Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 gets split-screen multitasking hands-on

This week we got the opportunity to take a peek at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and its several multitasking abilities, including the brand new Multiscreen function revealed on this device specifically. This tablet takes on not only multitasking on a new level, but Samsung’s own S-Pen functionality and a lovely setup for taking notes and making illustrations as well. Have a hands-on peek with us at several functions of this tablet in one hands-on video from our Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 full review, up now as well!

Samsung has been busy innovating on the tablet front as well as on the smartphone front with their newest set of devices. If you have a peek at our original Samsung Galaxy S III review, you’ll see how you can play a video above the rest of the work you’re doing to the side. With the Galaxy Note, you’re able to do this same thing, but you’re able to do it to the side as well – Multiscreen allows you to watch a video while you chat, for example.

Multiscreen allows several applications to work side-by-side. These applications are limited to your Gallery, Internet (built-in internet for now, only), Polaris Office, S Note, Video Player, and Email (just Email, not Gmail). In the future we expect more applications to work with Samsung to make this dual-screen functionality a reality for their apps as well – here’s hoping Samsung continues to include this ability in future devices as well so it can catch on.

You’ve also got a dock full of Mini Apps made by Samsung specifically for their Galaxy Tab and Note lineup as well. Here you’ll be able to tap in the center of your dock to bring these apps up, each of them able to open on their own as a window above the screen you’re currently working on. You can write a note with S Note from whatever application you’re in, control your music with a mini controller, see your calendar, and more.

Finally there’s the Recent Apps button that many Android devices now have. Samsung has modified this ability slightly in that you’ll be viewing the apps a bit more their style, but it’s basically the same as with any other Ice Cream Sandwich and later build of Android. Have a peek at the hands-on video above and check out our timeline on this device below to keep up with all the hands-on action you can handle!

NOTE: this device is now out on the market – check out our “unveiled for USA” post for more details!

The AmigaOne X1000: Keeping a dream alive

The 30th anniversary of the Commodore 64 and death of its creator Jack Tramiel earlier this year is a reminder of a bygone age of computing. In the consumer climate of 2012, where computer architecture is dominated by Intel chips, it is hard to imagine another time when a battle for personal computing supremacy occurred between truly different systems. The struggles between Commodore, Atari and Apple throughout the 1980s and early 1990s (of which Jack was an integral part) are well documented. Personalities like Tramiel - who acquired Atari in 1984 after being removed from its main competitor, Commodore, which he had founded thirty years earlier - were often at the center of what became a consumer technologies war. Indeed the rise and fall of the Amiga and Atari ST, in retrospect, was greatly affected by boardroom politics and corporate mud slinging.

Flash forward to 2012 where Intel is king maker - influencing the direction of both Apple Macintosh and PC markets. Motorola and PowerPC chip driven computers like the Amiga have widely been confined to the annals of computer history along with their perceived end note: Apple’s move to Intel chips in 2006. What happens, however, when large scale manufacture of such systems is replaced by the desires of enthusiasts to keep a dream and operating system alive? The answer is AmigaOS 4 and AmigaOne X1000.

Announcements for the AmigaOne X1000 came in the form of a teaser trailer in 2010. Originally marketed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Amiga 1000’s launch in 1985 the machine took an additional two years to reach consumers - mainly due to struggles between development partners. The brainchild of Amiga enthusiast, entrepreneur and Director of A-EON Technologies Trevor Dickinson the X1000 is designed as a dedicated hardware solution for AmigaOS 4. As of December 2011 AmigaOS was at version 4.1 with demonstrations already posted on Youtube.

Limited in terms of production number and costly in comparison to its specifications (circa US$3,200), the system is catering for die hard Amiga fans at this time. The continued survival of the Amiga, for the most part through its operating system since 1994, has given rise to an organic business model born from an assemblage of dedicated users. Indeed it is a scenario somewhat chicken and egg like in nature. If an otherwise defunct operating system like AmigaOS is kept active by users long enough will there come a time when the technological climate is such that this community can revive the parts that are missing? If the AmigaOne X1000 and other hardware developments on the way are a sign of things to come then the answer is yes.

