Saints Row IV has a $1 milion special edition, includes plastic surgery

looks to be the most ridiculous entry into the series yet, and a ridiculous game deserves a ridiculous
bundle. SRIV is so ridiculous, in fact, that one of the collector’s editions will be worth a million bucks.
The bundle is called the Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition. It includes the Commander in Chief edition of the game (which you get if you pre-order the title), which gives you a stars and stripes America-themed outfit and some wacky America-themed weapons. Along with that, you’ll get a full-size replica of the game’s Dubstep Gun, a shopping spree with a personal shopper, seven nights for two at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, and seven nights for two at the Burj-al-arab in the Top Royal Suite.
Those are the normal additions to the bundle. You’ll also receive a Toyota Prius complete with insurance, a Lamborghini Gallardo and a one-year membership to to the E25 Super Car Club, a full day of spy training, a hostage rescue experience, plastic surgery of your choice, and a trip to space with Virgin Galactic. While the trip to space might be the coolest, it’s definitely not the weirdest, as receiving a plastic surgery procedure when you buy a collector’s edition of a video game sure is strange. Maybe it’d be a little less weird if the bonus came with Surgeon Simulator
.
The bundle costs one million bucks, and there is only one available. Ars Technica did a little digging and found the bundle to have a value of around $630,000, so take that million dollar price tag as you will. You can pre-order it over at UK’s Game, for “only $1,000,000.”
Now read: Australia bans Saints Row 4, children now safe in outback

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Asus to manufacture Nexus 10 refresh [Updated with image]

The Nexus 10 wasn’t nearly as popular as the Nexus 7 last year, but in the past 12 months both the Android OS and its apps have grown to better support larger screens and higher resolutions. Combined with the improved multi-user functions that were announced with Android 4.3, it’s easy to see Google promoting the Nexus 10 as a family tablet.
According to multiple sources reporting to Geek.com, the Nexus 10 refresh is expected to be available on the Google Play Store as well as Best Buy retail stores in time for the holiday season. It’s unclear exactly what hardware improvements we’ll see in this new Nexus 10 over the previous generation, but given Asus and Google’s recent work with Qualcomm it’s not hard to guess that we’ll see a Snapdragon chipset powering an impressive 2560×1600 display.
Update: And here is the retail leak. It clearly notes that this will be a Google Nexus 10 16G WiFi manufactured by Asus. The product dimensions, stock date, and other information seems to be filled with placeholders.

Now read: How to use Android Device Manager to track your lost or stolen phone

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Capy Games’ Below is only a timed exclusive on Xbox One

.

It’s an adventure game that mixes together exploration, survival, and skill-based combat combined with a big dose of atmosphere. It’s also a game from independent developer Capybara Games, the team behind Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, and Sound Shapes.
The impression you may have got from watching the Microsoft presentation including Below
, is that the game will only be available to play on the Xbox One. But that’s definitely not the case.
Capy Games has realized there is some confusion surrounding the game and has now decided to clear it up. In a blog post on their website Capy has confirmed that while Below
will appear on the Xbox One first, it is only a timed exclusive. That means Microsoft did a deal with Capy to ensure Below is exclusively available on Xbox One for a period of time, maybe a few weeks or months. After that, the game can be released on other platforms.
Microsoft has used this tactic many times before because it boosts sales and makes a platform look like it has more games available for it. But ultimately if a gamer is willing to wait, these timed exclusives appear elsewhere.
So, if you really like the look of Below
, but would rather pick up a PS4 than an Xbox One later this year, chances are you’ll still get to play the game, just not at launch. I’d also bet money on Below appearing on the PC at some point in 2014.

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Xbox One will not upgrade to 12GB of RAM, Microsoft confirms

amounts of RAM — for example, an entirely likely 3TB. The phrasing “feeling great about game performance,” however, does make it sound like Microsoft has found a sweet spot at 8GB, so those dreams of owning a game console with 1PB of RAM will have to wait for at least one more generation.
Now read: Pre-order a Day One Xbox Live Gold subscription, get Killer Instinct free

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Nvidia is working on Surface RT 2

compete with its x86 counterparts. Whether the Tegra 4 is up to the task remains to be seen.
There are also concerns about the Tegra 4 when it comes to a device’s battery life, and that’s something Microsoft no doubt wants to further optimize in the second-gen Surface. It stands to reason that part of what Huang and Nvidia are “working really hard” on is making sure that the Tegra 4 is perfectly tuned for use with Windows RT.
Initial rumors had pegged the Surface RT 2 as shipping with a Snapdragon 800, Qualcomm’s latest powerhouse. The new Snapdragon has beaten the Tegra 4 soundly in loads of benchmark showdowns, and it’s got a lot going for it. Qualcomm has also scored most of the big tablet and smartphone SoC wins lately.
Could the Tegra 4, Windows 8.1, and Microsoft’s other improvements really give the Surface RT 2 and Windows RT the push it needs to become a real hit with consumers? With Microsoft already working on clearing out stock of the original Surface RT, we may find out as soon as this holiday season.

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2013 Kindle Fire specs leaked, reveals real mass market appeal

A couple of weeks ago, specs of Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 2 worked their way through the internet grapevine. While the two models of the upcoming Kindle Fire HD 2 look like a fine (albeit rather standard) hardware update, that still left its little brother, the entry-level, non-HD Kindle Fire safe behind that grapevine. Now, though, the full specs of the tablet has reportedly leaked.
The same anonymous sources that leaked the Kindle Fire HD 2 specs have now gone on to reveal the entry-level model’s. If accurate, the upcoming  2013 Kindle Fire will contain a dual-core 1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP4 4470 processor with PowerVR SGX544 graphics. This combo is what powered the first two Kindle Fires, so the new iteration is somewhat living in the past. It will contain 1GB of RAM, a 1280×800 HD display, and run Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. As for storage capacity, the sources say the 2013 model will release in an 8GB version for the $159 price of the current model, with 16GB and 32GB versions available at a higher cost.
The model this new 2013 version is replacing contains a 1024×600 screen, 8GB of storage space, a dual-core 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP4430, and 1GB of RAM. So, while the new reported model will receive an upgrade in key areas such as the processor and display, the RAM appears to remain the same, as well as the base 8GB of storage — as well as the price.
There’s no official word yet on a release date (or the specs, technically), but the tablets are expected to be released this fall.

