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National Cheese Pizza Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 1:39 AM on September 5, 2010

Eight is Enough

1. Techdirt reports huge push in Brazil to legalize file sharing
2. VR-Zone shares rumor: "Blackcomb" is AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6000 series flagship
3. Engadget reports Sony shows off Google TV (or a video of it, anyway) at IFA 2010
   and iOS 4.1 confirmed for September 8th on Apple's UK website
4. ESET NOD32 update to v.5418 causing problems
5. 9 to 5 Mac: iPad video calling debugger
6. Any truth to the rumor about Elemental: War of Magic on Shacknews? (an official response)
7. Hardware Canucks and Shacknews cover PAX 2010
8. Joystiq's hands-on with the new Xbox 360 controller with transforming D-pad

Read more...

5 comments —
Last by DTShakuras at 11:47 AM on 09/05/10

Newspaper Carrier Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 6:10 PM on September 4, 2010

Eight is Enough

1. Evolving the AMD brand portfolio (on dropping the ATI brand name)
2. [H]ard|OCP reports BFG Tech goes the way of Diamond and Best Data
3. AMD developing 8-core Bulldozer-based CPU for 2011 release
4. Hardware-Infos has AMD Zacate (APU) specs, pics, and many more (in German)
5. VR-Zone: AMD Ontario TDP is 9W, die shots revealed
   and Nvidia lists GeForce GT 420 for OEMs
6. Ars Technica reports Ubuntu 10.10 beta arrives with new netbook UI
7. Make group video calls with up to 10 people with the new beta version of Skype for Windows
8. Shacknews has Duke Nukem Forever hands-on preview

Read more...

6 comments —
Last by jdaven at 10:09 AM on 09/05/10

Chrome 6.0 arrives in completed form
by Matt Trinca — 4:24 PM on September 3, 2010

Google announced yesterday that its latest Chrome release, version 6.0, is now available. Hard to believe only two years have passed since Google first launched the browser.

This latest release purportedly boasts 3x better JavaScript performance than the original version of Chrome, though Google is less forthcoming about comparisons with Chrome 5.0. The company has also done some work to simplify Chrome's already-spartan interface. For instance, the two pull-down menus that controlled page settings and Chrome settings have been condensed into a single menu.

Overall, though, this release doesn't add many striking new features—unless you count additions like form auto-fill and improved sync functionality. That might be just the way Google wants it. The firm seems to prefer a steady, frequent release schedule that relies on gradual improvements and tweaks. This strategy stands in sharp contrast to the large gaps between releases, followed by rafts of new features, that consumers came to expect during the browsers wars of days gone by.

53 comments —
Last by slugbug at 12:44 PM on 09/05/10

Deal of the week: a cheap GTX 460, $550 Nehalem ultraportable, and more
by Cyril Kowaliski — 4:03 PM on September 3, 2010

We've got a trio of deals for you this week. First, while scouting for parts for the next edition of our TR system guide, we stumbled upon a Zotac GeForce GTX 460 768MB graphics card currently on sale at Newegg for $189.99 with free shipping.

This card has Nvidia's quiet stock cooler, ships with a StarCraft II trial coupon good for seven hours of game time, and from what we understand, comes with lifetime warranty coverage if you register on the Zotac's website within 30 days of your purchase. (If you don't register, warranty coverage drops to two years.) Not bad for $10 below Nvidia's suggested retail price, specially considering how well this GPU did in our value comparisons.

Next up: HP's Pavilion dm3t, which we told you all about in the news earlier this week. In a nutshell, this 13.3" laptop has a Nehalem-derived Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage processor, a 7.5-hour battery life rating, a magensium-aluminum alloy shell, and a price tag of just $549.99. Tempting, to say the least.

Last, but not least, memory prices are on a downward trend again, and you can now get a 4GB Mushkin DDR3-1333 kit for $76.99 shipped. (Mushkin provides lifetime warranty coverage, of course.) Similar kits were selling for a little over $100 a few weeks ago, so that's a nice improvement—and a good time for an upgrade.