The history of Amiga is one defined by struggle, survival and adaptation. Between 1982 and 1984 development of the original 1000 included many meetings between Amiga Incorporated, Apple, Atari and Commodore in an attempt to secure much needed funds. Eventually acquired by Commodore in 1984 the system was not only improved but incorporated in a way that retained the distinctive nature of its brand alongside that of its parent company. It was this strength, as well as flexibility, of the Amiga brand that ultimately ensured its survival when Commodore finally closed its doors in 1994.

Unforeseeably the brand was still strong enough, at least in 2012, to reposition itself in contemporary PC and Notebook markets like a phoenix from the ashes. This includes separate contributions from Commodore USA LLC. A Florida based company that acquired the rights to use the Commodore and Amiga brands for Intel based system architectures. If the Amiga is a sign of the times it would appear user groups can effectively develop abandoned brands that could even rival their commercial counterparts - potentially forcing the latter into specialist markets. Imagine a world where the third - voluntary and community - sector can make an impact on general consumer markets.

AmigaOne X1000 specs:

• PA Semi Dual-core PA6T-1682M, nominal 2.0GHz (1.8GHz standard) PowerISA™ v2.04+ CPU
• "Xena" 500MHz XMOS XS1-L2 124
• ATI Radeon R700 graphics card
• 2GB RAM
• 500GB Hard drive
• 22x DVD combo drive
• customized case, keyboard and mouse
• 7.1 channel HD audio

Ports and connectors:
• 4x DDR2 RAM slots
10x USB 2.0
• 1x Gigabit Ethernet
• 2x PCIe x16 slots (1x16 or 2x8)
• 2x PCIe x1 slots
• 1x Xorro slot
• 2x PCI legacy slots
• 2x RS232
• 4x SATA 2 connectors
• 1x IDE connector
• JTAG connector
• 1x Compact Flash

Sources : A-Eon, AmigoOS.

Neo Geo X Gold to launch December 6

First released as an arcade system and then two console models in the early 1990's, the Neo Geo's high price and relatively low adoption ensured its sales never reached the heights of more mainstream devices like those made by Nintendo and Sega, but the Neo Geo name still commands a strong cult following to this day due to its fantastic catalog of titles such asFatal Fury, King Of Fighters and Windjammers. Now, more than two decades after its initial release, the Neo Geo is to rise again, reborn as a portable gaming console with included dock and joystick.

The Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System has been brought back to life as the Neo Geo X Gold by Tommo in partnership with SNK Playmore. It promises to offer the benefits of both portable and home-based gaming, with the device itself sporting a 4.3 inch LCD display, an expandable game card slot, internal stereo speakers and headphone jack.

The Neo Geo X Gold can be played with the included Neo Geo X Joystick and Neo Geo X Station dock to both charge the handheld device and transfer the action directly to a TV or monitor via either HDMI or A/V outputs. There are also 20 titles pre-loaded:

• 3 Count Bout
• League Bowling
• Art of Fighting II
• Magician Lord
• Alpha Mission II
• Metal Slug
• Baseball Stars II
• Mutation Nation
• Cyber Lip
• Nam 1975
• Fatal Fury
• Puzzled
• Fatal Fury Special
• Real Bout - Fatal Fury Special
• The King of Fighters '95
• Samurai Showdown II
• King of the Monsters
• Super Sidekicks
• Last Resort
• World Heroes Perfect

"Great game consoles don't die; they're just reborn in much more affordable and convenient packages," enthused Tommo CEO Jonathan Wan. "The Neo Geo X Gold is a love letter to one of my favorite consoles of all time, and working with SNK Playmore to acquire the Neo Geo license, Tommo Inc. looks to provide gaming and entertainment enthusiasts with a classic arcade experience both at home and on the go."

The Neo Geo X Gold is due to be launched worldwide on December 6, with a suggested retail price of US$200. You can register your interest now by visiting NeoGeoX.

Source: Tommo, Inc

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M claims world's fastest laptop GPU title

Hardcore mobile gaming fans have a powerful new graphics processing option in the form of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580M. Billed as the world's fastest notebook GPU and capable of playing the latest games at 1080p in 3D, the new chip can be found under the bonnet of the Alienware M18x and is soon to be featured in the Alienware M17x.