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New iPhone 6 Concept

Everyone has dreams about what they would like in their smartphone. For some reason Apple fans seem to be pinning all of their hopes and dreams on the iPhone 6 rather than the iPhone 5S. I too have a list of certain features that I would love to see in a smartphone, from the mundane to the fantastical. I’d like a waterproof iPhone and considering that Apple bought AuthenTec to develop its finger-print scanner for iPhone’s, I really don’t see Apple having much of a problem with acquiring one of the many companies that will retro-fit the iPhone to be waterproof – with no change in the dimensions!
The highlight of this iPhone 6 concept is the 4.5-inch Retina+ display that offers a larger screen without adding to the overall size of the iPhone. The image above shows an iPhone 6 with a 4.5-inch edge-to-edge display, half an inch larger than the iPhone 5, and closer to the screens on the Moto X, Nexus 4 and Galaxy S3.
This isn’t just a larger display, but also a higher resolution one as well. The iPhone’s Retina Display looks good, but many would argue it is falling behind the 720P and 1080P displays on most flagship phones. In late 2012 talk of an iPhone with a Retina+ display appeared alongside reports of an iPhone 6 prototype with a 4.8-inch display. This iPhone 6 is a work of fiction, but a larger, higher resolution display isn’t out of the question for Apple. In true to Apple fashion this Retina 2 display is 1296 x 754 with 333 pixels per inch.
What do you think? Would you buy this iPhone 6, if it were real?

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 coming soon

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is said to come in four different models, including a high-quality limited edition model, two standard models with varying display types and one low-end model with the smallest camera sensor of the four, according to a Korean publication.
The limited premium edition will come with an ‘unbreakable’ AMOLED display and 13 megapixel camera along with few exclusive features, according to the Korea-based ET News. Other speculations say the South Korean tech giant will more likely use Carbon Fiber to increase the aesthetic design and durability of the phone.

The second model is rumored to come with a regular AMOLED display and a 13 megapixel camera, which is more likely to be the international version. The third edition will be made with a plastic body and an LCD display and a 13 megapixel camera. The LCD display will allow Samsung to offer the latest phablet at a lower price.
ET News claims that fourth model will feature a plastic body along with an LCD display, but only an 8 megapixel camera. These lower features will bring down the costs of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 significantly, which may help with the saturation of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phones in the everyday consumer market.
While many rumors currently surround the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, some propose features that are very likely to end up on the upcoming device, while other features are likely a bit far-fetched. Many enthusiasts agree that Samsung may use the Galaxy S4 as a base for things it needs to improve to make the Note 3 phablet an exciting product for consumers.
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Microsoft confirms Game DVR and other features require Xbox Live Gold

Microsoft has confirmed that some of the features in the Xbox One are behind a pay gate. According to Microsoft, Xbox One owners who are not signed up for Gold subscription membership may not be able to use hardware functionality built into the console.
There appears to be some backlash across the Web around the revelation that the the hardware built-in Game DVR functionality cannot be accessed without a paid subscription to Xbox Live Gold service. Microsoft’s Xbox Live feature list also puts things like Skype (defacto Xbox One voice chat) and NFL content.
One Hit Pixel reached out to Microsoft for clarification around the Game DVR and a rep responded stating “I can confirm that Game DVR features will be available to Xbox Live Gold members only.”
The Xbox One’s Game DVR is basically five minutes of in-game footage always being recorded while the system is played. This is in contract to Sony’s PS4 which records up to 15 minutes always and is not restricted to PS Plus accounts.
In other news Microsoft recently answered a host of questioned posted by 4Player around the Xbox One. A question was posed to Microsoft around the price point for the Xbox One and if there was a chance that the company may reduce the price prior to launch. It appears that Microsoft will be holding steady with the $499 price point. Microsoft responded by stating:

We are very confident with the provide value at $ / € 499 and the unparalleled, all in one games and entertainment experience Xbox One offers.

Microsoft also revealed that gamers should not place their Xbox One vertically standing as the unit was not designed for that.

…the console is Intended to sit horizontally. Additionally, the airflow and venting system which optimized for this horizontal orientation.

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Cellphone emergency alert tackles kidnapping

The message went out after law enforcement officials became convinced a San Diego man had kidnapped a neighbor’s daughter. The man is also wanted in connection with the death of the neighbor. The message detailed the make, model and license plate number of the car the man was believed to be driving.
Officials sent out the message under the Wireless Emergency Alert system. Since January 1 this year, the system has been opt-out rather than opt-in for newer cellphone models, something that’s planned to be the case with all future handsets.
The alerts come as text messages, preceded by an audible or vibration alert if the handset supports it. Rather than going to specific numbers, it goes to all compatible handsets within range of designated cellphone towers at the time of broadcast. It uses a slightly different broadcast technique to ordinary texts between individual users, meaning it can get through even at times of high traffic on cellphone networks.
Not everyone who received the alert was happy, with some complaints that the message disturbed them or caused confusion. It’s a particularly controversial event as previous such broadcasts in other states have mainly been warning the recipients that they are in imminent danger, for example from a natural disaster or possible terrorist activity.
This particular broadcast caused added confusion as the alert didn’t make clear exactly what recipients should do with the information. Officials have clarified they want anyone seeing the vehicle to contact the police.
The SFGate website quotes the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as saying that previous alerts (many on a smaller geographic scale) have so far led to 656 abducted children being found and rescued.

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All about Huawei Ascend P6

The Huawei Asend P6 has plenty of other admirable features too, including a good screen and reasonably powerful quad-core processor. However, its software takes a bit of getting used to and we think Huawei cares about how slim the Ascend P6 is more than its prospective buyers.
The Huawei Ascend P6 feels like a dense, well-made phone. It’s also significantly slimmer than the iPhone 5, at around 1.5mm thinner. he Huawei Ascend P6 also has a microSD memory card slot to add to the limited 8GB of internal memory. Both the microSIM and microSD slots are hidden behind (you guessed it) iPhone-style trays that are opened using either a paper clip or a little tool found on the Ascend P6’s body.