19 comments —
Last by Meadows at 4:45 PM on 09/04/10

Gearbox, 2K Games will release Duke Nukem Forever
by Cyril Kowaliski — 12:34 PM on September 3, 2010

Those recent rumors about Gearbox taking over Duke Nukem Forever development were true. According to Shacknews, 2K Games has officially revealed that the long-awaited shooter is "currently in development" at Gearbox Software. A story by the Wall Street Journal explains that Gearbox has taken over development where 3D Realms left off, and the game is "expected to ship" later this year. Update: the official release time frame is 2011.

Evidence started cropping up earlier this week when Duke co-creator George Broussard tweeted a picture of cartoon pigs flying. This morning, a photo snapped at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle showed two cardboard posters emblazoned with the Duke Nukem Forever, Gearbox Software, and 2K Games logos... as well as Duke himself standing beside scantily clad young women with cut-outs for faces.

As I write this, 2K Games has a live stream up showing people playing the long-awaited shooter on the PAX show floor:

We're also now getting early reports that hell has, in fact, frozen over.

52 comments —
Last by Darkmage at 12:38 PM on 09/05/10

AMD to take stand against laptop stickers
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:26 AM on September 3, 2010

If you've read our reviews, chances are you've seen us complain about laptop stickers—or praise certain PC vendors for using fewer than their counterparts. The New York Times' David Pogue seems to share the same view; his latest column denounces laptop stickers for being tasteless and hard to peel off, and he laments the amount of marketing dollars that go behind them.

His story includes an interesting little tidbit, though. AMD is apparently planning to take a stand against the trend of turning laptop palm rests into promotional billboards:

In 2011, A.M.D. will switch to new stickers that peel off easily, leaving no residue; after that, it’s considering eliminating the sticker program altogether. In the meanwhile, it’s going to make affixing its stickers optional. If a computer company chooses not to use the A.M.D. stickers, A.M.D. will still pay it the same marketing dollars to use in other ways.

That'd certainly be a nice gesture, although to be fair, the Vision sticker on recent AMD laptops could be the least of your worries. Take the palm rest of the Toshiba T235D we reviewed earlier this week:

Not pictured: the giant Toshiba T235D sticker on the right side of the palm rest and the Skype sticker near the power button. It'd sure be nice to make all of those easy-peel.

53 comments —
Last by End User at 1:14 PM on 09/05/10

Jobs Friday Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 3:43 AM on September 3, 2010

Eight is Enough

1. InsideHW shares AMD Ontario first impressions at IFA 2010
2. X-bit labs: GlobalFoundries tapes out industry's first 28nm chip and
   Nvidia solidifies positions in the professional graphics market segment - JPR
3. Nvidia expects to take top position with new Fermi-based graphics cards, says notebook GM
4. SemiAccurate: GeForce GTS 450 benchmarks slip out early
5. AnandTech on Nvidia 400M: DX11 top to bottom solutions now available
6. Engadget's Samsung Galaxy Tab, ViewSonic 10" dual-
   boot ViewPad, and Toshiba Folio 100 previews
7. Shacknews: OnLive testing Wi-Fi support this fall, extends 'Founding Members' promotion again
8. Joystiq: Epic talks Project Sword, Unreal Engine on iPhone, and Apple TV as a game console

Read more...

9 comments —
Last by BiffStroganoffsky at 3:18 PM on 09/03/10

Nvidia fills out GeForce 400M lineup with seven mobile GPUs
by Cyril Kowaliski — 11:01 PM on September 2, 2010

At long last, Nvidia has a top-to-bottom lineup of DirectX 11 mobile graphics processors. The company has just introduced seven new GeForce 400M-series graphics processors, which will complement the company's existing, GF100-based GeForce GTX 480M. This is interesting timing for Nvidia, since the firm still hasn't introduced corresponding low-end GeForce 400-series GPUs on the desktop. But I digress...

