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Samsung I9220 and I9250 super-phones are fiction; roadmap leak denied
HTC Vigor to be first smartphone powered by Beats Audio?
HTC Sensation Android 2.3.4 OTA update now live
Valve is planning a Counter-Strike reboot for 2012?
Dell says goodbye to the Streak 5, but accessories live on
Huawei branded smartphones arrive in the UK next month
Report: Apple begins A6 trial production without Samsung
How iPads are redesigning Disney World [video]
HP TouchPad Go: 7in webOS tablet revealed
Google+ Games: all the launch titles

Samsung I9220 and I9250 super-phones are fiction; roadmap leak denied

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 10:26 AM PDT

Samsung's alleged roadmap leak by the Lithuanian site Mobili quickly conjured up dreams of grandeur. A rumor that Samsung would be launching nine smartphones and two tablets was enough to spread like wildfire throughout the blogosphere. Today in an change of events, Samsung formally responded by denying the claims.

It's not often that a top-tier manufacturer responds to Internet rumors. Samsung decided to grab the bull by the horns and step in front of yesterday's alleged roadmap leak. Commendable, but details in the press release were sparse and not exactly convincing. Have a look for yourself:

"Some media have been reporting that Samsung is preparing to launch nine new smartphones and two new tablet devices. While Samsung is continuously working on new devices for our customers, the details being cited are not accurate in this case.

We appreciate the interest in our upcoming mobile devices and will share more information once its available."

The response does not debunk all aspects of the alleged roadmap leak. In fact, as Sammy Hub so aptly points out, it might just be a case of false model numbers or discrepancies in specs — not the actual number of devices. With IFA 2011 just around the corner the rumors will soon be laid to rest.

via Sammy Hub

HTC Vigor to be first smartphone powered by Beats Audio?

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Yesterday news broke that HTC had invested $300 million to become the majority shareholder in Beats Audio. The fruits of this 51 percent stake may bear a smartphone sooner than expected. The rumored HTC super phone, the HTC Vigor, will reportedly become the first handset to sport the Beats by Dr. Dre moniker.

The HTC Vigor is a beast of a handset. Rumors point to a 720p HD display (1280×720 pixels), 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and a Qualcomm Adreno GPU. Clearly the Vigor represents the gold standard in smartphone flagships. With Beats Audio on-board, HTC might have an answer for Samsung's high-end Android dominance in 2012.

via Gizmodo

HTC Sensation Android 2.3.4 OTA update now live

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT

A sweet taste of Android Gingerbread (v 2.3.4) is headed to European owners of the HTC Sensation. The update is reportedly 41MB in size and upgrades both the OS and the device's firmware to version 1.45.401.2. According to a report from Eurodroid, the update has already started to hit Sensation owners in Germany.

Riding the latest build of Android is always a treat. As HTC's GSM flagship, the Sensation's arrival to 2.3.4 is well deserved. Besides Germany, users have reported receiving the update in Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Croatia and Italy.

If you are the proud owner of the HTC Sensation and currently reside outside of the countries listed above, please let us know when you receive your update notification. Also, if the update makes any changes to the bootloader fiasco we'd love to know, thanks.

via Eurodroid

Valve is planning a Counter-Strike reboot for 2012?

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Ah, the days of playing Counter-Strike for hours on end may soon return. According to Kotaku, Valve is working on a new version of the classic title, due out in 2012. The game will be called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and thanks to supporting evidence on Steam forums, Twitter and gaming blogs, the news is shaping up to be more than just water cooler fodder.

Over on the Steam forums a thread has been started for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive which says "more info in the morning". The details revealed thus far suggest the game with be released in the first quarter of 2012 and it will focus on 5v5 competition. A press release is expected within 24 hours from Valve and the game plays on an updated source engine.

The forum thread also confirms there will be both individual and team rankings, new guns, new grenades, Dust and Aztec map revamps, free ammo and "spamming is still viable". Good news for campers, but bad news for those who like myself, lack patience. More info to follow.

via Kotaku

Dell says goodbye to the Streak 5, but accessories live on

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 07:30 AM PDT

Owners of the Dell Streak 5 are now part of a small and select group. The company has listed the Streak 5 as "no longer available" and wished the pint-sized slate a formal goodbye message on its website. Though the tablet has met its demise, Dell will be happily sell you accessories at a full price.

The Dell tablet portfolio now consists of the Dell Streak 7 and the Inspiron duo, commonly referred to as the "convertible tablet". Discontinuing the Streak 5 was a long time in the making. Following several promotional bundles which deeply discounted the tablet with the purchase of a new Dell desktop or laptop, the stockpiles finally ran dry.

If you're in the market for accessories, Dell still carries a full line up including: an extra battery kit, leather wallet case, home audio & video dock kit, form fit case, AC adapter, USB charge and sync cable and an international plug kit. The bumpy road is over, long live the Dell Streak 5.

via Engadget

Huawei branded smartphones arrive in the UK next month

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT

The days of Huawei as an OEM manufacturer in the UK are coming to a close. The company has confirmed plans to start selling a line of its own branded smartphone early next month. Not only will the smartphone carry the Huawei name, the company has set a goal to capture four to five percent of the UK smartphone market share within a year.

Starting from scratch is never easy to do. After years of selling customized handsets direct to mobile phone networks who re-brand the devices, the shift to retail branded sales is a big step. While speaking with Bloomberg News, Huawei's UK executive vice president said, "We're trying to establish the brand" and we'll competed with "anyone involved in Android".