While the Ascend P6 may be super slim, it is blessedly not obsessed with screen size. It has a 4.7-inch 720p screen – big enough to feel luxurious to both your eyes and typing fingers, but not big enough to become awkward. Screen quality is great. It uses an IPS panel, which provides natural-looking colours, strong top brightness and good angled viewing.
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Rumor: Sony readying PS4/PS Vita bundle, Hitman: Absolution hits PlayStation Plus

There is an interesting rumor doing the rounds today that revolve around a supposed PS4 bundle that comes with a PS Vita for $500. If true, this could be the best deal seen to date on both units.
The PS4 costs $400, and the PS Vita is priced at $250. If Sony were to bundle the two together, there would be a savings of $150, dropping the price of the Vita to $100.
According to Inside Gaming Daily, a “well placed anonymous source” has revealed that the P4 and PS Bundle exist. The source also revealed that the bundle will costs $500, which is the same price as the Xbox One. While Sony has not revealed any price drop plans publically, the company has emphasized plans to make PS Vita support mandatory on all PS4 games. Every PS4 game can be remotely played via the PS Vita from any location.
Could Sony be gearing up for a major price drop or bundle deal at gamescom? It does seem farfetched that Sony would introduce a new bundle after pushing the existing pre-order bundles aggressively. However, with dwindling sales of the PS Vita it does seem like the right time to drop the price on the unit.
In other news, Sony has just revealed its new PlayStation Plus lineup of free games for this month. One of the free games revealed is Hitman: Absolution, which is actually a fairly recent game. Other free games include Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, Runner 2, Star Wars Pinball and Machinarium. Select games will also receive deep discounts for PS+ members. For those that may have missed out on the fantastic Rayman Origins game that released not that long ago, can now be picked up for $5 with PS+ down from $20. Vita owners can pickup the handheld version for $6.75.

Check out the PS blog for the full list.
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Low-cost “iPhone M” expected to outsell iPhone 5S next year

An UBS analyst said in a note to investors that the upcoming low-cost iPhone will outsell the new flagship iOS smartphone next-year, although it may not be as profitable for the company as its more expensive brother. Interestingly, the device is expected to launch this quarter.
Analyzing Apple’s future, Steve Milunovich looked at the company’s various mobile products including the iPhone, iPad and iPod, reiterating a “Buy” ratting for Apple stock with a price target of $500.
However, Milunovich cut estimates for next year, saying that the iPad and “iPhone M” may have a negative effect on Apple’s profits. Milunovich expects for Apple’s fiscal year 2014 a $179.9 billion and $42.29 per share net profit, and a gross margin of 36.6%, down from $185.1 billion and $43.36 per share.
Milunovich refers to the low-cost iPhone as the “iPhone M” – various reports seem to believe that the phone will be sold as the iPhone 5C – while the high-end seventh-generation iPhone is called iPhone 5S.
According to the analyst, the iPhone M will have tremendous success with the public, selling anywhere from 92-99 million units in Apple’s fiscal year 2014 – Apple’s new fiscal years start in October of each year.
iPhone M will account for 53% of sales next year, and they’ll make up for 3% of iPhone sales this year – thus, the analyst is also suggesting the new low-cost iPhone may be arriving before the September quarter ends, which is Apple’s fourth quarter in fiscal year 2013.
However, the analyst notes that these are just estimates for the handset, and it’s not yet clear how it will impact Apple’s business. Milunovich expected the iPhone M to cost $379, but to only offer Apple a gross margin of around 32% compared to the 55% gross margin of the iPhone 4/4S, which the iPhone M would replace:
“Because the M has such a lower gross margin than the 4/4S, the M reduces earnings in our model. iPhone gross profit declines by 4% or $1.6bn with the iPhone 5/5S profit up $4.9bn and the 4/4S/M profit down $6.5bn. The net iPhone impact is a reduction to F14E EPS of $1.16.”
He further explains that at 92 million iPhone M units sold, Apple’s profit would be diminished, while at 99 million “the gross profit impact would be neutral.”
Milunovich’s report also looks at iPad and iPod sales, with the analyst concluding that growth is slowing for both devices when compared to the iPhone.
The analyst says that the iPad growth will be lower than of the iPhone, explaining that, surprisingly, the whole tablet market is growing slower than expected. Even so, Apple is expected to sell 84 million iPad units next year, and 74 million this year – the Street expects the company to sell 87 million tablets next year.
However, the launch of new iPad models may affect the growth of the tablet:
“With two new tablets anticipated over the next few quarters, perhaps the iPad is in a lull and will jump to a higher unit plateau as seasonality proves more important than saturation. Our view is that the iPad is being accepted faster but likely will not be as important as the iPhone over time. This story could play out in other new categories Apple proposes—a fairly fast benefit with rapid acceptance but a shorter half-life of earnings impact.”
Milunovich sees Samsung and Lenovo as the main tablet rivals for Apple next year.
Overall, the analyst says that the tablet market will increase to 235 million (2014), 301 million (2014) and $367 million (2015).
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LG G2 manual leaks

The LG G2 smartphone is already on the way. French tech blog Nowhereelse.fr is the one who supplied the slides of the alleged LG G2 manual, where it will use the nano-SIM standard that is similar to the Motorola Moto X and the iPhone 5. Other than that, there is also confirmation of a 2,610mAh battery underneath the hood, which can be removed. Apart from that, there is also a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, and a button at the back that is located between the volume buttons which happens to be a power/lock key. Learn more about Lg G2 on August 7, 2013.

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Samsung beats Apple in satisfaction stakes

Samsung Galaxy phones have overtaken iPhones as the models with the highest level of satisfactions according to a consumer survey phone. But it’s a fractional difference and for the most part, people who’ve got a high-end phone are pretty happy with it.
The figures come from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a company that regularly surveys the public on their attitudes to the products and brands they have bought. For the smartphone study, they questioned handset owners (the firm hasn’t revealed the size of the sample group) and converted the responses into a score out of 100 for each model. (The figures take into account varying levels of satisfaction in individual users, so the score isn’t simply a percentage of people who are “satisfied.”)
This time round, the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II topped the index with scores of 84; the Galaxy S 4 came too late for the study. Those scores were just ahead of the iPhone 4S and 5, both on 82, and the iPhone 4 on 81.
Other models and brands were more variable: the Motorola Razr Maxx HD scored 80, the Galaxy S II 78, and the basic Droid Razr model 77. BlackBerry handsets propped up the table with the Curve on 67 and the Bold on 64.
The problem is that without details of the actual responses, there’s no way of telling how much of this is potentially subject to sampling error. Regardless of which model scored the highest, when the top six handsets were all within four “points” of one another, all that’s really certain is that most people are happy with iPhones and premium Galaxy or Droid models.
For what it’s worth, which likely isn’t much, ACSI noted that in a similar survey in South Korea the iPhone 5 took top spot.
The firm also noted that across all models, smartphones score an average satisfaction rating of 76 out of 100, compared with 69 for feature phones. It added that, much as you’d expect, people generally like everything about a smartphone except the battery life.