Nvidia says the new 400M parts, which include the GeForce GTX 470M, GTX 460M, GT 445M, GT 435M, GT425M, GT420M, and GT415M, are up to 40% faster than the 300M-series mobile GeForces they will replace. All seven parts support Optimus switchable graphics technology, and all of the offerings from the GT425M up support GeForce 3D Vision.

In other words, get ready for more notebooks with 120Hz displays and stereoscopic goggles. Nvidia teased a couple in its presentation, suggesting a holiday launch time frame:

All in all, Nvidia says six of the top seven laptop makers—Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and Toshiba—have GeForce 400M-series notebooks up their sleeves. HP is conspicuously absent from the list. We're told availability should be immediate, but we'll have to study online stocks and e-tail listings to make sure.

If you're like me, you may now be itching for a big, boring table full of numbers. You're in luck. Here are the key details Nvidia has revealed about its 400M GPUs so far:

GPU	SPs	Core clock (MHz)	SP clock (MHz)	Max. memory	Mem. clock (MHz)	Mem. type
GeForce GTX 470M	288	535	1100	1 GB	1250	GDDR5
GeForce GTX 460M	192	675	1350	1 GB	1250	GDDR5
GeForce GT 445M	144	590	1180	1 GB	800/1250	GDDR3/5
GeForce GT 435M	96	650	1300	1 GB	up to 800	GDDR3
GeForce GT 425M	96	560	1120	1 GB	up to 800	GDDR3
GeForce GT 420M	96	500	1000	512 MB	up to 800	GDDR3
GeForce GT 415M	48	500	1000	512 MB	up to 800	GDDR3

Surprisingly, Nvidia declined to disclose thermal envelopes, die sizes, or GPU code-names. The firm did stress that all GeForce 400M-series products are based on 40-nm GPUs and are based on its Fermi architecture. Studying the chip shots Nvidia sent us (which we've included in the image gallery below), we can see at least three different GPUs: a large, wide specimen with a heatspreader in the GTX 470M; a square design without a heatspreader in the GTX 460M and GT 445M; and a smaller, also-naked square chip in the GTX 435M. (The 425M, 420M, and 415M all look just like the 435M.)

That wide GPU in the GTX 470M look an awful lot like the GF104 chip that powers Nvidia's desktop GeForce GTX 460. Meanwhile, the larger of the two square chips looks like it'd be right at home on those leaked circuit board shots of a rumored, desktop-bound GeForce GTS 450. That would make it the GF106. Clearly, cheaper Fermi derivatives on the desktop can't be much further off.

18 comments —
Last by YeuEmMaiMai at 9:56 PM on 09/04/10

Win one of three Asus Xonar sound cards
by Geoff Gasior — 3:35 PM on September 2, 2010

Asus is celebrating a birthday. The company's line of Xonar sound cards turns three this year, and to commemorate the occasion, Asus is introducing a high-end Xonar Xense sound card bundled with a Sennheiser gaming headset. Like the Xonar Essense STX, the Xense has a built-in headphone amp and 6.5-mm headphone and microphone jacks.

While the Essence can only pipe multi-channel audio over its digital output, the Xense has a digital out and an output dongle with a standard array of 3.5-mm analog outputs. Asus is bundling the card with a version of Sennheiser's PC350 gaming headset, and the combo is expected to hit shelves over the next few days with a suggested retail price of $300.

If you'd rather not drop three hundred bucks on a PC audio upgrade, don't fret. Asus has generously donated one Xense bundle and a couple of its upcoming Xonar DG sound cards for our latest contest. The Xonar DG isn't due until the end of the month, so you actually have a chance to get your hands on that card before anyone else.

To enter, all you have to do is hit this thread in the forums, describe your PC audio setup, and explain why you chose its various component parts. Eligible posts need to be 300 words or less, and while you should feel free to flex your photography skills, please don't post more than a couple of pictures. Any images need to be 1600 pixels wide or smaller.

