99 USD and it will be shipping on August 25th, 2009, which is a whole week ahead of schedule. We don't know if this is true, but it could be a mistake on GameStop's part. This listing has been up since yesterday, so it could be the real deal. Check it out and pre-order it here.

Update: According to Engadget, Amazon's PS3 Slim shipment is set for the same day as GameStop's. If you head over to Amazon's official website, the 120GB PS3 Slim is also available for $299 USD and it also says that it's shipping on August 25th.

[G4 TV]

T-Mobile Sidekick LX Gets Price Dropped to $175 in the US

Labels: , ,

The popular amongst the kids Sidekick LX is now only $175 on a 2-year contract in the US. It launched for $250, so this price drop is definitely welcomed. Social networking galore! Check it out here and here on T-Mobile's official website.

[Engadget Mobile]

AT&T Launching Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 and M20 This Year

Labels: , , , , ,

After many delays it looks like AT&T will be releasing Garmin-Asus' Nuvifone G60 and Nuvifone M20 handsets. These rumours actually line-up with what we've been hearing before, so it should be no surprise. The Nuvifone M20 did just hit Taiwan two days ago, so it's not like it's been around forever. As of right now, we don't have an exact release date for either handset, but we're going to go with Q4.

[Engadget Mobile]

ASRock ION 330 Nettop Now Available in the US -- Possibly Old News

Labels: , ,

Apparently, the ASRock ION 330 nettop is now on sale in the US and I'm pretty sure a lot of people didn't notice. It's actually a decent overall nettop. It has: an Intel Dual-Core Atom 1.6GHz N330 CPU, the Nvidia Ion chipset, 2GB of RAM, Ethernet, a 320GB HDD, six USB 2.0 ports, a VGA / HDMI / Optical S/PDIF port, standard audio ports, and a DVD-RW Super Multi drive.

You'll be able to pack 4GB of RAM into this sucker and you'll be able to play 1080p video, thanks to its Ion graphics. A Blu-ray model is expected to be available soon, so maybe you'll want to wait for that. It's now available for $380 USD on NewEgg and $350 on SuperBiiz.com; you can always check it out on ASRock's official website though.

[Netbooked]

JVC Releasing 7.8mm Thin LCD TV Next Month For a Whopping £1,700

Labels: ,

You may or may not remember JVC's extremely thin LCD HDTV, but it was shown off at CES (here) and CEDIA (here). This LT-32WX50 TV is just 7.8mm thick and we wouldn't spite you for confusing it with an OLED TV because it's just so thin. But, this TV is actually an LED side-lit display. This TV reportedly has: 3 HDMI ports, a 20w sound system, 100Hz CMDIII technology, and PC / component inputs; this TV also covers 90% of the Adobe RGB colour space. I'm sure you're interested and now you want to know when and how much it will launch for, right? Well, pull out the wallets because this TV will reportedly be available sometime next month (September) for a heart-pounding £1,700 ($2,806 USD).

JVC has also mentioned that they're planning to ship out a 42-inch model of this TV next year and a 50-inch model could be available in the future as well. However, these TVs won't be as thin as the 32-inch model, but I'm sure we'll all be okay.

[Tech Radar]