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Office 365 subscribers rejoice! You now have an Android app.

One of the selling points for most of the Microsoft cloud based Office 365 subscriptions is the ability to use the software on mobile devices. Up until recently, however, there wasn’t an Android app that would let you use your subscription directly from your phone.   Now there is.

According to Phandroid, the Android companion app for Microsoft Office 365 is finally available.  It only took two years longer than expected but it has finally hit the Google Play store. You can download the app for free but you can’t use it without a subscription to Office 365.
You also have to have the right subscription or you won’t be able to use the app.  According to Microsoft’s Office Home comparison the subscription version of the software will allow you to use it on up to five computers and five mobile devices including Android and iOS.  With the business versions of Office 365, you can access and edit documents with the Small Business Premium and Midsize Business versions on Android phones and iPhones but you don’t have that option with the basic Small Business Version.
Right now it looks as if Microsoft is limiting the mobile feature to its own Windows phones, iPhone and Android phones.  The only tablets with the ability to access and edit Office 365 documents are Windows tablets. Apps are not available (yet?) for Android or Apple tablets. At the rate that Windows RT tablets are not selling, that could change.
Most people purchase Microsoft products and use them until they have to purchase a new computer which can be three years or more.  They don’t particularly bother with purchasing the updates until they have to.  With the subscription home versions, you pay a yearly fee to use Office 365.  True that means that you will always have the latest version but that also means that you will be paying considerably more than if you purchase the Office product once and use it for three years or more.
The new Android app is free, as is the iOS app, adding a bit more convenience to Microsoft’s Office 365 users. Still most people are not going to be using their phones for any major editing of Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents. Now if they expand the apps to Android tablets and iPads it could be a different story.
Posted in Android, Android apps, Apple, Applications, iPhone, Microsoft, Windows Mobile | No Comments » Read more from Susan Wilson
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Microsoft overclocks Xbox One GPU clock speed by 6%

In a recent podcast with Marc Whitten, corporate VP of Xbox he revealed that the company was able to safely bump up the performance of the GPU on the console by 6-percent. Whitten didn’t elaborate much on this statement, but he did indicate that developers will be able to push the system a little harder.

During Major Nelson’s podcast, Whitten stated:

That’s the time where you start tweaking the knobs. Either your theory was right dead on, or you were a little too conservative, or you were a little too aggressive. It’s actually been really good news for us, an example of that is we’ve tweaked up the clock speed on our GPU from 800mhz to 853mhz.

He also talked a little bit about new drivers that help take advantage of the GPU better called “mono driver.”
Microsoft’s Albert Penello elaborated on this improvement on NeoGAF boards recently. According to Penello, Microsoft set “aggressive targets for reliability, performance, yields, and noise.” This all makes perfect sense considering that the Xbox 360 was notorious for having a very high failure rate made popular by the Red Ring of Death stigma. The Xbox 360 originally sounded like a jet was taking off before several iterations of refinements were made to the console.
It seems like the company set out to improve on these things as the Xbox One is reported to be stealthily quite.

We want it to be DEAD quiet (and let me tell you, X1 is quieter than the new Xbox 360 we just released). And we wanted killer game performance. But those targets are in conflict with each other.

Penello adds that through testing, the team was able to find that the console could safely handle the bump in clock speed despite pushing the GPU beyond its set parameters.

What we’ve found through the development process is we were able to actually exceed our goals on the thermals and acoustics.
This gave us headroom to increase the clock speed without any hit to noise, reliability, or heat, so we took the opportunity to bump the GPU. I get it’s only 6% or so, but that could translate to a few FPS in the real world.

Posted in Games, Hardware, Industry, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox One | 5 Comments » Read more from Mike Ferro
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Carmack won’t be surprised if Kinect Camera gets hacked spied on

John Carmack, genius programmer at id Software talked a little bit about Microsoft’s challenges with the Xbox One at his Quakecon keynote speech. While he stated that many of the things people fear about the Xbox One are probably true, he also defended things like Kinect spying on you as something that it is inevitable.
Carmack talked about Microsoft’s recent woes with its used game and always online policies as well as recent backlash over the always listening and watching Kinect camera. Carmack stated paranoia around a living room camera watching constantly is most likely a “temporary” vision of how things are perceived with the concept.
He stated that everyone is scared that the government is going to gain backdoor access into everyone’s Kinect and watch what’s going on in your living room. He then said “well, yea that’s pretty much the situation,” with the audience eruptin”g in laughter.

Carmack talked about some of the incidents reported in the media about laptops cameras getting hacked remotely and turned on. Back in December, reports revealing that the cameras built into some of the Samsung TVs could be hacked had the media in a frenzy.
This negative publicity has caused Samsung to back away from pushing models with web cams built in as aggressively.  Carmack stated, “we will just get used to it” regarding having a camera always watch you. Carmack does have a good point in that advances in technology will happen eventually and even believes that there will be some sort of major scandal involving the Kinect in the future.
He gave an example paralleling it to the introduction of tracking GPS through cell phones. While having GPS capabilities in smartphones has allowed the government to have the ability to track you, most people view the tradeoff to be well worth it if it.
However, so far Microsoft has yet to really show how the Kinect will revolutionize things. Besides big brother gaining access to your Kinect camera remotely, there is also the threat of an external attack on our systems. 
Posted in Games, Hardware, Industry, Microsoft, PS3, PS4, Sony | 14 Comments » Read more from Mike Ferro
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Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone

The new Z10-based Porsche Design smartphone will be called P’9982, and like its predecessor of sorts it will apparently sport a unique UI that isn’t ‘stock’ BlackBerry OS 10. The BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9982 is said to cost more than USD$2000.

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Motorola’s Moto X Smartphone Gallery

The Moto X, which marks Motorola Mobility’s first hardware collaboration with parent company Google, is expected to come with a dual core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage and an HD display.
View New Motorola’s Moto X smartphone gallery now!

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Bioshock Infinite’s Burial at Sea takes you back to Rapture underwater

Its been nearly four months such Infinite released to critical acclaim. Now Ken Levine’s masterpiece will receive some additional DLC content to bring everyone back to the world of of Bioshock.
Irrational Games will be releasing three pieces of DLC with the first to hit Steam today. The first DLC titled Clash in the Clouds
adds a horde-like mode where you will have to go up against 15 waves of enemies. The DLC will take place on all new maps and players can earn voxaphones detailing backstory information of some of the characters.
Players will be able to see how they rank on the leaderboards and compare against friends. There will be a variety of different types of enemies, new achievements and trophies will be added.
Burial at Sea
is a two-part DLC that will cost $15 per DLC. Gamers can also pick up the season pass for $19.99 and receive all three DLCs. The horde-mode like DLC will set you back about $5.