TR editors will judge the entries based on the quality of writing and photography. Creativity counts, too, and we reserve the right to award at least one of the Xonar DGs to the person who is clearly most in need of an audio upgrade. The forum thread will stay open until 2:00 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 14, and we'll announce the winners within 48 hours of the contest closing.

Since we have to ship these cards ourselves, the contest is limited to residents of the US and Canada. (The Xonar DG is going to retail for only $30, and it'd cost more than that to ship the card to some parts of the world.) We're only allowing one entry per person, and we'll be checking IP addresses to make sure no one tries to game the system. As with our previous contests, cheaters may have their accounts banned from the forums and the front-page comments.

In addition to providing fodder for this giveaway, Asus is also soliciting suggestions for new sound card features in an online survey. Those who complete the survey can ask Asus for a free OPAMP upgrade kit for their existing sound card... while supplies last, we're told. Asus is handling that particular giveaway, but feel free to use the comments below or this contest discussion thread in the forums to chime in with your thoughts on future sound card features.

78 comments —
Last by Krogoth at 7:59 AM on 09/05/10

Does Bulldozer die shot reveal triple-core 'modules'?
by Cyril Kowaliski — 2:21 PM on September 2, 2010

GlobalFoundries wasn't the only firm with interesting news at the Global Technology Conference. AMD was also present, and for the first time, it publicly displayed a die shot of a Bulldozer-based processor: Orochi, the chipmaker's 2011 flagship processor. PC Perspective's Ryan Shrout was on the scene and managed to snag a picture.

Shrout's photo shows a 32-nm die with what appear to be four Bulldozer modules. As we wrote last week in our overview of AMD's new architecture, each Bulldozer module has two integer cores and a shared floating-point unit. Operating systems will detect two threads per module, and AMD says each module will be about 80% as fast as two full cores with the same capability. One would therefore be inclined to think the Orochi die has four modules and eight threads.

Except it's not so simple. We loaded Shrout's die shot photo into Photoshop and compensated for the perspective using the application's "Distort" tool.

Nothing jumping out at you? How about if we crop away that pesky L3 cache (or what looks like it), rotate the bottom half 180 degrees, and try to line up the logic:

Clearly, the Bulldozer modules at the top have more logic and less cache (presumably of the L2 variety) than the modules at the bottom.

I got a little more adventurous, taking the logic part of the bottom-left module and duplicating the section between the green lines in the image below:

 

Line up the Photoshopped logic portion with the genuine one at the top left, and things appear to match up pretty well. Note those three bright white blocks at the top, the repeating pattern just below them, and the lighter blocks below that.

If all of this tomfoolery tells us anything, it's that there may be more to Orochi and Bulldozer than meets the eye. This CPU appears to have two regular Bulldozer modules and two enhanced ones. The question is how exactly those modules are enhanced. Did AMD add extra integer logic, extra floating-point logic, or both? Could these modules serve up three threads to the operating system, thereby making Orochi a 10-thread CPU?

Update: We asked AMD about this picture and its possible meaning, and we got a cryptic but possibly helpful answer. It was pointed out to us that PC Perspective did not publish a picture of the Orochi die, but a snapshot of an image shown at the event. We understand parts of that image were "obscured" for "competitive reasons," whatever that means.

Did AMD doctor the die shot, altering the image to show logic where it may not exist in reality? We don't know, but apparently there was something AMD didn't want Intel to see. And the mystery deepens.

63 comments —
Last by ronch at 1:57 AM on 09/05/10

Nvidia chipset rumor a Sandy Bridge too far
by Scott Wasson — 1:35 PM on September 2, 2010

Yesterday, the rumor mill over at DigiTimes kicked out an intriguing item: a story claiming Nvidia is preparing a new chipset, one that combines a GPU with a south bridge, intended for use with Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge processors. That's a little bit surprising, since Nvidia has admitted essentially to dismantling its chipset development team after being locked out of that business by Intel. In the wake of Intel's settlement with the FTC, could it be "game on" for Nvidia's chipset business once again?

