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Xbox 360 portable, Milestone 3, Nokia N9: US Update
The secrets behind Carl Zeiss optics: Nokia N8 super powers revealed [video]
Apple to Samsung: Your request to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 is denied
Motorola Droid 3 for US eyes only, Milestone 3 UK release cancelled?
Nokia to unveil ‘market disrupting device’ June 21: MeeGo-powered N9 incoming?
Duke Nukem Forever review: An immature ghost laid to rest
Nintendo Wii U: five future uses
The history of 3D in five parts: Don’t call it a come back
Xbox 360 portable does not exist, buy a Windows Phone
The best Android keyboard apps, Xbox 360 3D and Archos Honeycomb plans: Lunchtime Lowdown

Xbox 360 portable, Milestone 3, Nokia N9: US Update

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 09:50 AM PDT

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, it's that time for your evening tech news round up. In today's US Update we get to the bottom of the Xbox 360 portable rumors, preview Nokia's MeeGo announcement, track down the Milestone 3, update the Samsung Apple lawsuit and wrap up with a look at the secrets behind the Nokia N8 optics.

Despite what you've heard, Microsoft has no plans of releasing a portable Xbox 360 console. The company has gone on record to state the future of Xbox gaming on-the-go begins and ends with Windows Phone. At Nokia Connection 2011 an unnamed MeeGo device is expected to headline the show. The odds on favorite is the Nokia N9.

Clove has no plans to stock the Motorola Milestone 3. Rumors are now circulating suggesting the third generation Milestone, known as the Droid 3 in the states, will remain a stateside-only affair. Apple has responded to Samsung's request to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3. The request was denied on the basis that Apple's claims against Samsung only pertain to current products, not upcoming releases.

Last in this morning is a great video explaining the secrets behind the Nokia N8 12-megapixel sensor. The video is coincidentally recorded entirely using the N8 and that alone speaks volumes. Regardless of how you feel about Symbian, these sensors are impressive. That wraps up the latest and greatest in the wild world of tech news. As always I'm Nick Marshall and I'll see you again tomorrow.

The secrets behind Carl Zeiss optics: Nokia N8 super powers revealed [video]

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Great minds agree — Nokia smartphones offer the best optics available. One device in particular, the Nokia N8, has shown it's 12-megapixel sensor is something quite special. Leaving point-and-shoot cameras in its wake, the N8 is an excellent example of what Carl Zeiss optics can do for mobile photography. Here are the secrets behind the magic.

The combination of a glass lens, large sensor, and 4-element Tessar optics set the foundation. The continued partnership between Nokia and Carl Zeiss focuses on creating optics which withstand normal influences of use, drops of one meter, and deliver distortion free images with fine detail for poster-size magnifications.

With an update coming that promises to add 720p HD video at 30fps (up from 25fps) along with continuous autofocus, the Nokia N8 might soon replace your HDSLR.

Out Now | Nokia | £339 SIM Free

Apple to Samsung: Your request to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 is denied

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:41 AM PDT

The ensuing legal battle between Apple and Samsung now faces a double standard. After the court granted Apple permission for its lawyers to see certain Samsung products, a similar request from Samsung to see Apple's upcoming iPhone 5 and iPad 3 has been denied.

Apple responded by blocking Samung's request, citing it was "an attempt to harass Apple by demanding production of extremely sensitive trade secrets that have no relevance to Apple's likelihood of success on its infringement claims or to a preliminary injunction motion".

At face value, Samsung's request seems warranted since the iPad and iPhone product samples would only be examined by outside legal counsel, just like Samsung's samples. However, Apple's claim accuses Samsung of copying current products, not future ones. Therefore Apple believes it does not need to produce unreleased products for Samsung's lawyers.

There's sure to be more bumps in the road in this heated legal battle. On Friday, June 17, Samsung is required by the court to produce its samples. At this time the court is expected to reach a decision regarding Samsung's request to see Apple's upcoming portfolio. We'll see where the piece lie come Friday.

via MobileBurn

Motorola Droid 3 for US eyes only, Milestone 3 UK release cancelled?