The concept behind Burial at Sea
is interesting as it allows you to take control of Elizabeth for the first time. Levine stated that making Elizabeth playable was something that was high in demand. Another interesting twist about the game is that its set in Rapture prior to its collapse. The trailer shows off a busy part of Rapture with pedestrians roaming around. Levin confirmed that you will see familiar faces in the underwater city of Rapture.
As to why Elizabeth and Booker is in the world of the first Bioshock game – you’ll just have to beat Infinite to truly understand.  Are you set to go back to the underwater city of Rapture or were you expecting a new adventure back in the clouds?

Posted in Games, Industry, PC, PlayStation 3, PS3, Xbox 360 | 41 Comments » Read more from Mike Ferro
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iOS 7 beta 4 confirms iPhone fingerprint feature

Apple on Monday released iOS 7 beta 4 to developers, with the new iOS version apparently confirming one particular rumored feature for the next-gen iPhone: fingerprint-reading support.
Whether posted intentionally to create buzz around the upcoming iOS handset or by mistake, a folder named “BiomatciKitUI
” has made its way into the fourth beta version of iOS 7, revealing such fingerprint-reading features.
While rumored for quite a while as a unique feature for this year’s new iPhone, fingerprint-reading has not been confirmed – at least indirectly – by Apple when unveiling iOS 7 at WWDC 2013 back in June.
The previous iOS 7 beta releases did not include references to a fingerprint sensor and corresponding functionality, but it looks like this folder has some interesting things to share. Here’s the bit of text that’s quite revealing, as posted by a developer that first found it:
“bplist00_”enroll.tutor.image.label.left.hand_fingerprint.image_#enroll.tutor.image.label.right.hand_fingerprint.status_
Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb_;
A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process._
iPhoto of a person holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb_Recognition is”
Apparently this is the description of the fingerprint-reading technology that will be used to unlock the handset, as read to an user by the iPhone with the VoiceOver feature activated.
Furthermore, 9to5 Mac
reports that the user interface for such a feature has been completed, and the fingerprint sensor will be used to unlock the phone. Other uses for the technology are not clear at this time.
We will remind you that various reports have detailed existing Apple patents related to fingerprint-reading sensors in mobile devices, while certain rumors said that the iPhone 5S production may be delayed because of certain issues with fingerprint-reading sensors.
Moreover, Apple has purchased AuthenTec, a fingerprint sensor developer company, and it’s expected to put that technology to good use in future devices.
In addition to the folder that details fingerprint-reading capabilities for iOS 7, there are other changes in iOS 7 beta 4. Here are some of the most important ones, as described by MacRumors
and 9to5 Mac:The lockscreen has been redesigned to make it clearer to the user how to unlock it. The “slide to unlock” text now has a shifting highlight color and an arrow, while the Notification Center replaces the arrow with a “line shape.”The Notification Center contains a notification for completed uploads, and users can navigate sections by swiping left and right.The Phone app has been apparently modified to “take up less of the phone’s screen,” while the “other actions” buttons – including setting up a reminder or sending a message – have been updated to show less text than before.In the Messages app, the first name and last initial for a contact are used instead of full names.Siri has received an update as well, and it now includes a bunch of suggestions for question types.The Search app which can be accessed by swiping down on the screen comes with a “Cancel” option to dismiss it. A search function is also available in Reminders.Certain app icons for Apple apps have been updated including Mail and Safari, while the Camera app comes with a new HDR button placement. The Folders’ fade animation has been updated to work properly.The Mail application is now faster at deleting emails by swiping, as it has received a “smoother delete animation,” while Safari has new button designs for Bookmarks, Shared Links and Reading List.New icons are available for AirPlay as well, and AirDrop gets sound alerts.iOS 7 will now let users automatically set up an Apple TV by using an iOS device connected to the Apple TV via Bluetooth.iPad multitasking now supports unlimited apps in iOS 7 beta 4, while previous betas only allowed up to 10 apps to be open simultaneously.
iOS 7 is expected to be launched later this year alongside new iPhone models.

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iPhone 5C to feature various colors, plastic body

A cheaper iPhone is coming this fall and it seems like it’ll be called the iPhone 5C.
Multiple reports in the past week point to the rumored name and what consumers can expect. The iPhone 5C will feature a plastic body, come in various colors and will more than likely include the same components as the current iPhone 5.
Apple is also rumored to be releasing the iPhone 5S — a speedier version of the current iPhone — which will come alongside the iPhone 5C and iOS 7, the company’s next-generation mobile operating system.
The Chinese site WeiPhone leaked a purported photo of what the case that will hold the iPhone 5C will look like. In fact, that’s the name that Apple fans will see on the box.
And then today, the rumors continued when a case manufacturer released what it’s calling the iPhone 5C case on Amazon. The French site, NowhereElse.fr broke that news.
Of course, what will set the iPhone 5C apart from the current iPhone is its bright colors. China Labor Watch issued a report, according to the Wall Street Journal, about poor working conditions that included information about the production of the new plastic iPhone.
MacRumors gives us an idea on what colors we can expect: A reddish/orange, light yellow, white, blue and green. Of course, those colors won’t be seen if the user covers it up with a case.
The iPhone 5C is expected to cost less than $200 — most likely $100 — only if the iPhone 5S remains at its $200 price with a two year contract from a cellular carrier. But let’s say the iPhone 5S starts at a higher storage amount and includes a handful of exclusive features; I wouldn’t put it past Apple to start the iPhone 5C at $200 and start the iPhone 5S at $300 or $350.
Posted in iOS, iPhone, Rumor | No Comments » Read more from Andrew Dodson
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New Smartphone Moto X from Google’s Motorola

Google’s Motorola will unveil their new Moto X smartphone at a press event in New York, the 1st of August.
Today we saw what were reported to be the final press shots of the Motorola Moto X, before the handsets official unveiling later this week.
The Moto X is rumored to come in a wide range of colors, and the handset will apparently be highly customizable, although as yet we do not know exactly what sort of custom options will be available on the device.
The Motorola Moto X is rumored to feature a 4.7-inch 720p display with on-screen navigation keys, 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 10.5-megapixel rear and 2.1-megapixel front cameras, 2GB RAM and a 2,200mAh battery.