The card features 384 CUDA cores with a processor clocked at 1240MHz and up to 2GB GDDR5 memory clocked at 1500MHz. NVIDIA says that Alienware M17x equipped with GTX 580M using NVIDIA Optimus technology can deliver up to 100fps in Call of Duty: Black Ops and up to 5 hours of battery life while internet browsing, while the Alienware M18x offers the option of doubling gaming performance by having two SLI-paired GTX 580M GPUs on board.

Running on PCI-E 2.0 bus, the GTX 580M is DirectX 11-enabled and supports many NVIDIA's technologies such as:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision technology - a system which automatically converts 2D content (games, movies) into stereoscopic 3D;
• NVIDIA 3DTV Play software - allows for connecting 3D Vision-based notebooks to 3D TVs;
• NVIDIA SLI - links two GTX GPUs which work simultaneously;
• NVIDIA PhysX engine - a system for realistic, GPU-accelerated in-game physics;
• NVIDIA Optimus - enables switching the GPU on and off for longer battery life;
• NVIDIA CUDA architecture - used for GPU-accelerated general purpose computing.

NVIDIA also introduced GeForce GTX 570M laptop GPU, running at 1150MHz with 336 CUDA cores and GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus running at 1500MHz.

The company has published a 3DMark Vantage performance diagram which shows the comparison of its high-end laptop GPUs as well as 3DMark scores of the newest arrivals.

Product pages: GTX 580M, GTX 570M

The first million dollar laptop

March 23, 2007 UK-based bespoke luxury goods creator Luvaglio has created the first million dollar laptop. That’s what the first of their luxury laptops will sell for. Full details of the laptop have not been released at this point, but it is known that it incorporates a 17" widescreen LED lit screen with a specially designed anti-reflective glare coating for clear and brighter image, 128GB of Solid State Disk space and a slot loading Blue-Ray drive. There is an integrated screen cleaning device and a very rare coloured diamond piece of jewellery that doubles up as the power button when placed into the laptop and also acts as security identification. Images here, video here.

Luvaglio CEO Rohan Sinclair Luvaglio told Gizmag earlier today: “Unlike many of the highly priced products being released, we took our time to develop something out of the ordinary with real attention to detail. “

“I didn't want us to simply re-house a laptop into a diamond studded casing, or diamond encrust the entire thing simply to make it expensive. We've put thought in from the keyboard down to the power charger. There is an integrated screen cleaning device and a very rare coloured diamond piece of jewellery that doubles up as the power button when placed into the laptop and also acts as security identification. We have used diamonds elsewhere but have given them purpose.”

According to Luvaglio, “the brand is committed to re-defining luxury in a few sectors, technology being one of them.

“Many claim to produce luxury goods but we believe that the true element of luxury is having something that says "YOU", that money can't buy.

“At present and from our previous luxury work, our initial clients will be chosen from this selection as we have already established trust.

“The range to be released shortly would allow the owner to become the creator and visit our showroom at two or three well known upmarket stores we are in discussion with, whereby our selection of materials, finishes and accessories will be available to view and a choice selected.

“The choice will be based on our selection but of course other colours and finishes can be done on request. We have access to diamonds that are simply rare and near impossible to get hold of, so are able to offer a very embodied choice.

“The presentation boxes are of course supplied and finished in the choice that is selected by the client. Exact figures I am unable to provide at present due to negotiations but will certainly be more obtainable then our master piece.”

The first such masterpiece will sell for more than US$1,000,000.

First impressions: Acer reveals Aspire S3 Ultrabook

Acer has announced its first dip into the Ultrabook market at this year's IFA. A more obvious leaning towards the trend-setting MacBook Air design than Toshiba's Portégé Z830 notebook, the Aspire S3 will come with a choice of second generation Intel Core processors, either solid state or hybrid hard drive storage and promises an impressive battery life. We got up close and personal with the pre-production models on show in Berlin, but were left less than impressed.