After chatting with a source familiar with the matter, we think not. Of the rumor, our informant says bluntly:

It is complete horse cakes. We’ve already announced that we have withdrawn from the Intel chipset marketplace. We have no plans to return to it and aren’t developing new Intel chipset products.

That would seem to settle that, at least for now.

14 comments —
Last by MadManOriginal at 10:22 PM on 09/02/10

A few hours remain in our Metro 2033 and Big Bang Xpower giveaway
by Cyril Kowaliski — 11:10 AM on September 2, 2010

Almost a week has passed since we kicked off our latest contest, in which we're giving our loyal readers a chance to win one of six Metro 2033 licenses or the grand prize, an MSI Big Bang Xpower motherboard worth about $300. We'll stop taking entries at 2:00 PM Central Time today. As of right now, if you haven't already entered, there's still time to do so!

For detailed instructions and rules, you should see last week's news post. In a nutshell, participating involves "liking" us on Facebook and then either linking your Facebook profile in a forum thread we've created for that purpose or sending the link to our biz guy, Adam "Inkling" Eiberger, via a PM in the forums. Again, we'd like to thank MSI for making this giveaway possible.

7 comments —
Last by mockingbird at 10:35 PM on 09/04/10

Amazon now sells TV episodes for 99 cents each
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:35 AM on September 2, 2010

We wrote yesterday about the new Apple TV, which lets users rent TV episodes for 99 cents a pop. That might sound like a pretty sweet deal, but it appears Amazon already has Apple beaten there. As Engadget reports, the online retailer now lets users buy TV episodes for the same 99-cent price.

Amazon's 99-cent TV episodes, which are all from ABC and Fox, are already available as on-demand streams in either standard or high definition. Like with the Apple offer, SD and HD shows cost the same. Right now, offerings include Futurama, Doctor Who, Glee, Lost, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, 24, Arrested Development, The Simpsons, and more.

As Engadget points out, Roku has cut the prices of its Apple TV-esque Netflix and Amazon streaming box. The SD machine now has a $59 price tag, and the HD version sells for $99.99 at Amazon, or about the same price as the Apple TV. Apparently, Apple already has rather stiff competition.

18 comments —
Last by BobbinThreadbare at 12:30 AM on 09/03/10

GlobalFoundries preps 22-, 20-nm processes for 2013
by Cyril Kowaliski — 6:00 AM on September 2, 2010

Backed by a steady stream of cash from Abu Dhabi, GlobalFoundries is quickly establishing itself as a leader in the independent foundry business. Yesterday, the company revealed its roadmap for 22- and 20-nm fabrication processes, and it also announced plans for a "High Performance Plus" version of its 28-nm process.

GlobalFoundries says it intends to run "test chip shuttles" at 22 and 20 nm in the second half of next year, with "risk production" to follow in the second half of 2012. Actual product production is expected to begin some time in 2013. The 20-nm process will be available in high-performance and super-low-power variants; GlobalFoundries also intends to offer a 22-nm super-high-performance process for "devices requiring the utmost in performance." (Sadly, the announcement doesn't get into more detail.) All three processes will be based on next-gen high-k metal gate technology.

Speaking of super-high performance, this announcement also foretells the arrival of a 28-nm "High Performance Plus" technology, which will purportedly enable up to 10% greater performance than the regular 28-nm high-performance process. GlobalFoundries will begin risk production for the 28-nm HPP tech in the fourth quarter of 2011. This time, the firm does name concrete applications: "smart mobile devices and high-performance processors requiring more than 2GHz of processing power."