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Microsoft takes a $900 million hit on Surface RT tablets

Microsoft has announced its earnings for Q2 2013, and the results are a mixed bag. One obvious negative, however, is the $900 million writedown officially blamed on “inventory adjustments” related to the Surface RT tablet line.
The $900 million figure comes as a result of unsold Surface RT tablets, with Microsoft rumored to have built between 3 million and 5 million units, and consequently rumored to have sold only around 1 million units. It was only last weekend that Microsoft announced a series of price cuts which saw the 32GB Surface RT tablet drop from $499 to $349 and the 64GB Surface RT drop from $599 to $499.
In real terms this hit caused the company’s earnings for the quarter to drop from 66 cents per share to 59 cents per share. Both figures were lower than the 75 cents per share Wall Street analysts were predicting.
Microsoft Surface with RT, to give it its official billing, was meant to offer an affordable alternative for those who wanted Windows on a tablet but didn’t need the full capabilities Windows 8 has to offer. Unfortunately Windows RT isn’t great, and the Surface RT tablets don’t (or at least didn’t before the recent price cuts) represent good value for money.
Have you purchased a Surface RT tablet yet? I suspect not, as very few people have done. I’m not even sure mainstream consumers know what a Surface RT tablet is, quite frankly. Many may not even be aware you can get Windows 8 in any form on a tablet, as their knowledge of the market begins and ends with the Apple iPad.
This is a huge problem that Microsoft needs to remedy if it hopes to keep the Surface brand going. Which looks likely given the strong rumors that a new line of Surface tablets are to be launched in the very near future. If Microsoft doesn’t breathe life into the Surface brand then they could have another Zune on their hands.
Posted in Microsoft Surface, News, Opinion, Windows 8 | No Comments » Read more from Dave Parrack
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Cops and politicians demand smartphone killswitches

Public officials from around the country have formed a partnership to lobby smartphone firms to introduce anti-theft measures. They’ve kicked off with a summit of the major companies.

The partnership, dubbed the “Secure Our Smartphones Iniative”, brings together the attorneys general of seven states, city prosecutors, police chiefs, local political officials and safety and consumer groups.
The group cites a statistic that 113 cellphones are lost or stolen in the US every minute, with a high proportion involving violent theft. It also says that 1.6 million people were hit by robberies or attempted robberies from criminals demanding they hand over their smartphones.
San Francisco district attorney George Gascon says it’s a simple issue: “The cell phone industry cannot ignore that smartphone theft is a crime that can be fixed with a technological solution.”
Though that might be something of an overstatement, the officials are convinced smartphone theft would drop dramatically if crime victims could take action to stop a thief using the phone or resetting it so it could be sold on. They’ve repeatedly called for some sort of killswitch feature, though gave a cautious welcome to a planned Apple feature that will make resetting a phone impossible without a password.
The group says that as well as working to encourage manufacturers to introduce a kill switch and other measures, it will explore the economics behind the issue from the perspective of the manufacturer and cellphone carriers. Some critics have suggested manufacturers have little interest in reducing theft because somebody who has a phone stolen will need to buy a new one, boosting sales. Security firm Lookout estimated the total costs to US consumers replacing lost or stolen phones could hit $30 billion a year.
Representatives of Apple, Microsoft, Motorola (owned by Google) and Samsung are today meeting at the officer of New York state attorney general Eric Schneidermen, who co-chairs the group with Gascon.
Posted in smartphone | 1 Comment » Read more from John Lister
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Want beta access to Mac OS X Mavericks? Work for Apple retail

Apple is extending a beta program for its next-generation Mac OS X Mavericks to retail employees, creating what appears to be a tradition for new operating systems.
Retail staff employees received an invite from Apple today, reports 9to5 Mac. Apple offered a similar program last year for the release of Mac OS X Mountain Lion. The memo reads:
You are invited to participate in the pre-release OS X Mavericks seed program. Participation, including submitting feedback, is completely voluntary and not an expectation of your job. If you accept, we will provide you with a pre-release version of OS X Mavericks to install and use. You will get to preview all of the exciting new features like iBooks, Maps, Calendar, Safari, iCloud Keychain, Multiple Displays, Notifications, Finder Tabs, Tags, and much more! You should use OS X Mavericks only your personal computer and on your personal time. Apple will provide you with ways to submit feedback on your experiences with OS X Mavericks, should you choose to do so. Apple also asks that you use future builds of OS X Mavericks as they are made available. The responses from prior seed programs have been overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to everyone who participated!
The program, as stated in the invite, is designed to work out the early bugs of the new operating system, which is expected to be released this fall for $19.99 via the Mac App Store.
Of course, that’s not the only way to take advantage of Mac OS X Mavericks. You could also sign up for Apple’s developer’s program, but that’s going to cost you $99-$500. And it’s pretty worthless if you don’t know how to code.
This does raise an interesting questions, from the developer’s point of view: Should the public — even Apple retail employees — get access to the operating system?
Blorge will take a stand here and say: Absolutely. It’s a huge advantage to have testers, especially testers who have a passion for Apple products. They know what makes Apple products so great and how to use them to their fullest potential. Consumers will also be happy when the version comes out more bug-free.
So far, reactions have been positive. One MacRumors forum poster, who appears to be a developer, writes, “Mavericks is very smooth for an initial beta.”
I think it’s a safe bet to say Mavericks could be the best yet.

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Lifelike Wobble Thanks to ETH Zurich Software