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Externally, the light aluminum/magnesium alloy chassis and the fingerprint-free metal finish lid of the new Aspire S3 from Acer certainly gives it the look of Apple's classy, super-thin notebook. Despite this durable appearance, we found that there was a lot of "give" in numerous places and the frequent handling by tech journalists had taken its toll on the hinge of one of the show models, too, which was very loose and caused the upper lid to fall backwards of its own accord. Such issues may be rectified in the production models, but it's something to keep in mind.

The S3 is somewhat thinner than the MacBook Air, and even manages to beat Toshiba's svelte appearance by a couple of millimeters - coming in at just 13 mm (0.51-inch). It's not as light as the Portégé Z830, but still occupies a light featherweight position at just 3 pounds (1.4 kg).

The Aspire S3 has a 13.3-inch, high definition, LED-backlit display and will be powered by a choice of Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors, with storage offered as either a 240GB SSD or 320GB/500GB HDD with embedded SSD to cater for fast startup. Acer is making a big play over its Acer Green Instant On technology, which may result in users putting their S3's into sleep rather than switching off given that standby battery life is claimed to be in the region of 50 days.

If the Ultrabook is just having a light snooze, Instant On is said to wake the device to full operation in just 1.5 seconds, while a Deep Sleep takes a touch longer at 6 seconds. Acer goes on to say that Instant Connect will get users online in a super fast 2.5 seconds. Once up and running, the battery is claimed to offer some 7 hours of usage between charges.

A new airflow design (including fan optimization) is said to dissipate warm air away from the rear of the notebook, Acer saying that any warm components have been positioned away from where the user has contact with the notebook so users won't feel any heat discomfort.

Other specs detailed include cinema-style surround sound audio courtesy of Dolby Home Theater v4, an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam for high resolution video conferencing or online chat over an 802.11b/g/n wireless connection, Bluetooth 4.0, a 2-in-1 media card reader, a full-size HDMI out port and some USB ports.

The Aspire S3 Ultrabook also features a full-size chiclet-style keyboard, which we found rather strange to use because of the short travel to the keys. We also noticed that the steady stream of IFA attendees wanting to get their hands on Acer's new baby had left its mark on the space bar on one of the demonstration units, which barely functioned at all. The plastic trackpad that sits underneath also left us seriously wanting given the spacious glass offering on the MacBook Air.

Acer will start rolling out its S3 this month at prices starting from EUR799 (we've no word on U.S. pricing at the time of writing).

ASUS reveals the TAICHI dual-screen ultrabook

There's no denying that tablet computers have carved out quite a substantial niche over the past couple of years, but they're not exactly an ideal productivity solution for those of us who spend much of our lives tapping away on a keyboard. Lenovo generated a flutter of excitement at CES 2010 when the company revealed its intention to combine tablet convenience with the power of a notebook in the form of the U1. Sadly, this concept hasn't yet made it beyond prototyping, but ASUS actually delivered somewhat similar functionality with its Eee Pad Transformer series. Now, the company has revealed a new ultrabook that also has a multi-touch tablet on the outer face of the lid. Full specs for the TAICHI are a little thin at the moment, but here's what we do know.

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ASUS says that its TAICHI ultrabook/tablet will come in 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch form factors, although the pre-production prototype introduced by the company's Jonney Shih at Computex 2012 in Taipai, Taiwan earlier this month was of the former size. The lid of both models is home to dual FHD/IPS panels, each at 1920 x 1080 resolution, which are said to utilize the same hardware, but are independent of one another.

This effectively means that users will be able to mirror the notebook display on the multi-touch tablet panel on outer surface of TAICHI's lid, useful for cozy business presentations, sharing video chat sessions with friends or family, or showing of home videos and photos without having to squeeze in front of a screen. That glossy outer surface does look to be quite the fingerprint magnet, though, but that's perhaps a small price to pay for such functionality.

The tablet panel will support stylus input, which is thought to have been made possible courtesy of N-trig technology, a grid-based system which supports up to 256 pressure levels – although there's been nothing official on this from ASUS.

The ASUS TAICHI is reported to weigh about the same as an ASUS Zenbook Prime, is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processors, features SSD storage and DDR3 system memory, and comes with built-in dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and DisplayPort connectivity.