36 comments —
Last by JumpingJack at 9:35 PM on 09/02/10

Calendar Adjustment Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 2:33 AM on September 2, 2010

Eight is Enough

1. C|Net reports IBM ships 5.2GHz chip, its fastest yet
2. How GlobalFoundries' "major announcements" today impact AMD
3. PC Perspective: AMD Llano APU displayed at GlobalFoundries Technology Conference
4. X-bit labs: AMD displays die-shot of upcoming 8-core "Orochi" processor for the first time
   and graphics chips to gain horsepower and programmability - Chief Scientist of Nvidia
5. AnandTech posts Sandy Bridge graphics update
6. VR-Zone shares rumor: AMD to release Radeon HD 6800
   in early 2011; mainstream HD 6000 in Q4 2010
7. PNY offering RMA graphics card promotion for BFG Tech customers
8. Engadget reports FCC tears apart the new iPod touch, while iFixit wishfully looks on

Read more...

12 comments —
Last by Duck at 9:39 PM on 09/02/10

New Apple TV heads for the cloud
by Geoff Gasior — 4:03 PM on September 1, 2010

As has become tradition, Apple guru Steve Jobs had one more thing to announce at today's iPod event. This time, it was a new version of Apple TV that has its head decidedly in the clouds. The new home-theater accessory lacks local storage and is clearly optimized for streaming content. TV shows will be available to rent for 99 cents each in either standard- or high-definition formats, and HD movies will cost $5 a pop for new releases and $4 each for "library titles." SD movie rentals will run a dollar less than their HD counterparts, although I don't imagine too many people will opt for the standard-def rentals given that the Apple TV's only video output is an HDMI port.

Before you get too excited about the prospect of streaming HD content, Engadget has confirmed that the device can only handle video at 720p resolution. It looks like that limitation applies not only to content streaming from the Internet, but also media accessed via a local network.

Although the new Apple TV has a USB port, the system's spec sheet says the port is for "service and support." Odds are you won't be able to plug in a USB storage device to loaded with content. The Apple TV does, however, have a 10/100 Ethernet jack and built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi. Apple throws in a simple remote, too.

The new Apple TV is tiny, of course, and it's quite a bit cheaper than the original at just $99. Units are expected to start shipping in four weeks, and you can already place your order online.

74 comments —
Last by Bauxite at 2:50 PM on 09/04/10

Sailing up the Nile is now $100 cheaper
by Matt Trinca — 3:07 PM on September 1, 2010

Toshiba's Satellite T235D notebook has received a healthy price cut at Newegg, dropping from $599.99 to $499.99. The system is based on AMD's new Nile ultra-thin platform, and we published our review of it just yesterday.

Cyril found a lot to like in his review, although he didn't think the display was overly impressive. Today's price cut is especially intriguing in light of the new HP Pavilion dm3 that was announced this morning. The Pavilion dm3 offers a similar form factor and a Nehalem-derived processor, crafted on Intel's 32-nm process, for $549.99. (Thanks to TR reader Spencer for the tip.)

6 comments —
Last by ShadowTiger at 11:19 PM on 09/02/10

Apple brings buttons back to Shuffle, revamps Nano
by Geoff Gasior — 3:05 PM on September 1, 2010

Forgive today's deluge of Apple posts, but the company introduced quite a lot of interesting new products in the span of a couple of hours. I've been refreshing Engadget's live coverage all morning, and new additions to the iPod line immediately caught my eye. In addition to the updated Touch, Apple has also revamped the iPod Nano and Shuffle.

Perhaps the biggest surprise with these new iPods is the return of buttons to the diminutive Shuffle. Apple removed traditional playback controls from last the Shuffle in favor of an in-line headphone remote that offered fewer buttons and relied on Morse-code-like combos to perform even basic functions. This misguided attempt at oversimplification didn't sit well with me and apparently quite a lot of Shuffle users. According to Jobs "people clearly missed the buttons," so Apple brought them back. The new model has a button layout similar to the second-generation Shuffle's, and it's a little bit smaller, too.