The cartoon characters so loved by young and old audiences alike are becoming increasingly lifelike. In order for them to look realistic, animators invest a lot of time in making a fat belly wobble as naturally as possible while walking, for instance. A project by ETH Zurich and Disney Research should make life easier for the filmmakers in future. Thanks to a new computer software, Professor Peanuts totters and wobbles while walking. (Picture: Fabian Hahn, ETH Zurich) (large view) ETH Zurich doctoral student Fabian Hahn shows how Professor Peanuts, a cartoon elephant, totters across the screen. The animal looks stiff and not particularly lifelike. “In real life, the trunk and ears would also sway and the fat belly wobble along,” stresses Hahn. If animators move a virtual character, they have to mind which body parts would move along indirectly in real life by observing reality closely and transferring it to the virtual realm. Such indirect movements include for instance the wobble of a belly or the bulging of a muscle during an arm movement. Until now, filmmakers have had the choice of either painstakingly creating these additional movements by hand or relinquishing the control: There are already computer programmes that add such effects to an existing animation. However, the automation makes subsequent changes tricky. In the course of his doctoral thesis under Markus Gross, professor of visual computing, Hahn teamed up with Bob Sumner of Disney Research to develop a new software programme that makes life easier for the artists by proposing additional movements, which the artists can easily adapt afterwards. Existing programmes that automatically add effects like the wobbling of a stomach do not use the typical animator’s toolbox, the so-called rig space – the sum of the levers the artists use to move for instance the character’s whole stomach, which consists of many individual dots. Instead, these programmes calculate the movement for every individual point instead of the levers, which makes subsequent improvements difficult. In order to adjust the animation, the artist has to painstakingly shift every single dot – for twenty-four frames per second of film! Unlike previous software, however, Hahn’s programme uses the levers in the rig space to mimic physical effects and make the wobbling look as realistic as possible (video). As the programme uses the levers, the artists can easily make changes at a later stage using the rig space levers as usual to move entire body parts instead of shifting individual dots. Last year, Hahn published a prototype of the programme that still took a long time to test the movement of all levers until a physical effect was simulated optimally. Now he is showcasing a new version of programme at the SCA, one of the most important conferences in the world for computer animation. The new programme calculates how it has to move the levers correctly much more quickly. To achieve this, Hahn incorporated the option of anticipating the movements for the next images in the animation sequences into the software. Consequently, the programme no longer tests all the degrees of freedom of all levers for each of the twenty-four frames per second. Instead, it assumes that the movements calculated for one frame – ascertained by automatically trying out all levers in all degrees of freedom – are also suitable for the next couple of frames. At the same time, it calculates how far the estimation strays from reality. If the anticipation deviates too much, the programme tests all the degrees of freedom of the levers again. Using this technique, the programme conjures up images on the screen much more quickly that are as close to reality as ever before. Thus Professor Peanuts wobbles and totters across the screen, a movement the programme now only needs minutes, not hours, to calculate. Another advantage is that the software also prevents volume from being lost on the animated characters, as Hahn explains, pointing to the ring of fat belonging to a sumo wrestler that grows noticeably flatter in the “hand-animated” movement (video). His programme, on the other hand, ensures that it bulges while moving and the mass remains intact. Although there are no official plans to use the software as yet, Hahn hopes that his programme developed in collaboration with Disney Research will be used in animated films in the near future. Perhaps a pot-bellied Professor Peanuts will be wobbling across the big screen in the next few years – with an air of ETH Zurich. F. Hahn, S. Martin, B. Thomaszewski, R. Sumner, S. Coros, M. Gross. Rig-Space Physics; Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH (Los Angeles, USA, August 5-9, 2012), ACM Transactions on Graphics, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 72:1-72:8
F. Hahn, B. Thomaszewski, S. Coros, S. Martin, R. Sumner, M. Gross. Efficient simulation of secondary motion in rig-space; Proceedings of the 2013 ACM SIGGRAPH/Eurographics Symposium on Computer Animation (Anaheim, USA, July 19-21, 2013)

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The Online Service That Lets You Rent Bikes ‘Round the World

 Spinlister will let you rent bikes from friendly strangers
There’s no better way to see a city — or the countryside — than on a bicycle. It’s the reason bike rental services exist in so many big cities. There’s just one problem: most rental bikes suck. Well, there are two problems, actually: It’s also pretty hard to find a bike rental place outside of a big city. Which explains why Spinlister, a service that lets people rent out their personal bikes to (hopefully) friendly strangers, is so exciting for weekend getaways.
Essentially, it’s like an AirBnB for bikes. You enter the city or zip code where you need a rental, and it kicks back a big old list of two-wheeled wonders. Well, a big old list in some places, at least. There were all sorts of rides in San Francisco and Portland, a handful in Austin and Cincinnati, and one lonely bicycle in Birmingham, Alabama.
But, for a new service, the offerings are surprisingly robust. (We weren’t really expecting to see any in Birmingham, to be honest.) And while these aren’t demo-quality bikes, they do tend to be much nicer than the rustbuckets you’ll pick up from most bike rental shops. And some are just completely awesome. Ride on!

Mat Honan is a senior writer for Wired's Gadget Lab and the co-founder of the Knight-Batten award-winning Longshot magazine.
Read more by Mat Honan
Follow @mat on Twitter.

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The iPad Mini 2 is the tablet to beat all tablets, possibly

If the rumors about the iPad Mini 2, due to be released before the end of 2013, are true, then the latest Apple tablet could be the tablet to beat all tablets. No, I’m serious.
I have been writing about the iPad since before it was even announced. Months prior to the day when Steve Jobs stood on stage and presented the iPad to the world there were rumors galore that Apple’s next big product was going to be a tablet. And so it came to pass.
However, in all the time that has passed since then I haven’t purchased an iPad. The reasons are many and varied, but the iPad Mini 2 may just be good enough to make them all inconsequential. At least if the current (and fairly persistent) rumors are to be believed.
The leak suggests that the iPad Mini 2 will feature a Retina Display boasting 2048 X 1536 pixels. This is the same number the full-sized iPad boasts, but crammed into a 7.9-inch screen. The iPad Mini 2 may also feature a dual-core A6X processor, which would be a big improvement on the current model.
Furthermore, the iPad Mini 2 may have slimmer bezels, an 8-megapixel iSight camera on the rear and a 2-megapixel FaceTime camera on the front. Last but not least will be an improved battery and a slightly larger body to comfortably house it.
I’ve always argued that the 7- to 8-inch tablets are the most versatile and useful, and this would fit that bill. And with all the small annoyances and disappointments from the original iPad Mini corrected this could be a very easy tablet to sell to the masses.
The only sticking point may be the price. Apple is struggling to innovate in the way it was a decade ago, with incremental upgrades to its existing product line becoming standard procedure. But it has one trick remaining up its sleeve… a healthy price cut.
If the iPad Mini 2 is cheaper than the original then it could be the essential tablet to own. On paper it looks the business, but will Apple and Tim Cook deliver the goods?
Posted in iPad, News, Opinion, Rumor | No Comments » Read more from Dave Parrack
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Nokia Lumia 1020: You Will See Things You Have Never Seen Before

The Nokia Lumia 1020 marks the beginning of the end of Nokia’s transition period. After almost two years of launching the Lumia range of smartphones, Nokia finally has something that would make buyers notice its product while they are deciding whether they should go for the latest iPhone or Galaxy smartphone. Despite the weakness of Windows Phone as a platform when compared to iOS and Android, over the past two years Nokia has managed to come up with a decent package of hardware, software and services to make up for the missing bits.
If the Nokia Lumia 1020's camera does perform as claimed (it did during my brief experience with the smartphone), it would be a pretty compelling offering.