There's a full-size, chiclet-style backlit QWERTY keyboard and trackpad, front and rear HD cameras and B&O ICEpower and ASUS SonicMaster audio. It's also been made NFC-capable, and has an e-compass and gyroscopic sensors.

Have a look at the following video introduction from the ASUS Techinstyle.tv folks: 

It's a little early for pricing and availability information, but rumor has it that the TAICHI could be delivered as soon as October of this year. We'll certainly be keeping a close eye on this interesting device and will bring news as it surfaces.

Source: ASUS

Lenovo prices and details ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo has now announced imminent availability for its gorgeous and lightweight ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

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The new premier Ultrabook has 13.03 x 8.9 x 0.74-inch (331 x 226 x 18.85 mm) dimensions, the kind of size normally reserved for 13-inch displays but the ThinkPad X1 Carbon features a bright (300-nit) 14-inch, 1600 x 900 resolution screen. Its attractive and tough carbon fiber chassis helps it achieve a starting weight of just under 3 pounds (1.36 kg), making it just a shade heavier and thicker than Acer's 13.3-inch S5 and Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air.

At the center of the top bezel is a 720p HD front-facing camera which benefits from face-tracking technology and dual array microphones. Below the hinge sits a backlit keyboard with large scalloped keys in the chiclet style, a multi-gesture glass surface touchpad and a fingerprint reader. Other system security features include a USB blocker to control access via the USB ports and BIOS Port Lock to remotely lock in and out ports.

The X1 will be available with either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional and be powered by the latest 3rd generation Intel Core ultra-volt processor options including an i7-3667U running at 2 GHz and a 1.8 GHz i5-3427U, supported by up to 256 GB of solid state storage and 8 GB of DDR3 system memory. There's Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics (although NVIDIA N13P-GLP Optimus Graphics with 2 GB of dedicated video memory also gets a mention on the datasheet) and Dolby-tuned audio in the shape of Home Theater v4.

Physical connectivity comes in the shape of one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, a 4-in-1 media card reader and a Mini DisplayPort with audio rather than HDMI. For the mobile user, Lenovo offers integrated 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and the option of contract-free 3G mobile broadband and hotspot technology.

Lenovo's RapidCharge technology promises up to five hours of continued use from the 45 watt-hour battery pack after just 35 minutes of charging, or users could opt to go the extra 20 percent and get up to eight hours of battery life from a full charge.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is available from this month for a starting price of US$1,299.

Source: Lenovo

Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch adds multi-touch to interactive pen displays

Muti-touch functionality was added to Wacom's Intuos5 graphics tablets earlier this year and, after winning much praise from users, it's no surprise to see it arrive on the company's Cintiq range of interactive pen displays. The Cintiq range was first introduced in 2005 and the addition of the Cintiq 24HD touch now allows users to use their fingers to pan, zoom and rotate the canvas at the same time as using the pressure and tilt sensitive pen.

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Aimed at digital creative professionals, from freelance industrial designers to Hollywood animators, the Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch features a 24-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel widescreen HD display capable of displaying 1.07 billion colors and 97 percent of Adobe's color gamut. The display can also be color-calibrated.

While creatives are obviously still able to using Wacom’s pressure and tilt sensitive cordless battery-free Grip Pen on the screen and experience a feeling similar to using traditional brushes and pens (with 2,048 pressure levels on pen tip and eraser), they are no longer limited to using buttons and the keyboard to access other functions.

Wacom claims that muti-touch, which can be used to manipulate a 3D model or to pan, zoom and rotate an image, helps create an immersive experience and natural way of working. "The Cintiq 24HD touch closely replicates the experience of working with two hands when using traditional materials such as paints, markers and clay while giving the artist powerful capabilities that only exist in today’s creative software applications," said a Wacom spokesperson.

Also minimizing keyboard dependency are two Touch Rings which are positioned on either side of the display and can be used to access frequently used shortcut commands and perform functions such as zooming, scrolling and changing brush size. There are also 10 customizable ExpressKeys (five on each side of the tablet), which can be set for application-specific shortcuts.

The counter-weighted stand of the Wacom Cintiq 24HD means it can be adjusted to bring the display surface over the edge of the desk, so that it floats just above your knees, or more vertically like an easel.