In order to reach the goal of four to five percent market share, Huawei is planning to ship up to 20 million smartphones this year. That's a major bump over earlier sales targets for the year of 12 to 15 million units. To put the shipments into perspective, in 2010 the company shipped 3.3 million smartphones. Anyone else think Huawei’s eyes might be too big for its stomach?

via Cellular-News

Report: Apple begins A6 trial production without Samsung

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 06:32 AM PDT

The successor to the 1GHz dual-core A5 processor powering the iPad 2 has just begun trial production. The custom designed, high performance, lower power system-on-a-chip (SoC) is unlike years past — Apple is using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. instead of Samsung. According to the Taiwan Economic News report, the A6 processors will be 28-nanometer SoCs that feature dual-cores and ARM-based architecture.

According to multiple anonymous industry sources, the A6 processors will be release in the second quarter next year at earliest. The move from Samsung to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. comes following the patent disputes which have sidelined the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in parts of Europe and Australia. While shocking, reports dating back to June have hinted that Apple and Samsung would soon part ways for processor production.

For now, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is beginning a trial run. As the world's largest contract microchip manufacturer it's safe to say Samsung should be worried about lost revenues if Apple decides to follow through with the Taiwan-based company.

via BGR

How iPads are redesigning Disney World [video]

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT

Since Steve Jobs is Disney’s largest individual shareholder, it’s not all that surprising to see the company’s imagineers (aka designers and engineers to the rest of us) using the iPad in a major redesign project at Disney World in Florida. The team creating a new version of the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland have released an interesting video showing how they use the tablets and proprietary Disney software to manipulate 3D images of new buildings in the field.

The iPads are also used to grab pictures and video of problem areas and to have meetings on the fly. While there are plenty of Android tablets that could do the job, we’re sure Steve would say they’re just not “magical” enough for the Magic Kingdom. Click through to see the video. It’s a great behind-the-scenes insight into how a theme park gets put together…

Out now | £NA | Disney (via TUAW)

HP TouchPad Go: 7in webOS tablet revealed

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 03:33 AM PDT

The HP TouchPad has just had a price cut in the US and looks like it’s struggling but the company is forging ahead with its next webOS tablet. The HP TouchPad Go, a 7in model, has popped up in documents from the Federal Communications Commission. We first heard about a 7in webOS tablet in January this year when it was referenced in HP documents with the codename Opal.

While HP hasn’t officially announced the HP TouchPad Go yet, the FCC filing reveals that it’s currently rocking a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor and 3G. Those specs could obviously change before it makes it to the shelves but it’s rumoured to be set for release later this month. Are you tempted by a more pocket-friendly HP TouchPad or have previous 7in models like the BlackBerry PlayBook put you off? Click the headline and hop into the comments to tell us.

Out TBC | £TBC | HP (via BGR)

Google+ Games: all the launch titles

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 03:23 AM PDT

Google has added games to its Google+ social network, meaning just like Facebook you can use it to play online when you're not conversing with friends. And some of the titles are from big name developers who've made games for Facebook, such as PopCap, Playdom, Rovio, Kabam, Wooga, GameHouse, EA, Funzio, and Digital Chocolate.

Want the lowdown on all 16 launch titles to hit Google+ Games? Head right this way. But be prepared to lose a lot of hours…

Google+ is rolling out games gradually, according to an official blogpost, so don’t worry if the Games tab is yet to appear in your feed. It’ll pop up between the Circles and the search bar, so keep a lookout for it. Click it and you'll have access to all the below games, click back and it'll vanish from your stream. "Games in Google+ are there when you want them and gone when you don't," reads the blogpost. "If you're not interested in games, it's easy to ignore them."

Though we don't know who'd want to ignore this little lot.

Angry Birds

Yes, it's online, on iPad, Android, and now on Google+ too. You know the score, fling the birds, destroy the pigs. Winner every time.

Bejeweled Blitz

A firm Facebook favourite, with over 10 million monthly active users, this is a puzzler along the lines of Columns on the old Game Gear. Match the jewels to make them vanish and earn points.

Bubble Island

Another Facebook classic, with just shy of 10 million people playing every month. You have to shoot a bubble canon and pop bubbles of matching colours.

City of Wonder

Smaller on Facebook than the others, City of Wonder sees you developing civilizations through the Stone Age, Classical Age, Modern Age, and more. Like an olden day Sim City.

Collapse! Blast!

Again, another less known Facebook game, but a gem nonetheless. You have to blast your way through coloured blocks in a series of frenzied 60 second challenges.

Crime City

This has over 5 million monthly players on Facebook, and is like GTA meets Sim City. So, a bit like Mafia, then.

Diamond Dash

Very similar to Bejeweled, it's another puzzler that requires you to match colours to do away with lines and earn points.

Dragon Age Legends

An epic RPG that sees you trying to prevent "an abomination from destroying the Free Marcher city of Kaiten in a hedonistic orgy of narcissism and opulence." Which is our idea of a good time.

Dragons of Atlantis

Grow an army, and protect it with dragons. Play with friends and together you can conquer all of Atlantis.

Edge World

Another epic sci-fi game, similar to Age of Empires or Glory of Rome. And you're guided along the way by an AI computer that's sure to have teenage boys pleased.

Flood-It!

Complicated colours-based puzzler in which you have a limited number of turns to spread the colours across the game space.

Monster World

Grow and harvest chocolate flowers, unicorn trees, and others, creating your own world. A bit like Farmville, but with monsters.

Sudoku

Numbers-based puzzler that took the world by storm a few years ago.

Wild Ones

Trash-talking bunnies with rocket launchers? Yes please.

Zombie Lane

Zombie shooter that's great fun. Use shovels or shotguns to take down the zombies, and you can play with pals.

Zynga Poker

Classic poker sim. And the woman holding the cards looks a bit like Jessica rabbit, which is no bad thing.