Think about it, the Lumia 1020 would have the best camera performance combined with a music store that offers unlimited tracks to download for free and it also has one of the best offline navigation software on any smartphone. While Nokia’s Lumia smartphones were already doing well in the entry and mid-level segments, the Nokia Lumia 1020 could be the key to success in the high-end segment, which was missing so far.
Having said that, it is too early to root for Nokia’s future success. The company still has a few obstacles to overcome. The first and foremost being its partnership with Microsoft and Windows Phone as a platform. Nokia has consistently got the hardware right but has always been let down by Windows Phone, which lacks apps and is not as polished or evolved as Android and iOS. Major app developers prefer to make apps for Android and iOS, while developing them for Windows Phone seems like an afterthought and often after being paid to developed for the platform. Heavy smartphone users prefer using the other two platforms as Microsoft has failed repeatedly to catch up with them in a quest to be perceived as being different. The lack of a proper centralized notification system, for instance, is hard to explain.
Secondly, Nokia is still struggling to roll out its smartphones at a faster pace. With limited marketing budgets and production capacity, it has to stagger its launches that take a couple of quarters to reach major markets while Samsung rolled its Galaxy S4 smartphone in over 110 countries in a fortnight. Even if Nokia has a great product like the Lumia 1020, people would consider to buy it only if it is available in their country. Think about it, the Lumia 925 is not available in most markets yet and Nokia had to announce the Lumia 1020. Even hardcore Nokia fans would now be compelled to not buy the Lumia 925 and instead wait for the Lumia 1020. And who knows, by the time the Lumia 1020 is available across markets, Nokia might have something else to offer.
During my interactions with senior Nokia executives it became clear that they are aware of the situation but it remains a challenge and they are making the best of what they have. Despite these challenges, it is refreshing to see how Nokia continues to innovate with the resources it has and is playing to its strengths. Rather than buying off the shelf image sensors for the 41-megapixel PureView camera, Nokia has designed the entire assembly including the optical image stabilization bit internally, which means its rivals won’t be able to easily replicate the main USP of the Nokia Lumia 1020.
Having its own music store, navigation software and acquiring Scalado, which makes the UI for most smart camera apps that you currently see on rival smartphones, will buy Nokia some time. But what Nokia needs the most at this time is a major hit at the top-end segment and it is hoping the Nokia Lumia 1020 will be that smartphone.

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Rockstar’s Agent is still alive, GTA V PC petition nears quarter million

PS3 exclusive title, Agent has been in development limbo for quite some time over at Rockstar. The game was announced back in June 2009 during Sony’s E3 presser.
It seems like we revisit this title every year with no new information about the game. Take-Two did update investors that this game was indeed still in development back in 2011. The game was brought up during Take-Two’s Q1 2013, earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that the publisher was not ready to announce anything about the title at the time.
Fast forward to this year, head of Sony Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida was asked if Agent would be coming to the PS4 instead. Yoshida stated, “You are asking the wrong person. I have some knowledge, but I’m not in a position to talk about it.”
Rockstar’s Sam Houser previously described the game as being set during the Cold War and "the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations.”
Just this week, Take-Two renewed its trademark for the game Agent. You can also find the official Agent webpage up on Rockstar’s site currently.
In other news, Grand Theft Auto V is starting to gain momentum with PC gamers turning to Rockstar to bring the game.
While Rockstar has refused to clearly state if the game will be coming to the PC or not, recent job listings did call for an experienced engineer for porting code over to the PC. There is almost a quarter million member who have signed up on the petition.
Members interested to submitting this. Rockstar previously stated that a PC or Wii U version is still up in the air. Stay tuned for more details.
Posted in Games, Industry, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | 16 Comments » Read more from Mike Ferro
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The Raspberry Pi mini computer starts at $25

Imagine a computer slightly bigger than an Altoids box that only costs $25.  These tiny computer has been developed for kids to make it easy for them to learn how to program using Linux.  The computer hooks up to a TV and a keyboard, plays Blu-Ray discs, and runs Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux.  Hopefully kids will play around with programing like they used to in the 80’s and 90’s.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK charity.  The actual idea for the Raspberry Pi mini computer started in 2006 with Eben Upton, a lecturer at Cambridge University.  One of his roles also included admissions.  He noticed that the experience of applicants interested in Computer Science had changed drastically.  Rather than kids who were playing around with programming on the family computer, the current applicants had little to no experience with computer programming.
He and fellow colleagues from the university like Rob Mullins and Alan Mycroft started pondering how to get kids programming again.  Upton started building prototypes of Raspberry Pi.  In 2008, processor chips designed for mobile devices became powerful enough and cheap enough to provide good multimedia support.
The current models are the size of a credit card. An illustration of the computer can be found below. The minicomputers will do about everything a regular computer will do including word processing, spreadsheets, gaming, and playing videos.  Both models have the same components but different amounts of RAM.  The A model has 128 MB and the B model has 256 MB.  To put this in perspective, the latest cell phone models have one gigabyte of RAM so we aren’t talking computers that will do a lot of multitasking.
According to EcoGeek, the performance of the computer will be similar to a 300 MHZ pentium processor.  The actual processor in use is an ARM based system on a chip.  These should be easy to power up since they will run off of four AA batteries.  The model A will require only a 300 mA charger and the model B a 700 mA charger.  Solar power is also an option.
As mentioned earlier, the idea behind these computers is to provide a small affordable computer for kids to learn programming. The foundation has gotten a lot of interest from the educational community and developing countries.  Inquiries have also come from museums and hospitals who want to use the Raspberry Pi to run displays. Of course, people interested in building robots are interested in these little boards. While the computers are aimed at kids, they sound like they might be a lot of fun to play with for adults as well.
The first production run will be 10,000 and will go on sale at the end of this month.  Orders are limited to one per person.  The Raspberry Pi will come uncased and can be ordered from raspberrypi.com.  The model A will cost $25 and the model B, $35.
The Foundation does expect to offer a buy one, donate one option at some time in the future and as with all charity organizations, they accept donations.

Tags: computers, Fedora, Linux, Raspberry Pi Posted on: February 24th, 2012 by Susan Wilson
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