The Cintiq 24HD touch – which measures 30.3 x 18.3 x 2.5 inches (769.3 x 463.74 x 64 mm) and weighs 28.6 kg (63 lb) with the stand, 13.7 kg (30.2 lb) without – is expected to ship in August 2012 with a price of US$3,699.

Source: Wacom

Here's a promo video showing what the Wacom Cintiq 24HD can do.

SkiMotion scooter propels you forward with groin power

If there's a new way to apply manual power toward motivating a set of scooter or bicycle wheels, someone will think of it. We've seen stair stepper-style scooters, dog-drawn scooters, elliptical machine scooters,gravity-fired hike-a-bikes and countless other designs. The SkiMotion uses a butterfly leg motion, among others, and gets your upper body involved.

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SkiMotion is a scooter with two individual legs that are independently linked to the front tube. The legs pivot outward for moving and collapse inward for storage and transport. The vertical front tube also folds down, making for a small, portable footprint.

SkiMotion says that the movements involved in powering the scooter are similar to inline skating, ski slalom and traditional kick scooters. In fact, the SkiMotion allows for five different styles of motion and exercise: butterfly, cambering, skating, ski motion and cross country ski training. Its listed top speed is 17 mph (27.4 km/h).

I took a SkiMotion out for a brief lap around a paved path, and I found getting started a little like doing half-splits. You extend your two legs outward, and the swivel-mounted wheels transform that energy into forward motion. The four-point pivot hub up front allows you to get your upper body involved, powering into turns and carving up hills.

The SkiMotion uses sturdy steel construction. Its 200-mm (7.9-in) front wheel is about double the size of each rear wheel, a design that SkiMotion says is aimed at stability and control. The bike is equipped with cantilever brakes on each wheel and includes two adjustable brake levers.

The SkiMotion is already available in Asia. It will launch in the United States in October. The adult version, which weighs 26.5 pounds (12 kg) and supports riders up to 200 pounds (90 kg) will retail for US$289. A smaller child's version (up to 155 lbs/70 kg) will also be available for $239. That price includes an optional set of LED rear wheels.

The video below gives you an idea of what's involved in riding a SkiMotion.

Source: Ride SkiMotion

Nintendo Wii U rumor round-up

A steady stream of rumors and announcements have been flowing regarding Nintendo's new console, including leaked box art, major title announcements and developer comments on the power of the system. We take a closer look at what to expect as the Wii U release draws nearer.

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Rumors and speculation

The box art for Nintendo's upcoming console was leaked when Amazon.ca listed a number of pre-order titles including Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IIIand Avengers: Battle for Earth. These listings feature previously unseen box art which Nintendo has subsequently confirmed as the final design.

The Wii U box art is somewhat reminiscent of that seen on the cases of Nintendo's GameCube titles

Rumors have also surfaced regarding the planned release date of the new console. It was previously thought that Nintendo was on track for a November launch, thus getting the system on shelves in time for the start of the holiday season. However, Computer and Video Games (CVG) has reported that due to manufacturing difficulties, the console may not see a European release until early December. The report suggests that the complex new controller is the root of the issue.

The controller features a 6.2 inch touch-screen display, motion sensing and near field communication (NFC) technology, as well as a front-facing camera. The complex nature of the device has reportedly led to difficulties in mass production. Despite this, it’s believed that the console is set to meet the November window for its U.S. launch, with Nintendo keen to get the system on shelves prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nintendo has been notably quiet about just how powerful its new system is. The Wii U spec list released following the company's E3 appearance left out key details, stating only that the CPU will be a multi-core IBM processor and GPU will feature AMD Radeon HD tech.

Though Nintendo is understandably making us hold our breath on details of the system's internals, developers have been a little more vocal, with somewhat mixed responses. Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada told Digital Spy that while the system's graphical power is comparable to that of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, the console's CPU is actually slightly slower than the competition. Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said that the system is at “minimum on par with current generation” and that the company’s CryEngine 3 runs “beautifully” on the system. However, despite this praise, Crytek announced on twitter last week that Crysis 3 isn’t in development for the Wii U.