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:45 AM PDT

The first five-row QWERTY keyboard to grace the Motorola Droid line will reportedly remain stateside. Despite having every reason to believe a third-generation Motorola Milestone would grace both Europe and the UK, online retailer Clove has no plans to carry such device.

Clove has not provided an explanation for why there will not be a Milestone 3, but as geeky-gadgets points out, slow Milestone 2 sales might be to blame. The news is far from official, but should the news come to fruition, here's your fair warning.

Just in case we're jumping the gun on this, the Motorola Milestone 3 (Droid 3) will feature a dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera, HDMI out and of course five-row QWERTY keyboard. The device features Motorola's custom UI, previously dubbed Motoblur.

Any die-hard Milestone owners in attendance? We'd love to hear your take on the rumored cancellation of the Milestone 3. Is this a smart play on Motorola's part or would this news, once confirmed, sending you packing to a new smartphone manufacturer? Sound off.

Update: “We’ve heard this morning that the Droid 3/Milestone 3 will not see a UK release. However, we’ve also heard that Motorola will now release the Motorola Pro in the UK, which is due to launch mid-July and is available to pre-order here.” – Clove.

via geeky-gadgets

Nokia to unveil ‘market disrupting device’ June 21: MeeGo-powered N9 incoming?

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:16 AM PDT

The roller coaster of emotion for die-hard Nokia fans could hit an all-time high next week as Nokia plans to unveil a 'new market disrupting device' on June 21. The announcement will be followed by a live broadcast from Singapore where the company's head honcho, Stephen Elop, will deliver the keynote at Nokia Connection 2011.

There's no telling what this 'market disrupting device' might be, but as TheNokiaBlog points out, Mr. Elop previously described MeeGo as the company's "future disruption in mobile ecosystem". Based on that reference alone we may be looking at a Nokia MeeGo announcement.

PocketNow believes the device in question might be the successor the Nokia N8, the MeeGo-powered N9. In February specs for the N9 were leaked, revealing the device would feature an Intel 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 200 MHz GPU with 512MB RAM, 480 x 854 pixel display, HDMI output, Broadcom BCM4751 GPS chip, NPX Semiconductor PN544 NFC controller, Infineon XMM 6260 3G modem (21 Mbps HSPA+) and a Texas Instruments WiLink 6.0 WL1271 chip (802.11N WiFi, Bluetooth).

Whether or not June 21 is the Nokia N9 announcement, at the very least we hope to see several Windows Phone devices. Following yesterday's patent settlement with Apple, Nokia looks to be closing out the month on a high note. A solid showing of devices at Nokia Connection 2011 could really go a long way in winning back Wall Street.

via ITWire

Duke Nukem Forever review: An immature ghost laid to rest

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:08 AM PDT

Let’s just move on from the Duke Nukem Forever taking forever puns, shall we? They were old long before Gearbox took control of the franchise and rescued it from development limbo. Hell, they were old a decade ago.

The problem with Duke Nukem Forever isn’t that the subject matter is tasteless. It’s that this shooter urinates on the memory of the series a whole generation held dear, through sheer banality. Kind of ironic, since Duke pissing is exactly how the game opens.

In the time it’s taken 3D Realms, and then Gearbox to develop Duke Nukem Forever, Nintendo has announced three home consoles, we’ve had four general elections, and most tragically of all, everyone who played Duke Nukem 3D has grown up.

The problem is, ol’ Duke here simply hasn’t. He’s still the ripped, testosterone-dripping pastiche of 80′s gung-ho action heroes he was in 1996. But in 2011, he’s even more of an anachronox.

Duke’s brilliance a decade and a half ago was the ability to combine crass humour with Doom-like gameplay. Here, Duke is still throwing faeces, but it’s not enough when the game is fundamentally broken. Indeed, it seems all the more pathetic because of it.

Every level of Duke Nukem Forever is a dull slog through dull textures and boring levels. Targeting is jerky, and if the game was intended as a puerile, pyrotechnic extravaganza, it’s not.

“For Duke Nukem it seems, 9/11 never happened, and that’s the greatest tragedy about this game. He’s been wasted.”