Of course, the Shuffle still lacks a screen, making navigating the 2GB of music you can load onto the player somewhat difficult. For those who would rather not rely on VoiceOver dictation, Apple has a new iPod Nano.

Billed as a tiny iPod Touch, the new Nano has a 1.5" multi-touch display with an 240x240 resolution. It's really more of an overgrown Shuffle than a smaller Touch, though. The old Nano's camera is gone, and support for video playback has also been left on the cutting room floor. This crash diet allows the Nano to squeeze into a tiny aluminum casing that's barely larger than the screen and less than 9 mm thick, including the attached clip. Total weight? Just 21 grams.

The new Nano's multi-touch interface looks interesting, and I certainly don't mind the device becoming a smaller and more focused music player. Miniaturization doesn't come cheap, though, with 8GB flavors of the new Nano selling for $149 and 16GB units costing $179. That's actually not a bad deal considering the cost of the Shuffle, which runs $49 but only has 2GB of storage capacity. Both of these new iPods are available in a rainbow of colors and are slated to start shipping next week.

40 comments —
Last by mattthemuppet at 8:44 PM on 09/02/10

Epic's iPhone demo hits App Store, looks gorgeous
by Cyril Kowaliski — 2:19 PM on September 1, 2010

That Unreal Engine tech demo for the iPhone wasn't just a showpiece for His Steveness' latest keynote. It's available now on the App Store as a free, 82MB download... and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Check out these screenshots freshly gathered from my iPhone 4:

You'll find the full-sized, 960x640 shots in the image gallery below.

The demo runs surprisingly smoothly overall, although that wide, open area in the second shot brings the frame rate down to what feels like the 10-20 FPS range. Still, those sharp real-time graphics are a sight to behold on a 3.5" display.

51 comments —
Last by conjurer at 4:34 AM on 09/03/10

iOS 4.1 promises to fix iPhone issues, expand gaming for new Touch
by Geoff Gasior — 2:00 PM on September 1, 2010

Many were expecting Apple to announce a revamped iPod lineup at its "music event" this morning. However, before tending to the MP3 players that arguably propelled the company to greatness, Apple decided to address its current cash cow, the iPhone 4. Engadget was at the event, and it has a full account of supreme overlord CEO Steven Jobs' keynote address.

Next week, iOS 4.1 will be released with purported fixes for problems with the new iPhone's Bluetooth compatibility and its proximity sensor. This OS update is also said to resolve bugs with the old iPhone 3G, which struggles mightily to run iOS 4.0 with acceptable performance. Our very own Editor in Chief has experience with all three issues, and I'm sure he'll update us on whether the new release is an improvement.

On the features front, iOS 4.1 brings support for TV rentals, HDR photography, and a new Game Center app designed specifically for multiplayer gaming. Game Center will allow users to easily invite friends to join them in multiplayer matches, and it will offer automatic matchmaking if you'd rather link up with strangers. Epic was also on hand to show off Project Sword, an "action-packed RPG adventure" that uses a version of the Unreal engine and looks very nice indeed.

Mobile gaming is becoming a big focus for Apple, particularly with the iPod Touch. According to Jobs, the Touch is Apple's best-selling iPod, and its sales eclipse those of handheld gaming systems from Nintendo and Sony combined. As one might expect, there's a new Touch based on the iPhone 4. Like the original, this fresh addition is essentially an iPhone without the phone. You get the same Retina display, A4 CPU, 3-axis gyro, and dual cameras as Apple's latest handset. The cost? $229 for an 8GB model, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. Those prices might seem a little high considering that the 32GB iPhone 4 costs $299 and includes phone functionality. However, getting it at that price also involves signing a two-year cellular contract. The Touch requires no such commitment.

Apple's online store is already taking pre-orders for the new Touch. Shipping is free, and units are expected to start shipping next week.

21 comments —
Last by d0g_p00p at 12:06 PM on 09/02/10

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