Developer support

EA has recently made some announcements regarding its commitment to the platform. During its Summer Showcase event, the company announced that the latest edition of its popular American Football franchise will be released on Nintendo’s new console. The Wii U version of Madden NFL 13will utilize the touch screen on the new tablet controller, allowing users to change player assignments on the fly during defense, and create custom hot routes by drawing paths on the new controller during offensive play. EA also took the opportunity to demo the extra functionality available in the Wii U version of FIFA 13.

A more general look at developer support for the new platform paints a fairly positive picture. The company has set out to recapture hardcore gamers with the Wii U, and the launch lineup seems a step towards to this goal. A number of major publishers have announced titles for the console, with flagship games such as Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 and Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed III present. There is a strong notion that Nintendo’s launch lineup features too many re-releases of titles that are already available on other systems. Games such as Batman: Arkham City will have been out for a significant amount of time by the time the Wii U version hits shelves.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any Wii U exclusives. Major Nintendo franchises such as the hotly anticipated Pikmin 3 are present and third party exclusives such as Ubisoft’s ZombiU are receiving a lot of positive press. The mini-game orientated Nintendo Land and Wii Fit U are likely to please the casual gaming market that the company pursued with its blue oceanstrategy on the current Wii console. However, the focus on the former of these titles during the E3 presentation has added to the skepticism felt towards the system by hardcore gamers.

Recapturing hardcore gamers

The manifestation of Nintendo’s desire to recapture hardcore gamers isn’t confined to the system’s full HD output and its lineup of more adult-orientated titles. The announcement of the Wii U Pro controller was an olive branch to the less-casual gamer. The new controller looks a lot like the Xbox 360 hardware and should help gamers who aren’t keen on the tablet controller to feel a little more at home.

The Wii U Pro controller is likely to be popular with hardcore gamers

The online connectivity is also a huge issue for gamers, and it's something that the company is yet to provide a great deal of detail on. A rare mention of the console's online component was discussed by Nintendo's president and CEO Satoru Iwata, when he stated to shareholders that Wii U users won't have to pay an Xbox 360-like subscription in order to take advantage of online features. This is good news for gamers, and the fact that the company is willingly comparing its online service to Microsoft's is a good sign in itself.

Sources: Nintendo, EA, Amazon.ca, CVG, IGN, Digital Spy

Sensordrone adds more sensory capabilities to smartphones

Those who value having a myriad of information on the world around them right at their fingertips may have something extra to add to their Christmas or birthday wish list. Sensordrone, a Kickstarter project that has managed to triple its initial funding goal of US$25,000, packs a dozen environmental sensors into a keychain-sized dongle, collecting highly localized data and relaying the information to any Android device via Bluetooth.

Just a few months back, a similar project – Variable Technologies' NODE – was successfully funded via Kickstarter. Sensordrone will retail at a slightly higher price, but will also come with some interesting and unique features of its own, starting from the types of sensors that are embedded in the device.

Sensordrone can measure temperature (with two separate sensors including an infrared non-contact thermometer), humidity, pressure, proximity, illumination and color intensity. It also features three separate gas sensors, which can be used for anything from spotting gas leaks to creating an impromptu breathalyzer.

The data is fed to any Android-compatible device via Bluetooth in three different ways: you can get immediate read-outs, receive a streaming data flow of continuous readings, or store the information in a comma separated value (CSV) text file, which is ideal for creating graphs and spreadsheets.

The Sensordrone also shines in flexibility, both on the hardware and the software side of things. A digital/analog interface allows the connection of new sensors to add even more functionality. And the software will be released under an open source license, meaning developers can create entirely new apps that better integrate the data from the sensors within the user experience of the smartphone.

The sensors would cost significantly more if purchased separately, and so the developers envision their device as the building block for a distributed network of low-cost, superlocal environmental sensors. The idea is reminiscent of projects that aim to use the accelerometers embedded into laptops to serve as an early-warning system for earthquakes. Unlike those projects, however, this one would require an ad-hoc hardware platform that may still be too much on the pricey side for a highly developed network to sprout.

The Sensordrones will retail for US$199 apiece, but can be obtained at a discount from the Kickstarter project page. The video below illustrates the device at work.