With a Halo/Uncharted style two weapon limit, it’s all to easy to run out of ammo in a gamebreaking kind of way, and you’ll spend much of your time darting behind boxes that you can’t crouch behind. How Duke Nukem Forever can mock the current shooter stereotypes (ripe for the taking of the mickey, we might add) while trying and failing, to copy them, is testament to how badly this game has been botched.

Those weapons, too haven’t changed. Shrink-rays, devastators, and absolutely no new guns of interest. The same lack of originality is true of the aliens you fight, the level layout (which you’re often blocked from moving through by invisible walls until a certain event has panned out), and even the gimmicks that did make the cut, such as the level which sees Duke miniaturised and hopping across a kitchen, are exercises in frustration, and a reminder that first person shooters aren’t also jumping platform games for a reason.

See our best Xbox games Top 5 here

It’s just mundane, and it doesn’t help that it looks uglier than a pig cop ( Admittedly, we tested the PS3 version of Duke Nukem Forever, and by all reports, the PC version looks sharper and loads much quicker). Multiplayer fares no better, with plain deathmatch and questionable capture the babe modes – but you can read more about those here.

Instead, all the effort appears to have gone into letting you messs with the surroundings. You can boost your health bar (Or Ego bar) by doing anything from looking at porn on internet to putting rats in the microwave.

See our best PS3 games Top 5 now

Throughout all of this, of course, the voice of Duke, Jon St John, is dropping innocuous remarks about blowjobs, bodily fluids and genitals, and laughing at rape. We’re not going to complain about it being offensive, when Duke 3D was entirely about playing to the Mary Whitehouse crowd (Remember just how scared people were of video games in the 90s?).

The odd comment will make you chuckle (It says a lot that the most amusing thing in the whole game is the opening sequence, which combines 007-style animation with strippers, and Duke punting limbs of aliens), but for the most part, when paired with such drab gameplay, it just feels sad. So much has changed in the last decade, in pop culture, in geo-politics, in gaming, that Duke’s quips simply seem to be missing the target entirely.

No, for Duke Nukem it seems, 9/11 never happened, and that’s the greatest tragedy about this game. He’s been wasted.

Verdict

Looking back, Duke Nukem, the Duke Nukem, the one we remember, was only ever Duke Nukem 3D. The first two instalments were merely throwaway, shareware MS-DOS platformers. For one game, and maybe an expansion pack, Duke Nukem burned bright as a hilarious, concentrated example of everything that was refreshing, everything that was exhilarating about gaming. But it, he, was a supernova. Time has not served him well, and in truth, that should have been the end of it.

Duke Nukem Forever may have taken an eternity, but that name is still bitterly ironic: with it, Gearbox and 3D Realms have laid to rest a legend created by their own incompetence. Play this only if you must see his ghost one more time: we doubt he’ll be back.

Nintendo Wii U: five future uses

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 06:06 AM PDT

The Wii U broke cover last week, with a truly game changing controller that opens up your gaming possibilities something silly. We know what it can be used as (a drawing pad, a separate console of its own, the sights on a shooting game, the tee in a golf sim), but what about other potential uses?

We've racked up five right here, along with the games we'd like to see on the new console. Because this baby's dripping with potential…

1 A map

You're cruising in your droptop sipping on gin and juice, looking for your next drive-by, but you don't want to have to pause to see the map. Well just glance down at the controller's 6.2-inch screen, just like reading a map on your lap in a real car. Hey presto – the action need never stop, and you can let the bullets fly.

For use with: GTA 5

2 An out of body experience

First person shooters: great for aiming, not so amazing at seeing what's around you. If you're engaged in a fight, but want to see what's to your left without ceasing fire, the controller could act as a third person camera, for an at-a-glance view.

For use with: Halo 5

3 A dashboard

Why clutter the screen with needless dials and displays? Unless it's a fighter plane-style heads up display, we want nothing but what you'd see out of the windscreen. Though it is always nice to see exactly how fast you're going, so why not stick the dash on the second screen? We can definitely see the Gran Turismo nuts going for it.

For use with: Gran Turismo 6

4 A notepad for clues

L.A. Noire's plot is so twisting it can be hard to keep up, but not if you've got a handy virtual notepad to hand to jot down clues as to whodunnit. Just don't let anyone commandeer it to make a shopping list. Or doodle on. This detective lark is serious business.

For use with: L.A. Noire 2

5 A book

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition for the longest cut scene in a video game. It's 27 minutes long. Well, you're going to need something to do while it plays through.

For use with: the next Metal Gear Solid

The history of 3D in five parts: Don’t call it a come back

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 06:02 AM PDT

It’s the last part of our history of 3D, tracing the technology back to its roots more than 100 years ago. Today we’re looking at the latest resurgence, and how 3D is moving from the big screen to your living room. Is it here to stay?

5. The resurgence

3D kept a low profile for sometime after the 80s – or at least until James Cameron came along. He first dipped his toe in the 3D waters in 2003 with Ghosts of the Abyss, the first full length 3D IMAX film. It used new tech called Reality Camera System, utilising HD cameras. The Polar Express, featuring the voice of Tom Hanks, was the first fully animated feature length 3D movie, opening the floodgates for Toy Story 3, Up, and a host of others.

But it was James Cameron's Avatar in 2009 and its unobtanium that firmly re-established 3D on people's radars. Cameron wrote it years before, but felt the technology hadn't caught up to his vision. It was filmed using the same Reality Camera System as the IMAX features, with two HD cameras in a single body. It went on to sell more tickets than any film since 1999's Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

Undoubtedly part of its success was due to the resurgence 3D underwent, with Sky 3D launching, Virgin Media outing its own service, never mind the glut of 3D camcorders and cameras flooding the market.

The main recurring complaint people have regarding 3D is they still have to wear glasses, but the Nintendo 3DS has shown it can work just fine without, on a small screen at least. TV manufacturers are working on glasses-free big screen sets, too, and when they come you can be sure 3D will really take off.

With more manufacturers investing in 3D and more 3D movies on the horizon, everything from Men in Black III, The Amazing Spider-Man, Final Destination 5, to reissues of the Star Wars series and Titanic, it looks like this time 3D is here to stay.

Xbox 360 portable does not exist, buy a Windows Phone

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:43 AM PDT

We've heard the Xbox 360 successor, likely the Xbox 720, will be announced at E3 next year. What won't be announced is a portable Xbox 360 to rival the PS Vita. Unlike Sony, Microsoft has yet to crack the portable gaming market and because of this, remains set to deliver Xbox gaming on-the-go through its Windows Phone devices.

Portable gaming profits for next-gen devices are hard to come by. Sony is expected to sell the PS Vita for a loss during its first two years of availability; a similar position it faced with the PS3. Meanwhile Microsoft is enjoying the fruits of its labor with the Xbox 360, but like Sony it took a couple years to get out of the red and into the black.

With the Microsoft Zune closing up shop, it would seem Redmond's camp might welcome a new endeavor. Unfortunately Microsoft has made it very clear — if you want to take your Xbox 360 gaming on the road, it's time to get a Windows Phone.

via DVICE

The best Android keyboard apps, Xbox 360 3D and Archos Honeycomb plans: Lunchtime Lowdown

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:06 AM PDT

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already halfway through the working week. Time to celebrate, we think, and you can do just that by stopping what you’re doing and tucking into the lunchtime lowdown news roundup, with everything from the word on new consoles to tablets.

First up, let’s talk Xbox. The 360 has been the subject of some intriguing reports this morning: firstly, we’re hearing a big 3D update is on the way. That’s not all though: a Crytek employee has claimed that a sequel to the hit console is coming as soon as next year – timed to take on the Wii U.

Over in tablet talk meanwhile, we saw another sign that the iPad 3 could come with one of those new fangled Retina Displays, while we looked at what Archos needs for its Honeycomb tablet to compete when it’s unveiled later this month.

Speaking of Android, we rounded up the best Android keyboard apps, and looked at every single QWERTY available on the Market for you. Which should you choose?

Still want more news? Roll on over to the homepage and help yourself to it all as it breaks!